WHAT A WEEKEND

Jared surprised me for my birthday (which was last week) and took me to Chicago for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. He had arranged it with my folks to keep Morgan for two days, and we enjoyed a very nice getaway. We did some shopping and ate out on New Year's Eve, then spent the rest of the evening chilling out in front of the cable TV at our hotel without feeling guilty about doing so. (I know...real partiers on New Year's Eve, huh?) Our hotel was nicer than what we usually choose for just traveling, which was fun for a change. It even included a buffet / cook to order breakfast in the hotel restaurant - not just your standard continental breakfast at the kind of hotels we usually stay at.

Now, there IS a catch..... Jared had to be in Chicago anyway on New Year's Day because the basketball team at his school was playing a conference game against another local high school....but at the United Center before a Bulls game. Cool, huh? So, I got to tag along. Good thing I like basketball.

During the third quarter (when our team pulled ahead), Jared noticed Derek Rose from the Bulls standing in the tunnel watching.

Our team won by four points, and since Jared was on the VIP list, we got to sit right down on the court and watch it all "up close and personal." It was just fun to say we got to be on the same court as the Bulls play on.

After the game, they made us leave the arena for an hour while the Bulls had a closed practice. Then, they let us back in a half hour before the doors officially opened for the game, so we could sit in the lower bowl for bit and watch some of the players warm up.

Once the doors opened, though, for the game, we had to go to our assigned seats for the Bulls game: in the nosebleed section. But it was still so cool to be in that atmosphere at the UNITED CENTER! When ever are we going to get that opportunity again?

(During the Bulls starting lineup announcement with the lights off in the arena.)

Since we were at the United Center for lunch time and dinner, we obviously had to buy food there. Talk about sticker shock! I ended up with the cheapest thing I could find for lunch: a $4 pretzel. But for dinner, we went all out. We found a "specialty" stand called "Sweet Baby Rays" and spent a good chunk of change for chicken tenders, fries, pulled pork nachos, and a drink. Back home, we could have eaten at a high class restaurant for what we paid there. But let me tell you, it was so worth it!!! (The nachos were out of this world, by the way!)

Mom and Dad had offered to keep Morgan that night, too, seeing as we got home late, so we didn't pick her up until Sunday morning before church. It was SOOOO good to see my little girl again, but she had a blast with Grandma and Grandpa, and Jared and I had a much needed break away just the two of us. Thanks, Hon, for a great birthday surprise!