Summer approaching

I always approach summer with such mixed feelings.  The end of the school year is soo intense.  I go into survival mode to get through the last month or so.  Often my eating habits go wonky and I can have trouble sleeping thinking about everything that needs done.  The house gets messy.  I pine for days to lounge around.  I set all kinds of lofty goals.  Then summer comes and I get bored. Or I get in a rut and don't get anything on my list done.  As I get older and go through my work weeks, this plays out in a mini way each week.  I pine for the weekend and dream of all the great things I'll do.  Then the weekend comes and I'm exhausted so I do next to nothing and get bored.  I am in a super rut with this.  

So I read over the blogs from the last several summers.  Last summer was more or less a blur because I was coming off of a trip to Florida, then Cambodia over spring break, then two graduations and a trip to LA then wedding showers then the wedding.  The summer before last, here were my goals:

     

Summer goals:

1.  Daily speak to one parent or offspring on the phone.  

2.  See each parent at least twice.  This realistically will require a drive either to Topeka, Olathe, LV, or Lake Wabaunsee once a week.  Yikes.  

3.  Lose 10 lbs.  This will be easy since I just recently added 5 from end of the year food and missed workouts.  Eating more sensibly, cutting out diet pop which makes me hungry, and teaching water class will make it happen easily, along with increased toning and a tan,  heck, let's make it 15 lbs.

4.  Clean something significant each day using the Pinterest spring cleaning lists, etc.  this involves the basement, improving upstairs. Deep cleaning down here, etc.

5.  Spend time with a friend each week in addition to Adelle and Cecelia.  This means Mary and Angela from work, Jesi, Kim, Sarah and Tanya my social work buddies, but also water class buds outside class and some of the people I run into all year that I always say, "we should get together!" But we never do.  

6.  Say something uplifting to Scott every day.

7.  Help out more at Homestead.  Already told Deb that.

8.  Get involved in TRU.  Starting with prayer and Scott taking the lead and seeing where it goes.  Have Pastor Dave and his wife over for dinner.

9.  Socialize more with couples.  Lets realistically say 4 times this summer so every other week.

10.  Go look at the furniture in Omaha and buy something for the new room and living room!  We have got to make those functional soon.  

11.  Of course read, read, read.  Blog.  Go see Leah at least twice.  

12.  Not least important, actually, already part of my routine but daily quiet time Bible study and prayer and also Dee Brestin's book Idol Lies for small group.

13.  Have the Homestead girls over for a dinner and game night, just the girls.

14.  Take Adelle to  Royals game.

I did okish in seeing the rents that summer and last, didn't lose wright, can't remember if I cleaned, didn't do the friend thing, Homestead was insane, quiet time was great, took Adelle to the Royals AND ended up spontaneously road tripping to LA. TRU ended up happening that spring.  

This summer, my goals are:

1.  Be more spontaneous.  Do something I've never done before at least twice a week.

2.  Be more social.  Call or write to a friend daily.  Reach out more.  Go to coffee more.

3.  Spend less time on Facebook and jigsaw.  This will be hard.

4.  Go see Leah.  Take Mom to see Leah.

5. Go see a dad at least twice.

6.  Quality time with Scott.  Add in some romance.

7. Invite couples over, at least three times this summer.

8.  Time with julie.

9.  Time with Shari.

10. Time with Season and Ian.

11.  Help Adelle with her transition to adulthood.

12.  Give Sandy days off from Homestead.

13. Go see Hannah.  Actually doing this right off the bat!

14. Go see Joel?

That's it for now.  Lofty.  

Return to Newton!

It's been 9 months since I went to see Lele in Newton!  She's come to Manhattan, of course.  So Saturday morning I got up and drove there. I love Newton.  I love Leah's little house and her little town and her schools and her life.

We walked over to Mojos on campus for lunch shortly after I arrived.  I said Mojos is like having a coffee shop in her back yard since it's such a short walk!  

We ate and chatted then went back to the house where David reminded Leah that their five year old nephew Colin had a soccer game so we went.   They were so cute!  They even knew what they were doing for being five!  

Then we went by Prairie Harvest, the super cool health food store that Leah and David own with the family.  I bought local honey, fresh ground peanut butter, flax seed, and some salt for the neti pot.  

We dropped off David then Leah took me to see her classrooms in Hesston, just a few minutes away.  She's made such progress cleaning them up and making them hers!  I loved seeing her students' artwork in the halls and also the cute rules and procedures in her rooms.  I just know the kids love her and she's an amazing teacher.  

We went back to the house where I took a little nap then we harnessed professor,and went back to Mojos for iced coffee to go, then walked the trail near Leah's house.  These are the trails I walked the morning of the wedding.  So pretty.  

We returned to the house and went to dillons for gas and stuff for dinner then David grilled up some local brats for us.  He served them on toasted French bread with chips.  Yummmm.  

It was hard to say goodbye, it always is.  Can't let so much time go by!  

Joel to LA

Scott and I had gotten completely adjusted to being an "empty nest".  Enjoyed it even.  We felt close to the kids, kept up with their lives, talked with them often, looked forward to our precious visits.  But we built our life and our relationship around each other and our lives here.  Our time with the kids home for Leah's wedding was awesome. 

 It was so hard having Joel living in his car and not being able to do much about it.  

Then in October, Joel came home for a few weeks with Mike.  We loved having them here and being involved in their project, Paprazzi.  

So when Joel needed to come home around Thanksgiving, we were so happy to have him.  He's been here since then and we consider it precious time.  All the kids came home for Christmas, including Dave and Kent.  We love, love, love these times.  

Now he's gone.  Just like that.  He's been here when I got home from work.  He's been here eating meals with us.  He went to the gym with us and out to eat.  Joined us for Friday night Chipoltle.  This time of being home, he's been more home than ever before!  His friends came here to hang out with us.  He watched tv with us, hung out in the livingroom, slept on the couch.  Kept his computer in the living room to do his work so he could be near us.  It was a lot like when it was the three of us after the girls left for school, Joel's senior year of high school, only this time, he was here more!  

Now he's gone.  Just like that.  I didn't have time to get used to the idea.  I miss him like crazy.  

We are so happy for him, so proud, so excited that he got this job, this amazing opportunity to work in his field.  It had become apparent that as much as we loved having him here and he enjoyed being here, he needed to be back in LA, where jobs in his field are.  I was on my trip to Mexico when he got the call.  An opportunity to help make a virtual reality experience for a theme park.  A great paying opportunity.  He had to make a quick decision.  And he left yesterday.  The night before he left he said, "I wish there were jobs like this here."  

But there aren't.  So he packed up his car and off he went.  And I miss him.

Last morning

Breakfast, more sun and a loooong day of travel home.  What a wonderful trip and memories. 

Another day in Mexico

Today started with a delicious breakfast at the Bistro we liked.  I really like the oatmeal they make with milk.

Followed, of course, by relaxing on the patio.

Then to the Vassa Spa for an afternoon massage.

They out us in a room with relaxing music and a nice view in lounge chairs with a blanket over our legs, and hot sand bags draped over our neck and shoulders. Then off to separate rooms for a back and neck massage.  I swear I drool during massages.  We also sat in the jacuzzi awhile and I spent a few minutes in the sauna.

After the message, we went to the grill by the beach for lunch.

We sat with a view of the ocean and while we were eating, a destination wedding took place and we had prime seats!

Mom's salmon sandwich, my tacos.

Spent more time at the beach playing in the waves and soaking up the rays.  Then cleaned up again

And went to dinner.  

This time I had a brick oven fired pizza that I watched the guy make.  Yum.  Then another quiet evening on the patio reading or jigsawing on our iPads and early to bed.

Mexico

Today was a quiet, lazy day.  Woke up and Mom wasn't feeling well so we got pastries in the lobby instead of going to breakfast and rescheduled our massage.  We mostly hung around the pool lying on lounge chairs on our patio.  We had lunch and a snack at the grill that is so close to us.  

When Mom got rested up, we went back to the beach.  On the way, we saw a monkey in a tree!

At the beach I played in the waves a long time then we read and relaxed in the cool breeze.

What a beach babe huh?

Dinner tonight was at a buffet called Flavours.  I had carne asada and dessert, of course.

Then because it was early, even though we were super tired, we took a taxi over to Playa Del Carmen about 20 minutes away.

I bought a new table runner and spent quite a bit of time in Forever 21.  The taxi driver brought his 8year old daughter when he picked us up.  

I don't know why we are so tired when all we do is relax in the sun:).  This is a nice vaca.

More room pics.

Spring Break Mexico

Woke up before Mama and had quiet time on the patio. Our room opens right onto the pool which winds around between the buildings through the entire resort.  Our room is wonderful, a suite with two bathrooms, a jacuzzi tub, and sliding doors to the patio.  

Mama got up and we settled into the room more then walked to breakfast nearby.  Half the restaurants are on our end of the resort and half are on the other end near the ocean.  

This morning we ate at a Bistro with a buffet.  Mom had a grilled cheesy ham sandwich, fresh fruit, fresh orange juice and coffee.  I had juice, coffee, bacon and yummy oatmeal made with milk, raisins and sugar.  

After breakfast we got mom a wheelchair to use here and asked to have a bed sent to the room for me.

Walked down a long, winding walkway to the ocean on the far end of the resort.

We played in the waves, relaxed in the sun then ordered our traditional daiqueries and Mai tai.  When I got back from the bar, mama was talking to two young nice looking gentlemen.  They took our pictures for us.  

We walked back to the room and spent the rest of the afternoon lying on our patio, getting into the pool, and lunching at a poolside grill also very close to our room.

Partway through the afternoon, I went to the spa to get my nails done.  I got a French Polish on my fingers

And beachy pink toes.

We cleaned up, walked down a different walkway alongside flowers and had dinner at a nice place called Sea Olive.  We both had beef tenderloin, grilled veggies. Potato au gratin and dessert, mine chocolate and moms butterscotch.  

After dinner we sat by the ocean and just listened to the waves.  Then we went back to he room and slept slept slept.