Summer full of changes!

When school let out in May, I vowed I would get a bunch of things done!  Paint the stairwell, finish the family room ceiling (there has been a ring of beige paint on our white ceiling for a year), get some bottling done, take the 6 credits I had signed up for, take the kid's to Utah to see family and friends and get a short little family vacation in...ALL before school started August 23rd!


Well, the stairwell did get painted...sort of.  There is still a ring around the ceiling and it is waiting for crown molding.  I did finish the 6 credits and did well.  Got the trip to Utah in and it was a blast!  Had a couple of fun weekends to the cities and one planned for Labor Day with all of us.  The family room is still waiting!  But the best part of this whole summer was the memories that were created and the changes that have occurred in my kid's over the last 3 months.

In July Katey turned 16!  OMG yeah she did!  That was almost as hard for me as turning 40!  On our trip out to Utah we did a couple of college tours and of course one of them was Utah State..(Go Big Blue!)  The great news was that  since Katey is a legacy (Jerry graduated from there) she will get in state tuition.  It is far away from home, but I truly believe (as much as I don't want to admit it) she needs to go there to school.  When we got home from our trip, she took her driving road test and got her license.  OMG yeah she did!  I don't think I can take much more!  Dating, driving, college in two years.  Where did time go when I wasn't watching?

Our trip was a quick one and I wish it could have lasted longer, but Coco missed us.  We went to Lagoon one day and had our big family July birthday party.   Sam and Katey had a good time at Lagoon but this was their first experience with amusement parks so they weren't sure if they like them or not.  It was really hot too.  101* on the day we were there...french fried people we were!   We went out and came back through Yellowstone and Montana.  What beautiful country!  I sure do miss mountains and pine trees.  I loved the drive up from West Yellowstone to Butte.  Awesome!  The kid's had a great time seeing the mountains too.  I think Katey was pretty much on the floor of the car though on the pass over to Yellowstone from Cody Wyoming the whole time.  Flatland kids!  Whose are they?


So here we are at the start of another school year.  Gracie is in 2nd grade, still doesn't have one of her front teeth and has lost another bottom one, Sam is in 7th grade and starting football and Katey is a Junior in High school.  Sam and Katey are now both taller than I am and it makes me sad.  They were just 5 and 3 yesterday!  Where did the time go?  I have to say though I am so proud of the people they are becoming.  They are kind and responsible and respectful.  It could be worse I know.  So Kiddos, here is to a successful year to you all.  May we get through this a little wiser, stronger and better people in the end.  

Love to you all,
Shelly