Hello my Friends!
Happy official summertime to you. :) We've reached the summer solstice time of year and I love how it's getting warmer during the days and the sunsets come later all the time. Nice long days of sun and fun! ☀️💛
Speaking of fun...it was a lovely and fun time here this past weekend. My cousin David and his wife Micki came up from Green Bay, WI to stay for the weekend. Dave ran Grandma's marathon - which is a local marathon here that is nationally known. Many use it to qualify for the Boston marathon. It's funny as I've grown up and lived here my whole life and always had the mentality to stay away from that area during race weekend because it's so busy with people. Besides the full marathon there is a half one and a 5k and between all of them 20,000 people participate! So it was actually fun to be a part of it and get to cheer my cousin at the finish line. It's quite an accomplishment as he's close to my age (he's 53) and only began running as a hobby at age 48. So it's pretty cool to witness. They came up on Friday and we drove the course so he could see it ahead of time. The race was on Saturday morning. We asked what he would want to eat after the race and he said steak. So Matt grilled him a ribeye as big as his head! Lol It was wonderful catching up with them and hanging out. Matt and I did sneak away for a little bit Saturday evening to go to church and to check on my Mom and bring my step Dad goodies for Father's Day before we made dinner for my cousins.
Then early Sunday morning Dave & Micki left... and Sunday afternoon we had my Dad and step Mom over to celebrate Father's Day. We will be going to the lake in the near future to celebrate Matt's Dad too.
Both of my kiddos were not in town this past weekend but they sent Matt the sweetest messages that made us both cry. They expressed how much they love him and look up to him as family and a father figure in their lives. And I presented Matt with the goodies that were from all of us. I love how Matt has become such an important person in my kids' lives too and how much we all love him. It's truly a gift in my life I didn't think I would have after my divorce. We are so grateful for him!
I hope that if you celebrated Father's Day with your loved ones that you had a wonderful weekend too. 💗
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:
ice protein coffee
ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:
errands, Ruby vet visit to have ultrasound, visit my Mom, hospice work
THINKING ABOUT:
some new craft projects I want to start on
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:
sweet summer watermelon with a little tajin (chili lime seasoning) sprinkled on top
CURRENTLY READING
I need to finish a book I had started a month ago! Then I can dive into my new pile. I'm determined to fit in a little time to read every day now.
ON THE TV TODAY:
Jeopardy, old seasons of big brother (can't wait for the new season soon!) Castle Impossible, AGT, Sweet Magnolias
ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:
MONDAY - leftovers from the weekend
TUESDAY - buffalo chicken sheet pan bake with ranch potatoes and roasted broccoli
WEDNESDAY - tacos and homemade salsa
THURSDAY - leftovers
FRIDAY - out for dinner?
TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:
hopefully get back to reading my books, craft, go for walks with Matt
TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:
FROM THE CAMERA:
my cousin's wife Micki, Matt, & I went out for brunch to kill time before Dave was going to get in at the finish line (it's hard to park anywhere to watch him run along the way). She said she wanted to treat us for the hospitality. She's such a sweetheart and I've known her for many years. They are tall folks - Dave is 6'4" and Micki is 6'1" (and I have shrunk to 5'2" now - sigh) Lol This pic shows that I'm a shrimp pretty well. 🙈
Matt took this shot of all the people at the finish line in that moment watching for their loved ones like us. It's neat because there's an app where you can track your runner. They have a chip on the bib they wear with their number. When they run over certain parts of the race it triggers the chip and on the app so you can see where they are.... and you can know when to head to the finish line.
I took this pic from the video I had taken of David coming in at the finish line and giving us a wave when we were all yelling & cheering for him.
Happy David it's over and did it! :)
peonies starting to really pop now and one partly open!
Yay back to shorts season! (spot Ruby in the background doing her wiggles on the floor😂)
Matt & I played some ladderball in the backyard yesterday before my Dad and step Mom came over.
For Father's Day we got pizza from my Dad's favorite place and I made sides (including cutting up wonderful juicy watermelon) and I also made dessert which was an apple bluberry crumble. My Uncle had given me wild blueberries he had picked last year and frozen. I forgot to get an after pic of the crumble baked up - but it was so good and we had it with natural vanilla bean ice cream 😋
my superman 😉 (notice his shirt)
I highly recommend getting help if you need it. It saved my arthritic back so much!!
The pretty moon I captured last night when I let Ruby out before bedtime.
