Our Big Summer Adventure

Our big summer adventure had a bit of a rocky start-our flight leaving Atlanta was over 4 hours late and did not leave until 3AM.  The good news about that was we fell asleep and didn't wake up until we were almost landing in London.  We were further delayed because we had to change our tickets to Edinburgh and then that flight was delayed.  We missed the entire first day of our trip!  But we got to Edinburgh and had a great dinner and went to bed.  We woke up feeling great the next day.  Our friends C and E had already been there for a couple of days.  K went with them to some museums and I went on a walking photography tour.

What a beautiful city!  Friendly people and great food.

Photo of an apartment complex taken on my photography tour

The afternoon of our first day I drug K on a Hop On Hop Off tour.  We were pretty tired but had booked a Cadies and Witchery tour.   We tried to talk C into going with us but she was tired.  We soldiered on and were so glad we did.  K said it was the most fun tour she had ever been on.  The two guys who led the tour were so funny and clever.  One kept showing up in different costumes-usually jumping out and scaring the group.  We laughed so hard our faces were sore the next day.

Dinner at Wagamama-K's favorite!  Oops, this was taken at Harvey Nichols.  Men in Missoni kilts at the Missoni Hotel where we stopped for a drink.

The second day it was very rainy and foggy.  We hit some museums in the morning and then went to Harvey Nichols for some shopping and lunch.  I am kicking myself for not ordering the haggis and not taking any pictures.  The restaurant was on the fourth floor and the view was beautiful even in the rain.

After lunch we boarded our boat in preparation to sail across the North Sea.

I drove-obviously not, since that is probably not even the right word.

K and C on the back on the boat as we were leaving

Beach Trip

We took a trip to the beach for the 4th of July.  Met up with some old friends who also have kids from Kazakhstan.

 We went on a dolphin cruise and saw several dolphins

 We spent the day in Savannah on the way home.

More Summer Fun

Finally back in Atlanta, K and a friend went to circus camp and learned to juggle.  Poor child is in math camp this week.  We went to one of the wildest weddings I have been to in a while.  Rearranged the living room.  Had a little dinner party.   Now we are off to the beach for the 4th of July.

 That little speck is Sheila doing a reading at the wedding

 Loved the signature cocktail (I could use one right now!).  Notice that little bulb thing?  That was a tomato mozzarella shooter.  The bulb was filled with vinagrete and the tomatoes and mozzarella were on the pointy part.  You were supposed to squeeze the bulb as you ate tomatoes and mozzarella.  Adam and I tried several to perfect the technique but finally gave up because we did not want to ruin our appetites.  I kept choking on the vinagrete.

 K and I.  I am in very tall shoes and she is in flats.

 So pretty.  The brides' maids dresses and hair were so pretty.  Their hair was all done in the same way-it really looked pretty as they were all kneeling at the altar.

 K and Lisa and Howard.  More bad iPhone photos.

 Sheila and Helen.  I loved how the dance floor was surrounded by sofas.  It was so nice to take a break from dancing and lounge around.

 The bride and her father.  Love how their monogram is projected on the dance floor.  So many amazing details.  

The first course.  Followed by amazing halibut and tenderloin.  And at midnight french fries, milkshakes in cute little glasses and fried chicken sliders.

Some pretty peonies that I bought. 

 The night after the wedding I had a dinner party.  In spite of the fact that the wedding lasted until 2AM we managed to rally.

Flying By

This summer is flying by.  We got home from Chicago, did laundry and hit the road (actually we flew and drove) to Minnesota.  K loves all things Asian.  Technically she is Asian since Kazakhstan is an Asian country.  My cousin's children have gone to Concordia Language Camps in years gone by-German, Spanish, etc....so K decided that she wanted to try Japanese camp.  When I signed her up I didn't realize that the Japanese camp is not in Minneapolis but in FAR western Minnesota.  We weren't really comfortable with putting her on a bus to who knows where so I decided to take her.  Sooo.....we flew to Minneapolis, drove to faaaaarrrr western Minneapolis, I came to a rolling stop (just kidding), dropped her off and hauled back to Minneapolis to catch the last flight back to Atlanta.  Flight was delayed and I got home at 2AM.  Most annoying part was that they did not speak English at the little tent by the side of the road where I dropped K off.  I spent the whole week worrying that I dropped her  off at the wrong spot.  I think she was happy to see me go.  For some reason I got an huge Expedition when I rented the car and when I opened the door I forgot how high up I was and fell out.  Between that and the guy speaking Japanese to me and worrying about catching the last flight back to Atlanta my nerves were a little frayed.  Fast forward 4 days to Friday.  I flew back to Minneapolis-flight delayed, got in at 1AM.  Stayed at a kind of sketchy hotel near the airport and got up ay 6AM to drive out to faaaarrrr western Minnesota to pick K up.  We got home at 11PM and K had grabbed the wrong green duffle at the airport.  Luckily, the owner lives in our neighborhood and we go to the same church.  Whew!

A quick stop for lunch in Fargo, ND, the closest town to K's camp-K was so tired she said she didn't sleep all week

I made her pose in front of the Fargo Ale tap.  Good beer!  So much for my mother of the year award.  Seriously I should get a mother of the year award for all that driving and flying!

Eloise

The day after school was out we drove to Atlanta.  On Friday we left for a wedding and week in Chicago.  The wedding was perfect-beautiful bride, handsome groom, great food, picture perfect setting.  The only problem was that I did not take my camera so all I have are iPhone photos.  How do some people get such great iPhone photos????

Bagpiper was a nice touch

 Fireworks during the reception

 Groom (on the left) and friends

 I shoe shopped while K went to camp at the Art Institute of Chicago

K walking back to the hotel from camp-hopefully those braces will be off in 6 months so she will start smiling again

 More shoe shopping-this photo makes my thigh look huge

 Dinner in Chicago with BFF

 Lounging by the pool while K was at camp

 This baby isn't a baby any more!

M's birthday-glad we were in town to help celebrate

 The view from the gym at our hotel

 Lions in front of out hotel wearing Blackhawk jerseys

 Loved the doormen

 View from the other window in the hotel gym-Neiman's and Saks calling my name

K declared that she thought she could live in our hotel if we had a penthouse suite.  I think we both have a little bit of Eloise in us.