The gift of Clarity.

**big exhale**

Road trips have a way of helping me find my bearings.

Even though I love this place we call "home," while I'm away from it I tend to gain a little perspective ... a fresh view (that perhaps I'd lost over the longest. winter. ever.)

My adventurous spirit craved a change of scenery, a warmer climate, time spent with friends who speak with just a hint of a southern drawl. It was just what I needed for spring break this year, and lucky me! The weather timed things perfectly so that we missed the last of the snow showers while we were gone and the snow was almost completely melted from the yard by the time we got back.

While the kids and I were out in West Virginia visiting Steve last week we fell asleep to the sound of the peepers each night and woke up to birds singing every morning. It was heavenly. And sure enough, we're hearing them here at home now, too. Bliss.

This time around, despite the kids getting in a large helping of bickering during the days we didn't leave the campground, I came home feeling refreshed and with a renewed - or strengthened, maybe - sense of purpose. I have struggled over decisions made and directions chosen, but lately I feel like we're on track. I pray often for guidance - as a wife, a mom, a Christian, a friend, a steward - and while there is always room for improvement, today I have a sense of peace.

Dunkard Creek, near our campsite

We got some great family time in during our visit. We ate dinners together. The kids and I went shopping at the mall one day and Rachel finally got to spend her birthday money. I met up with and had a great visit with my girlfriend, Heather. One rainy afternoon Rach and I got hot cocoa and coffee and went on a book binge (lots of summer reading material!). We did a lot of chilling out, napping, reading (me), playing video games (the kids), and just enjoying the break.

My loves.

(This photo pretty well defines how different they are.)

 Camp chickens!

The girls were hanging out right around our trailer when we got there the first afternoon. Steve joked that he had them brought in specially for me, because he knew how much I'd love it.

 I did enjoy watching them scratching around all week!

Rachel enjoyed some quality time with our buddy's Basset Hound, Daisy.

Sweet ride, Sammy.

I'm always sad to have to leave Steve, but at the same time I leave happier because I have been with him. Back here at home I smile at some of the memories we made during this trip, and I look forward to being together as a family again when Steve comes home for Easter.

In lots of little ways I am continually reminded of what is important in my life - what is and what should be. And I am forever grateful that I am able to share my life - however unconventional our lifestyle may be - with these people I adore.

Peepers: the precursor to summer and all that is good.

I've been sleeping with my bedroom window open just a little bit these last few nights so the peepers outside can lull me to sleep. It's one of my favorite sounds - that springtime lullaby of frogs in the marshy areas around our house. I relish it on nights like tonight after a hectic evening full of kids and dogs and dinner and homework and wrapping up the tasks of the day. It's still relatively early as I write, but it rained hard and made us all tired ... so the kids are in bed, the animals are settled in, and I'm sitting here in one of my favorite places in the house: at my desk, with Pandora Radio playing quietly on my laptop (tonight's selection: my Phillip Phillips station). Most of the house is dark and I can hear the clocks ticking.

I do really love quiet mornings too, but I am a night owl at heart. Always have been. Tonight the quiet makes me long for warm summer nights sitting on the patio, sipping a cocktail, letting the breeze rustle my hair. We are in the "ugly" phase of spring when everything is still pretty grey and it's too wet to really get any work done outside. We're between seasons - in limbo. I don't do well in limbo.

On a positive note, I've been busy making calls and writing for the newspaper. It's been interesting developing a schedule and figuring out how to make this working from home thing work for me. How quickly I remembered what a drag it is to wait for calls back. But how cool to be able to fold a load of laundry while I'm waiting.

Steve - the real moneymaker of the family - is getting settled in at a new location. He finished up in Colorado and came home at the end of March, was home while the kids were on spring break, and then left late last week to head to W. Virginia. Good news on that front, too: his schedule is working 10 days, then four days off. He'll be home this weekend. He probably won't come home every break ('cause duh, that would be pretty spendy) but it's nice to know that when the kids and I visit we can have a few days of family time. I seriously cannot wait for summer when we'll be able to be together as a family more often. And I'm looking forward to some different scenery and the opportunity to explore a bit.

If only the rain would stop and the sun would shine, the puddles dry up and the flowers bloom. We're waiting ... but my patience is wearing thin.

It's a wrap.

Summer's over, baby.

Yeah, I know, Labor Day is still a week off but I'm telling you the craziness and activity and traveling of summer is ohh-verr. At least for the Pipe Lifers.

We've had a great few months. We've been able to visit Steve a handful of times as he has traveled around West Virginia for his job, and we have made some wonderful memories. Now? I'm tired. My body is tired, my house needs attention, the kids need to hunker down and get ready for school, and our budget needs some TLC.

I'm ready. The outdoor temps have been cooler and that makes me happy. The air conditioner has been taken out of the window (here's hoping we can swing central air next year) and I've been enjoying sleeping with the windows open at night. My veggie plants continue to produce (yay for fresh tomatoes!) and there's still a bit of color on a few of my annuals and perennials.

I've got some pictures to sort through and post here when I get around to it. Got some great ones from this past weekend when Rachel and I spent the night at a zoo with her Girl Scout troop. I'm hoping someone among the group of guys that went to the Bristol race (my dad, brother, Steve and Sam) will send me some of the boys' weekend. And now and then throughout the summer Rachel commandeered my camera or my phone and did little photo essays; I was always finding surprises when I reviewed the photo files ... I might post some of those, too.

Tonight the kids and I are sitting together in the living room watching TV, the dog is snoozing on her bed, and we're chatting about the weekend ... and the week ahead when they will start school. It almost feels a little weird. It's been so long since we just hung out at home and did nothing and my brain wasn't screaming at me to get ready for the next thing.

I'm exhaling ... and it feels good.

Home, sweet home. It's great to be here. 

I've got some catching up to do.

And right now that seems like the understatement of the year.

The bebes and I returned this evening from another stint of visiting Steve in West Virginia. My brain and my body - as in, my bones and muscles and sleepy eyelids - are fried. I can hardly think straight, and I'm afraid not even a good night's sleep will help this time.

I just plain need to catch up and get through the next few days. And then catch up on some sleep. Then I'll be able to think.

Rachel has a doctor's appointment first thing in the morning to check up on a sore ear and throat.

After that I am going with my parents to an out-of-town funeral visitation for a long-time family friend.

But before any of that, there is unpacking and repacking to do; Sam is leaving with my dad tomorrow afternoon to go back to WV to pick up Steve and my brother and our camper and then head to Bristol, Tennessee, for this weekend's NASCAR race.

And Rachel and I need to pack for an overnighter this weekend with her Girl Scout troop at, of all places, a zoo.

And somewhere in all the running around I need to find time to buy some groceries, help the kids sort through their clothes to figure out what they need for school, call someone about getting this ridiculous smell out of our tap water (oh yeah, it's nasty and I have a feeling it's going to cost a lot of money), activate and maneuver my way around a new cell phone, clean out my truck (that's a whole different smell), pay a visit to the chiropractor, and heaven knows whatever else I just can't think of at the moment.

Life would be so much less interesting if we weren't so busy, right?

Say "right," mmkay?

'Cause that's what I'm gonna' keep reminding myself for the next few days.

In all seriousness, I sure do love this life of mine.

"Jack's on crack."

Jack is the GPS unit I keep in my truck. He's my lifeline when I'm traveling, particularly to faraway places I've never been.

I am safely home now, but I was convinced while driving to West Virginia to see Steve last week that Jack might get me killed. Or worse - stuck somewhere in the hills of southern Ohio after dark.

About the third time Steve called to check on my progress during my trip down there I told him "Jack says I'll be there at 8:56, but I think Jack's on crack." Jack was telling me the speed limit was 55 mph (probably because I was technically on a state "highway"), but for the last hour or so of driving I couldn't go more than 35-45 mph because of all the hairpin turns and switchbacks in hill country.

I made it there, though, safe and sound. And after a lovely week of doing lots of nothing, I'm home. I wrote a few blog posts in my head on the way home; nine hours of driving alone will have ya' doing that. But in the couple of days since I've been back I haven't done much writing or much of anything else except spend time with the kids. Because by golly I actually started to miss them those last few days I was gone.

It was so nice to have some time to myself and very little responsibility, but there did come a time when I had my fill and I was ready to return to life at home and what little routine we've had here for the summer. One week away and I'd had enough. (Poor Steve - he hasn't been home since the 4th of July. I know he must be missing it so. Having us go there to visit him is great, but it's nothing like being home.)

Today we had a contractor here pouring a concrete patio off the front deck of the house. It's a perfect day to be working outside with temps in the low 70's and a nice breeze. Home improvements always get me excited about the next big thing and what else we can do to make our home more cozy and a place where we all love to be. This project is perfectly timed to help turn my attention back home, too ... because even though I was ready to come back from West Virginia, I am longing for the simplicity of the days I spent there. I want to be here, but the reminders of all the things left undone or half done while we played all summer are adding up.

The new patio won't be finished until tomorrow when it's sealed, but it's already inspiring me. I spent some time today cleaning up my gardens and trimming back plants that are past their prime, and now this evening I'm turning my attention indoors to face the music. It's time to start clearing some cobwebs.

Slightly Selfish Saturday.

We could be joining our friends at the beach today.

And perhaps on a steamy summer Saturday, we should be. We are at the peak of summer and it won't be long before we hit the back-to-school routine and then the air turns cooler and the beach becomes something to look forward to next summer.

But today I'm choosing to putz around the house and take care of a few nagging things before I hit the road tomorrow to go see my hubs.

By myself.

That's right. Flying solo. A 10(ish)-hour road trip when I can listen to whatever I want, at whatever volume I want, on the radio. I can take as many or as few pit stops as I want to. No bickering. No nagging about how much longer it will take. No piling favorite pillows and blankets and stuffed animals and books and backpacks full of god knows what into the back seat of the truck because we just have to have access to everything while we're on the road.

Wednesday is my birthday and I can't imagine a better gift from my family than them taking care of Sam and Rachel and the house and the animals and my gardens so I can take a vacation. Oh, I love my children and my life but this mama needs a break from all of it. Not just a break for me, but a chance for me and Steve to focus some attention on each other.

I'm pretty amped up about the opportunity to do whatever I want to do for ... oh, I don't know ... a week at least. It doesn't take much to make me happy: uninterrupted reading, uninterrupted napping, good chocolate that I don't have to hide from the littles, window shopping for fun/creative ideas without hearing "Can we get that? Can we get that?" a hundred times. And, of course, alone time with Steve. Maybe even a special birthday dinner. Other than those things, I have few expectations for the week.

Looking ahead I know the last few weeks of summer will fly by when I get back. We have a contractor coming to pour some concrete for us the week I return, I'll want to take the kids back out to see Steve at least once more before school starts, and they both have activities we need to plan for toward the end of the month.

*Whoosh* There goes August.

So today I'm just chillin'. Folding a load of laundry here ... sorting a stack of papers there. Little things that will make it easier to not feel the urgency to hurry up and get things done before the next round of busy-ness begins.

I was feeling a little selfish this morning because we had the opportunity to do something fun and I chose to stay home and do something decidedly not so fun. The kids are SO BORED(!!!) they can hardly see straight. I'm pretty sure they'll live, though. And in the end everyone will be happy ... because mama will be happy.

West Virginia wildlife.

Dude. It's been hot out there.

While we were away visiting daddy, I'm told the weather here in Michigan was about the same as what we were experiencing in West BY GOD Virginia.

I like to say "West BY GOD Virginia" because folks out there (or is it down there? A little bit of both, I guess.) are proud of their home state. As they should be. It is Almost Heaven, after all. (Thank you, John Denver.) But the state's official slogan is West Virginia, Wild & Wonderful, and it is indeed wild and wonderful.

If you ever have occasion to be in French Creek, WV, which is near Rock Cave in Upshur County (Google it), we highly recommend visiting the West Virginia State Wildlife Center. It's a pretty neat place where you can learn about and observe many native and introduced species of wildlife including a mountain lion, a wolf, red foxes, owls and other birds of prey including a bald eagle, white-tail deer, snakes, otters, black bear, elk, bison and more.

Now, a lot of these animals we see on a regular basis in Michigan so it might not sound like that much fun, but I assure you my 9- and 12-yr-old children really enjoyed themselves and so did I. Despite it being 110 degrees.

OK, maybe not 110, but at least 95 degrees. For reals.

And do you think the air was moving much in this forest?

I can tell you: no, it wasn't.

There is a 1.25-mile interpretive trail along which the animals are kept in large pens in a natural environment. Well, as natural as it is to have chain link fences around their homes, but you get the idea.

It was quite beautiful. As you can imagine, bigger animals with the potential to be ferocious - like the mountain lion and black bears - required bigger fences.

 

I think Sam was drooling over this buck.

 

Bull elk and his family taking a snooze in the shade.

 

  We were the only people in this area of the trail and when the bald eagle saw us it screeched a few times as if to alert the other animals we were approaching.

Or maybe he thought we were bringing him lunch. I dunno. But we were relatively close to him and at one point he stretched one of his wings waaaay out which was the coolest. thing. ever.

 This sign just cracked me up.

 

The bobcat, stretching after Sam tapped the fence to wake him up waking from what I'm sure was a wonderful dream about chasing a snowshoe hare.

(You can see him better if you click on the picture to enlarge it.)

No worries, he went right back to sleep.

 The obligatory "we were here" picture. Hee.

 The barred owl, one of my favorites of the animals on display.

Really, none of our pictures do this place justice, but they will serve as reminders of a fun afternoon together. And believe me, days when Sam and Rachel agree on anything and actually get excited about the same thing are few and far between, so when it happens like it did this day I soak it up.

 

The End.

Back from vacation and up with the sun.

I am not a morning person. Never have been, despite over the years really wanting to be and trying various ways of making myself become one. Over time, though, I find myself stumbling out of bed earlier and earlier as my brain wakes up and convinces my body the early hours of the day are a great time to get things done.

Still, particularly after this past week, I gotta' give my sweetheart some props for the crazy hours he keeps for his job, waking up to his alarm clock while most of the rest of the world (including me) is still snuggled comfortably in bed.

The kids and I just returned from eight days in West Virginia visiting Steve – a week-plus of some of the most relaxing days I've had in a long time. And that's saying something, because life is pretty much a breeze for me these days. I think it had a lot to do with how Sam and Rachel were getting along. They have a few things in common: they love to fish, they love to swim, and they love spending time with their dad, and they could do all of those things over the past several days at the campground where we were staying.

I did get up in the wee hours with Steve a few times. I'd pour myself a cup of coffee and don my hooded sweatshirt over my PJ's to join him outside and say good morning to the crew. Once they left I'd tiptoe back into our camper and crawl back into bed for … oh … another three or four hours ... or if the coffee had kicked in a little I would sit and chat with my dear friend, another pipeliner's wife. And then go back to bed for a while.

One morning after the guys left I strolled over to the edge of the fishing pond and just stood there alone in the pre-dawn glow, watching dragonflies break the surface of the water, feeling the hazy morning air on my skin, smelling the hot coffee in my mug, and listening …

Crickets.

A bullfrog. “Barrrrrrrrrup. Barrrrrrrrrup.”

Birds chirping their good mornings.

A fish jumping.

Daisy the camp duck squeaking quietly at me, nibbling at my toes.

But mostly, silence.

It was heavenly. Today is our first morning back at home and I'm already missing the peacefulness of where we were. Oh, it's peaceful here at home, too, but it's … different. It's just not the same as being removed from all the “busy-ness” of life and having nothing to do but relax and enjoy.

I can't wait to go back.

A little sightseeing.

It was our comedy of errors. One afternoon while in WV we decided to do some sightseeing. But by the time we (and by "we" I mean me, my children, and my brother's visiting family) got ready to go and decided on a destination it was rather late in the day so we didn't have a lot of luck actually doing/seeing the things we wanted to do/see. It seemed like we either just missed it, couldn't find it, or had the wrong day.

We ended up in Marietta, Ohio, which has an amazing and beautiful historic district. Marietta is about a 20-minute drive from where we were staying across the state line in WV. I'd actually love to go back and spend more time just walking around and taking pictures.

Here are a few I took while we were there. This is St. Mary's Church.

 

Awe-inspiring.

 

Almost makes this Lutheran girl want to go to Mass just to see the inside.

And the gardens along the sidewalks? Gorgeous. I ran my hands along the ivy draping over the stone walls ... and soaked up the inspiration for my own gardens back home.

Father's Day fun.

Of the eight or nine days we were in West Virginia, Sunday - Father's Day - was the only day the guys had off work.  My brother Jim's family had been visiting too, but they had to leave Sunday morning, so instead of all of us doing our own thing for the day we stuck together with our friends and all went out to have some fun.


First we headed to the Parkersburg Multi-Cultural Festival, despite quiet protests from the guys about "tree huggers" and "crunchy hippies." We ladies figured once we got them there they would have a good time, and I think they did. At least it was fun watching the kids have a good time.

And while Sam and Rachel took one more round in the bouncy play area (best. kids' activity. ever.) Steve and I shared an apple dumpling from one of the food booths.

Yes, there is a pastry-covered apple in there. YUM!

There was music from all over the globe, children's activities, choo-choo rides around the park ...

... lots of informational booths, food vendors - Amish friendship bread, hot sauces, honey, Mexican food, corn dogs, you name it - henna tattoo artists, vintage jewelry makers, belly-dancing lessons, and lots and lots of people-watching. After spending much of the afternoon at the park, we went to dinner at a local seafood restaurant called Fishbone Gill & Grill.

Dinner was awesome. We sat outside on the deck, the kids had a place to play, and we had a good ol' time.

Family pic overlooking the Ohio River.

Da boys. The dads might have imbibed a wee bit that day. 

My dinner (half eaten). I couldn't get over how beautiful these grilled shrimp kabobs were. Tasty, too.

You can hardly make it out, but this is a pic of a huge coal barge passing the dock at the restaurant. (If you enlarge the photo you can kinda' see the barge stretch from one side to the other.)

The gang. That's my brutha Jim on the left (nice white legs, bro), our friends Travis and Nada and their son Colton (protesting having his picture taken), and the rest of us. All of us pipe lifers.

Quite the crew, eh?

I know it was Father's Day, but we had so much fun it was a day this mom will remember for a long time.

Home!

We're home. Home, sweet home. The kids and I had a great time visiting Steve in West Virginia over the past week or so, but I am definitely glad to be back. As much as I hate leaving Steve I'm happy for simple pleasures like being able to take a long, hot shower and stretch out in my big bed and know where everything is in the pantry.

It really is the little things.

I've got lots to share about our trip but it'll keep. Tomorrow we start to get Sam packed up for summer church camp and make a list of what he needs that we have to pick up on our next trip to town.

For now? Sweet, sweet sleep.

Let the vacationing begin!

It's late and I should be catching some zzz's but I'm too cranked up on caffeine to even think about sleep right now. We're heading to West Virginia in the morning and I just can't leave without taking care of a few loose ends here at home.

I finally had to tell the kids to stop whatever they were doing and go to bed. The two of them getting a good night of sleep is more important to me than leaving at my target time of 7 a.m. If they take a little more time to finish packing in the morning I'm fine with that as long as they have slept for several hours which will help keep the griping and groaning to a minimum. They didn't need any caffeine tonight; I think they're pretty excited about visiting daddy and seeing their WV friends again.

So while I wait for the laundry to finish up I'm sorting through papers on my desk, making sure bills are paid, and thanking God that we have family who are willing to house- and pet-sit while we are gone. I so appreciate knowing everything is taken care of at home and I am free to relax and enjoy myself and time with my husband and kids.

We just have to get there first.

It's about a 10-hour drive with a couple of quick pit stops along the way. I am not excited about the drive. And I don't usually mind driving, but that's a long haul and I've done it enough times to know there is no way to make it faster or easier. The best thing about it is the end, where Steve and our comfy trailer and beds will be waiting for us.

I can't wait.

Here we go AGAIN!

What a crazy few days it's been.

The kids and I went to visit Steve over the weekend which was absolutely wonderful because he was staying at a campground we are familiar with and we had a great time.

Sam found the new rope swing ...

Rachel was in heaven with the petting zoo barn cat's four new kittens (in addition to a mix of other animals including bunnies, baby goats, a deer and a pig) ...

And we saw one of the several peacocks all fanned out, which was absolutely enthralling ...

The crazy part was that we were hardly settled in before Steve told me he had arranged to go back to Pennsylvania to work, having reached his limit of frustration and micro-managing with his current employer. So Saturday - the next day - would be his last day.

Hhhhhhhhhh.

This was not exactly a surprise to me. I knew Steve had been unhappy with some recent developments on this job and I had encouraged him to hang in there as long as he could, which he did. I had also let him know, in essence, that quality of life is far more important than money or location.

Actually I believe my words were, "Whatever you need to do. You're no good to me if you're grumpy and depressed all the time!"

So on Sunday we all headed home. We got to spend some quality time together as a family, and Steve and I had a nice day together today when we took our travel trailer (Steve's home away from home) to the RV dealer to have an awning installed.

Somewhere in the meantime, plans changed from Steve going to PA to Steve heading to West Virginia. That's just how quickly things can change. And that's fine; it's all good. He leaves tomorrow after Sam and Rachel get on the school bus.

Tonight I've been trying to do all the "normal" school night stuff to help the kids get ready for another day while also helping Steve get ready to go, however I can. And it's a beautiful night - crickets chirping, frogs croaking, a cool breeze working on blowing a storm in, and the sky turned a glowing pink/orange as the sun went down. I stopped to admire the color and was surprised by a rainbow painted across the sky in front of our house. I hurried outside to take pictures and I could hardly get the whole expanse of it with my little camera.

This one is my favorite:

 I'll take this as a sign we're going in the right direction.

Perspective.

There are certain things I really enjoy about camping.

I love the communal feel of a campground where the neighbors are friendly and will let their dogs stop by to say hello when they're out for their evening walk.

I appreciate the opportunity to spend time outdoors relaxing, cooking on the grill, listening to the insects chirp at each other into the evening.

The smell of campfires.

The way all that activity wears out the children.

Steve has been living in campgrounds all summer long. When the kids and I go to visit him it's a vacation for us, but it's just another week of work for Steve. It's just that when we're there, the people he loves most are waiting for him when he gets "home" for the night. And invading his personal space.

I'm sure there are things Steve still enjoys about camping, but there are probably other things he has gotten used to that he doesn't think twice about now.

Like the teeny-tiny shower in the travel trailer (not very conducive for a woman needing to shave her legs).

Or the lack of counter space in the kitchen area.

Or the necessity for one-ply toilet paper. (It's useless, isn't it?)

Or not knowing your way around town, or the layout of the best grocery store - or even which one is the best. Or not knowing where the nearest Starbucks is. (Kidding. He hates Starbucks.)

Or not having a washer and dryer handy. 

Six days away from home and I couldn't wait to get back. I wanted to sit in my comfortable chair and wash my clothes without having to dig up a handful of quarters for the machines. I wanted to shower in a full-size shower and know that it is very unlikely I would run out of hot water. I wanted to close my bedroom door and get dressed in private without my elbows bumping the walls or accidentally pushing the door open.

As much as I hated to end our visit with Steve, I'm not sure I ever looked forward to coming home as much as I did after this trip.

We don't have much, but we have a place we call home and I like to be here. It's not elaborate. It's not showy. But it sure has all the basics that make for a relatively comfortable existence. I thought about this a lot on the way home; how easily we overlook so many of the everyday things that make our lives easier. That can mean anything from the hot shower and fluffy clean towels to the friends and relatives who live nearby and often make our days a little brighter.

It's a perspective I need to be reminded of now and then, and it always seems to come at just the right time.

Stop the ride! I need to catch my breath.

I have been so busy lately, half the time I don't know whether I'm coming or going. This week is no exception. The good news is this week is the last of the crazy over-scheduled kind, so the month of August should be smooth sailing.

Psh! Yeah, right.

Anyway ...

Summer camp was a great experience for Sam. He's been talking about it since he got home Saturday. I am so excited for him that he had this experience, and I don't think it will take much convincing to get him to go again next year. Interesting note: he lost four pounds during the one week he was there. Those kids were on the move all day long, every day. Good stuff.

I managed to get away by myself for a couple of days to visit Steve in West Virginia. It was fabulous. Thank God for family members willing to watch our pets and our home and take care of our children while I'm gone. It was so good to come back to the comforts of home, but dang that's a long drive and man, I really miss my sweetheart.

While I was in WV I got to meet and have dinner with my friend Heather who I have been chatting with on-line for a few years. This was the first time we got together in person. It was a lovely dinner and we shared lots of laughs and Heather charmed the waiter to pieces.

And then she charmed her husband into taking our picture.

Oh, Steve and Heather's husband Mike were there, too.

Oh, and Mike is Steve's boss.

Details, details.

There has been much socializing on the homefront, too. The group of girlfriends I get together with on a monthly basis during less busy times of year finally managed to pull off a dinner together a couple of weeks ago. I had breakfast with my dear friend Sarah when she was visiting from Boston last week. Sunday the kids and I joined a group of friends/neighbors for their annual canoe trip down the Pere Marquette River. And somewhere in between all that, we've visited a local swimming hole with friends a couple of times, too.

So with all of this going on, why do I feel so out of touch?

I feel like I have been living in a bubble. Everything I do is about me and mine and I'd be hard pressed to tell you what's going on in my community on any given weekend. It's been weeks since we have attended church on a Sunday morning. Here I built this new deck on the house and I have hardly had a chance to sit out there and enjoy it. Shoot, I guess I don't feel too bad about that since it's been too hot to sit out there anyway and the deck will still be there in the fall when the weather cools off.

To top things off, today began Vacation Bible School at our church. This is my eighth year being a leader for VBS and every year brings new challenges and new excitement. Every year I am emotionally and physically exhausted by the end of VBS Week. Somehow I think the exhaustion is beginning to hit me already, though, after only one day.

More about VBS - and hopefully a few pictures - later this week.

Busy summer days.

What a beautiful morning today. I think it was right around 50 degrees when I stepped outside to take Sam to school this morning. It was a little chilly, but the sun was shining and the birds were singing. A perfect summer morning. Except that part about having to get up with the alarm clock. But at least the reward of the world saying "good morning" was worth it.

We've been pretty busy around here these past few days. Translation: I've been falling into bed at night, exhausted and with sore muscles from lots of physical activity.

I'm rebuilding our front deck.

Wait. That makes it sound like the deck fell apart. It didn't. Well, not completely. Some of the spindles had fallen off the railing and they were too warped to screw back on. The railing itself was a little wobbly, though I'm sure it hadn't reached safety hazard status yet. Some of the deck boards were splitting or peeling.

It was just plain old and ugly and I wanted a change.

So with the help of a friend (and at times, my children), I dismantled the deck and we are now in the process of rebuilding it. Instead of a new railing, we're building steps running the length of each side. So far we've replaced the top surface of the deck and we have the steps off the front. I love it already. It's amazing what a little spiffing up can do to completely change the look of our home. I'll post pictures when we're done, or at least closer to being done.

In the midst of all this, Steve is pulling up stakes and moving camp. He and his crew are leaving Pennsylvania this week and heading to West Virginia. We're not sure at this point what it means for the holiday weekend and whether he will get a chance to come home, but I'm excited about the opportunity to see another new place when the kids and I go out there to visit him again. I do hope he gets a chance to come home soon, though; if I keep finding things to do to keep me busy while Steve is gone he might not recognize the place when he finally sees it again.

Moving forward.

Today dawned bright and sunny. Beautiful. A perfect day for a road trip.

It was the kind of morning when I feel like God is clearly telling us we are on the right track. He blessed us with blue skies as if to say, "You are taking a leap of faith and making huge sacrifices today, so here's a little reward to keep you going."

By the time we got up and had breakfast we had to hustle a bit to get out the door. I was taking Sam to his Saturday morning bowling league and Steve's plan was to leave for W. Virginia at the same time. We managed to pull it off without a hitch. Steve called tonight to say he had arrived in Morgantown and is checked in at a motel. It was a good day.

Sam asked me today if dad is working "near the mountains." Because, ya' know, I am a huge John Denver fan and every time Steve talks about West Virginia lately I start singing "Country Roads." I remember the days of my childhood when my dad drove us from Michigan to Florida to spend the holidays with our grandparents and how I was so fascinated by the hilly terrain we encountered as we got further south. I can't wait to share that adventure with our kids when we finally get a chance to visit Steve.

Tomorrow begins a new week. It's time to settle into a new groove with new routines and inevitably a new set of challenges. I am optimistic. Excited. Hopeful. We have much to look forward to, much to be thankful for, and that's a good place to be.