My hours at work have gradually been cut back. I am just training the new cooks now, so I'm only in there for a few hours in the morning. I spend the rest of my time reading The Baby Whisperer and The Half-Blood Prince, putting my feet up, making delicious fresh summery food at home, drawing for the baby's room, standing in and staring around the baby's room, suntanning (for brief periods of time- my body can't really take the heat- although, it's like my mom always says, "Tan fat is better than pasty white fat," I rather agree) with a fan blowing on me, playing with my camera, and avoiding the bees that are infesting camp and our house. All of this rest has very positively been affecting my sleep. Because my back isn't so achy from standing all day, I fall asleep in a snap. It's been pretty wonderful.

We're a little less than six weeks out! We can not wait to meet this little summer girl! Since I read in my email updates yesterday that babies born as early as 34 weeks can definitely make it and can do pretty well, I keep having fantasies that she'll come early (maybe not this early, but in a few weeks). Just humor me, everyone!

Here is what we have been up to lately:

I discovered, when I picked up my friend, Abby, in Wheaton to drive her up to camp, that Starbuck's makes re-usable travel cold cups now! When I was trying to buy a travel hot-cup this spring, I found one in Lake Geneva and decided to wait to buy it and then couldn't find it again FOREVER. So, as soon as I saw this I knew I had to buy it right away. It has not disappointed. I drank all of my beverages out of it yesterday and felt like I was at Starbuck's all day long. The only thing missing was Megan.

This is strawberry-hibiscus tea-lemonade. It sounds better than it turned out.

I have been dreaming about making homemade lemonade once it got summery enough and since it has been so summery the past few days (I'll get to that in a minute), I tried out a Martha Stewart recipe. I added less than half of the sugar that the recipe called for and tasted it and it was soooooo sugary that it was burning my throat. Not good. So, I decided to turn it into strawberry lemonade popsicles instead. Much better.

It has been so stinking warm here the past few days. Yesterday it was almost 90 degrees! I tried to suntan in the backyard for a little while, but I got so hot that I started to feel sick and had to go take a nap in the basement!

We've celebrated the warm weather by moving our armchairs on the front porch (and by we, I mean Kyle) and eating lunch out there in the afternoon. We also play Set and Boggle out there at night, until it gets too dark to see.

It's officially summer. Kyle brought out the paper lanterns. One of my many fabulous birthday presents from him last year.

The fresh summery food, of which I spoke earlier. On the left, we have lowfat chicken salad on a bed of fresh spinach and on the right we have whole-wheat macaroni salad, made with olive oil mayo, tuna, and fresh veggies (including chives from our garden! [yes, it is the only thing growing in there right now, but we're working on that...])

I love my life right now. And I love summer. It might be my new favorite season.