The Play Date

When Abby has her mind set on something she will make it happen.  She is such a social girl and last year she met her cute friend, Mia, who is just like her.  Abby somehow forms a posse in everything that she does.  Even on her swim team over the summer, she formed friends that were a little group together.  She seems to include anyone who is willing to be her friend.

When school started I told Abby that because she and Mia are so friendly that they should make sure they find someone else who maybe needs a friend and would like to be included.  They immediately found Willow and suddenly I was hearing about Willow everyday.

One evening I got a phone call from a sweet little voice.  It was Willow.  Abby was down the street playing somewhere so Willow talked to me and said that her mom said that Abby could come over on Saturday for a playdate.  I just sort of smiled and told her ok, I will tell her you called and then we said bye.  

I was thinking, I have never even met this little girl or her parents and these girls are planning playdates and getting so excited.  I told Abby she called and she just lit up.  She was so excited about her new friend Willow and said, "Ok good.  So we're going to have a playdate on Saturday at Willow's house because she has a pool and we can all go swimming."  She told me how they have been planning this the whole week but they were just trying to get their moms to meet. "How can we get our moms to know each other!!!?"  I do know Mia's mom pretty well now, but neither of us knew this new family and our school is so big so it's hard to know who people and families are sometimes.

The next day, I got a note in Abby's backpack from Willow's mom telling us about the playdate arrangements and to give her a call.

I gave her a call and felt at ease and knew that she was a regular ole' person like me.  When I dropped Abby off to play with Willow and Mia, Willow's mom told me that she was so glad that Abby and Mia reached out to her daughter because she has never had close friends that want to hang out with her. (They are only in 2nd grade, but still)  She was so happy that her daughter found such sweet and friendly girls the first week of school that wait for her and try to find her at recess and want to be with her.

I felt so glad that Abby listened and was able to find a new friend who needed some fun spunky girls to be with at school.  When it comes to be social, Abby gets very determined.  She loves friends and I hope that she can be a good example and always include others in her circle.

Willow's mom sent some cute pictures of the fun day and Abby went on and on about it and how they had talked about it all week.

School Started!

Another school year has started.  I was ready for this one to begin.  We were all ready.  Too many late nights, and unorganized days were catching up with us, even though summer was very fun and I enjoyed the break from routines.  It just felt like a good time to get into it.
I didn't get to take a picture of the girls before school and they were less than happy to take a picture after school.  But they eventually cooperated.  I was at the elementary school when I realized I forgot to take a picture but I snapped one of Sammie and Abby.  That morning I was so on top of things and then time suddenly slipped away and our neighbor arrived for a ride to school and I completely forgot to gather around the front door.
Olivia is in 8th grade this year.  So far, she's been very busy with homework.  It seems like she didn't have the same workload at all in seventh grade, but it's good for her.
Sammie started 5th grade!  It seems so weird to have her growing up so fast.  She is in class with one of her very best friends and is so happy about it.  So far, she seems to love her class and teacher.
Abby started 2nd grade.  She also has one of her best friends in class and so she was very excited for school to start.
The girls are all busy getting back in to the school routine and I'm enjoying a bit of quiet time when they are gone.
This is how they felt about a picture after school.  In the bottom picture they are completely fake smiling.

Girls Camp

When we got back from our vacation, Olivia had two days and then headed off to her second year of Girls Camp.  I think she had a better year this year than last.  She definitely learned some things.  She even made a cute power point presentation of a lesson she learned at camp about "just trust, don't think about it too much, and do it.  Then it doesn't seem like such a big deal."  That was a big lesson that she learned this year.  She didn't take any photos, but her camp director had taken some photos.  She seemed to have a real growing experience this year.  She really didn't want to go.  Last year was really hard for her, but we made sure that she felt more prepared so that she was more comfortable this year.  Like bringing a pillow for one.  She handled all of the difficulties very well, even her swollen mosquito bitten face.

Bodie, CA

We decided to take the scenic way home from Tahoe so that we could visit the ghost town of Bodie, CA.  It was hot when we got there and I was surprised to see so many visitors.  It was a popular place that day.  It took us about 2 1/2 hours to get there from Tahoe, but the drive was very pretty.  Sammie, Joey, and Olivia, had all read the same historical fiction book that took place in Bodie, CA when it was a gold rush boom town.  So they were familiar with some of the family names that were talked about in the tour.  It was sort of an eerie place and you really got the feel for what it must have been like to live out there on a hot, dry summer, day long ago.  I love old things and it was so cool to see one house that had layers of flooring done over the years and all of the different wall coverings that were used.  Many things were left behind in the homes.  The school house looked untouched with books on the desks covered in dirt and dust.  Most of the buildings are unsafe to enter, so we mostly just looked through windows and walked the streets.  It was much bigger than I thought it was going to be.
We then continued on our long drive home while listening to a book on CD.  It felt good to get home and out of the car.  I think now, I am caught up with summer.  School is starting so soon in just a week from Wednesday.  I'm looking forward to a routine again.  It seems like as soon as we go on vacation, I don't care about anything when we get home.  We all stay up super late.  The kids watch tons of TV and play games on their kindles and sometimes breakfast is skipped, or lunch.  I've been so off since we have been home.  It seems like someone is always saying, "It's lunch time?!  But I never even ate breakfast!"  And then the same thing at dinner time, "But I never even ate lunch!"  They must be eating something during the day, I'm just not sure what it has been or when they ate it.
Like I said, I'm looking forward to a routine again.

Hot Dog Roasting and Family Pics

On our last night in Tahoe, we ate dinner out by the fire pit in the backyard.  We had hot dogs and s'mores, while swatting away the gazillions of mosquitoes.  I love this family of mine.  Taking a family photo is getting a lot easier now that my kids are older.  It was funny watching everyone trying to get the babies to look at the camera.  I remember those days.  I remember years ago when we took a family photo and Abby was only about 10 week old or so.  Everyone is smiling and she is just screaming her head off she was so unhappy.

Ropes Course

The girls went on a Ropes Course one day.  When I saw the pictures and videos it looked like so much fun.  I stayed back and rested that day and didn't see them in action, but Nate took some photos and videos.  They were very brave on some of those obstacles and zip lines.  What a fun adventure in the trees.  When they came back, they all seemed pretty excited about it.  Sammie was the most excited to go.  She loves adventures like this.

Lake Tahoe

It wouldn't be a trip to Lake Tahoe without actually enjoying Lake Tahoe.  We only swam in Lake Tahoe one day during the week but loved our beautiful day on the beach.

Two Little Hikes that were a big deal for me

I absolutely love Angora lakes.  It is so amazing.  The water was freezing but I love just being there.  It feels like a secret place and we have to hike in a little to get to it.  I honestly don't know how I even made this hike.  I just took it very slow.  And the night before we went a hike up to this meadow.  It was gorgeous and I felt so refreshed and I was amazed and did not even know how I climbed up those switch backs.  It's not like it was a hard hike, but I don't even know how I made it with the back pain I had been having and the pain and fatigue I still experience.  It was a small miracle.  I just wanted to go so bad and didn't want to wait behind in the cabin while everyone else was out and about.  I really, really, don't even know how I made it on these two little hikes, except that it was an answer to a prayer.  I wasn't miraculously healed and I could still feel my pain and fatigue, but it was somehow lightened for a bit when I so badly wanted to just feel a little bit better.  That's how a lot of the trip was for me.  And really, a lot of life is that way for me.  On a day to day basis I really don't feel well, but somehow, sometimes, I am given opportunities to still do some of the things I love to do.  I don't feel great, but sometimes I just feel well enough.  Those are the miracles that I experience in my life.  I've since had really crummy days and some pretty good days, but I remember those two glorious little hikes and being with my family and hoping that some day, I'll be able to do it again.