And so it begins . . . Summer is here!

 

Summer has finally arrived!  I've been waiting so long for the 21st of June, when I could officially say that summer is here!  

I had such a wonderful week!  On Tuesday, my blogging friend, Deb and her husband, met my husband and I for lunch at Olive Garden here in Idaho where I live.  I can't even tell you how excited I was to meet her!  I know we have been following and blogging together for the last 6 years or so.  I have personally been blogging for 15 years.  My first blog post was, August 9, 2009.  Since that time, I have only met 2 of my blogging friends in person, and I feel so blessed to have met them in person.

We had such a good time with Deb and Charly, and are looking forward to meeting up with them again sometime in the future.  She was so beautiful, gracious, fun, interesting and exactly like I imagined her to be!  We had so much in common, no wonder I drawn to her and her blog!  Go check her blog out, you will feel very blessed if you do!  Thank you Deb!

On Wednesday, one of my sisters and I went to visit an aunt - more like a sister actually.  She has macular degeneration to the point that it is affecting her eyesight, and wanted us to go help her sort through some of her things.  We had a wonderful day!  She wanted to make lunch for us, and it was delicious.  She made teriyaki chicken, new baby potatoes and green salad.  I brought cinnamon rolls with plenty of raisins in them especially for her and her husband.  We visited for hours, went through some of the things she wanted us to go through, and just had the best time visiting and talking about old times. 

While we were visiting, a man came to the door and told us that there was a fire in an acreage right next to them, and wanted us to do something about it... he didn't want to call 911.  As we were getting ready to report it, we heard sirens and we knew that someone had called.  

Those big poplar trees actually started on fire shortly after I took these pictures, and the fire department was there for  quite some time making sure the fire was completely out.  They weren't sure what caused the fire, but I assume someone threw a cigarette out of their car window.  

My aunt had the most beautiful peonies in the front of her home, and they smelled so delightful!  Here she is holding one up for me.

 

I can remember my mother growing the most gorgeous peonies, and I loved it when she would float one or two of them in a big round glass bowl.  As a child, I thought it was one of the most beautiful things ever.  My sister and I were reminiscing about that on this day.

My aunt also had the most beautiful Lark Spur growing in her garden.  I haven't seen one of them for so long, it was so pretty.  I need to get a start from her.

While we were there, we decided to go and put some flowers on my grandparent's grave, my parent's grave and my sister's son's grave.  She only lives a short distance from the cemetery, in fact, it's on the same road my grandparent's lived on and that she grew up on.  I used to play in that cemetery for hours with my cousins.  My grandmother would send us to the cemetery with a picnic lunch.  She told us that great grandma Johnson would just love to have us sit by her grave and have a picnic with her... it wasn't creepy or scary at all, we loved it.  I didn't get any photos, but it was such a good thing to go there and think of them and how much we loved them and the wonderful memories we made with them.  My aunt is the last of my mother's siblings, and I just want to hear all the stories and get all the information from her while I still can.

I wish I would have taken a picture of the three of us, just so I could remember how special that day was.  I told her I would come and help her three or four times a month.  I can hardly wait!  

On Thursday, my two daughters took me to the spa.  I have to say, I have had better experiences there.  It was fun, because I was with my daughter's, but the person who took us to the different parts of the spa was less than helpful.  That night my back hurt so bad, and when I looked,  I had bruises up and down my back from the massage chair, so did one of my daughter's.  

After the spa, we went and had sushi for lunch, which was delicious.  Then off to Ulta, because, you know, who doesn't love a trip to Ulta?!  It's not a place I go often, but once in a while it's fun.  

Today, my husband and I spent part of the day at my daughter's home so that Bob could help her and her husband fix their sprinkler system.  I decided a long time ago that I would never have a sprinkling system, because they're always broken!  But, it was fun spending time with them.  We had lunch there and came home so we could get some things ready in our camp trailer for a week of camping and more fun next week!  

We also had a couple of birthdays in our family this month!  One of my son-in-laws turned 50.  My daughter went all out and had a super fun birthday party for him.  It had a Mexican theme, with Pina colada punch (non-alcoholic), churros, and a nacho bar, with several different homemade salsas.  It was so much fun!!  I think he really enjoyed having so many friends and family celebrate with him.

Another son-in-law had a birthday shortly after James, and we celebrated his birthday on Father's Day, with prime rib . . .  that he smoked.  It was heavenly, and fun to spend the day with him... of course, I'm horrible about taking pictures!  I need to work on that ;0)

I'll leave you with some pictures of a few sunsets.  My view has been blocked with new homes and building projects, but the sunsets are still beautiful.

This is a photo my granddaughter took one night and sent to me.  Isn't it gorgeous!?

I need to be better about taking photos!  Hopefully I can take more photos this summer ;0)

Be safe, XOXOX

Hugs and Love,

Barb