Simple Summer Stuff

We have no travel plans or vacations on the calendar for this summer.  Just wasn't in the financial cards this year and that's a bummer but that's fine.  So this summer has been pretty low-key.  We are finding simple ways to pass the down time at home.  Different daily diversions that summer affords us time for.  I felt like listing some out from this past week or so so that when we get to the end of summer we won't feel like we didn't DO anything special. We are doing plenty of enjoyable simple special stuff.  Reminding ourselves that summer doesn't have to be flashy to be enjoyable.

First, friends!  The kiddos have been having friends over plenty and spending time at friends' houses, too.  Anna had Luci over last week and Noah had James one day and William another.  Lasa has had Zora and Amelia over to play.  We had Becky and Adrian come over with their crews a couple weeks ago. This week the kids will be playing at Emma/Everett's. And we all went to my friend Nena's house to swim, not counting Lasa who had to sit out with me and just shoot water guns, per drs orders for those dang ears so far.  Both kiddos attended birthday parties this weekend and both kiddos took in wins at flag football on Sunday.  We've been making shrinky dinks and building things in the backyard.  Been watching movies and doing crafts.  Been playing with the toddler and disappearing into video games.  Been playing tennis and going to parks.  Been trying scripture tattoos for the fun of it and playing in the water - water balloons, sprinklers, hot tub, water guns, watering the garden, swimming. We have some fun busyness coming up with church friends at pools, a movie night, cookie making for the firehouse next door to our church, and also upcoming VBS. Frontier Camp is on the horizon and - bonus - grandparents are coming soon, too!  I have a mild summer bucket list printed up with other simple joys for us to undertake - tie dye shirts, random acts of kindness, water park, pillow fighting, fishing, rock painting, paint pottery, flashlight tag, root beer floats, bowling, putt putt, and a ferris wheel sometime maybe.  Here's hoping I remember to take more pics of what's coming than I have done so far.  My brain checked out this summer and I have been mostly MIA taking pics.

 

 

 

Me - I have been doing much needed odds and ends and updates here at home and have been so glad for the free time to get to them and check them off my mental list.  I also joined the Women's Team at church and that has added some busyness to the calendar. Josh joked last night that I am never home when I let him know I had stuff going on the next three nights in a row after being gone two nights the week before.  I joined a summer bible study at church and have enjoyed the women's events we are doing as well at the playdates we have set up.  I am reading, reading, reading and enjoying having a crochet hook in my hands again.  Glad to have an almost 3 year old instead of a baby anymore - that makes a huge difference in my freedom each day.  Her being older and Noah and Anna being capable to handle her has allowed me to sleep in in the mornings and that alone makes this summer a huge win - ha!  Other summer news includes our engaging with my parents again after a 6 year estrangement.  It's a tedious story to recount how this came about here in the past couple weeks, but the Lord has allowed it to come about in a way that I prayed for and am (mostly) comfortable with and we are in the process of setting up family mediation/family conflict counseling (whatever you want to call it) in the interest of being about to at least try to return to any sort of periodic visiting relationship at all.  We shall see!  Also, if we can get this dang adoption done this summer - next month - before Lasa's third birthday and before we have to pay for another dang homestudy update, I will be singing from the rooftops and this summer will be a smashing success. In the meantime, the Lord is working on me in the frustrating delays and wait that continue since April's TPR.  I caught a movie with friends last night and have a dinner out with JJ friends tonight.  I have also been squeezing in some much needed clothes shopping for me and it is a relief to get that done and to not hate myself in the clothes-trying-on process this year. HA!

Josh - Josh is enjoying the somewhat slower summer pace at work and this month looks forward to Fridays off again.  He is shoulder deep in his gardening endeavors - working hours out there every day and coming inside at dark a sweaty, contented mess. Ha!  He keeps the kids busy working with him and they also take on their building projects adding onto the bunny bin as needed and making some new changes to the playground area.  Anna has a new crow's nest built waaaaaay up in the shade tree and Lasa has new swinging handlebars to play on.  Next up is a bench and some sort of rope netting attaching the playground to the tree, I think.  Josh built the bunnies an outdoor air conditioner this weekend. Yes, an air conditioner. Don't get me started. Josh also bought himself a violin and he and Anna are getting oriented to the violin world via YouTube.  Bedtimes keep getting later and later as a result.  I hear talk of going kayaking this weekend and I am glad for that for them, too!  Other random Josh summer info - he is dabbling in essential oils and surprising himself because he actually likes them!  So funny.  We have found some combos that help with his snoring.  Praise the Lord.  Josh is also co-leading one of the adult Sunday School classes at church and he is doing so great.  Proud of him!