It feels monumental that we actually survived the summer and made it to school starting. While this summer has been difficult, the fact that we endured testifies that we can make it through hard times. I feel like the summer began in April when Josh left for Iraq.
Here we are the morning Josh left at the airport in San Antonio. We look awful (especially me) and we felt awful too. Saying goodbye was not fun - to say the least - and I know we made quite a spectacle at the airport with all of us sobbing until the last moment in the security line when we actually had to leave. Later that morning, to comfort the kids with their long standing love of all things furry, we went to Build-A-Bear. Each of the kids picked out an animal that reminded them of their Dad. Josh had a prerecorded message for each bear that I surprised the kids with when they went to stuff their animal. Here they are outside the store holding their animals that played Dad's voice.
After Josh left life became a blur of ending school and getting ready to move. We tried to visit all of our favorite Texas spots and hang out with friends as much as possible until we had to go. Madelyn and Will both participated in the musical "Beauty and the Beast Jr." at their elementary school. Will was a cool back stage techie and Madelyn played Babette - the feather duster. I was so proud of them and the performance was amazing!
Just before school ended, Will's robotic team from school qualified to compete in the Texas state competition. Their team of fifth graders placed 13th against mostly middle school teams. I still struggle with figuring out what exactly the robot is supposed to do - it sometimes all looks the same to my untrained eye. Nonetheless, they had one perfect run - so I was told - I tended to clap and act excited even when the robot did not perform well. Here is the team strategizing before their next round. Will is the one sitting down with the laptop - of course.
Will had a couple other exciting accomplishments at the end of school. He won third place in a photography contest sponsored by Greenspaces Alliances in San Antonio. He won $100 cash and was invited to a snazzy reception in which his picture was framed and displayed. On the last day of school at the fifth grade awards ceremony, he won the top honor handed out to a fifth grade student - the Superintendent Award. He won this for his outstanding contributions to the school. To make things even more exciting - his best friend won the Principal's Award! It was a great last day at Encino Park Elementary - and also very sad. We hated saying goodbye to that great school.
On the last day of school, our junk was all packed up and the movers loaded the moving van - leaving the kids with an empty house to come home to after saying goodbye to the school and their friends.
Goodbye lovely house - thanks for all the memories.
Having lived in San Antonio for seven years, leaving was - needless to say - very, very sad. I am not good at saying goodbye - and I feel I need to apologize to those who I never actually said goodbye to and those who I may have brushed off - in a sense - because it just became a bit too difficult and emotional. I also want to thank everyone who helped me out with the kids and brought food. My father-in-law flew out and helped me with the move - driving Josh's car packed with Parker and the dog out to Missouri. He also did a lot of manual labor on both ends of the move - taking apart the trampoline, hanging up closet organizers, hooking up appliances - are just a few of the jobs he was privileged to complete on his "help Christine move vacation."
We made it to Missouri on June 5th and the moving truck promptly arrived the next day. My sister-in-law came out when Josh's Dad left. Dawn was also an amazing help. Everyday she would ask me what I would like her to do, then she would promptly do that and more! She shuttled the kids, went to the grocery store, helped unpack the kitchen and the study. Dawn helped me keep things in perspective and assisted me in organizing my insane to do list. After she left, my parents came out. They helped me settle in even more - my Dad carried over 200 empty boxes and 50 bags of packing paper trash to the curb for the trash guys. My mom took kids to swim practice every day. On the first day she discovered "Classy Chocolate" - a scrumptious chocolate store not more than a mile away from the pool - we have been faithful customers ever sense!
I signed Will, Madelyn & Parker up for the Kearney Purple Wave swim team. I was impressed with the kids ability to jump in and swim on a team full of kids they didn't know. They had a good season and swam well.
The hardest part of the move happened after my "helpers" left. I felt so alone with a house still unsettled and no friends. This was a dark and lonely time and I was thankful for the small miracles that occurred. I love our new home - inside and out. The previous owners put their hearts and souls in the house and we have benefited! It has been fun to discover all the neat things our home has to offer - we have also enjoyed the space and being "in the country."
Will took this picture of our house after a rainstorm. The storms are incredible - they seem to come out of nowhere and they can be quite strong! In fact, right after my help left, a horrid storm came through one night and we discovered in the morning that two of our big trees fell down. So sad -- I wanted to fire up the chainsaw and take care of the trees - how hard could it be? Josh via Skype counseled me not too which was disappointing and expensive. I had to call a tree service and the kids and I even had to help haul the wood down to the chipper.
Country living has its challenges. I have had to chase a mouse out of the garage, we have GIANT spiders - one we have named Charlotte - Rusty (the dog) has decided that he is a mighty mole hunter and he loves to bring me what he has caught. I have disposed of five moles so far. We also lost another big branch and the chronicles of "Christine Mowing the Lawn" are long and never-ending (so is the lawn).
Here we are after church on the fourth of July sitting on our front steps and at our new town's 3rd of July fireworks event.
The kids and I decided to host a bake sale on July 3rd to raise money for the humanitarian efforts the U.S. troops participate in overseas. We had a little sale at the end of our driveway. We proudly earned $26.13 and we met some of our neighbors.
We felt very blessed and beyond thrilled that are best-est buds from San Antonio made the long drive out to see us. The Pikes and the Sturms both came out. The kids loved seeing and playing with their friends they miss so much. I thoroughly enjoyed the adult conversation and the endless jobs the dads did to help me in my new house. Keith put together the trampoline, mowed the g'nourmous lawn and even taught me how to use the tractor. AJ did all of Josh's honey-do jobs - he fired up the grill, showed me how to change the filters, took down a TV dish, destroyed a bird's nest in the chimney, put up the trampoline net and even gave us moms a break by taking all the kids to Schlitterbahn! I am so thankful to have such great hard-working friends!
Pictured above are the boys at Union Station in Kansas City and the girls at the theatre after we saw Despicable Me.
The crew at T-Rex Cafe. Note Parker's filthy shirt from fossil digging.
I told the kids that our vacation was moving - but I had a change of heart. I decided on a Monday afternoon that we should drive to my family's ranch in Utah and we left the following morning. I think I was feeling lonely and I did not want to spend my birthday alone in a new place. We loaded up the car with the dog and drove 17 hours to Utah. What a trip! It was very long and driving through Wyoming can be a bit of a drag. I am glad we went and we had a good time. I regretted not being able to see many of our friends and family because it was such a last minute, short trip - but we did see the horses - so our priorities are straight - right?!!
Hiking on the East Bench
Parker wolfing down a s'more & Madelyn posing by the river.
Chloe sweeping the saddle house
Will tubing down the river
Grandma and Chloe knitting and singing
Watching the rodeo
Grandpa taking Parker on his first "real" horseback ride
Of course nothing is ever easy for me these days - so it was fitting that while everyone else at church in Utah had no problems parking in the grass next to the street - I was not so lucky.
I am certain the locals laugh at us out-of-towners who drive/fall into the sinkhole/ditch hidden so perfectly by grass on our way to church. Not to worry, a very nice tow truck driver from Heber rescued me about an hour later.
That was our summer - in a nutshell - a large nutshell. Honestly the majority of the summer looked like this:
This is the kids keeping busy with their multitudes of shenanigans while Mom unpacked.
Rusty going for a walk with the neighbors - wearing wings.
Oh - and Will learned to drive the tractor so he could MOW THE LAWN - at least that was the plan . . . .
Stay tuned for our back to school adventures in Kearney - coming soon! :)
