Summer Vacation - Over

Now summer is over for me. I have started my classes again (physiology, microbiology, both with labs - yuck!) so I am hitting the books, hard. Hope you all had a great summer vacation and it was longer than mine!

Summer Vacation - Part Three

Taylor turns 14!!

Hard to believe I am old enough to have a 14-year-old daughter! Taylor celebrated her 14th Birthday while we were at the cabin (see summer vacation part two) so we decided to have a special day, just for her, when we got home.

To celebrate, we spent an entire day doing all the things Taylor loves with her dear friend Morgan!

First, Taylor, Morgan and I got our nails done. (Of course, I left my camera in the car)

Next, we spent the rest of the morning SHOPPING!!

Taylor and Morgan found some great buys at the mall - all of them completely fabulous and wonderful on these beautiful girls.

Then off to our FAVORITE restaurant, the Cheesecake Factory!

(The worst thing that could have been built in this city - it is making me fat!!)

After huge plates of Orange Chicken, bottomoless Raspberry Lemonades and lots of giggling, we ended this wonderful day with the most delicious dessert in the world - cheesecake!

Happy "late" birthday, my darling, beautiful, talented, spunky 14-year-old daughter! Thanks for being you - our lives wouldn't be the same without you!

Summer Vacation- Part Two

The second week was spent at our cabin - wonderful, glorious cabin with no cell reception or internet connections (it was wonderful to unconnect for a week)

Chris and the kids did some mudding on the dirt bikes and four wheelers...

Ashlie became our family's first burn victim

(she was frying scones with grandma and pulled the hot oil pan on top of herself - ended up with this 2nd degree burn on her leg and burns on all fingers of her left hand)

Grandpa, Chris and the boy built a go-cart completely out of wood.

I slept the entire week (recoving from surgery number 3) and read two books, in their entirety, that had nothing to do with science or school.

Glorious break!

Summer Vacation - Part One

I had a wonderful, glorious three-week summer vacation. This is what I did:

Cameron and I became Lego Masters

We spent an afternoon at Herriman Lake (don't know the real name), digging in the sand and splashing in the COLD water with our favorite people, Keller and Macy

Cameron honed his digging skills

Macy, Keller and Ashlie were buried in the sand.

Delightful!

First

Glorious, wonderful first day of school! I have been ready for this for at least three days, give or take a week!

The oh, so grown up 9th Grader (where did the time go???)

Two crazy 2nd graders (Cam and buddy Mitch - we couldn't find Keller!!)

This is the baby - a big 2nd Grader!! I can't stand the thought . . .

And last, but not least, Ashlie and her friend Madeline - grown up 6th graders.

I was so happy to have them go to school, enjoy some peace and quiet.

Then we got to school, and I saw how big they all are.

I admit, a few tears escaped my eyes.

Why do they have to grow so fast??

Wow

Ever been on the edge of an emotional cliff? I have been - all summer. Can't say exactly why. I just finished my first full year of school. Yeah! Only 4 more to go . . .

Anyway, back to that emotional cliff -

I was shoved off the edge of my cliff on Saturday. Not pushed, shoved. Hard. Can't eat, can't sleep, you know how it goes. Or maybe you don't (which is good if you don't).

I think I might still be falling - oh, wait. School starts again on Wednesday. I'm taking physiology and microbiology. Wanted to adjust my schedule, change it up, but all the classes are full. I just have to suck it up and stick with my current chaotic schedule. Yup, just found the bottom. Now there is nowhere to go but up. I know, I know, I signed up for this torture. And I am trying to make the best of it, really, I am. I didn't realize it would be this hard. But if it were easy, there would be no satisfaction in completing it, right? At least I don't have to repeat Chemistry!

Who Knew

Chem grades are posted. After much wailing, crying and gnashing of teeth, I DID NOT get a B in chemistry. I got an A-!!!!! MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!

I just might survive this school thing after all.

To my dear husband, the voice of reason:

Next time I have any more of my "brilliant" ideas, please, please stop me!!

Finals

Finals are over. Chemistry is ridiculously hard for me. I just DON'T get it. I have never had a B in my life - this will probably be my first one. Wow - hard to swallow.

YEAH, SUMMER (all 3 weeks I have left until school starts again) CAN BEGIN!!