The end of July

It's hard to believe the end of July has arrived.  Tomorrow August begins.  With my job, August doesn't really mean "summer" anymore.  I might have some slightly shorter days, but mostly it's all in.  This year presents some additional challenges with some logistics regarding some building repairs, so I really have no idea what this week is going to bring.  Andrew is also going to be spending the bulk of the week at his mom's house, so I'm pretty much on my own this week.

This weekend was exactly what I needed to head into the August.  I loved having so much family time on Thursday.  I loved that all four of us were together all day, and I loved that we watched a movie that evening.  It will go down as one of my favorite days of the summer.

Friday was another lovely day.  Thomas was off work again, so he and I headed north to my hometown.  My mother had a good friend in town who wanted to see me.  They were willing to travel my way, but I wanted to do some shopping at my favorite soap store, as well as take a a bit of time and visit with my grandmother.  I was even able to make a return of some clothing, so it was a productive day on top of everything else!

Yesterday was a day to get things done around the house as well as visit our former town for a grad party.  It was very nice to get to visit with so many people, and I always love seeing Thomas with that group of friends.

Today we had church, and Thomas worked all day.  We had found out at the end of the week that a very dear friend was traveling through town.  Because of COVID, we hadn't seen him over four years, and it was so wonderful to see him this evening!  Andrew and the kids will get to have breakfast with him in the morning, but with me having just had three days off AND the craziness of August, it isn't an option for me to join in.  I'm so glad we were able to make a visit happen this evening as well.

While August is pretty much my least favorite month, it does bring us one month closer to fall and to football season!

The fabulous day continued into the evening

Last evening our family sat together and watched a movie.  I'm pretty sure the last time that happened was December.  My heart was so incredibly full yesterday.  Our day as a family ended with all of us laughing together.  While I have NEVER taken those evenings for granted, the fact that going forward I may be able to count them on one hand is certainly on my mind.

Catherine was only here about 23 hours, but it was truly lovely.  I'm most grateful that she was able to spend some time loving on and cuddling our sweet cat Rosie, and that Rosie snuggled in bed with her all evening.  While Rosie has had some rebound days here and there, I'm afraid her days are numbered.  While we know something isn't quite right, she doesn't seem to be suffering.  We don't let animals suffer, so when that changes it will be time.  

I'm grateful for these extra days off to spend with people I love so very much!

A fabulous family day

I had mentioned to Catherine a couple of weeks ago that I would be off today, and that we could spend the day shopping for some things she will need before school starts.  Specifically, we needed to get her some shoes, and I wanted to spoil her with some other things as well.  The plan was that if Thomas happened to be off, we would all go.  When Catherine's work transferred her to the store near her school, she specifically asked for today off so we could make this happen.  She was very excited about spending the day with us (especially with our credit card 😂).  Thomas also somehow managed to not be scheduled today, and again, he wanted to spend the day with us rather than go to the county fair (that's another post...and again, probably because of our credit card).  We got so much accomplished, and then we had dinner out together at a restaurant we all enjoy.  I realized it had probably been since vacation that all four of us had eaten out together.  I know this is the beginning of those days being very rare.  I know Catherine will occasionally be home for weekends, and I know Thomas will sometimes be around on a weekend, but I have no idea the next time all four of us will have this kind of day together.  I soaked it up and am treasuring our day.  This evening we are going to watch a family movie together.  My heart is full!

Orientation

Today we took Thomas to orientation.  I pointed out to him that in spite of him being our third child, he is the first one for whom we attended a college orientation.  I'm glad we had the opportunity to do that today, and I'm excited for him.  I'm a little concerned that he is losing his enthusiasm as it gets closer, but ultimately I think he is looking forward to the experience.  Three weeks from tomorrow we'll be taking him to school!

The last break of summer

I've loved my work schedule this summer.  I was off for two days (and Memorial Day) right after school was out, then worked for nine days and then was off for vacation.  Then I worked ten days (no weekends) and then was off for the week of the 4th.  Then I worked nine days, was off last Friday, worked yesterday (a FULL) day and today, and will be off until Monday.  That will be August 1, and I'll be ready to hit the ground running.  Although I've worked fewer days this summer overall, I've worked longer days, and that is honestly how I prefer it to be.

I've come home to an empty house which I appreciate at the moment, but I know this fall there will be plenty of times I'm really going to find it too empty and too quiet.  Already this year, Catherine has been gone much more than she has been home, and it makes me a little sad because I know it will never be like it was again, and may not even be this much going forward.  I can only hope that my kids want to spend time with us as we all get older, and that we get to continue to share memories.

We have a few things planned with each kid over the next few days, but generally speaking, I get to enjoy some relaxation before August hits!

Vacation plans made

I received an email from a company we had used to rent a house on the Outer Banks.  Ironically, it was the 2020 vacation that never happened.  Anyway, they had released their 2023 rates, and I decided to check them out.  I wanted to stay in the resort that we love, go the same week as this year, have a Saturday check-in, and take our sweet pup.  That search returned exactly ONE option.  And we took it.  Technically, we only have a "right of first refusal" booked, but I showed the pictures to the kids, and they were excited, and it will be ours for the week as long as nothing changes our minds before December.  I don't know if the kids will be able to join us, but I've given them about as much notice as I can to make it happen!

Turned it over!

As of 2:00 this afternoon, the Treasurer items left my house.  I was so excited I practically did a dance!  There are so many things that need to be done, and many things I want to do, and I'm sure I'll get around to them.  I really didn't realize the amount of time and stress I felt, especially during this past year, but it's all done!

Turning it over, and what I want to be doing now

This weekend, I will officially be turning over the band stuff to the new Treasurer.  To say that I am excited is absolutely an understatement!  There are six boxes full of things that will be leaving my house.  None of us are sad about that.  After 8-1/2 years, it is time for the boxes to move out, and for me to move on.  I'm doing sponsorship this year, and maybe next, but that will be that.

I am thrilled beyond words.  I look forward to having time to work more on my genealogy, and catching up on my magazine subscriptions that are crazy old at this point.  I want to work on scanning family photos.  I am so excited about the opportunity to do something crazy like work a jigsaw puzzle, or even READ A BOOK.  My husband gave me an e-reader last year for my birthday, and I've read it once.  While it has been an honor to serve the students, I didn't realize what a burden it had become to me.  I am so, so excited to have this all off my plate!

The end of my week

July is a slow month at work, and I've pretty much been caught up.  Because I had a bank meeting late this afternoon, I decided to go ahead and just work until then.  I have "filler" projects I can do.  I don't mind doing those during the school year when I have to be at work, but if that's what I'm working on during summer days, I would prefer to be home.  I checked with my boss, and home is exactly where I will be tomorrow.  It was very exciting to know that I would get a long weekend!  And next week, I had already planned on taking Weds-Fri off, so I'm off four of the next six work days.  This is what I love about summer!  And to make things even better, I'm really close to finishing up my band responsibilities for good, and boy, do I have a list of things I want to do!  That's another post though.  I'm just looking forward to enjoying an extra day in a weekend of no plans!

The middle of July

I can't say that I'm a huge fan of July...it's that whole summer weather concept.  In fact, right now the heat index is 104 degrees.  Yuck.  Unfortunately, it's only going to get warmer for about the next week.  I'm grateful that I have little to no commitments that will require me to be outdoors anytime soon.

I'm really, really close to being completely finished with all of the band paperwork.  I'll make a separate post about that sometime, but I'm not going to lie...I am super excited about that!  I hope to be turning things over by this weekend at the latest...and maybe even tomorrow!

My stress level is a tad bit high right now.  We decided to make the investment and have a sump pump installed in our crawl space.  Of course, as is often the case with home improvement projects, things didn't quite go according to plan.  They found some pipe leaks in this process, and found out that box external faucets have leaks, so the already expensive projects are just becoming more expensive.  It is what it is though, and I'm grateful we have the money to fix what needs to be fixed.

We also have an issue with one of our cats.  Andrew and Catherine have taken her to the vet, and there is no guarantee she is coming home.  My heart breaks for Catherine, who adores this cat beyond words, and I know Catherine will struggle if she passes.  Catherine is having her own struggles, and we don't need to add this on right now.  I also feel sadness for our cat Lincoln, who still loves to cuddle with Rosie, even at age 10.  They've always been inseparable, and that was why the pet adoption place insisted they be placed together.

Next week we are attending orientation for Thomas, where he'll get registered for classes and find out things we need to know.  He'll be moving into the dorms in four weeks.  I can't even fathom that in four weeks I'll be spending the night in my house with Andrew as the only other person under our roof, and that will be our new normal until holidays.  Oh my goodness.

Lots of feelings and emotions happening right now, but also so much gratitude!

Raccoons

If you've read my blog for a few years, you know that we have outdoor cats that we feed.  Of course, we live in the woods, and that means other wild life also sometimes want to enjoy the food.  This time of year, it is often the young raccoons that make life challenging.  This week, they have been extremely challenging as they have been getting into our garage and refusing to come out.  Last night we had THREE of them, and although we spent hours trying to get them out, one stayed in all night and the condition of our garage right now is not good.  It was not at all how I had envisioned my Friday evening.  The good news is that we know all of them are out, and now we just have to see what kind of repairs need to be made.  Never a dull moment!

Happenings in our house

The middle of July is officially here.  Four weeks from today Andrew will be back at work.  Time sure isn't slowing down, is it?  Although I appreciate (tremendously) the slower pace of summer, I know I'll be ready for the routine come school time.  And of course, with us being empty nesters, the routine is certainly going to be different!

Thomas has been working A LOT of hours these last couple of weeks.  He's been called in extra several times, and we are so proud that he is always willing to go in when called.  He's appreciating the increase in the bank account, especially since he had a speeding ticket to pay!  Such is the life of an 18-year-old, I would presume.

Catherine hasn't been working much.  She was a tremendous help in getting ready for the party last weekend.  She's having some minor medical issues that can be treated, and is working very diligently to make sure that she has things lined up and ready to go for the nursing program this fall.  To be honest, I am not remotely pleased with the lack of information and communication that is happening from her school.  I don't know if it is consequences of COVID, or just the way they've always been, but I am not impressed and would not recommend attending there.  Catherine is set on it though, and she's working hard to navigate the system.

I was back to work this week.  There is plenty to do this year, and I'm grateful for that.  I also have much more flexibility in schedule this year, so I'm not required to be "in person" just because I'm supposed to be there.  If there isn't anything to do, I can go home!

This weekend will be our first laid-back weekend in quite some time, and I'm really looking forward to it!

Done celebrating

Yesterday was the final graduation party in this house.  Because I had all week off, and June had been insanely busy, it was the week that we cleaned EVERYTHING.  In addition to mopping floors, some furniture was moved to mop and vacuum under, woodwork was washed, windows were washed, siding was washed, the flower beds were all re-mulched, the tents were put up, chairs and coolers were borrowed, and we were ready for guests!  We were also beyond exhausted.  There had been drama with the kids during the week, there had been some late work shifts for one (and early work shifts for the other) and we were all just really, really tired.  At Catherine's party, the crowd was on the smaller side due to COVID, and everyone was outside so I didn't feel like I needed to go in and out.  Yesterday, some of the friends and family never went outside, and some never really went inside.  I felt like I didn't really get to visit with anyone.  I didn't sleep overly well last night, and today I feel as though I could've slept away the day.  We aren't as young as we used to be!  Overall though, Thomas enjoyed himself, and that is the important fact.

Back to work tomorrow.  I'm kind of looking forward to getting back into a routine, but I also plan to enjoy as much of summer as I can!

Independence Day?

Why would I put a question mark on this title?  For one thing, today, and really nothing about this weekend, has felt like Independence Day.  While we did go visit our friends whom we hadn't seen in a year Saturday evening, we had not one cook out, nor did we see a parade or attend any festivals.

It's more than that though.  As I was attending the protest yesterday, I must say that there just seems as though so many freedoms have been lost lately.  It just seems like so many people aren't really "free", and there seem to be so many people who want to keep it that way, and even make it worse.  But one "freedom" that hasn't been lost is the "right" to purchase firearms, as we are continuously reminded, and were today again in Highland Park.

I'll be honest, it's hard to feel great about it all right now.  Looking forward to my family all being home and under one roof this evening, and maybe finding something to laugh about!

Sunday morning protest and love

This morning Andrew and I attended a protest.  I'm not an activist by any stretch of the imagination, but this was a no brainer for me.  Southwest Ohio Catholics almost all have new priests this weekend, and the one coming to our community clearly does not understand the population he will now be serving.  We are a welcoming community, and staunchly support our neighbors and friends.  A co-worker organized a silent protest this morning so that the new priest could understand that.  Andrew and I went for over an hour, then we wanted to attend our church.  I could not have been more grateful for the welcoming message that came from our pastor this morning as well.  I was truly moved to tears, and I'm so grateful to have our pastor lead our congregation.

We went back to the protest after church, although it was beginning to wrap up.  There was so much love and support at this protest, I'm so so very grateful I could be a part of it.

The best day of the summer

In many ways, today is the best day of the summer for me.  I went into work today, but only for a couple of hours.  And now school is closed until July 11.  It's only one week, but I don't have to travel anywhere, and I get all this time at home.  I am so looking forward to each day!