How did we end up here?

Whoa:   How is it that we're staring at the last weekend in July already?  
And that folks are starting to remind me that Sunday is

Yep, my birthday....the last one before I enter a new decade.

So, let's see...how did we get to this point...I'll back up a bit and catch up on what's been happening here at the House of Chang

Last weekend, Thing Two and I joined a few neighborhood friends for an afternoon of culture...

Ok, so the symphony was performing the Music of Harry Potter and as such, it wasn't as cultured of an event as I'm portraying it to be.  But, perfect seats, fabulous music, wonderful friends and shelter from the sweltering heat outside?   Yeah, I'll take it!  

I also found myself with a sippy cup sized just right at our "Coffee Club Happy Hour" last Friday night

Again, a bit misleading, I really only had a small glass of wine and chased it with a couple glasses of water..

But this was our honest to goodness view

*soon after I snapped this we were treated to the most wonderful sunset of oranges and blues...

*Always extra happy when happy hour is within walking distance of my own house.

Saturday evening was our neighborhood's wine tasting evening..

I managed to snap just one photo of S and J before the sun set..

S. and I have spent a lot of time together this summer...

not only reconnecting with a long time friend, but taking care of our bodies..

A couple days a week, we meet and hoof it through this path...

It's a challenging route with some significant hills to climb but each day gets a little easier.

Not everything is going perfect in this quest to find fitness before 50...

 Krispy Kale, sound good, nice crunch to it, but a bit too earthy flavor for me.  

Jogging through a  5k:   went great the first two weeks, but then the knees started to hurt.

Sorry, but sort of need those knees to do their job so I'll stick with walking.

Oh well, I'll keep at it, just have to sort through what works and what doesn't...

In other news, Hubby has a new job, working from home.  But first he had to travel to UT to meet his new team.  While he was gone, this one took over his dad's spot in the family room...

Look at that grin...he does indeed know that he's in his daddy's spot!

Equal billing for the other thing?   Tough to include a photo...he's going through that hibernation mode of the teenager.   He is in driver's ed this week, so I suspect pictures will follow in the weeks to come as he starts taking to the road.

So, yes, this pretty much sums up how we got here, to the final stretch of my summer break.

We haven't taken any exciting trips, but I have slowed down and focused on the details..

spending time with friends

spending time taking care of my body

spending time in the company of a good book

and

 spending time either loving or annoying my family (that changes on an hourly basis....)

Until next time...

The joy of OPK*

*OPK=Other People's Kids

What's a picture taking fool to do when her own kids decide to play camera shy for the summer of 2014?   Why you turn the camera on the neighborhood kids...

Clearly they didn't mind that crazy neighbor lady snapping away....

Even one of the mamas said "sure" when I asked her to step into the shot...

And let's not forget the joy of OPD...

*other people's dogs...

This is Valkryie...a 2+ year old German Shepherd who was our house guest this past week...

ALWAYS ready for her close up be it in the house..

in the side car...

 or even up on the top of Mount Evans...

 But what about the kids?  

Oh don't worry....Moosey is still around...

He's mastered the art of "selfies"...

Oh you mean the Things?    

Yeah...they are sort of getting tired of Mom and her ever present camera..

I've had to be a bit sneaky about it...

Yes there is a rare sighting of Thing One...awake, moving and OUTSIDE enjoying the fresh mountain air?

Yep, we've got photographic proof that he can survive outdoor activity...

With Thing Two taking his turn at the jousting by side car adventure a few weeks ago...

Yesterday this one...

turned 17....ah yes...another chance to capture him doing something other than 

hibernating for the summer 

(he graciously gave up his bedroom for the various company we've hosted this past week, roughing it in the basement...mini fridge right out of the view of the camera)...

He and Moosey took a trip down Memory Lane...

where he found it rather amusing he's got a relative named Conception?

And while the kid has little interest in cake, he sure does enjoy the presents that come with a birthday...

And equal time for the younger Thing? 

Yeah...he made an appearance and spent some time with the family...

(we've actually seen a lot of him this past week...

ok, so he's been grounded and as such has nothing else to do BUT hang with the old folks)...

As I finish up this post of bits and pieces, I'm reminded of a line I heard on one of my FAVORITE shows. 

(Call the Midwife:   watch it, I promise you'll find it time well spent)

  Nurse Jenny Less reflected 

"For What is Joy if it goes unrecorded and what is love if it is not shared?

Yes, sometimes I'm recording the joy of my own family and sometimes it is the joy of others...but in the end..

it is joy in my life that I take time to reflect on and remember!

Make it a good one! 

Going Home

Who says you can't go home?   

Yeah, yeah, I get what Thomas Wolfe observed that one can't go home.  That attempts to return to youthful memories will always fail.   But this past weekend, I sure did have a great time connecting with friends and family back "home".  

I was able to spend time with a few favorite couples....

*Not pictured are my aunt and uncle, here's one from last September with my dad

Not sure why I didn't snap a current picture....I think we were so absorbed in visiting that I failed to pull out the camera...

I was able to spend a Sunday with these three forever friends...

Where we toured the Historic home of these Broadway Icons...

 If you are as clueless as I was....that's Lynn Fontaine and Alfred Lund..

and this is their house...

Ten Chimneys...

 tucked away just down the road from where I grew up....

 Yep, that's their restored chicken coop

and this is the bedroom inside of said Chicken Coop

 Yeah, not your average Wisconsin farm that's for sure...

I sampled the good eats found on pretty much every corner....

I enjoyed time with man's best friend...

And of course...there were plenty of reasons to laugh...

And yet....eventually all good fun must come to an end..

 it is indeed time for me to head back home to these guys...

They needed me too.....

In the blink of an eye...

Stay tuned....more fun times await this wonderful kid I call Thing Two!



Just as I did for Thing One when he finished up middle school, I've put together a collage of pictures of his school days, mostly firsts and last days with a few tossed in between.   I know that many great things await this young man, but for today, I'm pausing and looking back at how much he has changed and grown and celebrating this milestone moment of wrapping up the middle school era.

Homebodies need not apply

A busy week here at the House of Chang...Ok, a busy week for Thing Two.
Thing One kept out of the camera lens by studying for his finals (which, by the way, he is acing!  He apparently is a second semester strong finisher type student!)

 First Stop....Final Orchestra concert...

Tusen Takk to the talents of Ms. Ravnan...

 Second Stop....8th grade awards night

where yes, he was honored for his contributions to the music program...

Because, well, they don't hand out ribbons for most forgotten grammar worksheets?

And third stop....8th grade dance...

where he would be the escort for the girl next door....

Ok, if we're gonna get technical....she lives around the corner...but still...

Proud Mama?  Gee How could you tell...

Thanks to Colleen for capturing and sharing a photo of me and the younger Thing!

The Graduate that was late

Today was graduation day for the school where I work.   A graduate showed up really late today.  As in everyone had walked in, the pledge had been said, and the last bars of the national anthem were being sung.

She shows up and in my judgmental but silent voice I thought "Gee Girl, why'd you even bother?"

I was even more surprised to see an administrator and her assistant hustling around to get her chair put back in place.   Where was their scowl?

Later,  learned that this young graduate was late because first she went to our school (we have the ceremony at a local university arena, a good 30 minutes from where the school is).   It was locked up and she didn't know what to do.  

You see, this young graduate has been living in her car since her mom took off for who knows where.   This young graduate has attended 5 different high schools in 4 years following her mom and apparently this time she decided she was staying put.   Yes, even if it meant she lived out of her car until she finished up her classes and earned her credits.  

Why did she go to the school in the first place?   Seems she went there in hope of being able to take a shower in the locker room, something our administrators have been aware of and assisting with.

It breaks my heart to think of the determination it took for her to make it to graduation.   What thoughts she must have had as she raced downtown, hoping to make it in time.   And how heart warming it was to see a usual gruff-by-the-book administrative assistant smile at this young lady and hurry off to make sure a chair got placed back in her row.  

What a timely reminder for me...I may know their name (as was the case today), but that doesn't mean I know their stories.   I may have heard what she had done, but clearly I had no idea what she had been through.

Congratulation to this young graduate, and the 550 classmates that received their diplomas today!
Here's a few of my favorite photos from today's graduation...

Way to go ILC graduates!

 This young man, was one of the first to arrive...he just couldn't stop smiling the whole time...

The beauty of working in the neighborhood school, I've known this fella since he was in 1st grade!

 Twins...this young man has a heart of gold and the love he shows in helping care for his sister...

well, you'd just have to see it to believe it!

We shouldn't have favorites...but this one is one my favorite clinic visitors!