Lazy day

Today was the day to catch our breath and get ready for the finale of our trip! Laundry was done and Doug slept in really late. Yeah, he likes my plan to let him have his own slow schedule this week. Mom and I left Zach taking his morning nap with Doug and took Sam to the Green Dragon. Check the link to find out about this amazing spot in Lancaster County. The fresh produce sold there is homegrown and amazingly cheaper than what I can find in New Orleans. This place makes my mouth water at every turn. Sam and I picked out a bottle of Amish (homemade) root beer for Doug as well as a mum to take to MomMom (my grandmother) tomorrow along with a couple other gifts. Our favorite stop was the Lapp Valley Farm ice cream stand ... Sam picked "pink" (strawberry), while I indulged in two flavors on a homemade waffle cone. By far, it is THE best ice cream I've ever had. (Maybe if I can remember it's wonderful taste, all others available in NOLA will be substandard and therefore not worth the calories. Think that will work?)

After some downtime at Mom and Dad's and boys down for their naps, Doug and I headed to another favorite spot ... Clay Bookstore. Owned and run by conservative Mennonites, our favorite aisles are the used books in the back. We found a couple good ones, but were thinking about our luggage weight so we didn't get too much. :) After a stop at Weaver Nut Factory Outlet Store where Doug's mouth watered for everything, we picked up some gifts and headed home.

We took a tour of the countryside (it's beautiful, folks!) on our way to Denver where my sister Jewel and family lives. The boys enjoyed playtime with their big cousins Joanne (2nd grade) and Janet (Kind.). It was fun to watch them play together. Jewel made us a "Chapman favorite" ... homemade noodles and lentils (I'm not going to attempt to spell the "spetzel" word they called it. LOL). It was yummy and reminded me a lot of red beans and rice without the kick. It was fun to watch Jewel make noodles as well as enjoy time with their family in their home. Good times.

Now, the boys are settling and Doug and I are heading to the Fair for one last visit. My sister Joy and Emily (our summer intern who plays on PBU's soccer team) as well as three other players are in town for the Fair. We'll meet them in a little while to have one last "something to eat" on the midway. More good times.