Last week with my 7 Quick Takes, I wrapped up the Wedding Bonanza (of May) 2013 series. Although Josh did have a few pics from driving home, the main one I want to share is this…
My blue beauty honda accord, Azul, hit 150,000. She’s still going strong.
It’s re-cap time.
Josh had a long drive home from the east coast, but he made it safe and sound (obviously). So I was home a week without Josh, then he got home on memorial day. Then the next weekend, we met up with my mom in MSP aka Minneapolis/Saint Paul aka The Twin Cities.
Originally Josh was going to compete in a triathlon that weekend (near the cities) but he decided not to because he’d spent a month eating/drinking/not exercising due to the wedding festivities. My mom flew out to bid Josh goodbye before his deployment/watch the tri. But instead, we just got to hang out alot!
We went to the Mall of America – I bought Josh a going away present which I was really excited about. The store is called the Art of Shaving, and it has fabulous products for wet shaving. I didn’t purchase Josh a safety razor, but I hope to in the future. They’re an investment, but you’ll save a ton of money on blades (see the wet shaving link for price differences). Anyways, I got him a kit of all the essentials for an old-fashioned, relaxing, and clean shave (minus the safety razor) – which is great, because he has to shave every day for work! Here’s the set I got in the Sandalwood scent. Josh gets a clean shave, I get to smell the sandalwood. It’s a win-win situation.
Josh met up with me and mom and we did a bit more shopping. We back to the hotel, rested. Then we went out for dinner and tried the award-winning burger from the Blue Door Pub. The wait time was insane, the burger was ok but the company was excellent.
The next day we went to Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Paul and afterwards hit up Grand Avenue…and it happened to be their ONE DAY celebration out of the WHOLE YEAR called Old Grand Day. Basically, it’s a bunch of fair food, beer and music. I really wanted to go to this awesome restaurant called Shish that’s on Grand Ave, but all the roads were blocked and walking 3 miles down the road was slow because of all the people. after walking a mile and a half, we opted to not go that day. We went over to the Minneapolis side and walked around/had a late lunch/dinner at Broder’s Pasta Bar. On the spendy side, but very tasty. I napped afterward. Mom and Josh played cards. I joined and we got some dessert at the hotel and soaked up the last evening together.
It was simple, but it was a perfect way for us to catch our breath after weeks of go-go-go. My mom is just so easy-going, that we really feel that we can just hang out and we’re all content. It’s freeing. It also means so much to me that my mom comes out to the midwest to spend time with us. It helps ease the long stretches of time that I don’t get to go back to Oregon. Thanks for spending time with us, Mama! I love you and I can’t wait to see you again in the fall. xoxo
Now for the pics.
a dillightful adventure 
Looks like a great trip…my sister went to a wedding at St. Paul’s a few years back there, she said it was beautiful! 🙂
It is a nice area! Hope you’re doing well, Patty 🙂
agh, send my love to your beautiful mama. she knows the big bun ways, natch.
tell me more about this white van activity…
oh yes. The hunt of the white van. Growing up, josh and his fam had a white van just like the one pictured….and it lasted them FOR-EV-ER. Until recently it died (RIP). Josh’s sister, Sarah, noted that these fine vans seemed to be growing increasingly rare – and so she began a game. When you see one, take a picture. And we have an email chain going…the one with the most recent photo is the reigning champion…so we’re are constantly trying to oust one another from the throne. It’s lots of fun.