Inga

It's been a sad week for the Palof family- our dog Inga passed away. She was a beautiful Australian Shepherd, and was 13 years old. She's pretty much the only family pet we ever had growing up (Natalie had a bunny for a few years). I don't have too much to say other than she was a good dog and we're all going to miss her a lot. :-(

One of her very first walks- to the Lily Lake in Amana.
That's Nancy, Natalie, me, my mom and Oma.

Family Fun

This summer, Matthew and I have been able to spend some fun times with our families. It's been great getting to know the Van Zantes better, and I know my family has been enjoying getting to know Matthew better as well. He and my dad have bonded over vegetable gardening and Menards. And my sisters have been enjoying having another brother in the mix.

We went to Pella for a weekend in mid-July. Matt's parents' neighbors threw us a grocery shower. They loaded our pantry with all sorts of non-perishable food items. It will really help our grocery bill for months to come! While in Pella, Matt's mom Arlene, Michelle and I spent Saturday afternoon in downtown Pella. We had lunch at the Tulip Tea Room, and then did some shopping on the square. And then on Sunday we all celebrated Ben's birthday together.



A couple of weeks later, we again went to Iowa, but this time the final destination was Amana. Friday night, we first went to Des Moines to see Kristine, Dave, Elise and Rachel. The residents at the hospital where Dave works and their family lives were throwing a party out on the lawn. Midway through the pizza, it started pouring rain. It was delightful watching Elise run around in the downpour. This little three-year-old is so uninhibited. Because it was storming pretty badly around Des Moines, we decided to spend the night at their place. Elise was so excited. "You mean we get to have a sleep over party?" It was a fun night.

Then on Saturday we went to Amana. We went and saw a short play at the Iowa Theatre Artists Company about the history of Amana, and spent some time in the shops. The main event was a wedding reception for my childhood best friend Amanda. It was a luau party, held at the Middle Amana Ball Park. I've only recently reconnected with Amanda, which has been nice. I had a lot of fun being able to celebrate with her! It was also fun getting to spend some time with another childhood friend of mine, Hollan.


Then that night, we got to meet Nancy's new boyfriend, Tim. I liked him. We had fun playing Buzzword with them and my parents, guys vs. girls.


And then this past weekend, Ben and Michelle, Hannah, Livia and Jaeda came to Omaha for a trip to the zoo. It was our first time having house guests, and I loved having them here. It was a very long day, but it was also very fun exploring all of the animals together. Michelle and I were able to have several good conversations sitting together in the back of the van, and of course it's always fun playing with the girls, and just hearing the funny things they have to say. I love being an auntie!










And now I've been home from work sick for the past couple of days. Provided that I'm feeling better tomorrow, we're heading down to Missouri to see Natalie and Kevin. I miss her so much and can't wait to see her! And then in a couple of weeks, Dave and Kristine and the girls are planning to come to visit, so the family fun this summer just keeps coming!