"We're going to ChiCaGoooo!!" (To be read in Oprah's voice) I have been trying to get tickets to the Oprah show for about a year and a half. I finally enlisted the help of my sister, Amanda, a few months ago. She diligently checked their website every day to see when the ticket window was open. We registered ourselves, my grandma, my mom, and my aunt to increase our chances of obtaining tickets. We submitted requests a couple of different times. About a month ago, Amanda called again and told me the ticket window was open. We registered, as always, and then called each other the next day to inform each other that we didn't get tickets. It was my turn to call my Grandma to have her check her email from Harpo studios. I literally started to jump up and down and scream when my grandma told me her request for tickets had been accepted!!! We did a 5-way call with me, my grandma Bunny, Amanda, my mom, and my aunt Karin. We booked our tickets and headed to Chicago about 3 weeks later to see OPRAH!!!
There was a LOT of prepartion that went into the trip. Sylvia (Brian's mom) flew in from California to watch Lexi. I emailed Harpo and asked if we could have two extra tickets for Amanda's best friend, Ashley, and Nathan's mom, Gayle (who were also huge Oprah fans). Luckily, I got the extra tickets! Amanda and Ashley spent hours online researching how to get good seats once at the Oprah show. We all had to have our outfits ok'd by Amanda and Ashley. Through their research they determined we should wear bright, solid color tops. And then we had to book our flights and hotel. We ended up in an amazing hotel right on the Magnificient Mile.
Don't we all look so beautiful! Amanda and Ashley said we had to wear cute outwear too because there are cameras outside watching our every move... It was so cold!!! When we left the hotel at around 6:20 or so it was -7 degrees outside! I have never felt such cold weather and I hope to never experience it again.
After all of our hard work, we ended up sitting in the back row and the second to last row. Amanda was really bummed, but the studio is actually quite small so we could still see everything pretty well. Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher were the guests on the show that day. It was interesting to hear about the hard lives they have led due to show business. Near the end of the show, Debbie brought out some of her movie prop collection. She brought outfits from the Sound of Music, Cleopatra, and the famous white dress that Marilyn Monroe wore. It was really neat to see those things in person.
The best part, of course, was getting to see Oprah! She was so kind to the audience and very sincere. It was pretty clear that she is burned out from doing the show every day. She makes it look so easy though! After they finished shooting the show she took a few minutes to speak to us. She expressed how grateful she was that we had taken the time to come to the show. She said that we honor her by being there. She said she knows that this is on our bucket list and we called our mothers, sisters, husbands, aunts, etc. to watch our kids, take off work, etc. and that we have flown in from all across the country. She said thanks for the new outfits and new hairdos, and manicures and pedicures. It was really nice of her to take the time to recognize us. Everything she said I just kept thinking "Yep. That's me!" and I'm sure everyone else there felt the same way. I know I'm gushing, but I truly loved every minute of it. I still think about what a once in a lifetime opportunity this was. It's her 25th and last season!
This sign says "Oprah The Farewell Season"
After the show we went to lunch and then we went to the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears' Tower). They have this poster of how tall Oprah is and we took our picture next to it. We're about the same height, if you're wondering.
At the top of the Sears' Tower they have these glass boxes that you can stand in. Amanda is bracing herself in case it gives way. It really is so scary to stand in them because you can see all the way to the ground. Gayle was not scared at all, though!
I'm glad that Lexi could come to our Chicago adventure! It's so fun to get to spend some time with her. She looked very cute all bundled up for the freezing temperatures. She was such a trooper! I also got to share some yummy treats with her.
Lexi and Grammy
On Friday we did a bus tour around the city. I really wanted to go to the Chicago Art Institute. Gayle was so kind to say that she would go with me. Gayle, Sylvia, Bunny, and I ended up getting off and going to the art museum and we loved it! We saw several very famous paintings and then we met up with Amanda, Grammy, and Ashley at the next stop on the bus tour. It worked out really well, but we wish we could have spent more time looking at art! They have so much to look at!
Monet's Water Lilies
Picasso
Ice cream at Ghiradelli's
There was a LOT of prepartion that went into the trip. Sylvia (Brian's mom) flew in from California to watch Lexi. I emailed Harpo and asked if we could have two extra tickets for Amanda's best friend, Ashley, and Nathan's mom, Gayle (who were also huge Oprah fans). Luckily, I got the extra tickets! Amanda and Ashley spent hours online researching how to get good seats once at the Oprah show. We all had to have our outfits ok'd by Amanda and Ashley. Through their research they determined we should wear bright, solid color tops. And then we had to book our flights and hotel. We ended up in an amazing hotel right on the Magnificient Mile.
Don't we all look so beautiful! Amanda and Ashley said we had to wear cute outwear too because there are cameras outside watching our every move... It was so cold!!! When we left the hotel at around 6:20 or so it was -7 degrees outside! I have never felt such cold weather and I hope to never experience it again.
After all of our hard work, we ended up sitting in the back row and the second to last row. Amanda was really bummed, but the studio is actually quite small so we could still see everything pretty well. Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher were the guests on the show that day. It was interesting to hear about the hard lives they have led due to show business. Near the end of the show, Debbie brought out some of her movie prop collection. She brought outfits from the Sound of Music, Cleopatra, and the famous white dress that Marilyn Monroe wore. It was really neat to see those things in person.The best part, of course, was getting to see Oprah! She was so kind to the audience and very sincere. It was pretty clear that she is burned out from doing the show every day. She makes it look so easy though! After they finished shooting the show she took a few minutes to speak to us. She expressed how grateful she was that we had taken the time to come to the show. She said that we honor her by being there. She said she knows that this is on our bucket list and we called our mothers, sisters, husbands, aunts, etc. to watch our kids, take off work, etc. and that we have flown in from all across the country. She said thanks for the new outfits and new hairdos, and manicures and pedicures. It was really nice of her to take the time to recognize us. Everything she said I just kept thinking "Yep. That's me!" and I'm sure everyone else there felt the same way. I know I'm gushing, but I truly loved every minute of it. I still think about what a once in a lifetime opportunity this was. It's her 25th and last season!
This sign says "Oprah The Farewell Season"
After the show we went to lunch and then we went to the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears' Tower). They have this poster of how tall Oprah is and we took our picture next to it. We're about the same height, if you're wondering.
At the top of the Sears' Tower they have these glass boxes that you can stand in. Amanda is bracing herself in case it gives way. It really is so scary to stand in them because you can see all the way to the ground. Gayle was not scared at all, though!
I'm glad that Lexi could come to our Chicago adventure! It's so fun to get to spend some time with her. She looked very cute all bundled up for the freezing temperatures. She was such a trooper! I also got to share some yummy treats with her.
Lexi and Grammy
On Friday we did a bus tour around the city. I really wanted to go to the Chicago Art Institute. Gayle was so kind to say that she would go with me. Gayle, Sylvia, Bunny, and I ended up getting off and going to the art museum and we loved it! We saw several very famous paintings and then we met up with Amanda, Grammy, and Ashley at the next stop on the bus tour. It worked out really well, but we wish we could have spent more time looking at art! They have so much to look at!
Monet's Water Lilies
Picasso
Ice cream at Ghiradelli'sSaturday we all flew home. As if our trip wasn't exciting enough, on our flight from Chicago to Albuquerque one of the passengers had a medical emergency. I reached for the call light at the same time the lady sitting next to me did when the flight attendant asked for any doctors or nurses. There were 3 nurses (including myself) and 2 doctors aboard. She was complaining of an upset stomach and then passed out. I still don't know what was wrong with her. We laid her down on the floor, hooked up the AED, gave her oxygen and orange juice, and monitored her pulses. We made an emergency landing in Kansas City for about 20 minutes and then continued on to Albuquerque. There were 15 to 20 of us making a connection in Albuquerque and the flight attendant told us they would hold the plane for us. When we arrived, the plane was gone and we were all re-routed to Las Vegas and then home. So, after 12 hours, 5 airports, 3 time zones, 3 different flights, and a lot of motion sickness, we finally made it home! I did get a voucher for $100 from Southwest for helping the sick passenger. Not too bad, although I'm not sure that's worth the extra time to get home.
Overall, it was an AMAZING experience! I'm so grateful to Nathan and Kellie for watching William and Henry!! I could not have done it without them!
Comments
You look stunning, beautiful, gorgeous, hott- do you want me to keep going?! (becuase I could)