Catching up time...a trip to Iowa with Robert and Matthew's graduation from Middle School

I know...it has been quite a while since I have written. It has been a very busy few weeks. Last time I posted, I was getting ready to leave for Dubuque, Iowa with my older son, Robert. He was invited to attend the USHL main camp for the junior hockey team called the Dubuque Fighting Saints. On the evening of June 4, Robert and took a red-eye from San Francisco to Dubuque, Iowa - departing at 11:54pm and landing in Dubuque at 10am the next day (note: Iowa is 2 hours later than California). 

Upon arrival at the little, teeny, tiny airport, we collected our luggage, got our rental car and proceeded right to the hotel to check in and go to bed for awhile. But only a while mind you because Robert needed to get a bite to eat and then go to the hockey rink to participate in an optional skate lead by the coach of the Fighting Saints. The next couple of days, Robert played 4 hockey games in front of the coaching staff and evaluators for the Fighting Saints. There were a total of 160 players there "trying out" for spots on the USHL team. Unfortunately, Robert didn't make the All-Star team, but he did have a good showing at the camp.

The weekend was filled with lots of hockey, lots of eating and lots of sleeping...the typical hockey weekend :) However, many times while Robert was napping, I took that opportunity to walk around downtown Dubuque.

The downtown area had some wonderful houses to look at:

There were also some really neat buildings:

In addition to buildings and houses, there were these turtles around the downtown area...

 The turtles were part of a fund raising project for the National Mississippi Museum and Aquarium that was located a few blocks from our hotel...right on the Mississippi River. They just opened up a turtle exhibit. On the last day of our trip, when Robert was done with the hockey camp, he and I decided to go to the Aquarium and take a look at the turtles...

 as well as check out the museum...

Here I am posing with Mark Twain, who is reading to me about Tom Sawyer :)

It was a great weekend! I had a lot of fun "hanging out" with my older son. It hit me, as I was with him, that times like this are priceless for in a little over a year he will be going away to college or playing for a jr hockey team. Hard to believe.

And speaking of time "marching on"...my younger son, Matthew, was just "promoted" from middle school and will be attending high school next year. Last week was the last week of school, which ended with the promotion ceremony. My parents were visiting from Minnesota and were able to see Matthew receive his certificate of completion from middle school and go out to dinner to celebrate.

Steve, Me, My Father and Mother...sitting down is Robert (older son) and Matthew (younger son). The restaurant we were at gave Matthew a scoop of raspberry sorbet with a candle in honor of his promotion. 

Well, with all the activities going on, I really haven't found much time to sit my duff down and stitch. Hopefully the needle will soon find its way to my hand and I will find time to put some X's in The Monthly Sampler!

Thanks for dropping by! Until next time...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!
Lisa