Summertime

Sorry, no posting since May. Lots going on, fast walking to keep up. This is a long post.

There is such a thing as staying busy to just be busy. I think ours has gone beyond that. No longer are we looking for things to occupy our time because we have so much of it that needs to be used. Instead life is just simply full and with that comes the feelings of fullness.

I guess we are one big Thanksgiving turkey feast that just won't quit;) You know, the bloated turkey tryptophan feeling.  Sunshine even made a pumpkin pie yesterday as she was actually bored. Ladybug and I were stripping the finish off the front door in hopes of refinishing it this summer. The blue tape has been taped around the windows for a year now. The neighbors really thought I had done that intentionally to decorate! No wonder they are somewhat guarded around me, they think I randomly decorate with blue masking tape, ha! Well have I got news for them, I found green tape!! Oh the possibilities:)

A recap of the past couple months.

May was the end of the school year for the Sunshine and Cowboy. Cowboy will now be going on to his senior year. Yikes, he really is that old! If leg growth is any indicator we bought him pants three different times this last school year. He is the proud owner of 40 inch inseams. Six feet tall and mostly legs. Sunshine officially survived her freshman year and first full year of public school. It was a big year for her in many ways. Academically she did wonderfully. Her perfectionism doesn't allow for anything less. She did learn a great deal about the world of high school teenage girls. I must say we did have the opportunity to visit about several things often. She grew and I gained a greater understanding of her strength and desire to choose the right. I am truly blessed to get to raise her. She teaches me everyday.

June

My mom came from Nevada for a visit on her way through to go take care of her parents for a month. It was a good visit. She had a lot on her mind with what care would be needed for her parents and the emotional aspects of elderly care. She did a great job and is now back in Nevada getting on with summer.

Cowboy took on several farm jobs and changes sprinkler lines twice a day. He spends 4-6 hours daily on this. He also got a part time job working for the local plumbers and has been traveling with them to job sites. They work 8-10 hour days. Lastly, he works for the wildland fire program on the camp crew and got to spend a week in Pueblo, Colorado tending camp for the fire fighters. He loved it and can't wait to get called up again. In between all of his jobs, he still volunteers as a 4H Teen Ambassador. Lastly, the boy joined the first ever high school football team. Whoot, whoot!! He gets to be one of the honorable seniors that get to play before they graduate. He is thrilled, tired and always hungry.

Sunshine is continuing with her piano and violin, watching TV, reading, tending the littles when needed(which is alot) and helping around with the housework. This is her last year of just being a kid (or so she says) because next summer she will be 16 and that's when the "real work" starts (ie. paycheck, boss, scheduled shifts). I just smile.

Smiley, Ladybug, Peanut and Popcorn in June continued with their home school studies as we are on a year round schedule with different break times. They made good progress and having Cowboy so involved in other things helped with less distractions. Sunshine found herself needing to find something to do or participating with learning/teaching the home school studies. At one point after she listened in on a science topic and activity she commented that she learned more about general science in 15 minutes at home then what she learned all year at the high school. Two thoughts, here: my ego said "Dang, mama you got what it takes to do this!" and "Oh know, what did she actually get from high school science?"
** I have since learned she really did get more out of her science class than she thought originally and that the classroom environment she was in was so out of control that most of her education was self taught. Ironic that she chose to go to public school so she could be taught by better teachers and in the end it was really up to her to get out of each class what she wanted/needed. With that said I am in no way intending to condemn public schools. In her case the two teachers she struggled with were fired by the school board due to lack of teaching ability and disrespecting the school policies.  It turned out to be a big year for the school with the principal being force retired, three teachers fired, another teacher transferred to the middle school principal position and remaining teachers flexing their academic muscles to cover additional subjects. I am truly hoping the school board has hired great new teachers and that plans are in place for future challenges that arise.

July 2014

This has been a big month. Green is back, yeah!!! Everything is growing (weeds too), we have sprinklers on, garden is growing. Popcorn is daily checking on carrot and pea growth. We may actually get to harvest if he doesn't eat them all. Smiley took over the lawn mowing again this year. He even keeps the key to the riding mower in his pocket just so know one else will take over the coveted lawn mowing job. You go Smiley, we are thrilled you love it so much.

Home school studies continue (albeit a slower pace). July 4th weekend we enjoyed having our dear friends the Pettits from Colorado over for the holiday weekend. Good times. The next week we had my dad from Florida. I think he was surprised watching us keep up with all the stuff we do, especially Cowboy. We really enjoyed his visit this year and look forward to next summer to see him again.

This last week was spent getting back into a non-company routine, housekeeping, paying bills and trips over the mountain for repairs. Smiley has been so excited about getting to use motorized equipment that we have had need for repair services on the lawn mower, weed eater, 4 wheeler and go cart. Good things come to those who wait patiently, right? He can do it, four years to sixteen isn't forever. The pocket books says, Smiley, thou shalt wait or else no bread for dinner;) In the mean time he has a working pedal bike, lawn privileges are still in place just no more 4 wheel'n bub!

Swim lessons happened too. All four littles attended two consecutive sessions of classes and passed, yeah. Smiley officially graduated from swim lessons. He is the youngest of ours to do so and proudly ate his treat with gusto. Lady bug has one more level to learn and she will be done as well, maybe next summer. Peanut and Popcorn settled down to the business of focusing on the teacher and discovered they could in fact float, doggy paddle and elementary crawl in the shallow end. Amazing what a little focused participation can do:) I couldn't help laughing on the last day of lessons when the very sweet and patient swim instructor had to repeat their names several times to get them to stay on task. At least I knew it wasn't just me getting the "Oh, did you say something Mom?" This sweet lady raised two active boys, she knew just how to work with them.

Family reunion, braces for Smiley, planning for 50 mile scout hike(next week), girl scout planning for overnight trip next week and the usual home stuff will round out the month.

August, you are coming, eek this weekend! Scout activities, back to school preparations, County Fair, harvesting the first vegetables, bedtime routines, home school scheduling, squeezing in just a bit more fun before the high school year starts and the cold season too.