long time no see

 

This is what seemed appropriate after googling "keeping my head above water". 

That's me, right down to the extra flubb. It's been a busy summer, but a lot of goodness. I did an 8 week summer nature curriculum with the kids to get us ready for homeschooling this fall. It was fun. 

Beaver dam cookies

window suncatchers

Ocean slime

Making blueberry pie. 

Painting constellations. 

It was really a wonderful program by this homeschooling mom I follow on Instagram.

We went on an out East road trip to VT and NH that was really a nice time.

stop at Niagara on the way home

We visited for 2 weeks when my brother and his family were in town

I turned 42 and we had a gender reveal party for my sister

Had a baby shower for my sister

These 3 are growing up

made lots of goodies with the kiddos

These 2 had a 3 day nature class at the nature center nearby

A Labor Day mini trip to Bois Blanc Island

This precious girl turned 2

And then last week, August started his Homeschool hybrid program, Jeanie started back to speech therapy, and my Bible study program started up again, all on the same day. 

And I just feel that I haven't had a moment to myself that isn't folding laundry, washing dishes, cleaning up someone's mess. Not to mention my garden and side yard are out of control, but I either 1) have no time, or 2) the mosquitos are OUT OF CONTROL all of a sudden. Oh and my car has been in the shop 3x in the last 3 weeks for the same exact thing. And I've been doing PT for my diastasis recti I've had for 2 years now since Lucy's birth so I have to add in an additional 20 minutes of exercises each day for that. My precious new niece was born, but is going on her 3rd week in the NICU. Our hospital merged with another one and they don't realize it takes people to take care of people, and have been firing people which makes everyone's jobs harder. I've gained 8lbs since I finished up breastfeeding in the spring. And I am just OVER IT all. 

Ok, breathe, breathe. 

I know in a month or so we will be in a groove and it will be ok. A lot of the stuff we are doing is fun stuff, like this weekend we are going to the apple orchard and zoo, and today we did a family swim at the kids' swim lessons. Its fun stuff. It just is always very busy. 

There've been many times where I've thought about blogging about something or other. But it just doesn't seem to happen. 

Part of it is this STUPID blogspot website. It always takes several times to log me in, and when I upload pics it usually puts them in chronological reverse for some reason so then when I try to drag it to the right spot it inexplicably deletes it. I really hate it. 

So anyway, that's what's going on. I'll pop in when I can, this blog was supposed to be enjoyable for me, and not just something to check off a list. 

horsing around

 One of Doug's former co-workers had been inviting him over to see his horses, so last weekend we made the hour drive over there. 

And we ended up all getting a horse ride!

Not Miss Lucy, but she was able to alternately pet the horse and then be afraid of it, haha

It was a fun day. 

I couldn't help but remember my love of horses as a girl. We had 14 acres so I would beg my parents for a horse. They would often arrange for me to go to my dad's cousin who lived nearby to help groom and ride her horses. Now I can see why we never got into it. It is a very time consuming and expensive hobby/sport/pet. This co-worker said they had spent $100k on their riding stable. 😱 And spend hours and hours grooming, mucking, etc. 

Always you get up on a horse and just imagine yourself flying like the wind, but it's always just a slow walk in a circle too, lol. And of course while my kiddos were up on the horses back I was glad it was just a slow steady walk with the owner holding the reigns, the nurse in me is too cautious about broken necks and fear of being stomped on. 

The visit ended in a trip for ice cream and it was a lovely little half day trip :) 

4th of July

4th of July fun with friends at our friends' house of the lake. Good friends, tubing, wakeboarding, playing in the sand, good food, and fireworks!

So thankful we live in the land of the free. God bless the USA!

 

June goings-on

 Well another month has gone by with no blogging! So busy all the time.

This little lady went on her first father/daughter trip. They had a good time. Look at how happy she is! 😍

Pic of me & mom since I forgot to take one of us together when we hung out for mother's day

Me & my little Lucy

Jeanie girl was practicing AB patterns

August had a half day in his last week of school and we went to the Zoo afterwards, fun!

He finished up his 8 week soccer class (he wasn't a big fan. His last game was so funny, he was running, then he'd stop and pick a clover and eat it, run and pick a clover, run and stop and pick a clover, I had to tell him to stop picking flowers during the game!!) But it was a good intro course and we'll probably try one again sometime. But for now it's on to tennis lessons. 

Me & the other 2 while Jeanie was gone with daddy

Little garden is planted and ready to grow! My backyard is such an ugly eyesore, but hopefully the garden will be somewhat productive.

Little things growing.

A very persistent groundhog has burrowed out this hole at least 3 times as we keep refilling it. Last night he got caught in the live trap. I was at work and Doug told me today a little groundhog friend kept peeking out of the hole to look at his friend/(relative?!) in the trap. Which makes me sad, I don't want to break up a little groundhog family! 😩 But nor do I want them in my garden. So hopefully we will catch the friend soon and can reunite them in their new area a few miles away. One summer Doug caught 7 groundhogs, and then its been years with none, so we shall see what happens.