Goodness Gracious

What a summer we have had. It didn't really strike me until a friend came over and said, "Aren't you ready for the kids to go back to school?" I said, "Honestly, this (being August 11th) seems like the first real day of summer for us." And this was true! We have been home 15 days this summer. Crazy! Now we are home for the duration. I can't tell you if this has been the right way to do it or not but I can tell you this has been fun. I wouldn't have traded it for anything.

The Georgia / Bahamas trip was wonderful. We enjoyed travelling as a family, our sitters were great and family time was terrific. Who could imagine 95 consistently in June when in Oregon....no-one. Exactly, so we went to the Bahamas. Then we went straight to the Oregon Coast....always delightful and relaxing. San Francisco.... so great to get there on my own and know that we can do it, we enjoyed time in the city and I was able to handle that too and our friends the Slacks facilitated our total good time.....Wonderful. And then ohhh... the unfamiliar week at home and then.... Then the San Juans....terrific as always. We love our friends there, we love the island and we really love the steady, similar routine. It's so relaxed and familiar that we get off the boat and fall straight into island mode....like we never left. God, I love that place. And now we're at home.

Portland in the summer is magical. Why do we leave? It's so great here. Our park has all kinds of stuff going on. Every day there is the wading pool, arts and crafts table and play ground. The park people also provide tennis racquets, balls, basket balls, badminton sets and so on. There are also games (board games), grip (?), that stringy, plastic stuff and so on. It's awesome.....why do I leave? But we still do.

Already I am planning next summer. I have an offer from my aunt and uncle to stay at their place in Atlanta. It sounds easy to say "no" until you know that this is a BIG town house in Atlanta's fancy part of town, the Brookhaven Country Club. It's a really nice club, restaurant, tennis courts and golf club. It's hard to say "no" and I don't think we will. If we do that all our friends can visit us and I don't have to drive all over hell and back. That sounds nice. I would also get see people I haven't seen for ages. We'll see.

The Bahamas.....As long as my friends are there it will always be tempting. I love them and so miss them. The Bahamas are fun but it is always my friends that I miss for sure.

So after all that... Watching "Hotel for Dogs" in the park was magical. They set up at 5. By 6:30 we were out there with drinks, dogs, chairs and such. It was awesome. They had a really BAD Elvis impersonator before the show. Funnily enough, the people in front of us left when Elvis left the park. Really? That dude was awful. They must have been family. Sophia is watching a blond, Labrador and won $20 for looking like her dog. It's our friend's dog. My girl, look like a dog? ....lucky dog.

The show was fine.... Actually one I hadn't seen, cool. We had beer, wine, snacks, chairs and blankets for our time there. Of course had I needed a bicycle pump or a hammer I would have had that too, ah, did I mention, this was across the street from our house? Bob packed like we'd be gone for a week. We were gone for 2 hours and that didn't include potty breaks at home.

So now we're home. I haven't blogged about the San Juans yet.....I will. When we are there, it is so relaxed that I can hardly move let alone write. I have to write about it though because no one would believe what happens there if I didn't document it.

The weekend will be busy. Friday is a party at a friend's house. Saturday, a party at our house and next week, CAMP FOR ALL KIDS!!! Quiet time for momma!!!! Yeehaw....

More when I have time. I feel badly that I have missed more then a week of blogging but I have been having fun and minimal connection to the net....that is my excuse. Much love, relaxation and ...whatever else you need.