moment.

December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)


It's hard for me to zero in on just one from this year, and that's a good thing.


I'll pick this one.


The moment my oldest son and I took a ride on the ferris wheel at the Navy Pier in Chicago.


I am soooo late in sharing all of this with you (our family vacation this year), but now's as good a time as any to start. I'll start from the beginning on Sunday. But for now, let me just tell you about this ferris wheel ride.


It was the first time either of us had ever been on a ferris wheel. My husband stayed with the kidlets on the ground. Namely because he is a wee bit afraid of heights. (He has, however, completely conquered his fear of flying, and doesn't mind being on a plane.)


Bobby and I were so excited. The ferris wheel is huge, and moves very slowly. We were told that it used to have cars on it that would hold sixty passengers apiece. I think all five of us would have fit in our car, with Natalie's stroller folded up.


Anyway, Bobby and I ooohed and aaahhhhed the whole way around that thing. We could see the entire city skyline, all of the pier, and of course the gorgeous blue water of Lake Michigan. It was a gorgeous, sunny October day and the sun was thinking about setting but not beginning to set at that point. The light was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.


We were both like tiny little kids who were at the circus for the first time or something. It was funny. I snapped photo after photo, marveling at all of the details on the ground below us. And when the time came to get off, it was kind of a bummer.


Here are a few of the photos I took on the ferris wheel. I took several iPhonearoids too, but I'll share those another time.