So I'm feeling like I want to journal something about my life.  Our lives.  The things we think and do and live, so that someday when we are old we can take a look back and say, oh yeah!  We used to do that!  Look how we loved each other!

My children are at camp.  They go every year, to this great day camp at my brother's church.  They sleep at my parents, so they get time with them and time at camp learning to ride horses and other crazy things.  It has been very good for them.  They seem to be ready to see their mom, so I'm going down tomorrow to see them.  We'll stay the weekend, because why not?  Kent has to work this crazy evening schedule and so we may as well hang out with the family until he gets off.  We'll come home Sunday.

Because.......Mariah is getting baptized and her first baptism class is this coming Sunday.  So we need to be home in time for that.  She is very excited about it and I am proud of her for choosing Jesus.  I am also glad for the classes, because I am not quite sure what all I need to be teaching.  This class will help me.

Summer is a little more than half over at our house.  I feel like these last weeks are going to be a fast moving kaleidoscope of activity.  I look forward to summer so we can slow down and relax.  Then I look forward to school so we can slow down and settle into a routine.  In the midst of all that, I attempt to stop looking forward and just enjoy.  Just be.  Just be content.  I find that difficult during this season of flex - I miss the routine of our old schedule.  Before I worked, before Kent worked evenings, before homework was another being in our lives that required constant attention.  So.  My new job?  Find contentment here.  Now.  Soon, because God meets me there in that contentment.  But I figure he'll use my unsettledness for something too.  Who knows where he wants to take me?  I sure don't!  Maybe contentment will be slow in coming this time because maybe he has something new to show me that I couldn't see if I was just content.

I love this mild weather.  I could live in a climate like this.  Typically by this time of the year my driveway of asphalt is so baked with heat that it never cools off. 

I read a lot these days.  It feels good to end the day curled up with a good book.  Sometimes it's hard to find good ones, sometimes I have so many I can hardly decide which one to read.  Right now I'm reading a somewhat sappy little story but at least the characters are struggling to get along.  But not in a weird way.  In a normal, everyday way in which the man feels a certain way and expresses his care in that way and the woman feels sort of similar and expresses her affection in another way and they just totally miss the point and think they are upset with each other.  So my sister gave me the Love and Respect book for our anniversary and I absolutely love it.  Because it reminds me of all the things I know about loving Kent and helps me to make good choices and be a better wife.  And I like that. 

I'm a little frustrated because I don't feel like I can really "care" for my care group right now.  Maybe it is because it is summer and everything is a little topsy turvey.  But I would prefer to have the time to keep up with and interact with each one.  I don't have the time and I miss them.  On the other hand, they can take care of each other while I am too busy and learn how to be care group leaders themselves!  What a novel idea!

My niece's bag of dog grooming supplies got stolen out of her car.  Fun, this life in the city.  So her husband went looking for the local dude who might know what's going on, but no, his crew?  They steal from people in the county.  OK then.  This was a week ago.  Last night this strange guy went up and down their street, maybe three times, and peered in the window of a neighbor's house freaking her out.  So I'm wondering if he was up to no good, ready to steal some more stuff from hapless city dwellers who just want to live their life in peace.   

Then there is my neighbor who has pool parties.  He tries to turn the music down before midnight, since I said midnight was a good time to be quiet.  The problem?  His pool and my bedroom are right next to each other. And he didn't have just one party, he's had maybe six or seven.   I'm really thankful when a weekend goes by and there are no parties over there.  I need to talk to him, tell him he's keeping me awake, but I don't want to.  I don't like telling people to behave.  I think my kids may have noticed this on occasion.  They might take advantage.  Note to self:  be consistent.

Here ends my stream of consciousness.  You really didn't need to read all of this, I hope you don't have indigestion from the abrupt turns of this post.  Good night.

Alternate Title:  Oh My Word, I'm the Mother of a Teenager!

 A very happy one, at that.  We've been partying all weekend.  We had a sleepover of four boys that went remarkably well.  Apparently when boys are tired they just stop talking and go to sleep?  Who knew!  So maybe not all boys, but my crew did.  They fell asleep before I did.  They also woke up before I did, so the partying in the basement could continue.  There were blankets and darts and video games all over that basement by the end of the party.  There were boys all over the trampoline during that birthday party too, and one flew off! Thankfully he's very resilient and not prone to breaking bones.  That wouldn't make a cool birthday party.

So then we went to our school's talent show and found it to be a very great source of entertainment.  We also told Dillon that he could eat out anywhere he wanted, fully expecting to be making a trip to The Outback.  But no, China Chefs won.  Sorry, I don't think it's a chain.  You will have to visit us if you want some of the best American Chinese food around, which comes with some of the best service.  The kids both wanted to make sure we tipped well, they liked our waiter.  Never fear, Daddy is a good tipper!

Today's bottle rocket field trip is probably canceled due to the rain, which is sad because what could be better on your 13th birthday?  At least we had the fudge packed.  Yes, I said fudge.  My kids are apparently a bit on the unique side.  Mariah wanted chocolate chip cookies (like Miss Cindy's cookie pizza, to be specific) and Dillon wanted to take fudge to school.  He also had a bag of cell phone erasers to give to his classmates.  They flip open and have little buttons inside and when he got one in his Easter basket the whole class liked them.  I didn't know 7th graders would admit to liking fun erasers!

Tonight we round out the celebrations with supper club and care group, which means I probably need to bake two cakes this afternoon.  I think we have sufficiently celebrated this monumental occasion of turning 13.  Now I need to sleep for a week!