Uncle Joel and Aunt Brigitta came to Illinois for a bitter-sweet celebration: the life of Captain Thomas Heitmann. He was Joel's best friend. a Marine. a helicopter pilot. a brother. a son. an uncle. some one who will be dearly missed. {we did not go to the funeral; but we did see pictures.} it brought tears to my eyes. many tears. all flags flew at half-mast in the state. school children lined the streets waving flags. to honor him. to honor his sacrifice. so i can have freedom.
then we met in the big city.
the zoo is free. enough stuff to do for a whole day.
we went to the farm area.... we're kinda country like that!
she was equal to the weight of two chickens!
rode the train.
rode some hippos.
looked at giraffes.
smiled for the camera {this is rare}
all right in the heart of the city!
then we went to Navy Pier.
being in-laws is always the most fun.
we walked the streets of chicago {grandad and nana came too}.
took a boat tour.
some of us took a nap.
and had fun... but don't be confused.
if you think these kids look more like
my brother and his wife,
you're not the first to think that!
so sad to miss such fun! love the group pic at the park! perfection!
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