The Summer of Crazy. And Heat. And Happy.

Let's see, I last blogged in the beginning of May. Wow, has life gone crazy since then.

May saw the end of the second school year since I've been at Cannon Valley. Making sure all the seniors graduated with enough credits in the right classes, grading all the online classes, and getting the air conditioner put in the window of my office were the main priorities. I played with the band for graduation and went with Hannah to a bunch of graduation parties. So fun! Hannah and I also went out for a girls' day, seeing The Avengers and going shopping. She goes back to her parents' farm in North Dakota in the summers, so I won't see her until the beginning of August.

June was all about Vacation Bible School, working on the wedding gift I was making for Erik and Ashley...and a new relationship. I started seeing Troy, a guy I've known since childhood who goes to my church. He's divorced with two kids, too, although his kids are older than Claire and Natalie. His daughter, Carsen, is 15 and his son, Adam, is 10. Carsen was Natalie's youth leader at VBS, and we started sending messages on Facebook, which led to chatting on Facebook, which led to one date and then another and so on. He is just about the polar opposite of the girls' father, and this has been, really, one of the happiest summers I can remember.

July had the hottest Independence Day on record, so naturally I was working in the hamburger stand at the North Morristown celebration. Uff. Da. You know you're sweaty when your jean shorts are damp all the way through! Then came all the last-minute preparations for the wedding in the out-of-control heat. But the weather cooperated marvelously for the wedding itself. This was such a fun day! Claire and Natalie were very well-behaved and had lots of fun at the reception. I also had lots of fun at the reception, enjoying the free wine (4 glasses) and the great music at the dance.
We just came back from 4 days in northern Indiana, where we saw Touchdown Jesus at Notre Dame and went shopping in Shipshewana at all the Amish places. It was fun, but the drive was a little too long for the kids, and we are happily getting back on our routine.

The girls will go on vacation with their dad the first week of August and then we'll be getting ready for school to start! It has really been a crazy summer.