So it has obviously been way too long since our last update. Summer has been pretty busy, but still, that is no excuse. Here is a quick update of the last few months:
May - Nathan's cousin Emily and her fabulous husband Kenny came to visit us n the middle of May. We had such a great time with them, showing them around Peoria and just catching up. Nathan had just installed a new x-ray machine from his work at a local doctor's office, so Kenny, Emily and I were models for the practice x-rays. Oh, and Gnorman, our family gnome, got an x-ray too. He has been traveling all over the world, visiting the various cousins, so a quiet weekend in Peoria and a full medical examination was definitely long overdue for Gnorman the Gnome.
May was also my BIRTHDAY MONTH!! I love celebrating my birthday for as long as possible, and this year was even better because I turned 30! My wonderful girlfriends took me out for dinner at my favorite cafe, Cyd's, and then we went for pedicures! My friends at work took me out on another night for dinner at Bar Louie and some games at Jillian's. Then, for my actual birthday Nathan took me to Bloomington-Normal, IL for a day of shopping, exploring a really cool antique store, and a delicious dinner. And of course, there were the wonderful birthday cards and gifts from friends and family in California. I got a card from Emily, Vicki and Heather that made me cry! I felt so loved by everyone, but still miss all my friends and family so much. It was a great birthday month. Here are some pics from my birthday with Nathan, including probably finding probably the best devotional book ever created.
June & July - We have been hanging out with friends a lot and trying to soak up the beautiful weather. It does get pretty humid at times, and we have been getting used to the frequent rains and thunderstorms, which is strange for two California kids. A lot of really fun activities happen around Peoria in the summer months. We went to the Olde English Faire in June and saw some real jousting (though they were out of turkey legs, which was a bummer for Nathan). In July, life sized replicas of The Nina and The Pinta sailed into town, and we went to check them out at the Riverfront. And of course, for the 4th of July we got together with our wonderful Life Group for some delicious BBQ and watched fireworks over the river. (Click on the links to see the Peoria Journal Star coverage of these events).
Then, the highlight of July, was having the Osborne clan visit! We had an amazing time, eating our way through Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, and Chicago. While we were in Chicago they were filming Transformers 3 which definitely added some excitement. Most of all, it was really fun showing all of them around Peoria, and then relaxing in Chicago with our wonderful family.
July also marked the end of my time teaching my little 2-year-olds, and in August, I was hired as the Children's Ministry Director for Richwoods Church-East Campus. I don't start my new job until September, and I couldn't be more excited!! I also finished my summer semester and started my fall semester of classes in August. With a new job and school, I'm sure I'll be pretty busy, but I will do my best to update the blog more often. Here are some pictures from our summer adventures:
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