A few months ago I thought it would be fun to have a trip that is just all about art and wished I had an art friend to go on that trip with who loved art as much as I do. Then I realized, oh my word, I made that person!

Art is something that really bonds me and Grace because we are both so consumed by it. So we set out to Chicago. Thankfully Ryan could come because without his expertise in driving, parking, finding a cool hotel and basically doing all the work of the trip, this wouldn’t have happened. I get overwhelmed planning trips and I’m so thankful when he does it.

So we went to Chicago for a couple days, just the three of us before school started as a final send off to the best summer ever.

Although we had MANY meltdowns on this trip, it was still really fun and I’m excited to do it again next year.

There are some missing things since this doesn’t have any of my iPhone photos or videos like me getting car sick on the way there, tour of the hotel room, her singing in the parking garages, etc. so this is just what Ryan shot and I am so thankful for him.

I’ve never thought of hiring a vacation photographer before but my goodness, WORTH IT. Just to follow you around, take photos from an outside perspective, have a fun little impromptu portrait session wherever you feel like. It was really cool. So go hire Ryan for this. It is worth it. :)

Grace loved jumping, singing and dancing in all the parking garages.

The ceiling was amazing at the art museum! They had a special Van Gogh gallery up which we were so excited about since we have been doing our own versions of his paintings lately.

Now I was really interested as I really loved Van Gogh when I was younger but Grace was more interested in this square hole in the wall that looked into the other gallery room.

Then meltdown #1 happened. She didn’t like me holding her hand but it was really busy there and she didn’t like not being able to touch things so she fell apart.

So I waited. She eventually was able to come out of it.

Another hole in the wall helped her mood.

But not for long. Meltdown #2.

She was just so overwhelmed I think.

I feel like this is an important part of the trip and I’m glad Ryan took photos of it.

This is life with Grace. She is so sensitive and still little. In hindsight, she wasn’t ready for a big museum like this. But she tried really hard to take deep breaths and to keep going with me.

After the Van Gogh gallery we ventured into the rest of the place which was better since it wasn’t as crowded.

She was trying to get out of Ryans way to take a photo of this painting which made me laugh.

I have a video of her trying to talk to this head but he wouldn’t talk back haha

Meltdown #3. I think I said something wrong because I was frustrated with her attitude. I was trying to go Grace speed which means really fast and be really accommodating but she still was acting rude. So we had to work through that one again.

Grace was SO excited to see this Van Gogh painting as this is one that we both made paintings of and have the most fun doing. She couldn’t believe it was there in real life!

This was her favorite thing there, these little miniature rooms. It was so cute! I was glad she was finally really interested in something

This sweet girl loves to be of service to others. She was so insistent on opening the door for a bunch of people. It was a really heavy door too!

This was so funny. We walk into this room and this GIANT painting is just a bunch of dead animals and Grace was like OH NOOO and I was like ok time to go and she was so sad to leave them because she felt so bad.

Teaching Grace how to find her light.

Meltdown #4

We were trying to figure out the plan for the rest of the day and in that process Grace couldn’t stop inturupting so when I told her to be patient she lost it again. Ryan distracted her to jump around to bring her back to being happy.

We found this nice little spot outside of the museum to draw for a while

Meltdown #5

We were taking those fun, happy, silly photos together and I was tickling her but I tickled too much apparently and she turned just burst into tears in a split second.

So we had a chat about that and got it together again.

Meltdown #6

This is when the hotel couldn’t find our reservation and then while we waited for them to figure it out, I asked how late the pool was open and she said they didn’t have a pool and Grace was just shattered.

They then figured out we were not at the right hotel! We were one building off, thank goodness! That girl was so looking forward to this super cool pool they had at ours.

Our hotel is so cool! It is a two bedroom apartment with the coolest view. It was such an awesome place!

I wish I would have taken photos at the pool since it was a really unique one but I was sleepy and they had a hot tub haha

We watched a lot of “is it cake” on this trip. Then off to sleep to rest up for day 2!

I taught Grace how to hold our big camera and how to focus and take photos! This is me and squeaks.

This fountain shot like a million feet in the air. Grace loved watching it from the giant windows!

Well things don't always go the way we hope haha

They had this Barbie Cafe that we thought would be cool but didn’t realize you need reservations for places like that.

We had tickets for the WNDR museum for a certain time so we were scrambling for food. I saw a Target and was like this will save us!

Easy quick food and tables to draw while we wait!

WNDR was way more her speed. She loved it and it was fun to get cool photos of her!

This was a place where she could touch everything and that made her very happy.

Grace LOVED this LED floor! We stayed here for a good long time. It was really cool how it reacts to pressure on it.

Grace stayed at this thing for a while. Each button plays a piece of the music so you can build it all into a finished song if you press all the buttons.

I liked this thing a lot. It flips little tiny circles to white when it sees you to make your shape. The sound it made was really cool.

Her shoes gave her a blister so Ryan carried her for the longest walk ever back to our car. I am so glad he came with us!

We then went to the Blick art supply store and I was SO excited about this but Grace had Meltdown #7. No photos of this one.

Within 5 minutes of being there I told her no to something she wanted and she lost it. So I sent her to the car and I shopped. After a while she came back and gave me a hug and said sorry and we continued on.

After that we went to dinner because you know what, maybe shes just been super hungry all day and that is what all the meltdowns are about.

Chasing the sunset to take photos of Grace!

Meltdown #8

I asked her to stand in the grass but there were tiny bugs flying around.

This is the best photo ever of me and Ryan!

After struggling to hold the heavy camera, she took a couple regular boring photos and then started guiding us to get more personality in the shots! haha she has learned from the queen of getting personality out of people and I couldn’t be more proud!

She started yelling TICKLE EACH OTHER!

We spent the evening drawing and watching more “Is it cake” and went to bed.

I have so many other photos with my phone but these are just the ones that Ryan took and I am so thankful for his eye during this trip.

Having our own professional photographer for our Artcation was just the best! I will cherish these memories of seeing my time with Grace from an outside perspective forever.

I highly recommend hiring a vacation photographer!