Almost done!

Phew!! I’ve almost made it through the week - a long, crazy, full of too many issues, lots of meetings and budget preparation week … but TODAY is Friday, and the Friday before a 3-day, holiday, going to the lake, awesome weather kind of weekend! And tonight we’re headed with friends to eat dinner down at the Landing in Branson… a special place for me and Brian. Here was our photo from this past winter, taken with my camera and new tripod, down in front of the water/light display.  Brian gave me the frame for my birthday, and I love it - very modern, with magnets to affix the photo - this picture doesn't do it justice, I've received several compliments on both the frame and the photo.

Looking forward to our dinner with friends, and then tomorrow we’re headed with Jacey up to Stockton, to spend a couple of days with my sister Susan and her family out on the lake – couldn’t ask for better weather! Jace is soooo excited about waterskiing again, after his one and only time out on the lake last August. Brian and I will probably get out on the tube, but I really am planning to just sit on the boat or in the water, enjoying the sun and the water and RELAXING!

Jace finished school this week, and will be an 8th grader in just a few months. He has had a good year – although helping a 13-year-old boy learn the skills to consistently be organized so that he can turn his assignments in (and, let’s be honest - even know and remember he has assignments!) has been difficult – and honestly, I don’t think we’re there yet. But Brian has been a big help with this, and sometimes Jace seemed to listen to him better than he did to me or to Jim. In addition, Brian and Jim have gotten to know each other some, at all of Jace’s baseball games, so that has been a good thing, too.

Today Jace is out helping Brian as he campaigns for the sheriff of one of the counties outside of Springfield. Brian has been in law enforcement for 20 years, a good part of it in Charlotte, NC. He has been the chief deputy of the sheriff’s department here in MO for the last four years, and the sheriff is up for re-election in August. So Jace is walking neighborhoods with Brian and other supporters today, passing out information to people. Jace has to pay for a social studies textbook that he somehow lost during the last few weeks of school, and today’s work will help him earn money to pay that back, and Brian will also be able to teach him some about the election process.

Looking forward to a great weekend with friends and family, and some much-needed relaxation before I head back to work AND budget week in a few short days!