Saturday In The...Yard
The Smith family was up and running early on Saturday. We were all outside and fully dressed (doesn't always happen in that order on Lake Petersburg) by 8:30. I was anxious to get my flowers and plants all potted, and Jake was anxious (I suppose) to get to work on rocking the shoreline. It's a brutally hard job, but Jake has been KILLING it this year, and having a rocked shore line makes our lot so much nicer that I know he can appreciate the fruits of his efforts.
Stella hung with me near the house and worked on her own plants (she has a watering can from Grandma Cath and we got her some flowers to plant in her cabin. She was set.) I was working on our hanging baskets, planting some Mandevilla which I am really hoping is going to take off and vine all over our deck! Stella, being the amazing helper she is, decided to grab fistfuls of potting soil to "help me." By help me she meant throw fistfuls of dirt at me while I worked. I didn't have a true grasp of how much she had "helped" until I took my bra off later and realized it was full-on filled with potting soil. You're amazing, Stel.
So I decided we needed to adventure a little. We called Aunt Bobby and we headed back to Kilbourne for even more plants. Along the way we passed a roadside antique sale and Robyn spotted a chair that perfectly (and I do mean perfectly) matched my family room stuff, so we pulled off the road and she haggled the charming salesman down and I was the proud owner of a newly upholstered mahongany murphy chair. So we headed back to the Burg for Robyn's car, stopped at the bank and IGA, Robyn ran lunch out to the busy farmers...and all of the sudden our one hour trip for plants turned into a whole day affair.
After the stop home, Lukey Smith decided to join us. So while Robyn ran to Havana for Mother's Day food, Luke and Stella and I stopped at Dairy Queen and then wound up back at the lake for ice cream with Jake.
Which brings me to my favorite gift of all time.
Jake got me the most amazing hammock for Mother's Day. He knew I had been eyeing some, and he picked a great one up for me on Friday and assembled it Saturday morning. I'm not sure what it says about me that I am this excited over a napping device, but I just don't care. I am in love. And even if I was too busy running all over God's green earth on Saturday to use it, someone got to take advantage of it:
We met Larry and Cathie for dinner, trying out "Grandpa's" in Havana. It was great! I always love discovering new places like that that are out here in good old Menard County. And it was a nice treat. Stella was in heaven having dinner with Papa, but we knew she was getting tired. After we dropped Grandma and Papa off at home, Stella asked, "Where that boy and girl going?" Ummm....you mean your grandparents? She can be a fascinatingly odd duck.
Sunday - Mother's Day
Another great day was had by all. Jake got up with Stella and I slept in just a little bit before we all got ready to head to Springfield for Mother's Day brunch with Nana, Maria and Uncle Chicken (my brother, Matt.) We had a nice little brunch at the American Legion, catered by Secret Recipes, and it was nice to just relax and spend a nice time together. For a Gallina-meal it was remarkably laid-back! There were very little uncomfortable lines of questioning and Maria even got through the whole meal without a wardrobe malfunction. Stella ate like a champ...which is typically the case at any mean that includes sausage. It is right up there with meatloaf.
We headed back to Petersburg for my favorite part of the day. Stella crashed in her room, and after Jake and I worked on making Pretty Aunt Jan's Famous Ice Cream and Ritz Cracker Dessert (See recipe page) we headed outside for a team nap on the hammock. It was heaven. Just to be able to lounge around in the sun and talk and doze off, I was pretty sure it couldn't have gotten any better. I mean, unless of course I had been a size six and not felt like throwing up. But remarkably, I didn't even care.
After a great rest, we all headed out to Jeff and Robyn's for a Mother's Day Cookout and it was a nother great family time. Stella is always in heaven when surrounded by the male members of her family, and this was no different. Playing with Lukey, being teased by Papa and getting treats from Uncle Jeff. It was a ball, and always nice to spend quiet time on the farm with the fam.
Stella and I don't have too much planned for this upcoming week which is all at once exciting and terrifying. But I am sure whatever happens, I will find something mildly entertaining to write about.
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