I LOVE NATURE!

Pictures to compliment this post can be seen on my facebook page. :)

Now that Alli has a car (Edna), we thought that it was overdue to go visit our beloved nature in Naperville. :) It was grand! Time outside the city is such a treasure.... even if we weren't in the great outdoors the whole time.

We kicked our trip off by visiting the GAP. They were having a great sale.... and it made for some GREAT people watching. There was this little boy (maybe 7 or 8) who was informing his mother very aggressively that "this isn't Barnes and Noble!" What an observant child. :) While Alli shopped for bargains (with Bonafide Lovin' playing in the background), I perused the baby section. I have a good reason for going there now because my best friend from home (Noelle) just had a baby. Brooklyn Marie was born Friday afternoon and I am sure is the most incredibly lovely baby girl! It was one of the most exciting afternoons of my life- everyone that entered my office was informed of the event. I could not believe how excited I was.... you'd think I was having the baby or something! Seriously though, what a thrilling blessing- total celebration!!!!!!!!!!

There was a murder of geese out. Geese always remind me of my friend Dina and the way we met. When she was a student at NTBI in Jackson, MI she visited my church with the choir. Dina gave this incredible testimony about how the Lord was asking her to trust Him- just like the geese flying above the choir bus were that morning...even though their brains were SIGNIFICANTLY smaller. :) I love that story and so geese have always had an affectionate place in my heart. HOWEVER, I had no idea how much they poop! The sidewalk along the Riverwalk was splattered with green business. :(

There was a big hill of greeness that was so great to walk barefoot through..... It led to an ominous tower (kinda similar to Mordor from LOTR). It was trying to play the oldie "Yesterday." Ironically, on the bells it didn't have the same "ring" to it.

Being in nature for so long, Alli and I worked up quite an appetite. Ted's Montana Grill was our place of choice. We had to go back after such delicious food. This time we got to know the wait staff much better though. hahahhaha. There was Marsha dBrett and one that has become and forever will be known as Sweet Bottoms. There was another who thought we wanted to take him home because just as we were giggling he would pass by--- poor guy! We don't even know what his name is.

On the way home we thought we would stop by a Target. In November we had done the same thing and we thought we remebered the directions pretty well. On our 3rd try, down a road with a name of a president.... we finally found the way. The street before we had been pretty hopeful about and then we saw "DEAD END" ahead.

We headed back to the city with our fountain sodas.... oh NATURE... How we love thee! :)