Home sweet home ... sort of

I thought it was about time I at least let you all know we're still breathing around here (although doing so around the diaper pail and litter boxes is always "at your own risk" these days).

No overnight trips last weekend and we still didn't manage to get the numerous blog updates done! Maybe this weekend we'll have better luck. Yes, TWO entire weekends without packing or unpacking! WooHoo! However we've still been busy ... and then there's the not feeling well part ... the drive to the Mall of America last Saturday (still recovering from that too!), and then there are little things like house and yard work, and job deadlines. ;-)

So here are a few briefs ... until we can get details and photos out ...

• Those of you that have asked me lately "what's wrong with your eye?" -- it was/is a bacterial infection. If you ever see me or anyone else with an eye that looks like that again, warn me/them not to put off going to the eye doctor. Because it kept seeming to get be getting better I blamed it on other things ... by Monday night it was keeping me awake, the pain was back, watering nearly non stop for a few hours and I had a fever w/ symptoms ... a quick trip to our eye doctor thankfully provided a quick resolution on Tuesday with some good, though expensive, eye drops ... no contacts for me for awhile though :-(
• Last Saturday I drove Megan and her friend Kendra up to the Mall of America. Or, rather, I drove to Northfield and then Ellen (word on the street is that she is the best aunt to shop with) joined us and drove to the mall from her house. According to the girls it was something like "super duper super fun (as they repeated much of the way home). According to me, it was "not as bad as I thought it would be." In addition to shopping we went to the Aquarium there and I would definitely go back there again!
• The week before we left for Up North Megan went to Camp Invention (http://www.wicampinvention.org/3.html) here at one of the local schools in La Crosse. We think Megan liked it and the activities sure sounded cool.
• Next week Megan goes to a week of summer school here in La Crosse, and one of the two classes is on the American Girl, Kaya, so Megan is excited about that. This may be part of what is contributing to Megan's love of all things Native American.
• Our Up North trip was fantastic. Photos of the girls enjoying the beach and spending time in the lake (Megan continually informs us she could live "in the lake" in the summer) will hopefully follow soon. We also enjoyed the downtown area of Walker as always.
• On the way home from Walker, we went home via Elysian, MN (near Mankato) to stop and see Heidi and Ben and Jake AND Marcus. Marcus is the newest of the "Groth cousins." Congratulations! :-) There seems to be a growing consensus (well in the Brooks Groth household anyway) that Marcus looks a lot like his mom -- and Heidi, that's a good thing. ;-)
• With all of the pre-birthday celebrations going on, we've already been saying that Megan is 10 but really it's not official until July 16th, so those of you that have her email address, please send her birthday wishes. :-) Wow, a whole decade!!!!
• Nessa is continuing to grow into her toddler voice and um, independent, personality. :-) (when "stubborn" traits are inherited it can be interesting to see who truly can be the most stubborn ... I like to see it as my patience of course when I wait her out).

OK, back to work for me ....