Soggy Summer Camp

North Park in the fall feels a lot like summer camp to me. As I walk around campus at dusk, I hear some of the kids yelling down from dorm or apartment windows to friends below. Two nights ago, a couple guys were on their front stairs playing guitar and singing. And, due to last weekend's flooding, I also see co-eds with their shower baskets traversing campus to the rec building to shower with hot water.

To fill you in, North Park's campus was deluged with water from the North Branch of the Chicago River last weekend after more than eight inches of rain in less than two days. We got back from Minnesota on Sunday night, after criss-crossing back roads to get to campus due to flooding on the main streets. Dan then went to look at the river which was just under the bridge connecting the two sides of campus.

Several of the buildings were evacuated due to flooding or potential safety concerns with water near energy sources.

After two days, the dorms were again open, but the co-eds had to endure cold showers. The school's main dining hall for the undergrads is still closed because the basement was filled with eight feet of water.

The wedding weekend in Minnesota was good, but very busy. Dan was the officiant and Annika and Lauren two of the flower girls. When I get some pics, I'll attach them. We really didn't have time to take any. You can go to davidnewellphotography.com, click on Shop Photos, and choose Jessica and Andrew. Plenty of family pics there.

All six of us are getting over colds which we always seem to get in Minnesota. We just line the girls all up and give them squirts of kiddie tylenol. Anyway, enough for now. Below are some more cute kid quotes.

**9/08
Sometime before Uncle Andrew’s wedding, Annika asked when he and Aunt Jessica were going to have a baby. I told her they couldn’t have a baby until after they were married. Then I asked her how long she thought it would take for them to have a baby: “Um, about seven days, I think.”
**
9/16/08
Lauren, pointing at the blond doll on the cover of Barbie’s Swan Lake DVD: “That’s me when I was a Barbie.”

Annika, after catching the bouquet at Uncle Andrew’s wedding: “I get to get married now! Mommy, can we bring this back to Chicago so I can remember to get married?”

Annika, after getting a new haircut and Daddy commenting that she looked older: “Mommy, how old do I look? 15? 17?” She was pretty excited when I told her she looked at least six.

Lauren: “Mommy, when you were little, were you my size?”

9/17/08
Annika, when asking Mommy to wipe her bum: “I don’t know how to yet. Only when I’m 17.”

9/18/08
Annika, when asked if she thought she’d ever get to Disney World again: “When I’m a mom, I’ll let my kids go whenever they want to.” When we told her it would cost at least $1000, we also asked if she thought her husband would have any money left. “At least seven dollars.”