Late June and Early July

My posts these days are just starting to become a collection of summaries rather than individual posts on specific events. Oh well! :)

So in my last post I talked about the Cavs winning the NBA Championship. I haven't gotten a championship shirt yet, but I probably will eventually. Just so I can show it to my grandkids one day! ;) I saw this post online and thought it was hilarious. Poor Cleveland! 

One Saturday we did a girls pool day at Lindsey's. Everyone made something and we had a little potluck type lunch. Lindsey made chicken salad and a few other tasty sides, Callie brought a punch, I brought cookies and spinach dip and it was all yummy. I also got a 12 pack of Angry Orchard to share. I drank one can, I had another can a few days later while I was grilling a burger (I felt like it was the right thing to do) and the other 10 are still in my fridge! ha! We had a lot of fun and I got a little too much sun on my back, but was only a little pink that evening.

A few weeks ago I went to Cincinnati for a regional meeting with a group of teachers from 6 different states. It was held at a place called EnterTRAINment Junction. It has a huge display of model trains that was so cool, so after the dinner was over I walked through the display pretty quickly but it would be so easy to spend hours in there!

This place also has a fun house, which was pretty entertaining too. There was a curtain maze where you literally walk from 3x3 room to room and it was so easy to get lost! One of the rooms had the mirror that make you look really tall or really short! :) There was also a mirror maze, a maze that had strings that you had to crawl through, a space exhibit where you walked through the tube that was spinning and it makes you loose all sense of balance, and a fun house that had a few tilted rooms which totally through you off!

The tilted room.

I'm really tall here. 

And really short here.

Since I was in Cincinnati and the dinner just happened to be up 75 from IKEA, I made a pit stop there for a few things I'd been wanting to pick up! And I got to visit Cara and her new adorable townhouse while in the Nati, too!

Then that weekend Kayla came back to Columbus to visit before going to camp and she stayed with me a few nights. Bowie was extra excited for her to be there! ha. We went to Red, White, and Boom. I had never been before. We watched it from Arch Park and apparently I now know that the area around Nationwide Arena is where all of the high school students hang out. I knew I felt really old for a reason! After the fireworks, we hung out on Park Street while the traffic cleared up and then headed home. It was good to visit with Derek and Stacie and other peeps that I don't see that often!

Bowie anxiously awaiting Kayla's arrival.

I got a shoutout in Kayla's official published research.

Fire works. 

Girls at Red White and Boom.

I also had a few cookouts that weekend, one with work peeps and one with friends. Tim and Carla both are moving out of state for new jobs and we celebrated that with a cookout at a co-workers house. (Tim's wife is also battling cancer, so prayers for her healing are appreciated by the family!) I made marriage cookies and a peach cobbler. Lauren visited me on Friday while she was in town from SC and brought me peaches. I did't have any idea what to do with all these peaches, so I looked up a few recipes and made my first cobbler. I didn't eat any of it because I don't like peaches, but everyone said it was good! And Dr. Birkenholtz's granddaughter said my cookies were the best she's ever had, so that was a win, too! #workinonthosewifeskillz

Work family

 Mom and I headed south to Charleston on the 4th to visit Molly and go to the beach for a few days. Our normal family vacation plans for this year were a little wonky once Tyler had to have his wisdom teeth pulled and dad volunteered to stay home and take care of him. So it was just us girls.

Mom and I got to Charleston about 7pm on Monday and made it down to the harbor for fireworks. Molly was at a coworker thing, so we didn't meet up with her until about 11:30pm. I hadn't seen her in two months!! 

Mom and I at the fireworks.

Reunited and it feels so good!

We spent three days in Myrtle Beach, just sitting in the sun. We got in the water a few times, but there were all these warnings about bacteria and sharks so we mostly just sat on the shore in the sun. I apparently also took know photos while we were there. So here is one that my mom took of us at dinner our first night.

When we went back to Charleston, we visited the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens! It was gorgeous. It did't have an oak tree lined driveway like Boone Hall Plantation does, but it was still just lovely! Much bigger and more landscaped. But you did have to pay extra for all the tours, unlike at Boone Hall. I would have liked to have done the boat tour and the agriculture tour, but oh well. Next time.

On one of the paths through the gardens.

The gorgeous house.

Sister Selfie

All the spanish moss!!!

That evening we went back into town and walked to dinner at a BBQ joint that is right beside the jewelry store where Molly works on the weekends. I had the best macaroni with pulled pork on top. We also got to see Molly's store and meet some of the people that we hear her talk about all of the time. 

You can't get food more southern than this picture right here.

 It was a good trip and I'm glad I got to visit with Molly for a few days. This picture was hanging in her apartment and it makes me sad because this is the last time the three of us were together - April 30. I want her to come back to Ohio!!

Sibbies.