This past weekend was an absolute blessing. I was SO in need of some quality time with my momma and sisters and was so grateful to get to spend a few days with them. Those of you that know me know that my family is super tight-knit and we are a house full of girls… 4 to be exact! With all that feminine energy comes lots of laughs, a lil’ bit of craziness (just sometimes 😉 ) and all the fun adventure planning– so, of course, we knew a trip to some of our favorite city spots was a must!
Lincoln Park, Chicago, is one of my absolute favorite places to visit and one of the most beautiful areas of the city. During the fall, the air is crisp and the colorful leaves fall onto the sidewalks along the brownstone homes and cutest little shops. After parking, we happened to run into a Jessie White Tumblers’ performance, and y’all, let me tell you– these people are ahhh-mazing. I mean truly, SO talented. All my CHI-town people: have you seen the Jessie White tumblers?! Let me know in the comments below! If not, you need to! Now, back to Lincoln Park…
After stopping by the performance, we continued walking past some of the most stunning homes I have ever seen, complete with pristine landscaping and autumn colored leaves falling from the trees. We stopped by the cutest little card & stationary shop, took a peek in Urban Outfitters, and then headed to Molly’s Cupcakes, one of our favorite yummy cupcake/coffee shops that was the winner of Cupcake Wars a few years back! They have delicious cupcakes, super great coffee, and these awesome hanging swing chairs to sit in while you enjoy your latte and Samoa flavored cupcake (yes, Samoa as in the GIRL SCOUT COOKIE FLAVOR!). One of my favorite things about Molly’s is that we always end up sitting down, slowing down, disconnecting from phones & the busy-ness of the outside world, and truly connect. Something about those cupcakes, I tell ya. Not only are they delicious (cue the heart eyes), but they always give our family a time to intentionally strengthen our relationship.
Next stop on the E-girl Lincoln Park adventure: Lou Malnati’s pizza. A true Chicago classic. And yes, we did do dessert before dinner… no shame. 😉 I am a total deep dish girl, so a trip to Lou’s was a necessity, and the wait was so worth it! We love the Chicago-style deep dish with pepperoni, sausage, and sometimes green olives (depends on our mood). If you ever make the trip to Lincoln Park, I also highly recommend Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder for pizza pot pies!
After a little bit more walking and talking and sharing all about our goals & dream weddings & life updates, we headed back to the car, jammed out to our favorite songs the whole ride home, and capped the night with PJs & popcorn.
After days like this, I am reminded just how good God truly is.
When I was in middle school, my family went through an extremely difficult season. My parents got divorced and my world/family dynamic as I knew it completely changed. I tried so hard to control circumstances that were completely out of my control and struggled to understand how my family could ever find peace and joy again when our familiar structure was now completely changed.
If I could go back and tell little 13 year old Elle something that I believe would help mend that broken heart of hers, it would be this: “The pain that you’ve been feeling cannot compare to the joy that’s coming” (Romans 8:18). Oh, how I wish I could replay that verse over and over in my head during that tough season. I had moments where I thought ‘how could my family ever be happy again?!’ And boy, on days like this, I am reminded of just how faithful the Lord is.
Flash forward to today, my family is strong. We laugh and cry and do life alongside one another. Our structure may be a little different than it was for the first 13 years of my life, but we are a testament of what it looks like to fight for your family and fight for the ones you love. Every day, we wake up and have the choice to be intentional about building and mending and growing our relationships with the ones we care about most. Today, I want to encourage you to pick up the phone, send that quick text/Snapchat, or maybe even write a card to tell someone you love how much they mean to you. Families and loved ones are worth fighting for & those relationships take intentionality and time to foster growth.
And if maybe you find yourself asking that question 13 year old me asked– ‘God, will it ever get better? Will my family or relationship with these loved ones ever be okay again?’— I want to encourage you that the joy that is coming is so much greater than any pain you are feeling today. Pray boldly, lean into your safe people, and continue fighting for the ones you love most. Find joy in gratitude for every little thing that is good in this world. Though it seems like your world may be crumbling around you, goodness is abundant and the smallest of things– even a piece of chocolate or listening to a favorite song– are reasons to be joyful. There is a plan that is so much bigger and better and goodness is yet to come that is so much greater than this season of hardship. And remember, love never fails.
Always,
Elle
P.S.- Below are some more pics from our Lincoln Park adventure! Link to my bubble gum pink turtleneck is here! 🙂
