Catching Up, My Friends

Acting "cool" with her shades at the cottage we rented.

I have been putting off posting lately because I don't have the right pictures or a grand idea in mind for a post, but I will put it off no longer.  I have been extremely busy the last few months and I am breathing a big sigh of relief that I can now relax a bit and try to focus on things that I have been putting off.

My oldest son graduated from high school this year.  We were/are very proud of him.  We put together a party (actually two parties) for him at our house.  I am not generally a great hostess because I get very nervous.  I recognize this fact and I am trying to purposely put myself in situations that are generally not comfortable for me by inviting people over or having a party.  I don't want this to always be the case that I struggle with having company.  I really enjoyed myself at his party so I was happy that I went through with it.  When my daughter graduated we held her party at a church hall and that worked out great too.

Part of our backyard before the parties got started

My son wanted a "bouncy" at his party so it was easier to have the party here.  The police were only called once, that I know of because a neighbor or somebody driving by thought that somebody was in danger because they heard girls "screaming".  I know most of the children that were at our home that evening and I felt as though the evening was going really well (We had the family/adult friend party during the day and Alex's school friend's party in the evening) and although I knew that the girls were being loud it was a laughing/joyful loud.


I went into our backyard when I found out that the police had been called and met with two officers.  Apparently the girls were all in the bouncy house having a blast and the boys were all around the campfire.  Does this sound familiar to anyone with teenage girls out there?  Loud, squealing, laughing, etc with their girlfriends?  Too funny.  The police apologized for bothering us and went on their merry way.

Then two weeks after his party we went on vacation to Point Judith in RI and stayed at the cottage that we have rented for the two previous years.  We stayed there for a week and although the beginning of the week was very rocky with bickering and disagreements about where/how to spend our time, by the end of the week we were in a sort of rhythm about how to spend our days and mostly in agreement with one another.

One of the beautiful sunsets that we saw at Point Judith.

My second oldest son was so excited that we finally gave in and allowed him to get a cell phone (15 years old--16 in August) that he paid for it to be over-nighted so that he would have it for vacation.  Wouldn't you know it that on approximately the second day of vacation..three days after receiving it (he paid for it all himself), he swam with it in the ocean and it hasn't worked since!  Valuable lesson he learned.  I felt pretty badly for him, but I found a friend on Facebook that generously gave him her older cell phone the day that we arrived home, so he is now happily texting his friends again.

My crazy happy family...I love them all!

The next day, I believe, my third oldest son, decided to go swimming while forgetting he had his glasses on!  Needless to say the waves took them off of his face.  The minute I realized what happened I recruited the whole crew to search the waves for them.  Five minutes later or so my husband actually spotted them and my son was able to, with the help of swimming goggles, grab them!  Thank you Lord!  I don't know how he would have made it through the week without his much needed glasses, and I am thankful that we didn't have to find out.

My older daughter is not home this summer because she found a nanny-ing position near the college that she attends.  I miss her, but she is blooming where God has planted her and has many families that depend on her gift of child rearing for their own children.  She watches children for five different families, on top of helping out the family that she lives with.  She was able to go on vacation with us though, and for that I am grateful.

I am heading to bed shortly because I have to be up early to drive my second oldest son to driver's ed class in the morning....just to think I will have three out of six of my living children with licenses soon!

I was able to read nearly two books while on vacation and was wondering what you enjoy reading.  I don't have a lot of time to read normally, but I find that if I enjoy the book it is amazing how I can suddenly fit a page or two of reading here and there scattered throughout my day.

Our little one chasing a kite with her eyes...Doesn't it look like she is looking up to Heaven?

Even though you are not here with us on earth Caleb, we do carry you around in our hearts.  We miss you terribly still, but God is giving us a sense of peace slowly...Every day we are one step closer to meeting you at the "shore".  We love you little buddy.