Weekend in Chicago

We have spent the July 4th weekend with some friends in Chicago. It has been a much needed and refreshing weekend! One if the highlights was going to see Wicked: the Musical. We took the train to downtown Chicago and then had some deep dish pizza at Giordano's. One word: WOW. Next, we walked a few blocks to the Ford Oriental Theater.

Now, there is a special place in my heart for the Wizard of Oz. I grew up on the L. Frank Baum books and know the story, the characters, the minor characters, and their back stories. So, I have been interested for a while in what Wicked did to the "canon" of Oz. And though it did play with some story lines, I liked it, I REALLY liked it.

The show itself: "A-MAZ-ING"! It was an incredible performance. The set design and costumes were absolutely stunning. And the music- the music was inspiring! "Defying Gravity" is truly an addictive song. Ok, so I'm using every cliche in the book. But there are often time no words to express what you have seen. You simply need to experience for yourself. You must go see this show!

Genna got to see fireworks for the first time. We were far enough away, so she wouldn't be scared of the sound. She LOVED them. She kept saying, "LOUD" as she looked up to see the brilliant colors scatter across the sky.

We also got to try some new restaurants over the weekend. Now, we don't like to simply "go out to eat" . . . . we like to "dine". You know what I mean? There is a difference between the two. We love the experience of opening a menu and seeing the fresh takes on traditional meals or that something we've never tried before. Im fairly adventurous- so I'll try anything once. So it's been a fun weekend to try new places. We went to the Weber Grill (we saw it on Food Network, so we HAD to go!), Claimjumper, Oberweis, and Sweet Tomatoes. All unique and interesting places!

And finally, I got to go Community Christian Church. This church has been very successful with the multi-site movement. In fact, this church has been the model for Rochester's venture with Christ Church: Macomb. So, I wanted to go and see it for myself. Overall, it was a good experience. The church is in a building they lovingly call the "Yellow Box". Greeters were friendly and genuine. The smells of coffee greeted me warmly as I walked into the lobby. One thing I noticed right off the bat is their slick graphic design work. A sign stated, "EXPERIENCE" above the entrance to the auditorium- making a bold, but pointed claim. The worship was rockin' (something I don't get to do in an a cappella worship often!) and the message was a solid teaching out of Proverbs (something we don't hear that often).

Now, I'm off to the pool with the Gladd's and the fam. Hope you had a great 4th of July weekend.