Summer

School let out one week ago, we've made a trip to Illinois for a graduation, and we are attempting to settle into a summer routine.

In the 2 1/2 brief days we've had at home, I can already tell I like the ages of 7 and 4 much better than last year's 6 and 3. Sure, the boys fight and disagree, but they also create games, play together, and go outside for great lengths of time.

Someone may need to remind me of this happiness in a few short weeks, but for now, I'm going to bask in the bliss of them being somewhat civil to each other.

The summer agenda for the kids looks good: swimming lessons, baseball, Bible school, harvest, piano lessons, library programs, afternoons at the pool, playing with friends, camping, jobs for mom (yahoo!), and vacation.

The summer agenda for me looks pretty good as well: all of the above, plus time to organize and clean, hit the scrapbooks, read some good books, and prep for next school year.

There are a few upcoming events, however, that I am not looking so forward to. Next month I turn 35. 'Nough said.

My 35th birthday combined with a family history of breast cancer equals the not-so-fun event #2.

Event #3 will be, at the very least, follow-up blood work, or at the most, a repeat CT scan to see what is going on inside me since last summer. My very generous father passed along the gene for liver and kidney cysts. Fortunately, his have never bothered him, so I'm praying for the same result. Unfortunately, some kind of check-up will be an annual summertime occurrence.

On the bright side, my list of things I'm looking forward to is still much longer than the not-so-fun happenings. Until that flips the other way, I can't complain!

Well, maybe I'll complain just a little........I am turning 35.