Summer Fun and Friday Meme Mania

I wish I had a super excuse for not posting since Monday.  Although I was a little busy this week, mostly it's been sheer laziness that has been the culprit for my quiet blog.  I think we all get that way sometimes.  Is it the summer sun distraction?

I think I'll tell you more about my week via this week's Friday's Fave Five meme:

The gist of Susanne's meme "Friday's Fave Five" is to think back over the past week and blog about 5 favorite things from the week.  It can be anything so here we go... in no particular order:

Number One

Celebrating my Dad on Father's Day

My Dad and stepmom live 2+ hours north of us, only 6 months of the year.  The rest of the year they're down in Florida for the winter so time spent with them is precious.  Dad turned 80 this year and as he ages, I realize more and more, having lost my Mom, that he won't always be here so it's super important to make sure that I take the opportunities to visit with him while he's here.  I personally think he looks AMAZING for 80 and I sure hope I have his genetic makeup (which I think I do... at least I'm hoping I do!)  We spent the morning at church and then enjoyed the sunshine and peaceful surroundings at the Lake while we enjoyed a pork roast dinner that "G" made, and the berry dessert I showed in my blog earlier in the week.  It was a wonderful day and I'm so glad we drove up to spend the day with Dad!

Number Two

Swimming with the Triplets

Auntie Sue with Emma

Emma, Auntie Sue, Mommy (Kristin), Josh and Teddy

Teddy, Josh and Emma were at their Grandpa and Grandma's (my brother & sister-in-laws) this week with Kristin and I just had to go and get my "triplet fix".  The little munchins were all gung-ho for a dip in Grandma & Grandpa's pool.  Aren't they getting SO big!  Six months already!!  

The babies are starting to eat rice cereal so we had them all in a production line for their rice snack before their "dinnertime" bottles.  I had a great day of visiting with the triplets, Kristin and my sister-in-law, "M".  Lots of laughs, good food and kisses on tiny cheeks!  Can't wait until next week to get more of those yummy babies!!

Number Three

Summer Stock (the flower... not the theater)

This morning after watering my garden, I grabbed my camera to take some pics of my garden's progress.  This, summer stock, is my favorite flower right now.  I love it's cinnamon-y fragrance and  it's precious little blooms.  Some of my summer stock has struggled, with many shoots dying off as some unknown creature nibbles away at it's leaves, but this particular "stock" of Stock is blooming beautifully (as are my snapdragons in the background!).

Number Four

Ben and Jerry's "Caramel Hat Trick" Ice Cream

In March, when Hubby and I were in Myrtle Beach we found this amazing B&J's ice cream in the grocery store.  We of course had to buy some and gobble it down, despite the March weather not exactly feeling like "ice cream" weather.  It was to-die-for!  Imagine my delight to find out that B&J's has now brought this delicious treat to Canada!!  I had to of course go and get myself some... even though it's like a ZILLION calories per spoonful.  Mmmmm!  Wish I liked working out more.  If I did this would be a staple in my summer diet.

Number Five

Looking at and Scanning Old Family Photos

While we were up at Dad's place, I went up to one of the spare bedrooms in the cottage/lake house and rummaged around my Mom's old hope chest.  There I found worn scrapbooks of old photos and mementos from my parents' early days.  Feeling rather nostalgic (as I often do at the cottage), I grabbed the books and told Dad I was borrowing them to take home to scan.  Soon, Dad was piling scads of other photos into bags for me to take as well... old black and white photos, along with later photos taken prior to Mom's death.  Early this week, I sat in my winged-back chair in the living room, going through packs of pictures, getting misty eyed and emotional.  I saw many pictures I'd never seen before, or at least not in ages... pictures of my siblings as small children (and being amazed at how much the niblings and great-niblings look like their parents/grandparents), pictures of my parents as children...  It all made me just so proud of being a part of a family and a great one at that.  Now I'm in the process of actually getting all that scanning underway.  It's going to take quite a while to complete but it will be so worth it in the end!

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That's pretty much my week in a nutshell, as well as some reading of my Bible and other books.  Now for some "Friday Fill-ins" before I say toodaloo...

And...here we go!

1. On vacation, I like to just sit and soak up the sun, relax, read a good book and play in the surf of the ocean.
2. Although, sometimes I'm afraid of what I'll find in the ocean (aka sea creatures).
3. One of my favorite vacation spots is anywhere there is a white sandy beach and warm sunshine.
4. Doesn't it seem that people are crazier when it's a full moon.
5. Up, up and away goes the hydro bill now that it's summer and the AC is on.
6. Bananas are going bad on my counter as I type... think it's time to put them in the freezer for future banana bread.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to baking cupcakes, tomorrow my plans include finishing said cupcakes to take to my great-niece's grad party and Sunday, I want to celebrate with Paul & Krissy as they dedicate the babies at church and then party it up in their backyard in the afternoon.  It's going to be a busy weekend... but a great one!!