Hard to believe that summer vacation is quickly coming to an end. I will attend staff in-service next Thursday and we all go back the following Monday. It goes so fast. Here I thought, I will be off work and have all this time but life is just so busy and summer is no exception. I think with the blog it's a catch too because I will take photos or have some updates to share but then I can't find the time to get on to post and then more time passes and it just feels so overwhelming to recap weeks and weeks. Plus then it's old news, right?
so I am caving in and going to look back on some of our summer and finally try to look ahead at all that is to come and sadly that is coming to terms with my Beeba going to High School:( I never remember my mom feeling emotional about the transitions of my life or having a hard time letting go. I look around so often for others and wonder are they struggling too? I just want to freeze time and keep him here with us. Now all I seem to tell myself is that I only have four more years , like he is going to fall off the Earth but to be honest I think he will go far and I have big dreams for him yet can't imagine waking up to have him not here everyday. I want to enjoy this four year journey and soak in every memory. Friends of ours that we have gotten to know well up here have a son Jacob's age but they also have an older son that will leave for college this month. I have empathy so her, thinking she is facing all those fears right now. She commented on the fact that he is gone all the time now and it feels like he already left. She said she continues to pull out 4 sets of silverware to set the table and then realizes with a lump in her stomach. I think your kids try to prepare you too. This summer Jacob is gone all the time. He seems to be so antsy if he is home for even a short while with no plans. In the school year he always has practice after classes and evenings of games or homework but i can only imagine that our weekends to come will have many social outings for him. He is so excited about High School which then makes me excited:) We have a friend who will remain nameless that was able to get me a copy of Jacob's schedule a little early this summer so he was so excited to see that and we also peeked to find that he has lunch with several friends.. that part is so important you know;) I just realized recently that once you enter high School the school supply lists also cease. Where was the big announcement that 'oh, hey.. that too is over' {sigh} so we bought folders and papers and pens and so Jackson made up for it with all the hundreds of things he thought he needed that WEREN"T on the supply list.lol! He is also excited but I think he is worried about a teacher and mostly just excited about new supplies and new shoes and that sort of thing. He has loved staying up til the wee hours and sleeping in. He is my night owl and keeps up with me. He watches the golden girls marathon most nights:) He has recently become a huge sports center fan. He never really watched that when it wasn't on already for Jacob and Shane .. which is often. I could always count on Jackson to watch anything I wanted to watch and i love to covet the remote when the older guys aren't around! Jackson is keeping up on sports scores and player news and is really becoming more focused on improving his game. Football is in full swing and jackson is trying to earn a spot as quarter back.
He is really good at football and I don't know the game at all but I have got to learn because they are both playing. Jackson has practice five days a week and during the conditioning they used Jackson for examples to all the players. Saying, ' Doyle, show em how it's done'. Jackson would bear crawl down the field or push the sled, etc. He should have a position as a starter so I'm excited for his season which begins in a week! Jacob has been conditioning all summer but they are now in 2 a days which go from 7-1pm .. 6 hours in the heat which now has reminded us of summers in the midwest. Makes it hard to go to Magic waters because he gets done around 1pm and Jackson has to be to his before 5pm:( We really haven't gone this year like i hoped but maybe we can squeeze in a few weekend trips before they close to at least get our money out of it.
The boys have been swimming quite a bit at the neighbors and they love to play neighborhood whiffle ball games. They painted a field and they have lights out to play in the dark;) I have loved being home this summer to catch up on things during the day like laundry, phone calls, errands, etc and then feeling like when shane comes home we have lots of time to be together with nothing taking a priority like it does when I work full time. I love playing cards together, staying up late.. Sunday nights are the best in the summer. They usually are a bummer because there is so much to do to get ready for the week ahead and work and school, etc so I will miss that! We have visited the shaved ice shop that our neighbors own quite a bit. She may give Jacob a job there next spring/ summer so that will be great if it works out!
Baseball season was crazy busy and I am readyfor a new sport to begin but have to say that I am so happy that we made the switch for Jackson to this league. He had a great year hitting 14 homeruns and 4 of them grand slams! He crushed the ball and built so much self esteem. His team went all the way to the championship game and it went into extra innings with Jackson hitting his 4th GS! It was such an exciting game and we ended up losing by one.
Shane's dad made Jackson this cool display for the team bat he was given with all the players signatures and his stats. He loved it!
Jacob also played great defensively but really struggled to take any help from Shane and try to hit the ball better. His team did win the league and advanced to the divisionals but lost. Making the switch to a travel team may prove to be the best decision too if it helps him make the Hononegah team. I feel bad for Jacob because he hasn't had the best summer with all his commitments. He had weight lifting every morning and football conditioning and basketball practice and games as well as baseball all the time. whew! makes me tired to write it.lol!
The boys both did basketball camps and seem to really love that sport!
shane took a week off in July when we were going to originally travel to virginia to visit his brother but with the boys still in playoffs we couldn't make it work. We have come to realize that summer vacations really have to take place in June and they just have to miss a couple regular season games because otherwise we just can't get away. remind me of this for next summer:)
shane and i were able to get away for a couple days to Lake geneva. We love it there and it was so fun!
I would love to rent a boat out there and go tubing.. maybe in the coming summers!
I love the long road that leads to the cottage...hate to say goodbye.
My sister inlaw came from denver for a quick visit and we spent the day at Sandpark pool. My sister came in from Chicago too and Stacey was able to get the day off so we had a fun day and dinner together. I took a couple pics of my sister and Jackson racing:)
Jacob was trying to be quick and whip the towel so I couldn't get a picture!
So far August has been super eventful. Jacob's birthday was a great time. We had tons of teens here again for a party but no one slept over so it really was pretty smooth. We sent many invites out
and many showed up for food, drinks, volleyball, bags tournament and a bonfire.
We had family come the next day for a celebration.
We also went to visit my grandma for her birthday. She was happy to see us.
We then ran to a going away party for our friends.. they are going to England for a year.
Sunday we left for Gurnee mall and did a lot of looking and a little shopping. Jacob spent a little bday cash and we picked up a couple school things. I love the gap outlet and so miss our local Gap. I found a few staples there for work and then I found archivers scrapbook store in there?? totally forgot that was there and so that was a fun surprise. I left with a super tiny bag and used my coupon so I must say it was my smallest purchase ever:) We stayed free at a Marriott right there. We earned a bunch of points when we stayed at a pricey one in June for my brother's wedding so we had a free stay and indoor pool so very nice night. Jacob brought his close friend that has never been to six flags and he loved it. We went right away and were in before they opened on monday. We had great weather and we stayed til just about closing ..12 full hours:)
I did brave the Demon but I just can't do those coasters. I loved the water rides but I think I enjoyed watching them go on everything. Jackson was so scared last summer without Shane and this year he rode it all.. superman, viper, Eagle, raging bull, batman.. everything! They loved it!
Shane and Jacob rode the Giant drop! My camera battery died right after we got there so these were taken with the phone:(
It was a great way to spend Jacob's birthday and Jackson earned a free ticket reading so we always plan to go and it was pretty easy for them to get on rides on a weekday.
Shane bought Jackson this mug for braving raging bull... the biggest drop! He was so brave;)
I read two books in the last few weeks. I finished My sister's Keeper in just two days. A really good book and a twist I didn't see coming. I am anxious to see the movie now. I also read the Time Traveler's wife and plan to go on a date Friday night to see it!! It was a great book!
I had a scrap night recently and it was so fun to see friends and catch up. I wish we had those like say, every week. They really make we happy;) So excited to be creating. I finally got samples done for new classes and I am really excited about the next couple months. I hope to pull out the kids school scrapbooks this week and add to them. I am looking so forward to my scrapbook convention/workshops next month in Vegas for Inspiration Unlimited and then I will spend the weekend scrappin' in October with the girls and then I am going to take this six hour class in November from Donna Downey.. I am so excited to meet her and take a class from her! It's going to amazing:) My scrapbook celebrity!lol! I also will have a booth here in Rockton at the Dome for the Peppermint swirl show.. looking forward to a successful show and hope to make lots of goodies for that in october!
This last week has been rough. family matters going on and trying to pull myself out of my pjs most days. All I will say is that it makes me want to hug everyone I love and tell them I love them and remember to stop sweating the small stuff.
Life is short but it is a gift.
