Hey! It’s July Already??!?!?!!

Yeah, that snuck up on me. June went by way too fast. As of today, we have just 22 more days here. TWENTY-TWO!! That is just not enough time at all. But, I'm trying to focus on the upside of leaving in a few weeks – we get to spend time with in Kansas with our precious AubreyLynn and her mommy.

We spend much of this past weekend with my sister, Paula, and her husband, Lou. Each year around July 4^th they host a big cook-out for friends and family. We offered to go help them set up on Friday and spend the night. Dang! I knew it was a lot of work to host a party (that's why I was never a fan of entertaining – it's a lot of work and I'm not that great at it!) but they really do it up. Add the 100+ degree heat . . .

Anyway, we got to their house about 10am and went to work. Randy was outside with Lou most of the day with Paula and I going in and out. One of the biggest jobs is putting up several tents/canopies so that folks have shade to sit in. Two of those tents are 20x12 and Lou stakes them down well. Finally about 5pm, we called it quits for the day. We needed to get ready to go to dinner to celebrate one of Lou & Paula's friends' birthday.

About 10:30 Friday evening that storm everyone knows about started with high winds, thunder, lightning and a spatter of rain. While everyone else in the Baltimore/Washington area got hit hard, we did not. But the 15 minutes of high wind we did get? Yeah, it was enough to tear down those two 20x12 tents. And bend enough poles that we couldn't even put one back up the next day.

Of course, considering what most people in the area were dealing with, we were grateful we had power and just had to figure out what to do for shade. Not really a problem in the big scheme of things.

Lou got on the phone and found a rental company that had a 20x20 tent and two huge fans that they would bring out, set up, and come back Sunday to break down. Yeah. That works.

So, Saturday turned out to be a great day of food, fun, and frolic. We got to see more family and friends which was wonderful because we won't see them again until Christmas. And Lou and Paula put on a heck of a cook-out. We sure have a renewed respect for them, I'll tell ya that!

Here are just few pictures of the kids having fun. I am so grateful to have such a close family where my kids and their cousins and their kids enjoy being together. I love my family!

Our niece Lisa and Lindsay

Reagan and Ryleigh

Reagan & Kylie sharing secrets  

Reagan & Kelsey

Reagan & Jimmy

Isn’t this how everyone uses a hammock???

Yesterday, Randy and I were moving slow. :) We did get out about 10am to go to breakfast and a grocery run. Once we got home, unloaded groceries and broke up the meat into packages, we were done for the day.

Today is another day at home. Randy is prepping for a colonoscopy tomorrow and most of you know how fun that is! :)

Until the next time . . .