T-minus 1 week and counting

It's hard to believe that next week this time, I will be in South Africa! Yes, it's true.... the vacation that w have been planning for years is now only days away. Please remember Liesel in your prayers, as she travels alone with the two boys on Tuesday! This will be Josh's first long distance plane ride and we have no idea how he's going to cope with it =/ SO your prayers are appreciated!!

This is really one of our last summer weekends in the USA, so we tried to make the ost of it. We woke up to the sounds of raindrops on Saturday, which was very welcome. Later, the boys and I paid a vist to a dear friend, and afterwards spent some time at a playground. While they were playing, the heavens opened again and cooled us down a bit, so we sought the shelter of a tree until the rain cloud moved away.
That afternoon, I headed to our church, as my band was hosting a praise and worship evening in heir hall. This required a lot of set up, sound checks, rehearsal etc, before our evening performance. When the evening arrived, we had a good turnout and enjoyed praising God together!

Sunday morning came earlier than expected as Nathan came and woke me before 6:30am. He was excited as we were going to see the Cleveland Browns Football team at their training camp with is bout 25 minutes from our house. Their training kicked off at 8:45, but the gates opened at 7:45, and it is recommended that you to early to get a good spot! We arrived shortly after 8am and were able to get a good parking and had time to look around the training camp! Nath scored himself a Cleveland Browns dog tag, and had a chance to throw a few footballs, before the team came out and went through their paces! It was a great experience, and we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Meanwhile Liesel and Joshua went to church and also had a wonderful time!

I spent the rest of the day watching the Olympics and especially enjoyed the Volleyball, both indoor and beach, and cheered my home teams (USA) on to victory!

At 5:30, our babysitter arrived, allowing Liesel and I to go on one final date before South Africa. We headed to our favorite restaurant and had those heavenly milkshakes! Afterward, we pulled up a couple of chairs in the shade of some trees in the center of Crocker Park and spent some quality time just talking :) In fact, it was so relaxing, another man in a chair a few meters away had fallen into a deep sleep and was snoring loudly!

T-minus 2 weeks and counting

We are another 7 days closer to our eagerly anticipated Southern African trip! We can't believe how quickly time has flown since we purchased our tickets back in February this year!

This week's blog is brought to you by the complimentary hotel internet. I drove 4 hours northwest this evening as one of my larger customers in Michigan is going live with Google Apps on Monday. A few of my colleagues and I will be onsite supporting them through their major milestone from 8am onwards. We will be here for a couple of days, ensuring everything runs smoothly and if any issues arise, that they are quickly nipped in the bud.
Before embarking on the four hour drive, I spent some time in the pool with my boys! It was another scorcher of a day, so the pool offered a welcome relief after lunch.

On Friday evening, we had friends over for hotdogs and hamburgers. They have children that are in the same age range as our boys and they get along really well. So well, in fact, that while they all played inside, we (the adults) sneaked outside and had some great conversation on the patio, without any interruptions! Our friends provided dessert, which consisted of three different varieties of ice cream, plus a range of delicious toppings, including, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, chocolate chips, different colored sprinkles and more! We all loved the indulgence!
Once they left, I thought it would be a great night to sleep in a tent. Nathan had been wanting to for a while now, but most weekends were too hot. Since Friday was mostly overcast - the air temperature was comfortable and so we got the tent out of the basement and set it up outside. This would also be Josh's first outdoor camping experience. By the time the tent was ready for us, it was close to 10pm, so the boys found their spots and after a few stories from Nathan, they fell asleep. Unfortunately - the padding I chose for myself was not ideal (our patio furniture's cushions) and I did not have a great night's sleep :( But it's still worth it so the boys could have their adventure!

On Saturday morning, since we were all awake before 6:30am, we went back inside where I made a pancake breakfast, and let Liesel sleep in for once! The rest of the day was relaxed, and later that evening, Nathan and I headed to the YMCA for some swimming practice! When we came home, it was time for supper, and then the boys needed to be bathed. Shortly thereafter, it was their bedtime, which allowed Liesel and me to enjoy a DVD together!

Good times :)

T-minus 3 weeks and counting

This weekend seemed to fly by. Not that we're complaining, because we are now another week closer to our South African vacation! Not too much to report on this weekend. The weather is still hot and humid, so most of our time was spent indoors in the comfort of our air-conditioner, and in the pool!

Friday's Family Fun Night consisted of watching the movie Charlotte's Web. Liesel had recently finished reading the book to the boy's which they seemed to enjoy. So for her family fun night, Liesel picked up the Charlotte's Web DVD from the library. Freshly popped popcorn was the perfect snack to complement the movie!

On an overcast Saturday morning, we paid our local Toys R Us a visit to pickup a backpack for Josh's pre-school starting in late August. We also picked up a new game that Liesel will give to him on the airplane on the way to South Africa. The day remained overcast, and there seemed to be some storm clouds building up. So we decided to make the most of the dry weather, and headed to the Westlake Recreation Center, so Josh could play in the playground, while Nathan and I worked on his tennis skills on their tennis courts.

Church was the first thing on our agenda for Sunday morning. Afterward, we relaxed at home. That afternoon, Nathan and I paid my friend Jim a visit. We had a good visit, sharing smiles and handshakes, before we headed to a sports store, for Nathan to find a mouth-guards to accompany his football helmet. By the time we got home there was just enough time to jump in the pool, before I headed out to a 4 hour long band practice and dinner. I leave you all with a photo of the beautiful summer evening taken from my upstairs window.

The Heat is On in the Land of the Free!

Whoever thought, that we would be thankful for the relief that an 82F/28C day offers! Well today's temperature is substantially cooler than what North East Ohio has been experiencing over the past week. Temperatures have consistently been in the upper 90's (35C+), and even our little pool, which we look to for temporary relief from the heat, is now at 93 degrees (34C). So the only way to escape the excessive heat is to take refuge indoors where the air conditioner is running continuously!

Since I missed the blog last week, let me summarize it in a paragraph.
Friday night was Josh's Family Fun Night, and he opted for dessert at Menchies! On Saturday night, the boys had a babysitter, while Liesel and I went to her friend's surprise birthday party at a restaurant in Cleveland. On Sunday, in 90 degree (33C+) weather, I made use of my father's day gift, and easily removed the railings from our wrap-around porch! Take a look at the BEFORE and AFTER photos below:

That evening, after dinner, we headed out to McDonalds for some dessert, and then found ourselves a great vantage point to watch some Independence Day fireworks. As I mentioned last week, the entire program was running an hour later than scheduled due to an earlier thunderstorm, so the fireworks only got underway after 11pm. It was an impressive show, and my boys manage to stay awake even though it was way after their bedtime!

Independence Day was a few of days later, and was another scorcher. By 10am the temperature was heading quickly into the 90s (33C+). I had to mow, since we were having a bunch of friends over that evening to celebrate with us. Mowing almost killed me as perspiration poured off my body. I even experienced a strange tingling sensation in my limbs, which is not a good sign! Afterward I sought refuge in the air-conditioned house and quickly downed half a gallon of lemonade! The rest of the day, was dedicated to getting the place ready for our guests, laying tables, preparing the food and drinks and last minute cleaning. Our friends arrived later that afternoon, and we had a fantastic time together. The kids spent the whole time in the pool, while some of us sat outside keeping an eye on them, while other's preferred the cooler environment in the house. I grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner, but Liesel's desserts stole the show! Cupcakes decorated in red, white and blue frosting and sprinkles, ice cream sandwiches with red.white and blue sprinkles, and even water melon cut in the shape of stars! A good time was had by all!

This weekend started a day early for us, since I got Friday off for all the extra hours I have been putting in at work. Even though the National Weather Service had issued another Excessive Heat warning, Liesel and I wanted to take our boys for a bike ride. It wasn't your average bike ride, since this one was in a National Park. The path runs along side the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway, which allows cyclists to catch a ride back to their starting point, for a very nominal fee. So we left home at 8am to ensure we'd miss the heat of the day. When we arrived, we unloaded the bikes and headed out on a 3 mile ride to the next train station. The Cuyahoga Valley is really beautiful, and the cycling path takes you through luscious green forests and along winding rivers. We cycled a total of 3 miles, before getting to the train station, where we could sit down and relax while waiting for the train to arrive. The train arrived about half an hour later, and our bikes were loaded into a specially designated car, and we climbed into the comfort of an air-conditioned car and enjoyed the leisurely trip back to the car park!

On Saturday, Nathan and Liesel went shopping for school supplies, while Josh and I relaxed at home. That afternoon, we found the perfect outdoor activity that could keep us cool, washing my car! Nathan and I gave my car a thorough cleaning while enjoying the cool spray! That evening, we dropped the boys off with another babysitter, while Liesel and I went to friends in the neighborhood who were having a baby shower! They are adopting a baby from Russia, and to hear some of the stories about orphanages there made me realize how blessed we truly are!
Finally, as mentioned in the opening paragraph, it was a little cooler today, 82F (28C). It was still warm enough to wash Liesel's car after church, and then to enjoy some downtime with the boys in the pool! You've got to love Summertime :)

Blog delayed due to inclement weather

No really....
This evening we were heading out to a fireworks show that was due to start at 10:00pm. However, a thunderstorm passed through the area around 8 pm and that caused the festivities to be delayed by over an hour. So by the time the fireworks started lighting up the night sky, it was after 11pm! We only got home just before 11:30pm with two very tired boys.... To top it all off, I have to get into work extra early tomorrow, so I do not have the time for a blog :( Maybe tomorrow night (after volleyball.....)