Monday, April 24, 2006

EASTER

I had some super special guests in Ames for Easter. My dad and sister made the trek to Iowa to visit. We had so much fun. They arrived at the Des Moines airport on Friday, we flew back to Ames for Good Friday services at Cornerstone, then had dinner with friends at my favorite mexican restaurant, La Fuente. It was at La Fuente where the MOST SURPRISING thing of the entire weekend happened . . . . . . my dad asked for SWEET TEA (a.k.a. the wine of the South) and got it. He got sweet tea in a mexican restaurant in Ames, Iowa. Now, for you die hard southerners . . . . you need to know that it is close to impossible to find sweet tea anywhere up here in the midwest. So, while La Fuente was already one of my favorite places, now it is indeed at the top of my list. SWEET TEA, there is nothing like it.

On Saturday, Angie and I played tennis while Dad hung out with Mark. It was a fun morning. We had lunch and did some shopping at Lowe's (thanks Mom for the giftcard.) Angie, Dad and I spent the afternoon planting flowers in my yard. It looks good!

Saturday night we had dinner in Ames with Mark and then went to Lake Robbins Ballroom for a little 50s and 60s rock and roll.

Sunday we went to church and then to lunch at the Stenberg's for Easter dinner. It was fun to get to spend the afternoon with Mark's family. My dad was of course the fun of the party. After some afternoon naps, we went back to the Stenbergs and played Mexican train. Dad and Red (Mark's dad!) visited in the living room, trading stories like crazy while Mark, Marilyn (mom), Angie and I played dominoes. It was a great day.

We spent Monday afternoon wandering around the Iowa countryside looking at corn fields. Well, Angie napped, I drove, Dad looked. Good family bonding time.

All in all, it was a really great visit.

You are all invited to come on up anytime.

Have a super day.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Kansas City

Hello friends! I had the most wonderful weekend! Mark and his brothers (photos to follow) treated their parents (Red and Marilyn) to a family weekend in Kansas City - all adults, grandkids had to stay behind - and I got to tag along. We spent the weekend in the plaza in Kansas City. Great food, lots of shopping, and tons of family time. The weather was amazing - at least 75 degrees or so. I rode down to KC with Mark's mom and dad because Mark had gone to Denver for a business training session. He met up with us at dinner Friday night. It was a fun trip. Saturday we shopped and shopped, had breakfast, lunch and dinner in the plaza, and even got to spend some time with my former Ames friend Amy and her fiance Greg on Saturday afternoon. It really was a great weekend. I felt very welcomed into the Stenberg family. Here's some photos from the weekend . . .
Here's Mark and I at dinner on Friday night at Brio . . . . Kansas City Plaza.

Here's the whole fam . . . minus Mark (he's taking the pic) at breakfast on Saturday. From left to right . . . . Thomas and Sonee, David and Melissa, Tim (married to Dawn), Marilyn and Red, Dawn and Mandy B.


Mark and I at one of the plaza fountains. Look at that blue sky! And that cute boy!


We spent part of Saturday at a park in Kansas City with my friend Amy. She took this fun photo of us! Thanks Amy!

It was really a great weekend. Sunday was Mark's birthday. Monday we had been "dating" for five months. All is well in the world! I'm loving this! Enough sappy stuff.