I Know, I Know...

...uh huh. Yup. I know. It's been awhile since the 11th. But so much has happened in that time! Birthdays,weddings, Winston's first Dog Nite, out of town company....well, let's just say we are enjoying a general busy-ness! Today is the first full day of Summer yet it feels like we have already been swamped with all manner of  this season's fun! I sure hope your Summer will go well for you and that your days will be filled with it's sweetness.

Before I play catch up on what has been happening here at Rabbit Run in the last week, may I share our recent trip to Chicago with you? Just 2 weeks ago we were in the Windy City. Bill had a conference to attend so Grace and joined him. It's such a great town, so much to see and do. We never fail to enjoy each journey we make to the home of Wrigley Field!

Love the theater district...I have been fortunate enough to see many exciting plays here and have never failed to be impressed. Oh, and Brian Dennehy often works here in Chicago and is on the board of The Goodman Theater here in town. Just sayin'.

I love the iconic architecture of this town...

ridin' the EL...

...and visiting the famous sights in it's parks.

And The Navy Pier is always fun, even when the weather is chilly and the skies gray!

Then there are the many museums this city has to offer...

And the comedy...oh the glorious comedy! This was the 4th time we have been to The Second City. Almost every famous comedian sharpened their wit on it's stages...from Jerry Stiller to John Belushi...

We saw Tine Fey here when she was an unknown member of the comedy troupe, as well as Stephen Colbert. Both were stand outs then and it didn't surprise me at all they have achieved the fame they have enjoyed.

One young man we saw perform on this trip was truly talented. I will be watching to see if he too joins the ranks of these comedians.

We love to stop in one of the cozy coffee shops...

...try a new Asian bistro...

..dine on deep dish pizza...

..and find a new favorite restaurant! On this trip we discovered Eleven City Diner!  We had seen it featured on The Cooking Channel and just had to stop in! It was wonderful! Great service, delicious food, fun ambiance.

If you visit Chicago soon, do drop in the diner...you will NOT be disappointed! Right Gracie?

Until next time...

And Then We Played...

The sun is out Boo...what should we do?

Swinging is always a great idea...so we did.

Push me higher Uncle Bill!

My nephew holds my heart in his hand...

How Long Since I Last Posted?

Whew! THAT long? Okay, so most of you have forgotten who I even am. Heck, Even *I* forget who *I* am most days but hey...

Just been crazy of late. Alright, so my life has stayed crazy for awhile now but you know what I mean. We all go through periods like this don't we? But soon school will be out (I am as happy about that as Grace is is believe me!), my Mom is feeling a bit better (Thank God!) and...wait. Did I say my life will get less crazy soon? Um, probably not! It may even get MORE wild but I miss you all and DO drop in to see you all from time to time. Even if you don;t see a comment from me, know I am thinking about you and love you all.

Just a quick summary of what I have been up to (Besides the usual house and yard work, helping Mom, homework with Gracie, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...)

So get ready, you are about to get several posts all schmooshed into one...a months worth of fun all rolled into a single day! Did you take your vitamins today? I hope so...now off we go...

Helped with a Mother Daughter Tea at church. Such fun! I wanted to share a few of the photos with you here...

                                                        This is the table I designed...an

                                                                  English Garden tea...

                                     

All the tables were just so pretty and so much fun!

There was also a fashion show and guess who modeled? Uh huh. Miss Grace!

Two of my favorite girls...Grace and my Mom!

Now let's move on to Mother's Day!

After church Bill, Grace and I went to one of our favorite places, Wegerzyn Garden, to walk.

Then dinner at The Bonefish Grill!

With sweet treats for all the Moms!

5 people who have my heart...

Our daughter Grace, my sweetie Bill, my Mom, my brother Jim and our son Daniel.

Grace had her *end of the year* orchestra concert and the kids were amazing!

We also enjoyed a weekend in Owensboro, Kentucky with Bill's Mom's family to celebrate  a special cousin's birthday!

Here is Bill with his Aunt Ellen, his late mom's twin sister. She is such a blessing to all of us. I adore all of Bill's family and love them all.

The birthday boy with Grace and one of his beautiful granddaughters!

Handsome men run in this family...

Handsome men and beautiful ladies too!

Like I said...bee-yoo-tee-ful ladies!

Then there was a little surprise party I threw for Mr. Bill at one of our local Marion's Pizza restaurants. I decided to do it on a whim and only gave everyone 48 hours notice (or less!) yet many of our friends and family were able to come. Bill was shocked and had such a great time. I won't even try to add all the pictures but here is a sampling...

The bakery drew a picture of the plane in which Bill flew for many years...

I love this picture because these are great men who have been such a huge part of Bill's life for so long...

Rick (far right) and Sam (far left) have been Bill's friends for as long as I can remember. In fact, Rick was with Bill when I met him on a Spring vacation to Gatlinburg! And the man next to Bill is his brother Bob who Bill has known, well, since Bob was born! *grin*

Just a few of the dear friends and family members who were there to help Bill celebrate turning 55!

THEN there was our week long visit to Chicago...okay. Too much all at once? Alrighty then. I will save Chicago until the next post...a post I promise to have up before another month rolls around!

 As much joy as we experienced this month there was also pain. One of my cousins, just 53, died suddenly in May. Mom and I were able to head to Southern Ohio and attend a wonderful celebration of his life. He was a much beloved teacher and coach and it was so heart warming to see the outpouring of affection from the entire community. I humbly ask if each one of you will keep his immediate family, and close friends, in your prayers as they try to navigate this life without his every day presence. The real reason I mention this is this: None us of knows from one minute to the next when when our life will end. I don't say this to be maudlin at all..I say it to remind all of us, me included, to celebrate EVERY day. Tell those you love how much you care as often as you can. Call that friend you have not seen in awhile. Make peace with someone who angered you. Giggle with a child, hug a dog, smooch a cat, sing along loudly with the radio, dance no matter how silly you think you look! Try not to let the little things get under your skin (again, I am also reminding myself of this!), take joy in watching a chipmunk at play, a bird at flight, a warm breeze, the smell of a garden rose. Life is such a gift...be gentle with yourself and others.Do this for you and for my cousin Jim.

I love each one of you and have been blessed by your presence in my life. May God Bless you all.