These summer days...

...are the ones I know I'll be dreaming of come 4 months into winter. This weekend we did our annual cousin camping trip on Lake Independence. I didn't take many photos, just these on Saturday evening at the beach. Sometimes I feel pressured to always document everything with my camera but I also simultaneously realize that I just want to experience things first hand through my own eyes rather than through a lens all the time. I think that's an important thing for us to all remember in this modern day and age where it's so easy to document and share these moments. For those of us who love photographing, it's okay to partake in this process, but also remember to take a few special moments for yourself and your own memory.

     I'm back to working evenings with my new job at the hospital. There are both negatives and positives to 2nd shift. I like having my mornings open to get things done at home, go to yoga and other classes at my gym that I wasn't able to go to before, and spend mornings and early afternoons outside if I choose to. The downside is that it seems that the majority of people I know operate on a day-time work schedule, meaning that I might be missing out on fun evening activities. Also, the days that I work I really won't be able to see Tanner at all. He works 8-4 normally and will definitely be asleep by the time I get home (which will be around midnight). I do like working evenings, but I'm also reminding myself that this schedule won't be forever.
     As always summer has snuck up on me and suddenly it's the end of July. Transitioning from one job to another has been energy consuming. Saying goodbye to my old job was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. August 25th brings the beginning of a new school semester in which I'll be taking online classes to complete my Bachelor's degree. I didn't think that I wanted to continue with school, but I'm realizing that there are a lot of opportunities that are open to BSN RN's rather than Associate's degree RN's. So now's a good time for me to continue my education.
     I appreciate all these beautiful summer moments and am trying to not wish away the time, which seems to be human nature. I love the minutes I can spend in the sun with a swimsuit on and a book in my hand, and the evenings we play Settler's on the porch. I'm hoping to sneak a few more camping trips in this summer before the sunny days are gone. Balance can be tricky.

Cousin Camping

     This weekend was our annual cousin camping weekend. Every year on the last weekend in July my family gets together with our cousins and second cousins and grandparents and great aunts and uncles and all the like to camp together. It's not any back woods camping by any means, lots of campers and bathroom facilities nearby. But it's always so much fun. This year (as many of you living in Minnesota experienced) we had temperatures in the 50's over the weekend! The forecast for Saturday said 70 and sunny, but it didn't exactly go quite like that. There were clouds covering the sun most of the time and scattered raindrops fell throughout the day. But we made the best of it. 

     We started Saturday morning with some Tai Chi in the park led by my aunt. I've never done Tai Chi before but I really enjoyed it. I was expecting to be like yoga, but it was much less physical and much more mental, meditative. It was an interesting experience due to the screaming kids, raindrops and wind surrounding us. But I still enjoyed it. We proceeded to build a fire and make campfire pizza sandwiches for lunch (best things in the world!). There was a lot of catching up and laughing and munching and smiles. Later in the afternoon we had a few intense volleyball games going. My forearms were bright red and swollen by the time we were done with tiny bruises forming. I also bruised my thumb. It would be nice to know how to properly play volley ball and avoid such injuries. I was not the only one injured from those games either! It was extremely fun though. 

     We always do a big meal on Saturday evening where everyone brings a dish to share but then we grill our own meat or whatever you choose to bring. This year I made a massive amount of pasta salad and only about half of it was eaten. Good to know for next year to not make four boxes. Our nights always end with a large campfire circle and lots of laughter. Sooner or later something really inappropriate comes up and with the encouragement of smart phones outrageous laughter ensues. Going to bed the first night was cold and uncomfortable. It was in the mid to lower fifties and we did not properly utilize our blankets, so both Tanner and I were cold all night. Also our air mattress of course had a leak so laying on my side really meant laying with my bony prominences hitting the ground. The next night we used a nice, newer air mattress with no leaks and slept underneath our warmest blankets/sleeping bag. I slept much better.

Failed first attempt at campfire pizzas.

64 oz of Gatorade anyone?

Cousins meeting miss Annabelle for the first time.

I think she's starting to look more and more like my sister.

Gracie the pug!

Best breakfast always made by dad.

Swollen and lightly bruised arms from volleyball.