My Week: Farewells, Parades, and On My Own

Yet another of our friends is moving away. We had just gotten to know Rebecca at the end of last school year--right before she got married to her awesome husband Dave. Then, right before school started, Dave got a job offer in Pennsylvania that they couldn't refuse, so he moved out there that week and Rebecca stayed so she could fulfill her teaching contract until our school found a teacher to take her place. That time has come, and I am so happy that Dave and Rebecca will be reunited. Can you imagine having to move away from your husband unexpectedly just 6 weeks after getting married?
On Friday night we went to a local brewery to say our farewells to Rebecca. Here is Liz (a teacher at our school who just moved out of her parents house and into her own place for the first time--we are so happy for her!), Rebecca, Mandy (my longest-standing friend in Pocatello), Tera (due in 3 weeks), and me. Can you see the funny girl in yellow in the background?

This morning was a parade. This year Tim, the kids, and I walked with Tim's work. Here's Ethan holding a cane. He held it the entire parade!

All the workers used walkers, crutches, wheelchairs, etc. A good idea, but it made their section of the parade lag behind the preceding float. I walked really fast the whole way because I don't like gaps in parades, so every once in a while I had to stop and wait for everyone to catch up.

I haven't heard all the details, but there were at least two injuries in today's parade. One girl fell off her float and the trailer ran over her. Then, the driver tried to back up and ran over her again. A spectator, who happened to be a friend of mine from our church, ran over and pulled her out so they wouldn't run over her again, making the injuries worse. How horrifying for all those little kids to see!
The other injury apparently involved a little kid getting hit by a car when he ran out to get some candy.
If you think about it, it's surprising that more of these types of injuries don't happen. People are always running up to trucks and jumping on and off, and all the spectators naturally creep closer and closer to the actual parade as they try to catch candy and see what floats are coming next.
Today was a beautiful day for a parade, so there were more spectators than I have ever seen at a parade. It was pretty cool to see so many locals out to support this event.

This week I was on my own for most of the week while Tim was out of town for work. We had a good time. I enjoy not having to cook and it's kind of nice knowing that I can just do things my own way. One night we went to McDonald's so Ethan would have a place to play. Another night I made eggs and toast, another night grilled cheese, and then we went to McDonald's again on Wednesday with my friend Mandy. I had salads both times, even though I love french fries. I'm trying to stay healthy! It can be so hard!
Ethan was so good all week. He loves to help and he's been a really good listener. I like hanging out with him. He often pulls up a chair for me at his little table in our kitchen so we can color or play playdough together. We also love to read books together on the couch. It's taken us a while to get our system down now that we have a baby around. I secretly admit to myself that sometimes I miss just having time with just Ethan and me. We did lots of things together before Kate came around. BUT, if Kate is sleeping in her crib or carseat, all of a sudden Ethan will wonder out loud, "Baby? Baby?" I'll point out where she is and he gets a big smile on his face, comforted that his baby is still with us. Wow--that actually is pretty cool. I can't imagine life without sweet Kate.

Check out these chubby, rosy cheeks!