Is it Summer Yet?!

No, no it is not.

Said the school calendar

and sadly, the weather.

It’s chilly and overcast!

It’s been non-stop activity here.

I don’t know why the end of the school year always involves so. much. parental. involvement. 

Permission slips to sign.

Money to send in for pizza parties.

Projects involving everything we do not possess in the house.

Banquets.

Finals.

Choir concerts.

Usually these concerts are not enjoyable.

Middle school voices and pop music don’t always go together. 

I still think Bon Jovi’s ears are bleeding 

from the “tribute” McDaniel’s class did two years ago. 

“Living on a Prayer” my foot. 

We had very low expectations when Ellie told us that they had been practicing Elton John and Billy Joel songs.

Monte tried to schedule a business trip to miss the concert. 

I told him that would not. be. wise. 

But we were so pleasantly surprised by how good the concert was!

I’m guessing Elton and Billy’s ears dripped nary a speck of blood. 

The 8th grade boy who bravely and beautifully sang the solo “She’s Always a Woman to Me” 

got a rousing standing ovation 

and made my nose run because I was 

fighting the ugly cry off so hard. 

Mainly because he was so 

obviously flabbergasted 

by our applause.

I forgot what I was talking about…

Oh yeah,

our crazy life.

In just the last few weeks ALL THIS HAPPENED:

Monte’s sister, Gretchen, came for a visit from Texas.

We haven’t seen her in 5 years, which was just entirely too long.

Her visit was so fun, full of shopping, food, karaoke and lots of laughter and good conversation.

But it was much too short.

We took her to Cuco’s to celebrate her birthday. When Monte alerted the staff that we were celebrating a birthday at our table, they came out singing and whooping and hollering and plopped the sombrero on Ellie’s head because Gretchen was in the bathroom. 

Ellie’s expression screaming,
“It’s not MY birthday!"

Monte ran back to the kitchen to let them know that the birthday girl was in the bathroom and to do it all again when she was out.

They did.

We finally got new carpet installed in part of the basement and cork installed in the other part. 

Monte gave me a tight budget for the carpet and when I shared that with the sales lady at a place with the words “carpet” and “junk” and “yard” in it, she directed me to a corner of carpet rolls that she assured me was still a “notch above rental” grade carpet.

Yippee.

I like it.

The cork is very cushy under your feet, which is nice.

We still haven’t gotten everything put back together in either room. Because I’m thinking of switching things out. 

And by that I mean THROW IT ALL AWAY. 

Of course I won’t, but it’s a goal.

Sumita’s daughter got engaged!!!

Alyssa and Andrew explaining how he proposed. They are adorable.

Andrew asked if Sumita would host an “immediately after he proposed engagement party” for their friends because that’s what’s happening in the world now because of Pinterest.

Anyway, Sumita put me on food duty (hello, Chocolate Cafe) because she couldn’t have trays of anything in her fridge because it would tip Alyssa off.

Julie made the most adorable burlap heart garland and put together beautiful flowers.

Carisa made her FAMOUS caramel corn because Sumita had seen this idea on Pinterest:

Get it? He POPPED the question and there’s POPcorn
in the bags!
Alyssa’s sister, Olivia, made the cute tags. 

These were the favors everyone could take home.

In fact, Pinterest was the inspiration for the cookies and cupcakes too:

It’s a ring!

These were my favorites!

Chocolate Cafe did an amazing job, as always. 

Since we live right by Chocolate Cafe, we brought all the trays of food. We were loaded down and had to pull over twice because something shifted or clunked around in the back. By the time we pulled into Sumita’s drive, we all were holding a tray in our laps.

Sumita made these adorable banners.

Talk about a MAD DASH to get everything hung up, set out and in place before they came back engaged.

I think we had just an hour.

It felt like we were on an HGTV show where party planners compete

 to put together an event in a very short amount of time.

Whew! 

It takes a village.

Julie started working at a diner as a waitress.

So we surprised her and showed up for breakfast during her shift.

And we made her wait on us.

Of course.

The food was really good and the atmosphere quirky.

Watching Julie with her customers was like watching a mayor walk through town. She was patting people on the back, shaking hands and kissing babies. 

Totally in her element.

I wanted to get a picture by the diner sign as we were leaving.

I snapped the picture below as Carisa asked a lady walking behind me if she’d take our picture so I could be in it.

The lady gave Carisa a dirty look and indignantly said,

“No!"

We all burst out laughing because WHO SAYS THAT?!

A cute young teen (who I swear Ellie went to preschool with) offered to take our picture and her opinion on just how rude the lady was to us.

I FINALLY got to put my livestock trough to good use.

I planted four different tomato plants in three different varieties, one cucumber, one yellow pepper, two basil and one cilantro. And more herbs inside that I keep on the window sill by my kitchen sink.

My cucumber plant is already dead.

So that’s a nice kick in the head.

Monte’s brother Bryson and our niece Gaelyn came from St. Louis for a visit on their way to Pennsylvania for college visits.

We were too busy talking and laughing to take pictures.

While they were here the cement was FINALLY poured for our side door steps!

It’s so nice not to have to jump down and back up to use this door.

You might have noticed a little wheeled vehicle in the picture above.

We noticed it too.

The cement guy left some equipment in our backyard.

Hopefully because he’s coming back very soon to install our patio.

This was FAR too tempting for Monte and I.

Especially since I’ve been wanting to drive some type 

of construction equipment since this house project began.

Monte had to put on his free JEEP hat for this.

Of course, I had to take a turn.

This was the moment when I discovered the keys had been left in this cute little doo-hickey vehicle.

Monte told me to fire it up but I was too scared.

I told our builder, Paul, that if the patio isn’t installed ASAP, Monte and I are taking this bad boy for joy rides around town.

We might even offer rides to the neighbors.

We have one more day of school, three more graduation parties, one more sports banquet, a broken washer and a clogged drain upstairs--again.

Is it summer yet?!