Oh! Ohio!

Well, we're in Chicago. I can't believe our visit to Ohio is over, but it was really great. On Thursday, we went to the Ohio State Fair. It was excellent as always, but verrrrry hot. Sheesh! We drank about 45 gallons of Crystal Light. Kiera enjoyed her first taste of fried cheese on a stick and she got to see the butter cow for the first time. We saw the lumberjack show, baby lambs, baby ducks, baby chicks, ate some ice cream, the kids rode some rides. We stopped by Donato's on the way home so Bobby could get his yearly fix. We saw Jeff Green, Bobby and Shannon's Tae Kwon Do teacher while we were over at Tamarack Circle. He didn't even recognize them at first - they've grown up a lot since he saw them last.

The next day, we went to the North Market and browsed in some short north stores. I sure miss those places. When we got back to the Wallin's, we got to visit with all of our Ohio friends who came over for a cook-out and a birthday party for Shannon! Carol Strick introduced the new birthday custom of spraying whipped cream into the birthday person's mouth while the crowd counts out loud, the number of years old the person is. This is a tradition to keep and cherish!! Of course, everyone wanted whipped cream sprayed in their mouth after the birthday girl, and Carol was all too happy to serve it up. It was great to see everyone, but I hated to see them leave.

On Saturday, we visited our old neighborhood and our neighbors. It was great to see them! The kids have all grown up so much. They got to play a little kick-the-can in the cul-de-sac just like the old days. But it was very hard to be there. It makes my heart hurt. I wish so much we could stay for good.

After the long ride to Chicago and the emotional drain of the annual Ohio trip, it's time for some sleep - I'm fried. Enjoy the pictures of our first leg of the journey. Good Night!

We're on our way...to God's Country

Hey y'all. I am always posting pictures on here of my youngest, beautiful daughter. But I have an older, soon-to-be teenaged daughter (Oh Lord, help me) and she is also beautiful so I thought I would post this especially lovely picture of her. Her birthday is August 11th. Thirteen years ago today, I was great with child, walking around the Ohio State Fair. And the rest, as they say, is history.

When I was not a whole lot older than Shannon, the song that you're hearing was popular on the radio. No fair doing the math! Anyway, I knew that I would someday have a daughter and that I would name her Shannon after that song. And I did, but when I was young, I could never imagine what an utter joy and blessing Shannon would turn out to be every single day of her life.

Soooo, only two more days till we make our epic journey (no not China, our next epic journey.) On Wednesday, the critters (two and four-legged) and I will pile in the car and set out for Columbus. I have called the pharmacy and ordered the convenient economy-sized Vailum for the trip, so I should be fine. We are only staying for a couple of days, but it takes such an emotional toll on me. I love to see our Buckeye friends, but I hate to leave them. And I hate to leave a place where it's pleasant to be outside in the summertime, where they have all the stores I like, and they have the North Market, and downtown Worthington, and food I like (Graeters, Skyline) that you can't get anywhere else, and of course the best state fair anywhere. I really don't like to be a visitor to Ohio.

But after that, we are heading to Chicago for a couple of days and while we are there, Shannon, my mom, my sister-in-law, Sue, my niece, Ann Marie, and I are going to go downtown to see "Wicked". I am really looking forward to that. I haven't seen a Broadway show for a long time. In Chicago, a show stays in town for a year or more. One of the advantages of big-city living.

After all that "big city" we are heading up to the "little cottage in the woods", up in Minocqua, Wisconsin. I love it there and I can't wait to show it to Kiera! I know she will love the lake. I have been waiting for this for two years! We are hoping to stay for two weeks. It's great. We hang out in the boat all day, cook something on the grill for dinner, then we play cards or Yahtzee, or watch old horror movies. It's a good life. Sometimes we head into town to see the water-ski show or to shop. Hopefully we will have internet while we're gone, so I can keep blogging. That's all for now. Peace.