Summer So Far...

Usually my summers are jam-packed with vacationing and travel, but this is a summer of finding ways to pass time and stay cool while mostly hanging around in Durham.  This change of pace generally includes a daily nap (or two), and episode (or two) of Friday Night Lights, and a list of home projects to tackle before Baby S arrives.  Here is a summary of what my third-semester summer has entailed... Clark's comments in Summer Orange.

31 weeks, 34 weeks, 38 weeks.  Gosh, that belly is getting big!  I don't really notice a change at all.  Isn't that what husband's are supposed to say?

Utah:
We did get one big trip in at the beginning of the summer.  I mentioned some of the big events (wedding, baby shower, garden party) of our Utah trip in early June, but I didn't yet write about how those great events were balanced by plenty of downtime where I got to spend lots of time with family and friends, relax outdoors in perfect 70/80 degree weather, and hang out with my most adorable little nephew.

We had so much fun together.  I loved watching him ride his strider bike, chase Mia, sing "Dinosaur Train," jump on the tramp, play in the pool, and more.  He is one sweet, entertaining boy.

I got to see (and eat yummy food with) dear friends whom I hadn't seen in ages!  I also got to see Anne (Reichman, because Anne is clearly in that picture with us) and Holly though we didn't manage to get a picture together.

Overall, it really was a fantastic trip--relaxing and satisfyingly full of family, friends and outdoor time that I certainly don't get in a NC summer.

Sweet things:
Part of keeping cool in 100%+ humidity is eating lots of delicious, cool treats.  So far, I would consider this part of summer a raging success.  First of all, my sweet parents sent me this kitchen toy to help me stay busy and cool:

It is a pretty impressive little popsicle maker.  So far I've made watermelon, pink mojito, caramelized coconut banana, peach and mint.  Always having a tasty treat on hand without having to run to Locopops is quite nice!

Clark and I have also found a couple of very affordable places to grab a treat.

Pelican's Snoballs are definitely the best snowcones I have EVER had. They really are delicious.  Althought I think the name is one of the worst ideas ever for a snowcone place.  Delicious, inexpensive and over 100 flavors to try.  Favorites so far include pina colada, passion fruit, guava and papaya.  Yum.  Peaches and cream is also delicious. They are also only about 100 calories, for those of you who are into counting calories and stuff. 

Local Yogurt is a delicious place next to where I've been taking some prenatal yoga classes.  They have different daily specials, some of which make for a pretty cheap, filling treat.  Clark and I have now dedicated every Tuesday evening (between 5-7 p.m.) as yogurt night because you can buy one get one free.  When Amy says that we have spent every Tuesday evening, she means we have spent one and plan to spend every upcoming Tuesday evening here.  Spending $4 is a no-brainer for this tasty goodness!  It really is.  For $4.25 on Tuesday (5-7) you can get two small frozen yogurts that aren't really small and two toppings.  They are delicious and filling and a must-visit for any other fellow Durhamites.  I already have a special of cake batter frozen yogurt with Heath bar and reese's peanut butter cups.  Although next week I have vowed to get one with fresh fruit.  Probably won't though.

4th of July

Was it last summer that I got to celebrate the 4th three different times?  Well, this year my favorite of all holidays was pretty low-key what with the husband working nights and such.  We did manage to pull of a fun little bbq with some of our good friends, which was great.  And while major downpour of rain put a damper on the fireworks, at least there was potato salad, burgers and corn on the cob to eat!  I think that is all you really need to be a true American and celebrate the 4th, anyways.

Fruit Flies:
I admittedly made a big mistake by letting that banana in the fruit bowl get far too brown (more like black with mold), but I have been waging a major war with the fruit flies for a good two weeks now!  It's pretty amazing how fast those nasty things can multiply.  Even more amazing is how bad of a mood these little fruit flies have put Amy in.  I mean, they are annoying, but fairly harmless.  About two years ago, Amy was writing complaints about Camel crickets, which are gross, huge and disgusting.  Today, I asked Amy which was worse out of the fruit flies and camel crickets, trying to teach her a little perspective and she said, "can't I choose to have neither of them?"  Well, Amy, no, you can't choose to have neither.  Let that be a lesson to all our loyal blog readers.  Sometimes bad things happen and there's nothing you can do about it.  I mean, I guess you could pour boiling hot water and baking soda down every sink in your house and block the drains and hope that everything in your sink dies.  I'm not saying that is what Amy did.  But I guess sometimes the old Elton John and Tim Rician motto applies: Hakuna Matata.

My apple cider vinegar + dish soap traps are very effective, but I can't tell you how many times I have had to empty and refill them!  I currently have three in my kitchen!  The biggest challenge has been to hunt down possible breeding locations.  Amy means breeding locations for fruit flies, not her high school students, bytheway.  I've attacked all the drains in my house with baking soda, vinegar and boiling water, I've kept the drains closed as much as possible and removed every piece of fresh food from the counters.  I think (fingers-crossed) that I am finally making progress (though I have thought that before).  I'm so hoping this battle ends soon.  And in my favor.  Call me old fashioned, but I guess the fact she is a human and not a fruit fly that has a lifespan of a week, puts things in Amy's favor, but that's just me.

Asheville:
Clark had a few days off from work this week, so we decided to take a quick trip to one of our very favorite locations.  We managed to get there and back without having a baby and without getting a ticket (our cars may or may not be registered right now), and we certainly didn't have the slightest bit of space left for food in our bodies by the end.
We spent the first few hours of our trip napping beside and lounging in the pool.  We don't have much pool access in Durham, so it was a treat for us to have some relaxing and cooling pool time.  Later that evening we met up with our friend Brian, who is currently doing a rotation in Asheville, for a delicious dinner at Tupelo Honey Café.  After walking the downtown area for a while, we ended up at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge where we enjoyed live music, sipped our sipping chocolate, and chatted for a long while.  I could do that every night and never tire of it.

Clark and I slept in the next morning and then headed for our favorite breakfast place where we unabashedly ordered three entrees which we thoroughly enjoyed and devoured :)

Needless to say, I didn't need to eat the rest of the day.
Our plan was to spend some time at the NC Arboretum that morning, but it was already getting to be a very hot day and considering how full we were, we decided we'd try it out next time when Clark could actually help carry Baby S around.  
 
And so summer continues on.  If we can continue to beat the heat, we'll have a baby here before too long.