August

It's been quite while, but we made it to London to see my family and to celebrate August birthdays. Theresa moved into a beautiful new home with the most amazing porches in May and we'd yet to visit. Their original home was destroyed in a tornado last spring and I had not wanted to see how dangerously close my parents and Theresa were to the destruction. Mom and Dad have had all the work done to restore their home. Theresa's house has been leveled. Only the basket ball court remains. Driving through their neighborhood gutted me. Lives were lost and I fear my sister would have been among the deceased had she not already moved. The impact of that truth barreled into me as we drove through the neighborhood. So many houses are just gone. Totally gone. The trees are all missing. The entire landscape changed into something that feels like a post-war zone. A thirty second tornado claimed so much. As Mr. Rogers always said, my parents have looked for the helpers and highlighted all the ways the community has supported rebuilding and caretaking. My dad even got to shake the hands of the police chief and several of his men to thank them personally for their constant patrol in the aftermath to prevent looting and additional damages to already suffering citizens. My family is okay and I am beyond grateful. 

We spent the day enjoying the new property and one another. My crew swam and rode four wheelers while I held down the most incredible porch swing. Had I not had to share it, I'm certain an afternoon nap would have commenced. It was that comfortable. The kids asked Theresa to host a Halloween party for nostalgia sake. We hope to pull off another visit in October to make that happen.  Her property will be gorgeous draped in fall, which just so happens to be my favorite season. 

Our favorite human pulled his own tooth rather than let it fall out on its own. Historically he has waited until he loses it and has even swallowed them in his sleep. So this was a big deal to Austin. However, he immediately tried to shake down the tooth fairy for additional funds to celebrate his success. 

Greg and I spent the weeks leading to our vacation managing life overload. His work schedule and meetings with the school trumped all excitement. I likely over thought every last detail to make sure Ty could be cared for in our absence and the house was covered if unforeseen situations presented themselves. I left lists, notes, a charge card, a signed check, groceries and cash. Add all the layers and wardrobe planning for unpredictable Alaskan weather and it was a lot. It was absolutely worth it, but my brain was firing non-stop prior to boarding our first flight.

It took a week post vacation for me to have a leisurely morning for reading and tea. These two live for it. Fred, on the other hand, kept pacing into the room, verbally complaining he was bored. No one took the bait. They missed this. Me too.

While we were away, Makenna managed two contacts with Ty's school, a missed bus that had her driving back home from work and then racing to meet students before the bell rang and our dryer broke down. On top of teaching, she had our yard mowed, the house cleaned, groceries stocked and the dryer replaced before we returned home. She is claiming Favorite Child status and also declaring she will not have children or own a home. 😂 "Adulting sucks."

August wrapped with  funeral for a friend's mom, a playdate with Austin and gorgeous weather. We celebrated time together with s'mores, tag and a lot of laughter.