We woke up at 7:30am so we could pack and head out to the airport for our flight to Chicago.  Toronto is a great multicultural city and we had a blast here! 

Heather couldn't resist taking another photo of her flowers as they leaned toward the sun. I somehow find this strangely melancholic somehow! But appropriate as we are saying goodbye to a new friend of ours, Toronto.

Heather couldn't resist taking another photo of her flowers as they leaned toward the sun. I somehow find this strangely melancholic somehow. But appropriate as we are saying goodbye to our friend Toronto (at least until we meet again) as well as to the flowers.

 

One of the things I’ve been meaning to mention is that the Westin’s bathrooms are kinda interesting.  They have a square light that surrounds the bathroom mirror.  It works really well in terms of providing good lighting while standing in front of the mirror, but it also has the uncanny effect of making your eyes look weird everytime you look at the mirror.

Not sure if you can notice this, but blow up the photo and you'll see the how our pupils are square-ish because of the light

Not sure if you can notice this, but click on the photo and you'll see the how our pupils are square-ish because of the light

 

We were surprised that there was absolutely NO traffic in Toronto on Sunday morning at around 9am.  Absolutely none.  We zipped right to the airport with so much time to spare that we decided to stop by a restaurant called Tim Horton’s to get breakfast.  They’re a chain in Canada that serves donuts and coffee and things of that nature.  They’re EVERYWHERE here and all of them seem to be pretty crowded.

I got a bagel with cream cheese and a coffee

I got a bagel with cream cheese and a coffee

 

Heather got some sort of donut thing, an egg/bacon muffing thing, and a coffee. It wasn't what you'd call gourmet food but it was a step above McDonalds for sure!

Heather got an apple fritter, an egg/bacon english muffin sandwich, and a coffee. It wasn't what you'd call gourmet food but it was a step above McDonalds for sure!

 

At the airport, we killed some time by watching most of a movie. 

Does anyone know what movie this is from??

Does anyone know what movie this is from??

 

The flight to Chicago was just over an hour and was fairly smooth.  We arrived and headed to the baggage claim to get our luggage.  We were meeting a special guest at the baggage claim in Chicago. 

 

Heyyy...this guy looks kind of familiar

Heyyy...this guy looks kind of familiar

 

Yes it is none other than Heather's dad, Charles! He just flew in from Hawaii and would be hitching a ride with us all the way to Elkhart. Our flights were a bit over an hour apart but ours was early and I'm guessing his was just slightly late so it worked out perfectly where he barely had to wait at all.

Yes it is none other than Heather's dad! He just flew in from Hawaii and would be hitching a ride with us all the way to Elkhart. Our flights were a bit over an hour apart but ours was early and I'm guessing his was just slightly late so it worked out perfectly where he barely had to wait at all.

 

We got our car from Avis.  It is a black PT Cruiser which kind of makes it look like a little gangster hearse.  I’ll take a photo of it tomorrow for you.  From there, we jumped on the freeway and off to Elkhart we went.

Chicago really has a nice skyline and it was a beautiful day. But we were just passing through!

Chicago really has a nice skyline and it was a beautiful day. But we were just passing through!

I had heard a lot of things about the Sears tower and how it is the tallest skyscraper in the United States so I thought it would be pretty cool to drive right next to it.

I don't know, I'm not sure what the big deal is?

But you know, I don't know, I'm not sure what the big deal is? I guess I thought it would be bigger.

 

We encountered a lot of traffic but once we got outside of Chicago it wasn’t too bad.

Welcome to Indiana! Elkhart here we come!

Welcome to Indiana! Elkhart here we come!

 

On the way we passed Gary, Indiana. According to Wikipedia, it is known for its large steel mills and high crime rate. It is also the birthplace of Michael Jackson.

On the way we passed Gary, Indiana. According to Wikipedia, it is known for its large steel mills and high crime rate. It is also the birthplace of Michael Jackson.

 

We stopped at a rest stop to get some much needed coffee. We also were fortunate enough to see a guy carrying his dog like a sack

We stopped at a rest stop to get some much needed coffee. We also were fortunate enough to see a guy carrying his dog like a sack of potatoes.

 

We passed this while on the toll road. Talk about bad billboard placement!!

We passed this while on the toll road. Talk about bad billboard placement!!

 

Hurray! After a bit over a couple hours of driving, we finally reached the Elkhart exit

Hurray! After a little over a couple hours of driving, we finally reached the Elkhart exit

 

We're staying at the Jameson Inn. Normally we'd stay at Heather's grandma's house but because there are so many people coming to visit for the family reunion, we decided to stay in a hotel. p.s. We laugh everytime we see the name Menards. Need something? Why not check Menards!

We're staying at the Jameson Inn. Normally we'd stay at Heather's grandma's house but because there are so many people coming to visit for the family reunion, we decided to stay in a hotel. p.s. We laugh everytime we see the name Menards (it's a hardware store.) Need something? Why not check MeNARDS!

 

We quickly checked into our hotel and then drove the 5 minutes towards Heather’s grandma’s house.  Heather’s mom has already been here for a few weeks. 

As we drove towards Heather's grandma's house, we noticed two people standing on the right side of the street. Hmm, they look kind of familiar??

As we drove towards Heather's grandma's house, we noticed two people standing on the corner. Hmm, what the heck are they doing??

 

Yes, it was none other than Heather's mom and grandma! They were waiting outside the back of the house to welcome us. Unfortunately their plan was momentarily foiled because like I said, our car kind of looks like a mini-hearse.

Yes, it was none other than Heather's mom and grandma! They were waiting outside the back of the house to welcome us. Unfortunately their plan was momentarily foiled because like I said, our car kind of looks like a little gangster hearse. You can see the uneasiness on their faces as we passed.

 

But after a moment's hesitation, they saw us waving and we got a wonderfully patriotic reception!!

But after a moment's hesitation, they saw us waving and we got a wonderfully patriotic reception!!

 

We walked into Heather's grandma's house which smelled wonderful! They had made a wonderful diinner to celebrate Heather's birthday

We walked into Heather's grandma's house which smelled incredible! They had made a wonderful Sunday dinner to celebrate Heather's birthday

 

These beautiful peonies are from Heather's grandma's garden! They're HUGE and smelled so floraltastic!!

These beautiful peonies are from Heather's grandma's garden. They're HUGE and smelled so floraltastic!!

 

Breaded chicken, crescent rolls, green beans, potatoes, and a waldorf salad. A wonderful midwestern home cooked meal, it definitely hit the spot!!

Breaded chicken, crescent rolls, green beans, potatoes, and a waldorf salad. A wonderful midwestern home cooked meal, it definitely hit the spot!!

 

What birthday would be complete without a song and some cake! Heather's great-aunt and her husband joined us for dessert.

What birthday would be complete without a song and some cake! Heather's great-aunt and her husband joined us for dessert.

 

Socks from grandma!

Time for some gifts. Colorful socks from grandma! Do you think Heather was secretly giving me the finger?

 

What an appropriate card!!

What an appropriate card!!

 

Heather's parents got her some specially-ordered shoes they found on the internet. These shoes are special because of the shoe's name and coincidentally, they were shipped from Toronto!

Heather's parents got her some specially-ordered shoes they found on the internet. These shoes are special because of the shoe's name and coincidentally, they were only available from Toronto!

 

Crazy shoes for a crazy girl! Happy Second Birthday Heather!

Crazy shoes for a crazy girl! Happy Second Birthday Heather!

 

Tomorrow’s plans are up in the air, but don’t worry, we’ll find some interesting stuff to take pictures of, we always do!!