We recently got back home from a 10 day vacation to my home state of Illinois. We flew out Friday afternoon and spent much of the evening at the airport since our flight was delayed due to weather conditions around O'Hare. Cooper is such a trooper - he was wonderful at the airport and very well behaved during our 3 1/2 hour plane ride.
Hangin' at McCarran.
Happy as can be!
We didn't get in until well after midnight. Once rested we visited with the family then hopped in the car for a ride to the big city - We brought along my Mom and my little cousin Katie.
Great Gramma & Cooper
Anna & Katie
Katie riding into Chicago.
Our first stop was at the Shedd Aquarium - it's one of the many awesome museums Chicago has to offer. Since there are so many different exhibits we were kept busy all day!
Fountain @ Shedd Aquarium
Cooper enjoying the sites.
Katie with the giant turtle.
The "Amazon Rising" exhibit had tons of frogs, snakes, and exotic fish. I love underwater life - I find it absolutely fascinating!
Can you spot the frog?
What a beautiful color!
Red-bellied Piranha
I just love how this snake curled up on the branch!
At the aquarium.
Our next exhibit was the "Waters of the World" - it showcased all the different underwater animals that live deep in the ocean.
A GIANT crab!
An octopus.
A Seahorse.
I just love the colors of this fish!
Nemo - A Clown Fish
Katie practicing with a life vest.
Beautiful Katie and Me
Petting the Star Fish.
My Wonderful Family!
Cooper loved watching the Sea Otters swim around their tank - he would giggle and kick his legs, he would have been happy to stand there ALL day!
The zooming Sea Otter.
Giggling at the Otters.
Mom, Katie, & Me
The dolphin leaving a trail of... something??
There are so many interactive exhibits for the kids - Cooper is still too young, but Katie jumped right in!
Katie playing in the submarine.
My favorite boys!
The simplest things entertain Cooper. Perfect example - Josh drinking from the water fountain, he thought it was hilarious and laughed every time the button was pushed and water sprouted out!
Giggling at the fountain!
Our last leg of the museum was the "Wild Reef" - it had all kinds of living coral and best of all, sharks!
Katie posing on the coral.
Ooohh... A Shark!!
Mom & Katie with a Sea Anemone.
A Sting Ray.
After visiting the gift store, we started our trek back to the car in the rain. It was really windy, they don't call it the windy city for nothin' - and we got soaked! It was so windy the sword on the statue below was wobbling.
Statue off Lake Michigan.
Josh giving Katie a piggy back ride!
A beautiful tree during our walk.
The Chicago Skyline in the fog!
Our next stop in the city was Gino's East - known for their Chicago-style deep dish pizza. It's such a fun place - you can write anywhere on the walls, as long as it's not derogatory, so there isn't a surface unmarked! After making a few wrong turns, we finally arrived and waited for our table.
Waiting in the lobby.
Cooper got his first taste of pizza and he couldn't get enough - let me tell you, this little kid can EAT!
Eating at Gino's East.
After our long eventful day, we headed back South to my Grandparents house.
I took so many pictures that I have to split our trip up into several posts... there's much more to come :)
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