Jazz Fest '08

I know too much time has passed. When the time gets away, it is harder to sit down and recall with any sense that you're holding the attention of anyone reading, but I'm going to try. Last weekend we went over to Sioux Falls for the Jazz Festival. My social calendar hasn't been so full in a long time. I had a very fun time with my husband and children on Friday night. We had arrived in Sioux Falls at about 4 p.m., I think. We checked into our hotel, let the kids jump in the pool, grabbed some dinner at the Cracker Barrel, then headed over to the show. The kids had a lot of fun watching the crowds and enjoying the music. John took the kids up close to dance around a bit and Gertie came back reporting that she "stood in line" with Dad for a while. We were there until midnight. It was way too late, but well worth it.

We switched hotels the next day. We found one with a water park that was very reasonably priced. We checked in just in time for Gertie to take a very long and much needed nap, and the kids put on their suits and swam all afternoon.



My best friend from high school brought a couple of her boys over and we got to sit by the pool and watch them run around and go down the slides as we caught up with each other. It was so fun to see her and her kids. Her son Jacob is starting to look so much like her.

And then after we ate some dinner together, John and I took our kids back over to Jazz Fest again for another dose. We were going to meet Ethan's great friend from school that had moved away a couple (boy, does time fly) years ago. He was so excited to see Marisa, and I loved watching them meet up again. They looked like they wanted to give each other a big hug, but they restrained themselves. They had a good time catching up while we got to visit (as much as you can while music is blaring) with her parents. It was good to see them again. We were up and down and over there and back again so much that the time flew by and it was time to get home before I knew it. There was no room for another midnight journey home again.