As summer is drawing to a close, I have been looking back over my pictures to see what I have managed to accomplish during the last 3 months. Of course, having a baby must be #1 on the list. Jordan is already 11 lbs and has the chubby rolls to prove it. She is such a good baby and is sleeping through most of the nights, so that will make going back to school an easier step to go through. We did manage a small vacation up to Bracken's parents' campground in Wisconsin (the swimming pictures are the proof) and again "hosted" a 4-wheelin' trip to the dunes. We don't really do much, but everyone camps out at our property; this year there must have been 10 or so groups, some families, some singles, that came to camp. This year the girls and I did not go up to the dunes since we didn't have anyplace in the 4-wheeler to put Jordan. Still, we did use our camper and all 3 girls slept well which was a blessing.

I didn't manage to read as much as I wanted to this summer, but I did get the Harry Potter book finished (loved it). I've lost all but 5 lbs of baby weight (probably should try for an extra 10 though) and I guess that is an accomplishment of sorts. As usual, I have not been the best housekeeper that I could be and am thinking now is the time to hire someone to do some of the cleaning. If I'm not pleased with the cleanliness levels in the summer when I'm not working, chances are they will not improve when I start back to school. Overall, though, this has been a good summer and a good year. When my birthday rolls around on Wed. and I also start back to work (kids don't start until the 4th though), I think I will be excited about celebrating another year. Someone said recently, "Do you still really get excited about birthdays? I thought it was all downhill after 21." I think that as long as I'm still where I want to be, each birthday should be exciting.

Girls and weddings. I find myself wondering if it is good or bad that my daughters are already so excited to go to weddings that they had their dresses picked out a week in advance. Or that they are so excited for their Aunt Bekah to get married (which won't happen until May 31, 2008). Children are so maleable and I don't want the girls to be so focused on that one day that they miss out on the bigger ideas of marriage. A wedding day is amazing, but after all, it is only a day. It's the same thing with fairy tales. Kids love to watch them but you hope that they don't get too focused on some prince rescuing them when they need to learn to rescue themselves. When I think about the romantic ideas I sometimes entertained as a child, I just wonder what my girls will come up with. More importantly, as a parent I want the best for them and struggle with how to shape those dreams. So, we watch Shrek a lot. :)