Summery Sparkle

Swim season is coming to a close, believe it or not.  What a great experience for our little big man!

The days lately have had that kind of summer sparkle to them, mixed in with a hazy, dazy, lazy sort of feeling that you can only discover when the calendar is clear and obligations are to a minimum.  We are having the best of times, for sure.

A sampling of ice cream sandwich resulted in this fun.  Makes up for an uneventful 1st birthday!

 I spoke with my parents earlier this week and quickly apologized for my lack of posting on the blog.  "Don't worry," they assured, "We know life is busy and things are happening when you have little time to write about it."  They are so very correct in their assumptions.

Life is definitely busy and things are most certainly happening.  But all of it is set against the hazy, dazy, lazy backdrop I describe above and, thus, we are happily cruising through summer.  It is glorious!!

The kids and I had a wonderful day trip to Newport News to the Living Museum there.  We are now members and can't wait to go back...  Have I mentioned how happy the kids' love of science makes me?

Tortoise T

We walked through exhibits and around the nature trail, saw a planetarium show (mama was giddy!!), participated in the wild animal show and touch tank, and crawled through just about everything they had to offer.  

Independence Day came and went this year without much of a fuss.  But Water Country the following day made for great fun.  We've also checked peach picking and Luray Caverns off our summer list too!  The Bucket List is being conquered one adventure at a time...

Within our fun, we've also been champions of our dear friends and their outstanding daughter, Harlie, who notched her 34th surgery two weeks ago.  A case of big pneumonia after has taken a lot out of her, but she is emerging better than ever and we couldn't be more proud of our friends.  Bravo, Holton Family!

Can you spot the gray-shirted G's?  Our community is so proud of Harlie and her family!

In between we've hosted a Catholic Engaged Encounter picnic here followed by out-of-town guests.  This weekend we are busying with an EE district gathering in town.  It has been wonderfully encouraging and GG and I feel so blessed to be part of such a Christ-centered community.  God is teaching us and working in our hearts through the people there.  Tomorrow wraps up the final day and then the G's will take a collective breath before we head back into the week.

Monday night is the last swim meet--M will swim freestyle and butterfly(!) and mama will participate in the parents v. coaches relay.  Oy!  Time to squeeze back into the Speedo and see if my muscles remember how to swim.  It hasn't been that long, I suppose, but I still think the race will be a bit of a shocker to my body!

Thankfully, I am happy to report GG and I have been very committed to our summer fitness routine, rising most mornings around 5am to conquer our daily workout.  I will boast that GG has completed 5 weeks of the very rigorous Insanity program and is getting in great shape.  Anyone who knows what I'm talking about knows this workout regime is no joke.  I'm so proud of him!  He is overcoming 2 years of non-fitness inertia.  Way to go, GG!!  Now we're going to start praying against sore knees and injury...

God bless,