I began the summer break on approximately May 1, 2012, with the completion of 4 classes – the most I’ve ever taken – centered on teaching itself (prerequisites done!). I took Democracy and Education, Special Education, Motor Development, and Speech and Language courses, and with the heavy focus on writing in general in these courses I managed to get a 4.0!!! I was so excited as I never did that before. Next semester math comes to challenge me again (Math for Teachers) and I will have to take two courses in it, so my expectations of 4.0 for next year are extremely slim – but it was nice to do it once in my college career!
May 1 we went on the first leg of our summer business trip – the three southern Ohio counties we do the first day – Monroe, Guernsey, Morgan – this huge coal shovel is down in Noble County, at http://www.noblecountyohio.com/muskie.html – we see it every time we go down the winding Route 78. We stopped on the way home this time, which we usually don’t get a chance to do. Another view from it – so pretty! 
June 25, 26 we had our first part of our summer business trip, and went to Jefferson County, OH; Jefferson County, PA; Forest and Warren Counties, PA. With this being our anniversary we also went over to Salamanca, NY and ate at Napoli’s pizza and visited our old camping favorite area at Allegheny State Park. July 3 we went on the second part OF the first part of our trip – ha ha – with the addition of 3 counties we had to have an additional one-day trip, where we went to Greene County, PA, and ate dinner with our friends Pat and Tim in Uniontown – we called this our SECOND 25th anniversary dinner 
Mid June brought the beginning of summer camp as well as the full-fledged prep for our graduation parties!
We also had two attempts to see fireworks, (poor Ashleigh had three attempts), all of which were canceled due to weather – storms or wind. Meanwhile the state has been in a drought otherwise. So we’re going to give in one more chance August 5 when we attend the Fest — http://www.thefest.us/.
We attended 2 graduation parties and had our own, and it was really fun but very very busy – and so so hot!!! So far this summer we have had 19 days above 90 degrees. We are hoping for another day of swimming soon as we only so far have gone on June 10. I am sure we will go again…
After all that excitement the past few weeks I have been attempting to do a lot of paper sorting, and also cleaned the kitchen, and am going to make some plans for the next paperwork projects and what other cleaning projects I can complete before school starts. I have gotten nowhere near done what I expected to, but have enjoyed many moments with the family and out in the community, and have met all the paperwork deadlines I had for the kids and college, of which there were many, and many more immediately forthcoming!! My Better Homes and Gardens goal, however, has again been put off…. early this summer I had the full expectation of having the entire house cleaned and organized by now…
What I’d like to do before August 27, when I start school?
- Finish all the filing in the office (it’s already sorted by drawer now – yay me! – and all recycling is ready to go across the street). Clean out files if possible.
- Almost forgot this one – a big one – try and get 1/4 to 1/2 done with course on educational psych for fall that is already on line – that will put me so much ahead for fall where I’m also taking math for teachers, educational technology, and American sign language [only class on campus, rest online!]
- Prioritize all paperwork and put on the calendar and make sure it’s done on time. For Chris, Colleen, Ryan, my college, Rog/Colleen’s college, and anything else I need to do…
- Sort all clothes in the three bedrooms and give away the tons we don’t need.
- KEEP deleting emails I don’t need – in the last week I have gone from 18000 emails to 2,000 emails, and still deleting.
- Go through freezers again and plan more meals to use up what we have.
- Complete the deep-cleaning of the kitchen by scrubbing out and sorting all cabinets.
- Finish straightening basement, clean out the fridge bins that are down there for the downstairs freezer
- Pass out Avon books again.
- Finish painting living room?
- Work with Colleen on sorting 4 years worth of school documents and organize them into bookcase and filing sorters.
- Probably many more ………
As always the summer is flying by. I go back to school August 27, Colleen starts August 25 (Mon/Wed. 10-4:45 (big break in the middle so far where I’d like to help her schedule a voice class at Fine Arts!), and Thurs. 9-12:50), Roger will start the same week but I’m not sure yet what classes he’s taking – majoring in human services at Lakeland then most likely finishing at Cleveland State. He already has his arts degree (so he’s farther ahead than I was) so hopefully will finish before me maybe – we hope to finish up by 2015 anyhow!! Then I’ll be a teacher and he’ll be a special needs social worker. Colleen is starting her graphic design degree.
Chris is doing well and all kinds of plans are in the works with his I/O Waiver and workers, and he starts workshop in the fall! He is doing well, praise God!
