Big Plans for Later in Summer!

In case you’re wondering where I’ve been, I’ve been learning that life in “retirement” keeps me busier than my former job. I’m babysitting more for grandkids, going on little adventures with my husband, making dates with friends and continuing with my monthly submissions to “Catholic Mom,” the online magazine. Those articles require inspiration and research, and, of course, the writing and submission phase, which I am still working to completely conquer on my new computer, with the mysterious Pages App, but somehow (with lots of saints interceding for me!) I’m able to accomplish it with just a few embarrassing mistakes (yeah, you’re right….more than a few!).

As the summer (which, by the way, has continued to be very good to us, with continued cool temperatures) finally begins ramping up the temperature our outdoor activities will also ramp up.

And as the summer warms, we’re still impatiently waiting for news, any day now, of the date for our foster grandchildren’s adoptions and baptisms, which will take place one right after the other, with extended family gathering from various points on the continent. Our own “Northern Contingent” will be traveling down with their camper, our first camping “reunion” in a while, and we hear those grandkids are REALLY looking forward to this event. I, on the other hand, am already making plans. I will spend half of our camping week wandering around, looking for things I’ve misplaced (I’m not good with living out of bags.) I always get things mixed up, and even if other members of the family lose things, I get blamed for it). I’ll use the second half of our campout doing crafts with the grandkids, and playing in the creek with them, while my husband offers rides for everyone on the golf cart, and coaches the older ones in tomahawk tossing, and/or archery. And don’t worry, my husband is HIGHLY safety conscious, so everyone will be fine! And the entire family will go all in on celebrating this huge event, so long in coming, of the 3 youngest foster children becoming legal members of our family, and, most importantly, members, by baptism, of the Family of God! (Oldest “foster child” was adopted and baptized a few years ago)

So, yeah, getting together will be awesome in and of itself, but the highlight of the gathering will definitely be the adoptions and baptisms. (And also being able to get a new family photo with all of the latest additions) In addition to our family members, grandparents from my S-I-L’s family are planning to fly in from CA for the event. We have lots of fun with his dad around. But, all-in-all, it’s going to be a crazy time, with non-stop activity, so I’m going to start planning (for real) soon, before it all sneaks up on me! Thank God that I’m now officially retired, which will make things much easier (but I’ll still have to drive back home a few times for cat bowl filling, and litter box cleaning, but I don’t mind. If the weather gets really hot, that’s a good excuse for spending the night with the AC cranking! 😜