And then...

Next on the docket came Jack's 8th birthday....

Happy birthday to my sweet, smart, sensitive, emotional, bull in a china shop boy. You have a smile that lights up first your face, then the whole room. You have dynamic phone conversation skills. You are the light of your little brother's life and no one else can make him laugh like you. You only run on one speed and that is fast. I love you little boy.

Birthday party at the bowling alley with 6 of his buddies

I love these quarter machine mustaches

Then, we had Luke's preschool graduation:

Luke with one of his preschool teachers, who then.... (excellent segue ahead)....

Babysat for us overnight on Saturday, so we could go to Des Moines and celebrate Rob's birthday alone!

where we only took one picture, but trust me when I tell you we had a really nice time. I am thankful we share the love of exploration so we had fun checking out a new city. We could see this from our hotel window:

(from city-data.org),

and, we got to go to a REAL mall! With amazing stores that I haven't laid eyes on in much, much too long. Sephora. New York and Company. J. Jill. Black White Store. Pottery Barn.

Auntie Anne's and Cheesecake Factory in the same location.

I am dead.

Sigh.

So that's what's been goin' on here in these parts. And for all whom I have been sorely lacking in return calls or other communication, I do apologize but life has truly been a bit hectic lately. It's time to resume status quo.