Sum Sum Summertime

I would like to state that not seeing me writing and updating the blog shows I had a productive, busy Summer :) And now that I'm updating....well, that means that work is kicking into high gear again.

I know its only the early part of August but around here it definitely feels like we've turned that corner into Fall. I could have really used some more uncomfortably hot days. Come on, whats a Michigan summer without your legs sticking to every chair you sit down on?

Speaking of sitting down, I sat (or perched rather) on my bicycle for an entire (or at least the better part of) a day. Why? Because I finally accomplished a goal that has been on my list of things, I rode a century. 100 miles. In a day. ....without any real training....and without tuning my bike up.  I'm way less proud of those last two bits of information. But anyway. Check it off. Whew. Truly the only reason I did this massive ride was because I was shamed by my father :) More or less. Well, truly he is the only reason I actually finished that beast of a ride. And he drove us home while I was pretty much dead to the world. And he finished out the day running after my 3 year old while I lay like a slug on the couch. Yes, it broke me.

But I finished :) And that, in the end, is what counts!

My padre, cool as a cucumber

Quite possibly the Red Lantern of the Holland 100 :)

btw- celebrated 5 years married to this guy :)

 A few hot days at the beach 

family tattoos at the air show

Big fan :)

Cousins reunited! 

General silliness 

Plenty of snacking

And blueberry picking! 

That's my kind of summer :)

Texas 2.0

Airport questions-

Pilot-
Can you read clouds?
Can you look down and tell me what city you are flying over without your GPS?
Why did you want to be a pilot?
Do you have flight routes similar to bus routes?
How many flights do you do per day?
Where is the best place to fly into?

These are the questions which enter my mind as I sit waiting for my flights.
I finish up my 2012-13 school year flights today. DFW to GRR. I came to Dallas for the second time this year to attend a conference speaking on how to better serve our dual language learners. I was the only person out of district, so obviously I was a little bit out of my comfort zone. However my seat partner adopted me and brought me out to a delicious lunch with her pals. Do you know how often that has happened to me in the past year at other conferences? None. Zero. Those sweet Texans :)

Sky over Mount Pleasant, TX



It was a toasty 95 degrees...whew. These feet are eager to get home!

Spring Recap and Intro to Summer

I finally was able to get around to pulling the pictures off my phone. Although I do really like my phone and its picture capabilities I miss my real camera. Poor thing, all tucked away in a drawer.

Playing in the lilacs with my boys

Tulip Time in Holland with my parents 

Enjoying Festival of the Arts downtown GR

Camping in Manistee, MI

Growing some pretty tall peas! 

And tomorrow I set off for Dallas, TX. My last work trip of the 2012-13 School Year. I'm attending a bilingual professional development in the great city of Pittsburgh, TX. Haven't heard of it? Neither had I...

Summer Series Part 3

This past 'summer day' was especially nice for me. Jon redeemed his Mother's Day gift for me, a super fancy massage at his hotel. Over the course of an hour and a half hot bamboo, mud, and oil all took turns shellacking my skin. It was delicious.

I then got to spend the afternoon with my best high school friend and her sweet babies before picking up my own sweet HP and having a nice dinner with the boys at home.

This past weekend I began tackling project house with renewed gusto. My house is adorable (I think)...too bad no one can see through the shrubbery.

Exhibit A

B

And C

So I broke out the clippers, a shovel and my gardening jeans and spent the better part of Saturday tearing up those half-dead shrubs. I also managed to severally bruise my arms and legs. Ouch.

Whew

The only reason that bush is still there is because I was too tired to finish.

It's a start! Oh hey, check out my little garden :) 

Peas and lettuce!

Summer Series: Part 2

The wind down following a long weekend of family fun can be a little sad. Why do we wait until a holiday to gather as a large group? Plane tickets and work always seem to get in the way. Blerg.

But I'll do my best to stay positive here, even if it is a truly dreary, dismal day outside! Here's a quick re-cap.
-I hosted my first professional development session Friday for 18 colleagues, I think it went well! There was only one person who chose to crochet through the entirety of the meeting...
-HP, Jon, Mom and I drove up to Alma for the Highland festival. We met Kellie and Dikran who had flown in from LA, my dad, uncle and cousins. Although the parade was relatively low-key we managed to fully enjoy the 2 days
-HP and I hosted our first grill-out of the season, yummy
-I popped H in the Burley Sunday morning and rode him over to Jenison. I have plans to ride a 100 miler with my dad this summer, so I thought perhaps I'd better get training!
-HP played his heart out with his 2 cousins- (2nd cousins?, who knows)
-Kellie, Mom and I watched Little Women for the umpteenth time
-The whole fam walked down to see the Jenison Memorial Day parade. Jon helped him score a whole pailful of candy

Let's start with a baseball cake :)

And a burley ride to Reed's Lake

Countless hours spent outdoors

2 parades! This one with kilts 

Sisters 1 and 2 

How much do I love Abuelita's curio cabinet 

Cheers to Summer- even if it is a shortened version of it!

Summer Series: Modified Version 2013

Well, it is finally sinking in that for the first time in about 24 years I do not have my Summer 'off''. This is going to be a hard fact to swallow.

2012 I had 6 weeks of Summer, a far cry from the almost 3 months I experienced while teaching in NYC. But I managed to fully enjoy that Summer with HP and Jon.

Summer 2013 is going to challenge me. But I will salvage it by creating 3-day weekends for the foreseeable future! I hadn't taken any vacation days since accepting the new job, so I'm left with 2 weeks to get rid of before July 1st steals them away. Thus begins my first Summer Vacation Day! Here's the schedule:

1. Have a yummy breakfast with HP @Wealthy Street Bakery

2. Buy my tomato plants and gardening materials @Flowerland

3. Spin Class @YMCA downtown

4. Watch a solo movie (Star Trek) @Celebration North

5. Plant my garden

6. A tiny nap

7. Pick up HP and have a relaxing dinner with the family 

There it is in a nutshell! My glorious Summer Day :) Future days will include visiting my friend in Holland, biking around Reeds Lake, lounging in the EGR library, getting my nails done, maybe a haircut, a day at the beach and countless cups of coffee at each of my favorite locations! Care to join me?

Before I head upstairs to spin class (I love that the Y has a lounge area and a good Internet connection) I will say Happy Birthday weekend to my little HP! He enjoyed a giant baseball cake with his 2 best friends Bridget and Eli. A perfect birthday for a little boy :)

A Sprint down Memory Lane

I bring you now an update of life through pictures I found on my parent's computer! Some are true blasts from the past!

The Blandford Nature Center 2013

One year ago today! 2012

I chose this one, because of the crazy looks on both our faces!

Today he asked if Kiki would be at his birthday party :(

Yesterday was Grandma's birthday! (2011?)

Ah! What a bug!

He's loved helping his Abuelito in the garden since Day 1

For some reason I love this picture!

Awwww

:) My teddy bear

Of course, I think all this sentimental walking down memory lane is due to the fact that this guy right here

is turning the big 03 this month. Holy smokes! 

Almost happy birthday HP :)