Jodi Speaks Her Mind

June Highlights 7/4/2006

June had several special events that I want to make note of even though the are in the past. A lot of them are firsts for Adelina. Here they are:

Adelina experienced her first road trip. She and I drove almost 8 hours from Phoenix to Los Angeles, and she was a great road trip buddy! We had a good time, listened to lots of music, and watched as the terrain changed from desert, dry, and dusty to much greener and more lush. We repeated the drive going the other way just this past Friday and she was once again a trooper. This time, though, everything was “want see Daddy,” “when see Daddy?” “hurry see Daddy,” “play Daddy favorite music” and so on. She obviously had one thing on her brain: I WANT TO SEE MY DADDY AGAIN! And who can blame her?

Which brings me to another special event: Steve’s first Father’s Day, and it was a special day, though largely without fanfare. He flew out for the weekend, which was short but sweet. On Saturday we went to Disneyland, which was a highlight for all three of us. We learned once again what an adrenaline junkie Adelina is. If you can believe it, at age 5 and just barely over 40 inches tall, her favorite ride was Space Mountain, which I must say they have nicely updated since I first rode it about 23 years ago. She absolutely loved it, and I wish we could have bought the picture they took of her on it because it perfectly captured her thrill and enjoyment of the ride. Oh well, at $16 for one picture, we just didn’t feel it was worth it. On Father’s Day we went to the beach, which was another first for Adelina. Oh boy did she love the beach, the waves, the sand, the mess, and everything. We had to bury her in the sand, and she got totally soaked despite the fact that she wasn’t wearing a swimsuit (we thought the water would be too cold for actual swimming). June 18 was also my 36th birthday, which was also largely without fanfare, but that was fine with me. I’m not ready to be over the 30’s midpoint yet, so I may just pretend I’m still only 35 for another few years. That ok with everyone?

We also celebrated – albeit from a distance – Steve’s 35th birthday on June 29. Thankfully, his friend Bill drove down from the other side of Phoenix and took him out to a movie. Thanks Bill!

As you can see, June was a packed month, but I’m so glad Adelina is getting to experience so many wonderful things. Today of course she will experience her first 4th of July in the U.S. complete with picnic, concert and fireworks. Woohoo!

One more June event that oughtn’t go unmentioned is my baby brother (well, okay he’s 33 now) got married to a wonderful girl named Jen.  Their wedding was on the island of St. John and we were unable to attend, but we offer our sincerest congratulations and regrets on having to miss it.  Blessings to you guys, Mark and Jen, as you begin your married life together!