Blessed summertime

The summer beat is beating on. Some recent summer events: 3 more weeks of school for me! I just turned the big 26 last Saturday, and I spent the weekend in Okoboji for Cousin's Weekend. It was a lot of fun even though our boat ride was cut short by a small monsoon.

My family finally reunited Sunday after long vacations and miles between us. Mom and Darrell cooked us some fabulous chicken and corn and hotdogs, and Lianna and Shawn made some rhubarb crisp. I contributed nothing. Nice. Although, I did come home with some sweet gifts from Okoboji. Very chic flat billfolds for my sister and mom and a magnetic coozie for Shawn. It can stick to boats, lawn mowers, trucks, cars, you name something metal and you can put it there. Just like it is magnetic or something. Anyway. We were celebrating both my and my mom's bdays. My sister made me a fabulous scrapbook of all of my writing, blogs and updates. It was such a well thought out beautiful gift. I feel so blessed! She and Shawn just finished up the week of watching Olivia and Sophia in Iowa City. Needless to say, they all had a blast! The weeks events included swimming, preschool, bug houses, swinging, mudrolling, Wall-E the movie, Solon Beef Days Parade and other festivities. The girls came home with a giant backpack FULL of candy from the parade. I'm starting to think the recent dentist visit was futile. My sister happens to also be a fabulous photographer. The pictures are courtesy of her.

Yesterday, we drove to Ames to visit our visiting friends, Tara, Kurt, Olaiya, and Naomi. They drove all the way from D.C. to do Ragbrai, so we thought it more than appropriate to join the party. We ate, we swam, we enjoyed each other's company. Steve took the girls back home and I stayed with Tara to get some much needed catching up done. We went for coffee at the Stomping Grounds in Ames. Campustown in Ames was PACKED. It was fun to people watch though and I had a great time chatting with my great "mommy" friend Tara. We loved raising our girls together in Iowa City. Sharing our mommy troubles and enjoying a great sale at Target together. I'm so grateful they were able to travel back. Brave souls in their white minivan of adventure.

This afternoon, I picked up Olivia and Sophie from preschool. They BOTH had been on fieldtrips today and were eager to talk about it. This is not the norm. Most of the time, I ask Olivia how her day was and she tells me a few details, like how many stars she got taken away and if she said any naughty words or not. When it is Sophie's turn, she tells me "its a secret." Ok....
Today though, both were ready to tell me all about swimming at the teacher's house and the Science Center with a "realfake TREX with bones but not real bones because he'd be much bigger and Saturn with the ring and that Earth is not very big compared to other stuff but we're big here because we're far away from the sun and "Menars" aka MARS" :) I took it all in. I love when they talk to me. I can't imagine the adolescent years when they don't. But, then I look at myself now. I can't go a day without talking to my mom! I'm so blessed to have such a great mom!

Tonight the girls took a bath and got dressed in jammies and we took our "puppies" for a walk down the street. I had Rosie, Olivia had a pink fluffy dog on a rubberband leash, and Sophie had PuffPuff, (my old scraggly, yet still cute puppy from my baby years) clutched in her arms as we made it down the street in our own array of pj fashions. A motorcycle guy stopped to admire us, or maybe he came to a screeching halt when there was a blonde, puppy toting, pj wearing princess in the MIDDLE of the road. Either way, he smiled.

Have a great night. I hope you feel as blessed as I do.

Mel