Final summer post

I am so happy and so sad!  School starts Monday.  We are both ready to start, but I'm sad that our summer will be over.  And that C will be in 5th grade!  He is growing up way too fast!

C and I celebrated "not-back-to-school"  Some of the public schools around here started August 1!  crazy!   Our particular public school started August 14, so that day we went out for breakfast.  Fun times!

School will be a little different this year.  I am not using strictly ABB.
It'll be more prep work for me, but I think in the long run it will be better for C

We have had unseasonably cool weather this summer (makes me fearful for winter).
C had pants and a sweatshirt on this day.  If I remember right, it was 54 that morning when we got up!

Since last time.......

So much has happened since my last post.  Sadly, I don't have pictures of most of those things!

Let's see......

C and I went to see Monster's University.  Cute movie.  I think it was better than the first.

C and I went swimming with his friend (and mom and sister).  This has been his little buddy at church since forever.  And they are moving to MI within the next 2 months.  Sad times!

Daddy took a Monday off work and we went to the fair.  We go to the fair for the food and not much else.  This year we did see a part of the fair that we had never seen before--not that it was terribly exciting.  But it wasn't food and it was new to us.

They had an awesome animated exhibit this year.  Lots of cool stuff!

This is the year of the popcorn for the fair.
In honor, they made the world's largest popcorn ball.

C started soccer practice.  This league is a step up from where he has played before.  They worked the kids hard during practice.  C was tired.  Daddy even got in on the action.

and lastly and sadly, I am no longer babysitting (the mommies decision; not mine)  As excited as I was to start, I'm excited to end.  I missed it being just C and I.  Not that the babies were hard.  And I loved them both.  But I missed "us."  With school starting soon (August 19!!!) I think it will be a good thing.  And I can go back to sleeping in.  YEAH!

I will miss these 2 little ones!

K's heaven-versary celebration

We have decided that July is not a good month.  I hate to wish summer away, but I'm ready for July to be over.  For K's birthday every year we will celebrate with those who loved her by eating Olive Garden.  For July 28th every year, we will celebrate--just the 3 of us.

This year we went to a park in a little town south of us.  It's actually the town the kids were born in.  Kinda appropriate.  It's a really nice park.  We only visited 2 of the attractions there.  We rode the zip line--it wasn't very long or very high but fun anyways.  C got to ride twice, once with each of us.  Then we went swimming.  It's a nice pool, a nice size.  It has a lot of nice features for small children.  There is a nice long curvy slice, a diving board (C went off 100 time--his words), and 2 slides that look they came from a swing set in a back yard.  What kid didn't dream of putting their slide beside a pool and sliding in?  Perfect!  But let me tell you--IT WAS COLD!  We have had unseasonably cold weather this summer.  As in, waking up and it is 54 degrees out!  We have barely made it into the 90s a handful of times.  It's wonderful, but NOT swimming weather!  C had a great time; Daddy and I sat out for a good bit of the time.  But it was a nice way to spend some time together.  When we came home, we grilled out and played some more corn hole.  

Another tradition we started this year was taking flowers to church to have up front for the service.  Preacher was all kinds of excited about that.  He wants to promote that idea and have many more people do the same.  (there was quite a long drawn out process to get the flowers, but they worked).

The day before "our" day, a church to the north of us had "a day"  There were 2 buses full of kids returning home from camp.  About 2 miles from their church, one of the buses crashed, killing 3 people.  Two of them were husband and wife, who was expecting.  They were the youth pastor of the church, the son of the senior pastor, and parents of an 18 month old.  The other was a 51 year old lady, mother of 5-one who is a special needs son.  My heart was so heavy all Sunday morning.  I'm sure they are asking "Why?"  Just like we did 2 years ago.  But as we have learned, the proper answer is "I don't know."  But anyone can take comfort in "our" verse: Job 37:5 Great things doeth He which we cannot comprehend.  Until the day we see Jesus and our loved ones, we can cling to these promises.

Camp for C

C got home from camp Friday.  I have to say, I was a little impressed this year.  He actually took 3 showers and changed his clothes more than once.  Woohoo!

Wednesday night we went to visit him.  It was nice to see him but made me miss him all that much more!  We also got to hear Ben Schettler preach.  My sissy and I used to babysit him and his brothers when he was little.  Small world.  He is all grown up now.  And very enjoyable to listen to.

C had a good week but was ready to be home.  I was ready for him to be home too.

And while C was gone, Daddy and I partied!  We went out to eat (or out for dessert) every night.  C had better never move out or I'll never cook again!

2 years?!?!?!

I cannot believe we made it two years!  I never thought we'd get here.  In the months immediately following, 2 years seemed impossible.  But with God's help and many, many friend--here we are.  Has it gotten easier?  Yes and no.  It's not a constant overwhelming grief.  And, it's not a constant overwhelming grief.

I am so ready to see my Kalei girl again.  I miss her like crazy.