All over the board...

So first things first...

Avalyn goes back to school in a few days, a big bad first grader! Wow. It has turned out to be quite an excellent summer. I was concerned in the beginning that we would waste it away and I would go back to work and Av to school feeling as if I wasted the 2 1/2 years I was home-but I think I'm ready. I've learned some new things in the last couple years like how to photoshop pics and scrapbooks, how to take better pictures, and a bit more. I've read a hand full of books that I didn't get to do much of before. I've nearly completed my Associates degree. I've managed to get Piper to 21 months old with never having even a fever and I got Avalyn through 2 pageants one (this passed weekend) where she took first runner-up with no real training or experience. I have mowed a lawn, caulked a shower or two, baked a bit, cooked a little,spent more than my fair share and learned how to budget/ re-budget and re-budget some more. We've refied twice and consolidated more times than I could count. BUT the point of this rambling is that I took full advantage of the time at home with the girls and all the financial annoyances were well worth the headaches and hair-pulling.

So I think I am having an emo day that started with my trying to scrapbook our eventful summer and realizing that there was just too much and too many people to cram into a page or two! Made me realize I got exactly what I wanted- so YAY!

Now on a completely unrelated but equally (if not more) emo note I was reading a blog that I do not frequent but sometimes check out because I hear about it often it is some man who refers to himself as Fatty and he likes to bike ride. (the page is fatcyclist.com). well come to find out said fat cyclist's wife has been battling cancer for some time and I read (through the grape vine- pioneerwoman.com) that his wife just passed. Now- a lot of people have been losing people close to them which is obviously sad but a certain part of this man's blog hit me harder than I imagined. He said after 21 years of marriage to his wife he never imagined that he would be so grateful for the 2 he had with her recently. He wrote a whole entry about how out of her near coma his wife awoke completely clear minded and for roughly two hours he was able to have a talk with his wife about well- everything husbands and wives would talk about. It made me realize how we take for granted the time we have with our loved ones and how sometimes it is gone in an instant.

I am fortunate to not have to have faced this loss too often in my life but I hope that when I have to face loss I can feel like I took advantage of the time I had with my loved ones.

OK... how about some pictures. BTW I am sure everyone is saying "why's she got the beans above the frank?" (pictures above words) well... I haven't learned how to put pictures within my blog just yet... stay tuned!