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One of my oldest and best friends is Mike Hodgens, and it had been way too long since we’d been to visit them. This past Wednesday, he happened to be home in the afternoon and i was also home from work early, so i took the girls down for a visit. This is Mike with Sage (6) and Lara (2):

I hadn’t planned ahead very well, considering that i know they live right next to a lake, but MB found some spare swimming suits for Ella and Fiona, and they jumped right in with Sage and Lara and their cousins Spencer, Will and Henry. Their grandma and aunt Anne were also swimming and having a ball playing with all the kids.

Fiona loved the water noodle, and had to periodically be corralled back toward shore by Spencer

Ella and Sage had a great time running around and playing together. Fiona and Lara were also inseparable, playing all kinds of games together here in the little shed that they recently cleaned up as a playhouse.

We had a lot of fun playing and a wonderful dinner together catching up on the past year. We’ll definitely do again soon. Thanks to Marybeth for sending the pictures, there are lots more to see it their picture gallery.

We’ve had days and days of hot, humid weather here, and it finally broke yesterday when a good thunderstorm came through and cleared the air. By mid-afternoon, it was dry and cool and perfect outside. Malte and the girls were playing and somehow ended up running several laps around the back yard with Ella on Malte’s back and Malte pushing Fiona on the very old baby scooter car. A wheel kept falling off of the car, but they’d fix it, and get back in the race.

We had a wonderful visit from Marita and Ines, Malte’s mom and sister over the last couple of weeks. Ines’ arrival was delayed for a few days because of passport problems, so for the first part of the trip Marita stayed with us, and joined us in biking all over town, sight seeing and visiting Malte’s school and other places he’s been here. When Ines arrived, they rented a car and had a road trip up north to see the Itasca State Park and headwaters of the Mississippi. After that, a couple of days with the Clarks in Duluth and up the north shore to see the lighthouse (Malte biked up there in a cold headwind). When they returned from their trip, they had a reservation at the international hostel in Minneapolis, and got to spend some time around there and a couple of trips to the Mall of America (of course!).

Malte is going home in less than a week now. He has really become like part of the family, and it will be strange to not have him around. It’s hard to believe how the time has gone by, we’re going to miss him. Hopefully someday not too long from now we can visit Germany and see his beautiful hometown of Papenburg.

Hanging out in Fiona’s bunk, reading books. When the book is done, Fi starts climbing up the ladder and hanging on the rails.

Fiona: “Say ‘That’s cool, Fiona, how did you learn to do that?’”

me: “ok, That’s cool, Fiona, how did you learn to do that?”

Fiona: “I don’t know!”

Ella made this beautiful bird drawing tonight, oil pastel on white paper. I don’t know where she got the idea, but it’s the best work she’s ever done. I really love it.

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