This summer was a blast. We met tons of new friends, human and furry. We were not short on adventure this summer for sure.

Izzy spent a week at Camp Shipshewana and we got a parenting break. My husband graduated from his first chapter of Fight Club, which was an awesome way to kick off our summer, God is good. We watched 2 beloved friends/family marry and enjoyed time with the ones we love most, both blood and chosen. We got to hang with Aunt Carrie at the Fort Wayne Zoo for a day. Izzy danced her way to stardom at the annual Music and Dance Academy recital, ok maybe not stardom but it’s my blog, let me dream. We played games as a family, enjoyed sunrises and sunsets, braved a few storms, enjoyed our surroundings and all their splendor. We kayaked with friends and laughed when they fell in or got stuck under branches, not at them, with them of course. My husband and I were even able to escape for a weekend camping trip to Mackinac Island. We enjoyed fireworks and fire pits and some of our family enjoyed putting stuff in the fire pits but that’s another blog. I got to see my first night rainbow, entered my first art show, Art Lotto, sold my first art piece, whoot, whoot and met some crazy talented artists in the Shenandoah Valley. Most importantly, I got to spend what short time I still have left with Izzy as a child. We spent time at the “beach” in Syracuse, rode fair rides, Izzy got a blue ribbon, we hung out with some cattle and elephants and ate lots of things that I am still trying to burn off. My niece, Kirstyn came for a week long visit from VA just before school started and we took a girls trip to Chicago. We went to the aquarium, took a boat tour of the city, ate some deep dish and shopped till we dropped in true girl fashion. Unfortunately, that is all documented on film which I’m still learning but it happened, I swear.

All in all it was a great summer. Best part was that we were able to spend the time together as a family. You never want to look back on life and wish you could change what you have done, we can say that we did it our way, together!