Year in Pictues - Week 44

302:365 - Vacation Toes

07/04/2010 - Vacation is all about relaxing & putting my feet up.

303:365 - Knitting Lakeside

07/05/2010 - The weather turned hot while we were on vacation. I ended up spending more time inside then I wanted because of the heat. However, after dinner, as the sun was setting the weather was beautiful. Each evening I donned a hat & sunglasses and sat knitting lakeside while watching the sun set.

304:365 - Fiery Sunset

07/06/2010 - Repeat. Knitting & watching the sunset lakeside. Vacation is hard work.

305:365 - Gift from Grandma

07/07/2010 - We took Grandma out for lunch today, just the grand kids and their spouses. It is so very hard to be so very far away from family, espeically an aging family (well, any family really). At the end of lunch Grandma pulled to small packages out of her purse, one for my sister & one for I. We each received a necklace from Grandma. My sister received the necklace that my Grandma's father had given my Grandma's mother on their wedding day (I think it was in 1918). I received the necklace in this picture - the cameo my grandfather gave my grandmother on their wedding day, February 16, 1946. Grandma explained that she wanted to give us these in person, so we would know the story & feel connected. I am so touched that she would pass on such a personal piece to me. It was even more special to me as we had just visited my grandfather's resting place, the first time I'd been since he passed away on February 13, 2008. Yes, 3 days shy of their 64th wedding anniversary. I will forever treasure this beautiful piece.

306:365 - Last Boatride

07/08/2010 - Despite the heat both Shane & I wanted to get out for one last boat ride before we left Mom & Dad's. Dad obliged and drove fast to create a breeze. I always love visiting my family because my family is there but because we get to spend time in this beautiful landscape of the Fingerlakes Region of New York.

307:365 - Foggy Pittsburgh

07/09/2010 - We spent a fabulous day in Pittsburgh with our dear friends Lisa & Dave and their adorable children, Ellie & Wyatt. We only have a chance to visit them once a year, which needs to change. We had a great lunch out, watched the rainstorms come in, giggled with and tickled the kids and even got kicked out by Ellie, who is 3. Lisa & I wish we could live closer to one another but even though we see each other once a year it is as though it was just yesterday. We wanted to get on the road but the rain had other plans so we hung out a bit longer at their house. When we did get on the road we sat in bad traffic for nearly an hour and a half just to go about 3 miles. Pittsburgh did not want us to leave.

308:365 - Iowa

07/10/2010 - I've had a long standing belief that vacation does not begin until we cross the Mississippi (or some other Iowa state border). If I believe that then it means that vacation ends when we cross back into Iowa. I couldn't resist catching this shot (from the passenger seat!) as we crossed back into Iowa. I cannot believe that it will be 6 years, this September, that I have lived in this beautiful state.

Number of Photos Taken this Week: 104