Catch Up

Wow!  Am I ever off-track for blogging!  It started with my job kicking my hours up a notch.  It was a good thing, but learning how to manage my time more efficiently has been a process!  When you have lots of large blocks of time, wasting it is not a big deal.  When you lose some of those blocks of time, you either step up to organization or you find yourself missing out on pretty much everything!  I think I have a routine now, we'll see.  I had one and then Erik took  3 weeks of vacation in a row and the girls finished school.  I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off.  (This country girl has seen a chicken with its head cut off and it was FUNNY/sad.  My sisters and I refused the fried chicken that night)  Life is somewhat back to normal now...whatever that means.  A bullet list of all the goings on (don't expect chronological order) :

• KAYLA GOT BAPTIZED AT CHURCH CAMP!! Hallelujah and praise the Lord!
• My kids finished their first year back to public school.  It was good.  Erika and Kayla were both on the Principal's honor roll (All A's) and Lilly on the regular honor roll (A's and B's).  I am proud of them.  They all got student awards-Erika, art; Kayla, science and Lilly got a reading award and an honor roll award.  They have adjusted just fine to homework, making friends and all of the things I worried about.  Special shout out:  To all you homeschooling moms, public school really doesn't do alot after testing for the year...you should follow suite and cut yourself some slack every chance you get-You homeschool moms STRESS TOO MUCH!  Watch movies and have pajama days every now and then!  Homeschooling served me well for many many years.  I hope this return to public school will serve us well and my girls will continue to succeed.
• Erika and Kayla graduated from 8th grade.  It was neat and cool and Erik got them roses.  We took all the girls out to eat to celebrate graduation and the awards they all got.  We went out for sushi...and I emphasize, we only get the cooked kind.  It was delicious.
• Our local parks department had a fish-out and we participated.  I had to make the kids do it and it was kind of not much fun because it was soooo hot.  I am only writing about it because Lilly was the only one eligible to compete and she caught zero fish. (Lilly won biggest fish and a whole bunch of door prizes last year.)  Erika, however, caught five including a large catfish that momma  and daughters were scared to take off the hook.  Thank you, stranger man at the park, for being willing to walk away from your family to help squealing, giggly girls and their mom take a catfish off the hook. 
• We have only gone boating once so far this summer.  It was fun and the water is hot very early this year.  No fish were caught or even lured on this trip.
• Lilly got her BRONZE award in Girl Scouts.  This is a big deal and I am so proud!! 
• Erika and Kayla got a different kind of bronze award:  The Bronze Presidential Service Award.  While I don't love our President, the award is very prestigious and one they plan to try to earn each year.
• Lilly just turned 10 and started the kid birthday season. We had her party Friday night and left early Saturday for a week at camp. 
• We had volunteered to drive our van to church camp.  We woke up Saturday morning to a van that would not start...thank goodness for church family willing to pitch in and let us drive the kiddos in her van instead.  We swapped our car with her van and were good to go.  Of course, we came home from camp and began making van repair plans.  If it is not one thing, its two.
• Church camp was awesome on every level and will warrant its own post...but I have to say this here and now.  I hiked up a very large mountain to see a waterfall and it was good.  It also nearly killed me.  I had to do it because two years ago at camp, my knee was fried because I had gained so much weight and my feet and ankles stayed swollen the whole week of camp.  I kept having to get my knee wrapped and felt about 20 years older than I was.  Being able to climb the mountain was personal and I did it.  I said it was a once in a lifetime...but next year I plan to be in better shape, so I'll just wait and see.
• Lilly has attended a day camp, a Bible school and resident church camp so far this summer...I think it is going to be a busy summer.
• Erika and Lilly both participated in their school talent shows.  Both made very good impressions on their class mates and teachers.  So shy...like their momma.
• It is harder to release myself from the grip of guilt than I thought.  After working on it myself, I'm gonna try now to give it to God and give Him a shot.  (wink, wink)  I think He will do a much better job helping me get free!
• Mount Washmore has returned despite the fact that I did ALL laundry before camp and did laundry once at camp.  5 people simply cannot go to camp for seven days and not bring home a large mountain of laundry.
• I had forgotten just how hard it was to work in food service.  That was my volunteer post at church camp...tip your waitresses and appreciate all the hard work the food service industry does for you to eat!

I guess that is all I have for now.  Church camp entire post coming soon!!  I love it so, can't wait for next year!