Back to School Faves

Well, today is the first day for the 5 year olds in kindergarten!  Yesterday my teen went back..she is a junior in high school now and faces a very busy and fast-paced year.  I went back to work on Wednesday and helped prepare the kindergarten room for our students today.  I can't wait to meet this new group!  We have 13 typical kindergartners and 4 with special needs.  I will be working with the special needs children, and doing small group instruction with 2 of them.  I can't wait!

Meanwhile, let's look back on the last long weekend of the summer vacation and the first part of the new school year and find FIVE FAVE blessings.  I'm linking up with Susanne to do this...how about joining us?  

FIVE FAVES

• SPONTANEOUS HIKE! Last Friday, my good friend and hiking buddy (Cheryl) from Central NY wanted to meet me for a hike....we were supposed to do one of the "high peaks" (mountains over 4000 ft) but it was just too hot and humid.  So we cancelled.  But then at the last minute, the night before, we decided to just spontaneously hike a new-to-us smaller mountain just north of the Lake George village. She drove east, I drove north to our meeting spot to pick her up and off we went.  It was horribly humid but the hike itself only took about an hour....we enjoyed the cool wooded summit and then had lunch in the little town at the base of the mountain.  A super lovely way to being the Labor Day weekend.

looking out at Lake George from the summit of Thomas Mountain
4 Sept 2015

• MENU PLANNING:  this past weekend I got serious about getting the menu planning done for the next two weeks......and I'm so glad I did. It saved me money at the grocery stores and farmers market and I had time to relax in the late afternoons this week without scrambling around wondering what I was going to make for dinner for all of us.  I love this way of organizing and having the Yummly App really helps, too!

• CENTRAL AIR:  This past week we have had very hot and humid weather here!  For eastern NY this is very unusual for this time of year.  I've been so thankful for the central air in the house.  It really helps with sleeping.  I never want to take it for granted!! And Yes, we are actually hoping for some early autumn weather...cooler and drier air!!

• FIRE CHALLENGE COMPLETED!!  YES...on Labor Day (Monday, for my Canadian friends) my husband and friend Cheryl (see above fave about hiking) climbed Mount Adams in the eastern High Peaks Wilderness region. Oh my. This is a difficult mountain and is actually rated moderate to difficult.  It was also the last mountain with a fire tower I needed to climb in order for me to finally complete the Adirondack Fire Tower Challenge.  and we did it!!  It was the hardest mountain I climbed in the challenge, and one of the longest. (a little over 5 miles).  It was also one of the steepest and we literally had to climb by scrambling over rocks and holding onto roots.  It was hard!!  Plus we were hiking in 88 degree (F) weather with 70% humidity.  We were literally dripping with sweat.  But oh....it was so worth it!!  (and yes, we brought a change of clothing for dinner in Saratoga afterwards...sadly, my friend ended up just going home as she wasn't feeling well...I think the high heat was just getting to her).  I feel really good about completing this challenge.  There are still a couple of fire tower mountains in the Adirondacks that I would like to do next year but the requirements for the challenge are done, so as soon as I type up the paperwork and hand it in, I will have earned my patch!  My husband has actually completed 12 of the required 23 mountains and my oldest has climbed 5, my youngest 6.  They have NO interest in finishing.  As for me...someone asked me if I am now done hiking and I said NO WAY!  There are so many more wonderful trails and mountains to conquer in and around NYS.

#23 Fire Tower Climbed:  Mount Adams
(#18 in the Adirondacks)

Suspension Bridge across the Hudson River
the beginning of the Mount Adams trail
(the start of the Hudson is just a couple of  miles from this point)

Dave leads the way along the Mount Adams trail
7 Sept 2015

Mount Marcy, the highest mountain in NYS
as seen from the summi/fire tower on Mount Adams
7 Sept 2015

• SMOOTH START:  Yesterday (Thursday) was our youngest child's first day of 11th grade.  It is so hard to believe that our "baby".....our 2nd child...is already 16 and a junior!  She has a full course load taking University in the High School classes for college credit (pre-Calculus, Russian 4) and Honors Classes (English 11, American History), a Regents course (Physics and Physics Lab) and 2 business courses: Financial Decision Making this semester, and Organization and Management 2nd semester) plus PE.  She is also doing Russian Club and Expansion Club again (the faith-based club where she is an officer).  Her 3 ballet classes are 2 nights in row plus she is a student leader for youth group...plus we will start looking at colleges in the spring!  Yup...life is about to get busier....but it's off to a smooth start! Thank the Lord!! (I went back Wednesday for meetings, reading of the IEPs and prepping the classroom plus meeting 2 new colleagues on the team..again every went smoothly!)

Claire on the first day of school
9 September 2015

How was your week?

Can you name at least one fave from the many blessings God brings to us?