A long overdue blog post happens today to tell y'all that there's just SO MUCH going on.... like you didn't already know that is the typical m.o. around here.
We are in our final week of having Romane from Paris stay with us. Every day we have places to go, people to see, things to do. The last couple of days we've seen a return to normal teenage sleeping patterns now that Romane has adjusted to our time zone - up late, sleep late. Mariah is glad that she doesn't have to be getting up at 7am anymore. Mariah has been enjoying all the social events with friends and making a bunch of new friends too. We have an amazing week planned ahead and then it's time to get ready for back to school. Clothing shopping is done, however, a pair of shoes and a bold colored blazer are still on her wish list. Back to School supplies will come next. On August 2nd we get her class schedule at registration. School starts in a couple weeks. The lazy (hah) days of summer are quickly coming to an end!
Gib had a fabulous time backpacking at Philmont and they accomplished all they wanted - Mt. Phillips, Comanche, Baldy Mountain, and even Tooth of Time (2nd time for Gib!). It rained every day and there were some pretty big storms. Gib was amazed at how hungry he was when they got off the trail. I laughed when I got this text from him: "We went to cracker barrel and I swear I have never devoured so much food so quickly. I had Uncle Hershals bfast and ate it all, even the grits which I don't really like that much, haha". When things calm down just a tad, we will be outfitting Gib for his new dorm room. The difference between getting him ready and what we went through for Indie and Taryn is ASTRONOMICAL!!! Either I'm much, much more relaxed about it OR it's a guy thing. All I have done so far is a comforter set & a shower caddy. Sure I have an amazing list, but really all a dude needs is towels and a month's supply of boxers and he's set. Haha, not exactly, but close. His dorm room makes things easier than it was with the girls, but the challenge will be that there is only 1 outlet on his side of the room, and one joint outlet they share under the window. And by the way, his roomie is a dude from Memphis. I don't think they have communicated with each other yet. Dudes don't worry much about color schemes and who is bringing what to decorate with. I polled our college girls to make sure my list was topped with the most essential items they couldn't have lived without: 1) power strip - the best ever made; 2) fan/air purifier; 3) over the door closet hooks for hoodies; 4) school stuff; 5) toiletries. That list is ordered according to a dude's needs - it would be a whole 'nother list for a girl.
Taryn continues to plug along with her summer classes in Rolla. I think she is really enjoying being the apartment RA this summer. The guys helped move her and left her with the Volvo for the summer and possibly until she returns home after next semester. With Gib going off to college we are plus one on cars needed until Mariah begins driving when she turns 16 in February. So Taryn will most likely get to enjoy some extra freedom for awhile. We are looking forward to Taryn dropping in briefly for a visit and family photo - we will all be wearing Birmingham Southern college apparel. She'll probably only be here for a week or so, and needless to say, every day that week will have an appointment of some sort or another.
Indie is packing up her Macon apartment as I type. She is really ready to leave Macon and come home, and we are really ready to have her live here for awhile until she gets set up in a new place. The guys are driving there now and will pick up a Uhaul trailer to hitch to the truck. This evening everything will be lined up in the living room for loading in the morning. Some GREAT news - Indie interviewed for a great internship at Prevent Child Abuse in Tennessee (PCAT) and was accepted! They interviewed several people for 2 positions. She is beyond excited and grateful she got in. Actually, we all are. It's a great starting point for her, the hours are flexible, and Indie has a lot in common with people who work there. The lady who interviewed her also went to the same masters program and has been to Africa several times as has another employee. Indie was concerned because the interviewer talked 75% of the time, but then I pointed out that it was probably on purpose to gauge her listening skills, and to see how/if Indie was able to ask probing questions, show interest and make the speaker open up to her. Which, of course, Indie does very well! A big part of this position will be working the phone hotline, so that skillset is essential. So I'm not at all surprised they hired her and I am excited to see where this takes her. Also, my preschool will put her on the sub list for the one day she is available so every now and then I will get to see her at work and she'll pick up a few extra bucks to make ends meet.
All in all, we just have SO MUCH to be thankful for. Sure we're crazy busy, but mostly it's all crazy good.
