From trash to treasures.

School started.
I cleaned out the drawers, closets, and rooms of my children.
My FIVE children.
Some kids are born pack rats.
As in, teething gel!?! Really?  You have lost most, if not all of your baby teeth, and you have teething gel hiding in your room? Really?  You're "baby" sister is three.  Almost four.  Seriously.
And this one, mind you, was the one that has been able to fool me into thinking her room is always the cleanest.  Lies.
Needless to say, we are minus countless bags of garbage, clothing, and clutter.  And one tube of teething gel.
And feeling a little lighter because of it.
Success.

It also happens to be day four of the new school year,
and there has only been one day so far that nobody forgot their lunch.
True story.
Three lunches sitting on the island.
All on different days.
They should coordinate this $###.
Plus, we only almost missed the bus one day.
As in, three kids running frantically,
one bawling her fool head off and another with one shoe on and one shoe off.
Success? Uhhhhh...

Plus, one day that a lunch was forgotten, I had a great parenting moment.
(The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
In other words, I don't want weirdos tracking down my kids because of this story.)
Me: "Hi, Lynn! I have a lunch here."
Lynn: "Hello.  Which teacher?"
Me: "Uhhh, ummmmm. Heh.  Missssssssssssss... Simpson?"
Lynn: "Mrs Simonson?"
Me: "Yes.  That's it.  Mrs. Simonson."
Lynn: "Okay.  I will get it to her."
Me: "Thanks so much!"
And then I walk out into the hallway and the bulletin board with all of the teachers names catches my eye.  Whoops.  Mrs. Simonson isn't a fifth grade teacher, even. And guess what? She teaches fourth grade.  And my fourth grader doesn't even have her!  I just named a teacher.  Actually, it wasn't even a real teacher.  I have no idea where I pulled that made up name from. Whatever.  I'm cool and a really good parent.
The secretary just assumed that I got the girls teachers mixed up.  I agreed.  I just hope she doesn't remember that Haley supposedly has Mrs. Simonson.  Eeek.
FAIL.

Also.
I got a new neighbor.
Her name is Mindi.  Or Mindy.
Or something equally awesome.
AND.
She has five kids.
True story.
I love her.
And her five kids.
True story.
Her kids are super loveable.
It's going to be a really good thing.
Lucky me.
I always end up with neighbor kids I love to the moon and back.
It all started back in Rozzy, with Laren's kids.
Success!

summer lovin', had me a blast!

Of all the summers in recent years, this one has been the busiest, funnest (is that a word?), and most memorable.  We've taken advantage of our proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.  And embraced our inner surfers.  Well, technically, it was body boarding.  Close enough.  Potato, tator tot.  Whatev.  I learned something, though.  Don't go to the ocean the same week as shark week on the Discovery Channel, though.  It'll just keep you always glancing around nervously and running out of the water at the slightest possibility of skin breaking.  Sharks can smell one drop of blood for quite a ways.  Does the distance really matter when a crab or some mean little sea creature bites your toe and draws blood?  Uh, nope.  Speaking from experience.  Either way, it's probably wise to park your rump in the rented beach chair, until it looks like the bleeding has stopped mostly.  Says the scaredy chicken.  

And with summer rapidly winding down and the color of the leaves muting, I am thankful for the chance to get back to business.  I'm excited to live life on a schedule again.  To have a clean(er) house.  To shampoo these carpets that scream "nastyville!" Seriously.  If you ever want to know what kind of carpet not to get, come visit me.  Within in the next ten months.  Ten months!  YAY!  Ten months until I have my house back.  Oh, I miss my house.  I love my house.  I shall never utter one bad word about my beloved house in Michigan, ever in my life.  I miss it.  I miss my appliances, I miss my kitchen.  I miss the location of my bedroom.  I miss my en suite.  Oh, do I miss my en suite.  Have you seen it?  Oh, you should see it.  In eleven months.

With a summer full of memories, we are ready for a change in scenery and pace.  One with books and routine, in place of lazy days and sunshine.  It's so close I can taste it.  And it's delicious.

Summer lovin, I wish it was past.

Barely There.

I'm still here! Well, sort of. 

 If anybody thinks to read this, I'll be amazed. 

It's just, well, summer.  And you think it will be all relaxing

and stuff.  And then, well, it isn't.  Life is busy.  

 Really awesome people visit you and motivate you to see lots of sights.  

And, sometimes, you decide to just splurge on that one thing that you have wanted for sooooooo long.  

And it's totally worth it.  

 I'll post a picture of us using our sauna tomorrow.  

Kidding.  

First of all, does anybody even believe that I'll be posting tomorrow? 

Ha! 

 Life is a little wild around here.  

We enjoyed the gorgeous, non-humid (finally!) weather this past weekend and took the kids to putt-putt. 

 That girl, with the blue headband, sunk the first hole in one.  Yes, I said first.  Zane also sunk one. ME? I'm not going to start bragging about my skills quite yet.  It would be like buying CD's before you own a CD player.

 This girl, she's a natural.  Just like me.  

Enjoy the rest of the summer!  And call off the search crews.  I'm still here.  Barely.

Keeping it at bay.

No, I don't just spend my whole life lonesome.  Sometimes, I do fun stuff like spend a week in Chesapeake Bay crabbing, fishing, relaxing, beaching, and whatnot.

 Chicken necking for crab,

 No electronics,

 Just old fashioned fun.  

 The part behind the cabin that looks like it drops off into nothingness?

It drops into the Chesapeake Bay.  

 And the other side of the cabin was the Honga River. 

 Me and the travel agent that planned the whole vacation.  

 Dat's Nice.  Reminded me of all the Finnglish people I know. 

 This picture was taken from the bridge that carries you to Hooper Island. 

That is a bald eagle that has made it's nest on the chimney.  

What a gorgeous cabin this must have been in it's prime. 

 I think this was Ocean City.  We did Ocean City and Assateague Island in one day.  

Ocean City is gorgeous.  A swimmable oceanside beach.  Assateague Island is gorgeous, too.

Not exactly kid friendly.  Especially when the wild horses show up on the beach.  

 The kids enjoyed jumping off of the pontoon in the bay.  

Well, until Logan cut himself on the ladder and I freaked out about sharks smelling the blood.  

The kids didn't know about the sharks in the bay until then.  

I, of course, googled that long before. 

(No known shark attacks have occurred in The Bay.) 

 Our crabs we caught.  Two meals total.  You are welcome for the picture.  

But, isn't the blue pretty?  

And we even survived a storm with winds up to 78 miles an hour.  

This tree was massive.  It was completely uprooted- and level with this house.  

There was quite a bit of damage.  We were safe.  

It was a really fabulous week.  Just what the Dr. ordered.  We also did a charter fishing trip for Rockfish.  If and when we get the pictures off of Zane's phone, I'll post them.  For the benefit of my Dad, mostly.  And, the wild horses on the island.

I hope you are enjoying your summer as much as we are enjoying ours!
Nine more days until I see some awesome TEXANS! (Formerly New Mexicans) WOOT, WOOT!
I'm not excited or anything.  *big grin* Life is good.

I know how you feel, Blake.

Happy Memorial Day!

May we never forget the sacrifices that have been made for our us.  

Thank you and God bless those who have lost their lives, or a loved one, in the name of freedom. 

Mere words will never be enough to show the depth of my gratitude. 

At The Park