Finally

Meg left for camp this morning.  She seemed happy about her new assignment - Pathfinders.  The girls will be aged 7 to 9 year olds.  Some parts will be more challenging, but others easier.  I was glad that she was excited about it and not dreading her week at camp.  There won't be as many campers this week since it's the fourth of July.  Because of this several of the counselors were taking a week off.  As Meg just started, she wasn't interested in that offer.

Doug and I had a quiet afternoon today as Cam left to go golfing with my Dad.  We filled our time by exercising, doing laundry, finishing yard work and grocery shopping.  We got done just as Cam arrived.   He had called me after the front nine to let me know that he had shot 37 and beat Grandpa by one.  He was very excited then, but even more so once he finished eighteen.  He had finally broken 80, crushing it actually, shooting a 39 on the back for a 76.  That score was also enough to beat Grandpa by one as well.  We were all happy for him.  He had wanted this for quite some time and he was thrilled.  He did say that he was nervous, especially on eleven when he hit his second shot in the water.  He got up and down to save bogey, however, and from there on out, he liked his chances.

Doug, Cam and I spent the rest of the evening in Mishawaka.  Cam and Doug both needed new shoes - Cam for tennis and Doug for work.  It took a little while, but they both found what they needed.  Putt-Putt was next on our agenda.  Cam wanted to use his skills form today's round on the course, but I was on fire, beating both he and Doug by five and six respectively.  We celebrated Cam's achievements today with dinner at Evil Cheque Brewing Company.  Cam really liked his burger and we were glad to spend the evening with him.  We had missed him last week and it was great to catch up.

A Week at Camp

I picked Cam up from his week at Camp Crosley this morning.  Except for the long line to check out, everything went very well.  He enjoyed his cabin, liked his counselors and loved the activities he chose.  Frisbee might have been his favorite, but the old stand-by, archery, and a new activity, riflery, were a lot of fun as well.  As much as he enjoyed his week, he did say that he was ready to be home.  He was tired and wanted to shower.  This was the first time in several years that I had to spray Lysol on the majority of his items.  He had told me several times that his cabin smelled and I definitely believed him after doing his laundry.

Meg also came home today, albeit a couple of hours later.  She felt a lot better about being a counselor than she did at the beginning of the week.  She enjoyed her cabin and her counselors.  She spent the rest of the afternoon resting, showering and unpacking.  I got her laundry done, so it should be easy for her to get everything ready tomorrow.  She and Nick went to Lucchese's tonight for dinner and then hung out at his house for awhile.  She enjoyed her evening away from camp.

Cal left this afternoon to return to Carmel.  He, Kyle and Cameron Adams played golf with my Dad this morning.  They all had a lot of fun.  They had invited Cam to play, but he wanted to rest.  He did get out to the golf course later with my Mom.  Doug made dinner here and then we all played Oh Hell afterward.  My Mom had already beaten them at several other games before they arrived.  Cam tried to gang up on her, but she still found a way to tie for first.  It was a fun way to end a Saturday night.

Hanging Out with Cal

Cal arrived around 3:15 this afternoon.  He had an appointment at Bud's Body Shop to get an estimate on the damage from his accident at the beginning of June.  Someone had hit him in a round about near work.  Thankfully, Bud's was flexible as Cal was late due to traffic in Carmel.  They were able to get it back to us by 5 p.m.  After we picked up the CR-V, Doug, Cal and I went to Oakwood for dinner.  We beat the rush, which was nice.  I got the chicken club again and Doug and Cal tried the portobello mushroom grilled cheese.  Cal also tried two different beers.  His new license came this week, so he finally got a chance to use it.

We all headed back to our house after dinner.  Kyle, Cameron and David Yankowsky stopped by to see Cal.  We enjoyed visiting with them.  Cameron will start a new job in Tennessee on July 8th.  He was excited about that.  The guys stayed here until close to 11 p.m. talking about high school, college and life in the future. It won't be long before all of them are done and starting careers of their own.  Doug offered to take them to the Frog as they planned to hang out there for the rest of the evening.  They were appreciative of the ride.  Cal promised to call him or Grandma Jane when they were ready to come home.  I was happy to have spent a fun evening with them all.

A Get Together

Last week Wendy Busse texted all of us to see if we were available to get together for a girls day.  She will be getting married next week and wanted a break from the stress of planning the event.  Paula, Mary, Betsy and I were all ready for a get together and decided on a lunch at Paula's today.  It was a lot of fun catching up with everyone.  With all that we have had going on these past few months, I haven't really done much with friends.  I caught up on all of the happenings at Milford school.  There will definitely be a lot of changes.  We also talked a lot about our families and summer activities.  Gabby was working at camp with Meg, and Paula could relate to some of my observations.  Wendy filled everyone in on the wedding.  There were a few issues that had developed that she was concerned about, but overall she was happy with all that they had planned for her big day.  The food that everyone brought was delicious.  I had taken a hummus plate and avocado salad.  There was enough left for Doug's lunch tomorrow.

I got home around 6:30.  Meg, Nick and my parents were here.  It was Meg's extended break.  She and Nick had gone to dinner and were going to hang out here until 8.  Mom said that she'd run Meg back to camp.  It sounded like her last couple of days had gone a lot better.  Doug had asked me to try the new brewery in Nappanee with him this evening.  It looked very nice and the food was good.  The beers that we tasted weren't bad, but the hour+ wait left a poor impression especially with all of the empty tables.  We were glad to try it, however, and hope that they figure out their slow kitchen situation.

Wednesday

Today was another quiet one at home.  I was able to take a walk, clean the kitchen and pick Meg up for her lunch break.  She's still having some challenges adjusting to all of the newness of being a camp counselor, but she's making huge strides.  She really likes her co-counselor and the girls in her cabin. They are ten and eleven years old and enjoy making friendship bracelets with Meg.  The only downside has been that several of the girls are homesick and tend to cry during breaks.  Otherwise, it has been getting better each day.

Tonight Doug and I tried a new place for dinner that he had wanted to go to for quite some time - HopLore in Leesburg.  It was a brewery built in an old farm mill.  I was glad that we tried it since Doug really wanted to, but neither of us were thrilled with it.  The beer selection was weak and the menu was limited.  We did enjoy the pretzel appetizers, but decided to call it after one drink and head into Warsaw for the rest of the night.  Our next stop was Kohl's.  All of their women's shirts on sale and I needed a couple of new ones.  I found several that both Doug and I really liked.  We ended our night out at Hacienda.  It was a beautiful evening to sit on the porch.  I enjoyed Doug's company and have been incredibly thankful for the time we have had together this week.

Terrific Tuesday

My day was fairly quiet at home.  I walked first thing in the morning to beat the heat.  I then spent a couple of hours picking up and dusting the upstairs bedrooms.  Normally I put a lot of time and effort into cleaning while Cam and Meg are at camp, but this summer I decided to take it easy.  I haven't been feeling well lately and our house is still pretty clean and organized from Meg's open house.  Therefore, instead of spending all afternoon working around the house, I ran some errands, read and worked on the computer.  By the time I picked Meg up from her break at 4:30, I was rested from the morning activity.  She filled me in on her cabin and co-counselor as we drove home.  She also said that she saw Cameron.  He said that he liked his cabin and was having a great time.  Nick pulled up as soon as we arrived.  Meg ate lasagna and caught up with him until it was time for her to head back at 6.

Once Meg headed out, I went to dinner with Jen at Oakwood.  It was a lot of fun catching up with her.  The food was delicious as well, once they remembered to put the chicken in my chicken club.  While we were at dinner, Doug went to his church finance meeting and exercised.  By the time we got back to our house, he had a bonfire going in the backyard.  We didn't get to enjoy it long as it started to rain shortly after we sat down.  The three of us moved inside and spent the rest of the night talking and laughing.  I was glad that Jen had time to visit.  I didn't get to talk to her as much as I wanted at Meg's open house.

Decision Justified

I have noticed lately that there have been a lot of posts from teachers that have decided to resign their positions.  With the constant news about teacher shortages, it doesn't surprise me.  I cannot disagree with their reasonings, but usually don't put much time into reading these long passages.  Lack of pay, unsupportive administrators, worthless training sessions, added workload, oversized classes, ineffective one-to-one strategies, and disinterested parents all sound familiar to me.  I don't like to be reminded of the downfalls of public education.  We lived it as a family and are thrilled to be done with that portion of our lives.

One post, however, recently caught my attention as it added the real reason that I quit teaching.  The author realized it before I did, but after six years of constant teaching commitments it dawned on me that I wasn't able to change the world with my students.  I had tried and I had made important connections as a mentor, but overall I just didn't feel as though much had changed at school by me giving up hours and hours of my free time to be a "highly effective" teacher.  The true contribution that I could make in life was supporting the four children in the Heinisch family.  Being there for them, supporting their interests, helping them navigate life's challenges and encouraging them through the tough times was my contribution to making the world a better place.  This was what I focused on this past year and what I will continue to spend my time and energy on going forward.  It may have taken me some time to figure this out, but watching Brett graduate with his MPA, sending Cal off to his first internship, helping Meg through an emotionally challenging year, all while being the stay at home Mom to Cameron that I had never been was definitely one of the best decisions that Doug and I have ever made.

Camp Time

Meg officially started her summer job today as a counselor at Camp Crosley.  She had packed last week, so she was prepared for it.  That made getting out the door this morning a lot easier.  Doug dropped her off and met her co-counselor.  I know that Meg has been very nervous about the experience.  I believe it will go well once she gets through the first few days.  She loved camp every year that she went and learned a lot as an LIT two years ago.

Cam and I finished his packing this morning.  He decided to check-in at three.  Therefore, we had plenty of time to eat lunch and teach Doug how to play Exploding Kittens.  It was nice to spend some quiet time with him before he left for the week.  Drop off was pretty uneventful.  We had already filled out his forms online and had a zero balance, so all we had to do was drop off Cam's inhaler with the nurses.  We drove to teen village.  Cam will be in Choctaw this time.  He was a little nervous about meeting his cabin mates, but by the time we left they were already on their way to their cabin bonding activity.

We did stop by Sioux cabin to drop off some items to Meg.  It was awesome to see her as a counselor.  It's amazing to think that just a few short years ago she and Gabby were moving into that same cabin, excited about their week at camp.  Now they are both working as counselors. When we arrived Meg was helping other girls get situated and pick out their weekly activities.  What a wonderful way to spend her summer.

Can't believe how fast the time has flown by.  These two small children that I dropped off seven years ago, aren't quite so little anymore.  Here's to great week for both.

Bloomington

We left yesterday after Doug got home from work for Bloomington.  I wasn't feeling the best and for awhile I didn't think that I'd be able to go with everyone.  Thankfully, I slept for at least an hour on the way down and felt a little better once we arrived.  We met Brett at his apartment to unload the Pilot.  It was pretty light compared to the previous two as we only had two tubs left from Brett's items stored at our house.  He had plenty of space for it and we were all soon on our way to Mother Bear's for dinner.  The pizza was delicious and we all enjoyed catching up with Brett.  He had worked sixty hours this week and was definitely ready for a break.  It was after ten when we got back to his apartment, but we still made time to play The Donner Party Dinner game before heading to bed.

We started off slowly this morning as I still didn't feel that well and it rained for several hours.  Doug used that time to jog and play Qwirkle with Cam.  Brett, Meg and Nick were happy to get in a few rounds of Mario Kart on the Nintendo 64 as well before we left for the winery.  The rain had stopped just before we arrived at Oliver Winery which made our picnic experience a lot more fun.  Doug had picked up hummus, sausage, bread, and cheese for lunch.  We not only enjoyed our meal, but Meg and Nick had time to take a walk around the pond and Cam and Brett played a game of washers before we left.

 

The next stop of the day was the Art Fair on the Square.  There weren't as many booths as in the past, which was alright as we didn't really need much.  Nick did find a Purdue bowtie for his dog.  We then checked out the Game Preserve.  Cam purchased a new game for us to try called Exploding Kittens.  We walked down Kirkwood next, stopping at a few IU stores.  Meg got a new pair of shorts and Doug secretly purchased some IU gear for Cam's care package at camp next week.  After all of the shopping we decided to take a tour of campus.  It was a beautiful afternoon for it.

 


Doug wanted to get to Taste of Bloomington when it opened, so we dropped him off at three.  The rest of us took a break at Brett's before joining Doug.  Brett, Cam and I tried out the new game.  It was a lot of fun, even though Cam won each time.  Meg and Nick enjoyed the pool at Brett's for a little while.  We met Doug at the gates at 5 p.m.  There were a lot of food booths and we all enjoyed trying different food items -  Indian cuisine, grilled shrimp, fried green tomatoes, gyros, ice cream sandwiches, just to name a few of our favorites.  Cam had his Kona refill cup from the last two Tastes which saved him some money on refills.  It was fun hanging out together and with others that we knew.  Brett's friends Sean and Jovie met him there and he caught up with Andrew Busse.  The Glons were enjoying Taste with Caleb, and Parce was there as well.  We would have liked to see the band Hairbangers Ball before we left, but they didn't play until 7:30 and we wanted to be on the road by then.  None of us were too disappointed as we had listened to them the previous three times that we had attended Taste of Bloomington.  Overall, it was a great weekend in Bloomington and on the way home we were already making plans to return.

                                  

Game of Thrones

Brett and Cal had asked me several times this spring to watch Game of Thrones.  Brett started it later than Cal, but enjoyed it just as much.  The series ended in May and it was all they could talk about.  Doug didn't have an interest in watching that long of a series, but agreed to subscribing to HBO Now so I could try it.  From the very first episode I was hooked.  The violence and sexual content were a little too much for me, but the storyline was fascinating.  I finished the first two seasons before Cal left for his internship and after that watched it whenever I had a chance.  It was harder to do once school got out.  It wasn't a show that I could have on when Cam was around and Meg didn't want anything to do with it.

During the month of June I slowly, but surely, finished season after season.  Each one was better than the last.  Characters that I loved died.  Characters that I hated died.  New characters were introduced.  Some stayed until the end; others only made it an episode or two.  During the sixth season I started texting Cal and Brett daily with my predictions for the next show or my thoughts on the current one I was watching.  Brett struggled to respond as he was always sure that he would divulge too much information.  Cal would just encourage me to "keep watching."

There were a lot of complaints from viewers about season eight and how the series ended.  I finished the final episode today and couldn't disagree more.  I absolutely loved the last season.  I was sad that several of my favorites didn't make it to the end, but that was to be expected.  I would have chosen a different king, but couldn't disagree with the writers' decision.  Overall, I enjoyed Game of Thrones much more than I would have ever expected.  I'm incredibly glad that the boys talked me into trying it.

One Long Wait

Cam and I left at 7 a.m. this morning for his golf tournament at Etna Acres.  I checked my email several times before we headed out and on the way down as the forecast called for storms.  It was clear when we arrived, but that soon changed.  Cameron's group was called to the tee and within a minute the skies opened up to a torrential downpour.  At that point those in charge of the outing delayed the start times by an hour.  Cam and I decided to wait it out and see what would happen.  After looking at the radar we were both skeptical that anything would change.  We kept ourselves busy in the van watching the puddles on the first tee increase greatly.  The skies cleared long enough for a maintenance worker to squeegee off the first green.  Cameron and I got a kick out of that.  We had seen the squeegee used effectively in tennis, but this was a first for us in golf.

Shortly after 10:30 we were told that they would make a definite decision at 11 a.m.  We could have withdrawn at that point, but we wouldn't have gotten our $40 entry fee back.  Thus, we decided to give it one last try.  Eleven came and went without any word.  We were both frustrated at that point, but as the rain had ended for the day we thought there was a chance that he'd get his round in or at least nine holes.  At 11:15 we were told once again that there would be a half hour delay.  I'm pretty sure I loudly blurted out, "You've got to be kidding me!"  We left the parking lot with the idea of getting something to eat.  We knew that if the tournament started soon, Cam would have to have lunch or he'd go all afternoon without eating.  Unfortunately, the closest place to eat was eleven miles away.  Therefore, we turned back hoping at this point to hear that it was cancelled.  Cam had lost his enthusiasm to play and I was all out of patience for the group running the tournament.  We returned to watch the maintenance man now trying to squeegee off the first tee.  It didn't do much for the tee box, but it made Cameron and I laugh.  Soon after their attempt it was finally announced that the tournament was cancelled.  Cam and I secretly cheered and on the way home celebrated our own victory - an extra $40 for our trip to Bloomington.

Finishing Our To Do List

Yesterday while we were at the golf course Meg worked on camp orientation videos.  She finished all of them and passed the quizzes.  Afterward she started packing for her adventure and made a shopping list for today.  One of the perks of being a counselor will be that she can come home for two hours everyday if needed.  Therefore, if she forgets anything, she can pick it up.  In the end there wasn't a lot that we had to buy today.  Cam didn't need much either which was nice.  Meg did need a one piece swimsuit which we found at Target in addition to a white and navy shirt for Cam.  Walmart had khaki shorts and a green tank top as well as the few supplies left on their list.  This was definitely a lot less stressful and much more inexpensive then our shopping trips of years past.  Meg and I also had time to stop at Hacienda for lunch which we both enjoyed.  She's had a lot of down time this week, so it was nice to get out of the house for awhile.

Meg and I also had time to set up her new computer and to register for services through IU disability. She found out her housing assignment.  She was happy to learn that she will be living in Read, just as Doug and I did when we were at IU.  She has a single, which means no roommate.  At first I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but Meg is incredibly social and will make friends easily.  Having a single gives her a quiet place to study, unwind or take a break if she has a migraine.  She was thrilled when she read the news.  With all of the housing issues last year and the closing of two dorms, she was nervous that she wouldn't get a space.  Now we can make plans for her move-in day on August 21st.

While Meg and I were busy today, Cam finished his two day tournament at Pretty Lake.  The first nine was much the same as yesterday as he finished with another forty-seven.  The last nine was his best as he had several pars and putted well.  He ended today's round with an eighty-nine.  He was happy to break ninety and was glad to have finished in seventh place.  

A Good Finish

Cam played in his second tournament of the summer golf season today.  It was a two day event at Pretty Lake in Plymouth.  We were there in plenty of time for his 8:48 tee time, but due to heavy fog, the start times were all delayed an hour.  Cam spent most of that time the putting green.  Grandma Jane had ridden along with us and decided to get a cart for the round.  By the time we had gotten situated, the fog had lifted and Cam was finally able to tee off close to 10 a.m.

The first hole was a rough one for him, which didn't surprise us with the long delays, leaving Cam with a triple bogey.  The next hole couple of holes did not get much better for him as the greens were unlike those he had played in the past.  At the end of the front nine Cam had shot a 47.  It wasn't his best score, but he was pretty positive when he walked off the green.  He decided to make 89 his goal.  I  told him 94 or better would be great as that was Cal's first eighteen hole round score at this course.

Mom and I followed him on the back, hoping for a turn around.  There were glimpses of greatness with a birdie on fourteen and moments of not with a double par on eleven.  In the end Cam finished strong chipping it in for bogey on seventeen and a par on eighteen.  He was proud of the 94 that he shot and was thankful that this tournament was a two day event.  He spent the evening working on his putting and coming up with ideas to better his score tomorrow.

Tennis and More Tennis

Cam started his morning at the Bethany Christian tennis courts for the daily 10:00 a.m. practice.  There were seven of them today, so it was a lot more fun.  While he was there I ran errands in Goshen picking up Meg's disability form from Dr. Freeze and buying groceries.  I got back to Bethany at noon just as he finished.  I then took him straight to the golf course so that he could get in nine holes before his orthodontist appointment.  While he was golfing, Meg and I got a few things done around home.  She finished her thank you cards.  We were impressed as she had quite a few to complete.   Tonight she made plans with Nick since Doug, Cam and I were gone for the evening.   Tomorrow she and I need to fill out her disability forms and set up her new computer.

Cam's orthodontist appointment went well, albeit painful.  He got a stronger wire, his torbo taken off and rubber bands.  His mouth was pretty sore by the end of the night.  He handled it pretty well and made it to his tennis league without any issues.  He played doubles with Aaron and they did a nice job together.  The won their first set 6-0, but got down 1-5 in the second.  I was completely impressed as I watched them come marching back winning the set and match with a score 7-5.  Cam got a kick out of his opponents in the second match.  One of them was wearing a swimsuit.  Aaron and Cam lost the first set, but took charge in the second and third to finish undefeated for the night.

Doug got home late this evening.  The partners in the equity firm had flown in for a meeting tomorrow and wanted to go out to dinner with he and Matt.  Doug was happy to hear that they had chosen Ruth Chris for the gathering and enjoyed listening to their stories of the Raptors' parade in Toronto today.

Happy Father's Day!!

Today we celebrated Father's Day first at mass where Doug was an usher, Meg lectured and Cam was an altar server. It was special to us, not just because of the Father's Day blessing, but also as it was Meg's last time as a lector.  As she starts as a camp counselor next weekend, she won't have time to read at mass for quite some time.  After church we headed home for a delicious brunch that Doug had prepared.  Cal was waiting on us when we arrived and Grandma Jane and Grandpa Cutes joined us as well bringing muffins and fruit for the feast.  Everyone enjoyed the food and the company.  Once we had finished, Doug and my Dad opened their gifts.  Doug was extremely happy with his book on the Korean War, a gift bag of new clothes, a vegetable grill and berry Smirnoff from Cal.  We surprised Grandpa with a new electric toothbrush as he had tried to fix his without luck.  He also appreciated the new golf shirt and the family favorite, orange slices.

Everyone left for their own afternoon activities around one.  Meg and Nick went to the zoo.  They had a great time.  Nick hadn't been to the zoo in a dozen years or so and really enjoyed it.  Even though Meg had just went with us, she said his enthusiasm for all of the animals made her second trip as much fun as the first.  Cameron played golf with Grandma as Grandpa had his regular game with the guys.  Cam was happy to report that he had shot an 81.  Cal stayed home with Doug and I, alternating between watching the Game of Thrones with me and the US Open with Doug.  We appreciated his company for the afternoon.  He decided to leave at 5 armed with plenty of leftovers.  He made plans to come back over the fourth of July.   The evening was a quiet one which I know Doug appreciated.  He did do some yard work today, but most of what we had to get done this weekend was finished on Saturday.  That left him with plenty of time to read his new book and to watch Woodland win the Open.

Budgeting

Last winter Doug and I had decided to start using a budget for our expenses.  It had been several years since we had had to follow one, but with all of the extra costs this past year we thought it would be a good idea.  We spent quite a bit of time working on it today and we both felt good about where we are at and where we are heading.  The biggest items that we have cut down on have been eating out.  That includes fast food.  I really don't miss it, like I thought I would.  The hardest part is the grocery store. We have to go more often to get what we want as I don't stock up like I used did before.  In the past I would have just gotten what looked good at the time, but now I put more thought in our purchases.

Meg struggled at first when we started giving her an allowance and let her control how she spent it.  Much like me, she hadn't worried about it too much in the past.  She has done well adjusting, however, and does think a lot more now about what she buys.  Brett started budgeting his weekly expenses when he started grad school.  With the new responsibilities of apartment costs, he has had to expand his accounting skills.  He was glad to see that he not only has plenty for the costs of living on his, but he can also increase his weekly expenses.  He should still be able to put some away as well.   Bell Trace added ten extra hours to his workload this week which will help in that regard.  Cam takes after Cal in that he really doesn't spend much money and always seems to have enough when he needs it.  I talked to Cam about doing an allowance with him when school starts.  We'll see if he even needs it.  Except for rent I haven't had to give Cal a lot for expenses this past year.  Budgeting has not been my favorite activity this Spring, but I do know that it's important.  Our lives have been so much better since I quit teaching and I definitely don't want to change that by overspending.  The money just wouldn't be worth the stress that my job put on our family.

A Beautiful Day Returns

All of the cold, wind and rain of yesterday was a memory this morning.  When I dropped Cam off at tennis there was plenty of sunshine and the temperatures were on the rise.  As Meg and I got out of the doctor's at noon we knew that we were in for a beautiful day.  We also had gotten good news from Dr. Freeze about Meg's mouth infection.  It had completely cleared and all she had left was a few more days of antibiotics.  This bit of information made the day seem even brighter.

My Mom had picked Cam up from tennis after her own appointment and they were able to get in nine holes before the best ball started.  He and Meg ate lunch at home and worked on picking up their rooms.  Meg left by 2:30 for the Indiana Dunes.  A group of graduates from Bethany had made plans several weeks ago to go today and they couldn't have picked a better day.  Meg did report later that the water was cold, but the dunes were a lot of fun and she had a great time.  They stopped for dinner at Portillo's on the way back.

Cam also had plans this evening.  He and Bailee met at the Brew and then walked to JoJo's and the Chief.  He had hoped to go to her softball game tomorrow, but it was cancelled due to lack of players.  While I was taking him to Goshen, Cal made it home from Carmel.  He hung out with my Mom for awhile watching the US Open and eating leftovers.  We caught up with him later in the evening.  He had enjoyed his week at work and went to an Indians game last night.  Doug and I had a quiet night at home while everyone else was busy.  He grilled out and we ended our beautiful summer night with a bonfire.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!!

June 13th and it was absolutely miserable weather-wise with 50 temperatures, rain and wind.  Besides a haircut appointment for me, Cam, Meg and I stayed inside most of the day.  We wondered all afternoon if Cam would have tennis this evening.  My parents had come up to play Buck Euchre and we were all surprised when Cam got a text at 5 p.m letting him know that tennis at Northwood was still on tonight's schedule.  While we debated what Cam should do, five minutes later he got another text letting him know that it was cancelled.  We were relieved as none of us wanted to sit outside in today's weather.

Once we knew Cam's plans, Meg was able to finish making hers.  She wanted to go to Jackie's, but was having issues with light-headness.   We assumed it was due to the penicillin she was taking for her mouth, but didn't want her to drive.  Since Cam didn't have tennis I was available to drive her to Elkhart.  She was happy for the ride, but it did change their plans to go to Aladdin.  Instead Jackie's dad took them to Jimtown Pizza.  I made it back home by 6:30 and Cam and I went to my parents to eat dinner and finish our Club Buck game.  Doug had County Council tonight, so we had plenty of times to play cards.  I was happy to be the big winner on the day, but most importantly was glad to have enjoyed a dreary, miserable weather day.

Round Barn Golf Tournament

Dad, Cam and I left at 8 a.m. this morning for Cam's first golf tournament of the season.  Cam and Dad had played at the Round Barn yesterday and felt confident that Cam would do well.  He started off on fire parring the first five holes.  I was impressed and nervous.  The next four were a little bit more challenging, but Cam still finished with a 41.  Although I gave him grief for being boring, shooting another 41, I was very happy for him.  He had played very well.

Cam started the back much as the front parring the first hole.  His scores were a little more erratic, however, with some pars and bogeys.  He did have a birdie and the unfortunate double bogey.  In the end, he once again shot a 41.  Although boring, the 82 did put him in third place until the last group finished.  Cam knew it would be tough to be one of the boys in the last foursome.  He was correct and in the end finished fourth out of nineteen.  Dad and I were extremely proud of him, but most importantly he was proud of himself.

Orientation Day Two

We were all exhausted last night when we got back to Brett's apartment.  Meg headed straight to bed as did Brett.  Doug wanted to watch the NBA finals, so I stayed up with him for a little while.  I was out, however, long before the Warriors won game five.  This morning Doug went to the parent session for Kelley Direct Admit Students.  He got some useful information about computers and the Bus X170 class offered this summer.  While he was there, Brett and I worked on organizing the wall hangings for his apartment.  Doug helped him finish up when he got back, while I took Meg to Hodge Hall for her academic advising session.  By the time I got back to the apartment they had almost everything hung up.  Brett and I then made a plan for him to finish up the rest of his artwork next weekend and to organize his files.

We met Meg at the library after her session.  She was happy with the additional classes that she picked.  In addition to Bus X170, Kelley had already signed up her for an English class, Accounting 100, and Business Presentations.  Today she added Psychology and Finite.  She was able to leave her Thursday mornings open so that she could come home for any orthodontist or eye therapy appointments that she needed.  We walked to Mother Bears from the library.  It was ten inch pizza Tuesday.  We all took advantage of the special.  Meg talked about her experiences over the last two days and we continued to give Brett grief for not knowing how many ounces were in a pint.  We stopped at TIS next so that Brett could buy poster board and Meg could get her free t-shirt.  We picked ours up yesterday.  We stopped at the Poplars building next to deposit Meg's Knights scholarship.  Afterward we said goodbye to Brett at the Union.  He was early for his 3 p.m. shift, but didn't mind since he had brought his headphones.  The drive home took a little longer than usual as Doug had to stop a couple of times.  His legs have been bothering him when he has to sit for a long time.  Even with the stops we were home by 6 p.m.  Cam was happy to see us and glad for the leftover Mother Bears.

New Student Orientation

We registered for New Student Orientation at IU a little bit before nine this morning and then walked to the auditorium for the opening presentations.  Several students talked to the group about the honor of being a Hoosier and then a professor challenged the freshmen in attendance to take charge of their own academics.  Both presentations were interesting, just a little long, which foreshadowed the rest of our day.  After they ended we were separated from Meg so that she could work on her schedule for the fall.  The rest of the morning went pretty well.  We listened to academic advice in the chemistry building.  It was interesting, but I already knew a lot from working with Brett and Cal over the past few years.  The speaker from career services was extremely funny, but we didn't put much stock in what he had to say.  We hadn't been impressed with the College of Arts & Sciences or SPEA career help when Brett needed it, but at least the guy was entertaining.

Once the lectures were over Doug and I left for lunch.  Everyone else was directed toward Herman B. Wells, but we had already "shaken" his hands many times over the years.  Doug chose Dats for lunch.   It had a Cajun menu which he really liked.  We also ran into Robert Smith, who grew up on our street.  We stopped at the Union on the way back through campus.  We had been given $9 vouchers for lunch.  Since we ate elsewhere, we picked up snacks for breakfast, a drink and orange chicken for Brett's lunch.  He had just gotten home when we arrived and appreciated the food.  Work had gone well for him this morning.  We helped him with a few items and then dropped him at the Union on the way back into campus.

We had skipped the first two afternoon parent sessions as they were about housing and becoming a Hoosier.  We felt confident that we had those topics covered.  The next session was on the support services offered for students.  I appreciated hearing all of those.  Brett was high on the mindfulness sessions that he attended and I made a note to myself to show Meg where the student health center was tomorrow on our way to Hodge Hall.  Doug joined me for our last meeting of the day which I appreciated as he had something to fill out for later.

Meg had texted me several times while we were in our afternoon sessions.  She really did not enjoy her orientation group as the girls all knew each other and excluded everyone else.  Their lunch was also terrible.  I remember that being a complaint from Cal as well.  We did get to eat dinner with her at Forest.  They had an updated food court with plenty of options.  Meg picked out fettuccine alfredo and a slice of pizza.

The rest of our evening went a lot better than the afternoon for all of us.  Meg toured the SRC and ran into Caleb Glon.  She attended the NSO latenight session and had a lot of fun.  She met a girl from Seymour and they exchanged phone numbers.  While she was enjoying the activities, Doug and I visited the Tap Room.  Cal called and let us know that he was coming down to meet us for dinner.  Once he arrived we walked to the Union to pick up Brett and we all enjoyed a great meal and lively conversation at the Crazy Horse.  By the time Meg joined us, everyone was in a fantastic mood and were looking forward to being together in Bloomington this fall.

Knights Scholarship

This morning the four of us were up earlier than normal for a Sunday morning.  We had found out a couple of weeks ago that Meg had won the Knights of Columbus scholarship for our council.  We were excited to hear that she would be the recipient.  The only downside was receiving it at 8 a.m. mass.  That was a sacrifice that we were willing to make, however, and completely appreciated that Meg received this honor.  She was recognized at the end of mass by the Knights.  Father Andrew had a lot of wonderful words to say about her.  He charged the rest of the congregation to get involved in their church just as Meg always had.  It was very nice to hear him praise her for her devotion.  Meg was greeted with congratulations from several Knights and other congregation members before we walked out of the narthex.  Brett and Cal had also earned this scholarship, but theirs was given at the high school awards program.  We appreciated them receiving it as well, but today's was personal which made it even more special.

After lunch Cam left with my parents to play golf with my Dad.  The rest of us packed the van and headed to Bloomington.  Meg had new student orientation scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.  We wanted to get there early.  Our first stop was to the shoe store to buy Meg a pair of Chaco's for camp.  She had been promised a pair on her birthday and wanted to get them before she started her new job.  There was some confusion about where to buy them, but we finally found a great pair at Dick's.  Meg also took advantage of the $15 reward certificate that I had for American Eagle before we headed to dinner.  We let Meg pick the restaurant and she chose BJ"s Brewery.  We got seated immediately and enjoyed a delicious meal together.

After dinner we were ready to rest at Brett's.  He had left a key for us.  Meg was impressed with his new place and camped out in the second bedroom for the majority of the night.  Brett had to work, so he didn't have dinner with us.  Doug picked up breadsticks before he got home which we all enjoyed before heading to bed.  Brett was impressed with all that we brought for him - two dressers that matched the sleigh bed, a microwave stand, an end table, a file cabinet and two more outdoor chairs.  Meg complained about unloading it until we reminded her that Brett will now have to help when we move her into her dorm room.

Open Houses Winding Down

We spent a good portion of the afternoon attending open houses.  The first was at Gabrielle's. Paula had decorated everything nicely and had plenty of delicious dishes to try from around the world.  It was very nice to see so many of my former coworkers as well as the Fiscus women.  I was filled in on all of the changes coming to Milford school due to dwindling student enrollment.  The biggest surprise was Paula's announcement that she would be teaching English at the high school next year.  She was excited about it.  I also found out that the high school principal was leaving for a better paying position outside of the education world.  That's the third principal to leave Wawasee in less than six years.

Our second open house was in our neighborhood.  We walked over to Graham's and visited with him, his family and several others that we knew from our involvement in the community over the years.  Graham plans to attend Purdue, but a lot of his friends have chosen IU.  I have mixed feelings about that.  Once we walked back, Cam and Doug headed to the golf course.  They wanted to get in nine holes before it rained.  Meg and Nick attended the same two open houses that we did and added in one more as well when they went to Evan Brown's in Bristol.  It was Hawaiian themed as their family will be going to the islands for his graduation present.  It sounded like a lot of fun.

Zoo Day

Meg, Cam and I make our annual pilgrimage to the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo today.  The weather was perfect for our visit, which was also probably why it was crowded.  That didn't damper our mood and we had a lot of fun touring the exhibits.  We started in the Africa area and Cam and Meg rode the sky ride as always.  We saw a guinea fowl for the first time.  It was definitely different than any other bird that we had seen before.

Our next stops were all in Asia, visiting the rain forest, the orangutans, and tigers.  We rode the log flume in Australia and then stopped for a snack.  Cam and Meg opted out of the train ride and instead walked through the farm.  The animals all looked cute, but no one was interested in petting the goats. We decided on a late lunch at Noodles & Company.  I had a great time with the youngest Heinisch's today and was incredibly thankful that they enjoyed it as well.

Appointments Galore

Meg and I started our day at the orthodontist.  She hadn't been since March and had expected to get new wires.  They had to scale down their plans for today as the area surrounding her wisdom teeth extraction was infected.  The orthodontist tried to suction out all that he could, but it wouldn't stop seeping.  He was extremely concerned that the infection had spread to the tooth or jaw.  Thankfully, the X-ray did not show anything more than an infection in the gum.  He took the bracket off of the back tooth so that the area could heal and put her on a strong dose of penicillin.  We have to call if it does not improve by next Wednesday.  Otherwise she will return in July for the next step in the process.

We had time after her first appointment to go to lunch at Hacienda.  Meg had hoped that Cam would join us, but I knew her doctor visits would take quite a bit of time, so I decided to schedule them on different days.  Instead Cam played golf with Grandma Jane and was happy to report that he had shot an 81 again.  Meg and I enjoyed our time together and we had just enough time to pick up her medication before our scheduled time at the eye doctor.  That appointment was a little less stressful.  Meg's prescription had changed somewhat, but nothing that couldn't be corrected.  Dr. Caughell agreed to fill out Meg's disability forms for IU which we really appreciated.  We made it home just as Cam and Grandma returned.

A Quiet Day at Home

Cam played golf with my Mom this morning while Meg headed to the dentist.  She was happy to report that her teeth were fine.  After the appointment she and Jackie headed to Goshen to eat lunch and meet her Dad.  Meg than spent the afternoon and early evening at Nick's.  He starts his summer job tomorrow morning, so it's technically his last day of freedom for awhile.

Cam made it home just after lunchtime happy to report that he had shot 81.  He seems to be stuck on that number for now, but soon he'll be breaking 80.  He is hoping that happens in a golf tournament this summer.  I took him to tennis this afternoon.  There haven't been a lot of boys attending the sessions, but there were four of them today.  They finished one of Matt's workouts and also did some serving.  Cam changed the grip on his serve which will take some time to get used to, but it should help quite a bit.  We'll see how he does during next weeks league play.

Friends Night

Cam invited Joey to come over tonight after tennis practice.  They hadn't seen each other since school got out.  They had fun catching up, playing basketball and touring the neighborhood.  They had talked about cooking hamburgers on the grill, but opted for pizza instead.  Cam had wanted Joey to spend the night, but he had to get up before 7 a.m. to work with his 4-H steer, so they decided to do that another time.

Meg picked up Jackie at Bethany around 3:30 and they headed to Michaels.  They went to buy string to make friendship bracelets and came home with painting supplies as well.  Since Jackie has not been able to play sports due to her concussion they wanted to find crafts that she could do this summer instead.  They both had fun painting and did a nice job on their boards.  The last stop of the night for them was Joe's.

Doug and I went to the Frog for half price pizza night.  It will be our last visit for awhile.  The wait staff has changed and the clientele has not been the same as the winter crowd.  The pizza hasn't been the best either, so it's time to take a break.  We ended the evening with a bonfire.  It has finally warmed up and dried out enough to be outside.  That's a welcome change.

Dinner Out

As neither Cam nor Meg had commitments this evening we decided to go out for dinner.  Cam had been promised Mad Anthony's on the night of his confirmation, but we weren't able to get a table.  Thus, we decided tonight was the time to make it up to him.  We haven't been going out that much lately in order to cut costs, so it was even more appreciated.  Cam and Meg are always entertaining when they are together and the four of us had a wonderful night together.  

Rough Day

Today was a rough day for me.  Friday and Saturday had been physically exhausting with the trip to Bloomington, and I just felt rotten this morning.  We still had graduation decorations to put away and I didn't think that I'd be able to do anything.  Thankfully, Doug was up for helping and by 3 p.m. we had everything back to normal.  I even felt good enough to take a short walk afterward.

While we were working on household chores, Cam played golf with my parents.  He has been consistently shooting the low forties.  I hope that continues in his upcoming tournaments.  Meg worked on thank you cards this afternoon and started her orientation videos for Camp Crosley.  She hasn't heard much from them which has been concerning.  We'll have her email them again once she's done with the requirements.  With all on our agenda today, we weren't able to make it to any open houses this afternoon.  Meg, Doug and I did make time to go to Janae's last night.  It was fun visiting with the Hapner family as we have known them since well before Meg was born.  Tonight was quiet in our house with Doug making dinner for all and a game of Qwixx with Cam.

End of a Quick Trip

Doug was up early this morning so that he could clean Brett's apartment.  Besides a lot of dust where the furniture had been it wasn't too bad and he was finished in about forty-five minutes.  He and Brett put the keys and the checklist in the IU housing drop box before they even opened.  It felt great to be finished.  Brett's IU apartment had been the perfect place during his tenure as a master's student, but we were all happy with his choice of new living quarters.  It will fit his needs perfectly and thankfully, it does not have a linoleum floor to sweep.

I stayed up later than everyone else unpacking and organizing last night.  Thus, I missed the early morning cleaning shift.  I was up in time to finish the last of the unpacking except what was stored in the extra bedroom.  We took Brett to Target to buy a couple of items that his new place would need - a welcome mat and a longer utility cord along with a few other necessities.  We finished setting up the television before we left.  Brett had thought about forgoing wifi, but in the end decided that it would be needed as the Google Home Mini, PS4 and BluRay Player would not connect to his hot spot.  We agreed and I told him I would look into it on the way home.

We had picked up Chick-Fil-A for Brett's lunch as he had to work at 1.  We had him to the Union in plenty of time.  On our way out of town we checked out parking spots for Brett.  He could get an EMS permit as an IU employee, which we were happy to see had plenty of spaces close to his work.  Doug and I enjoyed lunch at Oliver Winery.  It was a beautiful afternoon and we were thankful for a rest after a whirlwind twenty-four hours.