For our anniversary we meant to see the movie Jungle Book but we were too tired.  We just went to Jason's Deli for dinner and went home.  It was a good tired so we were happy.  It was very rainy too, and that also makes me happy.  I guess I love rain.  I love to hear it on the roof at night and I love to hear the thunder rolling around.  It makes me feel cozy and safe and comfortable.  Of course, that's when I AM cozy and safe and comfortable.  When we have to run around in it and get wet and cold it's a little less fun, but still there's the looking forward to the comfort soon.  :o)

We attended my cousin's funeral this month.  He is one of the last of my relatives that I remember from when I was little. I'm really sad that he is gone.  He had Alzheimer's but he was still Gene.  He was my mom's favorite because he loved the same things she did.  He was to my mom as Dad was to Auntie Barbara.  It was good to get to go to the funeral.  It was closure and it was good to visit again with some of the other cousins.  They are my family even if they all have each other and don't need me, I still need to feel connected to them.  His sister Doris is still there and she actually acted like she would like to get together some time with us.  It would be nice to renew acquaintance. I enjoyed her when I was younger because she was pretty and dressed well and knew lots of girl things that I didn't and wanted to know.  My mom wasn't into girl things.  Maybe we can get together one of these days.

It's raining today and I'm happy, but there was just now a terrible crash and bang thunder that sounded like it was just in our backyard.  That's not the comfortable kind of thunder.

The fun thing that we did recently was go to visit with the Evanses and Erin at Lake Michigan.  I hate to tell you that all my life I have thought that the long loopy lake was Lake Erie but sure enough it's Lake Michigan.  Lake Erie is one of the nondescript ones to the southeast.  When I was in elementary school we sang the song Erie Canal and I always envisioned the long loopy one.  Maybe one of the teachers told us that was Lake Erie.  Yes, surely that's the reason.  :o)  

Do you see at the very bottom of Lake Michigan where Indiana meets Michigan?  That's about where we were in Michigan City, Indiana,  It's a little resort town with lots and lots of houses that face the lake with big wide windows and probably lots are rented to visitors like us.  They are on a hill so that everyone has a great view of the lake.  We had a beautiful 4 story house with all accommodations:  dishes, pans, some cooking ingredients, lots of towels and comfortable beds for about 20 people if you count the sofas.  

Look at that water!  Doesn't it look like the ocean?  And we were even on the narrow end!  It was shallow for a long way out so the kids could play easily in it.  When I first put my foot in it I thought it would freeze!  The water was really cold!  But as I stayed in the water I became accustomed to it and eventually I could go in and simply feel refreshed.  There were lots and lots of little rocks along the shore that the kids enjoyed picking up and even some mussel shells.  I found a clump of mussel shells attached to a piece of seaweed.  I thought at first it was a craft of some kind that someone had put together but as I looked at it I realized it was natural; the mussels had attached themselves to the seaweed and then died.  

Dad had hurt his back the day before we arrived so we stayed home for several of the family excursions but we did go to Chicago on the train with them and visit the Shedd Aquarium.  The train ride was fun and the aquarium was a really interesting place.  They had EVERYTHING there.  My favorite place was the penguin area where the attendant sat in the area and the little penguins came up to her and asked to be petted just like puppies.  

Those two little penguins stood at her feet and waited for her attention.  She rubbed their necks and held them.  It made me happy to see them feel loved.  

And then there was a children's play place where our kids played on the rocks and slide and shelters like penguins. 

I just realized I didn't take a picture of James.  :o(  He had a good time there too.  It was a good place to run around and let off some energy.  We even got to pet some stingrays.  

Everyone loved having Aunt Erin there to talk to and play with and explore with.  She made the whole week's visit a joy to the kids.  She was always willing to play games and laugh and tease.  She even had a sleepover in her bedroom with all three of the older kids.  They pushed the beds together and watched a movie and had popcorn and then when the movie was over they had more fun.  But they did eventually go to sleep.  She has the imagination to always think of interesting things to do next when they got bored.  Check out Susan's blog   http://bobbyandsusan.blogspot.com/

for more pictures of the interesting things they did.  I liked it when they went out in the front and lay on the walkway looking for the first star to come out.  Such a clever idea and a cute picture.  And of course they were always talking with her and she with them.  She treats them as equals and never talks down to them.  

Now we are home and back to routine.  We had a good weekend, celebrating Father's Day with the Barneys with dessert and a game at their house that evening. 

Today this is our pretty little tri-colored crape myrtle bush in the front with heavy flowers filled with the rain.  It's mostly pink but it also has white and some purple on the far left.  Dad cut it off in the fall so that the blossoms would be lower so we can see them.  They were so tall we couldn't see them from the house and they didn't get much sun so they didn't get many flowers.  Now they get sun and are full of flowers and visible from the living room.   I love crape myrtle because it was the first flower I ever loved.  It's pink like a little girl loves and it has small frilly flowers like lace.  It makes me happy every time I see it.  And do you see how Dad's lawn is growing in the spot where we took out the tree?   Pretty soon it will all be filled in.  

 Now we are looking forward to visiting Utah soon for Henry's baptism and Scott's ordination as a deacon.  How did they grow up so fast?  And we will get to see everyone else in the area, of course.  What a treat!