Long Time, No See

So, what do I say when it has been so long since we talked? How to begin to catch up?

Let's see.....

As usual, I'll start with the kids.

Travis, a.k.a., The Big Boy, will start school at Mizzou in a few weeks. He's almost ready to go, as far as I'm concerned. I've done all the dorm/school shopping I'm going to do. The rest is up to him. We have sheets, blankets, towels, shampoo, toothpaste, soap, a new Macbook Pro, an IPhone (I got one of those, too...love it), boxers from American Eagle, jeans, shirts, shorts, shoes, shower shoes, shower scrunchy, hangers, oh, and did I mention the Explorer we added to our, ahem, fleet? A really nice high mileage rig that I'm soooo thankful didn't get sent to the Clunker pile. Oh, but I'll not get on the Cash for Clunker rant...yet. Clearly that's not all, as his room is about 1/3 covered with school-bound supplies, but you get the drift. He will have to fill in the rest.

Holly will begin her Junior year in less than two weeks (sob!). She is poured into the love seat as I write this with a sprained ankle that will require therapy beginning today. She has spent her summer babysitting and hanging out with her friends. She has gone to outreach places a couple of times and loved hanging out with the kids there. We are hoping to go to the DR on a mission trip next year. She and Trav took a roadtrip recently, which was interesting when observed from the outside looking in. They were on the road by early morning every day, even on the day to come home. Not sure how that happened, because neither is an early riser when I'm with them!

Nathan and Annie went to camp this summer, have been swimming, and are looking forward to a trip to a Midwest Amusement Park in about a week. We are hoping Holly can walk well by then. They are a bit out of sorts, and if I was even slightly prepared, I would start them on school just to get them in a routine. That, however, is another story.

We are in the process of purchasing a small parcel of land near here with the hopes of building in a few years. It is all wooded, with a small pond, and when we visit there, it gives us a sense of "going home". The peaceful feelings of sitting among the trees, watching the tops sway with the wind is only disturbed by the occasional tick or snake that crawls around us. I love going there, even though each trip brings a new case of poison ivy and a tick or two. When I have time, I obsess over house plans. Unfortunately, I haven't had much time for that OCD kick lately.

Our garden has exploded. I think I've figured out the whole garden problem. We plant at the beginning of summer when it is cool, and nice, and I can't get outside enough. All the produce comes at the time when I am trying to prepare four kids for school and get ready to teach and we are trying to cram in the last of the summer activities that haven't been checked off our list yet and WHO HAS TIME TO PICK CUCUMBERS AND MAKE PICKLES????? I sit here among eight bags of peppers and cucumbers and today I will make....whatever....to preserve them to the best of my ability.

So, I had better get at it. Nathan is emerging from the shower where he has been singing "Carry On My Wayward Son" over and over and over....thank you, Rock Band. You may exit my home any time now. Maybe if I give him some jobs he'll switch to "Whistle While You Work"......