I had great plans for this summer. It was going to be three months of unscheduled, relaxing bliss before diving into the business of fall. Umm, yeah...not so much.
It started with a Memorial Weekend Camp out with the extended family and their extended family. We went to our local Santa Margarita Lake to celebrate cousins Wyatt, Weston, and Walker's birthday, as well as their dad, Uncle Ray's birthday. Yep, all four of their special days fall within six weeks of each other. So each night we sang happy birthday to at least one person, opened presents, and devoured sweet treats in their honor. It was tough, but we managed to get through it. :)
In mid June, Benjamin was honored to be a part of my cousin Taylor's wedding to Kevin. He made such a cute ring bearer and it was just precious watching him pull the wagon his daddy made as a teenager down the aisle. The day was magical and filled with love and promise and hope.
One week later, we loaded up the camper again and took off for an 8 day trip that included stops at Yosemite, Tuolumne, Mammoth Lakes, and Devils Postpile. Like almost all of our camping trips, we hiked, biked, fished, slept, read, and played in the dirt. (Well, the boys played in the dirt. I tried to stay clean. Just because I live with all boys doesn't mean I have to act like one.) As fun as it was to see new places, it was quite exhausting setting up and tearing down camp so many times. The drive home was brutal, too...eleven hours in the truck...yech.
As soon as we got home, I began a new weekly bible study/play group with the boys. My friend, Robin, hosted it at her house in Santa Margarita each Friday and I helped her think up, prepare, and implement the kid activities. It was a great, unique bible study format and I hope Robin is gracious and crazy enough to do it again next year! Along with that, I was also already deep into another weekly women's bible study with a group of friends, this time sans kiddos.
July was spent planning and preparing Benjamin's 4th birthday party, which consumed every available inch of space in my head (and closet) that wasn't already filled. I had the great idea of carrying out the "friend" party on the same day as the "family" party...might have to rethink that for next year! Very fun day, but very exhausting, given that I had less than an hour to clean up one to prepare the other! Oh, and on Benjamin's actual birthday (July 30th) we surprised him with a train ride from Paso Robles to San Luis Obispo, followed up with dinner and presents with the Fisher family. The boy is obsessed with trains, so he was beyond excited when we told him that for his birthday we would go check out the train station (like he'd been asking for). Imagine his face when I pulled out tickets from my purse and told him we got to ride one!
July also is the month of the Mid-State Fair, which is an annual tradition for us (and every other person in our small community). I think it was a toss-up as to which was the boys favorite part: the cinnamon rolls or the bus ride from our car to the fairgrounds. It was around this time that some friends blessed us with a 16 foot wide, 3 foot deep swimming pool. So of course in the midst of the craziness, we dropped everything to set it up and play! Even Nathan stopped his work on our new backyard and patios (did I mention that?) to swim with us. Perhaps that is why we were given this pool...it was truly our time of togetherness as a family of four this jam-packed summer.
August brought another fabulous camping trip to a new place for us, called Dinkey Creek (up by Shaver Lake). Between the rock slides, the natural pools, the mounds of fluffy dirt, and the fire helicopters that flew overhead several times a day (which Benjamin got to get a personal tour of!), my little boys were in heaven. We literally gave them two baths every night. Before they could come into the camper bathtub, they received a "pre-bath" with the outdoor shower first. That's how dirty they were each and every day. After four days at Dinkey Creek, we drove about 30 minutes to Wishon Reservoir to meet up with the Fisher family for three more nights of camping, boating, and fishing before heading home.
Now September is here. Already I've had meetings and training sessions for the two Women's Bible Studies I will be a part of at church (yep, Tuesday's will be full days for me!) and I just received the roster for the newest batch of little ones I will be caring for on Wednesday mornings at Berean Church. Awana's will be starting up, too, and I am looking forward to working with Benjamin a couple days a week on kindergarten readiness material. Oh, and our anniversary is September 10th...7 years! In October we are camping for four days at Refugio, we have a Dave Ramsey event in Fresno, and a 2 day women's leadership retreat...
Yep, I had great plans for the summer. It turns out God had even greater plans, though, and blessed us with new friends, quality family time, new places of His creation, and opportunities for growth and reflection and learning. Let's hope the same can be said for this fall, because I'm ready. Bring it on. :)
It started with a Memorial Weekend Camp out with the extended family and their extended family. We went to our local Santa Margarita Lake to celebrate cousins Wyatt, Weston, and Walker's birthday, as well as their dad, Uncle Ray's birthday. Yep, all four of their special days fall within six weeks of each other. So each night we sang happy birthday to at least one person, opened presents, and devoured sweet treats in their honor. It was tough, but we managed to get through it. :)
In mid June, Benjamin was honored to be a part of my cousin Taylor's wedding to Kevin. He made such a cute ring bearer and it was just precious watching him pull the wagon his daddy made as a teenager down the aisle. The day was magical and filled with love and promise and hope.
One week later, we loaded up the camper again and took off for an 8 day trip that included stops at Yosemite, Tuolumne, Mammoth Lakes, and Devils Postpile. Like almost all of our camping trips, we hiked, biked, fished, slept, read, and played in the dirt. (Well, the boys played in the dirt. I tried to stay clean. Just because I live with all boys doesn't mean I have to act like one.) As fun as it was to see new places, it was quite exhausting setting up and tearing down camp so many times. The drive home was brutal, too...eleven hours in the truck...yech.
As soon as we got home, I began a new weekly bible study/play group with the boys. My friend, Robin, hosted it at her house in Santa Margarita each Friday and I helped her think up, prepare, and implement the kid activities. It was a great, unique bible study format and I hope Robin is gracious and crazy enough to do it again next year! Along with that, I was also already deep into another weekly women's bible study with a group of friends, this time sans kiddos.
July was spent planning and preparing Benjamin's 4th birthday party, which consumed every available inch of space in my head (and closet) that wasn't already filled. I had the great idea of carrying out the "friend" party on the same day as the "family" party...might have to rethink that for next year! Very fun day, but very exhausting, given that I had less than an hour to clean up one to prepare the other! Oh, and on Benjamin's actual birthday (July 30th) we surprised him with a train ride from Paso Robles to San Luis Obispo, followed up with dinner and presents with the Fisher family. The boy is obsessed with trains, so he was beyond excited when we told him that for his birthday we would go check out the train station (like he'd been asking for). Imagine his face when I pulled out tickets from my purse and told him we got to ride one!
July also is the month of the Mid-State Fair, which is an annual tradition for us (and every other person in our small community). I think it was a toss-up as to which was the boys favorite part: the cinnamon rolls or the bus ride from our car to the fairgrounds. It was around this time that some friends blessed us with a 16 foot wide, 3 foot deep swimming pool. So of course in the midst of the craziness, we dropped everything to set it up and play! Even Nathan stopped his work on our new backyard and patios (did I mention that?) to swim with us. Perhaps that is why we were given this pool...it was truly our time of togetherness as a family of four this jam-packed summer.
August brought another fabulous camping trip to a new place for us, called Dinkey Creek (up by Shaver Lake). Between the rock slides, the natural pools, the mounds of fluffy dirt, and the fire helicopters that flew overhead several times a day (which Benjamin got to get a personal tour of!), my little boys were in heaven. We literally gave them two baths every night. Before they could come into the camper bathtub, they received a "pre-bath" with the outdoor shower first. That's how dirty they were each and every day. After four days at Dinkey Creek, we drove about 30 minutes to Wishon Reservoir to meet up with the Fisher family for three more nights of camping, boating, and fishing before heading home.
Now September is here. Already I've had meetings and training sessions for the two Women's Bible Studies I will be a part of at church (yep, Tuesday's will be full days for me!) and I just received the roster for the newest batch of little ones I will be caring for on Wednesday mornings at Berean Church. Awana's will be starting up, too, and I am looking forward to working with Benjamin a couple days a week on kindergarten readiness material. Oh, and our anniversary is September 10th...7 years! In October we are camping for four days at Refugio, we have a Dave Ramsey event in Fresno, and a 2 day women's leadership retreat...
Yep, I had great plans for the summer. It turns out God had even greater plans, though, and blessed us with new friends, quality family time, new places of His creation, and opportunities for growth and reflection and learning. Let's hope the same can be said for this fall, because I'm ready. Bring it on. :)
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