summer fun

resting after a huge hill

It seems like I haven't wrote anything on here in forever! I have been keeping the kids busy now that Hannah is home with us. That gives them less chances to fight with each other! It is weird that I feel like I only get Hannah now during the summer. I feel like I am divorced from the school and summer is my time to have her. We are trying to make the best of it. Today we went to the park in Eleanor, back by the pool, got a few things at the store then came home, ate lunch and swam in the pool on our porch for a little while. Now they are sleeping and I am doing yet another load of laundry and listening to the thunder rumble off in the distance. Since yesterday was a holiday we took the kids to Kanawha State Forest. None of us had ever been there. We just wanted to look around at the camp sites and hike some while we were there. Just make a day of it. So we picked a trail that looked kinda short on the map and took off. First, though, let me say that the bugs were horrible. They were swarming around our heads, going in our eyes and mouth. Just gross!! But as long as we kept up the pace, it wasn't too bad. The trail we picked ended up being 2 miles. The first mile and a half was basically up hill and the last leg of it downhill (that is the way it felt). It took us nearly 2 hrs and we were all sweating like pigs! Hannah was the leader. She did pretty well at keeping us on the trail and chosing different paths (of course, we knew where we were going too). Brad had to carry Ryan quite a bit. His little legs are still too short and he gets tired easily. Brad picked 7 ticks off him the entire time we were there. I had 2 and Ryan had 1 I think. Hannah didn't get one on her, that I found. So gross!! I can't think what else we have done since I last wrote. I guess nothing excited. This weekend, Brad's mom is keeping the kids and Brad and I are going to Cols to help my sister move and then next weekend we are going to the beach. I can not wait. I am not looking forward to packing the camper up, that is always the worst part. We aren't just taking suitcases. We are taking a mini house that has to be stocked with a week of food for 3 hungry kids (ok, maybe a couple hungry adults too), clothes and bathroom stuff for us all. And on the way back from the beach we are dropping all 3 kids (cousin Michael is coming too) off at grandma and grandpa's in NC for the week so I have to have things for that week too. Actually, I'll be able to empty the camper out at their house!! Anyway, I need to get back to work.