Whirlwind

Ryan and I have been on a whirlwind tour of summer fun:

2 weekends ago: Camping with Christi and Dan and their kiddos up near Lake Stevens - swimming dates with Eva in a ruffly two-piece orange bikini and white sun-hat (Eva's attire, not mine)

1 weekend ago: 4th of July with Angelo and Sarah at Pacific Beach in some hilariously awkward Allard family reunion moments (including the return of Grandpa's 80+ year old ex girlfriend who flew, unannounced from Florida, to stay with him, apparently thinking everything was okay . . . Did I mention she just got a facelift, but only on her cheeks? She has 4o year old cheeks with this old wrinkly chin - rather comical, but then again, so was the entire weekend.

This last weekend: Diamond C (Carnahan) Ranch in Dufur Valley, Oregon, at the Columbia Gorge. We rode horses, played in the hillside dust on ATVs, shot guns - the whole experience (and my bum still hurts from that dern horse)! We had a spectacular time with my dad, Christi, Dan and kiddos, driving through the country in our huge rental van, sharing stories, and making my dad laugh so hard he spit out his mouthful of water all over the car doors and Dan's head, Thank you Jesus for my remarkable family!

Next weekend: Whitewater rafting camping trip on the Wenatchee River with some friends to celebrate my little old birthday. Since this is my "golden birthday," I think it was Sharon who suggested a gold lame (pronounced lum-ay) outfit while camping.

2 weekends away: Mom and Jim will come up from Portland to be family and hang out for some more birthday fun, and to snuggle with Eva and Ethan.

And then, it will be less than a month (3 full weekends) until we leave for Italy. Good Heavens! I can hardly believe it is true and is really really happening. All I can think about right now is how lovely it will be to have a silly little weekend at home with my husband - just us! Soon, I tell myself, soon.