Joy! Joy! Joy! Oh blessed school Joy!

 Well, with Covid behind us (and our SUPER IMMUNITY around us!) the glorious school year began!!!

 It's been a week since our kids returned, and I'm sort of allowing myself to breathe, as it all seems too good to be true after last year. Things are far from "normal" in school, but I've had to surrender all these worries in order to truly bask in my joy and gratefulness of where we are at. 

My house is CLEAN and ORGANIZED! 

I am HEALTHY again, and exercising. 

The weather couldn't be more BEAUTIFUL. 

My kids are HAPPY at school. 

And Lucy hasn't had an accident inside in a very long time. ;) (She turned 1 on Sept. 11)

Evelyn is in 4th grade. 

She has a male teacher this year, Mr. Killan, and I couldn't be more pleased. She is also playing soccer; however, the Girl DRAMA has begun. She sits in the front seat with me now in the car and while the boys are talking in the back, I'm listening to all her girlfriend ups and downs from the day. I know this is a part of growing up, and I refuse to get myself all emotionally invested because it seems to change daily. 

The boys are enjoying 2nd grade with their teacher, Mrs. Erickson. Their focus of the day seems to be on recess and soccer games. The second day of school I already got an email from the school nurse saying that James crashed into another student on the field. So it begins again. 

Their drama in school seems to be "too much academic time and not enough soccer time." 

The weeks leading up to school were hard.  We all had to find new ways to occupy our time. 

 Caleb found a new passion: Domininos. He spent hours setting up elaborate domino creations, and then would proclaim: " Get ready for the Grand Knockdown!" 

James spent his time building incredible lego creations.

 And Lucy seemed to always be in the mix. 

During Labor Day our family drove out to the gorge and went on a beautiful hike. 

The trail actually got kind of high!

 I held on to Caleb's hand tighter than I ever have. 

We ended at a gorgeous waterfall. We let Lucy off leash. Our family explored and played in the water. It was a little slice of heaven. 

  

Our Labor Day tradition seems to always include one last summer indulgence: Ice cream. 

We also picked pears, plums and hazelnuts at an orchard. We made plum cake and the kids had fun cracking open the hazelnuts in the front yard. 

Labor Day also marked one of the saddest days for Evelyn. 

During her 2nd grade year when Covid hit and she found herself at home alone, she befriended a very socialable kitty in the neighborhood. She named him Bob, and she really took it upon herself to feed, play and care for Bob. Well, Bob was tragically hit by a car that weekend, and when Evelyn heard about it, she lost it. She experienced real grief for the first time. 

Bob will truly be missed. 

I know all these emotions she seems to be experiencing this year- grief....friendship drama-are totally normal. It's all a part of growing up. 

And she will be ok. ;) 

She just needs to stop GROWING UP SO fast!

The Good, The Great, the Ugly

 After a five days at home from our trip to Idaho, we again loaded up our car and headed North, this time to Whidbey Island, a little slice of heaven off the coast of Seattle.

  

 Our good friends, the Austins, have a lovely home in Coupville, a small town with a wharf, ice cream shop and penny candy store.

After a five hour drive, we took the ferry boat to Whidbey

The Austins  have five kids; so with our four kids, it was quite a full house. 

The 13 of us piled on to their little boat and caught crab every day. I learned a lot about crab trapping. 

 

I like riding in the boat, but most of it I like to leave it to the experts. 

    

We also sped by the docks and said "hello" to the sea lions. 

The kids wandered around freely together. One of their favorite spots was picking blackberries nearby. 
Amber turned it into a fabulous blackberry pie. 

I loved everything about Whidbey. Even the sea rocks on the shoreline were beautiful. 

And Evelyn couldn't be happier spending all this time with her good friend Lyndsey. 

It was truly a wonderful, slightly chaotic time of fun, relaxation and friendship. 

A few days after we arrived home, we fancied ourselves up and watched our beloved former nanny, Amanda, walk down the aisle and marry her wonderful husband, Caleb. 

Our boys were dressed in suspenders and bow ties and walked down the aisle as the ring bearers;

 Evelyn was adorned in a beautiful flower crown and flowy flower girl dress.

The venue was a top a mountain in the Columbia Gorge. We couldn't ask for better weather. 

 

I wouldn't let the boys eat or drink a thing in their white shirts.

However, after the ceremony and pictures, they took full advantage of the ice cream bar.

 And Levi danced up a storm. 

The very next day we boarded a plane to Chicago. 

We spent a few days in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

It is truly a lovely place with gorgeous sunsets

and  

delicious Ice Cream! 

We also visited my grandma in the nursing home. It was great to see  her after a year and a half. 

We also met up with second cousins at Lake Michigan.  
I always forget how magical the lake is. 

And so then, we end our remaining few weeks of summer isolated at home with Covid. 

Yes, that's right. John fell sick and when we tested the family, James also was positive. He and John quarantined together in the basement, although James and zero symptoms. 

Then, I fell sick a week later 😔 

With all the quarantine guidelines and isolation...it's been quite a week.

I'm still in the midst of isolation, and although it's been tough being separated, my actual illness wasn't too bad. 

Well, we can just put one more thing that the Patton family has lived through to tell. 

Covid 2021: check.