Summer Break Week Eight

Saturday and Sunday were spent on different lakes. We kicked off the weekend as a small family of four at Deam Lake where we'd hoped to rent a canoe for the afternoon to paddle across the lake for a quiet picnic. It was a busy day at the lake and all the rentals were taken when we arrived. Plan B involved a not so private picnic and swimming. It was a good day, none the less. But it was the twenty-first anniversary of Greg's accident and the need to spend that day doing something fun and low-key was imperative. 

Sunday I slipped away for a retreat day at Lana's lake house. Our Bible study group has been meeting for about eight years now and decided to spend some more quality time together appreciating the amazing views and the impact of our friendship. 

Monday, as we prepared to tackle a road trip for our favorite summer bucket list item, we recieved word the kid's youth group leader had fallen twenty feet off a ladder as he decended from fighting a house fire. I was devestated as we awaited news of his injuries. All those painful memories from Greg's accident hit me and I was unable to contain the grief that consumed the remainder of the day. As it turns out, I was too busy navigating a lot of life in those days and pushed through it all like a bull in a China shop. I didn't have time to process the pain and loss then. Our friend miraculously only shattered one leg. He spent a few days in the hospital and of course, required surgery to repair all his broken bones. He is home with his family and on the mend physically. We are praying for him and his future as a firefighter. But it took learning he was okay for me to pull myself together and if I'm being honest, my meltdown had little to do with him. It was an awakening I believe I've needed. I suppress a lot in my world to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I have somehow determined it is my responsibility to make sure everyone else is taken care of and keep peace. I tend to lose myself in that process. 

So our favorite summer bucket list item has been checked. Erin, Kate, Ty and I drove to Georgia on Tuesday. We devoured time with Lauren, Taylor and Austin. We spent lazy days at the pool, ate entirely too much, visited a park and indulged in quite a bit of imaginary play. 

Austin loves "mustard" on his brownies. Everyone else calls it whipped cream. Everyone else is wrong. 

This painful looking smile took place when he realized he was making a volcano and not slime. There was a miscommunication when he requested a science experiment with his daddy. 

During our road trip, we hit a torrential down pour with standing water across unknown roadways. Fortunately we were able to see other cars driving through the floods so we knew we could safely cross but it was intense. Kate, in a show of support for Erin's driving, started belting Jesus Take The Wheel. 

Erin interviewed for grad school in Lauren's bathtub, the only quiet location in the house. She felt great about her zoom meeting and hopes to hear about admissions soon. We love how she rolls with the punches and can adapt to any setting. 

Our final night is bittersweet. It always is. We had a pizza party at the neighborhood pool and the watched the new Space Jam movie. Austin discovered a toy in the wrong bin after we'd spent the afternoon organizing his playroom and he interrogated everyone until his dad confessed. The lecture that followed sounded remarkably like something his mom would have said if she weren't busy laughing. The boy is delightfully like his mom and I love watching them all in action. 

We are heading out early in the morning and whereas we miss Greg and want our own beds back, leaving this little family behind is anything but easy. We love them big.