Fun in the Summer Sun

Tomorrow we turn the calendar to the first day of August, and with that comes the downhill side of summer vacation. No complaints about that, all vacations must end at some point, and with 4 weeks of summer vacation left, we'll be sure to pack in plenty of fun times and happy family memories. The past 7 weeks of summer vacation have been full of wonderful time spent as a family, and with friends and extended family. Having a school-aged child brings a new element to summer vacation; those precious weeks between school years when the Oregon sunshine brings hot days and breezy nights, outdoor fun, weekend getaways, day trips, and time spent with friends and family. Staying up late, sleeping in, not sticking to a schedule. Well, for the kids anyway, working parents have to continue to get to the office and get work done, but the daylight lasts longer and the kids can stay up later, and we can enjoy some extra time with them. Alas, the unscheduled lazy days are quickly dwindling, and I've warned the kids (and husband!) that we will be starting up our school schedule again on August 11th, giving all of us plenty of time to get used to the earlier bedtime and alarm going off before school resumes in September. I'm getting lonely being the only one up early in the morning, and it's so hard to leave the house when everyone else is cozily sleeping so soundly!

Here are some highlights of our many summer adventures so far. We are taking full advantage of Doug not working this summer! 

We first celebrated 2 big graduations in the family...our own Gracie-girl graduated from Kindergarten on June 11th and on June 16th my baby sister Emily graduation from Portland State University with her Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology. I was honored to be one of her 6 guests at the grad ceremony held on Father's Day at the Moda Center in Portland. This momma is very proud of her baby girl for getting through her first year of school, and her baby sister for getting through her final year of college!

Camping at Fort Stevens with the Breazile's in June...so much fun to camp with another family, we loved watching the kids play and being able to share our favorite Warrenton sights! Enjoyed a truly gorgeous sunset at the beach where the Peter Iredale Shipwreck is; it was captured on film by Jason and I received a framed picture of it for my birthday, so beautiful!

A nice birthday dinner at BJ's Restaurant with my dear parents and the Breazile family. Not to mention, a fabulous gift from my dad and husband of clearing the front yard, followed the next week by Doug putting down beautiful river rock, completing a project we sort of started (talking about anyway!) right before I had Joel (so 4 years ago!!)

Camping at Mt. Hood Village in Welches over the Fourth of July weekend with the Breazile's and their friends. More great time for the kids to play, setting off fireworks, a trip to Timberline to play in the snow while the sun beat down on us. Such a nice trip for Doug's first July 4th holiday to NOT be working!!

On Joel's 4th birthday we headed to my parents' house in Scappoose to enjoy their air conditioning and the company of my brother's kids, in town from Corvallis for the afternoon. We had my other brother and his family over for a spaghetti dinner, gift opening and birthday cake. Earlier in the day Joel was given his 'big' gift from us...a new Hot Wheels bike with revving action, in his favorite color of orange! 

A little break in the summer heat brought us some much needed rain, but with the temps staying warm and muggy, it was perfect weather for the kids to play outside, jumping in muddy puddles & singing in the rain! That day also found Doug putting together Joel's Jeep Mega Blocks set that was a birthday gift from his Great-Papa Ed...the set came with 770 pieces and it took Doug 6+ hours to put it all together!!

Our county fair came to town last weekend, and we enjoyed two fun-filled evenings there. The fair itself is free admission, which is so nice! We aren't fans of rides, so with just having to pay $5 for parking, this makes an affordable evening of family fun. (Of course, there is kettle corn and cotton candy to buy!) Thursday we took in the booths, had some hot dogs, and spent a couple hours watching the Breazile's teen daughter show her sheep in the FFA ring. Friday evening, Doug and Joel watched a Motor Mania show in the arena, which had monster trucks, motorcycles, demolition derby and more. Gracie and I wandered the fairgrounds during that time, she got her face painted as a panda bear, we enjoyed some hawaiian shave ice, and got our exercise in walking the grounds several times!

After graduating college, Emily started a part-time summer job as a Ranger at Fort Vancouver Park in Vancouver, Washington. On Saturday we took a day trip to check out the Fort, a place neither Doug nor I have been to since we were kids. We started at the Pearson Air Museum, then headed down the road to Fort Vancouver. Emily gave us some great background info and tours of a couple buildings, we checked out the rest on our own, then she swore the kids in as Junior Rangers. We had a nice picnic dinner at the park right across the street when she got off work, then we watched the beginning of a vintage baseball game the Fort put on. The sun was hot and the kids got bored quickly, so we moved down the park to a very fun playground that was in the shade and Doug and I got caught up on Emily's summer and her hopes for what she'll do after summer. She's really enjoying the job and is hoping to get a full-time position with the Fort, as they do have year-round employment opportunities. Oh and...her boyfriend of 2 years proposed to her at their county fair on July 16th, at the top of the ferris wheel and with our mom's engagement ring! Very "them"!! So happy for her, and Nick!

We are looking forward to the annual church camp-out in Vernonia next weekend, which we have missed the last couple of years. Following that, we will begin settling in to our school-year routines to get the kids ready so the waking up early isn't too much of a shock after Labor Day!

It's been a truly enjoyable summer, and we feel so blessed to have the time to spend with our kids, our friends, and our family. In the year since Doug left his job, he has been able to make up for so much lost time with the kids, and we truly love just being together as a family unit in the evenings when I get home from work. Playing outside, having home-cooked dinners at the table, watching movies, playing games and WII, trips to the library and reading together, camping out in the living room where the A/C unit is on nights that don't cool down in the bedrooms. Just enjoying each day to its fullest, no regrets, loving and laughing. We are blessed. God is good!

What a Year

One year ago, I was turning 35, Doug was facing his last day at his job of 16 years, Joel was about to be 3, Gracie was going to be starting Kindergarten. We were excited for where the next year would take our family, with my going to work full-time and Doug being a stay-at-home dad; with Gracie starting the school adventure and meeting new friends; with Joel outgrowing the Terrible Twos and entering the slightly more mature Terrible Threes. We were newly involved in a company called AdvoCare that was helping us be healthier and more social. We were looking forward to true weekends, more family time, a regular sleep schedule for Doug. I was anxiously anticipating what the Lord had in store for the Goodrich 4 in my 36th year of life. 

You can read my birthday post from last year here...  http://www.sufficientgrace7.blogspot.com/2013_07_01_archive.html

So, here we are, here I am, a year later, now age 36, and all those things we were looking forward to are now past experiences, rather than future anticipations. 

And I wouldn't change one single thing about the past year.

It was not without its trials, it was not perfect. It didn't all go according to plan (well, not according to MY plan anyway!). 

Kindergarten was a huge transition for Gracie, she struggled, I struggled. We had to learn about her anxiety and how it takes hold of her and freezes her, how it was more than her just being shy, or timid, or stubborn. But she overcame so much, she faced her fears head-on every day and she worked through the anxiety, and she had a fantastic year of growth. She made new friends, I made new friends. She bonded well with her teacher, who was so patient and understanding with Gracie, yet firm at the same time, and who rejoiced in every victory along with us! She learned to "do courage" and to be brave.

Not working was a huge transition for Doug, he struggled, I struggled. It sounds so ideal, like a vacation with no end. But after having a schedule and a place to go for 16 years, after working hard and providing financially, it's not quite so easy to dive into being at home raising young kids and keeping up the house. Kids are work! Probably harder work than any job any of us go to! It's definitely not a vacation, but Doug has settled into it, has had some amazing time with his kids, has gotten many long-overdue projects checked off his to-do list, and has not missed the retail life. 

Turning 3 was not a magical turning point for Joel, as all parents of young children know, 3 can be more difficult than 2! Yes, now there is understanding about a lot more, but there is a will as well. A strong one in Joel's case, as should be expected with two strong-willed parents. This is one tough little boy! He loves sports, cars and trucks, playing outside, watching cartoons. He loves antagonizing his big sister (who usually starts it...) and getting his way. He does not love being told no. He does not love sleeping in his own bed. He does not love having to wait. But he has done so much growing this past year, and is such a little boy now! More boy than toddler, and we look forward to his turning 4 this weekend, and starting Preschool in the fall.

Working full-time was fortunately an easy transition for me, as I am so blessed to have an employer who understands the concept of "family first", and allows me to continue to have some flexibility in my schedule. I'm also blessed with amazing Admin teams at both offices, who keep things going day-to-day even when I'm not there. We've adjusted to making less income, and anticipate being able to keep Doug home for at least another year, as we get through Preschool for Joel and First Grade for Gracie (all day school! eating lunch in the cafeteria! all her friends have moved away! new teacher! It will be another huge transition for our courageous girl!). We continue to use AdvoCare's first-class products to keep us healthy, and we enjoy the opportunity to share them with others who are looking for better health and wellness. 

I love the opportunity a birthday provides me...a chance to look back over the past year and reflect on the blessings and moments of joy and love. It also provides the opportunity to look forward to the next year, and anticipate the milestones that the year will hold. I am ready for my 37th year of life, and thankful for all that my past, present, and future holds!