Almost time for vacation!

Woohoo! Three semesters of nursing school down, two to go! I can hardly believe it! I am so grateful for this opporunity to go back to school, and I am so thankful that the Lord has provided amazing sitters for my girls so that I don't feel that guilty for leaving them (Thank you, Anna and Ericka!) After a bumpy start, I ended the semester strong, and I am now DONE!

But, "done" as a mom is entirely different than "done" to the rest of the world, especially when you're planning your high school reunion and leaving for a 2000 mile (each way!) road trip--all in the same weekend. I've been trying to clean the house (you know, the kind where you're on your hands and knees washing baseboards), get the packing done for the trip, deal with drama from planning a high school reunion (seriously, people--we are DONE with high school, let's not keep acting like it!), and still be a fun mom! Thankfully the girls have VBS every morning this week, so I am getting some desperately needed "me-time." Today I even was able to take a nap :-) Yes, that means life is VERY good!!

So, if I'm quiet over the next few weeks, rest assured that we are on vacation, having a good time (I hope!) and celebrating the marriage of my brother-in-law, Logan, to Staci. I am SO EXCITED to have a sister-in-law who is an adult (although, I love the other ones a lot, too!), and I am so grateful that the Lord brought her to Logan. Staci and I talk on the phone all the time and are building a great relationship.

Have a great rest of the summer! I FINALLY feel that I'm on summer vacation--amazing what NOT being in school can do for ya!

Whew!

24 hours now, I'll be taking my final for this semester of nursing school. I AM SO READY TO BE DONE! Summer is a rotten time (in my opinion!) to be in school up to 30 hours a week.

This week is shaping up to be a busy one! We have my 10 year high school reunion on Saturday (I still feel 18, even if I *am* starting to get these fine lines around my eyes), and on Sunday, Luke and I (and the girls, of course!) are leaving to DRIVE to Washington state.

Yes, I said drive. Yes, I know it's 2000 miles each way. Yes, I know that 3 and 5 year-olds don't always travel well. No, I couldn't afford airline tickets. Even with gas at it's current ridiculous price, we will still save almost $1500 by driving--that's including food, hotel, gas, and a little bit of fun along the way. Luke and I are borrowing my parents' Garmin (a GPS), I bought some new toys and coloring books for the girls, we have a portable DVD player, and I might even throw some ear plugs in for good measure :-) We plan on stopping at Mt Rushmore, Glacier National Park, Wall Drug, the World's Largest Buffalo (if we can find it--my dad really wants us to see it!), and various Mc Donald's and rest stops along the way.

I am thankful that we have the ability to travel. Our main reason for visiting is to see Luke's brother, Logan, get married to an amazing young woman named Staci. We are so thankful that God has brought the two of them together.

Well, I ought go now and study for this final!

Gotta love semester break!

That's what I'm on right now. I had ONE final (that's a first!) and it was yesterday morning. My final was pretty easy, I got an A in the class, and now I'm down to 12 months exactly until graduation! I'm off the rest of this week and next week. My plans for this week are fairly simple...I've done yard work (more of that tomorrow), and then I plan on cleaning closets and going through toys for a tot sale I'm doing on Saturday with a friend. Next week I'm going on a cruise with my mom! I'm not sure exactly where we're going, but I know it's 5 nights and I'll get to see some Mayan ruins.

Our family is doing well. Luke is also on break from his MBA classes,Mandy continues to amaze me with how well she is reading, and Kayla only sat in time-out once today (that's a record of sorts!) My sister and I took my kids and her kids to the zoo today and it was fabulous. My kids enjoyed the zoo part more than her kids did (they are 18 month old twins), but the weather was great and just being outside felt fantastic.

That's about all for now!