I Survived: End of Year Extravaganza and June Recap

Kody graduated from elementary school.  The process was bittersweet as he felt all grown up and robbed because he knew with the move he would be another year in elementary school.  He felt excited to reach this milestone with his friends but sad to remember that he wouldn't be with them for the new school year.  Just like his experience with Doe Run graduation were the experiences we felt most of June.  It was a close to a lot of doors and an open to many more.  Emotions were all over the spectrum, but as always we moved forward with fortitude. 

Also three of the kids participated in the the local community theatre iStage production of Beauty and the Beast.  It was a first for Issac and Kody and a fourth I believe for Isabella.  As a silly girl and a theater lover she had so much fun.  For the boys they had fun all along the way, but it is clearly not their passion.  They were marvelous though.

 

Girls Camp was a raging success, mostly.  Isabella had a great and fun time.  Her fourth year hike was a success and she was fine despite her mild nervousness that she wouldn't be in shape.  She was able to avoid any of the drama that too many girls with too little sleep encounter at this age.  As a mom I couldn't have been more proud.

Swimming for Issac is a hit.  He is happy and enjoys it and can't wait to find more time to be in the pool with friends whether through lessons or just playing.  He is sweet to watch and I love to see him happy.  He excels in swimming, running, and all things music.  He really has no vision though of how he is good at these things.  His competence in this area means relatively little though as long as it keeps him smiling.

Last visits and excursions took place.  I had attempted to visit Coal Mine Number 9 previously without success but we tried again and it went well.  It was very interesting and as the longest continuously operating Coal Mine, it was filled with history and the tour guide was informed.  Kody may have had to pee in the mine in a back dark corner because despite the warning when we started the tour, he couldn't hold it any longer.  Afterwards we went to Centralia, longest burning fire from a coal mine.  The town has been condemned and there are crazy amounts of tourists.  Despite all this I was unable to see a flame shooting from the ground into the air, which is what I hoped for.  Some areas are smoky though, and we found the old abandoned highway, that is closed to the public, but walked on by hundreds anyway.  Graffiti abounds, talent is amazing, people's obsession with genitalia is astoundingly banal.  Good things to get off the bucket list and less to regret after moving.  Successes all around.

Camping With Cousins

So my niece Haley is basically awesome sauce!  And through a set of circumstances we became ridiculously close in the last two years of her high school.  That closeness led her family and mine to become more close than we had been.  It was such a good experience and it made leaving that much harder.  But before we left, we took a combined camping trip up to northeastern PA to the Aaronic Priesthood Restoration Site. 

Father's Day

I wonder if my kids appreciate the dad they have.  I know they love him, but do they realize how incredible he is.  Travis is the best.  He tries to hard to love them, take care of them, to bond with them, to play with them, to teach them.  He takes his job seriously and he looks dang good doing it.  I hope some day each of my boys will become like him - Amazing and Incredible.

Happy Father's Day and Happy Future Father's Day. 

I hope you boys are paying attention.

Run, Run, Run

The end of the year always brings running events.  We had the elementary school fundraiser, Race for Education.  The middle school also has Track and Field Day.  It's very fun for me to always watch, run, and cheer like a maniac.

It's almost like I love to be the loudest, craziest, cheerer just to embarrass my kids.  Somehow it bonds me to them even more.  They may be embarrassed, but I have convinced myself they secretly love it!

We'll never know for sure.  Well maybe we will, but it won't be for another 30 years, in the midst of their midlife crisis, I'll get to hear about all the ways I failed them as a parent. Probably not, but I'm mentally preparing myself just in case.

Field Tripping - It's a Verb

 I love my kids. 

I love them so much I go on all their field trips and volunteer all the time. 

I want to be near them. 

I like to have shared experiences with them. 

I like to be able to talk with them and this is the thing that sparks lots of conversations.

 I love my kids so much that I do the same field trips over and over again.

I've seen our town's wetlands, gone to County Envirothons,

and Philadelphia has nothing I haven't seen. 

But I love being with my kids, and we do talk.

So I think my plan is working.

Old Man Knees

In early May, Travis had to have scopic knee surgery for a torn meniscus.  It went surprisingly well.  He has healed like a champ and he is learning to take it a little easier on his body, because despite what his mind thinks, he knows that his body parts might not be as young as he feels. 

Even better than the knee surgery was my first opportunity to see Travis under anesthesia.  It was pretty funny and a little sad.  Sad because it took him forever to come out from under the medicine and he was very vulnerable which I know he would hate if he could remember.  Additionally as he did start to wake up enough to get dressed and ready to come home, his uninhibited state was one of randy"ness".  It was very comical and despite his wishes, I had to put the kibosh on any ideas he kept proposing. 

Sentimental Series Part 1

The Best Friend


Clearly not our prettiest picture - but the perfect one.

On Saturday, I met up with my best friend for what was to be the last time before we moved.  She was back in town for just two days and wanted to meet for breakfast.  She just had a grandbaby and so has and will be out of state helping to take care of her newest grandchild. 

It was a laughter filled morning despite beyond busy schedules and earlier in the day crying jags because of my leaving.  We discussed all the normal stuff which was our lives, food, and anything that will make us laugh.

Despite being old enough to be my mom, Sue has been my best friend for the past 5 years.  Our friendship started a few years before that with a simple act of service.  I brought her dinner while she was healing from hip surgery.  In her post surgical, drug induced state, she invited me to sit on her bed and keep her company, where I laughed at her lack of inhibition.  To this day, she still remembers very little of our conversation.

We since then have constantly bonded through our love of honesty, our laughter at human foibles, and the sheer crazy brilliance of our spouses, who we adore, but sometimes make us bonkers.

Sue and her husband have a business in our town.  Their business is one of the lifeblood’s of Manheim and they sponsor every team and every club, donating to everyone who may need it.  This isn’t what makes her so amazing though.  Sue is special because she is one of the most selfless people I know.  She takes care of everyone around her constantly.  She is endlessly loyal.  She is empathetic and sensitive, kind and compassionate.  She'll be your biggest champion and your greatest friend.

She’s who I call when I need to talk to someone and it helps that she’s my late night buddy.  She doesn’t sleep much which makes her an ideal companion to my limited sleeping habits too.  More often my random thought texted to her after midnight is answered within seconds.  And just this morning I started getting texts at 6.  I will miss seeing her for lunch and breakfast anytime we can sneak it into our schedule.

So I’m beyond excited we found one more day and a half mid July to sneak away together before I move, that we have a loose time frame for her first visit to Texas and I plan to return often to see her.  Love you Suzie, Q.