Summer break- the good, the bad & the ugly

Every summer I look forward to time with my boys but after about the first week of summer vacation I start to wonder if I am going to survive it.  I love my boys but they are boys- they are loud, messy, active, LOUD.... they are rarely calm and quiet which has caused all kinds of adjustments to be made to my daily routine. 

Today is Saturday and we have officially survived our first week off-  was it a success?  We had our moments- good, bad & ugly- but overall we survived. 

With some creative planning I was able to complete my training for the week-

• Tuesday track night as a family,
• Wednesday 5 am run with friends,
• Thursday morning 10 miler while sitter watched boys and 
• Friday Date Night 4 mile run with another couple. 

This morning I am finally finding a free moment to write in my blog because my free moments have been few and far between.  I also successful found time to have some quiet time with the Lord-

• snatching up quick moments to read my Oswald Chamber's devotion book,
• working on my Kelly Minter study on Nehemiah and 
• some meaningful moments in prayer.

With my boys I started a schoolwork routine which I hope to remain committed to this summer.  We cleaned, well really purged their bedrooms and playroom of knick-knacks, unused toys and junk while reorganizing the zillion army men, Star Wars figures and Lego blocks that they own.  I started working with our dog, Desi, to cure his lizard & frog addiction- it is going to be a hard habit to break but I need to get him off his lizard fixation.  When he is off leash in our yard, he is obsessed with chasing and catching lizards. 

lizard addicted dog

We finished off our first week home with a trip to Clearwater Marine Aquarium to see Winter the Dolphin.  This dolphin was the inspiration to the movie, Dolphin Tales.  We live about 50 minutes from Clearwater but had yet to make the trip to see this extraordinary mammal.  We had a fun time- exploring the aquarium and viewing sea life that has been rehabilitated from many different injuries.  It was inspiring to me to read how people who have suffered life debilitating injuries have found hope and inspiration from visiting the dolphin, Winter and seeing how she has overcome her disability.  At the end of the day with a Dairy Queen blizzard in hand, my oldest son, Matt said that "this was the best day ever".  Jake wasn't so sure about that but I think he had fun as well.

At Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Tomorrow is Father's Day- I plan to thank God for my father and grandfathers.  They have been godly influences on me and my family.  I also am very thankful for my husband, Glenn, who is a wonderful father- he loves his boys and by loving their mommy is showing them how to become good men of character one day. 

Proverbs 22:6 "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."