If you have to squeeze your whole summer into three weeks.....

You need to gather the boys and make use of the toys:

  A little KOA'ing at the hot springs - and yes, that is a hot-spring-heated outdoor pool!

A big ol' family reunion camping trip in Idaho.....

 And a nice, woodsy birthday week trip in the Gallatin canyon...in a silver Twinkie...

Where a "bobcat: almost at me!  (Go MSU Bobcats!)

HAPPY DAY OFF LABORERS!

How to start your birthday off right.....

Leave these around the camper...........

     It was a "no catch" birthday, but still the fun is in the trying. As much as I hate getting older, I absolutely loved being told by my 7 year old, Dakota, " You are two twenties and a one! "

Downshifting....and gearing up

I'm reaching a point in the seasons where I feel like I'm downshifting a big-rig on a 5% grade only to head straight back uphill - BUT - it's ALL GOOD!

Summer: My  exceptional students class, son's driver's ed,son's football, work 40, sleep 4, pass my class, start my astronomy, work, work work, then - ( cue angel's singing) my Mommy comes for a week and I take a week off from it all -except running son to football 2x/day. (shop/camp/hot-springs/yummy food/art fair).

Then back to work for a few days and off to camp/family reunion for a few more days in Idaho (bonus- 5 hrs of audio book time each way  - and lots of cousins, cousins, cousins - YAY!

Now the downshift and school shopping and squeezing in one more camping trip for my birthday.

I am SO looking forward to returning to my blog and reading everyone else's - I've missed your blogs! And here's the kicker:

I am taking two, TWO literature classes. I went to get my books and I was just GIDDY....count them....18 YA and MG fiction books plus two that were out of stock. If that doesn't make me certain I'm in the right major I don't know what will!!!

Booklist if anyone wants to share opinions on these - I haven't read any of them.
Inside Out and Back Again
Breaking Stalin's Nose
Return to Sender
Lord Rules
Why We Broke Up
Zahra's paradise
Chains
donovan's Big Day
I Broke My Trunk
Crossing Bok Chitto
One Crazy Summer
A long Walk to Water
Gemini Bites
The Lover's Dictionary
Soldier Bear
Where Things Come Back
Under the Mesquite
Over Sea, Under Stone
The Notorious Benedict Arnold
Amelia Lost
Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life
And there's a textbook or two in there.....something about Physics, Assessment and Math for Teachers - but, whatever.....