First time was basically just for church.
Second time was to spend some good quality time with the newlyweds. :)
Friday afternoon we left right before dinner. The "We" includes Michelle, Brooke, Larissa, and me.
The only person missing was Kendra. She had to work which was such a bummer!
We had this weekend planned since before Ellie even got married. :) So we weren't about to cancel it.
Friday night we got there in good time and hung out and talked. Just like the good ole' days except with a man in the conversation too. :) Their apartment is pretty small but we survived... even all of us sharing one bathroom!
Saturday morning we had planned to go to downtown Chicago. Ellie made us pancakes before heading to Elgin to catch the train. I had never been to a train station or on a train before. Crazy I know! It wasn't really any different than any other kind of transportation though. :)
Waiting for the trainYes, Troy came with us... not sure how he felt by the end of the day with all of us girls. :) I think one of the reasons he came was because I don't think he trusted us girls in downtown chicago by ourselves. :) Oh, and he probably wanted to spend some with his wife. :) It was good to know that we had a guy to protect us if we needed it. :)
Darcy came with us which was super fun. Good thing too, otherwise we would've been super lost everywhere we went! She was so excited that this was my first train ride. :) She made sure we went up to the 2nd level so I could have a good first experience. :)
Me & Rissa
The Girls
Another first for me was just the whole downtown Chicago experience. I was there when I was like 8, but I barely remembered it.
Darcy came with us which was super fun. Good thing too, otherwise we would've been super lost everywhere we went! She was so excited that this was my first train ride. :) She made sure we went up to the 2nd level so I could have a good first experience. :)
Me & Rissa There was something about the train conductors that I didn't realize. They really do wear uniforms and hats just like the books and movies. Lol. I know, I'm so naive. :)
The Girls
Another first for me was just the whole downtown Chicago experience. I was there when I was like 8, but I barely remembered it. Michigan Avenue was a distance from the train station so we got to do a lot of walking.
Our first stop was the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. (I had never been there before either!) We had to wait for an hour and a half, but it was so worth it. Some of us girls did some shopping while Troy & Ellie waited around.
Lovebirds.
The meal was delicious and supposively the Cheesecake was too. But I hate cheesecake so I wouldn't know.
Darcy's birthday was the next Tuesday so Troy told the waitress and we sung to her. She got a dessert topped with a candle. She was a tad bit embarassed.
We got back to Troy & Ellie's at about 7:30 and ordered pizza. We just hung out and talked again. The greatest thing about the weekend was that we didn't even have to do anything to have fun. This may sound cheesy, but it's true... just being together and talking was the best part.
Sunday morning before church
Our first stop was the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. (I had never been there before either!) We had to wait for an hour and a half, but it was so worth it. Some of us girls did some shopping while Troy & Ellie waited around.
Lovebirds.
The meal was delicious and supposively the Cheesecake was too. But I hate cheesecake so I wouldn't know.
Darcy's birthday was the next Tuesday so Troy told the waitress and we sung to her. She got a dessert topped with a candle. She was a tad bit embarassed. 
We only had about an hour to shop after the Cheesecake Factory before we had to to start walking back to the train station. I only bought one thing, but it was just fun to walk around, see the sights, and hang out with the girls.
We kind of got lost on our way to the train station, but we were helped by a homeless man... kind of creepy but he really was helpful.
We got back to Troy & Ellie's at about 7:30 and ordered pizza. We just hung out and talked again. The greatest thing about the weekend was that we didn't even have to do anything to have fun. This may sound cheesy, but it's true... just being together and talking was the best part.
Sunday morning before churchChurch was good... I love small churches. And I think everyone there knows me now which is kind of fun. :) We left straight from church and got home in good time.
An awesome weekend with no studying...
...to an extremely overwhelming week with 3 tests in 24 hours.
But good news. I just finished my last test, and I am pretty much on Thanksgiving break now! I only have to come to class twice next week for my 2 easiest classes. :)
Oh.. I have a job interview on Tuesday. I'm kind of nervous because I've never had a job interview in my life. I've been searching and calling around a ton asking who will take an intern and that word "intern" kind of scares people off. They want to hire you full-time. So I am hoping the job works out. It would be an answer to prayer!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I know I will!
