Ann & Igor

So much has been going on I haven't really taken the time to properly say how much I really enjoyed Ann and Igor's visit to the U.S.!

Both of them seem so happy, and all of us were so happy to see them, that I guess it slipped my mind to mention it.

Tyler went swimming with the couple, I went to the Eddie Bauer warehouse with them and a few friends, and we had chocolate martini's at Club Diversity with a good bunch of friends.

We had a cookout in their honor (and previously a birthday cookout for Scott, and after that a cookout hosted at Dad's for his 65th birthday), so by the 4th of July I was cooked out.

This time, seeing Ann's friends was more enjoyable than ever, having spent a good bit of time with some of them on our trip to Ukraine. Ann and Igor's party was a resounding success, even though it stormed and we ran around like circus people taking down the food tent and bringing chairs up to the porch.

"Save the beer!" someone yelled.

We had most of the drinks and most of the chairs up on the porch when the rain began, and we had a lovely time talking and joking around. The twins were happy to see many of their friends who are Ann's friends' children, and over all, we drank, we ate, and we had a good time.

We will really miss Ann and Igor. The twins have taken to Igor like nobody's business, and I continue to be touched by how Scott's family has welcomed the twins and I into it.

The thing about these cookouts is that we always have something left over. Food, drinks, wine, whatever. For the cookouts prior to the 4th, we just said, aww save it for next week. Now there's nothing to save it for. I suppose we have enough wine and beer to hole up in our house for the rest of the summer.

I am definitely not having another cookout.