I'm Not Gonna Apologize......Just Enjoy the Post

My really cool and amazing 13-year-old sister Callie recently came to stay with us for 2 weeks and was privileged enough to attend the annual Jones Family Campout at Mt. Rainier Nat'l Park. The mountain was the most gorgeous I've ever seen it and our stay at Ohanpecosh with the family was wonderful. Callie felt right at home with Mark's family and it was wonderful to be able to share her with them. I'd like to say she spent her time contemplating the wonders of nature's beauty, but I think she was more contemplating the possibility of a signal on her cell!

Trying to get the kids geared up for the first day of school next Wednesday, but the Olympics are keeping us up late every night. Ben was apprehensive about starting Kindergarten at the beginning of the summer, but as time has progressed he is beginning to see the advantages of not hanging with me all the boring day long. Claire and her best friend Emily have been doing so many sleepovers I'm not really sure whose kid is whose anymore or where they might end up sleeping at night. She's really gotten into reading chapter books this summer, which makes my heart sing. Now if I could just convince one of them to learn to play the piano!!

If you haven't already heard, it looks like there's a six-month excursion to Germany looming in our near future. It came upon us a little suddenly, but we've always wanted to spend some time living somewhere else besides the U.S.A. The Max Plank Institute in East Germany has offered Mark a temporary position working on what he calls "a really sexy project" and we're going. We'll be leaving after the first of the year and my life has suddenly become very busy with the details of such an adventure. I'm sure you'll hear so much more about it in the months to come. Anyone looking for a part-time job as a German tutor?

For those of you who have been witness to my recent hormonal imbalances, there may be relief for you. A nodule has been discovered on my thyroid and my doctors and I are in the process of finding out more. A "nodule" was unfortunately the worst of my three possibilities, meaning it will have to be biopsied and dealt with, but the chances that it is cancerous are slim and if it does turn out to be so, thyroid cancer is almost always treatable. I'm going to hope for benign, thank my lucky stars I may soon have an answer for my mood swings, and try to get my shit together where my health is concerned. It's obvious I'm not getting any younger.

I'm adding Mark as a poster to this blog; he thinks he can do a better job of keeping up than me so say hi when you see him around. He'll certainly never have my flair (LOL) but I'm willing to share the spotlight! And for my long lost friends, I will be in touch with you very soon. Thanks for your kind words.