Foodies in Chicago

One of our favorite hobbies to do while traveling is to eat at great restaurants. Derek loves combing through reviews and vetting menus to uncover gems in the city. I put together the logistics of a day trip in Chicago after Derek picked out our new places to eat. It was a foodie tour planned […]

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O Christmas Tree

On Christmas morning, the Jagers brushed off the snow stacked high atop the car in the bitter cold and headed for Grand Rapids. Still wary of the road conditions after being snowed-in for the past couple days, we took the scenic route away from I-94/196 that hugs the west coast of Michigan and set in […]

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Home Alone

In the first week of October soon after the Super Mario set was completed, Derek began his next LEGO project. At nearly 4,000 pieces, this would be his biggest LEGO build yet. It seemed fitting to set a goal to finish the house by winter break so that we could relive the Christmas story before […]

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Thanksgiving Gingerbread Houses

Thanksgiving is all about spending time with family. The Bergers came through Grandma’s house in waves bringing laughter, hugs, and the joyful plunking of Christmas carols on the piano. It’s amazing how full the Maumee house feels when a few families are visiting and Grandma’s smile was beaming with love to see the extended family […]

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Wicked

“Okay, let’s get this over with, No, I’m not seasick, Yes, I’ve always been green, and No, I didn’t eat grass as a child.”  -Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of the West, from Gregory Maguire’s Wicked. Everyone knows the tale of the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy, the farm girl from Kansas, is displaced by a tornado […]

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This is Halloween!

Halloween was a big deal in my family growing up. My Aunt Lisa used to tell me that it was her favorite holiday because it’s the one day a year when you can be anyone you want to be! She sent care packages to me during my college years around Halloween with popcorn and candy […]

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It’s Not October Until We’ve Carved a Pumpkin

Raindrops on Roses, and Whiskers on Kittens. Football, Fall Colors, and Apples with Pumpkins. Flocks of Sandhill Cranes with the wind in their wings. These are a few of my favorite things! ♫ It’s a month into the school year, and the temperatures are finally beginning to cool off just enough for my ideal running […]

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SUPER MARIO! WAHOO!

The legends of LEGO continue with another trip down memory lane to Derek’s childhood days of playing Mario and building legos. After completing the LEGO Groot in a manner of hours, Derek had an itch to keep challenging his building skills. We took a day trip to Chicagoland for some shopping and made a stop […]

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I AM [LEGO] GROOT

It seemed as if the tracking updates couldn’t disclose enough timely information for Derek as he anxiously awaited his package from Lego to arrive. When we returned home from running a few errands, the unassuming brown box with his name on it was a delightful surprise. He dashed up the stairs and ripped open the […]

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A Rookie’s Recap from Gen Con

The Gen Con magic was winding down and we had one last day to delight in. If Saturday had been the busiest day of the weekend, then Sunday was the slowest one. We slept in a little later before checking out of our hotel and stopping for our favorite bagels from Einstein Brothers before arriving […]

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