Been so long!

Ok, I just posted a note that I had been working on for a couple days. (so look for that after this post) SO much as been going on however, and since this is just as much for me to look back on our lives each week as it is for you, I really wanted to touch (just briefly) on each one. So we will travel back--if you will kindly oblige-- to last Thursday June 11th.

• Thursday Benjamin and the First Players band played at the beginning of the Honkers game. First they stood outside the gates and performed while people purchased their tickets and went in. Then they went inside and played in front of home plate. They did a fantastic job, and we had a lot of fun with the Naptons and Robelias. Brian and I had never gone to a Honkers game before, and I hope this is just the beginning of many!




Saturday we went to Inver Grove Heights where our friend Mike has moved his Houseboat business. He has been in Wabasha for something like 12 years, and just moved to IGH this year, so he had a kick off party.


We had lunch, took a boat ride, played bags....it was GORGEOUS out! We had a great time and we are prayerful that Mike will establish a great client base in his new location!






When we left the marina we went to Half Price Books. One of our favorite things to do as a family is browse bookstores. We all looked and looked, and when we left we had 12 books and the first season of The Office for only $34!! Great shopping!




We came back to Rochester and got ready for a bridal shower for Viann that was being held at Sontes. Sontes (saun-tay) is a tapas restaurant in Rochester that uses mostly local and organic produce and ingredients. It was absolutely delish! There were 6 other couples with us, so we had many many different dishes to taste! We had a wonderful time with Brian's coworkers....and look forward to our next dinner at Sontes.





Sunday Brian and I cleaned out our garage. I don't think it had ever seen a broom before Brian and I, so it was quite the undertaking. But, it looks fantastic now, and it feels really good to have it done. One of my very favorite chores around the house is vacuuming. I just love the sound of things going in the hose, and I can't get over the fact that one moment it is there and the next GONE! Instant gratification! I got a little carried away with the shop vac out there. After vacuuming the garage walls and windows, and doors and floor (like I said, it had never been cleaned before us) I took the shop vac to the patio, and got rid of all the helicopters. But it didn't end there--along the side of the house, behind my flowers, along the short brick wall....Brian probably thinks I have a problem. But I was occupied, and I didn't find other things for him to do, nor was I over his shoulder so he pretended to ignore my compulsive vacuuming!




The rest of the week is a blur. Between being sick, running errands, organizing garage sale, wrapping up ViE for the year, there is little to report except;




Wednesday we had an outdoor service at our church. It was a small gathering, but was quite special. We ate dinner outside and had a small child friendly service with fun music that I haven't heard since the boys were very young. It really made me wish they could have been there, they would have loved it! We haven't seen many of the couples from our GIFT group for awhile so it was quite a treat to catch up with a few of them during the dinner. I am looking forward to joining the moms group on Tuesday mornings, and seeing them again soon!




Friday night we went to Viann's wedding. It was a very small wedding at the Radisson, there were only about 40 people total. It was beautifully done, and Viann made a beautiful bride! Her husband, Yzan, is greek, so they played greek music, and we all joined in for some greek dancing! It was an experience Brian and I have never had before and we are grateful to Viann and Yzan for sharing their beautiful day with us!




Saturday was cleaning day. The garage sale is this weekend, so we had to really work to get ready for it. I had a garage sale the summer before we moved and we got rid of SO much then....but now I am absolutely purging our home of things I don't want. No more furniture that I bought "to get us by" no more chach-kies that I will never display again, no more toys that never get touched! It will be interesting to see what actually goes, but I can say that NONE of it will be coming back into this house!




After cleaning and purging all day Brian and I went to the Plummer House for a mystery theater sponsered by the Elder Network. We met another couple from the pharmacy there and the 4 of us spent the evening trying to solve a murder! Til Death Do Us Part was the theme of the evening, and we had to find out who killed the Bride Bitsy. Was it Stuffy Barnacle her very new father in law? Was it Blaine Barnacle her new husband who didn't seem a bit phased after the scream and discovery that his new bride was found stabbed? Her friend Buffy, who was being blackmailed by Bitsy? Tiara Sparkles who was in love with Blaine? Heavenly Meadows, Bitsy's sister? Or one of the many other characters? It was so fun to go through the house talking with each of the actors, and asking them questions to try to solve the crime. Waiters with silver trays of wine were all around, as well as waiters with silver trays of sweet goodies like eclairs and cheesecake bites...it was such a perfect evening! Jill, Jason, Brian and I stood at the end of the hallway as the time clicked closer and closer to needing to choose our murderer and at the last moment we walked into Tiara Sparkles room. She was "shocked" that we would think it was her! She took us downstairs, and all was revealed....We were right!! The 4 of us (along with 3 others out of 70 people) chose the right murderer! We had a great time with Jill and Jason and hope to have more opportunities to spend with them!




Today Brian and I shopped a little, did some finishing touches on our newly arranged house, and waited for the boys to come home. They were gone this past week and we are SO excited to have them home again. It just isn't the same w/o them here. Their beautiful faces are tucked into their beds, and I am just finishing up this post so I can join my fabulous husband.

It has been a wonderful weekend and I am exhausted. Tomorrow is Brian's Father's Day. Since the boys didn't get back home until this evening, we will celebrate his day tomorrow. I can't think of anyone more deserving than Brian to have a day just for him. He is patient, and generous and adoring of those boys. His eyes twinkle when he tells stories about them. He has always been so proud of them...even before he and I found each other as a couple. He has always put their needs before his own. He never lets his desires come before their best interest and for that I thank God. So to my handsome, funny, one in a million, I wish you a very happy happy day tomorrow. You deserve it!

This week the boys have VBS each morning and it is also Rochesterfest! We will probably eat downtown a few times, stop at Thursdays on First and of course have our garage sale! Brian, Benjamin and I are all in the Rochesterfest Parade on Friday so we are really looking forward to that! Should be a great week! Lets get it started!