simply livin' it up
We dropped Susan off at the airport today around lunchtime. She is heading to the Dominican Republic for a week with her high school friends. It was a harder goodbye than I thought it would be. I was certainly not looking forward to her leaving, but I think I have taken for granted the fact that we have spent nearly every moment of the past 6 months together.
Today we spent most of the day at the beach. Our time at the beach is interesting because the water is very stirred-up and murky. It is more brown and smelly than usual, and there is a lot of sea-life. Jellyfish, stingrays, crabs, snake eels, fish, and dolphins are all prevalent right now.
The kids are loving playing at the beach. Lucia and Rose are having fun playing at the edge of the water and the older kids are having fun digging, looking for things, and using the skim board and boogie boards.
Today we made the trek from Gadsden to Orange Beach, to meet the Herrels and the Reagens for a previously scheduled vacation. We are all staying in a big house just a short walk from the beach.
It was a crazy, emotional day today. Susan, Erin, and her mom went to the house this morning to clean. They were there for a few hours, getting everything perfect for the new owners.
All of the Lieslands went over after Rose’s nap, to say goodbye. There were a lot of tears shed. We also had one last visit and popsicle with Rick & Donna, our closest neighbors ever.
By dinnertime it was time to transition to the traditional May 29th affairs – our 13th anniversary. Erin & Nate watched the kids so Susan and I could go out to dinner. We ended up at Cool Basil – table 13!
Sunday: Drive there
Monday: Dinner with the Romans at Skyline
Tuesday: Dinner at my parents’
Wednesday: Dinner with the Herrels
Thursday: Thanksgiving Breakfast, Thanksgiving dinner at the Radles’
Friday: Hang out, help Holly & Alex move, Holly & Alex’s for dinner
Saturday: Xavier game, Thanksgiving dinner at the Holmes’
Sunday: A very long drive home (11 hours, traffic back-up, rainy!)
Last winter Pearl Jam announced that they were going to play a couple shows at Wrigley at the end of their summer tour. Six months later the older kids and I were off to Chicago. We stayed one night, arriving at our hotel and then heading straight to Wrigley. After dinner at a near-by restaurant we enjoyed a self-guided tour of Wrigley and then the concert.
24On Tuesday, the next day, we headed downtown for just a few hours to play at Millennium Park, see the lake, and walk to Navy Pier. Then it was time to head home.
Last week I got to travel with the kids to the 8th annual cousin camp. I drove our three older kids and the Reagen kids to KC on Thursday afternoon and we arrived back home on Saturday. Activities consisted of swimming, bowling, swimming, outdoor theatre, donuts, park, and swimming. Eight straight years is pretty impressive. Everyone still loves the annual tradition.
We just wrapped up our nearly annual summer trip to Cincinnati.
Day 1: Drive & Skyline
Day 2: Mar-Mar’s birthday and Joyce and Dave’s for 4th of July
Day 3: Rob work, dinner & Smale Park with Romans
Day 4: Dinner at Holly’s
Day 5: Dinner with the Herrels
Day 6: Pizza night at Jill’s
Day 7: Drive home
