Love/Hate and Girls' Weekend!

I love summer. Because there are very few organized activities that keep us busy every evening and most weekends. I hate summer because it's...hot. I love summer because I don't have to "crack the whip" with homeschooling. I hate summer because it's...hot. I love summer because I can wear flipflops for just about anything I need to do (ok, for real? I can do that anyways where I live!). I hate summer because it's soooo hot!

This summer has been pretty just right for the most part. Has it been perfect? No. Sometimes I wanna scream because everything is so unstructured (and if you've never noticed...kids go a little nutso if things are too unstructured for too long. True story.)

I got to go visit my bestest friend Wendy and we had such a great time. This is our third time to meet even though we've been super close for about 11 years now. But, we've also collectively given birth to 7 children in those 11 years, so it has limited our ability to travel the long distances to see each other. Especially the years she lived overseas! We had great fun at Niagara Falls and Letchworth State Park. So low key! And this was our first ever girls only trip with no breastfeeding any babies or even having any with us. Just us girls. So relaxing. :)
Niagara:

this might not look like much to write home about but it was really funny and a little frightening honestly! Yeah, yeah... Anyways, we were laying on a blanket talking and eating our crunchy lunch (who knew sugar snap peas are so good?) and this squirrel literally was within a foot of me! I kept thinking "What if it has rabies or something and bites my nose?" Thankfully it didn't but it got so close!

Letchworth State Park: This was actually my favorite over Niagara. Don't get me wrong, Niagara is beautiful but (as Wendy warned me) very touristy and commercial. I much preferred the naturalness of the State Park. Just a little bit of God's glory and it felt like just for us! (And the Asian people that took this picture of us)

Despite my fear of bears (Wendy reassured me repeatedly that there were no bears at the park. I don't know how she knows that, but she promised me! I asked her why, then, were there bear things in the little gift shop!?) we enjoyed some very mild hiking and sitting and talking-2 girls can talk a lot without 8 kids interrupting them! ;)
The only thing we saw that scared us was a creepy guy (I didn't take his picture) that we made up all kinds of fun horror stories about and this:

Well, it might not look that scary but when you almost step on it going down some old stairs...it'll make you scream like a...girl! But on girls' weekend that's okay.

 This just fascinated me. I took a bazillion pictures of this rainbow that God showed us just because we stopped to admire His handiwork (at least that's what I surmised). Gorgeous!

 Oops. this is sideways because I forgot to edit it. I started to take it out but I can't make myself do it. I want to show how something doesn't have to be the biggest or most impressive to show true beauty. What a peaceful scene.

 I *think* you could walk on that thing somehow. I was quick to assure Wendy I was just fine to look at it from below.

Overall it was just an awesome time and beautiful country! My flights were so smooth and quiet. I read books. BoookS! No one had to be fed, I didn't have to think "If I take a drink from the flight attendant s/he will want one and what if it spills everywhere?" or anything! I just quietly did as I pleased. Oh, and I tried my first Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich! Yummo!

I missed my kids and would love to show my family this place in the future but wouldn't trade my girls' weekend...

Next up: Family vacation!