Day 16 : Andrews University and Chi Town

{ Thursday, 30 July 2009 }

We wake up this morning in South Bend, Indiana. Atelei checks the map and determines that we are only twenty miles away from Andrews University, Jason's alma mater. "Let's go," she says. Brandon quickly concurs. Who wouldn't want to visit this beautiful campus?

YAY, ANDREWS!

SO TYPICAL, ATELEI

CLIMBING TO THE TOP

MAILE, WE'RE NOT IN NEW YORK ANYMORE

THE FUTURE PASTOR G. PENAFLORIDA

ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

THE FUTURE PASTOR AND MRS. BRANDON MONINGKA AND FAMILY
{ plus gian }

GIAN, PAYING HIS WAY THROUGH AU AS A GROUNDS WORKER

WE LOVE AU!

Andrews University is so pretty, at least in the summer time. We drive through the campus, looking for the seminary building until we see it and naturally we stop to take photos in front of Brandon's future school { God-willing }. The keikis ham it up again and soon after we are heading to Chicago.

MAILE'S READY

LEAVING HAA

THE CROSS STREET

WHAT A PRETTY WALK THROUGH HINSDALE

MAILE, POSING YET AGAIN

CHRISTINE'S GROWING BELLY

MAILE TOOK HER DADDY'S HAND

TIME TO FIX YOUR OUTFIT, PRETTY GIRL

WE MADE IT
{ what a pretty town; it's like a prettier, cleaner, wealthier redlands }

TOO BAD OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ISN'T LIKE THIS

SORRY, G, IT'S NOT OUR TRAIN

DAD, YOU'RE NOT ON OAHU

WALKING TO THE TRAIN STOP IN HINSDALE

WAITING

We got to Hinsdale and find out that the train wouldn't arrive for another 45 minutes. Christine wants to study so we sat inside Cosi, the train station's cafe. {Cosi seems like the east coast's Panera } The keikis had so much fun drinking apple juice and watching the trains go by. Goodness, the children are having the most fun out of all of us!

OUR BEAUTIFUL MAMA

CHRISTINE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

STUDY, STUDY

CUTE CITY OUTFIT, CHRIS

THE KEIKI'S VIEW

WHAT DO WE DO AT THE COFFEE SHOP? WE DRINK APPLE JUICE!

CHEERS TO OUR HAPPY LIVES!

"I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE MY BFFs," MAILE EXCLAIMS

THANK YOU, GIAN, FOR SHARING YOUR JUICE

HANDSOME KALE'A, ENJOYING HIS APPLE JUICE

ON THE TRAIN
{ this is gian's favorite activity. he calls his daddy and says, "daddy, i go ride the train!" }

MOM LOOKS ETERNALLY YOUNG! WHAT GREAT GENES!

YUP, I MOST CERTAINLY WILL POST IT

IT'S A DOUBLE-DECKER TRAIN!

TOGETHER AGAIN
{ atelei initially held maile but when she discovered that her family was on the opposite side of the train maile cried until her parents rescued her }

UNION STATION

DOWN TOWN CHICAGO

WHERE ARE WE GOING TO EAT?

PASSING BY WILLIS TOWER, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE SEARS TOWER

While we had dinner at the pizzeria my good friend Cindy recommended, Atelei stayed behind with Christine at The W while she took her final exam. Quiz time: which pizza is better? New York style or Chicago deep dish?

ISN'T MAILE ADORABLE?

LITTLE GRANDMA DARLENE

KALE'A LOVED THE PIZZA
{ we all did; seriously, the dough is simply DIVINE! }

AND SO DOES MAILE

After dinner we head back to Union Station and play around by the water while waiting for our train to arrive. Apparently the train to Hinsdale only comes every hour and being that the next train boards at 2140 { it was 2130 } mom suggests that she and I take the keikis and head back to the RV. Brandon agrees so - while holding Maile and Gian - mom and I embark onto the train. Five minutes later we see Christine, Atelei, Brandon and Kale'a running outside the train. They made it! Christine later said that she didn't want to wait another hour so they booked it from the hotel to the station in record time. Baby M must have been bouncing around in mama's belly!

MOM WANTS A PHOTO IN FRONT OF THE SEARS TOWER

CHICAGO AT NIGHT
{ photo by brandon }

TIRED BOY