First Week of Summer Vacation

We had a fun and busy first week of summer. I had great plans of being super organized and starting a fabulous summertime routine. That didn’t happen. Maybe next week. :)

Monday was Memorial Day. Cool people would take their new boat out and have fun. We’re not cool. We stayed home did yard work all day. The kids fought and whined. A lot. I started to fear the prospect of having four kids at home 24/7. Luckily it turned out to be a fluke. The rest of the week they were loads better at playing together and getting along. Phew!

Jody and Sarah came to visit on Tuesday, making everyone at this house very happy. I’m glad that my kids love their cousin, but I wish they would stop insisting on holding her when it is really my turn. The kids’ school swim party got cancelled because of the weather, but they were completely okay with it when they found out that Wipeout was going to be on. I’m glad they are easy to please.


We had planned to go boating on Wednesday. The weatherman said that there would be afternoon thunderstorms, so we ditched our plans. I was only a little bitter when it turned out to be warm and sunny all day (stupid weatherman). Instead, Nate and I washed and waxed the boat while the kids played in the sprinklers and tested out their new slip n’ slide.




On Thursday we went to our ward playgroup at the park. The kids had fun playing with their friends and I had fun talking with my friends. After we got home, Claudy and her kids came to see if we wanted to go geo-caching with them. We didn’t end up finding the cache, but we did find a little snake on the canal road. I felt bad about having it get run over after we scared it into the road, so I used my snake catching skills (that I learned from watching Dirty Jobs) and rescued it. The kids all thought it was cool to touch it as long as I was holding it. I was just glad it didn't poop on me.




Thursday night we had a slumber party with Zack, Austin, and Gavin. It was big on the party, small on the slumber. The kids loved having their cousins sleep over. When I asked them their favorite part of the week, it was at the top of all of their lists. We love those boys.



We had a baby shower for Jody on Friday. Sarah wasn’t really due until the middle of June and I had already mailed the invitations before she was born. We decided to just go ahead and do the shower anyway. It worked out great that everyone got to meet her at the party. She was an angel and didn’t fuss at all (even when Aunt Holly was being really loud). Lots of people showed up and Jody got tons of great gifts. Sarah is going to be one well-dressed/accessorized girl! It was a fun time.


My shower hosting skills didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Nate was at Emily’s soccer party with the kids, so he wasn’t’ here to take care of all the last minute preparations like he usually does. I’ve lost a little sleep since then thinking of 127 things I should have done differently to make it better. Nate keeps assuring me that everyone had a great time and that is all that matters. I’m trying to believe him. The chicken salad was excellent. That’s one point in my favor. Granted, Nate made the chicken salad, but I was smart enough to marry a cool boy who knows how to cook.

Nate and I went to the temple yesterday morning for the sealing of our friends the Eckardts. They are a quality family and we are very happy for them. There is something about seeing a whole family kneeling around the altar that is uniquely special. I was glad that Nate came prepared with a stash of tissues in his suit coat.


We let another perfect boating day pass us by and spent the rest of the day running errands and doing more work on the boat (keel guard and speakers) while the kids played in our little inflatable pool.



Today I gained a greater testimony of the Sabbath. It had been a long week and I was secretly hoping that one of my kids would wake up with a cough or something so I could have an excuse to skip church and be lazy all day. (Don’t tell my bishop.) I’m glad that everyone was healthy and so I “had to” go. Our fast and testimony meeting was better than it has been in a LONG time . . . or maybe I just needed it more today. Sometimes I need a little reminder of all of my blessings to help me put things into perspective. That’s what I got today, and I am grateful. There is a lot of wisdom in having one day a week where you can step back and see the big picture again. I’m glad it is a commandment, or I would never really do it.

I’m looking forward to week two of summer vacation and hoping it will be filled with lots more play and lots less work.