Breaking News: VMs Leave House for Fun Outing! :)

Check me out!  Two blog posts in two days!  Must mean we have a day off!

As previously mentioned, we've been in a bit of Survival Mode since school started.  If it wasn't for church, school or the grocery store, we weren't leaving our home.  This weekend we finally ventured out for a super fun couple of days.  Some church friends had the idea to open up their beautiful back yard to families wishing to camp out.  We pitched our tents with other friends on Friday night and enjoyed activities, like a potluck style dinner, discussions around the campfire, trampoline, s'mores, an outdoor movie and stargazing, until the late hours of the night.  Then we bundled up and slept in the wonderful, cold, fresh air.   

Our friends had this backyard camping idea because they live about a half mile from the park where the annual hot air balloon inflation and launch takes place at sunrise.  We actually overslept a bit and missed a good part of it, but the early morning walk through the orchard still provided us with a long-distance view of the balloons drifting into the sky.

And we got there in time to see something we've never seen before; the last few balloons DEflating because they were unable to battle the winds that had picked up.  We shrieked with delight at this huge chili pepper balloon sank practically right on top of us!

After all the balloons had either taken off or deflated, we made the walk back to our friends' house.  We ate our cooked-outside-on-the-camping-stove blueberry pancakes and eggs and started to take down our tents.  As we did so, we saw an amazing jet show right above us!  The flyover was intended for the festival, but our close proximity to it allowed us to enjoy it right from the backyard!

   

It took some time on Saturday to recover (read: lots of  smoke-scented laundry and some naps) from this grand camping adventure, but it was totally worth it and really the perfect way to experience the hot air balloons!

Back to School

For just under a month now, we've been back in our school routine.  We are discovering that many things about this year are already awesome: The girls, once again and as an answer to prayer, getting teachers that seem perfect for them; the opportunity to make new friends and to also reconnect with old and dear ones; a fresh crop of adorable and enthusiastic new students for me; a schedule already full of fun new school stuff-- like band for Ella and Friday night football games in our brand new, state-of-the-art football stadium.  

But, the year has had its challenges too.  Dave and I are both adjusting to changes in our jobs and new demands.  Both girls were immediately thrust into the world of nightly homework, preparing projects, and studying for tests.  I won't deny that a feeling of being overwhelmed sneaks up on us and the fear that no matter how hard we all work, we'll still never have the job done perfectly.  My friend Dorina likes to give a theme to each of her years.  Maybe ours will be "GRACE".  And it will include the grace you extend to me for neglecting the blog while I attempt to stay on top of life! :)

Here are some very belated pictures from our First Day of School!