Oh Summer, How I Have Loved Thee

As my faithful followers may have noticed, my blog took a "summer vacation" of it's own. So here is our entire summer packed into one Post!

First job of the summer is to take off the pool cover. The youngest is still excited about this task and even invited a friend to help scrub it off with degreaser. The oldest three are SO BEYOND this! After the scrubbing then it's a sprint to the pool to be the first one to jump into the 65 degree water. After your breath returns to your lungs, your skin turns pink again.

Our annual Sunday School Campout was a blast, as usual. This year I took a bunch of Minute To Win It games for a "trial run". I'd like to do something similar for recreation at the Youth Convention next summer, but might call it Win It In A Menno-Minute. In the next picture one of the big kids is trying to get the lamp shade, that's tied to a fishing pole, onto his head. Each year when I look at pictures from campout, I can't believe how fast our kids are growing up! Remember when they were all just little tots and we spent our whole weekend just chasing them around? Now we are just lucky to have them join us around the campfire that we sit at alllll day long!

Ahhhh .... Colorado Vacation! At the end of June we snuck in a quick 5 day trip to Colorado with Abbi & Kevin. Things are different now with Alli & Mitch "all grown up" with real jobs. Our complete family vacations are likely rare in the future.

When I was working on this post I realized that I hadn't posted about this awesome trip! I plan to do that yet, because we have so many pictures and memories.

Obviously, here we are freezing on top of Pikes Peak. Reminds me of a really old picture of my family, when I was about 5, standing in front of a real similar sign.

Abbi filled 4 weeks of her summer with various volleyball camps! She loves the sport, and I confess I love that she loves the sport! Especially in the fall when it's 50 degrees and raining out at the soccer field and I'm sitting in a warm gym.

HOWEVER ... I am trying to convince her to find other interests too ... like feeding her animals that she loved just a few short months ago and playing some basketball.

Abbi is now taller then I am by a few inches and I am officially the shortest in the family! But I'm also the most powerful, if you know what I mean!

OK folks, now this next picture ranks right up there with my most favorite event of the summer ...

I had the privilege of joining a gathering of my old (not really "old", just from the past) elementary friends. I went to a very small private school through eighth grade and spent all of those years as one of seven girls in our class. One lives in Ohio and didn't join us. When I went to a different high school, these girls still hung out together and made memories. They still get together occasionally and they were kind enough to invite me to their gathering this summer.

These fine ladies are all grown up now, but we still know how to laugh and have a good time!
What a blast to reminisce and just to be together! Thanks friends, for inviting me!

Of course we raised a barn full of chickens and rabbits again! Abbi raised Bantams for the first time, and later this summer one of those pretty little chickens actually sat on her eggs and hatched these cute little chicks! Sad to say, not one of them survived. One died after a few days, two died at the mouth of the dog, and the other two just disappeared.

And then there was the Fair! Abbi showed 5 different chickens and one rabbit. She got honor ribbons with most of her chickens. Her rabbit was over-weight so just got a blue ribbon. We didn't even know they weighed rabbits. Now the rabbit is on a strict diet & excercise program with The Biggest Loser. Perhaps you've heard of it?

Kevin entered this real cool picture of the Air Force Monument/Museum (?) in Photography, and got an Honor ribbon.

August 2nd! The best day in any year! It's the day I married my Best Friend! This year we celebrated 24 years of wedded bliss and headed to New Buffalo, Michigan to this very cool motel for two nights.





A photo taken through my tears, out the window of a plane. That pretty much sums up a very sad trip that Dave & I took to Alaska to spend time with a good friend who's wife & stepdaughter were killed in a plane crash in August. We shared hugs, tears, and quiet conversation. We attended two heartbreaking Memorial Services of two people that we had never personally met, but who obviously were exceptional human beings. Our feet were in this beautiful state for exactly 31 hours, and we came home emotionally and physically exhausted. But it's a trip I would do again in a heartbeat, it was just sooo important that we be there for this dear man at such a sad and tragic time.

We had taken our kids to Alaska in 2002 for a week of traveling in a Class C Motorhome. Our friend spent a portion of that week with us, showing us the most beautiful scenery that you will ever hope to see. Our hope is that we can return again with our kids to lend more time & comfort, and also to see God's handiwork.

And now that our summer is over, I'm on to more projects ...

1. Ripping out a bunch of ground cover that is about to choke our home!
2. Lots of work to do for the Youth Convention next summer!

3. Following my kids around to tennis, soccer, & volleyball games!

4. Cleaning the pantry, and maybe cooking?

Happy Birthday To Me!

I had a birthday earlier this week ... so you might be wondering why I would want to celebrate with the "world" at my age? Well, let me tell you why ...

1. I have had so many life experiences that have made me who I am, so what good would it do to not embrace everything ... good & bad?

2. My patient and loving husband has been with me for 24 of those 46 years. I am in awe at the steadfastness of his love! I will be the first to admit that I have not always been the easiest person to live with, but of course there's always excuses ... I'm pregnant, I have PMS, I just spent the last overnight hours being up with a sick kid ... you get the idea, always excuses! I'm just looking forward to my soon to be revealed excuse .... hot flashes and mood swings! Woo Hoo! But the best of all is that he has promised to be with me in good times & bad, until death us do part! I love this man!

3. I have four wonderful kids that fill my life to the fullest! At this age I am able to enjoy meaningful conversation with all four most of the time. Of course there are still moments of "Huh?" (especially with the verbally-handicapped 16 year old. Too much texting, I say.)

On my birthday I spent a blissful 2 hours with my almost 23 year old, just sitting at the kitchen counter, just "being", and enjoying some conversation about our upcoming trip to Nicaragua for a wedding. Then a few hours later my second son stopped in to give me a birthday hug. There are no words to describe how it feels to have a child that I've spent years raising, who is now 20 and bigger than me, envelope me in his arms for a big old bear hug! It somehow feels so safe and is a major role-reversal. My 12 year old is becoming more independent at the speed of light, but there is also beauty in that. We can leave for an evening and not worry too much. And my 16 year old is following his dreams ... driving in a few months and flying small planes with an instructor.

4. Over the years I have managed to have repair surgery on torn tendons & ligaments on my left shoulder, right elbow & wrist, right knee, and plantar facitis (the old person foot pain). So at least 1/2 my body is like new and ready to take on even the most difficult tasks! I figure I've paid my dues when it comes to repair surgery, so I've got nothing to worry about in the future. What is there not too like about that?

I am enjoying life to the fullest, even at the age of 46! There is something wonderful about being comfortable with who I am and where I am. Are there things that I wish I could redo? Absolutely! But I choose not to dwell on those and just move on with a vow not to make the same mistakes twice. I've learned much, laughed a lot, and loved always! I plan to continue ...

Happy Birthday To Me!

Normal?

Yes, I think life is finally normal, as of today. It's been a strange summer and I at times wasn't sure of the who, what, when, and where! We had one college kid move back home, then travel all over the U.S. for a total of 6 weddings. Another college kid moved home, then moved out again, and he is now happily living independently and working at a job that he loves! A middle-schooler raised animals for the fair, lost a few, got a few ribbons, then sold some animals at auction for big bucks. Our high schooler began flying lessons. Now that was strange! He can't drive a vehicle yet, but has no problems taking to the skies! Dave & I made a 2 day trip to Alaska to attend two memorial services on the same day. A dear friend of ours lost his wife & stepdaughter in a plane accident. That alone, turned my world upside down for several weeks, and I spent much time just sorting out my emotions.

So TODAY I think things are normal! Mitch 1/2 buried the John Deere tractor in mud as he was "working the land" in preparation for deer season. Abbi is Miss Grumpy after having a few friends over for the night. Kevin played soccer late into the night and then was up bright & early for more soccer. Alli played a tennis match today and is once again having problems with her cell phone. Yup, that's pretty normal. Dave worked at work and then came home and worked on his ailing truck ... again. But the most normal of all would be me! I helped coach at a JV volleyball tournament today. Oh the normalcy of yelling and coaching and sitting on the edge of my seat!

Sorry about the lapse of Blog Posts, it has just been a real strange summer.