The Summer of ...
Dear Friend overseas,
I haven't been too good at keeping in touch, and I apologize for that. But you know how summer gets around here! Let me catch you up on the month of August at least. I have to do that before I can post back-to-school pictures.
The Cousins came to town. We're naming this summer the Summer of the Cousins. In July as I posted earlier, my kids got to hang out with all their paternal cousins - which hasn't happened ...ever. In August we had cousins come to stay at our place. Which involved the necessary trip to the Oregon coast, since it was in the triple digits at home! What a beautiful day it was too! No wind, warm and just about perfect.
It also included the traditional damming-of-a-river. Some of them worked hard at it.
We had the traditional fare at Mo's restaurant and ended the day with ice cream. We also spent one of the hot afternoons at a local aquatic center. I got up the courage to go down the big twisty slide, but no way was I jumping off the diving board like the rest of them did!
Earlier in the year we had signed up 3 of the girls for ballet camp. It turned out that ballet would happen during the week the cousins visited. But we made it work. They only missed one day of camp, and the aunt and uncle got to see their nieces dance. After the first day of camp the girls came home pretty sore. It helped us realize just what kind of shape we are in, and just how good of a shape their teacher is in!
There were the customary swim lessons this summer. We had 2 weeks before our July road trip, and then squeezed another week in this month, the girls worked hard to advance a level this summer - especially Little K. It seemed like she had been stuck in level 2 for a few summers, and then as we spent more time in pools especially on our road trip, the motions clicked. She still isn't thrilled with her face in the water, but I told her, she swims better now than I do.
Cross country practice picked up this month. The two high school girls are running for the team this year. It's a smaller team - only 3 boys so far; but it's packed with talent and potential. I know our Girl who Swims and Runs really wants to meet her goal of making it to State. She's gone in Swim, and Track, and now to just make this sport... Every week there is a local running group that puts on all-comers cross country meets in the park, so our team goes to that and competes, along with many other teams and also the general public. So we've had a picnic in the park while watching the runners. This prompted me to do some more picnics for suppertime. There was that one weekend when just the two youngest kids were home, so the Mr and I got Chinese takeout and took the girls out to the park to picnic and play. Gotta love that about summer around here.
Along with running, my aunt has been a driving force in my running routine, along with my husband. My husband works out nearly every single day and has lost about 3 inches from around his middle. My aunt has been walking/jogging, and in the beginning we texted each other for accountability. Knowing she was out there made me get myself out there. Now today ... I didn't go. I'm telling you, it's so easy to find excuses when you know there's no one checking in on you. Well, the Mr and I and our Girl who Swims and Runs, did a 5K this summer, along with my aunt and .. dare I claim them .. cousins,
and a whole bunch of friends. It was a great time, literally and figuratively. We all had fun, and my girl placed 2nd in Females Overall! Woot woot!
I also had a birthday this month. My daughter surprised me with the most amazing chocolate peanut butter cake. She knows how to get on my good side! The Mr and I came home from a night out that the company hosted ((the wives got to paint a picture, the employees got to sit in a meeting, and then we all had a lovely dinner)). It smelled like brownies when we got home, so I was asking her what she had made herself to eat ((none of the other kids were home that night either)). Of course I believed her when she told me she made salsa and quesadillas, and really connecting how that might smell like brownies. Well, she was so excited about the cake that she gave it to me early. Oh my! It was amazing. Made from scratch, with lactose-free milk since I can't do lactose, and I could've eaten the whole thing. I shared though! But I made her find the recipe again and printed it out, because I just know I am going to be craving that cake again.
Yes, the other kids remembered my birthday too. Dad helped of course, and I got some new earrings and ... pepper spray. My girl is so sweet. I had been talking of getting a conceal and carry permit, but since she couldn't really help me with that, she had her big brother take her to the store, and they bought pepper spray for me instead.
But on the day of the eclipse we were able to stay home. We shared the experience, and it was an amazing experience, with our neighbors next door. It was so fun to watch the progression of the eclipse, and to feel the temperature drop, at what seemed a sudden rate. And then the lighting got dimmer and dimmer. And then we were able to take off those special glasses for just a minute and look up and see the sun eclipsed by the moon. Truly awe-inspiring. It was also pretty great to hear all the neighbors around us, up and down the street, and their expressions of awe and joy as the eclipse occurred. We had visitors staying with us that weekend. 3 girls, who we had never met actually, but we had a tenuous mutual connection, needed a safe place to stay for the eclipse weekend. They flew out from back east, arrived at our door late Sunday night, enjoyed the eclipse and then took off for Portland. I'm not sure how their driving experience was, but they made it back Monday night without incident. Then they were off early Tuesday morning to head home. They were very sweet girls too. I'm glad we were able to give them a place to crash.
Besides cross country keeping the two older girls busy, they also volunteered to help be junior counselors at a church camp for a week. This meant leaving the house by 7:15 am each day, wrangling kids until 4 pm each afternoon, coming home for about 45 minutes before they were out the door again for cross country. And they did it each day with a smile, or at least not frowning. They enjoyed it too! Miss M said she can hardly wait to go back next summer, and she eventually wants to be a senior counselor there.
In the midst of all these goings-on, the Boy has been working part time at the church. When the car broke down I had to do some creative strategizing to getting people where they needed at the right time. It seemed like our car was in the shop more than out of it this summer.
This last week of summer vacation, before school starts in 5 days ... we've been trying to pack the schedule with fun. We spent an afternoon at the state fair with the kids. When I was younger I remember asking my mom why we never went to the state fair. Now I understand. We were fortunate to get all of us in for a discount - they have some great deals on certain days, and we had enough for a ride and a special ice cream treat.
The next night the Mr and I went back on a date, and got to see Josh Turner in concert there. Two for one tickets that I got earlier in the month meant we got to see the concert for $2.50 a piece. I love date night savings!
Also this week we had a Movie Night for one of the girls. She printed out invitations and had a dozen of her friends over for snacks and a showing of "Sing" in our front yard. We put up a screen across the garage door, dragged out the blankets and bean bags, popped a bunch of popcorn and set out snacks and drinks ... and the girls devoured just about everything. I was sitting to the side with my older two girls and we were having a little dance arty over there. Have you seen the movie? It's hard not to dance to it. But none of the younger girls were moving or anything. I think they are now at the age when it's too embarrassing to do something different than what your friend is doing, which at that pint was sitting there. Or else maybe they were actually trying to watch the movie.
And we finish up the month with a make-up party. I forgot to sneak pictures of the girls, but you can imagine - we had 5 young ladies around the table learning how to put on make-up and what colors to use. It was fun for me to watch them all bloom right there. Not that a young lady needs make-up to be pretty, but it enhanced their already gorgeous looks. I know my Miss M missing her best friend overseas, but I'm glad to see her making better friendships with the girls around here.
And with that my friend, we are done with August. We're charging full steam ahead in September - football games, cross country meets, a wedding or two on the same day ... and that's just the next two days. We miss you and hope you are having as much fun as we are!
I haven't been too good at keeping in touch, and I apologize for that. But you know how summer gets around here! Let me catch you up on the month of August at least. I have to do that before I can post back-to-school pictures.
The Cousins came to town. We're naming this summer the Summer of the Cousins. In July as I posted earlier, my kids got to hang out with all their paternal cousins - which hasn't happened ...ever. In August we had cousins come to stay at our place. Which involved the necessary trip to the Oregon coast, since it was in the triple digits at home! What a beautiful day it was too! No wind, warm and just about perfect.
Earlier in the year we had signed up 3 of the girls for ballet camp. It turned out that ballet would happen during the week the cousins visited. But we made it work. They only missed one day of camp, and the aunt and uncle got to see their nieces dance. After the first day of camp the girls came home pretty sore. It helped us realize just what kind of shape we are in, and just how good of a shape their teacher is in!
There were the customary swim lessons this summer. We had 2 weeks before our July road trip, and then squeezed another week in this month, the girls worked hard to advance a level this summer - especially Little K. It seemed like she had been stuck in level 2 for a few summers, and then as we spent more time in pools especially on our road trip, the motions clicked. She still isn't thrilled with her face in the water, but I told her, she swims better now than I do.
Cross country practice picked up this month. The two high school girls are running for the team this year. It's a smaller team - only 3 boys so far; but it's packed with talent and potential. I know our Girl who Swims and Runs really wants to meet her goal of making it to State. She's gone in Swim, and Track, and now to just make this sport... Every week there is a local running group that puts on all-comers cross country meets in the park, so our team goes to that and competes, along with many other teams and also the general public. So we've had a picnic in the park while watching the runners. This prompted me to do some more picnics for suppertime. There was that one weekend when just the two youngest kids were home, so the Mr and I got Chinese takeout and took the girls out to the park to picnic and play. Gotta love that about summer around here.
Along with running, my aunt has been a driving force in my running routine, along with my husband. My husband works out nearly every single day and has lost about 3 inches from around his middle. My aunt has been walking/jogging, and in the beginning we texted each other for accountability. Knowing she was out there made me get myself out there. Now today ... I didn't go. I'm telling you, it's so easy to find excuses when you know there's no one checking in on you. Well, the Mr and I and our Girl who Swims and Runs, did a 5K this summer, along with my aunt and .. dare I claim them .. cousins,
I also had a birthday this month. My daughter surprised me with the most amazing chocolate peanut butter cake. She knows how to get on my good side! The Mr and I came home from a night out that the company hosted ((the wives got to paint a picture, the employees got to sit in a meeting, and then we all had a lovely dinner)). It smelled like brownies when we got home, so I was asking her what she had made herself to eat ((none of the other kids were home that night either)). Of course I believed her when she told me she made salsa and quesadillas, and really connecting how that might smell like brownies. Well, she was so excited about the cake that she gave it to me early. Oh my! It was amazing. Made from scratch, with lactose-free milk since I can't do lactose, and I could've eaten the whole thing. I shared though! But I made her find the recipe again and printed it out, because I just know I am going to be craving that cake again.
Yes, the other kids remembered my birthday too. Dad helped of course, and I got some new earrings and ... pepper spray. My girl is so sweet. I had been talking of getting a conceal and carry permit, but since she couldn't really help me with that, she had her big brother take her to the store, and they bought pepper spray for me instead.
The day after my birthday was a grand event the whole state, the whole country, made the whole world although I doubt that) had been waiting for. The Eclipse. The media around us made it sound like the end was coming - we were urged to stay home, stock up on gas, water, groceries, medicine, etc. And I did somewhat. We did drive somewhere on the day before - out to the farm to see family who stayed overnight there, and to visit with everyone, and enjoy more birthday cake.
Besides cross country keeping the two older girls busy, they also volunteered to help be junior counselors at a church camp for a week. This meant leaving the house by 7:15 am each day, wrangling kids until 4 pm each afternoon, coming home for about 45 minutes before they were out the door again for cross country. And they did it each day with a smile, or at least not frowning. They enjoyed it too! Miss M said she can hardly wait to go back next summer, and she eventually wants to be a senior counselor there.
In the midst of all these goings-on, the Boy has been working part time at the church. When the car broke down I had to do some creative strategizing to getting people where they needed at the right time. It seemed like our car was in the shop more than out of it this summer.
This last week of summer vacation, before school starts in 5 days ... we've been trying to pack the schedule with fun. We spent an afternoon at the state fair with the kids. When I was younger I remember asking my mom why we never went to the state fair. Now I understand. We were fortunate to get all of us in for a discount - they have some great deals on certain days, and we had enough for a ride and a special ice cream treat.
Also this week we had a Movie Night for one of the girls. She printed out invitations and had a dozen of her friends over for snacks and a showing of "Sing" in our front yard. We put up a screen across the garage door, dragged out the blankets and bean bags, popped a bunch of popcorn and set out snacks and drinks ... and the girls devoured just about everything. I was sitting to the side with my older two girls and we were having a little dance arty over there. Have you seen the movie? It's hard not to dance to it. But none of the younger girls were moving or anything. I think they are now at the age when it's too embarrassing to do something different than what your friend is doing, which at that pint was sitting there. Or else maybe they were actually trying to watch the movie.
And with that my friend, we are done with August. We're charging full steam ahead in September - football games, cross country meets, a wedding or two on the same day ... and that's just the next two days. We miss you and hope you are having as much fun as we are!
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