(it's a facebook game.)
Lately I've promised several of my loyal fans that I would update this poor neglected blog. Sorry it took me so long to make good on that. I think that trying to do a comprehensive recap of the last couple of months would probably prevent my being able to actually complete a post, so I'm pretty much just going to hit the points that have good pictures to go along with them.
I guess everybody who reads this blog probably already knows this, but since I haven't ever mentioned it here I probably should--Tim's joining the Army! Yes, it is crazy. Yes, I am scared. Yes, it was a hard decision. Yes, I think we made the right one. [He will be shipping out to boot camp in the middle of November and will be in training (basic and advanced) until next August.] Once that decision was finally made, we decided it was time to pack up and move to Washington. Texas was just too darn hot. So we said our sad goodbyes to the O's and hit the road.
(the one and only wagon wheel rest stop)
Actually, the reason we moved had nothing to do with the heat, although the heat was, quite frankly, ridiculous. We knew that when Tim left I'd be moving up here with the kids to be close to my parents and we figured it would be better to move in time for Clara to start....
KINDERGARTEN!
Isn't she cute? If you look close you can see the dandelion she picked for her teacher on the way to school. She's been enjoying school, although she hasn't been quite as enthusiastic as she was about her school in Boston. I think a lot of it had to do with how huge her class has been, but we just got a letter today saying they're splitting the classes and making another one, so hooray!
But I'm getting ahead of myself here. On the way up from Texas we stopped off for a week in Utah for the world-famous Taylor Grandma Camp! We had such a great time being all together and the kids were in heaven playing with their cousins and staying up late, going to waterparks and amusement parks and regular-old-park parks. It really was fantastic. And we got to meet the one and only Panzer, who just might be the most awesome dog ever:
Once we finally made it here (thanks to a lot of patience and driving help from the Curnutts and Grandma and Grandpa) we put all of our stuff where it seems to be most comfortable, in a storage unit, and settled into the extra rooms at Grandma and Grandpa T's house. We've been keeping pretty busy enjoying an awesome Pacific Northwest summer and our awesome Daddy while we still can. We've been doing a little of this:
And a lot of this:
And this, once (once was enough):
Pickin' some of these:
(heaven!)
And helping Grandma with this:
We finished August in style with a raucous party to celebrate the birth of our resident cars-and-trains-fanatic.
I started to feel like maybe the party was getting a little out of hand when the guest of honor launched into a rousing chorus of "Whiskey In The Jar"...
We sure do miss our Oliversons, but we're really loving being here too. I love being home. It's been a long time. The other day we drove out past the old house and it was amazing how little things had changed. I don't think I realized before how much I've missed the green and the cool and this funny old town (even with all of the "hillbillies", as Tim calls them). I really wouldn't complain if the Army sent us to Fort Lewis.
No great profundities to end this post. But if I left any questions unanswered please ask them. I'll try to get some videos up soon. But you know how it goes with me and "soon"....
Awesome.
