Has it really been a year?

Summer kicks off here in our little West Texas town with Miss Jill's School of Dance Recital! I had the joy of watching my sweet four year-old baby dance on stage again this year. The theme was "Viva Las Vegas", and my little starlet was a birdie and an MGM Dandy Lion (adorable Dandy Lion that is). I would totally share the video, however, I cannot figure out how to link it on this blog. (grrrrrr)(no lion pun intended) With that event under our belts, we move on to the "lazy, hazy days of summer." Texas has been in a drought for about 18 months, and our part of Texas is in a perpetual drought. With the lack of rain our outdoor activites are limited to swimming pools and museums for the most part. So after an entire school-year of blogging absence, I return to share with you my summer goals and plans. Then we can reevaluate in August to see how I did! Here goes nothing... We plan to go camping, and according to my husband quite a bit. See, he drew out for a bow-hunt in New Mexico for the fall and for those of you who hunt "pets at a feeder" this is a manly big deal. Apparently it will require many trips to the armpit of the USA, , I mean New Mexican "Outback" to scout for deer. This my husband sees as a time for me to hone in my wilderness skills and let the kids have a great time. It feels more to me that I will manage three small children in the desert for hours while I wait for him to return from scouting. Again, remember that whole drought...how much fun will it be during a bun ban to camp? And believe me, New Mexico is ALWAYS under a burn ban in the summer. Oh, and did I mention he classified a bucket with a toilet seat as a bathroom??? Now for the psudeo-outdoors: I am going to take my kids all through June and July to the Lubbock Lake Landmark for FREE classes! Did I mention FREE? I have been paying a lot each summer for little camps at the local science museum, but now that I found free daycamps, I don't know that I will return. You should really check this place out if you are in the Lubbock area. http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/lll/ Did someone say chlorine? I am not a beach/lake girl. I like to know that there is nothing alive swimming under me and that my water has a significant amout of bleach before I get excited. Now don't take me for a total snob, because I will go in the water at a beach or lake. Yet, if I get a choice I am definitely going the chemically treated route. And the good news is...one of my local besties just bought a house around the corner... WITH A POOL! I love her even more today than I did yesterday. Oh yeah, Pensacola. We are going to drive (loads of fun with a 4, 5 and 6 year old...making memories, right?) to Pensacola in August. We got a great deal on a condo and are meeting my mom and precious new step-dad down there. Who doesn't like a little free baby-sitting on a vacation? I am excited to go through a bit of the Deep South and hopefully hit up some battlefields and junk stores. Anson, my oldest, is most excited that we will be going through Shreveport, LA...home of the one and only Billy the Exterminator. (see Halloween costume picture) Goals: 1) Finish painting kids' bathroom cabinets (started in October of 2011, its about damn time I finish them) 2) Have kitchen remodeled, professionally, because otherwise it will not be finished until I retire in 2035. 3) Complete one Pinterest project a week this summer 4) Try to get up before 8:30 each morning (haven't been successful at this one during the first 2 weeks but hey, there is always tomorrow) So, in closing, you see my life isn't really that glamorous. It is, however, full. I am grateful to have healthy kids who drive me crazy, a husband who likes being around me and my sometimes out-of-control offspring, and the opportunities to have a lazy summer.