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Wednesday Update: 07/08/09

Happy belated Fourth of July!!

We had a great long holiday weekend. I had Friday off work for the holiday and took PTO on Monday so we enjoyed a good, long weekend together…and it was great!

Friday was a little bit of a bust…we had plans to go to another IA Cubs game and check out their big fireworks display (as some of you know, I am QUITE fond of fireworks, so I was very much looking forward to it)…well as the afternoon wore on the weather got more and more questionable as rain moved in. The game was delayed, as we watched the rain come down from home…eventually they did play, but we just decided to stay in since the weather was so yucky. We knew we’d just be sitting out there in the rain and be miserable.

Saturday we decided to try plan B…head to the Good Guys’ Car Show out at the fairgrounds. Typically Matt goes to the car show each year with the guys…but this year we decided to go together. And I’m SO glad we did. I had a blast! We both did. We got out there around noon and found a place to eat lunch and start checking out the cars. I really had no idea how huge it really was…cars everywhere…cars parked, cars cruising, cars running through a little autocross course. Matt was in gear-head heaven! We sat and watched people run their cars through the autocross course for a while, and wandered around looking at cars. We bumped into Blake and watched him go through the course several times and also stopped and visited with my Uncle Rick and Aunt Beth as we checked out their hot rod. They were having fireworks after the car show, but I wasn’t sure what we’d do all that time…since the car show ‘closed’ at 5:00. Well, apparently closing the car show only means that that swap meet/craft shows were closed…but all the cars stick around and keep cruising. Since we had everything there we could possibly need; cool cars to check out, greasy fair food to munch on, accessible bathrooms…we decided to just go the distance and stay put. We wandered around, ate some junk, checked out the cars, sat and watched them cruise by, and eventually it was time for fireworks. We couldn’t believe we managed to spend ALL day out there…but it wasn’t boring at all! The weather was a little iffy, with drizzle off and on, but we’d duck into buildings when needed and it didn’t deter the hot-rodders either. It was a good, good day. Very much Matt and Emily.

Sunday we spent close to home, working in the yard after church. It was good to get caught up on things at the house and just spending time together. I planted a bunch (8) big lilac bushes that we transplanted from our friends Don and Paula a few weeks ago so I’ve been out there nursing those each day too…and I think they’re going to make it! We wanted to plant a hedge along the back of our fence for some privacy and to give us something pretty to look at…and luckily Don and Paula were looking to thin out some of there old and established bushes and we were the happy recipient! I just love getting transplants from someone else’s garden. There’s something special about them…just thinking about their previous life being loved and tended to by someone else…then passing them on to me. I love that. The yard is really growing and taking shape and of course makes me feel so good! All the little birdies love the new bushes back by the bird feeder and we’ve got quite the little party going on back there almost all the time…which also makes me happy. Matt thinks I’m a big dork, I know, when I get sooo excited to see the little birds out there…but dorky or not…I do love to watch them!

Monday we spent the morning working in the yard and then headed out to a matinee together. We love to go to matinees…typically there aren’t a lot of people there and it’s CHEAP! Plus Matt gets in free at one theater in Johnston! We spent the afternoon enjoying a funny movie and some popcorn…what could be better? I returned to work yesterday revived and feeling satisfied in our long, happy weekend together.

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