Summer is here

And Lillie is telling everyone she sees that she's "officially" a Kindergartener. "Officially!"

Terry and I worked our butts off in the yard today....putting down 680 lbs--yes, six hundred and eighty pounds!-- of top soil, fertilizing, planting, watering, taking out a dead tree, putting in two new trees (Happy Fathers' Day early, honey!) and creating our veggie garden for the summer. We will have zucchini, 3 types of tomatoes, purple peppers, hot peppers, chives, blueberries and catnip, of course! The cats have already done the "seek and destroy" on the catnip, but I'm hoping it will keep growing, for their sakes! Our new trees are Chinese Mormon Apricot and Bartlett Pear.....I really want fruit from my yard sometime in my life.

Other than that, there's no news to report. Unless you count the fact that I'm losing my mind more and more than ever before. I had to go somewhere twice the other day because I completely forgot the reason I was there in the first place the first time I went--and it was only to do ONE LITTLE THING! Then I went to the library to return a book which I had lost between the house and van, so that took me two trips (and wouldn't you know, the book was in the back seat, just where I had left it, but I didn't see it until after I drove home to look for it). I had to really concentrate on my grocery list this week and take my time so I wouldn't forget anything. I guess I'm in serious need of a break. I'm counting down the days until we leave for Disney....it's 4 weeks away! We are getting sooooo close! And I'm getting more excited by the day. I think the kids are more excited about being out of school with no early wake-ups right now, but I give them a week of sleeping in, and they will be counting the days til vacation with me. In the meantime, we are trying our hand at camping again this weekend, the boys go on a scouting weekend camp out next weekend and we are just plum busy! I love it! Hope I can remember to do everything in the meantime.

We survived!

We went on a 3 day camping trip this weekend, in a TENT, and totally survived. Of course, it helped that we were camping with 13 other people, who between them had 4 travel trailers with stoves, sinks, bathrooms and TVs, but hey, one step at a time. Our tent was freezing cold the first night, a little better the second night, and last night was totally awesome temperature wise. We bought a big tent last weekend so this was the first time using it, and it was plenty spacious for the Casey peeps. The kids had a blast, the adults laughed hysterically at times, and Terry came home with a new nickname....."dreamboat"---I won't even go into details, but one of the people we had never met until this weekend came up with that one. Oh, and I went snipe hunting for the first time too! Again, no details.....let's just say it was super funny for everyone but me! LOL! I ate more crap this weekend than I have all year, so I'm totally not looking forward to WW this Thursday....but I didn't have a care about any of it while I was cramming it in my mouth, so I get what I get.

We loved our outdoor weekend so much that we are doing it again in two weeks! And again in the Fall, for sure. If only I hadn't started Dave Ramsey's class a few weeks ago, we would have been out shopping for our own travel pull behind trailer today....seriously!

Check out my mix tape...

...in the sidebar!

8 more days.....

...and I'm officially off for the summer! Can I tell you how excited I am to be gone from the bus garage? Last year I was sad that I wouldn't be there day after day driving those big yellow beasts, but this year I'm singing a different tune. I don't know if it's the water in Goshen or what, but the kids have been misbehaving for awhile now, which usually means summer isn't far off. And if that wasn't enough to give you a headache, the drivers have turned into brats too! Not all, not even most, but some. I'm sure I can include myself in that group on certain days lately, but goodness me, if there's nothing to complain about, they just plum don't know what to do! I have a few in particular that I truly don't care for....their attitudes, the way they talk, the way they look....the whole package just turns me off. The fact that it's not considered a "place of WORK" for some of them...they treat people badly, whine and complain until they get their way, ignore the rules and just plain piss the rest of us off....it's just time to get out of there and regroup over the summer. I have been considering looking for a full time position IN the school for next year and leaving that place all together, but I have made some great friends there that I would hate to leave on account that some employees walk all over our boss and it's turned into a free for all for drivers. And some have no reason to be around children in the first place....and I never let my kids around these people. Do you know who's driving your darlings to school? Well I do, but if I didn't work there, I might not know, ya know?

Ahhhh, enough of that place. I just can't wait to pull my hair out over my own kids...and not someone else's! LOL!

Finally....our AHA moment

For the last few months (ok, I counted, 126 days) we have had Pergo sitting in boxes in the garage. It was waiting for someone to cut it, pop it down, and love it with all their heart. But no, we couldn't be bothered to take the time. And so it sat.....so very lonely, in a corner of the garage, through the blizzard, the heat, and the rain. Finally, a friend offered her husband and son in law to us for the whole weekend at no charge because she knew if she didn't, I might explode with excitement over my floor never getting done. AHA! FINALLY! And so we went from this.....

(concrete floors....a few hours of ripping up carpet and tack strips on Friday night.....)

To this.....

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

And this....

While we aren't totally done (next weekend is toe strip installation) it's down and livable, and we are thrilled with the outcome. Next we rip up the hardwood entry and tile it. Sounds weird, but hardwood against Pergo, even super similar in color just isn't working for me so far. Gotta love house projects.