Last weekend was a whirlwind and many miles but worth the opportunity to visit my family.
After a long, house full Memorial weekend which followed a long four days on the road working in Challis, I once more found myself NOT working in the yard or catching up on things around the house. I took off Friday afternoon, after work, and flew into Milwaukee. My charming oldest nephew met me at the airport and we drove to Chicago where we were greeted by a sleeping household of teenagers and my exhausted sister and brother-in-law.
Desperate to get the kinks worked out of my joints I asked Di to wake me when she went for her morning run. I was ready. What I wasn't prepared for was the HUMIDITY. Holy heck! We drove to the green belt area in the park and when I opened the door I thought for sure I'd walked into the sauna. It's been a long time.
Our folks arrived in the midst of party preparations. My oldest niece and I planted flowers in the beds around the patio area. Our little brother (ha I love calling him that - he's nearly 42!) drove in from Virginia. Hail, hail the gang was all there.
We helped to celebrate J's graduation from high school and L's graduation from 8th grade with a big party for family and friends. Storms cleared out the humidity the night before and temperatures were perfect.
I have two nephews. The oldest who is adventuring into a new era at college - moving into his own apartment with roommates. The younger one who just graduated high school and will be starting off on his own new life in the Fall on a college campus. The older one is our IT brain. "K, can you fix this? K, why is this not working? K..." He's the family genius - "plug it in Mom...", "Power off and then power on..."
J is our sports nut. He can make a competition out of anything and generally does. Being just a tad competitive myself I tend to jump in with both feet for my feeble attempt at a high score. Presently he's beating me at not one but TWO 'Words for Friends' games on our phones. Guess I thought if I started a second game I might have a chance...
Both of these guys look out after their little sisters. They are such good young men. Smart, loving, easy-going.
As the testosterone levels dwindle in their household the estrogen sky rockets. I have three teen-age nieces. Pray for their parents. The oldest is N, my alternate daughter. Blond. Sassy. And parallels many facets of our daughter. N just got her driver's license last month. She proudly shared her newest photo ID with us - I said "Amazing we both weigh 120 lbs!". She's social. Has discovered the opposite sex (and they hae discovered her too). She's so much fun. She's a dancer and I love to watch her routines. N has a summer job as a life guard. In only her first week of employment being an authority figure, she hasn't quite got reality of her new power. Mostly she spends her pre-work time playing hide and seek with her whistle. But I predict by the end of the summer she'll have that whistle permanently attached to her hand and be using it to direct her family members around having figured out how well it works for her at the pool!
L is my sister's mini me. She's the middle daughter. Trying to please. Quiet at times. Very athletic and slender. She's starting high school and would rather wear her hair up in a pony tail and skip make up than bother with either. She has lots of friends and I can't wait to see the grown up version. She's tender and caring, loves her animals, was so good with Taten when he was around. She's also an estrogen filled female going into high school...
M, or Sunny, is and always has been a spit fire. Like most babies of the family she runs the show. But she's such a hoot. It's still amazing to me to see her as a teen-ager when I remember this little toddler with jet black/brown eyes who would warm your tired soul with her smiles and then clear the room with her screams!
I have the neatest nieces and nephews. Ok so I'm partial. I just wish I were closer so I could cheer them on at their sporting events and follow them around with my camera. You all rock! It was a fast weekend. Home again Monday night. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I love you all!
After a long, house full Memorial weekend which followed a long four days on the road working in Challis, I once more found myself NOT working in the yard or catching up on things around the house. I took off Friday afternoon, after work, and flew into Milwaukee. My charming oldest nephew met me at the airport and we drove to Chicago where we were greeted by a sleeping household of teenagers and my exhausted sister and brother-in-law.
Desperate to get the kinks worked out of my joints I asked Di to wake me when she went for her morning run. I was ready. What I wasn't prepared for was the HUMIDITY. Holy heck! We drove to the green belt area in the park and when I opened the door I thought for sure I'd walked into the sauna. It's been a long time.
Our folks arrived in the midst of party preparations. My oldest niece and I planted flowers in the beds around the patio area. Our little brother (ha I love calling him that - he's nearly 42!) drove in from Virginia. Hail, hail the gang was all there.
We helped to celebrate J's graduation from high school and L's graduation from 8th grade with a big party for family and friends. Storms cleared out the humidity the night before and temperatures were perfect.
I have two nephews. The oldest who is adventuring into a new era at college - moving into his own apartment with roommates. The younger one who just graduated high school and will be starting off on his own new life in the Fall on a college campus. The older one is our IT brain. "K, can you fix this? K, why is this not working? K..." He's the family genius - "plug it in Mom...", "Power off and then power on..."
J is our sports nut. He can make a competition out of anything and generally does. Being just a tad competitive myself I tend to jump in with both feet for my feeble attempt at a high score. Presently he's beating me at not one but TWO 'Words for Friends' games on our phones. Guess I thought if I started a second game I might have a chance...
Both of these guys look out after their little sisters. They are such good young men. Smart, loving, easy-going.
As the testosterone levels dwindle in their household the estrogen sky rockets. I have three teen-age nieces. Pray for their parents. The oldest is N, my alternate daughter. Blond. Sassy. And parallels many facets of our daughter. N just got her driver's license last month. She proudly shared her newest photo ID with us - I said "Amazing we both weigh 120 lbs!". She's social. Has discovered the opposite sex (and they hae discovered her too). She's so much fun. She's a dancer and I love to watch her routines. N has a summer job as a life guard. In only her first week of employment being an authority figure, she hasn't quite got reality of her new power. Mostly she spends her pre-work time playing hide and seek with her whistle. But I predict by the end of the summer she'll have that whistle permanently attached to her hand and be using it to direct her family members around having figured out how well it works for her at the pool!
L is my sister's mini me. She's the middle daughter. Trying to please. Quiet at times. Very athletic and slender. She's starting high school and would rather wear her hair up in a pony tail and skip make up than bother with either. She has lots of friends and I can't wait to see the grown up version. She's tender and caring, loves her animals, was so good with Taten when he was around. She's also an estrogen filled female going into high school...
M, or Sunny, is and always has been a spit fire. Like most babies of the family she runs the show. But she's such a hoot. It's still amazing to me to see her as a teen-ager when I remember this little toddler with jet black/brown eyes who would warm your tired soul with her smiles and then clear the room with her screams!
I have the neatest nieces and nephews. Ok so I'm partial. I just wish I were closer so I could cheer them on at their sporting events and follow them around with my camera. You all rock! It was a fast weekend. Home again Monday night. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I love you all!
