Summer is Over

Labor Day is almost in the books. Forrest and the kids just got back from picking blackberries (which Alyssa will turn into cobbler tomorrow). I took my time having the house to myself to write my grandma a birthday card and print her some recent photos. My amazing Grandma Axtell will be 99 on Friday. We can't get away during the first week of school to celebrate with
her but thankfully my folks will be there.

My Labor Day chores included scrubbing bathrooms and getting caught up on the laundry. I like to start the school year with a clean house and empty hampers. Food prep was high on our list today. Forrest smoked up some seriously delicious salmon today. I made zucchini bread, brownies, ham, and corn on the cob. Chili was on the menu last night so we have a fridge full of leftovers for quick meals after football practice.

Alyssa has had a productive summer, banking more than $1000.00 working part time. She'll continue to work two afternoons a week during the school year which will give her time to also volunteer in the kindergarten classroom where's she's helped out for the past three years. She has completed her first set of assignments for her AP US History class. It's so hard to believe that in two short years she'll be heading off to college. Alyssa has a great group of girlfriends. They go to ball games together and they love "chick flicks." I'm so proud of the maturity of the choices she makes.

Noah had a great summer: Hoopfest champion, two weeks in Hawaii, football, and friends. This will be the first year he can play school sports. We'll need to invest in a dress shirt and tie that he'll be required to wear to school on game days during basketball season. He's very excited that his schedule has him in the class with the "hot" new math and science teacher. He's supposed to have her for both math and science. However, I requested a change of social studies teacher so we'll see what his updated schedule looks like on Wed.

My only regret is that I didn't make it to the beach as many times as I'd like. It seemed that on the days Alyssa had off the weather wasn't warm enough for a picnic and swim at the beach two miles from our house. I am very pleased with the exercise regimen I've adopted this summer. Physical therapy on a bum knee forced two days of hard work every week with the therapist plus two to three other days of work at the gym. I've only lost a couple of pounds but I've definitely firmed up my legs. My jeans fit much looser. Yippeee! Now I'll just have to find a way to keep up the good work during the school year.