Chicago!

I love Christmas. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. And one of my favorite holiday traditions is taking the train to Chicago, shopping, checking out the windows at Macy's (ahem... Marshall Fields... but whatever...), and lunch in the Walnut Room. I've done this for as long as I can remember- with my gramma and mom. Now, my mom goes with me and MY girls. Maggie has been joining us for the past 2 years, and this year we decided Lucy was "big" enough to join us. HOLY COW. Can you say EXCITED? 

Maggie, the little girl with the amazing memory, filled Lucy in on every single detail of what to expect- from the "seats that flip" on the Metra, to the candy necklaces in the basement of Macy's, to the fairies who sprinkle you with magic dust in the Walnut Room, to the magic mirror in the Disney Store across the street. If we wanted to skip any of these things, there was no way they were going to let that happen! Besides, it was really kind of cool to hear about the "highlights" of the trip from Maggie's point of view- she is obviously busy creating her own memories and traditions!

We took an early train... Lucy was SO EXCITED! The girls talked non-stop and worked on their lists for Santa. 

 Maggie on the train!

Lucy was a little hyped... can you tell? 

Working on our lists for Santa...

 Lucy's list (duh, me! I forgot to take a picture of Maggies! Grrr!) Oh, and if anyone can figure out how to get the girl "Pixie Dust" for Christmas, I know Santa would appreciate the help! :)

The weather on Friday was unseasonably warm- which made for a wonderful day to walk around the city! First stop, "Nacy's" to find the magic, red mailbox and send off those letters to Santa!

And then off to see the Macy's tree!

Lunch at the Walnut Room...

...and then Lucy spotted one of the fairies Maggie had told her so much about....

She came to our table, told some stories, asked some questions, and sprinkled each of us with a little magic fairy dust!

Headed out for a bit more shopping....and to check out those windows!

Lunch? Check. 

Magic red mailbox? Check. 

Disney Store? Check. 

Candy necklaces? Check. 

Another amazingly successful Chicago trip. 

Two tired little girls....