The children are nestled all snug in their....

I know it's the wrong season for that, but that's how I feel tonight. Today I took DS 4 to church camp for the first time. He's never been away from us for a week when he wasn't staying with an extended family member. So this is a new experience for him (and for me).

It was interesting because it was a little like trying to separate a spider web from your body after walking through it! I took him and his friend Matt up and got them all signed in and ready to go. We made their beds. I unpacked their clothes. I told them "goodbye" and DS 4 wasn't quite ready for me to go.

We walked back to the common area and he hooked up with some other kids playing four square and then basketball. Then he was happy as a clam to let me go! Now I just pray that all is well tonight and the remainder of the week for him.

DS 1 is away at 2 weeks of training with the Army. Of course, he isn't living here right now, so his absence isn't felt as much. He does, however, text with DH quite a bit when he's not out training. So we'll still miss him.

DS 2 is at school finishing up some summer classes. He, too, is primarily a "texter". I'm sure we'll hear from him as the week progresses.

DS 3 left this morning with 24 or so other kids and chaperones to go to Daytona Beach for Student Life Camp. He will have the pleasure of sitting under the teaching of Louie Giglio and the worship of Chris Tomlin for the entire week. Last night he announced to us rather matter of fact that he has finished reading the Bible. Can I just say that he started around Sept. or Oct??? I haven't even done that. He is an amazing kid and I'm so proud of him.

Of course, I'm proud of all of them!

LG is doing dance camp for another week. This will be her fourth week in a row. She loves it!

This means that my days will be quiet and uncluttered. It'll be a week to recharge my parenting batteries. I love that!

Saturday, I will leave with my brother and three of the kids (DSs 3, 4, and LG) to head to Indiana/Illinois and Ohio. It'll be a great trip as we meet the rest of my family in Ohio for my Grandmother's 90th birthday celebration.

I love my kids and my family more than I could ever say...but I know that we are better parents when we take the time to breathe and relax occasionally. So I'm going to enjoy the peaceful moments that I know this week will bring.

When Summer comes...

May 12th was the last time I blogged. I don't know what is wrong with me. Well...I do know some of it. I'm busy. Life is changing. Nothing horrible or life-changing...just changing and I guess I don't deal as well with change as I used to. Anyway, it's not an excuse...My DS 3 gives me the "nudge" every so often. And I really WANT to catch up on it. So here's my first summer attempt to do so:

Although life is changing at home as the kids grow and change and as we prepare for LG's adoption, the biggest change for me this year is at work. My boss, who I have worked with for the past 9 years, will be working at a different school in the Fall. I've known it since March when he announced it, but June brought with it a reality that was very hard to take.

As I've processed my career and the people I've worked with and for, he's definitely at the top! I've worked for 11 principals in 25 years. That's a lot of personalities and people. Since I've done it before, then it should be "no big deal"...but, at our school, we are a family. So it's kind of like a family member moving away and preparing for one that you don't know. As I've reflected over the past nine years, I can honestly say I've grown more professionally than ever before under his leadership. For that, I will remain forever grateful!

In other "start the summer" news...DS 4 graduated from 5th grade. Here he is...my long haired lover from Liverpool(Can anyone else hear Jimmy Osmond singing that song?)...seriously, he's my soon-to-be-middle-schooler. To say it's hard to believe is an understatement. I'm proud as a peacock of all my kids and so glad this one has hit this milestone! On the LG front...her Mother has surrendered her rights and we will begin the process for adoption very soon. This is a little different than it is in some states. We will maintain contact with her family even as she becomes a part of ours. This means navigating the waters is quite interesting.

Her summer started off with an exciting event...her first dance recital! Here she is ready to go. It was fun to watch her on the stage! She LOVES IT! Her Grandmother and bioMom were there to watch it with us. I think she liked that. Honestly, though, I think nothing pleases her more than having DS 3 watch her. These two are like two peas in a pod. They think alike. They process alike. They have some of the same quirks and the same sense of humor. It's fun to watch them develop their sibling relationship. Here they are after the recital...

The day after the recital, DS 3, LG and I headed up to Panama City (a 7 hour drive from here) for a week on the beach with 14 members of our family. We were happy to see DS 2 and his GF up there (even if it's only for a few hours). These two are spending this week in Nicaragua on a mission trip. This is their second time in Nica in just over three months. To say their hearts beat for this place is an understatement. DS 3 and I will go pick them up Thursday at the airport. It will be exciting to hear the latest update on their work there.

I forgot that I had a LOVELY "Girls Night Out" with two of my dearest friends, Debra and Sandy. We went to see Comedian Chonda Pierce. She's an absolute riot! We laughed. We cried. We enjoyed our time to escape a bit...I'm so thankful for all of my friends who bring me such joy on a regular basis!

Back to "beach news"...this trip was with my Dad, StepMom, two Brothers, SIL, two nieces and a nephew, my Mom, and my crew. DH flew my Dad up on the second day. He stayed with us a few days and flew back to work. It was very relaxing and "tar-ball" free...as all week long people were worried about the oil spill hitting the beach. The best part was our nightly trek out to the sand to watch the sunset. BEAUTIFUL! And relaxing!!


Seven days later, we came home. No one was lobster-looking thanks to the 200 cans of Sunscreen we purchased!

It was fun to see DS 1 (who was unable to join us) on the way back. We stopped and had lunch with him and retrieved my Mom's dog. He was an awesome dog-sitter for the week.

As summer has ramped up into full gear...I find myself reflective. I am counting my blessings!

I hope this summer you find time to also count yours!

Book Review: Shelter Me

(Note: For those of you who choose to read Christian fiction, this book is a secular fiction book.)

I picked "shelter me" by Juliette Fay up while browsing for some light "end-of-summer" reading a few weeks ago. I think the cover is what first attracted me. It just screamed "warmth" and "read me" right at me! When I read the back cover blurb, I was further attracted by these words:
Four months after her husband's death, Janie LaMarche remains undone by grief and anger. Her mourning is disrupted, however, by the unexpected arrival of a builder with a contract to add a porch onto her house. Stunned, Janie realizes the porch was meant to be a surprise from her husband—now his last gift to her. ... As the porch takes shape, Janie discovers that the unknowable terrain of the future is best navigated with the help of others—even those we least expect to call on, much less learn to love.

The entire story is woven around this porch being built right in the middle of Janie's struggle to put her life back together. It is a beautiful story with raw emotion woven throughout. Janie seems to go through the steps that most grieving people do. She is at times angry and other times completely down. But she continues to try to make her way back to some sense of normalcy for herself and her children.

Little does she know that the porch, and the porch builder, are going to be so pivotal to her restoration. She also receives help from some other unlikely places: her priest befriends her and helps her start to get in touch with her response to her circumstances, her busy-body Aunt Jude forces her to come work in a homeless shelter/soup kitchen and Janie finds herself receiving when she's giving to these needy people, and the person that drove the car that hit her husband also contributes to Janie's road to healing.

At one point, she ends up alone with Tug (the porch builder) and she's quite miffed that her family was part of the plot to send them out alone after Thanksgiving dinner. I love the way the author describes the moment they leave the family gathering:

Out on Route 27, Tug inhaled and heaved a great sigh. The sound of his relief pulled her out of herself and away from stewing about the humiliation she'd suffered. Or might have suffered. Maybe. "Anger is so easy," she realized. "It's being scared that's hard." And if she were to heave her own great big sigh of relief, she knew it would be fear she exhaled, not rage.

Another picture I love is when Janie finds herself talking with Malcolm, a homeless man from the shelter. He is withdrawn and despondent one day and Janie goes to speak with him. She finds out that he has lost his sister. Here's a snippet of their exchange:

"Oh Malcolm," said Janie. "I am so sorry."
He handed her the cigarette and she took another puff. "Yeah," he said, "All's I keep thinking is, 'Now what?' Isn't that stupidest thing? I can't figure out what to do next. Like there is something, but I just don't know what."

Janie nodded. She stared out across the parking lot. He smelled like booze and pee and smoke and the most incredibly rancid body odor. But she didn't even care. "Now what?" she thought. "What other question is there?"

Janie's character is real and raw. The author captures this emotion again and again throughout the story. Janie is also forced to deal with the concept of forgiveness. While journaling one night she notes:

The more I think about it....the more I'm not even sure I really know what forgiveness is. Is it some big cosmic do-over? Like no harm, no foul? But there was harm--big hairy, serious harm. Robby doesn't get a do-over, and neither do I or the kids. Things are broken now that can't be fixed. How come the other guy gets a Get Out of Jail Free card?

As I said, this book primarily shows a very human response to a horrible tragedy. While there are snippets of faith throughout the book, it's not central. Janie has quite the language sometimes. The love story also gets somewhat graphic at points--but no more so than a PG-13 movie might. I kind of like that.

Of course, the faith side of me is saddened that this element is mostly missing from Janie's life. Hers is more an obligatory attendance at her family's Catholic church. But that's real life for so many people.

I like the fact that Fay is able to tell a story that is warm and inviting and emotion-packed without going too far or too explicity for my reading enjoyment. I appreciate the way she seems to use the character to figure out her own thoughts and beliefs on love, justice, mercy, and forgiveness. I found the book enjoyable and one I'd pass along.

Summer Time Reading Continues

To say my blogging has been slack would be a serious understatement! I've thought about deleting it all together. I've wondered what I should do with it. Try as I may, though, I cannot just "do away with it". I don't know where it will go in the future, so I will take it one day at a time. One blog post at a time.

I thought I'd start with what I know I love to talk about--and have neglected so much the first 6 months of this year--BOOKS! I have finished two books recently that I want to share:

The first is written in my favorite genre: memoir/biography. It is Michael J. Fox's Lucky Man. This book is his story. It begins in a Gainesville hotel during the shooting of a movie, with the story of the "twitching pinkie" where Michael first really remembers noticing something was "off" about his body. Then it rambles back into his childhood to explain to the reader from "whence he came".

Fox paints a great picture of his journey into show-biz and some of the lessons he's learned along the way. Then, he poignantly tells about his inner struggle and physical battle as he is learning to live with the dreaded Parkinson's disease.

I loved Fox when he was Alex P. Keaton on the show Family Ties. I have enjoyed his performances in several movies and always found him quite interesting. For that reason, even when the book made twists and turns that were hard for me to follow, I pressed on. And I'm glad I did. His story is a powerful one.

My second "summer read" is a fiction story by Karen White called The Memory of Water. This book is the fictional story of Marnie and Diana Maitland who experienced a childhood tragedy on the South Carolina shore. Here is a bit of the back cover:

On the night their mother drowns, sisters Marnie and Diana Maitland discover there is more than one kind of death. There is the death of innocence, of love, and of hope. Each sister harbors a secret about that night-secrets that will erode their lives as they grow into adulthood.

After ten years of silence between the sisters, Marnie is called back to the South Carolina Lowcountry by Diana's ex-husband, Quinn. His young son has returned from a sailing trip with his emotionally unstable mother, and he is refusing to speak. In order to help the traumatized boy, Marnie must reopen old wounds and bring the darkest memories of their past to the surface. And she must confront Diana, before they all go under.

The story is one of sorrow and loss. It gives great detail what it is like living with someone who has been diagnosed manic/depressive or bipolar. White paints a beautiful picture of love despite this cloud that surrounds this family. The book is written in first-person narrative from each of the four main character's perspectives. I love that. And the ending caught me totally by surprise!

Both of these books were enjoyable for me. While I wouldn't call them "must reads", I'd say they are "worth it" reads if you choose to do so. Now I'm off to find my next book and to read some of your blogs. I've got a lot of catching up to d!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things SUSAN has done on her Summer Vacation....

Since Summer is officially here this week, I thought I'd share some of the things that we've already done...Consider this my "June Report"!

1. Visited family. So far, we've been able to spend time with our "Orlando Cousins" and our "Tampa Cousins". Before the Summer is out, at least some of us will spend time with our "Ohio Cousins".

2. Read. Read. Read. I love to read and I don't get much time during the school year to read books that I choose because my job requires that I read a lot of research and educational materials. I'm loving reading some of the things that I choose and/or that others suggest.

3. Bowled. We've been bowling at least once. The kids like to do this. It's a good "cool" inside activity.

4. Been Swimming. We've been to our YMCA Waterpark which is a great place for the kids to play. DS 3 and DH are finishing their SCUBA certification this week. And we are preparing for our annual scalloping trip up in Homosassa.

5. Exercised. I was bound and determined to get back to the YMCA for exercise. I love to use the treadmill and ellipticle machines there. This week I started back and I feel great.

6. Blogged. I've spent time blogging, as usual. But, I've also spent time reorganizing my blogroll and putting it on Google Reader. If you haven't taken the time to do this, it saves a TON of time clicking into everyone's blog. And, I've learned to make some of my own headers...how do you like my TT header this week?

7. Gone to the Beach. We went out to the beach a couple of weeks ago to watch the sunset and are planning to go out there again this weekend for baptisms on the beach. I'm excited for this. It's sad, but we live so close and I hardly ever see the water. I'm trying to change this.

8. Met some friends for lunch. I've had a couple of lunch outings with some friends. This has been so fun. We normally get to see each other at school on our 30 minute "teacher lunch". To sit and gab and eat liesurely is quite a gift.

9. Shopped. I went shopping and picked out new bathroom accessories for the boys' bathroom. It's also our "guest bathroom". It's been in a fish motif since we moved in...though none of the rest of my house is done in anything "ocean" or water. Now, their bathroom will more or less match the rest of the house.

10. Written. I've finished 12 teacher's guides so far. I'm excited because my role with the publisher is going to be more consultative vs. writing. This will free me up to write some of the material that I want to write.

11. Gone to the Movies. We've seen Shrek the Third and Spiderman 3 so far. There are several more movies I want to see.

12. Rented/Watched Movies. We rented Dead Poet's Society, What Dreams May Come and Patch Adams. I tried to watch Dreamgirls, but I just couldn't get into it.

13. Planned the rest of our Summer Vacation. DH and I are going to try and get away for our 20th anniversary. Our family is going to go away for a week in the Keys with my cousin Lynn and her family. We are going scalloping for a week. I am driving with DSs 3 and 4 to Ohio for a week. DSs 2 and 3 will be going on a Youth Retreat over in Daytona for a week. {And this is JUST JULY!}

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Our Weekend Window

Thursday Thirteen

"Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer/Those days of soda and
pretzels and beer/Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer/Youll wish
that summer could always be here!"

It's Summer and we're going to be BUSY again! Today's TT is about all the things we'll be doing...or have done already....(and in no particular order)

1. DS 3 got a kitten yesterday...so we'll be welcoming a new pet into our family. I forgot just how much little animals are like little babies. DS 3 figured it out last night when he woke up in the middle of the night for playtime! It took DS 3 a while, but here is the best photo he got in today's "Kitten Photoshoot".

2. SWIM...SWIM...SWIM! We are so lucky because our YMCA has a Waterpark. I took DS 4 the other day and read half a book while he played in the water.

3. DSs 1 - 3 and DH are going to get SCUBA certified and we will be going to the Keys for their checkout dives (with my cousin Lynn and her family).

4. Scalloping...It will soon be time to head back to Homosassa for our annual scalloping outing. Last year didn't produce many (if any) scallops. Hopefully this year will be different. Even if the scallops are scarce, it's a great week to spend out on the boat with family.

5. Driving to Ohio. I'm going to take DSs 3 and 4 to Ohio after we go to the Keys. It will be fun to Caravan back with my Cousin and her family. (For all my blogging friends who live on the I-75 corridor between Florida and Ohio...perhaps we can meet somewhere on either end of the trip.)

6. Working...I still have books to write and teacher's guides to finish. I work about ten days at my school interviewing, making classes for next year, etc. So the entire Summer will not be lazy.

7. Reading...I have plenty of books waiting to be read. I'm trying to balance fiction with nonfiction. Right now I'm reading nonfiction education books and then I'm headed into Wicked by Gregory Maguire and a couple of Nicholas Sparks books.

8. Workshops...I have two workshops to do in August. This is actually a bit quieter than normal for me. I'm glad.

9. Celebrate our 20th Anniversary. I'm not sure what we'll do...but DH and I are celebrating 20 years together. I'll be glad to just get away together.

10. Movie-watching...I have several Summer box office hits I'd like to see. I started by taking DSs 3 and 4 to see Shrek the Third the other day. I have some I'd also like to rent and watch here at home.

11. Visiting family and friends...I have some serious catching up that needs to be done in this area. It's my intention to do so.

12. Scrapbooking...I have so much to do. I don't make time like I used to for this...Someday I hope to have a room dedicated to it so that I can leave it out and scrap when I can...but for now, I need to make some intentional time to work on my books.

13. Writing weekend...My friend Sandy and I are going to be writing a new professional book for teachers. We have to plan time to get away to write...it's the best way to do it and get it done with minimal distractions. I also have one that I am reviewing and adding to with Suzi...so a little intentional writing time is in order.

Two Great Reads...

I've read two fantastic books in the last two weeks:

First, there was the wonderful book,Ransomed Dreams written by author, Amy Wallace. This book made it's way to my house via my SIL Heather. Heather is a friend of Amy's (a Christian author) and had the pleasure of attending her book release and signing party in Georgia. She was so kind to have Amy sign a copy for me and surprised me with the book in the mail.

I read it on my way to, and in, Toronto. In fact, I could hardly put it down! This book reads like a quality episode of CSI or Law and Order. It kept me turning pages and wondering just how it was all going to resolve. Amy does an excellent job weaving faith into her writing without it being overpowering and/or shoved down the reader's throat. I found the characters REAL and could identify with them on more than one occasion.

I have passed the book along to my friend, Suzi. I also have planned to buy a few more copies to send to some of my other avid reader friends. This one would be a great "Summer Read" if you enjoy a good mystery mixed with stories of heart and passion.


The second book I read is Night by Elie Wiesel. Beyond, The Diary of Anne Frank, I have never read a book about the Holocaust. I HAVE been to the Holocaust museum in Washington, DC. I only took the cursory tour, however (I believe time was an issue). I have also visited a traveling "museum" of the Holocaust at one of the boys' schools. It was a grim reminder of the hatred that was aloud to exist during that period in history.

I found this book a challenge, though, because Elie talks about wrestling with his Jewish faith. And as I let his words and experiences seep into my heart and mind, I can only somewhat imagine how this horiffic experience would make you angry at God. It is also a challenge, because, as Wiesel notes in his 1986 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech:

And that is why I swore to never be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivites become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must--at that moment--become the center of the universe.

Both of these books have "kicked off" my Summer Reading list on quite a "high". I have several more waiting in the wings that I can't wait to dig into...some personal, some professional, some christian growth/study, and others just fun take-me-away novels. I, for one, can't wait...

What will you be reading this Summer?

Wordless Wednesday

And summer goes out with a....splash!

My Weekend Window

It was kind of a quiet weekend here. I worked all day on Friday. It was nice to just come home and relax on Friday evening.

Saturday, I went to the nail salon (my indulgence). After that I went to the Scrapbook store to find stickers for my snorkeling pictures (another indulgence). I also returned the tent that I purchased last week. I thought we would need more sleeping space at the river and so I bought it with that in mind. We did not use it. So, back it went.

Yesterday was church. We heard part two of the Jonah story. Last week, dh talked about facing your fears. This week, he talked about what you do when you're in a big "fish" and you get spit up onto dry land. The idea was that when you ask God to help you out of the mess you're in...you're often still "messy"---like you would be if a fish spit you out on the shore. But, we can get "cleaned up" as we move in the right direction. It was a good thought.

Then, just before the torrential rain fell...I got my car washed. Yep, you read that right. The guys at the car wash (who were bored because NO ONE gets their car washed when it's gray outside) told me that the rain doesn't fall at the car wash. Anyway, they cleaned it up and out (which is what I needed most.

I came home to watch World Cup Soccer with my family. Cleaned the house and prepared to leave for a three day workshop in Orlando.

Today, I am leaving for that trip. It is a Literacy Coaching workshop. I present tomorrow. I am very excited to be going. DSs 1, 2, and 3 are off to Daytona for a week-long youth camp at the beach. They will get to hear Chris Tomlin (dove award winner) among others. DS 4 is going to work with dh today...that should be interesting. He will spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa's tonight and tomorrow as DH flies out to Texas tomorrow to discuss working with a district out there.

That's pretty much the comings and goings for us. It's summertime and the livin' is....well...it's not bad but it's also not so easy this week (I'm not seeing naps in my future this week, Mary)! But, then it wouldn't be my life if it weren't just a little busy!!! ;-)

Have a great week!

We're BACK from our long weekend...

Thursday Thirteen #23

Thirteen things SUSAN remembers about July 4ths and Summer Vacations in the 70’s and 80’s:


1. July 4, 1974/5—We went to Riverhills Park for the city’s July 4th festivities. This used to include a parade followed by a day of entertainment and food and ending with fireworks. Because I cannot handle loud noises (including popping balloons) I would go across the street to my friend Judy’s house every hour on the hour to avoid hearing the giant cannon that they would fire.

2. Summer, 1976—I remember traveling to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Virginia and West Virginia for the Bicentennial year. We visited many historical places and learned a ton about the birth of the United States.

3. July 4, 1977—My friend, Susan W., was at our house. I bought earplugs for the first time and went to the fireworks in Riverhills park. In years past I simply plugged my ears with my fingers until they were sore. The earplugs worked OK, but I still ended up holding them in with my fingers. We went swimming at Marie H’s. after the fireworks. I remember the water being hot (almost like a bathtub) because the outdoor temperature was SO HOT!

4. Summer of 1977—I am pretty sure this was also the summer we went to Atlanta to see Stone Mountain. We camped in a pop-up camper on top of a hill. There was a storm that seemed as if it would throw us right down either side of that hill. The thunder was the loudest I EVER heard as it echoed off of Stone Mountain.

5. Summer of 1978—My Mom took us to Ohio for a visit. I remember missing my friends at home so much! It was those awkward teen years when you really would rather be anywhere but with your family. I had a Burt Reynolds tee shirt that I wore much of that summer. We stayed at my Uncle Ron’s house…and I soon got over missing my friends and enjoyed visiting family.

6. Summer of 1980—I turned 16 in August and had a 16th birthday party. We held it at a friend’s condo pool and clubhouse. Several people from school came. There was a DJ spinning---YES---45 records! (For those of you who are too young to remember those, it was a type of record NOT the number of records).

7. July 4th, 1981—I worked at Busch Gardens as a ride operator. It was this day that we went to the beach and I fell asleep out there. I was burned to a crisp! It was one of the most painful sunburns I ever had. I was also taking a summer class, Problems in American Democracy (which was really a class on Communism), at my high school.

8. July 1981—By the end of the July 4th week, we realized the reason I had fallen so soundly asleep on the beach is because I had mono. I had to go to my Grandparent’s house to rest because my Mom said the phone was ringing and I wasn’t able to sleep and get the rest I needed. I learned to cross-stitch that summer at Grandma’s as I sat and watch Lady Diana marry Prince Charles.

9. Summer, 1985—I drove with two friends straight through from Florida to Pennsylvania for a Christian festival called Creation ’85. It was several days of teaching and bands playing. We camped out in a tent. It was a great event that I truly enjoyed attending…although I can’t believe we drove like that up barren I-95 with NO CELL PHONES or real contact with home. I am sure I gave my Mother a few gray hair’s that summer!!

10. Summer, 1986—I went on my first cruise with Dad and Carolyn. We went to celebrate my college graduation. It was Premiere Cruise Lines (the Big Red Boat)—which does not exist anymore. The cruise went to Nassau, Bahamas and also to some out islands. It was great fun.

11. July 4, 1987—I had just moved to Lexington, Ky. to be closer to my fiancé (now husband). We went to watch the fireworks in downtown Lexington. He was sweet enough to park far enough away so I could sit in the car and watch them from there. I remember it was VERY HOT…but the fireflies were out and it was perfect in so many ways.

12. July 1988—Dh and I were still living in Ky. We had a newborn baby (only eight weeks old) and we decided to go to Mammoth Cave. I have pictures of DH carrying DS 1 through that cave. DS 1 was great inside the cave…but when we brought him out…he wailed the rest of the afternoon! I am sure it had something to do with the heat outside (over 100 degrees) and the cave temperature (a constant 54 degrees) playing with his body temperature. We were young, what can I say?

13. July 4, 1989—We watched the July 4th fireworks in my hometown from the parking lot of Zayer’s. I could sit in the car and enjoy while the rest of the family could watch them like “normal” people do. I was 7 months pregnant with DS 2…and while I don’t remember the particular heat of that day…I am certain it was blazing hot in that car!!!

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Summertime and the livin' is.....

BUSY!

Some people think that summertime is marked by lazy, hazy, days. Porgy and Bess thought that the livin' was "easy" in Summer. Yes, it slows down some here. But it is also BUSY!

This Summer I will....
Visit my family in Ohio and a dear friend in Indiana
Conduct five full day workshops for teachers (although not consecutive days)
Get to see my Arizona SIL and her children at the end of June
Take the kids scalloping
Work at my school to prepare for next year
Attend a leadership academy training at the end of June
Hand over the Children's Church reigns to a new leader (Praise God!)
Watch my nieces and nephew for a day or two
Workout at the YMCA
Take the kids to the waterpark at the YMCA
Write 45 teacher's guides for this publishing season
Finish the publishing process on a new "teacher book"
Write a new professional book for 3rd - 5th grade educators
Go on a scrapbooking overnight with a friend

Yep, we're going to be BUSY!!! But, we're going to have FUN too!!

Summer????? Bring it on!! :-)