Praise God from Whom ALL blessings flow!!
I do not think I can describe our last three weeks without sounding like I am either complaining or boasting but I will try my best. Our first weekend was full of unpacking enough stuff to make it through the first few weeks of work, making a cake to celebrate (Father’s Day, Retirement, New Job, Summer Solstice), and of course Church and a celebration BBQ with the ‘family’ (brother & family, all three parents, and us). I only had Wednesday and Thursday to get things ready because Friday I met my new boss for lunch and spent the day in meetings.
Monday, June 22nd was my first day on the new job. Grammy flew over to Seattle, WA that same day and it was just the kids, Papa & G’ma JoJo and I for the next four days. Friday, the 26th, my sister, Nichole, and her two teens and two friends of my nephew came over for Hoopfest and a visit. Dad pulled the RV up to the house and we all spread out on the floors, beds, etc. It was a busy, fun, hot, and exciting to experience Hoopfest and catch up with family. Jake and his two buddies won their first two games and lost two before heading off to Basketball camp at Gonzaga. Nichole and Kiley hung out with us and on Wednesday my sister-in-love flew in with two more nieces, Sydney & Olivia. Jake came back from camp and that night we had a great dinner with Corrina before she flew home the next day and the rest of the gang headed out to Icicle Creek Rd. Campground near Leavenworth, WA to go camping.
For the 4th of July weekend, Jason, Nichole’s husband, met us on Thursday with their RV and Dad, JoAnn, Sydney, Olivia, Nichole, Jake, Kiley, Jennifer & Jordan caravanned up in the other RV and Nic’s minivan. I was at work. (I am NOT complaining!) I left work and finally got on the road to meet up with everyone about 5:30. It is a four hour drive or so and I finally made it into the camp around 10:30pm. I was so grateful they had the tent already set up!! Kids and I slept in one tent and Jake & Sydney slept in another with everyone else in the RV’s. Did I mention that Jason brought their two dogs and Dad & Jo brought their two also? Yes, four dogs, and eleven people camping our for three and a half days. FUN! (No hook-ups for the RV’s but water pumps and facilities to use) I got some good mountain bike rides in and a nice run. Absolutely gorgeous area and lots of fun on the 4th of July in the town of Leavenworth. A Christian festival, Freedom Fest, was going on in the park next to the public swim pool and so JoAnn, Jennifer & I hung out (after shopping of course) while the rest of the gang went swimming. The whole weekend was memorable with gold panning, hiking, biking, making S’Mores, hobo stew, jiffy popcorn on the fire, playing games, and just sitting around watching the kids shoot the blow gun and try to hit the targets. Lots of ‘catching up’ with family and just enjoying God’s creation.
Sunday, we all packed up and Nichole & family headed back to Mt. Vernon, WA and we headed back to Spirit Lake, ID. We made it about an hour down the road before we had some RV issues. We spent about four hours trying to get the slider to go back into place before we loaded four kids, two adults, and two dogs into my Elantra for the remaining 3 ½ hour drive. Dad stayed with the RV and we left him there to call AAA. It was a long day and a short night and I went to work Monday morning amazed it was just the beginning of week three. Where does the time go?
