Extra Extra!!

Once upon a time there was a young teenage girl from the South side of Chicago who decided to take an unconventional route for her high school choice. I chose to go to Nazareth Academy in La Grange (which was about 10 miles from my house at the time). I chose that school because I only knew a small select few people from my neighborhood that went there, it was Catholic and Co-ed, and I wanted to get as far away from the people I didn't like in my neighborhood as possible. Funny, but true. The attitude you have when you're 13 and 14 is quite embarrassing when you look back at things. On my way to school everyday I would love the drive down Ogden and sometimes through the side streets of La Grange and La Grange Park. Everything was so clean and cute, there were a bunch of neat places to grab a bite to eat, and everyone had a smile on their face as they went about their daily life. I enjoyed ditching school (once in a GREAT while, shhh) and heading over to the Starbucks in Downtown La Grange to grab a Caramel Frappuccino! During my time at Naz, I met so many wonderful people with great attitudes (although most of the time we were bratty and complaining teenagers), those who loved the dedication of being an athlete, and many families who were the opposite of mine. Nazareth gave me a real chance at a future, other than being a close-minded neighborhood girl with a puss-face on at all times (that was me for a small part of my life, true story). Growing up in my teens with girls from the surrounding areas of the Western Suburbs really gave me confidence to challenge myself to be better, it also let me know that being a part of a flourishing community where you give back and form strong bonds is possible. So ever since then, I have had a goal to live near my Alma Mater.

Fast forward to when I was around 18 years old and I discovered the clubs and bars in Downtown Chicago, and all of that changed. I was only concerned with having as much fun as possible, being as rebellious as possible, and doing whatever the hell I wanted to do. I also met some very successful people who lived in high rises and I KNEW that one day I would live downtown with all the commotion! 

{Fast forward again to today and I have officially lived in the city for 6 years (goal accomplished) and we as a FAMILY are now moving to the La Grange area next month (goal accomplished!).}

In the 7 years my husband and I have been together and the 6 years we have lived together in the city, we have had a baby, got engaged, got married, took so many vacations, remodeled our condo, and experienced all the fruits this beautiful city of Chicago has to offer. We have created a beautiful life together here, so it's sad to say good bye to this place that we call home. But I know the future is incredibly bright for us. 

Of course with any sort of change comes all sorts of emotions. I don't think I've had an actual good nights sleep in about a month. I've been tossing and turning with excitement and nervousness and a touch of anxiety. My main goal is to ensure the happiness of my family. I am so glad to finally give my son a yard! I'm so glad that we will now all have doors on our bedrooms and that I will no longer have to watch the TV on volume 6 when my son goes to sleep. I can't wait to be able to have my family and friends over for a BBQ, or a football game, or whatever. All of those moments that make a house a home, I truly am so excited for. I'm so thankful that I am also still blessed with the opportunity to stay home and take care of my family and hopefully have another baby sometime in the near future. But for now I will stick to buying some brand new furniture and getting to know our new neighborhood. 

I am so excited for this new journey in our lives and can't wait to breathe in all of that fresh air!