Yesterday Adam and I had lunch together before he started back to school tomorrow, too. Went to try a new Mexican place in Rock Hill. It was a little spicy for me, but the company could not have been better. He is such a fun kid to hang out with. Got the update on school, football, and his upcoming date that evening, and we talked about bullying, the Salem Witch Trials, the Great Gatsby, and all manner of other things. Fun time.

Clara stopped and got us McDonald’s for lunch on her way out to spend the afternoon with us this past week, before she starts back to school tommorrow. I got this picture before she headed out the door to meet her dad at the golf course to play a round. It was one of those brutally hot days – I’m not sure how they stood being out in it.

Recently June began a new job as a hostess at Hoof and Barrel, a restaurant in York. She really does seem to be enjoying it. Jeff & I went there for supper the other night, to see her in action and to get something to eat. I got this picture of her at her station as we were walking in.

I’m not sure when this was, since my computer has been down. but two or three weeks ago June and her buddy Ava stopped by for a visit after they’d spent the morning swimming at the Y. Fun visit, as always.

Our gas grill died summer before last, I believe it was, if not before then. We are planning to get a new one at the end of the summer, but until then we finally broke down and bought a charcoal one so we could finally get some summertime burgers and dogs, if nothing else. Here are a couple of pictures I got the first day we broke it in.

Our computer has been down for almost a month, but has finally come back to life, so I’ll try to get a few pictures posted while it is still working. I got this picture after we ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel, on our way out of town to head home: Jeff with his brother Mark and his dad. It was a great way to end our visit.

Our trip home was not without travails, however. We got stopped in traffic at least once in every state we drove through, had rain and hail storms, had to dodge a downed tree that went across almost the entire road, and I got this picture of the side of the interstate, when Jeff had to change our flat tire. We were even more ready to get home after that :-).

Before we headed back to South Carolina we spent a couple of more days with Jeff’s dad, since we won’t be able to be there again for a while. As always, we loved spending time in his beautiful yard.

We also got to spend time with our great-nephew. Jeff had seen him before when he was up visiting, but it was my first time meeting Christopher. He is a living doll.

Our final big stop on our midwestern vacation was at the Field of Dreams, where the movie was filmed in Iowa. Granny & Poppie had been there years and years ago, and talked so much about it that I was thrilled to finally get to see it myself. As it turned out, the Field of Dreams Tournament finals were going on the day we were there, so we got to watch the U9 baseball championship – and a team from Indiana won. It was very fun.

It was insanely windy while we were there – we understand it usually is pretty windy in that area – but I still wanted my picture made beside the sign – even with my hair all in my face :-). Just a fantastic way to end our vacation.

We arrived in Iowa late afternoon after leaving The House on the Rock. It was a first time being in that state for both of us.

We stopped at a scenic overlook to get a different view of the Mighty Mississippi. It seemed so weird seeing the Mississippi as the borders in states that far north, too. Very cool. We’re not sure how often those houses on that strip of land in the middle of the river flood. I need to do some research on that.