I really want to recap all my fun July stuff, but I’m so tired! And if I wait to recap, I won’t remember as much. I’ll make this one brief.

I almost always go to Guttenberg, Iowa for my birthday (July 31) to spend it on the water with my family. This year, my birthday is on a Monday (tomorrow) so I decided to spend Thursday night – Sunday morning in Guttenberg, then take Monday off and spend the day doing whatever I want (sleep?! ha ha).

Thursday

We arrived in Guttenberg around 6:30 pm on Thursday. We unpacked, I worked a bit, had dinner at my snister’s place (burgers, yum), then went back to the house we were staying in to paint and hang out.

I was so done with the day by the time my parents arrived at 10:00. I was a bit rude and told my mom “I’m going to bed; I’m done socializing for the day.” It wasn’t her, or anyone. I was just TIRED! Ugh, Kim, don’t be so rude.

Friday

On Friday I did a run/ride with Dad, then worked at my snister’s from 9:00-12:00 with her, Steven, and Will. It was fun to all work together in the same room again!

I was pleased my legs felt fine after Wednesday’s ride!

We had (vegan) chicken salad for lunch, then headed out on the water. It was so hot Friday – I think the high was 95°! – and the water was the place to be. I enjoyed floating down the river with my snis, playing in the water with our nephews, chatting, and reading.

I had quite a bit of one-on-one time with my snister this trip, which was really nice! We don’t get that often!

We all headed back in the late afternoon and I painted a bit before everyone came over for dinner. We made Mexican food, with the option to have it as a bowl, tacos, or a crunchwrap.

We watched a storm come in after dinner.

I was so so tired, but hung out with my mom until she finished cleaning up, then promptly went to bed! (I had slept until 6:42 am that day, but only got about 6 hours of sleep.)

Oh wait, that’s a lie – I read for about 15 minutes and finished It Happened One Summer. I loved it!

Saturday

I woke up Saturday (6:18 am, almost 8 hours of sleep!) determined not to let my tiredness get the best of me, and I was successful! Dad and I went on a walk,

then I went back to the house and painted a bit with Steven while he watched Iron Man. When he got in the shower I started listening to Hook, Line, and Sinker, the book about the sister of the main character in It Happened One Summer.

Eventually we all went to the Farmer’s Market and hung around downtown a bit. I found out the town has a rock snake and didn’t have any painted rocks with me to add, but I’ll certainly be back.

We had lunch (wraps) at my snister’s. I worked a bit (blah) then opened birthday presents (yay!). I forgot to mention I also opened a gift early from my snis on Thursday! My family spoiled me with wonderful presents!

I got so many great things! Highlights include a book to store all my stickers, Goodrs, and new pajamas!

We headed out to the beach after lunch. It was cooler than the day before, but the water was so warm from the heat this week. It felt great! We hung out and chatted and ate snacks (we joked that you have to eat snacks every 10 minutes on the beach or you’ll perish – not true, but that’s how we act) and played with the nephews too.

When we got back we saw some kids in a golf cart get really excited to find a painted rock that had been left in the mailbox. After they took it, I took out another to hide there along with my tray of painted rocks to offer them each to pick one, but they had already left.

We had dinner – leftovers night – then hung out a bit. The kids on the golf cart came back (my mom was outside and called me down) and they each picked out a rock and were so excited! My snis took this pic on my phone while I was with them. I love to take silly pics on people’s phones when they leave them behind and love that she did it to me.

After that most of us painted together. That was so fun and special to me! I didn’t know my brother-in-law was so talented – he drew that Tasmanian Devil from memory!

I was proud of myself for staying up past 10:00 this night, ha.

Sunday

Today I woke up before 6:00 and forced myself to go back to bed until 6:41. When I finally got up, I went on a run/ride with Dad,

then came back and started to pack. We had plans for a big brunch, and wouldn’t be leaving for a bit, but I wanted to get all my things together. I had so much there – all my rock stuff, cleaning stuff from the first trip, workout clothes, my bike, food, beach stuff, work stuff, blah blah blah.

Anyway, I got it all together and everyone came over and we (Steven and Mom) made sausages, bacon, pancakes, eggs, and hashbrowns. And we had store bought donuts. The bagel I made for breakfast was so good! I kept saying “yum” every time I took a bite.

Mom wanted to paint a Guttenberg rock with an umbrella theme (that seems to be their summer 2023 theme – we keep seeing umbrellas as decorations downtown) to leave at the rock snake and we worked on it together but didn’t have time to seal it, so I’ll do that and bring it back.

But we finished painting it, finished packing, said goodbye, and hit the road by 12:30.

We didn’t stop once on the way home and got home at 4:20, said hello to the cats, unpacked, then I went to get groceries (and ran into someone who works for our vet and got to meet her husband and kid!), ate dinner, and here I am!

This recap is mostly “I did this then this then this” but I had such a great time, minus my tiredness, which I directly relate to driving to Iowa three weeks in a row. It was wonderful to have so many full days with my family, and to spend time exercising together, painting together, and just hanging out! I feel grateful I could spend all that time with them this month!