OUR SUMMER GOT OFF TO A BUSY START

(This is a lengthy post as I have a lot of catching up to do.  Thank you to those of you who hang in there with me.)

We kicked off the month of June with our Family Night get together on the 2nd. We hosted the get together, with a backyard cookout, and then enjoyed sitting around and visiting as the grands played. (Since our family has gotten so big and everyone seems to always be busy, our kids decide they wanted to have a Family Night each month and rotate the location between each of their homes and ours.  We are really enjoying spending this time together.) 

On June 7th we attended our granddaughter Abbey’s Fifth Grade Graduation.  It is hard to believe she will be in Middle School – they grow up so fast.

I forgot my camera and had to take this with my phone.  I didn’t know I had it on black and white until I got home, so I don’t have a color photo.  I had to get my granddaughter to change the setting back to color for me – don’t know what I would do without my techy grandkids.

Our dear friends of over 35 years arrived from Texas on the 9th for a month long visit.  They were our neighbors as our kids were growing up and moved to Texas in 1990 along with two of their grown children.  One of their daughters remained in Lakeland with her family.  So when the Downey’s come to visit their daughter, granddaughter, and great granddaughter we get to enjoy time with them too.

On June 11th and 12th I went to a mini retreat for MOPS Mentors at our coordinator’s beach castle.

What a beautiful place to fellowship and plan for our 2012-2013 MOPS year.

On June 14th we celebrated our 43rd Anniversary by going out to eat at our favorite steak restaurant. It was a much needed quiet evening in the middle of a busy month.

One week later, on June 21st, we left for our vacation.  We spent the first night in South Carolina with my brother and SIL and then headed to North Carolina the next morning.  We have had many vacations in NC but have never been to the High Country. We stayed near Linville and took day trips to visit some of the area attractions.  Some of the places we visited were Boone and the Daniel Boone Inn Restaurant, Grandfather Mountain, Blowing Rock, Linville Falls, and we drove endless, yet beautiful, miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We did a lot of walking, hiking, and riding, but we enjoyed every minute of it.  This is definitely a vacation we will repeat. 

The views were gorgeous.

The rhododendron were beautiful.

Linville Falls was peaceful.

The only picture we had taken together. 

Every chance he got Adolph was climbing.

I didn’t know if I could do it – but I really did walk across the mile high swinging bridge at Grandfather Mountain.

After spending six days in NC we headed back to SC and spent a couple of days with my brother and SIL visiting Charleston.  We enjoyed sightseeing, eating yummy Low Country food, and spending time together.

We had a wonderful and restful vacation.  And it was a good thing because…

Ten minutes after we arrived home my Mom called to tell me that they had taken my Dad to the hospital by ambulance for chest pains.  We hurried to the ER to find that he had had a heart attack.  After several tests, including a heart cath, and a five day stay in the hospital we were able to bring him home.  We were very blessed that the heart attack was mild and did no damage to the heart wall.  After a rough week of additional recovery he is doing very well.  God is good.

Wow, June was a whirlwind and I was ready for things to slow down – but I wonder sometimes if slow is a word that can be used to describe my life.

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer.  Thank you for stopping by.

Blessings,
Sue