Summer Days, Happy Days

Hello my friends!

Look at me, posting on a Monday! Shock of shocks! Tomorrow begins our influx of visitors and I'm not sure when I'll be back online so I thought I would pop in for a minute today. We had a busy weekend. It all started at the lake. Of course, where else would we be on an August Saturday? Hubby took Chloe for her morning walk and I made him a pot of coffee, (I don't drink it myself). When he came back he poured himself a cup of the brew and promptly dropped it on the carpet in the trailer. Poor Hubby. He felt so bad, but we were planning to come home Saturday anyway so we just left a little earlier than planned. We packed up and brought Chloe home and then went back to the lake with the trusty carpet cleaner. There now. Good as new. :-)

Yesterday I drove almost to Idaho and picked up our friend Yoshie and she spent the day with us. First on the day's plans was church and then she helped me cook the hospitality lunch for all the visitors. She was a trooper and even washed all the dishes! Afterwards we asked her how she wanted to spend the day. Since this is her 6th summer in Spokane she knows all of the local places to visit. She choose...wait for it...the lake! We didn't even suggest it to her thinking it would be a bit boring, but she remembered it from last year and asked to go. Our friends were there with their boat and they took us out for a ride around the lake. We had so much fun. Yoshie, the world traveler, had never been out on a small boat like this one. It goes really fast! Just look at the wake we're leaving behind us.

Then we took her to the home of the world famous Clayton Burger in Clayton, WA for a huckleberry shake. She loves huckleberries and our area is one of the few in the country that has them. Here is Hubby with Yoshie waiting for our shakes.

Then she spotted the beautiful sunflowers that I showed you in my last post. This was the result...

We so enjoyed our day with her. She goes back to Japan on Sunday with her twenty 14-15 year old students that she is herding around Washington state. By Thursday she'll be in Rome with a group of adult tourists that she's leading. She said the kids are sometimes easier than adults. I have to say that I understand, especially the way you see some so-called adults behaving these days. She was very excited to hear that Alex will be here on Wednesday and she will be back at our house for the afternoon then. Apparently she needs his help with some translation problems. They see each other once in awhile in Tokyo and she's excited that we're thinking of visiting there in November.

This morning I've been busy. Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning and grocery shopping, prescription getting, Costco run. I'm exhausted and it's only 12:45! Most of the indoor work is done though and now I just have to make a macaroni salad and finish the laundry. Tonight Hubby and I will mow the grass and do the yard work. All will be ready for Mom to arrive tomorrow and I can visit with her. Hubby is taking vacation on Thurs. & Friday this week and the first three days of next week so he'll be home for most of Alex's visit.

OUR FAMILY ALL TOGETHER AGAIN!!!!! I am so excited! Can you tell? It's been 3 years and 3 months since we've all been together. My babies! Although, obviously they don't like to be called that, they will forever be my babies as all of you Mom's out there understand. And I love my MIL dearly and I'm looking forward to spending two whole weeks with her. She has never criticized my house-keeping or cooking or anything that I know of and we've always been friends. I've tried to get her to move here and live with us, but she's very independent.

Do any of you like Sweet Tea? My mom was from Missouri and I grew up drinking sweet tea. I cannot find a good glass of sweet tea here in the northwest anywhere. Yesterday I found a great recipe and tried it this morning. Just like Moms!!!!! Here it is:

Put 1 1/2 cups sugar in a gallon size pitcher. Boil 1/2 gallon of water. Remove from heat and steep 6 regular teabags or 3 family size bags for 5-6 minutes. Remove tea bags and return tea to stove and bring just to a boil. Pour over sugar in pitcher and stir. Add ice and cold water to fill pitcher. Oh my goodness this is yummy and brings back all of my childhood memories. I can see my Mom at the stove with a glass of ice tea next to her on the counter.

Okay friends. I'm off to finish my cooking. Have a lovely week. I'm going to leave you with a verse from the book of Ruth which seems fitting as my MIL is coming to visit. Ruth's MIL Naomi was urging her to go back to her own family after their husbands had both died. This was Ruth's response:

"Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God." Ruth 1:16

I hope that I would always show my dear Mom in law that much love and respect.

Blessings to you all,

Betsy