Summering

What follows is pretty much a summary of our summering.

I've just had no motivation to blog. I'm not sure if it's stress, or time management, or the fact that this just doesn't feel like an exiting adventure that everyone needs to know about, because so many of my readers live here! But I will perform the necessary acts of will to continue. This blog has become my time-keeper.

We've spent a lot of time at The Strong, after having secured our membership.



Adele celebrated this summer by learning to ride her big tall bike! She can even make it up the Great Big Hill at Spring Lake Park, as of YESTERDAY. In similar news, Adele no longer needs any help gaining height on a swing! I call it a productive summer.

I'm spending a lot of time in Dad's bedroom (where we're sleeping this summer) as that's the best place for me to concentrate on my training. I'm learning a new captioning language, Typewell, and training four hours a day to do it.
                                                             Dad is being forced to read the Harry Potter books, as the kids ask him to read it each night for bedtime reading. They've almost finished Chamber of Secrets!

                                                            We've been touring Episcopal churches in the area! We have several candidates for a home church (maybe St. Paul's, or possibly Christ Church), but we haven't visited the one in Henrietta yet.
                                                            There was a summer trip to Seabreeze with the cousins! and a follow-up one as our afternoon had gotten rained out and we got a rain check. So the kids had their yearly check-in with the rides they were big enough, and the rides they were brave enough, to ride.
 
Koopa celebrated being our dog for two years! And Boo for one.                             And, the family came together to remember my Grandmother Dorothy's life and to say goodbye to her together. The best part was probably the gallery walk we did at the pool party, by firelight, looking at all the art Grandma had created, all the beauty she made, with her life. We divvied up the paintings and laughed and caught up and enjoyed each other. If I couldn't have the blessing of visiting with Granny any more, I'm grateful to have been given that weekend in August to feel embraced by her memory.
                      Probably the single place we've visited the most has been Spring Lake Park, down the street from
Dad's house. It has the distinction of a dog park being located right next to a creek and some hiking trails in the woods. So, almost daily, I have taken the dog and the kids there, and the dog has been able to run in the off-leash area, chase dog friends, and paddle around in the creek. The kids go hiking in their secret hideouts in the woods (not very far in, but they feel very isolated), and I do laps. I'm pretty comfortable running, now! And we all get our wiggles out at once. It's a perfect arrangement that we will definitely miss.
 
This is my face when we were leaving for last weekend's trip to see BEYONCÉ!! (and Jay-Z):                                                        Jon has been wanting to go to a concert for many months, and it's been promised to him for his birthday and Father's Day, so he had a concert coming to him and now, we also have a babysitter. So off we went to Buffalo to catch the On the Run Tour II! Bey + JayZ and it was GLORIOUS.

We have also a great many acquirements this summer, including:
-A new job for me! I'm in training and will start doing it full time in mid to late September.
-A side hustle for me! As soon as we're settled in the new house, I'll start teaching for VIP Kid!
-NYS license and registration, and plates
-a new babysitter, a teen BOY that the kids are mad about
-library cards (obvs)
-registration in Henrietta schools because...

-We got a house! After having FINALLY closed on the Macnaughton house last week, we are slated to close in and move in next Thursday to 40 Amsden Drive! https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/40-Amsden-Dr-Rochester-NY-14623/30963155_zpid/
Fall is coming, and we will spend it living walking distance from Gro-Moore farms , and Henrietta Town Park, and a big fabulous Wegmans, and and and! This was my ideal neighborhood (though we hesitated a bit over the price and the size of the living areas), so I'm very satisfied with this. Miles starts at Sherman, and Adele at Winslow, in less than two weeks. This still seems so very unreal.