Summer is Over?!

Much to my dismay (and certainly to the boys' dismay), it seems like summer has ended.  Matt and Adam have gone back to school.  To the left is the customary first day of school picture.  They are not happy to have the carefree days of summer over, but I am happy that they will share a year at Centennial before Matt graduates in the spring.  At that point, we will have just one kid in the public school system.  Weird.

Labor Day weekend also seems to signal the end of the summer, and it's a holiday that used to excite me.  It meant that the kids were headed back to school, and we could get a little structure back into our lives.  My feelings have changed over the years.  Let's face it:  summer vacation with little kids can get pretty tiring.  However, as the kids have gotten older, I have craved more unhurried, less strictly scheduled time.  They get so busy during the school year that it's a treat to have them home more. 

We had an awesome Labor Day weekend this year because Karen and Andrew came home for a visit.  Last weekend's visit was a bit of a "drive-by."  They did accomplish their purpose of watching Adam run and Matt play soccer, but it was way too short a visit for anyone to really enjoy themselves.  This time we actually got to relax and spend some time with each other.  That made for a much more pleasant visit.

We talked, cooked, went to church, played games, went to the driving range, ate good food, and watched college football.  We also rode bikes on the greenbelt.  The weather was absolutely perfect on Monday--sunny, clear, and mild with an occasional light breeze to cool us off.  Adam insisted that we ride all the way downtown so that he could show Andrew the beloved blue turf in Bronco Stadium.  Andrew was good to act impressed.  We really wanted to go in and check it out up close, but there were some athletes working out and the gates were locked.  Bummer!

Matt was quite thrilled to wear his old, fashion-forward helmet.  (He doesn't ride his bike much, so we haven't upgraded either his bike or his helmet for a few years.)  As you can see from the above picture, Adam's mind was very much on the big game that night.  Fortunately, about half of the people we saw on the greenbelt were also wearing Boise State gear, so Adam would say "Go Broncos" to any fellow fan he saw. We even saw two dogs with BSU bandannas around their necks.   Anyway, it was a fun outing and a great way to build up an appetite so that we could home and enjoy the "Biggest Bestest Burgers" Mike barbequed on the grill.

Unfortunately, Karen and Andrew had to leave before the big BSU-Virginia Tech game, but we enjoyed it without them.  We let Adam and Matt go to different friends' houses, and Mike and I watched it together here at home.  Actually, I got so nervous that I wasn't able to watch the whole thing.  I had to take a little break to bring my blood pressure and pulse down.  I'll also have to admit that I had pretty much lost faith in the Broncos.  However, Kellen Moore came through in the clutch yet again.  He'll make a great coach someday, I predict.  Should be interesting to watch the season unfold.

Am I Becoming My Grandmother . . . or My Mom?

I realized lately that I am starting to turn into either my mom or my grandmother.  I'm okay with that.  For the past several Sunday evenings, I've convinced Mike and the boys (and Karen and Andrew this weekend) to play Wahoo.  What's Wahoo?  It's just like the game Aggravation from the 70's.  It has strong family roots.  I remember well playing it as a kid at my grandparents' house.  Grandmother gave us our own board for Christmas several years ago, but we really haven't played it much.  For some reason, we pulled it out of the closet a month or so ago and have enjoyed it ever since.

The funny thing about Wahoo is that it can bring out a whole different side of people.  My grandmother was probably one of the most elegant, refined women I've ever met, but she was absolutely ruthless when we played Wahoo.  Seriously, there was never any mercy shown to anyone.  If she could get you out and send you home, she absolutely  did it.  It was almost comical to watch.  I find I'm a little similar.  I do it with a smile, but I will, without question, send you home if I get a chance.

For dinner on Sunday, I served fresh green beans and sliced tomatoes from the garden. among other things.  I'd also picked up a yummy watermelon and cut that into cubes.  As we were eating dinner, Karen said, "This reminds me exactly of Grandma."  I agreed.  I may not be able to rhapsodize quite as poetically as she can about her garden, but I do love the fresh produce.  There is NOTHING better than a freshly-picked, red ripe tomato from the backyard.  It is what I most look forward to when we poke the seeds into the garden and plant the little starter plants.  The above left?  A handful of heaven . . . YUM!!! 

I miss Grandmother.  She died about five years ago.  I also miss my mom.  She's serving a mission in Bulgaria.  However, seeing little parts of them pop out in me somehow warms my heart.  I greatly wish that I could send my mom a fresh tomato or a green pepper in the mail, but "consider yourself hugged" instead, Mom!