Christkindlmarket

Every year I have wanted to go to the Christkindlmarktet in Chicago at Christmas time but it has never worked out. This year since my mom was going to be visiting while it was going on we decided we had to go. It was past lunch so we all got yummy pretzels. The girls got plain salted ones.

My mom and I got jalapeno ones. They were awesome and warm on a cold day.

The market was so much fun. It was smaller than I imagined and there were some vendors that were local but most of the coolest ones were from Germany. I loved listening to the people speak German and with their German accents. 

My mom bought an awesome Nutcracker and some ornaments from this Dresden Germany vendor. 

I bought a Gingerbread Santa that we will enjoy another day.

It even snowed a bit while we were there and we all really had a great time.

On the way back to our car we passed Macy's and had to stop to get a picture of the horns and one of the window displays.

It's hard to see but there is the Gingerbread Santa...

The "Bean"

Next on the list was visiting the "Bean". We decided to park at the Millennium Park garage and walk from there. That gave us the perfect opportunity to visit it.

It was actually much cooler in person than I thought it was going to be and the girls loved it. Abi thought it was the coolest thing ever.

standing under it looking up....

The SkyDeck

Our next stop was the Sears Tower. (Yes, I know the new name but I like the old one.) They told us it was really overcast and we wouldn't have any visibility but we had already parked and the girls were excited so we decided to go ahead and still go up anyway. That elevator goes SO fast.

I thought it was so funny when I took this picture that both my mom and Maddy were watching the little screen showing what floor you were passing while Abi was making faces at herself in the mirrored ceiling.

My ears popped about 3 or 4 times going up. It was crazy.

I tried to get a photo when we got there but the 103 started to go away...

It was cloudy but we ended up having good views of the city afterall.

When we got to the glass floor I wasn't sure how the girls would handle it or if I would be able to do it myself since I am so afraid of heights. We all started with just a tip of the foot.

Of course my mom was the first one brave enough to go all the way out...

I scooted the stroller over so Maddy could see down and she wasn't sure what to think but decided she did want to get out and try it.

Once Abi got out there she didn't want to come back in!

And I did it!

It really is crazy.

Maddy went out once and then was very happy to get back in her stroller....

Abi on our way back down... 

It really was an awesome experience!

Chicago part one: American Girl

Monday was a big day! I kept Abi home from school so she could go down into Chicago with us. We have been to Chicago so many times but this day was one we have been planning for awhile. We wanted to hit a few of the places we hadn't been to yet. 

It was cold and we heard it might snow so we let Maddy open a gift from her cousin Matthew early because I knew what it was.

Maddy loved her new Hello Kitty hat and gloves. She didn't have any gloves that fit so this gift saved her from freezing!

Our first stop was American Girl which was the only stop of the day to a place we had been before. My mom had saved Maddy's birthday money to buy her some things here so we wanted to go let her pick them out. I also let the girls get something for each other for Christmas.

We didn't eat here today- just shopped and had fun.