This has been the fastest summer EVER!!! We started off the summer with a girls trip to Pensacola-me, Kara, Kali and her BFF Leigh. We stopped in Chattanooga for the night and visited with our Ward cousins-Katy and Will and their sweeties! We picked Kara up at Alabama where I had taken her the week before for a week of missions training. It was a wonderful relaxing time full of sand, rest, sun and good seafood!!! I could of stayed there all summer and been perfectly happy. :)
On June 14, Marty and I took Kara to fly out of Nashville for 6 weeks of mission work in Cambodia and South Korea. We then headed out for an 11 day road trip (just the two of us) covering 16 states and Canada and almost 3,000 miles. We had a great time and it was the first time since before children that we had probably had that much one on one time. A little premonition of the empty nest that will be coming in just 4 short years... One of he best parts was visiting with my friend Alessia Albanese and her family in Niagara on the Lake. I met Alessia at the I Teach K! National Conference many years ago and I cherish her friendship across the miles. Highlights of the trip were Niagara Falls, Salem Massachusetts, Hershey Pennsylvania-CHOCOLATE! where we also met up with church and Huntingdon friend Joanne Zambo- Gettsburg, PA, Boston Mass. and visiting with a dear college and sorority sister, Susan Rector and some of the best seafood EVER in Maine! We stayed in AirBnBs so we met lots of interesting people along the way. The 9/11 memorial in New York was an incredible memorial but also heartbreaking.... We were thankful for safe travels and making many memories!
While we were gone, Kali went on mission trip with First Baptist Youth for a week in the Memphis area. Kirk held down the fort both at home and work while we were gone.
July brought church camp at Lakeshore for Kali and beach retreat to Florida; Jamaica mission trip for Kirk with our First Methodist group, knee surgery (he recovered well) and trip to Disneyland;and I attended I Teach K! National Conference at Vegas-always a truly amazing time! My besties were there this year-Dr. Jean, Sandy Welch, Katie Knight, Abigail Cerene, Debbie Clement, Greg Warren, Kim Adsit, Shari Sloane, Cara Carroll, Crystle Radke, Kimberly Jordano, and my new besties-Carolyn Kisloski, Palma Lindsay and Leanna Goldstein and so many more!!!!
Kara arrives home next Saturday. She will start her Junior year at APSU late August. Kirk graduates December from U OF Memphis and Kali starts her high school freshman year while I start my 11th year at HPS in Kindergarten and 16th year of teaching.
I am looking forward to another wonderful school year with a new bunch of sweeties!!! I am thankful for a safe summer full of sweet memories with friends and family.
