Summer 2014

So, my post on our trip to Phoenix in May will have to be put off for now.  Our laptop is currently refusing to turn on and all of my pictures are on it :/  Hopefully some brilliant techy guy can help me recover what's on there soon.  In the meantime I'm going to continue on updating and documenting life with what we've been up to this summer.  

I have mixed feelings about this summer.  It went way too fast, as most summers do, and was VERY busy.  Busy can be a good thing but I found myself feeling overwhelmed by the continuous To-Do lists and wishing for summer to be over and so I could get back in a normal steady routine.  I still worked all summer but with our adjusted summer schedule I was able to get my work done at work and not take anything home.  Super nice!  With the start of my third school year drawing nigh, (Monday!:/) I'm sad to say goodbye to family, my more flexible work schedule, and the three day weekends but excited to get back to "normal" and grow in the year to come.

 We started right as soon as school ended May 21st with a trip to Phoenix and then came home to start living in Jeff and Tina's house.  Within the first week of June we experienced living in a tent for 10 days (previous post) and prepared for a big garage sale.  Olivia and I were in charge and we had fun overseeing the sale while getting a good tan :)  It felt good to get rid of stuff but since our sale was a combined sale with some church friends, us girls pretty much traded clothes with each other and replaced the stuff we got rid of with stuff we took from each other.  Defeats the purpose of de-cluttering but oh well ;)   

I must have not taken many pictures in June but in July we…

Golfed in the rain.  Well, Zach golfed, I read a book and sat in the cart ;)

Hosted people for food and fireworks on the 4th of July.

Went camping with some of our couple friends at Timber Lake in Huntington

 Andrew and Emily, Ben and Alissa, and Zach and I all got tents at last year's Auction and we were finally using them together like we planned :)

Hosted a goodbye party for Jeff and Tina at Sauder's and had a fabulous spread of hor doeurves and wine.  

August 2nd was the GW Auction and I played a role in organizing the First Auction Item.  This year it was a "Year of Surprises" from GW staff and residents.  August was from us school staff and it was rainbow themed, filled with books, back to school items, homemade goodies and treats from us at the school.

I divided the skittles to make a rainbow in a Mason jar ;)  So fun

Mom came for the second year in a row for my birthday and the Auction and this time Jenna came with her.  As soon as they arrived on Wednesday July 30 we hit up Steak N Shake (Jenna's fave midwest staple), and did some shopping for the Auction first item.  We had burgers that night with the Schus and played Black Rook.  Thursday they joined me at work where they helped me with my classroom and put together my beautiful new bulletin board.  Then we went for pedicures, dinner, and more errand running :)  Friday we looked through the items at GW, visited the Fort Wayne Zoo for the first time, shopped at Jefferson Pointe and met Zach for dinner at 800 degrees Three Fires.

Fish in the Australian section of the zoo

Wallaby walkabout

African penguins

800 degrees

Saturday was the Auction and also my 25th birthday!  Zach was playing in a golf tournament all weekend so Mom, Jen, and I navigated the Sale and bought some items then we all went out for dinner at Agaves to celebrate :)  Sunday was a chill day with food, games, and friends at the Schus.  Monday, Mom, Jen, Cecily and I headed up to Chicago for some big city fun.  We traversed the Chicago Art Institute, Michigan Ave, Navy Pier, and took an architecture river cruise which was the highlight for me.  It was just really nice to enjoy time together and do things we don't normally get to, like shop at Anthropologie ;D

 Art Institute 

We stopped in a store called TopShop.  Ridiculous clothes at way too high prices.  This looks like something I would have worn in 1993.

My happy place!

Giordanos :)

 Found a great burger place driving home through Valparaiso, Burgerhaus

I got the one with pineapple, of course!

Dropped mom and Jen off at the airport on Wednesday afternoon, after another stop at Steak N Shake ;), and came back to work like crazy to prepare for this coming Monday.  My coworkers made a giant funfetti cupcake to celebrate by birthday!  I'm still working on it and it's amazing!

We've got a busy "last hurrah" weekend before I go back to school so once all of it is over I'll post about the end of Summer 2014 because there's still a day and a half left! :D