We're alive!

Life is busy and chaotic as usual. It won't be long before the summer is over. I finally took the kids to the beach yesterday.

Sarah has been taking online classes from Drake to get her talented and gifted endorsement. Her school offered her the chance to take over that program, so now she will be full-time and will be quitting her waitress job. Sarah is also helping her boyfriend Dan move back to Iowa City for his last year there. They have been dating for almost a year now!

Mary got back from her semester in London and is working 3rd shift, full-time with lots of over-time at Eaton Corp., helping to send out engine valves. She's working 7 days a week with some 12 hr. days. She is looking towards buying a used car. She will be graduating this May in Theater.

Matthew is also working full-time this summer during the 2nd shift at Curries Manufacturing. He is insulating doors along with other duties. Sometimes, he gets overtime and works until 1:00 am. He'll be going back to college as a junior. He is planning on going to Costa Rica during Jan. for a class. He is a groomsman in a wedding this weekend and I'm sure that the bride was happy to find out that he cut his shoulder length hair this summer.

Daniel is still working at Fareway and will be a senior this year. He has been working on designing and raising money for his Eagle project, which is to build a pergola at Clear Creek school. Daniel and Randy are heading up to the Boundary Waters on a scout trip this next week.

Philomena went to clarinet camp and Schoenstatt camp, and she entered 4-H stuff in the North Iowa Fair. Her presentation on how to make a Hoola Hoop Rug made it to state, so we will be going to the State Fair August 16th. This week she went to visit a friend in Nebraska for a few days.

Stephen had a lot of fun at cub scout camp this summer and will soon be taking trombone lessons. We are also looking into an ADHD diagnosis for him.

Randy got his masters and has had quite a full summer on the job. I spent the first few months of this year with a bum knee that I finally got a diagnosis for: torn meniscus tendon, but arthritis bad enough that the Mayo doctor recommended knee replacement surgery. I am not ready for surgery yet, so I wear a brace at work.

Randy and I decided to take a cruise before I'm using a walker :) We are going on a 7-night Mediterranean cruise in October to Barcelona, Florence, Rome, Naples (Pompei), Palma Majorca and back to Barcelona. We are really looking forward to it.

This is just a tip of our daily lives, but we are still alive *smiles*

Not yet ready for school to start,
Caroline