Bye-Bye Summer

Oh it is that time of year I both love and dislike. I love the cooler nights and the wonderful smells outside of ripe corn and sunshine. I dislike the end of our summer vacation and the busy-ness of the days. Joel headed back to school on the 21st of August. We began the fourth year of our Madison Christian School this week with three enrolled students. Nate is in third grade, Jeremiah is in first and Rachael is a very eager and proud Kindergartener! We haven't started all the extras like history and science yet, so I am mostly done by lunch time, but in a week or so I will have work to do with the boys in the afternoon. Naptime for the little guys is the best time to get some of that stuff accomplished.

Of course the addition of schooling makes the days that much more busy. I am trying to find a schedule that will work, but each time I try, life comes along and messes with it. How can you schedule in: Elijah will explode thru his diaper (10:00 am-right as I sit down to teach nate math) Elijah falls off coffee table, Benny is "done" in the bathroom (10:15 right as I start to teach Nate math again!) Rachael drops her cup of milk off the table (10:22- as I am washing my hands from cleaning up ben). You mommys know how it goes. But by God's grace only, we are able to accomplish most of our school work each day and I am usually even able to do several loads of laundry, feed everyone and prepare a usually homemade dinner (hey hotdogs and baked beans are homecooked). Sometimes I wonder if my smile is because I am truly happy or if I think my life is so rediculous- I think it is both!
I know God will be faithful to us this year. I am excited to learn along with the kids each day and love having all the time to enjoy them, even if it does make life much more crazy. I am only occasionally tempted by the school bus that stops outside my door (the bus stop is there) but if they would let me put all five on the bus, that would be temptation!

The last few weeks of summer were very enjoyable for all of us. We went to the beach again for a mini vacation. It was very hot that week, over 100 degrees the one day, but my parent's place is air conditioned, unlike my house. so we loved it. The one day we got all the kids huge red slushies- we had to leave the beach because I was scared Eli was overheating. The slushie helped cool us all down! We all went to the pool. Nate and Jeremiah went with me in the five foot section and can swim pretty well. Benny and Rachael are regular fish and Eli loved floating around and splashing near the steps.
We also enjoyed a day on Blue Marsh lake with our neighbors and their boat. What a great day. We boated, Nate and Jeremiah and Joel all went in the tube behind the boat. We all swam in the deep cool water and enjoyed a picnic barbecue. Elijah fell asleep in my arms after lunch as we sped across the water. The wind and water were so refreshing on a hot hazy day. Thank you Goodman family again. You are our favorite neighbors ever!

We have also enjoyed two meals with our long lost, but returned friends, the Putnam family! We are so excited that they have come back, they are very dear friends of ours. A few friends and I and our 13 (fourteen if you count my little peanut)combined children met for a
"goodbye summer party". Rachael and her friend Kate are the only girls in the bunch! Thank you Bonnie-we had a wonderful time.

I celebrated my 31st birthday (how did I get so old) last saturday. Joel took me shopping for some much needed maternity clothes. My source for borrowed clothes has dried up! We also went to dinner at the Charlie Brown Steak house on friday night. I am not big on steak, but I enjoyed a shrimp dinner very much. Thank you Megan Inglin- our kids favorite non-mom-mom babysitter! So that sums up our summer. I hope that I can post here a bit more frequently and avoid these loooonnggg posts I have been writing!

It is almost apple and pumpkin time! I can't wait!