Today was the first day of school for our kiddos. The tall guy on the right is a senior. He is my first born and this is not easy, knowing he will leave the nest soon.
But, hey. At least we know that shoe polishing cars is still in style.
I’m wondering how long this will be on his truck. I mean…”Sexy” and “Hawt” sound pretty good if you’re seventeen and single. Oh my goodness! Shaping up to be a fun Fall folks!
This summer has flown by much to quickly. When the roofers showed up at dawn this morning (because our poor roof has been pummeled repeatedly by recent hail storms), it reminded me of just how early my day begins when the school bell rings. I have become rather accustomed to NOT having to wake up so bright and early. No, let me just be really honest and admit that I love being able to sleep in a bit, and I really love it when my kids get to sleep in…a bit. Or, more than a bit. My 13-year-old will sleep any chance she gets. My 17 year old sleeps in because he keeps late hours-a topic for a completely different conversation! But, the quiet morning time for me that I have discovered is soon coming to an end. Enter, the dark thirty wake up, run two miles, figure out breakfast, make sure everyone is up and moving, fed, back packs in order, homework done and ready to go, off to school on time etc…. you know the drill.
Summer is almost over and I have this sinking feeling inside…and not just for the early alarm clock to come, but really, because we have had a seriously terrific last couple of months.
Here are some of the highlights that I will cherish and savor. Especially, on those mornings where everyone is grumpy and dragging their feet and I am longing for my happy place!
Ahhh, Florida. How I love you so!
Or, my new happy place…discovered with some seriously special friends!
I could live here…. really, I could!
Or here, at our annual 4th of July happy place….
With our happy friends.
And kids who are growing up faster than I want to think about….
In fact, that big boy in blue had the audacity to go to summer school at my alma mater…an old, happy place!
This was hard…really hard….to let him pretend he is in college already. Even though I know he’s on deck to find that happy place of his own soon.
In fact, this next year is going to fly right on by!
My parents will attest to that since we just capped off the summer celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary… in their ‘happy place.’
Northern New Mexico is truly beautiful…
And the perfect place to celebrate two very special people.
Or, the perfect way to wind down the past couple of wonderful months…
On deck…a legislative conference in Chicago. Fun, because it is just me and my Senator….but, certainly a reality check that summer is coming to a close.
Hope your summer was full of fun memories and happy places!
A few weeks ago I was in New York for an American Mothers conference. (Great organization with a beautiful history…more about them soon). Anyway, Kathie Lee Gifford was receiving an award and was the featured speaker at lunch…a lunch I was presiding over in my role as president of the national organization…so I got to sit by her for a while and present her with the award. But man I’ve got to tell you, she was not at ALL what I thought she would be…I have watched her on t.v. on and off for years and in my own sheltered mind I had this image of her as being …well, I don’t know how to really describe what I thought she was…but that bubble has burst. This woman was absolutely beautiful inside and out…truly remarkable, strong and hysterical in a down to earth sort of way. And I will certainly cherish the the couple of hours I shared in her company for a long, long time.
The Senator's Wife 