SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS

Summer still has many glorious days to come.

However, my family has had a condensed summer vacation.  The next month involves a cross country move.

We will be busy settling into our new home and getting the kids ready for school that begins just 2 weeks after we move in.

Autumn will be upon us and our summer will be lost in the unpacking.  

So here are the highlights of our 2010 summer.

My list of 1000 continues...

275.  homemade slip and slides

276.  grassy bare feet

277.  battle weary sliders resting in the sun

278.  homemade popsicles

279.  beautiful wooden boats

280.  braids

281.  freckles

282.  sparkling water

283.  wind in your hair

284.  little boy's laughter

285.  missing front teeth

286.  should I?

287.  maybe I will...

288.  YAHOO!

289.  berry picking

290.  pie making

291.  family reunions

292.  hammock time

293.  cousins

294.  matching sundresses in sherbet colors

295.  water guns

296.  grilled chicken

297.  stick-ups

298.  new babies

299.  perfect summer meals

300.  knowing that there is a season for everything

Thank you Lord for summer days, for change, for seasons of life and gifts aplenty!

GOODBYE NEW HAMPSHIRE

Our long anticipated move has arrived. 

Tomorrow we drive off, not into the sunset, but into the sunrise, or perhaps before the sun rises.  

(Ok, my husband just pointed out that we are driving west therefore it is impossible for us to drive into the sunrise.)

It's just an expression dear!

I'm just saying, when you have 2,128 miles to go you have to get an early start!   

We have moved often.  Each move has been an adventure to a new place and has shaped our family in ways good and bad.  New Hampshire was a tough one because we where chasing a dream of business ownership that did not succeed in the difficult economy last year.  We made some hard decisions that turned out to be not the right ones for our family.  

Thankfully God opened a door for us to move to a place we know and love.  We are off to Colorado - singing John Denver the whole way!

Although New Hampshire was not the right place for us, it is a lovely place. 

Thank you New Hampshire for...

teaching our children to ski,

for an abundance of blueberries,

for hiking trails,

and amazing views.

We love that in 2 hours we could be at the Maine seacoast, or Boston's museums, or the Vermont mountains, or headed into Canada!

New Hampshire is full of history,

interesting people,

and delicious treats.

We head out with 4 children, 1 dog, an SUV(packed with plenty of road trip munchies and audio books), 2 moving trucks, and a dear friend from Texas who has volunteered to join our caravan as the 3rd driver.  It's going to be an adventure!

DEEP SUMMER

"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability."

RANDOM BIT #7

We love to go to the diner in Tilton, New Hampshire for a treat.  It's very 1950's - great milk shakes, made from scratch mac and cheese, and hula hoops while you wait for a table.
On our last visit Miss Molly announced she needed to go potty and she knew where it was and didn't need my help, thank you very much!
I followed along a few paces behind just to make sure.

She confidently strode right into the men's room.

Luckily it was empty and I snatched her back out rather quickly.

"Molly that's the men's room!"  I said.
"Oh!"  she replied with an embarrassed giggle.  "I thought the M was for Molly."

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

My husband and I celebrate 17 years of marriage today.

So much has changed since that day.

We are different people than we were on July 5, 1993.

We are better people.

We have adored and annoyed each other.

We have created 4 beautiful children.

We have questioned, tested, supported and prayed for each other.

We have grown as individuals and found belonging as a couple.

I know his strengths, his faults, his thoughts and motivations better than anyone...

and he knows mine.

Marriage is good.

INDEPENDANCE DAY

Celebrate your Freedom!