July Part 2

 The rest of July was good. Picking up from where I left off that Monday I took Curtis to physical therapy and his ankles seem to be getting better but he still can't run yet so I hope he continues to make progress before XC starts. Nancy and I then took Anna to lunch for her birthday and the girls danced and we had the Kinneys over for dinner to catch up with them. It was really fun to talk about Sicily since we had just been there and we enjoyed hearing all of their crazy stories. We're glad they are back!

Tuesday I hosted Inklings and taught a piano lesson and went to book club, which was really good. I had enjoyed the book and we had a good discussion and even though I drove home in the craziest thunder storm, I made it safely. The rest of the week I went to the gym, kids had youth activities, more dance, more PT, the Wiests came and swam with us one day and we took the Cox kids to the pool another day. Then on that Saturday we did family pictures with Bethany. We got done pretty quickly so she didn't even charge me that much and I was grateful to get some pictures in before Lily leaves. We literally had one night where we could do it and I was so grateful Bethany was free to make it happen for us. These are just some I took; I haven't downloaded all of hers yet. 


 


 

The following Monday morning I drove the kids up to UMD for FSY and it was good. Lily and Curtis both love FSY so they were excited and the Ray girls in the back gave me a thumbs up and Quintin was mildly enthusiastic. I tried to engage them in conversation on the way up asking silly questions but it never grabbed them or got them talking, though they all politely answered me. The tire warning light came on when we were on the beltway but that didn't surprise me because I had been squeezing a lot when I turned so I figured they were low.

We got to campus and I made sure everyone was checked in and then the boys went one way to their dorms so I said goodbye to Curtis and then I walked with the girls. We got separated in the elevator so I didn't see Frankie again but I made sure Delaney got to her room and then Lily and then I kind of hung out because Elizabeth and I had decided to go walking together around campus. It can be very difficult to every hang out with her but then my kids were all settled by 11:40 and I was ready but she needed to be with her girls until 1pm and I wasn't willing to wait so I left. When I got back to the car, one tire came up as having only 6 PSI. I started freaking out because I am 70 miles from home and not sure what to do so I drove to the nearest WaWa (pretty slowly and in the right lane) and filled up the tire. I was relieved when it filled so I hoped everything was okay and went and got on the beltway, only to watch as the PSI tick down and down and down. Luckily it wasn't going too fast so I just prayed and hoped and prayed some more that I could at least make it the 20 miles on the beltway. I stayed in the right lane and didn't go too fast and thankfully, I made it to my exit. I even made it to a Royal Farms and was able to fill up the tire again because by then the PSI was at 17 (started at 37 and RF is stupid and made me pay for air). By this point I had talked to Josh and we worked it out to meet at the tire place so I stopped at another WaWa and filled the tire back up one more time and made it to the tire place by the base with 24 PSI. I was so grateful that I had made it! It was definitely a miracle and a blessing. 

Turns out there was a piece of metal in there so they fixed it up and it only cost us $40 (another huge blessing!) and I was on my merry way. Leisa and Joel were home alone all week while the rest of their family was at camp so Brandon went and hung out with them for the day and then I invited them over for dinner and we had a nice evening. Leisa took him to some STEM program at the library and to their pool so he had a good day and I was grateful.

Tuesday I went to Inklings and took Brandon with me so he could hang out with Eli and then Eli came home with us for the day. Emma went and helped out the Baldwins and I planned for our trip and picked up groceries. That night we watched the Hill Cumorah Pageant, which I do every year in July since that is when it used to be performed. The recording is from 2019 so the costumes are not my favorite (they were the best in the 90s) but it still makes me so nostalgic to hear the music and I can recite almost the entire thing (which was really bothering Emma). I'm so grateful for my experiences with Pageant and how it shaped my youth and testimony of Jesus Christa and the Book of Mormon; I wish it were still going so my family could participate. Anyway, it was fun to watch. 

Wednesday I went to the gym and BJs and did my primary secretary responsibilities. I took Emma over to hang out with Ellie and Jen met me there and took Brandon to their house for the day so I was home alone for a few hours that afternoon and it was soooooo nice. I love my family and my kids but it was nice to just totally mentally relax and get stuff done and do what I wanted and I really appreciated it. I hadn't been home alone since my parents came in May before Lily's graduation so I was overdue. Then I went and picked up Brandon and also Emma from her activity at the Leindecker's house where she had lots of fun tumbling. 

Meanwhile I didn't hear anything from Lily or Curtis but assumed that was a good thing because they were having a wonderful time at FSY.

Thursday Brandon, Emma and I went with Leisa and Joel to kayak McIntosh Run. It is one of my favorite SoMD activities and it was the perfect day for it. We borrowed a kayak from Michelle and then a paddle from the Ainas and then went to the Port of Leonardtown to put in. It was very shallow in the beginning and we had to get out many times to carry the kayak over rocks so I was a bit worried but it finally got deep and we had a beautiful time. The weather was gorgeous and we saw a few blue herons, two of them super close up, a turtle and some other birds. Joel and Brandon were in their own kayaks and Brandon was ahead of us and Joel was always behind me, Leisa and our passenger princess, Emma. We all really enjoyed it and made it to the wharf where a guy came up and asked us if we wanted to make $20. Apparently a girl had lost her shoe, a Croc, and it was floating away so he had thrown in the life ring to try and catch it but it wasn't tied to anything so that was floating away too. We went and rescued both items, refused payment and felt good about our adventure. We got ice cream at the wharf and the boys played a bit while Leisa and I went to get the van from the port and then we cleaned up. We made quick stops to return the paddle and the kayak and pick up some library books and then we went to the Wiests's pool to swim. The Grondels were there too so that was fun and we stayed until dinner time. Great summer day!


 


 


 


Friday we did laundry and packed and I paid bills and tried to get the house cleaned up and then when Josh got home we packed the car because we left at 5:30 am Saturday morning to go pick up Lily and Curtis and then we went straight to NC. More on that to come! 


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