WARNING: long post ahead
What a week! Everything went so fast it’s all a bit of a blur! Dad and I made it to Cleveland last Monday night, unloaded the truck, slept, and took off for Dubuque in the morning with Shawn. Another 8 hours on the road and we finally got a break... kind of. We were finally reunited with our pups and the family was back together again. Shortly after we arrived Nicole and Tyler showed up with the girls. We finally got to meet little Logan and I got to spend some quality time with my BFFs Austin and Dylan. What away to kick off a crazy week!
Wednesday was Arya’s first birthday so we had a dog birthday party to celebrate all three pups who happen to have birthdays in July. Shawn found a dog friendly cupcake recipe so we gave it a try. So much peanut butter! The girls had a blast baking dog cupcakes and practicing their music for the party. That evening, like the freaks we know we are, we all sang happy birthday to the dogs and gave them their special treats. Arya even got to wear the birthday crown. She’s growing so quickly and I love the giant goofball she is becoming.
Thursday we went to Cedar Rapids to visit Shawn’s co-workers in the afternoon. So great to see everyone who had been so incredibly supportive of us during our move to Salt Lake and all of the craziness that ensued afterwards over the last few months. That evening was also slumber party number one with the girls. What a blast! We played movie theater and Austin hosted a concession stand complete with JuJu coins, chocolate covered raisins, saltwater taffy, and Theisens popcorn. Do you think they were a little sugared up? The girls were introduced to “Where’s Waldo” and I never realized that yes, you can find Waldo too many times. Another day of fun, topped off with very little sleep. The cuddles were totally worth it.
Friday was another great day with the girls. Are you seeing a trend? Obviously I was needing some serious play time with Austin and Dylan and wasn’t about to waste any time. I mean, we are best friends and have been apart since January... what can you expect? I will admit, it was a little rough on Shawn, needing extra rest at times. I get it, the high pitched voices of 2 and 4 year old girls can be a bit much when you are recovering from a major illness. But he put up with it because deep down he loves it too. We were able to squeeze in some adults only time at a benefit for the McKernan family to help them in their fight against diabetes. What a great event! Another fun fact, our family is really only good at Disney trivia. Leave your general knowledge at the door.
Saturday I was honored to be in town to celebrate Mary at her baby shower. So blessed to have such a great group of women in my life. Life has taken us all on such different paths, but after almost 26 years of friendship it keeps bringing us back together again. Sometimes you just don’t realize how much you miss people until you see them again. New goal, be better at maintaining friendships and staying in touch now that life should be getting back to some sense of normalcy. Can’t wait to meet the little guy in the fall!
Saturday evening was slumber party number two. Clearly the girls were a little worn out from our week of fun because bedtime did not go as smoothly. Otherwise we had a great time eating ice cream and watching movies in our sleeping bags. Up bright and early as is usual for little kids, and off to brunch with the family. A nice lazy afternoon followed by pizza at Nicole and Tyler’s, because the girls really wanted us to come over and see the playroom. Got my Shot Tower fix in for the week and feeling like a Dubuquer again. Mmmmm Canadian bacon and sauerkraut... go ahead and judge all of you non-Iowans. It is delish.
Monday I hit the courthouse with the Marv-Dogg and transferred over the title of my car. You’re welcome Madison. Enjoy having an awesome first car, I know I’ve loved it. Oh wait, are you confused? Did I skip something in the story? Sure did! We finally bought our Outback!!!! After 5 years of test driving and indecision, we walked in and bought it off the lot. The car buying process sure does move a lot more smoothly when you know exactly what you want. It’s so beautiful, and we got to break it in with a nice 8 hour drive back to Cleveland. The dogs did pretty well with the new set up too. They were a little confused when we got to the house, but a little unpacking will help with that.
Time to get started on our next big adventure, life in Cleveland! More to come as we get settled and have some time to explore our new city together!
