A week in March

In 67 days, it will be the last day of my school year.  I'm absolutely not wishing away the next two months, but I am absolutely recognizing how unbelievably fast time is passing.  It just doesn't seem real.

My mom had a heart procedure yesterday.  It went very well, and hopefully she'll have a little more energy.  I'm not completely convinced she is going to have as much energy as she wants, but the good news is that this should lessen some issues she has been having.  Her surgery for kidney cancer will be in just over four weeks.

Thursday evening, west central Ohio was pummeled with severe weather leading to a bunch of tornadoes.  The worst was an EF-3 that hit the Indian Lake area.  I stayed up well into the night watching the coverage.  So much of the down has damage, and a great deal of the town is completely destroyed.  I was emotional as I watched it, because that was where my dad had his cottage.  Our family made so many memories in that town.  the side of the lake my dad was on seems to have been mostly spared, but the towns of lake View and Russell's Point are another story.  Oh goodness, my heart ached as I saw pictures.

To be completely honest, my heart aches a lot these days.  That is our season of life though, and I lean on my faith.  The additional sunshine in life since last week's time change helps with that significantly!

Ten years since our last family trip

Ten years ago this past weekend, we took our last trip as a family to my dad's cottage.  Andrew and I would go for a weekend with friends in April, and we would make a day trip in May, but this was our last overnight trip.  I was so emotional at the time, because the cottage was for sale.  I completely understood why dad needed to sell, and I'm really glad it wasn't something mom had to deal with when he passed.  I'm so, so grateful for the memories we made there.  They were really awesome times with our family and my dad!

A very happy memory

Nine years ago today is one of my most favorite memories.  My dad had just bought his cottage and we took the kids up so we could all see it for the very first time.  We had a great time visiting, and that was the beginning of so many fabulously special memories.  Being the first Sunday of November, it was also the first day of the end of Daylight Savings Time.  The kid couldn't wait to tumble into bed that evening, and everyone was in bed well before 8:00.  I'll be honest, I enjoyed the early bedtime for the kids, and it came at the end of a day that is such another fabulous memory.  I am so incredibly grateful for all of the memories we were able to share with my Dad at his cottage!

Five years since the lake

Five years ago last week, my Dad moved out of his lake cottage and we were there for the last time.  I've found the fifth anniversary of things tends to be a strong feeling for me.  I've found myself really yearning for the lake this summer.  I had hoped we could take a day and just drive around that area, but since we've moved farther away it's tough.  It's over a two hour drive just to get there, then two hours home, plus the time we would want to spend in the area, and we just don't have those days.  The thing I am most grateful for though, is that we have the memories that are so special!

I don't think it's supposed to hurt like this

My mom had informed me that she was getting rid of the kids' bikes that were at her house.  These were bikes my dad had up at the lake and he brought back them to his house when he sold the lake place.  She called to tell me that she had given them all away to one person and she was very pleased with how much space was now available to her in the shed.  I don't begrudge her wanting to get rid of them, my kids didn't even particularly use them once they went to my parents...maybe once in the last four years.  I vividly remember though, the day my dad brought those bikes from a garage sale and how much fun we all had that day...and many subsequent days as well.  Today is a day where that kind of memory hurts a lot.  I am so grateful that we had those days, but I can't help but be a little sad today that they are over.

It doesn't help that this has occurred on the same day that I faced another reminder of just how alone we are in this town.  I need help with transporting kids on Thursday and the few I've felt comfortable asking aren't available.  It will all work out though...it always does.

I'm going to miss it

This weekend will be the first Memorial Day weekend in several years that we have not been able to spend a day with my dad at the lake.  I'm really going to miss being able to be up there, but I'm grateful Dad is still around to make different memories.  We'll probably be able to get some things done around here, but I know that this is the first weekend I'm really going to miss that he doesn't have his place anymore.  It was Memorial Day last year that we were all able to be up there for the last time...there's just nothing like it.

After today the kids have six more days of school.  As I've written I'm so looking forward to the year being over, but I'm also going to miss this time in our lives.  This is the very last year that all three of my children will still be elementary students, and quite possibly the last year that all three of them attend school here in town.  Major budget cuts were announced this week, and among the many changes are no more field trips.  I regret that my kids will not get to have the same opportunities of those before them, and I'll be honest, I'm a little angry.  I understand budgets are tight, but the district has acknowledged privately to individuals I know that this was due to a calculation error by our previous treasurer.  Instead of a simple levy renewal two years ago, they allowed that to lapse, and now things are ugly.  I'm going to miss the simpler times.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

End of the week

We made it through all of our frustrations of last week. Thursday was a really crazy day, but JR was a huge help in getting things moved out of Dad's cottage. While we are sad, Dad seems at peace and for that I'm extremely grateful. We are now looking at a garage sale to try to get rid of so many things that have accumulated here, there and everywhere.

We also spent the end of the week getting JR ready for scout camp. He leaves in a couple of hours and will be gone until Friday night. I really, really can't believe I'm going to go five entire days without seeing him. I am completely confident that he'll be safe, although the heat is going to be borderline dangerous this week. I just know that I'm going to miss him, and I'm looking forward to seeing him again at the end of next week!

Frustrations

This has been a week where not exactly everything has gone according to plan...very, very little in fact. On the upside, nothing major, nothing at all, but little frustrations have been abundant.

As I mentioned previously, our cable went out Monday evening. Honestly not a huge deal, but it still must be dealt with. When my husband called yesterday morning he was told they couldn't come out until tomorrow evening. We now will make sure one of us (preferably my husband) will be home between 4 & 6. We had friends over for dinner last evening and one of them is terribly allergic to cats. I was doing major cleaning in an effort to make it bearable for her, and about mid-afternoon our vacuum started smoking. AGH!!!! I could come up with alternatives for most cleaning issues, except of course, vacuuming the rug. My husband borrowed one from our neighbors, but in a twist of irony it didn't work very well either. Today after we made sure we were home this afternoon in order for the a/c to be disconnected, we ran to buy a new vacuum cleaner. Tomorrow is the part I'm really dreading. Not only is there going to be chaos involving the chimney, I am taking the kids and heading to the cottage to help move out for the last time. I'm glad I can be of assistance, but I had really hoped to avoid it. It just makes me emotional. Tomorrow evening JR has a scout meeting to get ready for camp next week. I already had plans and my husband needs to be home for the cable, so we need to make arrangements for JR. He is supposed to have his physical form to take with him tomorrow evening, but the doctor couldn't work him in until Friday morning...of course at the same time as the a/c people are coming to reconnect the unit.

Like I said, none of this is major and it is all going to work out just fine. I just feel as though "work" is the key word right now!

Drama

Just as I had been concerned about before we left, there is a little bit of family drama ensuing here. On the upside, the kids aren't aware of it. How is that possible? Because no one is yelling or screaming, they just aren't saying anything. It's a little bit on the frustrating side, but at least it isn't ruining the kids' vacation.

There is some tension at home as well. My uncle has been in the hospital since Tuesday with blood clots in his lungs. He is improving and doing fairly well, but it always bothers me when we are away from home and someone has a medical emergency. And we also got word yesterday that Dad sold his cottage. I'm so grateful, so very grateful, for all of the memories we created there. I know that while he is sad, he is also a little relieved that it's done and he doesn't have to worry about it anymore. He's already assured me that he will take the bikes that are up there to his house, and we are looking into locations that have handicapped accessible fishing so he can still take JR fishing. I haven't told the kids yet. There's just no reason.

I've also noticed in this vacation a sense of change. My in-laws are definitely, without question, aging. My father-in-law is nearly 76 and my mother-in-law nearly 72. They function well at home, within their comfort zone. But I'm noticing that they just aren't comfortable outside of their comfort zone and it's more stressful on them. At the same time, because our kids are older, we don't need them on vacation to help like we used to need them. I'm not saying that we aren't enjoying our week because we certainly are. But at the same time, we aren't necessarily doing almost everything together as we had in other vacations.

And as we come to the end of the week, I'm noticing that the kids are getting pretty tired. They've had a tremendous week full of shopping, good food, miniature golf, and lots and lots and lots of swimming. There have been late bedtimes, and because they are so excited about each days' adventures, not so much sleeping in. Their behavior is starting to indicate how tired they are. Hopefully everyone can get back on track and have a nice afternoon.

The thing I love about these vacations is that a week is just the right amount. We get to do so many wonderful things and have a great time, but I'm always ready to head home at the end!

Another wonderful weekend

We really had a fabulous weekend here. Friday evening we had a babysitter for the first time in months, and we joined five other couples at some friends' house to kick off the long weekend. Between the six couples there are 17 total children so we all needed an evening to ourselves! Saturday we went up to Dad's cottage and joined him there for the day. We had so much fun and created amazing memories. Dad took the kids fishing, and HT caught his first ever fish! He managed to reel it in less than five minutes after casting into the water, and then decided not to mess with success and called it a day. JR was able to catch four fish during the afternoon, and JC didn't catch anything but she still had a good time. We took a golf cart ride and also had some ice cream and grilled burgers before heading home in the evening. My dad loved every minute and so did we. Yesterday we all slept in and then spent the afternoon getting ready for my cousin's wedding. For the boys it was the first wedding they ever attended, and the fact that they got to share it with so many family members was awesome. The kids were very, very well behaved, and we were still home in time for my wonderful husband and I to have a date night with a movie we had rented. Today was just a day where we got a few things done around the house, but we did take the opportunity to go get some Dairy Queen...I love that place! The kids have seven days of school left, and we are all so ready for a laid back summer!

Back under one roof

We had such a great weekend away. The only real downside was the weather. It rained pretty much from before we left Friday afternoon until sometime overnight last night. Since we were planning to hit the road and get brunch on the way, today's sunshine has little impact on our weekend. I felt badly that we couldn't really show our friends the beauty of the area around my dad's cottage, but we stayed in and watched some movies and played some games and just had a blast.

The kids had an equally fun weekend. My sister signed them out of school early and they were in South Bend by about 6:30. It rained up there also all weekend, but they did get to attend the game for a little bit. HT has decided that Notre Dame is his choice of college. We've told him he better start studying for a scholarship! Anyway, the kids got to spend lots of time swimming at the hotel pool and even got to attend Mass on campus. And of course there was lots of fun eating out with Aunt Katie! The kids came home exhausted and all voluntarily decided to go to bed early. I'm just glad that they are home safe and sound and I'm looking forward to another crazy week!

Up for sale

Our family is up at my dad's place at the lake. This is an emotional trip...the first one since it was decided that the cottage has to be sold. I had known for a month, but with the holidays and other things I basically just didn't think about it. Dad just can't afford to keep it with his rising health care costs due to his illness, and he is less physically able to enjoy it as well. My wonderful husband and I had hoped to be able to purchase it when this time came, but were hoping it would be in another couple of years. We just can't swing it right now...not even close. We finally told the kids this week because I knew the "for sale" sign would be up when we got here. JR especially took it hard...this place has been so much fun for our family, with so many, so many good memories. JR had reached the age where he was old enough to go to the end of the road and fish for hours by himself. We just came up this morning after Sunday School, and Dad only stayed long enough to have lunch. I can tell he's not feeling well, and that adds to my emotional state. I'm trying so hard to relax and have fun, and to enjoy it while I can!

Where is the time going?

I can not believe the last week has just flown by so quickly! I didn't have to work at all, but felt lousy at the beginning of the week and really didn't get anything done. Tuesday I spent all day doing laundry and packing and Wednesday we drove to the in-laws. Thursday we had a very nice Thanksgiving with that side of the family. It had been seven years since we had spent Thanksgiving there so it was nice to do that again. Friday we got up and drove home, and we were home about an hour before we were out the door again. We had plans to visit our dear friends who moved away this summer but were home again for the holiday. Oh, we miss them so much! That was a very late night, and yesterday we were up and at 'em early to hit the road to the cottage. We were there in time for the noon kick off of the Ohio State/Michigan which was dominated by the Buckeyes! We were all dressed in our red and thoroughly enjoyed the game! By the time we got home last night it was about 9, and the kids pretty much tumbled into bed. Today is decorating. I am determined! I am so looking forward to getting the decorations up. I know I'm working Tuesday, and there is a good chance I'm working tomorrow, so I'm hoping I can be extremely productive today!

Another week gone by

Hard to believe the first week of October is already in the books. Wow! Where is time going? It was another busy week, but this weekend we are headed to the lake. My husband decided to get a sub at Sunday School, and we are actually going to stay over Saturday night. I often find that staying over just one night is a lot of work, but it means I'll get to sleep in on Sunday so I can get excited about that! We have no soccer games this weekend, and the Steelers aren't playing so we can just relax and enjoy the weekend. Dad will be up there tomorrow, and apparently Mom & my sister will be joining us tomorrow afternoon to watch the Notre Dame game.

Our Reds played their first game Wednesday evening. Didn't quite go according to plan, but it was neat to see Roy Halladay pitch a no-hitter. It's only one game, and that's why it's called a series. Unfortunately, none of us will be home this evening to watch the game, but we'll be cheering for our Reds anyway!

It's not broken

In the midst of all of the back-to-school excitement, I neglected to post about HT and his weekend experience. We were at the lake enjoying our time with my dad on Saturday, and my mom even came up to join us as well. This was a rare treat and we were all very excited! Although the older two were planted in front of the TV, HT was out enjoying the scooter that is kept up there for the kids. Mom had just arrived, my wonderful husband was out front grilling, and Dad and I were enjoying the sunroom. All of a sudden, I heard my husband yell for me in a panic, and my Dad said, "Uh oh, something happened to HT." As a mom I went running with my heart in my throat. They are allowed to ride on the street up there because it is rarely traveled and even though he's always careful and wears a helmet, I still pictured the worst in my mind. Fortunately, although he'd taken quite a spill, it only involved himself and the ground. He held his hand gingerly for quite some time, and we put lots of ice on it throughout the evening. The tough thing is that, at his age, it's very difficult to determine what is real and is "drama". Sunday morning though, he was still in a lot of pain and there was still lots of swelling. To urgent care he went! He was very excited about getting to have an x-ray taken and being able to see the bones in his hand...which very fortunately were not broken! He just has a sprained thumb, and already today feels much better. Of course, he got to have it wrapped for the first day of school, and I'm sure he loved showing it off!

Saturday morning tidbits

We are headed up to the lake shortly to spend the day with my father. We've been having absolutely gorgeous weather lately, and I'm really looking forward to getting to spend the day up there. Of course, the heat is supposed to be in the 90's on Monday, just in time for the kids to return to their schools without air conditioning.

I'm officially employed! My contract arrived from the kids' school district this morning for me to be a substitute teacher in their school. I'm really excited about the opportunity to earn some extra money, and at the same time to totally be on the same schedule as the kids. I'm nervous about some of the changes that will take place in our lives because I'm not home all day, but I'm also grateful for the opportunity not to have to be home all day missing the kids.

Last night high school football kicked off and the weather could not have been more perfect. In fact, it was actually chilly by the end of the game. Our school district continued their winning ways, but the game we were at was my husband's school district where they are just not good. Going to be a long season for them I think.

Haven't mentioned it lately, but my Reds are in first place, four games in front of the Cardinals. Loving it!

Last Hurrah

We are kind of having our "last hurrah" this week. After HT's soccer practice last evening, we made the 90 minute trek to my dad's cottage. It's so peaceful up here, and we, as always, are having a wonderful time. Sadly, it's really almost too hot to enjoy the outdoor activities, but there are still plenty of other fun things to do. We just can't believe how quickly the summer has gone by, but we are so grateful for the wonderful memories!

Blessings of fathers

We had a wonderful Father's Day this year. Last year on Father's Day, we spent 14 hours in the car on the way to Outer Banks. It was still nice though because my husband got to see his dad on that day, and of course my kids obviously had a lot of togetherness with their dad! Originally, for this year we had thought there could be a baseball tournament so we had planned to hang out at home. We had spent the previous Sunday with my dad at the lake, and this coming Sunday we will be in PA with my in-laws. However, the tournament hasn't even started yet, so we decided to head to the lake again this past week. I treasured every moment of being with my dad this past Sunday. Given his health situation, I treasure all moments we are together, but being Father's Day made it even more special. And my husband loves going up there as well! It was a treat for us all, and I'm so blessed to have my own wonderful dad, and to be married to an amazing man who is also an amazing father!

Memorial Day weekend recap

We had an absolutely wonderful weekend. With so little school left for the year, I pretty much feel as though I'm in coasting mode when it comes to school. Based on the numerous activities that are scheduled for the kids this week, it doesn't sound as though there is going to be much homework coming home, and that is perfectly fine with me!

Saturday we had a large group photo appointment scheduled with two other families. One of these families is moving hundreds of miles away next week, and this was our last opportunity to get together. We had lots and lots of pictures taken, and I think they turned out wonderfully. We then had a cook out that lasted well into the night. Wonderful, wonderful memories. Sunday morning was brunch with my mom's family and then we headed straight up to Dad's place at the lake. It's been so unbelievably hot here lately, and Sunday was no exception. I felt like we didn't really do much, but Dad just enjoys having us there no matter what. We watched the Indy 500, and while I don't really follow auto racing, I enjoyed watching that with my dad. For years when I was child, Dad, my sister and I would be coming back from my grandparents' place in Coldwater, MI on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, and we would listen to the race as we were driving home. For a few minutes on Sunday, I felt like a little girl with my dad again. It was almost dark by the time we headed home Sunday night, and yesterday was another cook out. Still very hot, so we didn't stay terribly long.

Today, I feel absolutely wiped out. I know that I should find a way to be productive, but it just doesn't seem to be happening. I just got back from school because today was "have lunch with the fourth grader" day. JC and JR (and us coaches) have games this evening, and right now I'm just lacking motivation between activities. Maybe tomorrow!

It all works out

For weeks, we had been planning to get up Saturday and head to the lake to spend the weekend with my dad. Then on Wednesday, we learned that there were going to be make up ball games Saturday morning. We could still go, but it was going to move everything back a few hours. Everything works out though...just as it's supposed to. We received so much rain last week, especially overnight Friday, that even though it was a beautiful Saturday, there could be no games. We were back to our original plan! We arrived shortly after lunch, and just had an absolutely wonderful day there. My dad had found a garage sale where they were selling (among other things) bikes and scooters for very low prices. He already had a bike at the house for us to put together for JR and came home with two more very nice used bikes and a scooter...hours and hours of entertainment. I think the best moment was when HT saw the bike for him...the way his face lit up made my dad's whole weekend. Dad had also bought the kids a wagon to play with and they loved pulling each other around in that when they weren't riding bikes. Dad took JR fishing, and they loved having those moments together. We had a little cook out in the evening, and then Dad headed home so that we could have the place to ourselves. We'd have loved for him to stay, but he kept telling us there were things at home to be doing. I got very emotional after he left. It just seems to hard to imagine that one day he isn't going to be around for us to share these things with him. I know that's technically true of everyone and no one really knows what the next day brings, but knowing that time is limited with Dad makes it so, so special, and I'm so very grateful for the wonderful memories we make with him during our times up there!