Iowa!!!

I spent last weekend in Iowa, basking in memories while visiting old friends from high school, college and even graduate school. It was an all-encompassing trip and even involved several trips to the new and beautiful dog park in Iowa City.

It's funny, but I now have 3 friends with a daughter turning 3 years in the next 3 months (well, one is turning 3 in 6 months but I thought that didn't sound as good).

And now 3 of 4 original gal-pals from WAAAAAAY back are married (we got a nice picture of the 4th one looking at her barren ring finger while the rest of us showed her our sparkly rings). And my mom not only has a new house and a new car, but also a new puppy and five new partners at work. And my step-dad has a fancy new bike, shoes and shorts, and inspired us to go on a fun-packed family bike ride to Dairy Queen (oh DQ, how I have missed you!!). And two of my brothers have made it through their first year of college (yay! congratulations J and A!). And it turns out I still know how to drive, who knew?

Well it was a fun weekend and much more relaxing than the last time I was home, when I visited three states in the same amount of time, gave a talk at a conference and visited both my mom and my dad. This time it was hot though! Whooo-ee. 95 degrees, muggy, and relentless. My body can't take that kind of heat anymore. I could hardly move. Maybe it was good for slowing everybody down a little.