Andersonville

Hello everyone! Welcome to City Walk #3 for the Johnson family (card #27). This past Sunday we enjoyed the nearby Andersonville (it's just a couple miles east of us on Foster Ave).



Some of the highlights include:
Swedish American Museum (which we walked by and did not enter).


One of the largest feminist bookstores in the country (according to our card). Aside from the name we didn't see much difference between it and any other bookstore (from our vantage point on the sidewalk of course).


Lots of fun shops and consignment stores. Many stores had goods on the sidewalk and lots of restaurants had sidewalk seating so there was plenty to peruse and enjoy on our walk. We did go in a few stores like one very expensive children's store, an antique store, a shoe store and Starbucks. I was also very excited to try the Swedish Bakery touted on the card but it wasn't open (since it was Sunday).

The very Swedish water tower.

It was a gorgeous day so we just enjoyed the company and the sunshine. Asher delighted in watching Addilyn as she sang and shouted in the stroller.

Go, Go, Go!

Boat Tour, etc.

Here are some pictures of our architectural boat tour of downtown Chicago and some other randomness.


Asher and Daddy take a nap. Asher has been having some trouble sleeping during the day so Daddy helped him out by rubbing his back until they both fell asleep.

The seminary offered a discounted boat tour of Chicago. A bunch of seminarians and their families went and we had a really good time. Here is Addilyn with her new friend Ethan.

Downtown from the river (actually it might have been the loch between the river and Lake Michigan at this point).

On Saturday, we went on a bike ride through River Park.

The kids are all ready to go.

Addilyn was putting on makeup with crayons. There was blue, red and orange (I think). The blue was lipstick but I'm still not sure where she's watched someone put on lipstick.

Here is a very large, hodgepodge post about last weekend (and a few of the days before that).


Addilyn has been keeping busy. I guess she thought the windowsill needed a bit more color (I kind of agree).

I wasn't quite the color I was looking for though so I had her clean it up. She did a very nice job.

Asher tried his first solid food. He did a pretty good job with it.

Last Saturday was Tyler's birthday. We went to Giordiano's for lunch after church.

Mmmm...deliciousity.

After pizza, we went for the second of our city walks. This walk was through Grant Park which is right next to Millenium Park (our first city walk) so we stopped to take some of the pictures we missed the first time around.

Addilyn at the Bean.

Ditty will be playing the role of tour guide for all of you on our walks. Here he is by the Bean.

And here he is at Crown Fountain in Millenium Park..

Ditty felt super cozy in the fence at Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. Grant Park is ginormous compared to Millenium Park but they're just across the street from each other.

A view of the city from the fountain.

Addilyn and Ditty.

The fam in front of the fountain.

The fountain with the city behind it.

Tyler and Addilyn at the lakeshore of Grant Park.

Frisbee on Campus

Tyler is back in college now and what do college students do at North Park: play frisbee on the quad. On an especially beautiful Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago (or our second Sunday here), we decided to try it out with Addilyn and Asher in tow.

Here's the play-by-play:

Addilyn likes to run. She really likes to be chased. Tyler is indulging her. (For those of you who aren't familiar with the North Park campus, the steeple you see in the background is the top of the seminary building.)

We also thought this would be a good opportunity to teach Addilyn how to throw a frisbee.

She is a warrior.

Tyler's thoughts:

"Oh, isn't she cute?"

"Okay, I'm getting a little bored now."

"Seriously kid, give me back my frisbee."

Lonely Asher (he was supposed to be taking a nap; not likely).

And there go the shoes.

Tyler calls this the Gollum picture (those of you familiar with Lord of the Rings will understand the reference).

Okay, and now she's bored.

I hope you feel like you were there.

A New Post

As you have probably noticed, we still do not have internet at the house. I apologise to those of you who are accustomed to getting a fresh fix of the Johnsons multiple times a week. But for now I'll give you a quick update.


Last weekend we drove home to Kansas for the larger Johnson family reunion. We literally have zero pictures from this event (save for the opening one from my Grandma), but if you were to talk to my sister or my aunts or my other sister or perhaps my dad or maybe my grandparents, I'm sure you could find all the pictures you want.



Here is a picture showing Asher's mobility to date. He's is very good at backing up into small, confining space.

Also, yesterday marked the arrival of my final book that I'll need for this semester. Here they are all in a row, nicely arranged by class and in the order I have the class.

Perhaps this weekend we'll find the time to take some pictures and then post them.