Summer is Here!

Summer is here! I feel like I get twice the joy since in addition to being a parent and getting to spend more time with my kids, I am also a teacher and get about 8 weeks off from grading and planning for my other “kids”. Many of my students ask me if I am looking forward to summer and I suppose that I do. Yet, I truly enjoy my job – I feel like it is my calling. I can’t imagine doing anything else. But I do look forward to making memories and spending significant time with my family during the summer months ( My husband is also a teacher – so we get time off together).

We attend church on Sat. night. This is a great option. We can avoid rushing around on Sunday morning and just spend the day together, resting. Anyway, our sermon series is on the book of Colossians called Rooted. Our pastor said this “Paul says that ‘full’ people are thankful people and that thankfulness is one of the signs of a mature faith”. I was asking myself if I am ever thankful? I want to think that I am.

Sunday was a great beginning. Sunday am we take the boat out for the first time this summer. The wind is low, the temperature is about 80 degrees Farenheit (30 degrees celcius), and very few boats are out on the lake. My daughter is in her element with the ipod on and sitting in the front of the boat with her feet up. My son is more fascinated with the motor and leaning off the back. I am enjoying the worship music on the radio as my husband drives us around the lake. It was just a glorious moment! I remember thinking that someday I wanted to have a boat – sometimes it seems so surreal. We are so blessed to have this, but even beyond that, to have my family all together, enjoying the same thing. What an incredible blessing.

We have several trips and activities planned for the summer. Here is the short list:

-Continue following the Mississippi River from beginning to end. We are currently finishing Iowa this summer. Our goal is to make it to New Orleans and see where is ends. Hopefully, by the summer of 2011.

-We are making our pilgrimage to the Sonshine Music Festival. Three days of outdoor music and camping. We went last year and had a great time.

-The daughter is signed up for summer synchro clinic (no surprise there) and the boy is doing teeball.

-I am attending a chemistry teachers conference with a co-worker the last week of July in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. 1000-2000 chemistry teachers in one place – it is truly a riot.

-My husband and I plan on attending a leadership conference through our church. Our church is a satellite site for this conference hosted by Willow Creek Assoc. It should be great!

-Work on my pond – the never ending project. I am close to done – then I will need to find another outdoor project. I will try to post pictures.

By the time all of this is done, school will start and so will swimming for the girl and a whole other group of students to share with. I truly hope that you have a great summer also.

Thanks for reading

Cyndee