Saturday, September 26, 2009

Summer's Over

As I sit here, early on a Saturday morning, enjoying my coffee(no more tea for me) it hits me that summer is over. The weather has been gorgeous so I haven' t really paid attention to the calendar. It is still dark and chilly-I'm debating about whether to turn the heat on! I'm thinking back to what a great summer we had. I joked a lot in June about our summer plans being soccer, soccer and more soccer! It was so much more.

We experienced Yosemite National Park for the first time and hopefully not the last. Wow! It is so incredibly beautiful. The weekend was spent enjoying nature and family. My cousin's wedding was the perfect opportunity to spend time with my extended family. We don't get much chance to do that as we are spread all over. Meeting new family members and reconnecting with old ones made the trip memorable. Getting to see Yosemite was a huge bonus. Most importantly it was about spending time with my Grandma and watching the kids with her. It was our last weekend with her. She passed away in August. We were lucky to have that time with her and all of my family.

Next came the Rock n Roll half marathon-was I crazy? Looking back I'm not sure what I was thinking other than I had decided to do it & I was too stubborn to quit! I think I mananged to train on determination alone cause I sure as hell didn't have the energy. Terry was there every step of the way, usually a few feet in front of me, encouraging & pushing me to the finish. We did it, running slowly the whole way. Thanks to great friends for being there to share the moment. Can't wait till next year-shouldn't be too hard to beat my time!

Of course there were lots of BBQs with friends and kids fun. While I won't get into detail, I will say we have the best group of friends.

Nicholas went to Cascades Camp again year but this time it was for a week! We were a little nervous but really excited to have him go. The house was much quieter with only Alyssa & she missed her brother. He came home so filled with stories that he didn't stop talking about it for more that an hour. The only thing I wish for next year is that he changes his shirt! Supposedly he showered & changed the rest of his clothes. We bought him a camp shirt & he lived in it all week! Yuck!

Alyssa had gymnastics and soccer camps this summer. She loves anything where she can be social! Her birthday was one of her highlights. They are allowed one Chuck E Cheese party & this was her year. What a blast! She also talked us into a sleepover with her 2 best friends. We all survived.

Chicago was what we looked forward too all summer. In August the kids flew by themselves to see my parents & sister's family. Nicholas has flown several times by himself but this was Alyssa's first time. I think we all were excited and nervous. I wondered whether they would fight or spill on some poor adult that had to sit by them, figured they'd both have to go to the bathroom as soon as the fasten seatbelt sign was on. They were great, no fighting, nothing left on the plane. They did spill but fortunately it was in the airport.

The week was packed with activities. The kids and grandparents were exhausted when it was over. There was a night at a waterpark, boating, tubing, jetskiing, fishing and lots of time with their cousins. A trip they will remember for a long time. Terry & I spent the week enjoying our vacation at home. A whole week without the kids, what will we do? It went by so fast, like all vacations. We spent the time eating, drinking and spending money, just like if we'd actually gone somewhere!

At the start of summer, I was almost dreading soccer. Nicholas started playing select this year for the first time. I thought it would take over all of our time. I can't believe how much fun it is. We are lucky to be on a team with some good friends but also some fun new friends. The tournaments were so exciting. The boys finished 2nd in their brackett in one and narrowly missed the championship game in the other. Wow! It was great watching them come together as a team. I can't wait to see how the season unfolds.

Our summer ended as it started, a BBQ with good friends. I know fall will be just as great as summer. I may still whine about how much time soccer takes but other than getting up early on a Saturday mornings, I love it. There is nothing better than watching the kids doing activities they love! Now I know why my parents sat through all those basketball games & track meets.

Hopefully this was worth the wait. I'll try not to take 4 months to write again. If you have time check out the Loverich Family blog, Johnene's post about the Miley Cyrus concert is incredible. She is a gifted writer. My thoughts on the concert were similar but there is no way I could write them as well! Enjoy!

1 comment:

Johnene and Family said...

Okay, your summer made me feel tired :) Good times had by all! Thanks for the shout-out! xoxo