Hello Friends

Today we went to the zoo. My Dad and Stepmom gave Pumpkin a membership to the zoo for his birthday. We love going. It is usually just the boys and I as we go on weekday mornings. We had a wonderful time going a few weeks ago with Sweetheart and my Dad and Stepmom when they were in town. Sometimes we'll meet up with friends. It is also nice to go with just my guys because we can go at our own pace and just spend as little or as much time as we'd like to that day.

We were only there about an hour or so today. We stayed on the shady side and just meandered around. Pumpkin loves the penguins. We also got to see some baby flamingos. They were just little, white puffballs on legs. Noisy though!

It was quite warm out so on the way home when we passed a lemonade stand we stopped. I almost always stop whenever I see a lemonade stand. I chatted with the Mommy while her three kiddos got the drinks together. It was a nice little break in the day and the cold lemonade sure was nice. Pumpkin's sugar buzz afterwards was pretty funny. He ran around jabbering a mile a minute and running everywhere. Luckily, it wore off before naptime.

It reminded me of me. I had a coworker a few years ago who loved Starbucks and always came in with a venti triple something-or-other at least once a day. Occasionally, she would bring me something. The students thought it was funny because I would start teaching at warp speed as soon as the caffeine hit. I don't know how my co-worker survived on that much caffeine all day long. I couldn't.

I finished canning all the strawberries (that we didn't just eat) and all the tomatoes. So after nap today the boys and I piled into the van after naptime and hit the farmer's market around the corner for a half-bushel of cucumbers to make Sweetheart some pickles. I'll put them together tomorrow while the boys nap. I've been up w-a-y too late canning every night.

I used the pressure canner last night on the tomato sauce and am happy to say that nothing blew up. It was my first attempt at ever using a pressure cooker. Now that I've done it once, I'm ready to pressure cook everything! Ok, maybe not, but at least I'm not afraid of the thing anymore.

I am not able to be at Bunco tonight as my Mom is still at my sister's in California. I wish it was just because she was having too much fun to leave, but unfortunately it is because she fell yesterday and really messed up her knee. It's a good thing to be home tonight as I plan to clean up and go to bed early.

Plus, my friend Terri is coming over to visit in the morning since we didn't get to see one another tonight. There are a few things I'll do to have things nice before they arrive in the morning. Then we'll go get my Mom tomorrow afternoon from the airport. I am hoping she'll just want to stay with us if she's not able to get around. I'd rather have her here where I can help her out than have her at her home and wish I could do something. We'll see what she decides.

If you think of it, please pray for her. She is the greatest Mom ever and the sweetest person you could know. It's hard to think of her in pain.

Can I just say this isn't my family's best summer? Recap: Dad-pacemaker, Son-injured foot, Brother-in-law-major surgery on his ankle, Me-miscarriage, Mom-injured knee. Guess it is just how it goes sometimes. Looking forward to Autumn...But still enjoying each day as I can!!