One missing

Holly that is...she's away at basketball camp up at Taylor University this week. We go back to pick her up on Friday....which means another stop at Ivanhoes...yumm! We went early yesterday to make a stop at Ivanhoes for Father's Day dinner...and ice cream of course!

This is her 2nd year at Taylor camp - when we picked her up last year she said she was NEVER coming back...it was too much basketball! Amazing how a little time can change things! She even wants to run cross country this year to get into better condition for basketball...all this from a girl who hated soccer because you had to run too much! LOL

David went up to today to have lunch with her and the MC group - there are 5 other 5th grade...oops, I mean 6th grade now...girls there too. I think Abby and I might go up Wednesday and have lunch with them (hmmm, that would mean yet ANOTHER stop at Ivanhoes...I'm gonna need a few extra workouts this week!) That strawberry shortcake everyone was getting on Sunday sure looked good!!

Poor Mr. Kit-Kat misses his play-buddy already...or maybe I should say pest-buddy (but he doesn't seem to mind it). She's usually the one carrying him around the house or chasing him around the house. Maybe he can catch up on some uninterrupted sleep this week in preparation for Holly's return this weekend.

Geek Squad needed

Anyone know how to get the Reactions section at the bottom of my posts off? I can't remember how I put it there and I can't find where to remove it.

WEEDS!

Are a pain in my back, my arms, and the back of my thighs! My Girl Scout Troop finally got started on their Silver Award project today...re-doing the over-grown, weed-infested Alphabet Garden located on the k/1/2 playground at MCE. We spent about 2 and 1/2 hours today pulling and digging up weeds and only got about 1/4 of the way done. Of course, we were spending more time on this area, as it will be the area we re-plant. The remaining 3/4 we will just tear out and MC will flatten out. It really is a good project for their Silver Award - which is the second highest award a Girl Scout can earn. Not only does it meet all the "requirements", it's pretty cool to save something that Girl Scouts originally started - although, we aren't quite sure who - we have some research to do on that. The entire project has to be 40 hours, which can be broken down to no more than 10 hours in planning and the remaining 30 in actual "doing"...with the shape of the current "garden" (and I use that word very loosely!), I don't think we'll have any problems meeting those requirements! There's definately room to work some gardening in to the summer workout routine! We are schedule to return this Saturday for some more pullin and diggin.

I'm really proud of this group of girls. First of all, they are offically "freshmen" now...and being a Girl Scout through junior high isn't exactly "cool", but they have stuck with it and have been determined to earn this award. It hasn't been easy either. Trying to schedule meetings and outings around 5 junior high schedules has presented LOTS of challenges. We haven't really met all that much this past year because of that, but when we have met, they've been focused and gotten things done.

It will be interesting to see who continues on. There are several more awards they can earn. Most in the area of leadership. The highest is the Gold Award - which is the Girl Scout equivelant to the Boy Scout Eagle. I would love to see all of them earn their Gold Award. Not just for the award itself, but for the character building and leadership skills they gain along the way, and for the discovery of themselves that Girl Scouts allows.

It's been awhile...

Wow - has it ever! So what's been going on since April you ask...LIFE! Nothing major, just every day life with 2 working parents, a teen and a pre-teen daughter. So, get ready for a pretty random post...

Of course, we transitioned from basketball to softball, started conditioning for volleyball, ALMOST finished another school year (2.5 days left)...and in about another week or so, will include basketball once again for one. Seems like our lives pretty much revolve around what sport our daughters are playing...and it pretty much does! 4 softball teams between 2 daughters keeps us hopping from ball diamond to ball diamond...well it does for the husband anyway. I don't have to see every game. I'm okay to sit out a few, but not him. But, that's good - it's something he shares with the girls.

I'm kinda anxious about the summer and don't really know what to expect. With my job (working for a charter school), school is out, but I'm a year-round employee. Not quite sure what that means still...have to work out that schedule with the bosses...thankful that "working from home" is an option I an enjoy. Don't really have a lot going on this summer, but there are several things on the horizon for fall that we need to financially plan for - so the summer can't really be too extravegant. Was hoping to make a trip to Gatlinburg or Wisconsin Dells...but not sure the budget can afford much more than maybe a long weekend at Indiana Beach or Kings Island.

I am excited about a couple of things this summer. One is a new Bible study group I joined with some ladies from FFC. We are studying the book of Esther with It's Touch Being A Woman by Beth Moore. It looks really fascinating and I'm anxious to get to know the ladies involved better and have some fun expanding my Bible knowledge...which REALLY needs expanding! The other is my Girl Scout troop FINALLY getting started (and hopefully finishing) their Silver Award project. We will be re-doing the Alphabet Garden at MCE...which is basically an overgrown weed patch right now. It will look A LOT different when we are finished and have a new name. The only thing I'm NOT looking forward to is the whining :-) and trying to schedule 5 freshman girls to be in one place at the same time!

WOW - did I just say "freshman" girls?? I can't believe my oldest will be a freshman in 2.5 days. Next she'll be driving, then graduating, then college...okay, I have to stop or I'll start crying.