jeneva all gussied up

She is going to be SEVEN years old this week and she starts first grade on Monday. She is growing up way too fast. *sniff*

vegetarian

Tonight at the dinner table:

Jeneva: "Just so you all know, I'm gonna be a vegetarian. I just don't like to eat animals that were, you know, running around and being alive and stuff. Except deer. I'll be a vegetarian that only eats deer meat."

Jude: "I LIKE to eat animals. I like giraffes......and dogs......."

summer 2010. words, not pictures.

I'm in denial that it's mid-August already. Just yesterday it was the fourth of July. Right? And the day before that it was the last day of school. Surely.

All of those cliche's about time flying kind of annoy me, but they're way true.

Now summer isn't REALLY over. There's plenty (hopefully) of hot weather to come for swimming and watermelon (I've only taken a liking to watermelon in the past couple of years), but mid-August always reminds me of the beginning of the Cross Country season.....takes me back to my High School and College days. The beginning of the CC season means school is just around the corner and summer is gone.

I'm glad my CC days are over. Loved em then. But now, the desire to run and sweat and compete and be nervous just isn't there.

I'm not even teaching anymore, so really the seasons should sort of blend together and I shouldn't get this awful dread of it being the end of summer. But I do. Fall and school starting (for Jeneva) and everything is all good....I'm just going to miss all of those beautiful lakes and pools and night time walks in shorts and flip flops.

Okay, Tiffany, it's NOT over yet. Don't get all depressed about it already. Just enjoy what's left of it.

But for the sake of the memory.....I'll recap all our summer entailed. I suppose the kids will look back on this in 10 years and appreciate the recall.

**our cool off hot spots included: Lake Johanna, Cedar Lake, Bryant Lake, Wirth Lake, the Splash Pad, and the neighborhood kiddie pool.

**six weeks of tennis lessons at our neighborhood park for Jeneva. Every day for 6 weeks! That's a long time!

**our family vacation was a camping trip to the Baptist Grounds in Green Lake, Wisconsin. Much fun....MUCH work.

**a week long trip to Grandma and Grandpa's farm while Papa was gone for the Guard.

**we took a few *field trips* to local nature centers and went on lots of bike rides and played with friends.

**two different trips were taken to Iowa in June and July for funerals. My Grandma Stutzman died in June and then my cousin Jason unexpectedly died in a motorcycle crash in July. Both were very sad, but both were a hopeful reminder of the HOPE that we have in Jesus and the PROMISE of eternal life in HIM.

I love summer. It doesn't last long in Minnesota, so I better stop blogging and get out and enjoy it before it's gone...