Sorry about not posting for so long. Life, as usual, is busy. Last week my grandson Luke graduated from 8th grade, and the very next day my grandson Niland "graduated" from preschool. These are major milestones in the kids' lives, and we were glad to be present even though it meant adjusting work hours for both me and my husband.
Luke was all dressed up in a suit and tie, a rare sight indeed. The Catholic school he attended did not do the cap and gown thing, but Niland's preschool church did. Well, sort of. All of the 4 year olds wore men's white short-sleeved dress shirts, which they wore backwards, making them look like white gowns. It was pretty clever. Bob donated the shirt for Niland to wear, and the sleeves came down to Niland's wrists. Some children wore long-sleeved shirts and had to have them rolled up.
We had dinner together as a family before going to Luke's graduation, and afterward, cake and punch were served. It was hard to remember that the 8th-graders were only 13 or 14 years old; many of them, including girls, were taller than Luke, who is already 5'9" tall and still growing!
After Niland's ceremony, where each child received a Bible, we went to the fellowship hall where the biggest cupcakes I've seen were served with juice and/or water. Each child also received a colored metal bucket with a plastic shovel (beach equipment!) and a few other small gifts inside. Little Julian, who turned 1 year old at the end of April, ate almost half cupcake! That little boy loved it!
On Memorial Day, which was last Monday, all of our family came over to our house for a cookout, which meant there were 21 people, including Bob and me. I had expected only 17, but there was still plenty of food to go around. The kids got to play in the sprinkler; it was a hot day, but showers in the area cooled things off. We didn't see any rain at our house, but it did rain literally less than 1/4 mile away.
Bob and I have removed a large portion of our deck and are replacing it with flagstone and plants. The deck is huge, and most of it bakes in the sun all day, radiating heat. The deck is only about 16 inches off the ground because we have a one-story home, so the ground under the deck never dries out, and the boards are starting to rot. Many of the nails/screws are also rusted. Now that the deck has been removed, we have been laying flagstone, which is backbreaking work. Each stone has to be leveled while still sloping away from the house. We currently have a little more than half the space done, but the rest of it will have to wait until we return from vacation.
We are heading off to Ocean Isle Beach close to the South Carolina state line this Saturday with my daughter and her family (4 people), and my son's family (5 people), as well as one other teenaged boy who is Luke's friend, so we will have a total of 12 people in a 5 bedroom 5.5 bathroom house. My husband and I are looking forward to this time with family and each other, especially after this past year with both of us undergoing major medical issues. Time like next week is precious.
So we'll be soaking up some rays next week, and I'll actually be able to get in the water. Last year I was 3 weeks out of back surgery and had to keep my incision at the small of my back dry. It wasn't much fun! So this year I'll be able to boogey board (yes, I do that, and rather well, I might add!) and walk on the beach without getting exhausted. The beauty of God's creation never ceases to amaze me, and the shore is a place of tranquility and beauty where land-dwelling creatures meet those that live in the sea. Two different spheres, yet one world. Amazing!
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