:) And you thought I was on vacation!

On paper I was! It has been a frightfully busy week and the eight hours a day that I typically work at my job was spent working on family & friend things.

I'll try to recap to the best of my abilities. But I'm getting old you know.

Saturday (day 1) Took our Fair stuff to the State Fair! Then worked on making a sample bridesmaids dress like this. I had no pattern but fitted it to Meri specifically. I only made the top piece and the bottom and she thought it looked like an apron over a dress. Well, it's still in the rough stages!

Sunday (day 2) drove to Nebraska with my husband to fix my mom & dad's computer. It was toast. Luckily Robb brought a spare and we replaced it. Fixed up their emails and got them back online after being offline for more than a month. (Lightening strike, we think... and other natural causes...) Had dinner with them and then headed home. Witnessed the flooding of Western Iowa up close and personal! I feel so bad for the people affected by the flood waters. It was strange to see farm equipment stranded on a tiny island and so sad to see a farmhouse up to the upper windows under water.

Monday (day 3) REALLY wanted to steam clean the carpets, but never got around to it. So many other things came up to do. Mowed, trimmed, sewed. oh and napped.

Tuesday (day 4) Emailed with a co-worker about an issue. Sent him back the status and then didn't think about work for the rest of the week. Organized my pots & pans cabinet and my tupperware cabinet! Sewed. Hung out with the girls. Also found out that the computer that Robb and I had delivered on Sunday bit the dust too... Something suspicious here... Still working on a solution.

Wednesday (day 5) Took the entire family to the zoo in Omaha! We stopped before going and had a huge breakfast at the Cracker Barrel. The Henry Doorly Zoo is wonderful! But it has grown since the last time we were there with the kids 7 years ago... It took us from 10am to 4pm to go through almost all of it including one Imax film and we had 3 melt downs and a runaway butterfly. The butterfly picture must be on a daughter's camera... Can't find it on mine. Oh! And one of them lost a camera. I'm not saying who! But I recovered it at the lost and found shortly after! Whew!
Thursday (day 6) worked with Meri on making a rocket ship and other craft things for VBS that was coming up. The rest of the day was a blur.

Friday (day 7) Took the girls to go to a fabulous park where we went last year and had to hike in. We got lost. That deserves a post all by itself... Then went to a parade in Waterloo and got to watch my hubby in a kilt parade around with his bag-piping band. I tried Haggis but ate a gyro. It's Irish you know!

Saturday (day 8) Vacation Bible School in the morning! It was a great day with the kids and they had such a blast. Literally! It was Space themed with Salvation Station as the main song.

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 BLAST OFF! Like the jet packs? Meri & I made those and they turned out SUPER cute!

Then worked on Maddy's sample bridesmaids dress. It looks so great on her! (In the free denim fabric I used anyway...) And we might do this one again for her Sweetheart ball in February.

Sunday (day 9) After church, Meri and I picked up all the fabric that we'll need for 3 bridesmaids gowns and when we got home I started into them with the pattern I made for Meri and the one that I had for Maddy. Meri's dress has 4 pieces with a few variations. Maddy's has 25 pieces. Yeah... Apparently it's not marked EASY. But after doing the sample dresses I know what I'm doing. So wish me luck!So yeah. Not anything super exciting or expensive on our vacay, but we had a good time as a family. Ryan had interviews with two separate businesses last week, so wish him luck! We set up a wedding shower for those two next week and I've already bought the mints and nuts for that!

STAY OUT OF THOSE! Sorry - that yelling was meant for my family...

All in all, it was a good vacation but I'm really glad I'm sitting in my office chair today. There has been a lot of standing and walking this past week...