Graduation, Christmas and a New Year

The end of Preston's graduate program came at a nice time. Not only were we able to close a chapter in our lives but also another year.

We celebrated graduation in TN with friends and family.  It was a lot of fun getting together with the friends we have made going though this five year journey together. Most importantly it was a blessing to be surrounded by the family who has supported Preston's pursuits. 

I am specifically grateful the stress and time constraints of the program are over for Preston. He's actually getting some sleep now.

While we were in TN we also celebrated Christmas with Preston's family. It is always so much fun to be around the family and see all the little ones. We had the privilege of staying at Gregory, Eden, and Emma's home, who were very hospitable! Their parents were nice too ;)

The wide photo on top was an attempt to use my iPhone's panorama feature, but since the children were not perfectly still, you can seem some strange distortions on a few faces.

Poor Shay...she missed the photo since she was off trying to figure out her new Kindle Fire.

In a fun note, particularly relevant to our blogs title There and Back Someday, Derek, Meagan, Preston and I went to see a late showing of The Hobbit. Though the theater service was subpar and the drinks were flat, the movie was awesome!! Of course, Preston and Derek failed to inform Meagan and me that the movie would be a three part series. The two of us were surprised by the ending that left out so much of the story. Now we look forward to part 2. Kind of like our own personal journey here in Chicago...taking a little longer than anticipated. 

 On our way back to Chicago we stopped in Kentucky to celebrate Christmas with my wonderful family, who have also been such a blessing and support over these past five years. 

On actual Christmas Eve and Christmas we were home, just the two of us. We had a fun and special time together! We made Christmas Eve pizza, which has been a tradition in my family since I can remember. In fact, we connected with my parents and sister via Skype in order to share the experience together. Not quite the same as being with them, but cyberspace sufficed this year.

Preston's graduation gift was an overnight trip to Milwaukee and a show of the Trans Siberian Orchestra. We so much fun together and the show was fantastic! (Videos at end of blog)

The laser light show was pretty intense.

 New Year's Eve!  Our second New Year's Eve in Chicago! Preston and I had a joyful time remembering the blessing and special moments of 2012.

We do have a few little resolutions for the coming year. Nothing too extravagant or difficult, like my resolution I made last year: To keep one plant alive for the whole year.  I wish I had taken a before and after photo…but here is how it ended. Alive? Yes. Barely. Resolution accomplished? Check.
 

We look forward to what God has in store for 2013. The specifics of our future feel quite uncertain at this moment, but we know God is faithful. “For The Lord is good and His love endures forever, his faithfulness continues through all generations” Psalm 100:5

Blessing to you and your families this coming year  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Videos below: 

1st: Christmas Eve Sarajevo - Their most famous song 

2nd: On this very Christmas night (my recording got stuck, but it gets unstuck) 

3rd: Not sure the name, but a fun song! 

   

 

Fall in Chicago

 

We have been able to enjoy some of the fall fun this year even without all the beautiful trees from TN. Preston, I, and our friend Casey went to a fun corn maze/apple farm/pumpkin patch, and I carved a pumpkin for the work pumpkin carving contest. 

Fall brought along a sad memory we will hold. The passing of Preston's grandfather. We traveled down to TN for the funeral, which gave us a chance to visit with friends and family. The trip was a sad time of remembering such a wonderful and loving grandfather.  We will miss his constant support and encouragement and his never-ending love. In remembering him, there are a few more words to read about him here from his grandkids: In honor of

Grandfather with Dean, Preston, Derek, Holly and Forrest

Upon returning to Chicago, Preston and I completed the Hot Chocolate race. If only we were able to get hot chocolate before the race, when it was FREEZING, but the chocolate afterwards was a fun reward.

Of course, with Fall there is THANKSGIVING! A wonderful holiday where Preston and I were in Kentucky with my mom and dad and sister. We enjoyed good food and relaxing time with the family. Yes, we went BLACK FRIDAY shopping.  We left at MIDNIGHT  (thursday evening) from my parents home and didn't get back home until 9:00am on Friday.

Playing Monopoly - I won!! :)

My parents were given a large amount of pecans and so we all gathered to help crack and clean the pecans. Very Thanksgivingy event.

My father and I usually make our not-yet-famous Chocolate candy every year.

These are the business hours posted where my father gets his hair cut.

During our black Friday extravaganza, we purchased me a smart phone. My first. So far, it has been quite enjoyable and there is so much stuff that the little phone can do.  It is very tempting to get back on Facebook; however, my simpler facebookless life is pretty good.

We will be back down in TN the weekend of December 15th to celebrate in Preston's GRADUATION!! Very excited for the trip to come and for the Christmas holidays which are fast approaching.  

Blessings and love, 

Krystal (and Preston)

Some gals from Urban Life Skill - mentoring program I'm a part of.

View from top of parking garage near our house. Top of Sears tower changes colors every month!

Good Bye Sunshine (lots of photos)

Well over the last few months we have been enjoying the last rays of sun and warmth of summer. Fall has started, pumpkins are everywhere, and the leaves (little that are here) are changing colors.

In August Preston and I had an opportunity to take some time off of work and enjoy some rest and relaxation away from Chicago - a concrete jungle.  We headed up to the little rural town of Suttons Bay Michigan where below you will see some photos of our stay.  It was PERFECT weather.

(We were very blessed to find me another bike for this trip since mine was stolen a week before we left. )

Broken lock :(

Fresh Apple Cider :)

Having Breakfast at the famous Martha's Leelanau Table

The water of Lake Michigan used to go all the way up to the light house.

Trying to break a world record - most paddle boats in one area (or something) we didn't make it.

Arial view of all of us floating together

Insane assylumn turned into shops and restaraunts

Us going on our 34 miles bike ride. Woohoo!

We climbed up some pretty awesome sand dunes!

Shortly after that came the Chicago Half-Marathon (13.1 miles).  Super fun! Can't believe I actually did it. Since then Preston and I both ran another 5k, and we look forward to a 15k race in November. Running is more fun now than when we first started :)

Before the half marathon - I like eating red peppers when running

Preston met me after the race - Woohoo!

Our most recent venture was to Minneapolis, MN. Although we traveled from one city to another, Minneapolis is smaller and quainter than Chicago. It really was a beautiful and fun city to see. Of course, we went to the humongous Mall of America....and some other spots around the town.

Our friend and Preston's colleague Casey!

Preston with his other friend Spongebob ☺

Lunch at the Spaghetti factory

Famous Stone Arch Bridge 

"The Stone Arch Bridge is the only bridge of its kind over the Mississippi River. It is made of native granite and limestone, and measures 2100-feet long by 28-feet wide. The bridge consists of 23 arches"

Candid :)

Homemade Ice Cream from Wisconsin...yum

We were actually in MN for a conference that Preston attended for work (Christian Community Development Association), and then he went to another conference in Texas the next weekend (Collaborative Family Healthcare Association).  

Overall, we are doing well. Continuously getting busier and more involved with the world around us up here. We started participating in our church's worship team - a fun blessing

Now we are just trying to see how long we can ride our bikes to work before we start freezing in the mornings. hahaha.
 

Blessings and joy to all,
Preston and Krystal 

Our recent Groupon find - We went on a walking pizza tour - learned a lot of pizza history and then went to Mrs. Field's store for dessert!

It's been a year!!

The beach in Chicago!!

Whoa...already 1 year. Tomorrow, August 1st, will be one full year of Preston and I living in Chicago. It has been a wonderful year with unexpected opportunities and surprises.

Now it is SUMMER in the city....the beautiful city.  Chicago comes alive in the summer and we have had some fun visitors so far.  Below are some photos of visitors:

Candace and Nathan at the Cornerstone building

Candace and I at Millenium Park

At the Jelly Bean factory in Wisconsin.

Preston's grandfather was able to come up to Chicago for a day in June.  We had a fun time showing him around the city. Here's a photo of him and Preston at the top of Sears/Willis Tower!!

We also had my parents visiting in the month of June....

Flowers downtown

 ...and some friends of my from grad school visiting this past weekend!!

Beverly and Ashley having fun in front of Buckingham Fountain

We actually ate dessert at Michael Jordan's Steakhouse!!! (Dinner was quite pricey...dessert was all we could afford)

I had a unique opportunity last month to be a part of a tasting...ha...it was a taste testing for chewing gum, and I got paid. Interesting. AND much more interesting: Preston defended his dissertation and this is his final week as an intern.  He will finish up and continue at Lawndale Christian Health Center for his year long Post-Doc. 

Some gum and my check! Yay!

Preston at his dissertation defense

Preston and his chair for the dissertation committee...Dr. Hirsh

Again, it has been a great year.  One thing that Preston and I both have grown to really enjoy in this lovely weather is biking to and from work whenever we can. 

What I am most looking forward to in the next few weeks is our upcoming water rafting day in Wisconsin, and at the end of August Preston and I are planning to go on a camping/hiking/whoknowswhatelse trip. As much fun as the city is, it will be nice to be in some quietness of nature!

That's it for now...on to another year of fun times.  Blessings, Preston and Krystal

We got a free slurrpy on July 11th (7/11) at 7-11!!

On Preston's trip to TN in July - this is how much he paid for gas....a sight we may never see again. :)