This week we will be starting out on what has become our annual adventure with the grandchildren. We are so looking forward to this with the same anticipation as Christmas.
In the meantime, I thought I should review what has been happening to us the first half of our summer. Each season has its own personality regardless of the changes in weather. Anyone who has lived in the Midwest understands that you cannot define seasons merely by the weather. Summer in Chicago can be hot and sultry (thank heaven for the air conditioning age), dry and arid, or chilly and damp, but nonetheless it is still summer. A combination of lazy days blended with outdoor activity. It is that strange season when you dress warmly to go inside and lightly to go outside. It is also that time of the year for road trips both short and long.
Since arriving home from Florida, we have gone to Green Bay, Minneapolis, Shipshewana, and New Glarus. We have spent quality time with friends and family on each trip and even had a few events at home renewing relationships and friendships.
In Green Bay we visited Don and Amy in their new home and celebrated Elise's 5th birthday. Our niece, Beth, joined us there which made it extra special. Now that they have sidewalks in front of their home, Elise wanted something for her birthday she could use outside so we gave her roller blades. The first time she tried them on I thought this was a big mistake, but I understand that after a few tries she was soloing like a champ. Of course, no trip to Green Bay is complete until you have been to a hockey game or two. Grandpa Don almost did not survive the cliff hangar which brought victory to Jack's team.
May gave us and opportunity to join our friends in the Fox Valley Winnies on one of our monthly campouts to Shipshewana, Indiana. It was great to see them again. Having our friends and relatives spread out so much, it is hard to make many of the outings. The people we have gotten to know in this group are some of the most comfortable and welcoming we have ever met. from the time of our with them 8 years ago, they made us feel instantly connected with them. Later in the month we saw them again as we helped one of the members celebrate their 50th anniversary.
Memorial Day gave us the opportunity again to Bike the Drive. A thirty mile trip along Lakeshore Drive in Chicago. What a great day. 20,000 or so bike riders converging on the drive on a Sunday morning enjoying the beautiful lakefront and a common interest. This year we were joined with our niece, Beth who enjoyed the experience enough to look forward to repeating it. She also got to become acquainted with many of our Silver Spokes friends who welcomed her as one of their own.
We spent Father's Day week-end with Bob and Gretchen in Minneapolis. It was the first week of potty
training for Robbie and Jake and no bike ride was undertaken without the potty chair in the back of the burley. It was still cool and rainy in Minnesota that week, but nothing deters those 3 year olds from a swim in the pool.
One year on a camping trip to Michigan, when the temperature never made it quite to 70, Don and I concluded that people in the North determine the season by the date and weather has nothing to do with it. If it is July, you run around in shorts, tank tops and swim suits. These children are true northerners. They stayed in the pool even as they were turning blue and shaking so hard they could hardly speak.
Our children and some of their cousins have been getting together every summer for the past 12 years or so. We are so happy that they enjoy each other's company so much that they want to spend time together and stay connected. No one from our generation is invited to this gathering, but now the new generation (their children) are a part of all this and they are learning valuable lessons about the importance of extended family. We were thrilled that Mike and Elizabeth were able to make it in from Georgia this year and put us on there itinerary for a day and a half in Woodridge before proceeding to Minoqua, WI. to meet the group and another evening on the return trip. We had such a great time hanging with them and the boys, Ollie and Drew. The best moment happened, when the parents were packing up to go home and Drew gave me a big hug and whispered in my ear "I miss you already, Grammy."
The next week we found ourselves in New Glorus, WI. with our Silver Spokes biking friends. These are all of our best friends both on the road and at home and we have so much more in common than biking. This is our Woodridge family and in light of the fact that most of our family, both nuclear and extended live in distant cities, we treasure our surrogates. We packed a lot of activity into 3 days; a golf outing, two bike
rides and a miniature golf tournament. In between, there was the swimming pool and a couple of lovely dinners. The Spokes had been up there since Monday on their annual bike riding trip and this year made arrange for the Spokettes (that's what they call us girls) to join them on Wednesday for the above mentioned activities. It is such a great thing and, I believe, rare for men, that my husband has such a great band of guy friends to spend time with. Therefore it touched my heart when they joined the accordian player, who was the dinner entertainment, in front of the diners to sing their theme song to the tune of Edleweiss. Yes, the Silver Spokes have a song. No fraternity brothers ever had a better bond.
Another big part of our lives in Woodridge is our Small Christian Community, a prayer group we have belonged to from our church for many years. Many of the silver spokes are part of this group, but there are many more who are just as dear to our hearts.
Finally yesterday, I was able to spend the afternoon celebrating with my nurse friends from Mt. Sinai Hospital the birthday of one of them. Again this is a group I have grown to love with all my heart as my sisters.
Between road trips and special occasions, we spend the summer days on the golf course, fixing up our house, reading books and just living life. Not a bad life.
Friday was very fun. We have taken I 80 out west many times and along the Platte River, there is an overpass touting a pioneer museum. We have always been curious about what this was so since we had the children with us, it was the perfect time to satisfy our curiosity and break up the trip. What a great surprise. It was a wonderful sight and sound experience demonstrating the crossing of the continent for the early pioneers and how the trip has changed over generations with the evolution of transportation. Outside there was a genuine wigwam made of mud and straw which we could walk into. Last but not least, they had a maze we could explore. Jack and Ella found their ways through 
