Greetings and Happy Father’s Day! I hope you all get to enjoy some time celebrating the important men in your life today.

I saw my dad a couple weeks ago, and I’m excited to spend some more time with him in Maine next month. We will be heading up in just a few weeks for a family vacation. My parents have a place on a lake not too far from Acadia National Park, and all of my mom’s siblings also have camps on the same lake, so it will be fun to see all of them as well.

People are always a little confused when I start throwing the term “camp” around. It’s not a campground, and we aren’t going camping. In Maine speak, a camp is basically a house on a lake. It doesn’t matter if it’s a rustic summer cabin or a luxurious year-round vacation home… if it’s on a lake, it’s a camp. It’s quite common to have a camp on a lake if you live in Maine; if you don’t own one, you most likely have a friend or family member who does.

Anyway! I remember when my grandparents purchased the one that my parents own today. I was in college at the time, and it was such a novelty to visit them and get to go to camp. It’s a special place to all of us because it carries so many family memories, and we’re all looking forward to our trip.

As for Paul, he got a smoker for Father’s Day this year. Or, more accurately, Father’s Day was an excuse for him to get the smoker that he was probably going to get anyway, lol. He’s been talking about them and researching for a while, so I finally told him to go for it.

Not that he needs my permission, but the main issue was where it’s going to go. I’m not thrilled about adding another large grill to our outdoor space, but I’m going to go with it because we all love barbecue, and it’s one less thing for me to cook.

Speaking of not having to cook, we went out to dinner the past two nights in a row, which was great, but now I feel like I need a detox. For whatever reason, when we eat out, I tend to eat way too much. It’s like my portion control goes right out the window.

We tried a new Greek restaurant (Avlos, for the locals) on Friday night, and we took R along. C had to work, and D declined to accompany us, but R always enjoys trying new things. We enjoyed it, but it wasn’t quite as good as we were hoping.

Plus, it was a beautiful night, but we couldn’t get a table outside, so we ended up in the back, and it was dark and kind of gloomy. It would be cozy in the winter, but on a nice summer night, I would have preferred to be outside. But anyway! It was fun to try something new, and if we go back on a weekend, I’ll know to call sooner for a reservation.

Then last night, Paul and I met friends for drinks and then went to eat at a new spot — to me, anyway. It’s been around for a while. An old friend of ours owns it, but he wasn’t there, unfortunately. Anyway, the food was AMAZING. It was kind of upscale bar food, and the vibe was super casual and cool. We’ll definitely go back. It’s La Cabre in Berwyn, for any of you locals out there.

So with all that eating out, we’re staying home today. I’ve got some pulled pork I’m going to defrost, and it’s shaping up to be a nice pool day, so we’ll probably spend most of our afternoon being lazy in the backyard. I want to finish my book, and maybe even get a nap.

Well, it’s time for me to get ready for church, so I’ll have to cut this off. I hope you all have a restful and blessed Sunday, and a very happy Father’s Day!