cousins, aunts and such

All of these happenings are from back in early October.  Yes, I am quite behind.

My Uncle Rob and Auntie Irm came up for a visit (they live in Texas).  I love them so very much.  It is always so, so good to see them.  I wish it was significantly more frequent that our lives intersected - like maybe weekly.

Uncle Rob couldn't stay very long, but Auntie Irm hung out for a few more days.  Long enough to celebrate her birthday with us (a few days late, mind you….).  I was about to say that I hope I will look as fabulous and be as fabulous as she does and is at her age, but I am pretty sure I have more wrinkles than her already and I have a lot of personality kinks to work out in not nearly enough years.  So forget that dream.  I'm already scheming to have them stay with us next year if they come for a visit.

Maddy and Alex are taking university Biology together.  It is in high school, but is university level and they get university credit.  But it is also higher level work and expectations for sure.  Glenda and I are having fun watching them study together because the two of us were in university bio. together too!  We used to study together for all the exams and were lab partners and all that good stuff.  We had a hoot.  We for sure bonded over Biology.  And now, 20 years later (well, a little over 20 years), our daughters are doing the same.

(side note: Have you noticed the consistent scowl that Maddy gives me when I take photos of her?  It is pretty much a daily thing)

I can't remember what was going on or why it was happening, but sometime back then we Ackermanns headed out to have a wieny roast at Kim's new place.  She is renting a house in the country (gorgeous lot) from Jodi and Jared.  Well, Jared, just a few days before put one of his toys in the garage to store.  And Jesse discovered it.  Apparently Jared had generously given him permission to drive some of his man-toys so Jesse wasted no time in getting that thing going.  All the kids promptly boarded it and they cruised around the yard.  Kim was about having heart attacks.  I was peeing my pants (not literally…. yet) laughing.  And the kids were having a grand ol' time.

Then we actually did get the wiener roast going.  It was a perfect day for it and one of the best ways to spend a beautiful fall day, as far as I'm concerned.  You've got to be outdoors surrounded by the beautiful trees and you've got to have that wonderful real wood smoke fire going - and then that smells gets into your clothes and your hair, along with the smell of the fresh, crisp fall air.  Aaah.  I love it.

To make it closer to ideal, you need to either have some european style wieners or some really good sausage type wieners - none of this Ball Park garbage (just an opinion here!), with fresh baked buns from a bakery and not the prepackaged full of preservatives buns from the average grocery store.  And then you have to cook the wiener like they like the sausages in "The Silver Chair" (fourth book in the Chronicles of Narnia).  The description is just how I like them "not wretched sausages half full of bread and soya bean, either, but real meaty, spicy ones, fat and piping hot and burst and just the tiniest bit burned."  

My mouth is watering.  If it weren't supposed to be -41 tomorrow, I might have suggested a winter roast!