So much for more regular posts......

Well, the regular posting has gone by the wayside, but I'm baaaaaaaack! Its been since July 27! I'm back almost 3 months later. Because I want this to look back on, my goal is to do a few posts in short(er) succession and get caught back up again. Let's see.......

In early August I attended my first "Girl's Weekend" at my friend, Angela's cabin. I haven't been able to go for the last 6 or so years, so I was glad to go this time. Its just meant to be a time for some of us "girls" to get away from the same old, same old and have some R&R and some fun. I, personally, really enjoyed the R&R!

This picture was taken at sunrise from the deck. Andrea and I stayed up ALL NIGHT...I haven't done that in YEARS, but I'm glad we did. We talked a lot + we got to see this beautiful sunrise. I absolutely love sunrises and sunsets. They seem like a gift God picked out just for me. I love them!



When we finally decided to turn in, we discovered that our sleeping area had lots of little (and not so little) 8-legged friends. Any of you that know me, know that this is NOT OK. This freaks me out. THANK GOD for Andrea!! She took a Hoover to them. She was AMAZING! She hit every square inch of that place and made it "safe" for me to sleep! Now that is a friend.

Once it was safe to sleep, we had to find a way to keep the light out. Again, for those that know me, light is not an issue - I can practically sleep standing up, so a little light isn't gonna bother me....as long as there aren't spiders. But, because Andrea was now my hero - and light disrupts her sleep - we did our darndest to block the door of windows. The picture to the left shows our work. Our thinking may have been a little impaired - it was girls' weekend + we were up past sunrise at this point! We did the best we could with what we had - and we laughed... a lot.

The following weekend was a typical, super-busy summer weekend. Bert and I went to a Twins game on Friday night, then Saturday brought a BBQ at Grandma & Grandpa McDonough's house and a birthday party for Isabelle's friend, Delilah. We had such a good time with Grandma and Grandpa, Casie, Great-Grandma Dorothy and Aunt Sandy. Here are a couple pics of the girls in and near the pool at their house...it was a GORGEOUS day!













A good time was had by all. We could have stayed all day, but we had to head out to gathering #2 of the day - Delilah's birthday party!!


Sara and Eric, Delilah's parents, always throw a great party. Eric is very theatrically inclined and Sara very artistic. They bring their talents together & put on a very fun, very relaxed party every year! This year was was no different. We had karaoke, 4/5 year old style, w/ live music accompaniment, a homemade pinata, good food & great company. We had a great time-just like we have at all of Delilah's birthday parties!
Sunday we attended Amiya's 1st birthday party and enjoyed another beautiful summer day. The party was held in her grandma's (our daycare "mom's") backyard. There were a ton of people there. Amiya was so cute - especially during the cake time! She "shared" with her momma - what a thoughtful girl!

The following weekend, 8/20-8/22, we drove down to Cedar Rapids, IA to see Uncle Mikey and Aunt Sasha. They've got a great place down there! Ahhh, to have nice furniture and not worry about children ruining it! Beautiful place! We had a really good time visiting them....we miss them a ton since they've moved. Of course, I want what's best for them, but I really hope that living closer to us is what they find is best for them! We went to a water park and took in a Kernel's game while we where there. The drive back was very, very long -but my wonderful husband drove the WHOLE THING...there and back. Muah! Love ya, Babe!

The following weekend, on Friday, my mom and I went to see Wicked. It was wonderful! I wouldn't classify myself as a "musical/theater" person, but this play/musical goes beyond any dramatic event I've ever seen. It is really that good. Highly, highly recommend parting with the cash to take this in with a loved one. A night I will always remember with my Mutti! Dinner at The Sample Room was so-so, but Wicked was definitely worth the price of admission! No pic for this one - we tried, but I don't think either of us would appreciate the photos that were taken to be posted here!

Saturday was spent at the Minnesota State Fair. I'm not sure what we were thinking. Some people LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the state fair. I'd say its OK. Now, for something that is "just OK" - we were DUMB, DUMB, DUMB to go, bring our 1 and 4 year old daughters and spend THAT much money. Money spent on Wicked - EXCELLENT choice. Money spent at the state fair, hauling 2 tired, crabby kids behind 2 tired, crabby parents - VERY POOR choice. It was hot, we were all tired and crabby. I'd say, even having a couple month's distance on this one, that the best that came of it are a couple of cute pictures....and the end of that day.








All right - that gets us through August. Coming soon to a blog near you....September 2010 with the McDonoughs........

You can't wait, I can tell.
Night, All!
Mary