I just got a new phone, so I went through my old phone and pulled off photos to hold onto. 

Here's a walk down memory lane...

One of the great loves in my life is the open road.

There are simply so many possibilities out there. Since we have been in Chicago, Niall and I have enjoyed taking mini trips around the Midwest. It has been a way for us to appreciate life and connect with where we are in the world, as well as with each other. We celebrated Niall's birthday in 2012 by visiting Dubuque, Iowa and Galena, Illinois. It was lovely. I had a lot of pictures on my old phone from this trip - I was in love with Instagram during that time.

This is an incredible little grocery and café full of organic and local food in Dubuque. We had so much fun there - this shop and a bookstore around the corner were fantastic places to spend an afternoon. 

We had a picnic and wandered around Eagle Point Park.

We saw eagles soaring! (See Niall's excellent photograph with better camera below.)

Galena's parks and streets were beautiful as well, and full of wondrous little discoveries.

Little trips like these are so rejuvenating. I'm glad we've had the chance to take so many of them.