Family coming together

my mother, my martini...

When my mother and I arrived in Chicago, we settled in fairly quickly- 

me, at my son's apartment (he made me feel very very welcome, and not at all like I was turning his world upside down!), while she had an hospitality apartment in the Complex, the same size as the one she was moving into, (a few floors down) which helped her decide where she wanted her furniture placed and most importantly where she wanted her wall of bookcases built by T and youngest son. 

even if the talk turned serious.

T arrived three days later, having supervised the packers and loaders and driver.

It would seem that we got out of Santa Fe just in time as the day after we left there was a broken water main shutting down all the water, and when it came back on creating a big mess.  Poor T.

We celebrated his arrival and all of us went out to dinner.  I indulged in a "dirty martini" a new favorite! (it was coveted by many...)

happy as long as he's not in a high chair!

 Having two of my sons, my husband, my mother and myself along with grandson Gabriel and his beautiful mother together, was the beginning of the BEST of having my mother move to Chicago!

it's in the genes?

Sunday it only got better, when my oldest son (who lives in Michigan) joined us- with my 15 year old grandson... he who featured so prominently in my blog for most of last summer when he visited us in Corfu!

He and Gabriel had a great time together and I couldn't help but notice they shared the same concentration skills! 

"you deserve a break today" - NOT

Memorial Day weekend passed on a rather joyful note and on the first of June my mother's goods arrived and the unloading and unpacking began.

Disappointingly the moving company wasn't unpacking the stuff for my mom, nor were they taking away the packaging, meaning there was a veritable mountain of boxes and paper we had to break down and cart 6 floors downstairs to dispose of.

so many boxes, so little time

Our objective was to get every box unpacked and everything placed (on the new bookcases and shelves specially built) and in all the closets in four days, so we could take a break and leave my mother on her own (with 2 grandsons as back up).

There were a few potential problems in the idea, but after all the intensity of the move within the short space of time we knew we'd all need some breathing room!

brothers

sisters

We drove to Michigan to visit T's brothers and sisters in the Detroit area, and had a marvelous visit with excellent food, company and much laughter.

T is the "baby" of his family, with five brothers and sisters.

We even had a few of the nieces stop by. (tho not all as there are 25 offspring of the brothers and sisters, including our own three!  I can't even tell you how many children- or children's children- all the nieces and nephews have but it's a pretty big family!!)

guys bein' guys

Then we drove to central western Michigan to visit our oldest son in Grand Rapids,  where the three guys - father, son, and grandson- got to sit around and watch basketball and act guy-like...

cousins

 Last but not least,

on the drive back to Chicago, we stopped by, to visit T's cousins in Kalamazoo. (we only got to see one of them, but the quick visit was worth the stop).




We returned spiritually refreshed, if a bit road tired, to Chicago.

done

...and done.

As we had only a week left before our return, we dug in and finished the last of the move and hung my mother's paintings. We did the many small corrections and all the little re-arranging things that make a house home (hang hooks for bathrobes, move lamps, sort the odd things that go into the kitchen drawers etc)

The bookcases built by T and youngest son turned out fantastic and won kudus from everyone, including many of mom's new neighbors! (As they built them in an apartment, they made them specially with no nails in the walls!  They are perfectly fitted and held in place by one shim.  The finishing trim is glued in place.  I was VERY impressed.)

My mother was very happy.

my sweetheart granddaughter and her S.O.

But things got better as, for our last weekend in Chicago, my granddaughter and her lovely and charming friend came up from South Carolina (where they both go to University) to celebrate my mother's 85 birthday!

We planned and executed a great party in the private dining room of Lincolnwood's excellent facilities available for the residents.  As it was close enough to baby grandson's 3rd birthday, we celebrated a little "un-birthday" for him as well!

All in all a brilliant family party and a lovely way to wrap up our visit.

Happy 85th!