And another summer ends...

Well not quite yet, but it does seem like this summer has gone by quickly.   I guess they all do.  The past month has just flown by.  I spent two weeks in Arkansas with my aunt and uncle, my cousins and their families, and my grandma.  It was so nice to see everyone and I cannot believe how big the three boys (my cousins kids) have gotten.  They are all so much fun to watch and play with, and even at such young ages it is easy to see their distinct personalities.  Henry is thoughtful and cautious and loves to read/be read to.  Karl is gregarious and adventurous-fearless, well except when it comes to emus.  And even though Kayden is a little small to tell, I think he is going to be very easy-going and affectionate-definitely a charmer.  

I got to do so many fun things while I was visiting my family.  Karin, Karl, Kayden, and I took day trips to Eureka Springs and War Eagle Arkansas.  I hadn't been to Eureka Springs in probably about 15 years and I had forgotten what a cool, little town it is.  One night we had a picnic at Gully Park while a band played and then went to an outdoor movie in the town square in Fayetteville.  I saw 2 movies, "The Proposal" (laugh out loud funny) and "Julie and Julia" (a very sweet and inspiring story) in the theatre and I went to the first baseball game that I've been to since high school.  One of the most unusual things that I did while I was in Arkansas was visiting the Drive Thru Wildlife Safari in Gentry.  I didn't know exactly what to expect on the way there, but I was pretty impressed with the variety of animals.  Basically, you drive through this very large piece of property in your own car and view all sorts of animals from all over the world.  We saw camels, buffalo, emus,  more types of deer than you could ever imagine, zebras, and razorbacks roaming free.  There were also tigers, lions, monkeys and baboons in cages.  The petting zoo section had kangaroos, goats, snakes, and pot-bellied pigs.  I think the coolest thing I saw was the baby kangaroos in their mothers' pouches.  The weirdest was the emus.  Not that they are particularly unusual animals but  something about them is a little, um, off.  I don't blame Karl for being freaked out by them.  My favorite animal, though, was a buffalo that came right up to my window.  There was definitely a connection there and I think it was because we both had orange hair.

When I got back from Arkansas, my brother was visiting from Mississippi.  While he was here, we threw a dinner party and invited some of my mom's old neighbors.  It was definitely fun to have Kris here and I had the pleasure of taking him out on his last night to the The Edison downtown and then to Benito's for late-night mexican food afterwards.

All in all, it's been a really enjoyable summer filled with visits to family, lots of healthy eating and exercise, and the occasional night out on the town.

It is a little bittersweet that two of my friends, who I spent a lot of time with this summer, have both moved out of L.A. for graduate school.  Although I am very happy for both of them as they start their programs, L.A. definitely won't be the same without them.  

Oh well, the summer had to come to an end eventually and now I have excuses to visit the Bay (frequently) and D.C.

I have no idea what this fall in L.A. holds for me but I guess I am going to find out soon enough.