Summertime

We've had such a full summer, it's hard to know where to begin recapturing it for the ol' blog.

Okay, here we go...  (I'd add photos, but I've had trouble uploading photos...Boo.)

The end of May/beginning of June, I think I was in a funk.  School had just ended & my aunt had passed away from a lengthy battle with cancer.  Even though I was able to celebrate my birthday & have fun moments with family/friends here and there, there was still a looming sadness.  Not depression, just normal grief.  It's challenging to adjust to new normals.  Thankfully, I've emerged from the funk & summer has been action-packed & a delightful time with family & friends.

Family Visits
Shortly after the night out with the wall/funnel clouds (see previous post), my mom & Grandma H. came for a visit.  We had the best time having them here!  First of all, my grandma is hilarious!  Not in a Boy, Grandma is a little crazy and we have to laugh behind her back, kind of hilarious.  Quite the opposite!  She is genuinely a funny gal & I love laughing with her.  She can come up with a saying for just about anything; you have to listen for it.  I hope I'm that much fun at 80.  I forget she's 80.   

Speaking of sayings...Mom shared one that makes me laugh whenever I hear it, now.  When she was a little girl, she was talkative.  She would often ask her dad, "What's that?"  His answer:  "Cat fur, to make kitten britches.  Do you want the first pair?"  It's okay.  Give it a minute.  If you knew my grandpa, you could totally picture him saying this.  He was a quiet man, but could slip in a phrase at just the right moment.  Hey, that's just like Grandma.  ;)  Anyway, I keep meaning to try out the kitten phrase on my boys, just so I can see a puzzled look on their faces.  Kitten britches?!  Heehee!

Mom, Grandma, the boys, & I spent one afternoon in a nearby small town...enjoying the bounty at the Breadbasket restaurant & checking out the quaint, Main Street shops.  Breadbasket pie is yummy to the tenth power & I scored two, cute hats at a sweet lil' store.  Side note:  I currently enjoy wearing hats.  :)

Kids' Kamp (a.k.a. VBS)! 
Boys loved it & they were able to bring along some friends; one friend asked if he could have Jesus in his heart, too.  Really special!  Volunteer-wise, I was one of the snack ladies.  (This is not to be confused with the lunch lady, from Adam Sandler's Lunch Lady Land song. No hair nets were worn, & we did not, I repeat, we did not serve sloppy joes.)  I naively thought handing out snacks would be a relaxing job.  Uh, no.  Thanks to one of the veteran snack gals, I learned there is definitely an art to preparing & serving food/juice boxes to 150+ hungry, VBS kids.  Day 1 was a bit chaotic, but my two snack partners & I found a method in the madness, as the week progressed.  One of my favorite things:  Listening to the preschoolers try to say their verses, during snack times.  Cute...sweet...funny!

Big Cedar
For my parents' 40th anniversary, which was in May, we traveled to Branson, Mo.  My parents, my brother's family, & my little fam of four stayed at Big Cedar lodge.  N-I-C-E!!  We played a round of mini-golf, we shared meals, & we took advantage of the nearby pool EVERY day.  One 80-some degree day, we spent eight hours at Silver Dollar City. 

Hmm...That was possibly the last 80-something degree day I have in recent memory.  Sad.  :( 

My 2yr. old niece was a rock star, to endure that long at a theme park.  She only had one meltdown, because she saw most of us riding giant swings that she wasn't tall enough to ride.  It's sad, when you're two & can't ride on a swing...especially if you see your Mommy on a swing.  I can see why that didn't make any sense to her.  Good thing we found those toddler-friendly, hippity-hoppity frogs soon after that ride. 

L rode his very first "big" rollar coaster:  The THUNDERATION!  Toward the end of the ride, the cars start to slowly...crank...up...a...big...hill.  And, we all know what typically follows a big hill.  I looked behind me a few cars, to where L was sitting with Chad.  To say L had a look of terror on his face is an understatement.  I felt so bad for him.  We were all strapped in & he was just going to have to helplessly endure "the other side".  Thankfully...and I do mean THANKFULLY, it was a fake-out.  After reaching the top of the hill, there was only a super tiny drop.  The good news is that L wasn't scarred for life and he bravely rode the coaster three times in a row!  He was so excited & proud!  We basically closed down Silver Dollar City & then enjoyed a fashionably late dinner, at the lodge.

My brother, sis-in-law (Sis), Chad & I hiked Dogwood Canyon.  Bea-u-ti-ful!  The photo at the top of my blog is from our hike.  All in all, a good time was had by all!  Thanks, Mom & Dad, for a fun week!!  We love you!

Little Cedar
We left Big Cedar & headed directly to "Little Cedar".  My grandparents live on the Cedar street.  :)  The boys stayed a couple of days with them, while Chad & I traveled back home.  We went out on a date, to celebrate our 12th anniversary, while the boys enjoyed being spoiled by Granny & Grandpa Bob.  Happiness. 

4th of July Weekend
We traveled back to "Little Cedar," to pick up the boys.  Before leaving, we celebrated the 4th with lots of family!!  Our family likes to blow up fireworks, especially out on my uncle's land.  Lots of delicious food, good laughs, swimming, kids playing in the rain, a double rainbow, fireworks, hula hooping,etc.  July 5th:  More family, more food & horseback riding for the kids.  Festus, my Aunt Brenda's former barrel racing horse (now close to 30yrs. old), gave rides around the arena.      

Summer Fun
The rest of our summer has included trips to the Y, a pro baseball game, T-ball & baseball games, a week of classes at our local zoo, occasional horseback riding lessons, & two weeks of swimming lessons.  The boys met their summer reading goals, at the library & they earned fun prizes. 

If we aren't at the Y pool (where L is now tall enough to go down the slides) or my in-law's pool, you can find us at our good friends' neighborhood pool.  It's relaxing there & not overly crowded.  Most of the kids spend a majority of time in the deep end, now.  So, the grown ups have taken to diving/jumping off the board, as well.  I don't dive.  My speciality is a jumping twist.  While they think I'm cool now, there's no doubt my twist will embarrass them, in the future.  

Summer Oven
It's hot, this summer.  Super, to the millionth degree, to infinity & beyond H-O-T!!  I now consider 90's as something of a cool front.  It would be refreshing to be 95.  Yes, refreshing.  We've had 32 days of 100+ degree weather.  Today, it was 110.  That isn't heat index; that is real, live degrees.  Factor in the heat index, and well...you can imagine.  It's hot, this summer.     

ABC...Easy as 1-2-3
School.  It's just around the corner.  Three weeks from today!  I'll have a second grader & a kindergartner!!  It's sad to think that their baby/toddler/preschool days are behind them.  However, I'm really excited for them & feel joy, at the same time.  J is ready for big kid school & the boys will both have wonderful teachers.  We already have most of the necessary school supplies...except those PRANG watercolors.  As a former teacher, I get it:  Prang is absolutely the best!  Loved teaching art with reliable ol' Prang watercolors.  I just never realized how hard they were to find.  People must swoop in like vultures, when those puppies hit the (very limited) store shelves.  Wow, and I thought I went shopping early. 
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A few weeks of summer remain, but this is the scoop so far.  I'm sure I've forgotten to include some details, but tried to recall as much as possible.  Hope you're savoring your summer moments with those you love.