Sweet Summertime!

Well - I've been out of school...or should I say done with work for the summer...for almost a week now. There will be days this summer that I go to school to do things that I just can't get done when the kids are there...but basically I'm on vacation for the next seven weeks. If the past seven days are any indication of my summer to come - it's going to be a crazy and exciting ride!

Wednesday morning I woke up and hit the gym. I've joined the Y for the summer and hope that I can now transform the outside to match the way I feel on the inside - which is awesome! After the gym I hit the road to Southport where I would get to spend time with Amy, Gary, and Lydia. Amy and I always have a lot of catching up to do and no matter how much time we have - it's never enough! One morning as we went for a walk a neighbor said we didn't walk long enough - I quickly let him know we were working our mouths as fast as we were our legs so it all counted! I can't get over how big Lydia is getting. She's eight months old now - crawling, pulling up, and babbling a little bit. She is really a happy baby and LOVES her mama. I've posted a few pictures for those of you who keep up with her. She loves fruit and has the cutest little laugh...she laughed at me a lot...guess I'm goofy looking.

I would like to say that my trip to Southport was a great vacation - but I stayed on the go! Thursday I met Jason and we went to meet his brother for lunch in Carolina Beach. We were able to visit the aquarium and spend some time at the beach. I do love a good walk on the beach with sand between my toes! The day ended at Rucker John's - one of my top ten favorite places to eat! I was so excited for Amy and Gary to meet Jason. We had great conversation and fellowship before all going our separate ways.

Friday I hit the road again after lunch with Amy, Jane, and Lydia. Todd and Bonnie have been back in NC for almost a year and I hadn't made it to Wilmington yet to visit - that's just shameful! Their house is beautiful and seated right in front of the sound. Jake and Emmie enjoy life by the water where they catch their own shrimp for lunch and at times have caught interesting sea creatures...like baby sharks. I was pretty terrified of walking out on their long doc, at one point, Emmie had one arm and Jake had the other trying to persuade me to walk out a little farther...after a while I finally made it to the end...I'm trying to work through my irrational fears...but it's going to take some work. Jake is quite the little kyaker *sorry that's probably not a real word*. He and Todd enjoyed a trip across the sound while I was there. My favorite part of the house is the porch. I'm sure Bonnie and I could have sat out there and talked for hours if time was endless. I never learned 'the art of relaxing'...but I think that may be one place I could do it.

By Friday night I was back home and ready to crash. Woke up Saturday and did the normal cleaning thing so I could hit the dusty trail again Saturday afternoon. I've been waiting for a chance to take Jason to Lake Gaston. This is another place where I can relax and let my guard down. We enjoyed riding on the boat with mom, dad, and part of dad's family. It's always nice to get away from reality (which I plan to do a lot this summer if I can).

Sunday - life slowed down a bit. Went to church and had a fantastic lunch with mom. We spent the evening at Grandma and Granddaddy Batten's celebrating Father's Day.

This week - I'm ready for a slow down. Gilbert and I are hanging out with Buddy today and Blaire is coming on Wednesday. We look forward to some time poolside and maybe a movie.

May the road always be free of traffic jams and the gas money be plentiful!

Life is Good :)