This posting is just a catch-up because this summer was crazy busy and I didn't keep up with this. But we're leaving to go camping in a few days so I thought I would collect my thoughts about all that went on this summer. Let's see. In June the kids were wrapping up swimming lessons when coaches' pitch (for Alex) and tennis lessons (for both of them) started. Tennis was twice a week in the mornings. Mom and Dad and Laura and Thomas came out to visit the week of Missy's birthday, which was also VBS week at church, for which I was driving a van. Alex had wanted to go to Cub Scout day camp but with everything else going on, he couldn't. We used tennis as a trade-off. Missy wanted to go to the zoo for her birthday, so we talked her down to just two friends (Wrigley and Rebecca) for us to take to FW on a very hot day and out to dinner and to see 'Toy Story 3.' That movie was a bit more intense than I'd expected in a few places, and overall not as good as the others. The following weekend was our garage sale and both kids going to Michiana Christian Service Camp. Missy was at first chance camp on Saturday, and Alex got to go up Sunday and stay overnight. The garage sale was at the Boschains, and the Horbetts were in on it too. We got Krista to agree to go to camp at the last minute because Missy was going too, and she had a great time. For the garage sale, we had told the kids that if they put some toys in the sale, we would put the money towards a new Wii. That was good motivation, because they did, and we got enough money for one and an extra game. More activities in July. The weekend of the 4th, we went up to Michigan to camp with the Wiessners and Pinksters and Beavers, at a place called Michawana Camp, which seems a lot like Michiana except it has an RV campground open to the public. And it is NICE. But it was close to empty, for no reason anyone can fathom. We didn't take the camper, we stayed in one of their cabins which was a converted caboose...so cool, the kids loved it. They also have a zipline, rock wall (closed for maintenance), hayrides, mini golf, boats, beach...and a big inflatable jumping thing in the lake. We all had a great time, then came back Sunday and saw the fireworks out by Lake Wawasee. Alex managed to skin the crap out of his knees by tripping on a sidewalk on the way. A few days later was a fantastic production of "The Music Man" at the Wagon Wheel Theater that Beth and I went to see, like on a date. Friday July 9 Alex had his tonsils out, and seemed to be doing fine by the following Wednesday when I left for Vancouver for work.
Ah, Vancouver. I always love to visit, especially when I have some free time. Thursday the 15th I was able to get away while things were heating up and I hiked the famous Grouse Grind in 1 hour 11 minutes, not too bad from what I understand. Awesome hike. But my cell phone died overnight, and I didn't check in with home on Friday, when Alex woke up bleeding from the mouth and Beth rushed him to the ER in FW because the doctor said to get him right in, and was concerned about blood clots. I didn't call until about 9pm her time, and she had been trying to reach me for 12 hours. I had had some free time and was geocaching all day in Stanley Park. But everything was ok by the time I got home Saturday. I passed my birthday fairly quietly. That about brings us up to date.