An end to the insanity! (Or is it just the beginning?)

Yes, I've finally come back from an extra long blogging-break! This summer was so crazy! Then, getting back into the routine called life took about a month. Finally I think I can actually take a breather & get my life back in order. Here are some things that we kept busy doing over the summer:

• Summer activities at the community center; lunch, sports, and crafts
• Going to the Eschbaugh park in Yakima a couple times, floating down the stream in inner-tubes is always fun!
• 4th of July at the Woody's house in Yelm. I think I saw the most amazing fireworks show in my life on a big screen TV with grandma & grandpa!
• A trip in the early summer to Spokane, I did a Turbokick training, and Daddy took the kids to the children's museum! We loved the old fashioned horse carosel rides!
• Going to the children's museum in Olympia (right next to the capitol building) with my boys. We love that place, it's so much fun - and so much history right next door!
• We went to Moses Lake water park as a family. My favorite was the body boarding! Such a rush!
• Our week-long trip to the Grimmers at Lake Palmer. We went swimming, hiking, fishing on a boat, got to see baby cousin Vance blessed, and spent endless hours playing games, getting tan, and eating yummy food.
• Picking fruit and canning - we froze blueberries, canned pears, canned plums, made jelly and juice from plums and grapes, and we froze big freezer bags fulla nectarines.
• Through diet and exercise I lost 15 pounds, and Jeff also lost some weight (which I'm not quite sure how much yet)

And what do I have to look forward to in the next few months? Weeeelllll....

• We are going through with the purchase on the big house!! And we're keeping the Merrick house too, with some amazing renters who take better care of it than we could by ourselves.
• I'm still teaching exercise classes and yesterday I ran a mile without stopping (if you know me, then you know I hate to run. And that is a huge accomplishment!).
• I am also volunteering to coordinate a babysitting course for teen girls in the community. That will be going on in the month of November.
• And I'm mentoring a teenage girl for her senior project. She in return is giving dance lessons to Keira.
• 4-H is still going on, and Keanu will be doing 4-H when he turns 5 this year! So teaching 4-H classes will be a blast - we'll be doing creative and expressive arts. (Don't worry, I WON'T be dancing!)

I feel so blessed to have a life full of excitement and fulfillment! All this is due to the children in my life, who add variety and interest to every day. In comparison, my life was dull and monotonous before kids! So even though I have an occasional panic attack and everyday stress, at least I am living life to the fullest right? (even if that includes hours in the emergency room!)