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.

Field Trip to the Renaissance Faire

We took a field trip to the Renaissance Faire.  I've been there a few times, once on my own field trip several decades ago.  This was probably my favorite time as an adult.  I've come to the conclusion that when they do it on weekends it is too bawdy for my taste.  But during the week when it is targeted for schools it's appropriate and interesting.  It's an experience you won't have a ton of other places.  I don't know that I will ever pay to go back, but I'll keep on chaperoning the field trips.

Swim Season

 

So after two or three years of saying no to summer swim, this year I conceded.  Many have asked me why I said no and basically it is because I run myself ragged all year long, summers are sacred, lazy days.  But this year I knew the summer would be crazy instead of relaxing anyway and so let the kids choose for themselves.  Two opted to swim and it was Isabella and Issac.

Isabella swam during the daily training, but was only able to attend 2 maybe 3 meets or invitationals because she was gone so much this summer with Girls' Camp, Youth Conference, family vacations, etc...It was a good experience and she liked it, but doesn't think she will return next year. 

Issac took to it like the fish he is.  Able to attend most all of the practices and meets, he was able to really improve and became quite good.  His best friend also swims and so all the long hours of meets were one big party with food and friends for him. 

I learned that invitationals are like nothing I have ever seen in any other sport.  Swim meets are long, invitationals longer and so many bring their tents, set up camp and turn huge fields into villages.  Think one whole Saturday into the evening.  Staging the races with the kids is like trying to herd kittens, but really cool to see the system and organizations.

Both the kids did freestyle, back and then relays.  Issac hopes to get better at the more technical strokes of breast and butterfly to become good enough to swim some of those next year.  Overall it was fun to participate in and watch, but our summer was definitely more busy as a result.  But that didn't deter Kody who has determined that next summer he will join the team too.

 

Playing and Partying

Bella and Wyatt just finished their last debut in iStage's, Shrek Jr.  Bella participated in this her third year and finally was successful in talking Wyatt into doing it.  Turns out...he loved it, plans to return next year.  I may have even been recruited to help with the music next year.  Hmmm.

After four great shows, Wyatt's parts were the same for all four: Baby Ogre and Little Dwarf and Bella alternating Young Fiona and deer, they had a cast party.  I help chaperoned and it was quite the learning experience into the teen brain/world, but mostly fun.

Man I can't believe how these kids keep growing, even if it isn't so much vertically.

Farm Show 2014-15

If you're not a regular to my blog, you probably don't know how awesome Manheim, Pennsylvania is.  It may sound like some German town and let's be honest there is a lot of German influence.  The food is to boot.  But you may be wondering what else there is.  Well it is home to the world's largest auto auction, it's a few short miles form America's Coolest Small Town 2013, proud presenters of the Renaissance Faire and more picturesque small town values and images than in the movie Funny Farm.  And there are a million farms and a plethora of Amish or Mennonite people. 

Well nothing sums up our small town charm more than our Farm Show. Each year the first full week in October we have farm show.  You watch this small town bustle with excitement and activity.  Everyone participates whether you are a farmer or not.  My daughter has been on the Farm Show court twice and Jr. Queen Alternate twice and our agriculture experience is limited.  But our town comes out and comes together to celebrate our existence.  It's quite remarkable and I just fall in love again. 

Here's a small agricultural collage to help you realize how amazing we are.  Pictures will never convey all of my fond feelings. 

In Breaking News:

1.  The birth control came in on Saturday, before I ran out.  Hooray.

2.  I am selling a big old bird cage and a children's train table with all the parts if anyone is interested in buying them or just one or the other.

3.  Manheim had Community Days at Pleasant View.  Bella danced - May 5.  Man she is a gorgeous angel of grace.  I'll never know where it came from, but she amazes me constantly.  The boys played on bounce castles, all rode the barrel wagons, we ate junk food and won free stuff.  It was a good day.

4.  Travis was home last week.  I finally am uploading some of the pics.  The kids riding bikes, Wyatt relearns riding a training wheel free bike.  Bella and Wyatt rock climb a dirt mountain from the builders.  Travis returns to Wyoming :(

5.  Bella has an orchestra concert, two field trips, and it was a crazy busy week this past week.  So busy that my mom came over to help me stay afloat.  Aren't moms great.  She also got to see the said orchestra concert, the boys play baseball - May 10, and me run a million miles a minute.

6.  In other news I am up to six kids.  Like being single mom to four kids isn't enough, I can't help but adopt all the strays.  Having been PTO president we had an influx of neighborhood kids this year at our house.  Two have stuck.  Without going into all the details, these two probably could benefit from a little extra TLC.  I've always wanted foster kids, who needs all the paperwork and home visits when you can just do it this way.  They are over every day, eat dinner with us at least three nights a week, and wait patiently for us in the backyard for us to return home when we have gone out.  I love these boys. 

7.  Mother's Day was a lot of fun and I acquired oodles of plants and some fresh flowers too.  See my own greenhouse.

Severely Taken Out of Context

When people ask me how I've been, I often think,

Big wheels keep on turning
Proud Mary keep on burning
And we're rolling, rolling
Rolling down the river.

Although lyrically not a perfect quote, it's what comes to me.  Life keeps moving, I keep being the driving force, and our family just keeps pushing forward.

But if you're the type who likes details we had:

a Beaver son (he likes to take paper and turn himself into animals)

 the Merry Mohawk

 One bout of stomach flu right before Christmas - we kept it contained to 1 child

 my sous pastry chef - layman's terms cookie helper

 the teachers sang christmas carols to the kids on the last day of school - love Manheim Central

ward christmas party - bishopric dressed up as elves and skipped about

 the "original" pastry chef

 what travis does with a camera - takes pictures of my butt and boobs, i spared you the other

christmas eve party: aka Shepard's dinner

 happy cousins

 the mom's chatting

6 Christmas stockings sewn, take that, doubting Thomas(s) - you know who you are

 trolley ride - downtown Manheim - new year's eve

a happy wyatt

dancing in the square

Myself - I prefer the details.