Whew.

Grasshopper Days

For today, Tuesday, June 17, 2014.  Yep, we're still here.  In the middle of the whirlwind.

Outside my window...  lawn mowers going - everyone trying to stay caught up on mowing, between the June rains.

Hearing...  laundry spinning, robins and jays, and... well... lawn mowers.

Pondering...  the activity level around here lately.  Good golly, Miss Molly!  Since the in-law visit last Tuesday, we have...

*  had a visit from some missionary friends 

*  gone to Coldstone to celebrate (we celebrate everything) so, um, to celebrate the end of the school year (almost), Tate's fabulous progress with his CI (definitely), and anything else we thought of that day ;D

*  hosted the youth group here for an afternoon of games and snacks when their hike got rained out

*  enjoyed "Christmas in June" with my extended family (more on that later)

*  went flying with CAP (Wyatt and Tate)

*  passed a math test (Wyatt, placement test, community college - woo-hoo!)

*  survived the last day of public school (Wyatt)

*  finished a quilt top (me)

*  gone to the library (Tate, Gunnar, and me)

and I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting.

Praying...  Gunnar's Sunday school teacher has a broken femur (horse rolled on her, I think), Wyatt is finishing up some homeschool work (!), and Gunnar leaves tomorrow for Disneyland!

Thankful...  Wyatt tested into the math class he wanted at Running Start (woo-hoo!), Kerry has plenty of work right now (praying that continues), and summer is almost here.

Wearing...  blue capri pant, blue t-shirt... whoopee.

Creating...  still working on the gift-quilt - can't show it yet.

Going...  in circles? so much to do!

Looking forward to...  Gunnar's trip.  My brother and sister concocted a plan to take each boy to Disneyland when he turned thirteen, which they revealed back when Wyatt was that age.  Gunnar has been (mostly patiently) waiting for his turn, for five years.  And OH BOY is he excited.  He's been talking about it almost incessantly for the last two or three weeks (and at intervals for the last few months).  I'm mostly happy for him to go because I know he'll have a fabulous time.  And also because  - after the post-trip let-me-tell-you-about-every-single-minute-of-my-adventure - we can finally stop talking about it ;D

In the kitchen...  a happy fridge full of leftovers.

Around the house...  birthday and Father's Day "debris" :D

The Mother Load...  my lists have lists.  And with a sewing project spread out, all my other stuff is piled on my desk, where I can't avoid it.

Noticing that...  time for a few haircuts in this house.

Something to remember for later...  I had a birthday!  I'm 48.  (Not one of those people who claim to be 39 year after year after year... ;D)  Since we'd already celebrated on Saturday, on my actual birthday I:

*  ran some errands with my mom (had to return one birthday-present-duplicate)

*  bought some "new" clothes at Value Village (my SIL was absolutely appalled that I'm still wearing clothes that are older than Gunnar - what would she think if she knew I got them used to begin with?!)

*  picked Wyatt up from school

*  made everyone lunch

*  put a twenty-five pound turkey in the oven

*  made stock/broth with the neck and some veggies

*  took Wyatt to his math placement test

*  cooked an entire turkey dinner (minus sweet potatoes, which I love but the rest of the fam does not)

*  bought ice cream for the family

*  ate an entire (little) carton of Ben and Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup all by myself

*  watched a movie with the family - an old Kurt Russell / Goldie Hawn flick called Overboard.  Kind of funny, but we had to "edit" a few scenes - ACK!

A favorite quote for today...  from my friend Rebecca, 

What doesn't kill you

will surely leave a big mess to clean up.

If you've made a turkey dinner recently you'll know what I'm talking about.

One of my favorite things...  milk chocolate Lindor truffles - the boys got me some for my birthday!  Goooooood boys :D

A few plans for the rest of the week...  get Gunnar packed up and deliver him and Aunty Tami to the airport in the morning (!), drag Wyatt moaning-and-complaining through the rest of his chemistry test (in progress as I type), get the boys to Civil Air Patrol tonight, and - the fun just never ends - Wyatt is having his wisdom teeth out on Thursday.

A peek into my world...  I mentioned "Christmas in June"... in my family, June is a magnet for birthdays.  Throw in Father's Days, graduations, and the inevitable weddings, and it's a force to be reckoned with.  This year we had five fathers, oldest to youngest...

my uncle, Doug

my dad

Kerry

my brother, Dave

and my cousin's husband, Mike

As well as seven birthdays...

my cousin's daughter, Raelynn

(who got a hair crimper)

my cousin's other daughter, Mikayla

my cousin, Ryan

Gunnar

my dad, me, and

Naomi

who was loving the trampoline (first time?)

 and the air hockey

and was pretty well done in by the time we got to presents.

Gunnar picked out this one, some Mickey Mouse themed play-dough toys called

"Mousekatools" - very cute!

So you can see why I call it "Christmas in June".  It's fun, it's family, and it's good.  And a little (or maybe a lot) overwhelming.