Summing up the summer:

I do not know how to describe this summer. On one hand it was crazy; on the other it was boring. Living in the city cannot compare to the country. Yes there are lots to do, but it all costs money. Whereas in the country, no one cares if you step out into your backyard and practice shooting. And there are plenty of horses and cows in the country.

Anyway, Jade started swimming lessons. At first it was clear she did not like the teacher’s ideas about swimming. But by the second lesson, she would not stop talking about Ms. Kathleen and everything she was learning in her lessons. She begged to go to the pool and looked forward every week to her lessons. Micah started a six week music festival in Main. He learned a lot and had a great time, but was glad to get back home and settle in to prepare for the school year.Christian is working as an intern at Vanderbilt for the summer and is also learning a lot. David is still trying to get into OTS and joining the Marines as an officer. But in the meantime he is keeping up his job working on his computer in the basement. Rose and Michael had their baby girl Rosalind in April, and she is growing like a weed. Tony and Rachel are still in Michigan. Tony is still working at Link Engineering and Rachel went back to school at U of M Ann Arbor and I think is studying for a PHD in the science field. Mom is enjoying a quiet house and has enjoyed a couple trips with Dad to Myrtle Beach and Main to visit Micah for a couple days. Dad has been traveling to China a lot and is doing well at work. Katie and Roberto just had their third child, a little baby girl by the name of Abigail Elizabeth Diaz. She looks like both Celeste and Robbie. She was born August 8^th at 6:00PM sharp. Mom and I kept the Celeste and Robbie with us at our house overnight, but then they were able to go back home with Daddy and Mommy Tuesday evening. The whole family is doing well.

Now about me…I was hoping to get a job at an ice rink when I got back from China, but the rinks around our house closed after a couple weeks for ice maintenance and didn’t reopen for a while. So they didn’t really need anyone. But I kept pretty busy with babysitting, but it was a little frustrating because I didn’t have a set schedule. One moment I’d have nothing on the calendar, and then I’d get a bunch of emails and have 4 or 5 jobs within a week. One day I made over $100 because I went straight from one five hour job of sitting one baby girl to another five hour very last minute job to sit for seven kids. That evening I slept quite well! Then there’s the regular house work, practicing, studying, and working out. During June I ran, and then my knee was bothering me a bit so I started swimming. I swam an hour every day during the whole month of July. So far August has been quite odd. We’ve done a lot of last minute traveling and it’s been hard, but I’ve still been working out.

Today, August 10^th, Mom, Jade, and I went up to MI. I have a week long workshop in Traverse City and Mom and Jade are going to be hanging out with Papa. I drove the whole 11 ½ hours from Atlanta GA to Flatrock MI and tomorrow I’ll be driving another 5 hours up to TC for my week at Northwestern University. So, farewell for now!