The Unofficial Start to Summer

Today is the day after Memorial Day and the last day of school for my youngest.  The older boys finished up last Thursday, and the Little finished up today.  Granted he still has Kindergarten graduation tomorrow.  But I take him at 10 am and he's done after the graduation.

We spent all of Memorial Day weekend doing yard work.  It's not how you would want to spend the holiday weekend, but we had a lot to do and very little time to get it all accomplished.  It rained so much during this beginning part of spring that there was no way to get it all done.  We accomplished so much this weekend and it looks really nice (thanks to my husband and the Middle son for doing the bulk of the work).  The garden is almost prepped and I hope to plant by this coming weekend.

Travel baseball starts today.  Only the Middle is playing this year, but by looking at his schedule, the bulk of the summer will be traveling to/playing baseball.  I love watching my boys play.  I just don't like that baseball becomes all we do.  I wish we had more time for family centered activities.

It's storming at the moment...again.  I sure hope this isn't an indication of how the summer is going to be.  It would take care of all the baseball, but all the possible family activities too.

On Memorial Day, I start decorating in red, white, and blue.  It will carry us through Labor Day.  I love Americana and especially primitive decorating (although I don't have many primitives myself).

Proof that it is still raining!

It's actually hailing.

I Need Some Extra Grace Today

I had to do something really hard today.  Something that I didn't want to do, but that I feel is best for our family.  It was hard for me because it directly affected someone else and this persons livelihood.  That made it 1000 times harder.

I didn't come to this conclusion easily.  It took a year of discernment.  It took a year of trying to come up with a better solution.  I've prayed on this.  I've asked God to show me the way.  And I think this is ultimately what I need to do.

But that doesn't make it any easier (for either of us).  And it doesn't remove the sting.  I'm still praying on this and praying that God gives the other person something so much better.

But I feel like I've hit her with a ton of bricks that she wasn't expecting.  And it's making me very sad.

I know this is the right thing for us.  I just wish I could have come up with a better way.

Please keep her in your prayers.  And say a prayer for me too.

Spring Has Sprung!

We had a super mild winter this year, but it still seemed to last forever! Even though we had very little snow, the cold and gray really got to me. The older I get, the more the dreary weather takes a toll. We are now into spring and even though it's been raining cats and dogs, the green leaves, warmer temperatures, and peaks of sunshine seem to calm my spirit.

We Catholics are celebrating the Easter season.  I had big plans for Lent.  Some of the things I wanted to do, I managed to accomplish.  Others, well, not so much. But I'm taking some good stuff from Lent and keeping it going throughout the year.  No one is perfect, right?

School will be done in a few weeks.  Next year we will have a high school senior, a high school sophomore, and a first grader.  I do believe the saying is true.  The days are long, but the years are short.  When I first started blogging (on my old blog) I had a preschooler and a two year old.  Where do the years go?

I hope to have a semi relaxing summer.  We will only have one boy in baseball this year as the oldest boy had shoulder surgery 7 weeks ago and will sit this season out.  I'm hoping that gives us more time to so some fun family stuff.  Not that living at the ball field isn't fun.  I love watching my boys play ball (because both of them truly love it), but that doesn't leave much time for anything else.

I haven't started yard work or gardening yet, but I have started spring cleaning. I have a check list and am hoping to knock most of it out in the next few weeks before school ends.  I've also done some freezer cooking so I have a number of meals ready to go on game nights.  And I will use my slow cooker as usual too.  I do love my slow cooker!!  I also have a pressure cooker (from Aldi).  I like using it too.  I use it mostly for shredded chicken or stews, but I'm sure I'll be able to put it to good use this summer too.