July

This month of which is almost over has been full. This July I turned 30. So far I like it. I don't miss my twenties at all. What's the big deal? Anyway. My dearest ones showered me with love and Nordstrom gift cards, some desperately needed new make-up (I just LOVE Bare Minerals) and some sweet friends of mine had a little party for me. We ate, talked, and enjoyed leaving the kids with their dads. It was perfect.

One gift bestowed upon me was a pair of adorable chicks. Now I can look forward to our very own fresh eggs soon. The kids are out of their minds over them. We've got Honey, the Buff Orpington, and Maple the Rhode Island Red. After a few days of them hanging out in their cardboard box they learned to fly out. We kept them in the bathroom while we made chicken coop plans. We had to expedite those plans because the birds were leaving little droppings all over the bathroom. I kept thinking: This is not what I had in mind for my downstairs extra bathroom. Ha! So my dearest Jason rigged something up pronto and we've got ourselves a pretty decent coop and run for them. They should be some happy hens.

James and Hannah took swim lessons. James went from the petrified screamer kid to much more comfortable in the water. Hannah did well and became a stronger little swimmer this year. On the last day she jumped off the high dive, surprising me. She's usually pretty cautious but she climbed up those stairs, and without the slightest bit of hesitation walked right off the board with a nice splash.

Jason is still home. Still. Home. But we're OK! Honest! It's been kind of neat having him home all this time. We have never had this much time together. So now we just wait for him to get the call once the job starts. Today he and Hannah went to Disneyland to use those passes we got for Christmas. A couple of weeks ago we went to Catalina Island with my parents and the kids and then my mom and dad took Hannah and James home over night and they went to Legoland the next day. I think they might be nearly recuperated by now, over a week later!

I'm trying to type this while Phillip Henry sits on my lap, trying to steal sips of my drink. He's about 18 months now. That means we're almost over the crazy 12-18 month hump. He's finally learning to not touch certain things, what NO means, to say thank you - "taytoo"and he gives good hugs and kisses. He tries to do everything James does including ride a trike, shovel up dirt, go down slides. He's overall much less cautious than Hannah and James. He's got no fear. He jumps in swimming pools and thinks he can swim, makes a b-line to the waves when we're at the beach, and is found pretty regularly on the tops of tables. He's pretty dangerous. I cannot take my eyes off of him. He also grunts and points to things he wants and places he'd like to go. It's so sweet to see his personality develop and see how he and his siblings interact. There are times when it is utter chaos here and everyone is whiney but I nearly live for the moments when the three of them play and giggle together and are kind and considerate to each other. I love that they have each other. It could be my only child-ness, but I am so happy that they have someone to talk to besides Jason and me, and the family dog. I'm sure I have overly romantic ideas about sibling hood and I was always told as a kid by my friends how lucky I was to not have any brothers or sisters, but I'm pretty sure those same kids are thankful they have their siblings now. Anyhow, I'm on a mission to make sure they always love each other. Pardon that bunny trail.

This month I read The Poisonwood Bible. It was very good. Though I don't agree with much of the author's theology, I appreciated the story, and her angle on missionaries in Africa. I found it educational, since I'm completely ignorant about much of the history of Africa. I had the basics of it being a land exploited by Western imperialism but that was about it. Fascinating. I'm on Kingsolver kick. I may read The Prodigal Summer next, but am debating reading Harry Potter instead. I've never read the series and would like read them before my kids do. Should be fun. I also plan to read Mary the Mother of God, Sermons by Saint Gregory Palamas for the Dormition fast that is beginning in August.

We'll start some schooling again next month, and weather the summer. So far it's been the most mild summer I can recall in Southern California. Today was perfect here in the I.E. It looks like our short sale on our old house is going to go through. Lord have mercy on us! It will be so nice do completely be done with that whole ordeal. It actually helped us that J is out of work so that way we don't have to pay off our second mortgage. It's all been God's good timing. Hopefully we'll be back on track soon. Pray for us!