Short and Sweet...

I had the very best-est weekend with my sister and nephews in town.

Joe had a great school visit at Gonzaga in Spokane. My sister Diana, though she didn't want to admit, was impressed with the school, the staff and area - and felt Gonzaga would be a great fit for Joe's college experience - if that's what he chooses.

They drove the long six hour drive to Boise. I warned them I was sending them the "shorter" route through Yakima and Pendleton. Lots of brown hills and river views between Oregon and Washington.

Friday we headed up to Donnelly/McCall area for lacrosse games at the Brawl in McCall tournament on Saturday.

We were fortunate to rent a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo through Tamarack Lodge. What a deal. I highly recommend it. There is construction all around because of the financial state of the Tamarack Ski Resort right now but Lodge was complete and well suited for guests. We were able to all stay under one two-story roof, prepare and share our meals together and have some fun at night. It was very comfortable and high-end furnished. The cost was comparable, if not better because we didn't have to eat out, with a hotel in the area.

We treated Diana, Joe and Kevin to a dip at Gold Forks Hot Springs. What a treat after all of their hours on the road the past few days.

Saturday we enjoyed have the games right under the flight path for the McCall Air Show. Not a big deal for most, but for this Naval Aviation family, it's always fun to watch (and hear) the planes overhead.

The lacrosse games went well. They played two on Saturday in the sun and heat. Afterwards we retreated to the Condo where we enjoyed the Lodge's pool and hot tub, as well as a yummy dinner. We even extended our family to a couple of brave players who needed a place to stay and joined us.

Mike and I had to head for home Saturday night so Diana and the boys could catch an early flight Sunday. The kids all stayed on at the Condo and attended the games on Sunday.

The Skallywags, Krieg's team, won all four tournament games as well as the Championship game. Total Domination!

Diana and the boys made it back to Chicago safe and sound. Krieg moved on from his weekend in the McCall area to Moscow and U of I, where he has returned for his final year at school. (You know what that means? We are emptynesters again!)

Thank you Chris and Erin, Matt, Brit and Taten for all sharing your weekend with us too. Happy Birthday Chris. We are very honored you would spend your 25th birthday with our family! Thank you Matt, Brit and Tate too, who came after a long week of work and house-sitting to be with the rest of the family.

Happy Momma!