Chicago and final trip home... to San Francisco!

We spent a great few days in Chicago visiting my aunt, uncle and cousins. It was soooo cold out but it's worth it because Chicago is a really beautiful city. It's a big city but its manageable. We saw the Art Institute, Navy Pier, got a Portillos hotdog, saw the Chicago sign, the Bean at Millennium park and Wrigley's field. We threw in a Starbucks stop about every half hour because we were so cold :)

We also got some really big news while we were Chicago, Adam got a job in San Francisco!!!! He emailed someone from his old company to get coffee with him while we were in Chicago. A position had just opened up in San Francisco and it was a perfect fit for Adam. Since we weren't planning on starting work for a few weeks, they even agreed to let us finish our trip and get settled before work starts. Adam is so excited to start work again. It has been such a blessing to know that we have a wonderful job to come back to. God has blessed us so abundantly on this adventure. We didn't have one thing stolen, lost, didn't miss one plane or train, no health issues, no injuries or safety issues. We visited 40 countries, and saw 48 family members in 25 different US states. To top it off Adam starts work 11 months to the day as when we left. I am so humbled by the amazing trip we had and the incredible friends and family that opened their doors to us. It was definitely a life changing experience. God is so good, the world is so beautiful!!

NYC, Boston and Maine

States count: 18

We made it all the way from California to Maine! We get some strange looks from people when they see our Cali license plates. Haha. Maine was a beautiful state. We didn't spend too much time there, just a drive through with some antique shopping and a harbor town called Kennebunkport. We were staying with Adam's brother and sister in law in Boston. We had a lot of fun there! So much American history, it was great. We did the freedom trail walk which has Paul revers' house and the church where the lantern was hung. The cemetery in Boston has so many American heroes buried there. It was so neat to see. We also did the Sam Adams brewery tour. It was seriously my favorite tour ever! There were only 7 people in our group so it was like a private tour. They explained the beer making process, the history of the company and of course...gave us yummy samples :) We also got to see Adams brother's furniture making school and all of the amazing pieces that he is working on. 

On our way up to Boston we spent a few days with Adams cousins and their precious kids in Connecticut. We took the metro into New York one day and did all the touristy stuff. We saw the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street and the bull, 911 memorial, Times Square, and Rockefeller center. So much life and excitement in the big city. We even saw the supper bowl teams getting ready for the Super Bowl.