End of Vacation Faves

It's September!  This has been a busy summer....much busier than normal for my family.

But I can look back, and although this past week was fraught with many topsy- turvy emotions, I can still find five things that helped wind down my summer vacation into a week of pleasures....even admidst some chaos!

So let's celebrate the FRIDAY FAVE FIVES, hosted by Susanne from Living to Tell the Story.  A time to reflect back on the week and choose 5 things that made it special.....blessings from God. To participate just go here.

MY FIVE FAVES

The firehouse in Keene, NY washed away in Hurricane Irene

•  PROTECTION OF PEOPLE:  there was no one killed here in this area of the eastern High Peaks of the Adirondack mountains.  However, this picture, taken from the adirondacklife blog, shows the Keene firehouse destroyed.  I am so thankful that here in the part of of the capital region where my family lives, we are on a ridge and didn't even have basement flooding. We were protected so that makes me thankful. So many people though, along our 2 main rivers (the Mohawk and Hudson) have flooded homes and much damage.  And the high peaks region....my beloved mountains have much damage.  I was supposed to go hiking in this region today...my neighbor was planning on doing one of the high peaks and I was hoping to tag along with her and her family.  Most of the trails up there are now closed due to extensive slides, scarface, and bridges washed away.  I was so sad to hear this but so thankful that people, although stranded, were not hurt.  God's Protection...always a fave with me.

mancala image taken from boardgamecentral.com

 

Scrabble letters taken from kidsurf.com

• FAMILY GAME NITE!  Sunday, of course, was when the hurricane blew through. It rained all day. And almost the entire evening.  Our 12 year old was getting bored so we dug out some board games (yes we had power and no we don't have cable TV).  She and I enjoyed a couple of games of Mancala (she won!) and then all 3 of us played Scrabble...it was her first time and she did very well!  Family game night and an evening spent together with no electronics is always a fave with me......

image taken from the website for Control Tower

•  MOTHER-DAUGHTER ICE CREAM DATE!  I know we've had this before...but hey...it's summer and it's one of our faves things to do....this time I splurged and did NOT buy fat free frozen yogurt. I bought one of their specialty ice creams and it's the only place in the capital region (that I know of) who has this flavor:  Coconut Chocolate Almond.  Claire had the chocolate soft serve.  We bought them in size small dishes which at other places is like a medium or large. Their prices are fantastic...it was a fave way to spend a sunny afternoon and watch the planes come and go at the airport....it is always a fave with me to spend time with my 12 year old.  Here is the website if you're interested:  Control Tower

The Junior High School

Claire's locker ladder

•  LOCKER LADDER DAY!  It was hard to believe that my youngest daughter...our 2nd born/last born baby is off to Junior High next week. (yes, in our district we call it by the traditional name of "Junior High" and yes it is only grades 7-8th.  Thank the Lord!)  This is a tradition with the incoming students.  Parents and child bring their locker ladder and supplies and get their locker all organized and set up for the first day of school. The students then can find their way around this massive building and run through their schedules.  Claire has a full load (her choice). She has Russian, Math7, Home/Careers, Orchestra, Chorus, Health, Phys Ed, Science7, Social Studies 7 and Advanced English 7.  She has no study hall...and of course lunch fits in there somewhere.  So, we ran around the school finding all her rooms and then she chose the quickest path from one hall to another. We practiced this 3 times (her idea!). I was panting by the time we were done...but chatting with other moms, meeting new moms, reconnecting with friends we haven't seen over the summer and seeing the look of happiness to be a junior high kid is always a fave with me!

image taken from thewallpapers.org

• EARLY MORNING MIST  Now that I'm getting up a bit earlier to prepare my body for next week's "back to school" days, I am finding that it is alot darker and "mistier" than earlier in the summer....for most of the summer I have been getting up at 7 a.m. but this past week I have been waking at about 5:30 or 6 a.m. And it is significantly darker.  Which I am not fond of. However, I do like the morning mist that hovers over the tree tops in our backyard and I just love it when the sun breaks through and clears away the fog and mist..usually about 7:30 a.m.  A quiet morning with a steaming cup of coffee, my journal or Bible and getting ready to face the day gazing at God's Creation is always a fave with me!

So that wraps up my faves....how about you?

What is a fave from your week?

and do you have plans for the long holiday weekend? our last official "summer holiday weekend??"  We plan, weather permitting, to hike in the western Adirondacks where there was no damage to trails. Our goal is for the 3 of us to hike up Bald Mountain in the Old Forge area and then stop down to my parents' home and have dinner with them. Sunday is church...I have missed it so! It's been 2 weeks and it will be my first Sunday without the princess with us.  Monday will be either a backyard BBQ and possibly some kayaking or swimming in one of the local state parks.  Or we will do a shorter hike in one of the local preserves that we haven't explored yet.  What are your plans??

Whatever they are, God bless and enjoy your weekend! And if you are from the Northeast, good luck with the start of school!