Hello, Summer!

Sometime in the last few weeks, summer arrived.  I almost missed it, because I've been stuck inside at my computer working more hours in the last two weeks than I have in any other two-week stretch in the entire four years I've been freelancing, including before I had children. Despite all that busyness, we decided to officially kick off our summer with a weekend visit to our friends in Illinois.

Over the Fourth of July weekend we were lucky enough to visit our long-time friends John and *Bethany at their home in Illinois.  We've known them for years.  I went to high school with Bethany.  My husband was John's roomate in college.  We introduced them to each other, and several, several, several years later they married.  We now have children and houses and real jobs.  We talk about things like politics, investment fees, and retirement.  OK, our husbands talk about that stuff.  Bethany and I talk about diapers, baby vomit, and potty training.  We've grown up, but we're still great friends.

Our children are ages 3, 2, 1, and two months, and they're each exhibiting the classic signs of their age.  The oldest is schooling the others in the art of sharing and everything else she has seemingly become an expert on overnight. The two-year-old is smothering the one-year-old with an abundance of kisses, hugs, and general attention.  The one-year-old is keeping one eye on mommy and the other on the baby, along with an errant finger in her eye and a joyful "Ba-by!" thrown in. And the baby is just soaking it all in--napping, nursing, spitting up, and blowing out diapers as babies generally do.

I hope you all had a fun holiday weekend.  I did.  I closed the laptop for a couple of days (mostly), sat back, and enjoyed good company, delicious food, and making some lasting memories.

*Bethany just started blogging.  She's full of brilliant ideas.  She's super crafty.  She asked me with a completely straight face if I've ever made my own English muffins.  She has.  Check out Bethany's blog, Crafting My Happy Life.