A Quick Recap of September 2019

This has been a busy month and it's not quite over yet!

We drove 1200 miles and spent most of a week camping, hiking, and spreading ashes with my family for Dad's memorial. Then we made the long journey back home.

We tried to recuperate for a couple days, but also had to do the kids' beginning-of-year reading tests, pick up some curriculum that had finally arrived (4 weeks after ordering) and attend the quilting meeting and piano lessons. My sister and her husband got back about a day and a half after us, and she also had to take a couple days to try to recuperate. She has made that 1200 mile trip a couple of times lately, having moved here very recently before the memorial took place.

After a few days had passed, she and I canned peaches together over the course of a couple different days, and with many of the peaches being on the verge of starting to go bad. That was a big job in itself!

And before we were quite finished, my Mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and sister-in-law's-boyfriend arrived after an 1100 mile journey. The boyfriend spent the week at somebody else's house - the reason he'd come out was to hunt anyway, so he was out in the mountains most of the time. My sister-in-law spent a few days with us and a few days with her best friend, who also lives in this area. My mother-in-law spent basically the whole week with us.

During that week, we also got started on school. A bit of a juggling act since I didn't want to waste a bit of the time we had with my MIL, but also a necessity to accomplish. At the end of the week, I looked at our accomplishments and was pleasantly surprised by all we were able to accomplish in spite of that!

This week, we've had to run here and there every day so far, although yesterday's running about wasn't until my Man got home and we went to a viewing. After we got home, I just wanted to go straight to bed, but instead I pushed everyone through baths and hair-washing, sent them to bed, and after feeding/coddling/lulling the baby to sleep, at LAST I took a bath myself and then headed for bed.

This morning, I amazed myself by having chores, breakfast, etc. all accomplished AS WELL as a little of our school, a load of laundry, and popping a load of dishes into my recently acquired and much-loved dishwasher, after which we left for this morning's funeral early enough to stop and pick up the sympathy card I'd previously forgotten to purchase. I did not attend the graveside or potluck dinner afterward, as I had a previously scheduled appointment with the HQC from the Charter School. After she left, having informed me that I had more curriculum ready, the kids & I headed up to the campus once more and got our books. We came home, I took note of this batch of 18 books (I have a list on which I'm keeping track of everything ordered and what is not here yet).

Then the kids had their (required) pleasure reading and piano practice (they alternate who is doing which, since both subjects take about the same length of time), and then I got dinner in the oven because it takes 2 hours to cook, and then I sat down with a (large) cup of coffee and the computer, and have been cold-heartedly ignoring the sad baby (she is falling asleep and hates that) while I write and try to imagine myself staying awake in church tonight.

Tomorrow I have the leave the house once again to do some banking, plus hoping to spend a bit of time with my sister, then Saturday my Man has plans, then Sunday is Potluck after Church. Monday will begin another week of school (and hopefully not much else!), and end an extremely busy month!

I hope October is a little calmer. I intend to heavily prioritize sleep once we get through this weekend.

Camp

My family was able to spend most of a week at "Camp". We went to my childhood camping place, a place way up in the mountain and away from everybody except a few hunters. My Mom and most of my siblings went up to camp Sunday, and my Man & kids & I followed Monday. One sister wasn't able to get there until Thursday.

We spread Dad's ashes here and there about the mountains he had so loved to bring us to each year.

It was sad & fun all mixed in together. I think the benefit in waiting 19 months after he passed away before being able to accomplish his request, is that we were able to find more enjoyment together at camp. Which is what he wanted, I think.

I'm glad we got to go.

I'm glad my kids got to experience that camp once in their lives.

I'm glad for the time with my family.

I'm glad it is now done.