Well the fun's over...

Everyone has left now and Jessa and I are alone......sigh. Actually we both decided that we would go back to bed so we did. She has been sick and I am very, very tired so we excercised our summertime option of sleeping in.
We all, I think for the most part had a wonderful time while Will's parents, Mindy and Paul were here. Unfortunately due to the hot weather many of the things we planned to do with them just were not possible. You cannot canoe in 3 inches of water (Kickapoo River). You do not want to ride bike on a 26+ mile bike trail when it is 98 degrees. Bon fires are impossible when there is a burning ban on due to the draught. SO.......we did as many things as we could. Poor Mom D. and Jessa were sick. They both gave it a valiant try, but it is so hard to move around when you are sick coughing etc, let alone go off and have fun. I hope that Mom gets better soon!
I think the one that is having the hardest time dealing with them being gone is our cat Gidget aka Stinky Pete. She is our cat that stays outside all summer BY HER CHOICE. She hates being inside in the spring, summer and fall. She even wants to be outside during the winter although that white stuff gets into her paws and she hates it. When the first snow actually falls on the ground and stays, she always comes in and yells at Will and I, loudly and ALL day. Then she decides to just stay inside because it is cold and white. She pretty much hibernates all winter until the thaw. The minute it's warm enough she is back out there. Right now she is sitting pitifully on the steps of the camper waiting for Betty to emerge.
Our other cat Gabberdean has come out of hiding with the empty house. She is a very shy cat and all of these people being around all the time was really traumatic. She didn't mind when there were just 3-4 in the house, but any more than that and she was nervous. She also became very ill. I have her on meds and she seems to be much better.
Our last and final hermit crab died while they were here too. Tiny was the last of 4. Quiet little guys they all just died away one by one over the last 5 years. The strange things about hermit crabs is that you never see them without their shell, but when they start to die they come out of their shell and die naked. I feel very sorry for them in that. I don't know how long they are supposed to live, but I would imagine that ours outlived most of their buddies they were sold with. They are pretty much a disposable pet for most people. We enjoyed them and now I'm going to enjoy not having to deal with them.
I worked 9 out of the 14 days that the folks were here. My pocket says that's great. My heart says "I wish that I didn't have to". I know that they enjoyed Will and the kids and that is the most important to me. It was even too hot for me to really cook anything great and spectacular. Mostly we grilled out. Mom D. cooked some great dinners for two nights and I enjoyed the leftovers as did Mindy(I think she had creamed salmon on potatoes like 5 or 6 times). Their last night here I made cherry cobbler and we had it warm with icecream.
We have up here a restaurant that is two restaurants in one....an A&W and Long John Silvers.
The adults and Mindy have fish and rootbeer, while the others had burgers, onion rings, chilifries and rootbeer floats. Paul came over and told Grampy that he didn't think he could finish his float and Dad told him to bring it to him when he was done (you know Al could never turn down a float!) We looked back at Paul 5 minutes later and he had finished his burger AND the float. He said he's not sure where it went but it kept going somewhere. There is just something about an A&W rootbeer float.
Now things will sort of get back to normal especially when Jacob gets back home. At least for a time that is. My other family reunions are this weekend. Then hopefully a trip to Rockford with the kids and my Aunt to see the stage production of Beauty and the Beast or else a trip to the Milwaukee zoo. Or maybe both of those. Camping for me and the kids at the beginning of August. Hopefully another adventure before Labor Day and then school starts and for the grand finish Cranfest. Well of course there is Thanksgiving and then Christmas Eve at our house with our closest 40-80 friends. Well, I think maybe things don't ever get "normal" here. But oh what fun we have!
God bless.