CANDLELIGHT CAROLS!!!!!

On Saturday, Tim & I took a bus trip to Chicago for Candlelight Carols at Moody Church.  When we pulled out of the driveway, we couldn't help but take a picture of the neighbors yard.  In our "new" city, they pick up our leaves one day a year.  They have to be bagged in paper bags.  We bought five bags for ourselves.  We would rake the leaves, fill the five bags and then take them to the city to dump them.  As they say at work, "rinse and repeat."  We would fill the bags, dump them and refill them.  I think we made over eight trips (that's 40 bags full if you are counting).  Our next door neighbor raked, filled bags and put them in his backyard.  If you want to feel sorry for us in the fall, here is what it looks like if you bagged them all at once, kind of a WOW!

Next door!

Waiting for the bus that was 30 minutes late because they got lost.

Finally on the bus!

Let all the sunshine in!

Because the bus was late getting to the church in Holland, we were going to be rushed to buy lunch in Chicago.  We should have gotten to Moody Church around noon, but we arrived at 1:00.  The concert started at 2:00.  Thankfully, we had reserved seats or we would have had to skip lunch.  We wanted to go to Elly's Pancake House for old times sake (we used to go there when we lived in Illinois, Elyse LOVED eating there).  Elly's was only a block away from Moody Church so we decided to risk going there.  It was crowded with people standing outside waiting to get in.  We gave our names to the hostess and she said it would only be a few minutes.  She was right!  The whole crowd was in our seats in less than five minutes.  When our meals came, we realized that we could have shared a meal - they were huge servings.  We didn't have any trouble finishing our meals though - we were stuffed!

Moody Church!  They have a HUGE pipe organ - wonderful sound!

The concert was good, but a little high brow (if you know what I mean).  On Friday, we went to hear Zachary's college concert called Gloria 2016.  It was a MUCH better concert.

Zachary, the man!

After the concert we had 45 minutes to be on the bus.  We were so thirsty that we decided to walk to McDonald's.  Across the street was a Starbucks.  Tim got coffee at McDonald's, while I walked to Starbucks and got their "white flat" drink.  If you go there, don't bother getting that drink.  I had to put three sugars in it to make it tolerable.  It was nasty.  AND, with Chicago prices, it costs $5.18 - definitely not worth it.

My drink!

On the bus ride home, Moody Radio provided each of us a box lunch.  It was so much food!  We had a sandwich, chips, apple, granola bar, cheesecake and a water bottle.  Even after our coffee, we finished the whole water bottle.  Why we were so thirsty, I'll never know.

Our boxed lunch.

Another proof we were in Chicago.

Not only did the bus get lost this morning in Holland, they got lost in Chicago.  We left Moody Church at 5:00, picked up our lunches at Moody Bible Institute, and drove around the streets for another 45 minutes.  All the drivers had to do was turn left near Moody and drive straight to Lake Shore Drive.  But, no, they went all over with these two HUGE buses, in high Chicago traffic, it was crazy.  Because of all of that, we arrived back in Holland an hour late, then we had a 45 minute drive home.  Very frustrating!

We have never been to Candlelight Carols, even though we attended Moody.  We were glad to have gone this year because now we won't ever have to go back again.  One thing crossed off our bucket list!