The rest of the weekend....

Of course the 4th of July is rarely a one day event. It is a holiday that can feel like it never ends, depending on where it falls in the week.

So, Friday the plan was to head to a public beach and back to a lake, this time with my best friend and the kids.

While the Twinner's slept in (and Mark was already out the door working), I packed beach gear into my favorite retro/historical Not-Really-My-Grandma-Lou Strawberry Bag, and prepped the food for our picnic. As I diced the turkey for salad, I was CONTENT and HAPPY.

I envisioned and remembered my mom in our kitchen preparing her salad, or a pan of bars (that one with coconut and chocolate chips in it), or a baked rice dish she use to make. (Does any one remember the rice?? It had cinnamon all over the top and was served at room temperature.) Anyway, she was always busy at work before we hit the road for Kandi, ensuring her family's day would be carefree and great.

As I stood alone in my own kitchen, everything in life seemed just  like it should be, and it actually brought tears of joy to my eyes.

I have DEAR family who I love and adore, and who love and adore me in return.
I have DEAR friends who I love and adore, and who love and adore me in return.
I was loved and adored by my parents as a child (and of course my Dad today), and now I have children of my own to love and adore.

Anyway, we had a pleasant and carefree afternoon at Big Lake, returned for a Friday overnight with our friends, attended our Godchild's 5th birthday on Saturday afternoon, and wrapped up our activities with aThomberg family bike ride on Sunday.

Oh... and at the close of the holiday weekend, there was still no baby for Rachel and Brett!

Note - Sunday we took a REALLY long bike ride all the way from our house, on the Mississippi River Trail, into northeast Minneapolis. We left our house between 3 and 4 pm, ate supper at Broadway Pizza off of Broadway and 94 at 5 pm, and were home sometime between 6 and 7 pm. (so that was some bike ride! We have no idea how many miles we went.)