Time Well Spent

August 18, 2014

More than any summer in recent past, I feel this summer has been full of exciting and interesting adventures for us.  We went to my niece's wedding, I did two separate week-long curriculum development/work-enhancing sessions, took a photography excursion to Morro Bay with a fellow photographer and another friend, went to a couple of out of town soccer tournaments with Danielle, and went to a couple of different big gigs for Doug's band.  In addition, Nicholas completed summer school so that he wouldn't have to take P.E. this year (yay!) and got his driver's license (yay again!), and he and I got to take a mother-son trip to Monterey Bay, just the two of us, to visit the aquarium.  Danielle and Bree went on vacation with Bill in Oregon for a week, went to a weekend beach retreat with her church youth group, and then went on a week long summer camp for church as well.  Bree got a second job and moved into her new place, as well as continuing her work with the Associated Student Body and the Ambassadors at San Diego State.  Doug and I got to spend quite a bit of time together this summer, as we were both off work, and amid all of the flurry of activity with the kids, we managed to get away to Cayucos for a weekend with our friends Joe and Wendy.  And then, of course, there was Costa Rica!  Lisa and I spent five wonderful days in Costa Rica for a long-awaited, very overdue sister bonding excursion.  From start to finish the vacation was beautiful, and just made us vow to make these kinds of trips--checking places off our Life Lists--a priority again for us.

More than any summer in recent past, I feel fully rejuvenated and refreshed.  I don't feel like I wasted away my days sitting idly in front of the TV wondering what happened to my vacation.  And now, although I'm already planning some pretty exciting things to look forward to the next time summer rolls around, I am also more than ready to step back into school and kick off another fantastic year!  Today was my first day back--planning and prepping and getting back in touch with my work friends and my teacher-self.  We've got four more days of meetings and lesson designs and making the room welcoming and homey, and then the kids come bright and early next Monday.  I'll be ready!