The past 7 months...

It's been seven months (and one day) since I last posted.  Last night Charlie came out of his room and said, "Mom, my brother and I keep having a serious conversation that we can't seem to stop.  It's 10:45 and I'm a little worried about having to get up so early for rafting tomorrow.  I'll probably be really tired.  So, I just wanted to let you know that I'll probably need to eat three coffee beans in the morning, okay."   After that, I knew I needed to start blogging again.

Life has been so busy and I, unfortunately, have not made this blog a priority.  And looking through my meager photo album, pictures have not been a priority either.  However, I will try to document some of the highlights of the past seven months.

It's John's 41st birthday today.  We have spent more than 1/3 of our lives together (15 years).   While marriage and kids and life is hard, I am so thankful that my time is spent with such a wonderful, caring person.

I sit here, alone in a quiet house, while the boys float and fish on the Snake River with a couple friends.  I love floating the river with my boys, but I didn't go this time because...

 

I had a bike accident on July 4th.  I ran into a root uprising on the greenbelt and landed on my head about one nanosecond later.  It was pretty scary.  The ambulance took me to the ER where I got four staples in my head. The CT scan showed a small sub-dural hemorrhage, which is still there, but absorbing per the most recent scan.  That being said, I am very lucky that I'm doing so well.  I even worked twice this week! My aches and pains are healing.  I'm a little dizzy at times.  My head is tender, but I'm intact!  I get the staples out this week and look forward to the "okay" to exercise and resume normal life again.  After this event, I will be preaching the importance of wearing a bike helmet.  My helmet cracked and saved me from a likely serious brain injury.  

Anyway, on with the haps from Boise.  My most regretted non-blog post is that of Christmas 2010.  It was a VERY special Christmas!  The family went to Woodinville and so did Santa!  Obviously, Santa goes to the houses of all the good little girls and boys around the world, but our visit was a special one.  Sweet Charlie wrote Santa a letter that helped create a memory the Roudebush grand-kids will not soon forget.  "Dear Santa Claws, You can do evrey singel house and may you have are house next to the last house and then when youv done evry house, you could have brekthast at our hous if youd like.  Love Charlie and Gramie"  Santa got that letter!  Thank you Grammie for making such a precious Christmas memory for the kids.  Love you.

 

Cole turned 6!  He had a bowling "Bey Blade" birthday party with seven friends and grandparents.  My "sweetest little bug" is growing up so quickly.  He is such a kind, thoughtful soul.  Just yesterday I was pulling in the driveway from work and he was in front of the neighbor's house hugging and petting their basset hound "Brad Pitt".  When he saw me he came over and said "That dog walked across the street to lay in the shade and he looked like he needed some pets.  How was your day, Mom?"  I love my Cole-Bug!

What else?  Hmm...indoor soccer, ski school, piano lessons, a couple winter ski trips to Ketchum, camping, a 1/2 marathon with my siblings (Dad and Uncle Richard even came to volunteer), outdoor soccer, more camping, more camping, kindergarten and second grade graduation...  I spent A LOT of time at the boys' school this year; volunteering in the classroom, being a member of Family Council (ANSER's version of PTA), helping plan for various school events, driving, etc.  John spent a lot of time working.  He's been really busy at work.  He also played lots of soccer and softball.  And, knock on wood, no injuries this year:)

Thankfully John and I were rewarded for our "hard" work with a super-duper awesome three-day Owyhee River trip with our friends Christine and Drew.  The weather was perfect...50s at night and 80s during the day.  The water level was unusually high for June, which made it also perfect.  The food we prepared was delicious.  The scenery was amazing.  And the time spent with each other and friends was priceless.

The summer camp schedule is a busy one.  Charlie took a Jr. Zookeeper camp in June, while Cole was in a BSU soccer camp.  The boys both spent a week at "Camp Taylor" in June.  Ann and Doug had the boys over at their house for a week!  John and I were so grateful and the boys were so happy.  Ann and Doug kept those boys entertained with swimming, bike riding, golfing, tennis, hiking, camps (Botanical Garden for Cole and sports for Charlie), hiking, horseback riding and more.  Next year I think I'll go to Camp Taylor!  (Still awaiting pictures from the adventure.)  Charlie got to go whitewater rafting on the Payette with group of friends.  Charlie is going to his very first overnight camp on Monday.  We are so excited for him!  It's YMCA Camp Horsethief in Cascade, ID.  He also started golfing lessons through First Tee of Idaho.   While Charlie is at Camp Horsethief, Cole is going to take a swimming, tennis, gymnastics camp.   When Charlie gets back, he will take a soccer camp (and Cole will do a second week of the above).  In August Charlie is taking a camp called "Ecology, Energy and the Environment" and Cole takes "Art Ventures" and golfing through First Tee.  Sheesh!  No one can say we haven't been busy.

I think this is all for now.  I aspire to be a more diligent photographer and blogger from this point on.