Summer Speed

Summer...who would've guessed that when things slow down they shift into high gear??  The kids have officially been out of school for a little more than two weeks and as I organize our calendar, August creeps in--well, actually it rolls in, quickly and boldly!  Sigh...there is nothing left to do but thoroughly enjoy every minute of time we have during this break, busy or slow.  If I fret every day about how quickly the days pass, I'll miss each one of them.

Summer is so amazingly full of things that just don't happen the rest of the year.  We're all a little more laid back.  Evenings last longer, mornings start slower.  Even when the day is chalked full of things to do, the manner in which they're done is just different.  More...summerish!

We've already gotten to enjoy the first fire in the backyard firepit.  The first camping trip, the first harvest from the garden and the strawberry patch.  The lawn has been mowed a half dozen times, the landscaping gets some TLC, the bikes have come down from storage, swim trunks litter the shower curtain rod daily to dry and I think we've finally exchanged tank tops for sweaters and flip flops for snow boots, although I wonder as the temps dropped to 42 degrees during our drive to Colorado this week!

REBUILDING THE FIREPIT






...USING THE FIREPIT...WITH FRIENDS OF COURSE








Welcome to the Andreasen amusement park...frog finding, s'more building and tractor rides!



Summer flowers.  Ahhhh...


...and reaping the rewards of gardening.  (Spinach, strawberries and eggs...locally grown and raised right out our back door!)



Memorial weekend, we took a day and went north to see some of Tim's family.  His godfather and uncle G. is in a nursing home with hospice since his cancer has attacked again.  He has a really hard time remembering things and people. 

We prayed with him...he remembered the Rosary perfectly. 


"working" with cousins

 CAMPING...









Our friend Father B. came out and said Mass for us at the campground.


Nine families, over 50 people,  two nights, five meals, 10,000 mosquitos, one priest, and a very memoable camping excursion!










We haven't been to the pool (other than the hotel in CO) or the farmer's market, but we've watched a baseball game or forty, grilled, planted flowers and eaten popsicles. We've already modified our summer routine a half dozen times, and I'm sure we're not done yet. Even though the calendar days are fleeting, there is still alot of summer left, so we're just gonna go get it.