Evidently I'm not one for change . . .

Well I muddled through the first 3 days of school last week, trying hard to pull out of my post-summer slump. I started getting back into my school-day routine, worked out, got the house cleaned, Mark took me out for a lunch, I allowed myself 1 hour of just-to-make-myself-feel-better shopping, and yet I still felt blah.

Then I realized I think my problem is I don't like CHANGE, thankyouverymuch.

Not the kind that my kids are going through, not the kind that we are going through as parents, not to our schedule, not to my responsibilities, and definitely NOT the kind Obama is drowning this country in.

But that's another story.

I think I would be happy with the kids staying the same age forever, at home with mom and dad, with our summer schedule . . . . don't you think? I know. Probably not. I just have to enter into these new eras of life kicking and screaming. New limbs are scary places to hang out, people. Uggh.

Then there's another part of me - more adventurous - that would totally pack up and move to Alaska next week. Seriously. Maybe I'm just bipolar.

This week I won't even have time to mourn the passing of summer - Monday I work and we have soccer; Tuesday we have a major orthodontist appt. - 2nd opinion; Wednesday I have an all-day leaders workshop for my bible study, then soccer and a church meeting; Thursday I have a PTA meeting and Friday we have eye appointments for the kids.

Then there's Saturday. It's my bIRtHdAy and I am making it all about ME, folks. :) 'Cause very little is about ME these days. So I'm allowed a ME day, right? Can't wait . . . .

BTW, the boys are doing great with 2nd grade - so far so good!

And They're Off . . .

. . . to 2nd grade. It was HARD to send them off today. Ever heard the song "There Goes My Life" by Kenny Chesney? It's a killer. That's what I kept thinking as I left the school today. But I'm learning to accept the fact that EVERY year will be hard. They're my babies, and it's incredibly difficult to send them off to the authority of someone else, to the influences of the world, out of the protection of their dad and me and our home. But then I'm reminded that God loves them more than we do and will surround them with His love wherever they go. Nothing will come to their lives that hasn't passed through God's hands. I have to submit them to Him and His plan for them - and I'm so thankful for that knowledge because without that belief I don't know what I would do.

The house just seems so empty and so quiet when they're gone and I'm left wondering what in the world I should do with myself . . . ?! I know from past experience, though, this feeling usually only lasts a couple of days and soon enough I find myself busy with 20 different things.

To my best buddies in the whole world: we had a great summer didn't we? It was one we'll definitely remember always. I'll miss you during these school days but I can't wait to see what wonderful things you'll learn this year and see how you grow. I love you!

Minnesota Vacation, Part 2

After leaving the resort in Alexandria, we headed to Minneapolis for a day and night and enjoyed some shopping, a great restaurant and met up with Mark's parents at a hotel. The next day we headed to Wisconsin to a family reunion for Mark's mom's side of the family. We didn't get a ton of pictures because we were busy chatting, but got a good one of us with Mark's parents (which is rare!)

After leaving Wisconsin, we made an unplanned stop at my Alma Mater - Minnesota State University at Mankato. It was amazing to see how it had changed. And it totally made me feel OLD.

The real reason we stopped, however, had nothing to do with my trip down memory lane. It happens to be the location of the Minnesota Vikings training camp. :)

We had a great time at Vikings central - although it would have been much more interesting had a certain former Packers player been on the scene. :) Being here got us all in the mood for football season, but I can't TELL YOU how excited my husband is NOW. Uff da. #4 had better not disappoint!

Two more days of summer . . . sigh.

Life in a Northern Town

So. Finally. Here's what we've been up to the past few weeks. The last week of July, the whole Horak side of the family (the four of us, my mom and dad, my sister and her family, my brother and his family) congregated in Alexandria, MN at a lakeside resort. It was fantastic. We all stayed in this townhouse - it was actually fun having everyone under the same roof - even with 5 boys, ages 8 and under. Whew.We fished, we swam in the lake, we talked, we laughed, we shopped, we played at the water park, we cooked great meals, we stayed up late every night playing games, we laughed some more, we rode horses, caught frogs, I read an entire book and knitted a scarf and we mainly just loved being together.

Here are some highlights . . . .

Since I've already posted 30 pictures, I'll do the rest of our trip in the next post. Part two up next. :)

What happens at Grandpa's stays at Grandpa's . . .

This week the kids are doing a rotation with Grandma and Grandpa out in Spearfish - Jack went for a day/overnight first, and Noah went second.

It's rally week.

So last night I get an email from my dad, showing what he and Jack were up to yesterday:

Shopping for trikes.

Jack thought he was pretty cool. Looks like a natural on that thing. I think I should be worried. And he's thinkin' that Grandpa should buy it for him. Got that, Dad? :)

I don't know if it's because we live in the midst of the Sturgis motorcycle rally every year, or because I saw this guy's story on the news . . . but for whatever reason, I dove into this book this week:

Wow.

Fascinating, to say the least.

It's an account by an undercover ATF agent who gets himself all the way into the inner ring of the Hells Angels. Totally riveting. I can't put it down.

Anyhoo.

Yes, it's been a LONG time since I updated this. A more lengthy update, complete with tons of pictures is coming shortly. After I make sure my other son makes it home safely from Grandma and Grandpa's and hasn't gone off and joined a biker gang with Grandpa. ;)

Stay tuned.