Beautiful Stars in the countryside!!!

Well, I've had a great 2 week with family and friends in WI, SD, MN and IN!


Here's some of the highlights:

• Conversations over multiple cups of tea with Mom and Dad




(this is Patches one of my Dad's dogs... isn't she cute??)


• Amazing fresh veggies from their garden!!
  
  
• Watching eight people be baptised in the lake - my favorite part is hearing their stories!
• Seeing my niece Julia pull herself up for the first time - she's eight months old and just started crawling two weeks ago... but is already shifting into 2nd and 3rd gear:).
  
  
  
• Visiting Mrs Fletcher
  
• Visiting the Zoo with Grandma, Aunt Pearl and cousins!!
  
• Some great (stomach churning :) rides at "Valley Fair" with Annette, Matt and their friends
  (OK... so this is just Joshua in Mrs F's yard, but I didn't take my camera into VF....)
  


• Sister bonding at Mall of America
  

  (Makeovers... later at the Cuban joint referenced below...)
  

• Fabulous Cuban food (another of Matt's great research jewels) in a serious "hole in the wall" in southern Minneapolis


• Seeing shooting stars AND the milky way (one of the +points of living 6 miles outside a small town, between the bean fields:)


• It's fun to be an Aunt!!

  Joshua (with Curious George)
  

  

Julia, happy as usual!

• A mini high school class reunion with Kirsten and Chrissy (the three of us DID equal nearly a quarter in attendance!!:)