IKEA adventure and a new futon

Ever since my first trip to IKEA, I have been in love with anything IKEA. Walking into IKEA is like going on a big adventure for me. Today was a bit different though since we were on a one sleeper sofa/futon mission and my second goal was to leave said store without many, many other items. I had to put my self control into full force. We headed immediately to the futon. We knew just which one we wanted since we already own one and both girls and their better halves have said it is very comfy. I was drawn to the cute cover on the futon which you will see later if you read the entire post or just scroll down to the last pictures. If you recall, the reason we needed a futon was because I sold our 25 year old sofa sleeper plus two chairs at my rummage sale so I was left with no furniture in my spare room thus leaving no where for Courtney and Paul to sleep when they visit.

Anyway we found the futon, loved the cover, and wrote down all the info that we needed to pick it up. Of course, since we had driven all that way we had to look around just a bit. I was good, I touched a lot of things, but did not buy much. I did buy a spatula and a toilet brush each for $.99 and two wedding gifts for June weddings we are invited to. I figured the price was right at IKEA and who doesn't love a gift from there?

Here's John with the three parts of the futon ready to load them up in the trusty Taurus.

Speaking of our Taurus, here it (never have referred to "it" as a he or she) is. I couldn't help but think how many things this car has hauled for us and how good it has been to us. Today was no different as it easily held the futon.

We map quested our trip to IKEA since no matter how many times we go there, we can never quite remember how to get there. Anyway contrary to the usual map quest routes this one sent us on County roads and state highways to Lake Geneva and then into Illinois via Highway 12. We got to see some virgin Illinois sites today. We went through Richmond, Fox Lake, Lake Zurich, and Arlington Heights along the way. I love to see the part of Illinois that has hills, trees, and water, so different from either Chicago or the flatlands along Interstate 39 to Bloomington. It took us about 2 and a half hours, but we didn't have to pay Illinois even one toll and we approached IKEA from a less traveled way. It was a very pleasant drive and we are definitely going to use this route again if we remember it.

Anyway on the way home we just had to stop off at Elkhorn. Anytime we get anywhere near Elkhorn we have to pay homage to that wonderful town that we called home for three years and the birth place of my daughters. We always do a drive by at our old neighborhood, Eastown Manor and check out our old home which has definitely seen better days.

We sure did have some very happy times in this home though. Both babies came home to this house. My days were filled with the sweet smells and sounds of babies while I lived here. It is the only place I was pregnant, the only place I decorated nurseries, and the only place I used cloth diapers and often had both toilets full of soaking dirty diapers when John would get home from work. Ah, the memories! Yep, I loved that first home we owned.

After our walk down memory lane we came home and John put the futon together. I kept my distance whle he worked and I did not hear even one swear word.

And here is the finished product. Isn't it just too cute? On the next picture it looks rather small, but it is a queen bed when it pulls out. I think it is just because John is such a muscular man that makes the futon look so small on here.

At any rate, it was a great day!