The best of times

The last two weeks were a whirlwind of excitement and happiness as Mark's Mum and her boyfriend, Kim, flew over the big pond from England to visit us! It was hard for Mark and I to believe they hadn't met the beagle boys yet, but the last time they flew over the pond was September 2005 – a whole three and a half months before we adopted Diesel. Marvin was a just a twinkle in our eyes way back then.

Mum and Kim very much loved their beagle dog grandchilds and the dog grandchilds very much loved them. There were extra morning walks to the gas station to get a newspaper and lots of extra pets and kisses between the eyes.

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So Mum and Kim arrived two Sundays ago and, since that day, time flew and so much fun was had. We did more in those two weeks than Mark and I attempt in six months!

We had a grand reunion dinner with my mom and dad, sister and brother-in-law, and niece and nephews at a favorite new restaurant we discovered on the river.

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We explored Door County for four days. This time the beagle boys stayed home under the loving care of their dog aunt and uncle, Wendy and Shane. They were very happy boys.

In Door County, we lounged and shopped in Fish Creek.

Contemplated what to do next in Baileys Harbor …

Took a ferry to Washington Island for the day …


where we spent time with ostriches …

said hello to a brown bear named Honey …

fed adorable goats …

had coffee at our favorite island coffee house, Red Cup …

skimmed stones and posed for photos at Schoolhouse Beach …


had lunch – and of course beer – at historic Nelsen's Hall …

followed by a chaser of Bitters – oooeeee!

We are now officially members of the Bitters Club and are recorded in the book.

After the Bitters, we climbed 156 stairs to the top of the lookout point before heading back to the mainland.

Once back in Gills Rock at our friends' wonderful cottage we rented, we toasted Door County with red wine.

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On our return to Milwaukee we continued to eat, drink (including a brewery tour), and be merry. This sorbet Mum and I had for lunch one afternoon was unforgettable!

We also had visitors – Wendy, the beagles' dog aunt, and her mom, Nancy.

After some talking and laughing, the girls did a silly dance.

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Fourth of July weekend we spent in Chicago. The first night we stayed in Elmhurst, outside of Chicago, enjoying an evening with a friend of Kim's and his family. Kim and Colin did a four-mile run on the morning of July 4. To our surprise, the family had a beagle so we felt right at home!



And then on to Chicago where we walked all around …

as well as soaked our feet at Millennium Park …

and napped under skyscrapers.

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And then the visit was over as quickly as it began when we took our beloved family back to O'Hare for their long flight home.

On to looking forward to our next visit – this time Mark and I going to England.

Thank you, Mum and Kim, for making the trip. We loved having you! xxx