Chicago

I took my first trip ALONE, since Charlotte was born, to visit my friends in Chicago.

When I said goodbye to Charlotte at the airport, I totally cried. I sat waiting for my plane feeling guilty for being indulgent and selfish, leaving my family so I could have some ME time.

However once I landed and got in the car with my best friend Lauren, all of that went out the window. Call me selfish but I'm a big believer in MOMMY TIME. Yes, I did miss my little family SO MUCH, but I'm glad I could get away for a short weekend. I think doing something like this once a year is not only OK, but needed and a good thing to do.

I arrived Friday evening and went straight to dinner with a bunch of friends from the Elementary school I worked in while living in Chicago. I love these people so much. Besides Mike, they were my family while living away. They took such good care of Mike and I, I don't know what I would have done with out them.

We all picked up right where we left off. It was like I hadn't been gone for 3 years. Man, how I miss seeing these wonderful people every day.

Saturday morning Lauren and I had planned to run ten miles together. We were running partners while I lived in Chicago and I couldn't wait to hit the pavement with her again. However my body had different plans. I woke up totally sick and nauseous. Rip off. (Stop what you are thinking, I'm not pregnant. Just had a little bug hit me) So instead of running and hanging out I was throwing up between my friends' living room and bathroom. Pretty miserable. Poor Lauren . She was such a good friend and took great care of me.

BLEH.

Luckily by 3 p.m. I was feeling much better and regaining my energy. Lauren and I went to dinner that evening and chatted away. One of the benefits of feeling so sick was just being able to hang out with Lauren all day. We seriously just sat and talked all day, between mevomiting of course.

Sunday I woke up feeling much, much better and Lauren and I finally got in our ten mile run. Lauren lives in the country outside of Chicago and it's such a peaceful, beautiful place.

So pretty right?

Running with Lauren was so great! She hasn't run much due to injuries and she ran 6 miles of the ten miles like it was no body's business. She's a rock star, what can I say?

While I was out running and feeling good. Guess who was sick and throwing up? My poor little Charlotte. Luckily Mike was home all weekend with her and she was well taken care of. She had the exact little bug I had.

Poor girl. My heart hurt when I found out she was sick. Talk about feeling guilty for not being there to help take care of her. Mike took such good care of our bug. And I know this will sound backwards but he was kinda lucky she was sick, she slept most of the day and when she was awake was totally snugly. Hello, neither of those ever happen when I'm around. :)

Lauren and I spent the rest of the day going to one of my old wards and out to lunch with another friend from school. Then it was off to the airport to head home. I missed Mike and Charlotte tremendously while I was away but I'll be honest it was so rejuvenating to have a girl's weekend. Thank you Lauren for taking such good care of me. Besides being sick for a half the day on Saturday it was the perfect weekend away.