1 Month Later ...

I'm a bad blogger! It has been a month since my last entry and although much has happened in the interval, the motivation to blog about it hasn't been first and foremost on my mind.

A little catch-up.

Now that it is summer holidays for the grandchildren, my beloved and I decided that once a week we would take one of the children over for an overnight with us. That way we would get to spend some 2 on 1, and hopefully, spend a little time spoiling them too. Fav. foods, fav. activities, that kind of thing.

We were going to take Catiegirl first, but mom and dad decided it might be best to go in birth order, so first up-Cameron. Pappa and Cameron went to see "Wall-E", we ate hot dogs for dinner and then they went on an hour long bike ride, ate ice cream drumsticks outside, and read to the wee small hours-well at least until 10:00! That was a fun visit.

Next up a lovely visit from April, Nick and Abby. It was our 41st Anniversary and they spent the afternoon with us. We all ate lunch outside under the apple tree, shared stories, talked about the future, our hopes and our dreams. Played drums with Abby, and acted out Head, and Shoulders, Knees and Toes, and got the biggest belly laughs out of her. She loves playing with the little Fisher Price people, and she put the cowboy in the rocking horse, Nanny said "hee haw" and Abby said it too. We kept repeating it, and laughing. What great fun she is! It just made our Anniversary.

Our next overnight visitor was Claire-we painted fingers and toes, played click-its and built Richard Scary Puzzletown to our heart's content. She too rode her bike way down the street and over to the next block with her Pappa. She and I went to see Kung Fu Panda while Pappa went to the pool and ate Chocolate Drumsticks in the backyard!

On the following Saturday we went to our good friends' Marilyn and Shiro and Matthew's for a Luau! What great fun that was. Tractor rides, pinatas for children and adults, water balloon toss game-which Carly and I won!!!!, egg and spoon races, Hula Hoops, a pig roasted on a spit thanks to Chef Matthew's expertise, and food, food, food. It was a lovely Saturday.

Then The Murrayville Puke Fest 2008 started that very night of the Luau. So overnight visits were postponed for a week.

Last Sunday we went into Richmond to worship at our former church. It was so wonderful to see, and be greeted by, so many friends. Then we popped in to visit our dear friend Ken who is recovering from hip surgery. He is looking mighty good and his recovery is going so well. Then we drove back homeward and had a late and leisurely lunch with my beautiful mom.

This past week my beloved and I travelled to Osoyoos to help surprise some dear friends for their 40th Anniversary. We hadn't seen their children for ages and ages, never mind met their husbands and their children! We are getting old! What a great event it was. As Kathy and Tom's anniversary isn't really until September 7th, they were very much surprised. The food, the company and the specialty of the house,slushies, were exquisite! We got up early the next morning and did a cool morning walk along the Lakeshore road, showered, checked out of our room and joined 10 or 12 others from the party the night before for breakfast at the restaurant at our hotel. It was so nice. Back on the road home heading back for home by 11:00 a.m. It was a short but very sweet visit to a favourite place. (A small piece of trivia learned while visiting: At this gathering of close family and friends there were 4 couples there, including ourselves, who had 3 daughters, cool!)

Yesterday Carly finally slept over! We took her to the pool and she went down the 3 storey slide all by herself. Pappa went first and was at the bottom to greet her. I don't know whose smile was bigger, Pappa's or Carly's. We are so impressed with how well she is doing in the water, face in, kicking, jumping in-no fear! Wow! We came home, ate supper which included pork and beans-one of Carly's favourite things, and headed out to Fort Langley for the evening story time. Because of the rain, we were the only 3 there. We sat in the Forge with this beautiful fire, heard all about the sturgeons and baked bannock on tines in the fire, mmmmm good.

Next week-Catiegirl! Pappa has a little pink princess bike all fixed up with her name written all over it. Can't wait!

In between all of these events, during the hot weather my beloved and I have been getting up early and going for cool morning walks, going out for coffee and sometimes breakfast, moving hoses and sprinklers around our yard, napping when we are tired out, reading lots of books and just plain loafing and totally enjoying being retired.

I hope that your summer too is being kind to you and that you are getting some well deserved R&R. It is slipping by so quickly.

Summertime and the living is easy!