stop and start and stop and start and stop and start and stop.....

The last blog date is May 3rd and since that day, the days have been filled with LIFE!!! Beginning the second week of May, my last child, but only daughter attended her senior prom. She looked glorious! Truly a remarkable young woman. At the end of May, I hosted a baby shower for my daughter in law. My neice and her husband came into town for the weekend and stayed with me. It was a simple, hilarious barbeque with everyone being relaxed and just visiting. The only thing that made it not PERFECT was that my grillmaster, and partner in crime (aka boyfriend) was installing fittings in his Mother's house in Maine - in preparation for her return from a rehab center after breaking her hip the month before.

Jump into June and we began with Graduation. This was yet another significant milestone and a proud, bittersweet moment. Katie got accepted to James Madison University and so we spent more time doing the whole moving/planning thing.

The celebrations were abruptly overshadowed by one insurance claim after another to bring the total for the month of June to 4..... Yes I said 4. First a mechanical breakdown for my car. Picture I am driving a rental...and two days after having it, my daughter calls me in tears. She has been in an accident. Thank the LORD she was ok and was able to make it to dance rehearsals (where she was going) and actually DANCE!! As we concluded her 14 year dancing career on the stage with her dance school, we headed to the beach....with two rental cars.

My 19 year old son joined us for the weekend and on his way home Sunday, he was involved in an accident. Good fortune was ours again as he was not hurt. (yes, we have RACKED up some damage!) but we were not done yet!!!

I was riding home from the beach directly to work. Left at 4 am and drove safely to the exit that I take and a sheet of metal was launched into the air by the car in front of me and struck my rental. Oh yeah, we are having really big fun.
The last weekend of June was now time to really let loose as I turned 50. With some grouping of our kids, we trekked out to Assateague and had a magnificent weekend ~ And it ended with our friends taking us by boat to Seacrets....for grown up time.

We had a wonderful 4th of July on the beach...

my honey and I by the fire looking out at the ocean !!!----------------->>

But what came after the 4th of July was yet another milestone...lets count

them, daughter/prom, daughter (last child) graduated/turned 50, so there

we were....4 hours away and one week away from the "planned" date....attending orientation and my phone rings at 1 am. Phones dont ring at my age at 1 am without a REASON! My son called to tell me that they were on their way to the hospital and so my daughter and I spent the next 4 hours in the hotel room (she drifted, I paced)...until I got my first picture of Aubrey. She is a lovely grandaughter and everything a mom, dad, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, you name it, could wish for.

And so, I have stopped and started my blog so many many times ~ But what I knew was right for me was to experience the time, rather than blog. And that we are doing.

In 8 days, I pack the car up ~ and deliver my youngest child, into the hands of this wonderful college, and pray that the same dignity she has led her life with thusfar, will follow her to college.

I sure hope you all are having a great summer. I tried to shorten it up...there is more...but c'mon! Doesn't this make you tired just to read the abbreviated version?