Breathe In, Breathe Out

Deep breaths. That's what I need. We've been on a whirlwind of getting all things ready for our next adventure. It started with the house. We decided that as long as we were getting it ready to rent, why not try out the housing market and put it up for sale?

We pulled long 16 hour days painting, cleaning, sorting, de-junking, gardening, and hauling. We made late-night dumpster runs. And many friends came to our aid as painters, cleaners, and the all-important moral supporters. We enlisted the help of both grandpas - they spent one afternoon together painting Tman's room and the hallway. Then Grandad came an extra week to help replace light fixtures, replace basement windows, and tons of other projects.

But the house looks great! (All those projects I swore I'd do the first year we moved here, are finally done.)

And in the meantime, life is whizzing by. Tman and Leasie ended their soccer season. Tman emerged as a talented soccer player (and he literally smiled almost every second he was out on the field). Leasie, the tallest member of her soccer team, enjoyed the social aspect as well as the competitive aspect of the game. She was a solid player and a stand-out goalie, making some excellent saves!

The girls and I completed our run of Scarlet Pimpernel. I loved crying together with them during the prison scene, singing with them during "Madame Guillotine," and watching them throw flowers during the wedding scene. Madi ended up being indispensable as my backstage costume helper.

We've become pin-cushions with all our shots. I just had my 7th and 8th shot yesterday.

And the passports are in process.

Life surges forward. And I'm left trying to catch my breath each day. Even though the kids have one week left of school, summer is here with strawberries and blueberries. We've had our first cook-out, eaten our first berry pie, and taken our first barefoot walk.

Here's to one more month of stuffing our life full of preparations and parting memories.