I think Friday was the last cool day we are going to have for awhile but I was so exhausted from my day at work that I think all of us were in bed by nine.

We took the boys on an early morning bike ride to the park on Saturday. We've talked of doing this for months but there always seems to be an excuse not to do it. I even bought a child bike seat for both the back and front of Frank's bike as he's the experienced Nederlander bike connoisseur. 

I have no idea why Frank looks SO happy:) I think he was trying to get both boys to just look at me and smile at the same time. We achieved only one. More practice needed.

We took them to the park and let them play. The short bike ride revealed to me my very out-of-shapedness. *I* need more practice. The ride home was more downhill and infinitely easier.

An early afternoon phone call with my beloved cousin was a bit sad. Found out she is getting a divorce though this has been awhile in the making. Her husband has been living and working in south Texas since he hadn't been able to find or keep a steady job around here for the last few years. Liz has been "doing it all" for some time now and wanted to make sure Rob would be keeping his job before uprooting herself and their three sons to go to a place with no family and friends nearby. She found out in a roundabout way (i.e. he told his company he'd sign on for at least another year without consulting his wife in the least) that he'd met someone else. I know she'll be fine and I can only hope for all of them that the divorce will be quick and bloodless...but still, I had somber thoughts all afternoon for her. Been there, done that. Know the world of pain she'll be delving into even if she has been anticipating this for some time.

Made date night with my husband particularly poignant. We are trying not to spend scads of money but still managed to drop two hundred bucks on a nice meal at a trendy bistro called Salt. We sat at a cute outdoor table on orange plastic chairs and had rare beef and halibut and a yummy cheese plate with overly generous  glasses of pinot noir and a slice of lemon lime cheesecake for dessert. We took a long walk on Grand View Drive looking at the posh houses and admiring the surprisingly elegant view of Peoria Lake from up high as it peeked through the hilly trees. I think we were both appreciating each other.

"You have lucked out  with your choice of spouse in that I am loyal to a fault, " he told me when we discussed Liz's news and discussed our mutual dismay and our own potential for "what if"...

I looked at him steadily and refrained from raising my eyebrows.

He took my hand and kissed it and looked back at me just as steadily. "Really, " he repeated.

I can only believe him.