It is Last Day of School Eve at our house and as you can imagine excitement is high. So as I ride a wave of adrenaline (or is it a wave of anxiety?), let me present tonight’s five topics…

Happy Father’s Day – I thought the most appropriate way to begin tonight’s rundown was by recognizing a special man. My dad is supportive, kind, helpful, and empathetic. He also happens to be the best grandpa. It is not lost on me that I grew up with the perfect male role model in my own house and I am so thankful. I also want to give a shout out to my brother, Glen, who is celebrating his first Father’s Day after becoming a dad last month. Welcome to the club, bro!

Happy Father’s Day to my brother and dad!

Tanghulu – Earlier this week, we tried another TikTok trend when we made Tanghulu. For those who don’t know, Tanghulu is a Chinese candied fruit treat. You choose your favorite fruit and coat it in a hot sugary film and then submerge it in an ice bath. The film hardens and when you bite into the fruit you should be able to enjoy a satisfying, crunchy, sweet experience. Only it didn’t work for us. We burned the film and it ruined everything. Add this to our TikTok Fail Hall of Shame.

Tanghulu was a failure.

Honeymoon Reminiscing – On this date eight years ago, Sid and I departed to Cancun for our honeymoon. That trip provided us with a lifetime of memories and sometimes, if I put my mind to it, I can close my eyes and transport back to our resort. To this day, Sidney and I still reminisce about the special time we had and one of these days (our 10th anniversary is coming up in a couple years 😂) we would like to go back. This is the blog post I wrote about our honeymoon.

Our honeymoon was fantastic.

Here Come the Balloons – Last Friday, I brought Sloan and Beau to the YMCA Healthy Kids Day event at the Spokane Valley facility. It was an evening filled with free activities, food, and games. Also on-hand were numerous vendors and friends of the community. One particular vendor was Glenn, a local balloon artist. He donated his time and talent to make balloon creations for the children in attendance. When the event ended at 7:30 p.m., Beau and Sloan were at the very end of a 15-kid-deep line. As all the other vendors packed up and left the facility by 7:45 p.m., Glenn stayed in his spot and made balloons for every single kid still waiting, including Sloan and Beau. By the time he finished at well past 8 p.m., the gym was completely empty and the organizer was basically pushing him out the door. If you are throwing a birthday party in the Spokane area, consider hiring this extremely kind man. His business is called ABS Balloons.

Much gratitude to Glenn from ABS Balloons for staying way after the Spokane YMCA Healthy Kids Day event to make balloons for my kids.

Off the Mark – I thought this one was too cute. Although I do enjoy the refreshing taste of a pina colada, I am in no rush to sample koala, even if it does come in a fresh pita.

Does your sense of humor mesh with my sense of humor?

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That will do it for my latest rundown. Let’s pray for all students finishing up the school year. May they retain the knowledge learned, value the friendships made, and prepare for a safe/fruitful summer. Don’t Blink.