Since it's been so long since I've updated this blog, I figured I better do the summer months in one big chunk so that it doesn't take so long. I'll try to include some of the highlights and lowlights of the months, and maybe some of the details will explain why I haven't sat down to update!
May---
May was a busy month with school ending. We brought teaching new ideas to a conclusion, reviewed concepts the students learned throughout the year, did a bunch of end-of-the-year tests, and after it was all done, cleaned out our desks, drawers, and said a fond farewell to our fellow teachers, wishing each other a happy summer. I wanted to especially get a chance to say goodbye to all of the teachers that I taught with because I knew I would not be coming back to Knollwood. The end of May marked the conclusion of school and the beginning of summer for me. The weather even cooperated somewhat and began to warm up a bit. Below are some snapshots of things I enjoyed.
Our end-of-the-year school field trip to Mt. Rushmore. The two boys in the picture were my "buddies" for the day.
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June---
I thought the start of summer meant that I would have some time to relax, take my days easy, and get to some long-neglected projects. Uh...nope! I think time sped up with the onset of summer, or maybe it was just that I was packing my days with lots of little things. I spent a lot of time outdoors running with Ellie, biking, hiking, and getting as much sun-time as I could.
Surgery---
There's always a first for everyone, and for me it was the first time to have surgery. I had my sinuses corrected so that I won't have sinusitis constantly, which has been my history. Even though the surgery was not major, it was still a bit unsettling for me. My good friend, Sydney Brueggeman, took excellent care of me since Tim was unable to be with me. She took me to the clinic, stayed on call while I went into surgery, greeted me with a smile, card, bear, flowers, and balloon when I was discharged, took me home, and spent the rest of the day and even stayed overnight to take care of me. And apparently, I'm quite the baby when I am anesthetized! She caught me saying some pretty incomprehensible things, and had to help me focus my thoughts. Lauren brought dinner for us, which was delicious, homemade mac-n-cheese. I'm SO grateful for caring friends!
House for sale: 3410 Bunker Drive---
Our home went up for sale with our pending move on the horizon. McKay Moore came over to help me make the house look beautiful ---and she ended up doing all the work! I was still under the influence of anesthesia, and couldn't hardly think straight. So McKay went through the house clearing off flat surfaces, boxing up personal trinkets, and situating furniture so that the house looked spectacular. Thankfully, the only thing I had to do to keep the house looking nice was clean it up and keep it clean. But it took a lot of brain power for me to keep it clean all summer long with my coming and going...and a dog who doesn't quite get the "clean" memo.
Cali---
My summer also started with an amazing trip to California to visit my friend Shaylor Billings. It's been a few years since I've seen Shaylor, so it was a wonderful opportunity to take a week and visit her, and the California sun! She was graduating from Test Pilot School, and invited me, some friends, and her family to celebrate with her. While I was there I got to visit with some other friends, the Fergusons, meet Shaylor's "California Family", and, of course, soak up some sun. Shaylor took all of us land sailing, which was an AWESOME and FUN experience. If you have an ounce of adventure-hankerin', I strongly suggest land sailing should go on your bucket list.
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July---
July was a fun-packed month and went by quickly. I was very grateful to have friends to keep me company as I counted down the last weeks until Tim returned home. Here are some of the highlights: spending 4th of July with my friends, the Roisums, and experiencing my first hometown 4th of July parade! I took a trip down south, first to visit my family for a few days, and then on to San Antonio to look at houses. Our good friends, the Hollos live in San Antonio and let me stay at their place -it is SO nice to know that we will have friends once we move down there. I didn't find a house, but the trip gave me a good understanding of the local area. Finally, the best part about July was Tim's homecoming -but I'll detail that in a separate post!
Noah, me & Jack at the 4th of July Parade -it was hot, but the boys got soaked by the fire trucks that came by with their super-soaker hoses!
Mark & Anne Roisum with me at the Parade -it was a fun time!
Ellie and I spent a lot of time running along Rapid Creek...after running, we would stop and get a drink of water -yes, Ellie does drink out of a water bottle!
Sleepy Eli...no, he's not mine, but it sure was a treat to get to carry him on our M-Hill hike. I went with friends Tara & Amy, along with their little ones, Maggie, Zay, and Eli. Each of us gals had a kid on our back by the end of the hike!
Dane and Ellie are good friends...they shared lunch and a nap together.
July is a month notorious in the Black Hills for it's precarious and varied weather...afternoon thunderstorms/hailstorms are somewhat common. On this July afternoon, my friend McKay came over to visit, and we put her car in the garage along with our 2 vehicles for a total of 3 cars in the garage. It's not technically a 3 car garage, but I guess it works in a pinch! Thankfully, we didn't get hail at our home, but many of the southern areas of Rapid City got a lot of hail damage.
McKay and I went to visit Bear Country one busy afternoon...it was a fun time to see the animals, especially since McKay had never been to the park.
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