What Summer Memories Are All About

Since we had so much fun with our Fathers' Day celebrations last year, we decided to delay the "honoring" with Dad a week so we could get everyone together to repeat it.

So, we began our festivities at "Roaring Rapids" - a really nifty pizza parlor right on the Willamette River. The kids love it because it has a vintage carousel that runs about every half hour.

On this gathering, I asked my dad to tell a story that testifies of a miracle that transpired in his life when he was about the boys' age. I really need to take the time to detail it myself for this blog as it is so remarkable, but it left the kids' open-mouthed in wonder as to what happened.....(well, I guess you can tell Ellie wasn't really transfixed, but we'll have him retell it again at a later time....)


Just down the parking lot is "Camp Putt". My apologies for the picture quality - we were so bummed we left John's camera at home. But, hey, that blue sky is not embellished......seriously the best day of the year so far - from start to finish so gorgeous and just perfect in terms of summer-time temps......





See, you can spot the pizza parlor in the background. Towards the 12th hole or so, the girls (Nati and Ellie) abandoned "us moms" (including my mom) - they went on ahead and cruised through to the finish. So, we played around on our own - including watching Michele juggle three of the golf balls......Mom was impressed. =)

Among the guys group, Michael and John were competing....they were neck and neck through most of the course, but eventually Michael pulled out the win. Sorry, Hon, you know I'm proud of you no matter what!

After that strenuous bout of exercise, we returned to the house for some dessert goodness I prepared yesterday and this morning. This is a picture of the gingersnap crusted cheesecake that I made - with blueberry spice sauce or raspberry sauce as the topping options.

And, this is a re-enactment of the strawberry-rhubarb pie I made earlier this year. I was told that was Dad's favorite kind of pie, so I planned to make it. I did not plan, however, to have to go to four different stores to find the frozen rhubarb necessary to make it. Gosh, I must really love my daddy.... =)


So, after doing a little bit of this (actually, this is a pic of Michele, and not me - but we look the same and that's about where I was sleeping this afternoon) -

.....we decided to let the boys pull some babysitting duty and take off as six "adults" to see this movie - "Knight and Day"

There was a whole lot of "killing" in this movie - but very little of it graphic or overly violent. There were about 3 bad words, and that was it as far as any negatives.... This was the summer sort of movie I long for every year - the ultimate for me - action, adventure, romance and light-hearted comedy. Really, just the sort of ideal movie that makes going to a theater all that you'd hoped for. I LOVED IT - and frankly, might kind of like Tom Cruise again (he'd gotten a little too lofty for his britches in my opinion over the last several years.....). As I sat between Michele and John - with Mom and Dad on the other side of Michael, it just seemed like such the ultimate conclusion to such a phenomenal day.

Finally, when we returned from the movie, we re-started the sprinklers that had been turned off for the duration of the week while the tent was up. The kids donned their swimsuits and had at it. I had to catch the moment on the camera as it was so special to see them play together doing something so simple and sweetly "summer".