We recently took a quick vacation up to Wisconsin's Door County peninsula.
As it so happens, 21 years ago – long before we were dating – Amy & I were on a bike trip around Door County and got to know each other rather well. So it was fun to revisit some of those memories with our son.
Map of Door County
Steve & Amy on a Door County Bike Trip (1993)
Speaking of memories, here are a few we made as a family on this trip…
As I finish up this week, I enter a new transition in life, wrapping up at a company I've worked at for the past 11 years. I'm excited, yet anxious.
Something new awaits...
Back in 2003, shortly after being laid off when the "dot-com bubble" burst, I started freelancing as a copywriter for Kidology.org, a website that provides resources for those who work in children's ministry. My boss, Karl Bastian, knew me via his sister Melissa, who was one of my high school youth leaders and had seen me work as a goofy summer camp song leader.
That opportunity grew into a full-time job, where I eventually took on the position as Kidology's Director of Web Operations… basically overseeing the creative and technical aspects behind-the-scenes at an Internet-based organization. From puppets to web servers, curriculum to cup stacking, it was a role where I was often known as the "Swiss Army Knife," having to stretch my talents across many different skillsets.
I really enjoyed the diversity of the job, as each day was not like the previous. Working for a small non-profit, you got to wear many hats. My time with Kidology also allowed me to work out of a home office, which really cut down on my commute, as well as provided quality time to connect with our son.
I like companies that start with "K"
Recently, God opened a door for me to explore a new opportunity. And after much thought and evaluation, I decided to take on a new challenge. For someone like myself who doesn't really thrive on change, it's been an interesting point to arrive at. But Amy & I felt that the time was right to challenge my skills with something new.
So this week I finish up my time with Kidology with mixed emotions. I've learned quite a bit and am so thankful for the opportunity Karl and his team have allowed me to experience. At the end of the month, I start in a new role at kCura, a software firm in downtown Chicago. I'll be taking on the role of Marketing Specialist, working in corporate communications and social media.
This new endeavor will be quite a change in many aspects — for one thing, I'll have to remember how this whole "commute to work" thing goes — but I feel it will also be a fitting opportunity for me to grow personally. We'll see what happens!
Recently we visited my sister and brother-in-law in Indiana. They live on a lake featuring Indiana's oldest sternwheel paddleboat, the Dixie. It's cruised Webster Lake since 1929.
Wes toots the whistle!
The Dixie - since 1929
We took a ride on our visit and Wesley totally enjoyed his experience. Even weeks after the event, he tells us about the boat where he got to go up and down the stairs, toot the horn, and ride with his family. What fun!
There's something interesting over there!
This isn't the Rivers of America
It's funny what sticks in kids' heads sometimes, isn't it?
After having a pretty dull winter regarding snow, March in Chicago has brought some of the white stuff… finally! Amy & I have always enjoyed hiking out in the snow and enjoying nature, and thankfully, Wesley seems to be on board as well.
Here are some shots from our snowy adventures around the neighborhood and up at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Bridge to Spider Island
Along the lagoon at the Botanic Garden
Accessible only by lawn mowers
Japanese Garden
10 years ago, on 02/02/02 at 2:02 p.m., Amy & I got married!
Amy & Steve (2002)
Back then, we streamed our wedding live over the Internet via RealPlayer. Yup, RealPlayer! Who even uses that anymore? It's funny to think that all the servers, cameras, and technical setup we did back then to pull that off can pretty much be replaced with an iPhone running Ustream today.
Amy, Steve, & Wesley (2011)
Hard to believe it's been 10 years, but I'd do it all again (well, maybe not the part about shooting our wedding on S-VHS… I still need to convert the ceremony to digital!) And these days, we've got our hands full with a new member of the family to keep us on our toes. Let the festive 02/02 celebration commence!
P.S. Our anniversary also marks the 10 year milestone for SteveandAmySly.com… so I guess it's a "Happy Blogoversary" as well!
On Friday, Amy & I were joined by my parents as we attended a showing of Mary Poppins downtown. The traveling Broadway musical returned to Chicago for a short time, and thanks to some fortuitous circumstances, we got a chance to see it.
Mary Poppins? Yup!
I'm not much of a theater goer, but we really liked this production. The combination of familiar elements from the Disney film (including the Sherman Brothers songs) along with non-familiar pieces from the original books and new music worked really well.
While Amy & I were doing some reorganizing at our condo over the weekend, I rediscovered this cool magnet I bought at Chicago's DisneyQuest back in 2001.
Explore Zone, Create Zone, Score Zone, and Replay Zone
Even though this image doesn't look very "Disney", it actually reflects the very structured and themed approach that DisneyQuest had upon opening.
Now that I've got some downtime after being hit by a car while riding my bike (we'll save that story for later), I figured it would be a good time to look at some other things we did over the past few months. It's another "Summertime Out and About" post!
Ticket to Ride at the Botnaic Gardens!
After driving up the wrong side of a mountain, we got some good sleep and headed out for a new adventure on Monday, August 8. Our Smoky Siesta continued after leaving Chicago, visiting family, enjoying Nashville, and cursing GPS directions in the mountains.
Hiking the Oconaluftee River Trail
We had breakfast on the porch of the cabin and our view… well, it was pretty awesome! After a relaxed morning, we hopped in the car and drove over to Cherokee, NC.
