June. The month I lived out of my car...

June.

Week 1:

• Kade started summer school kindergarten at Pioneer Trail Elementary. No, that is not the school that he is assigned to for the school year. Yes, it is the school I pulled my kids out of four years ago to start homeschooling because I hated it. No, I did not love the idea of sending him to summer school, but he wanted to go. Yes, my five year old is the boss of me.
• Austin and Brandon attended a week-long percussion camp in anticipation of possibly being in the middle school band next year. Of course, that might inhibit our loosey goosey homeschooler schedule that we like so much, so we'll see what happens come August when it's time to actually commit to band for the school year.
• Brock, Austin, Brandon and Eden tried out for the JC Barracudas swim team. They made it. Now they have swim practice every week night from 4:30-5:30 except on days that they have meets, which are usually Wednesdays, so the boys can't compete much because they have scouts on Wednesday, but they are learning to swim fast and getting a good workout, and Brock is earning PE credit for his freshman year at Williamsburg Academy (online school).
• I turned 36 years old while chauffeuring kids around town.
• Justin went fishing in Minnesota. Apparently the fish in Missouri aren't big enough for him.

Week 2:

• Brock, Brandon and Kade signed up for a week-long wrestling camp at JC High School, which interfered with summer kindergarten, but that was okay because after the first day, Kade decided it was "too rough" for him and let Austin take his place for the rest of the week. The boys learned some great techniques like how to wrestle safely without breaking each other's necks or destroying Mom's furniture. On the last day, they had a sort of "tournament" and Austin and Brandon ended up having to wrestle eachother. That was interesting. 
• Eden signed up for a week long volleyball camp which overlapped with swim practice, so every day, she left volleyball camp an hour early and we drove to swim team practice.
• Brock and Austin signed up for a week long tennis camp which overlapped with swim team practice, so they would go to swim team practice and then show up to tennis camp an hour late every evening. 
• I started to wish I had Hermoine Granger's time traveling locket to buy some extra time for our over-scheduled days.
• Eden had her first swim meet (boys were at scouts) and brought home three firsts and one second place ribbon!
• Austin and Brandon went to their eleven-year-old scout day camp and got caught in the middle of a HUGE thunderstorm with tornado sirens going off. I was frantically trying to navigate through the storm to find the pavilion they were supposed to be picked up at. I finally found them huddled in a bathroom saying a prayer. Thankful for all of our safety that day.
• Justin went with his brother, Chris, to a high school reunion in Texas.

Week 3:

•  Justin's Uncle Paul and Aunt Nancy came to visit from Virginia. While here, they helped us pick out new furniture for and plant flowers at our vacation rental property, landscaped the dental office, and looked at a house to buy in case they decide to move here from Virginia.
• Brock, Austin, Brandon and Eden were enrolled in an all-day, week-long science camp where they learned and did some REALLY COOL stuff! I thought I'd get a lot done at home with the kids gone. I was wrong.
• I started seeing a chiropractor about some tendinitis I've been experiencing in my right elbow. Treatment hurts worse than the tendinitis, but I think it is helping the injury to heal more quickly than if I left it alone.
• We enjoyed a beautiful Saturday swimming and fishing at our little old lake house. It made us reevaluate our decision to rent the place out. It's nice when it's available for us to use at a moment's notice. 

Week 4:

• Brock went to scout camp at Lake of the Ozarks all week. Justin joined him at camp Wednesday-Saturday. Austin and Brandon went to visit them Thursday night with the Cubs and 11-year-old scouts. There was another HUGE thunderstorm that night. Luckily, the twins made it home safely and the campers survived. Justin snuck the boys out of camp the last day and took them to the Huey's lake house to ride the tube and jet skis. Then they all went to Charley's Buffet for dinner. 
• Brandon, Austin and Eden participated in a really cool camp at a friend's house where they learned songs, made crafts, and then visited different nursing homes in town to perform for the residents. It was so heartwarming to see the smiles on the faces of the sweet grandmas and grandpas that they sang for. I loved that they were able to have that experience! It was such a testament to me of the value and simplicity of service. It doesn't have to be a huge ordeal to make a positive impact on the world.
• I met with some other homeschool families and attempted to begin organizing a new homeschool group for next year. It proved to be much more complicated than I envisioned it would be.
• Austin, Brandon, Eden, Kade, Lars and I participated in a "cupcake 5k" fundraiser run--cupcakes after every mile! Yum!

Week 5:

• No camps! Yay!
• Summer kindergarten is OVER! YAY!
• SUMMER CAN FINALLY REALLY OFFICIALLY BEGIN! YAAYYYY!!!
• Went swimming at the Eldon pool with the Hueys
• Swim meet was rescheduled from a couple of weeks ago for a night that Austin could actually compete. (Brock and Brandon chose not to.) He did great! Eden did too!
• I decided to see a dermatologist about my acne and ended up having a questionable-looking mole biopsied instead. 
• Looking forward to a much lighter schedule in July!!!