10 hours and 30 minutes until summer is officially over! Just ask Rachel, she has the count down going. We met everyone's teachers this week and the kids are really excited to return to school tomorrow. I am ready to be back to a better routine. I just know that I will have a lot of "Mommy homework" as the kids come home with a bunch of paperwork for me to do the first week of school. I am so glad they are excited - it sure makes sending them a whole lot easier.

Other exciting news is...we have an offer on our house! I was shocked when the realtor called to let us know. It goes to show it is all about timing! The listing with virtual tour went on the internet Thursday morning. We had one showing scheduled for Saturday and the offer came today. We plan to accept the offer. If all goes well, we will be out before the end of September. Our plan is to move into an apartment close until our home is done early next year.

I'm tired and headed to bed. Good luck to all those starting school this week!

I was reminded today how important it is to count your many blessings. Instead of being critical of yourself or others, you should look for the good qualities, skills and talents. Focus on the positive, and you will find there is much joy to be found in this life.

I have many things to be grateful for. To start with the basics, I have family who loves me (and sometimes I am amazed because that can be a challenge!), I have clothes to wear, food to eat, and a nice home to live in. I have the knowledge that Jesus is the Christ and he lives! I know why I am here on earth and I know what the Lord has planned for me and my family after life on earth is done. Life is not intended to be easy; it is through the trials and experiences that we have that teach us and strengthen us.

I am thankful that my house is on the market! Why? Because it forces my kids to clean up after themselves! Ha! That may be the only blessing I can see right now, other than the hopes of selling and being able to build a new home. Rachel has really grown up this summer and is beginning to help more around the house. She is getting better at cleaning up; I realize there is a lot of growth potential there. She is also becoming quite the cook. I've enjoyed having more help at mealtimes.

This week was pretty uneventful. The kids are getting really excited for school to start. They are counting down the days - 7! They get to meet their teachers this week. It's fun to see their excitement. I remember being excited for school to start. It always brings a sense of new beginning - new friends, new teachers, new topics, etc. For Rachel, she goes to a new school. For Matthew, he gets to eat lunch at school. Alyson...she's excited for 3rd grade - no other special reason!

Have a great week!
Love,
Kari

Is it August already?

Summer is quickly coming to a close. Time really flies when you're having fun! Since I last wrote:

• The kids finished swimming lessons. Matthew is now swimming with his head under water!!!! That is quite the accomplishment for him. The girls also showed a lot of improvement with their swimming.
• Matthew left for his time with Grandma and Grandpa Ankeney on July 25. We went several days without talking to him; we were afraid that calling may cause him to get homesick and want to end his time early. He got in his mind that he was staying until August 5 (I don't know where that date came from) and wasn't coming home before then. He had a blast helping Grandpa with chores here and there. And from what I see, he also let Grandma take him shopping.
• The girls filled their days without little brother just as they would if he was here - just without the irritation! They spent time with friends, watching t.v., playing computer games, and doing chores.
• Dave continued on with his normal daily duties with few exceptions. He applied for a job with Bell Helicopter, was offered a contract position, and then the offer was rescinded the day after when strike negotiations were settled. He was really bummed; they said they could still use him if he was willing to take a job in Amarillo. Unfortunately for Dave, that doesn't make sense for our family right now.
• I flew to St. Louis this week to take the last courses required for my Software Test Manager certification. Now I wait for results from my exams and complete the paperwork. While there, I took some time out to attend a couple sessions at the St. Louis temple. That was really nice and I enjoyed time where I was not hurried or worried about other things. I came home late on my Birthday to find my children still up waiting for me to unwrap my presents. The house was clean and everyone was in a happy mood. It was a great end to an otherwise lonely birthday. I appreciate all of the emails and facebook posts helping me remember who my friends are. Thank you all.

The next few weeks are likely to be very exciting. School starts on August 24. All three kids are counting down the days to meet who their new teachers will be. I don't think it has sunk in yet that this means a return to normal bed times and play routines!

Dave and I found a floor plan we really love - a smaller, single story home! We talked with a realtor this week and the realtor seems to think we can get enough out of our home to try to sell it now. With selling our home in Hereford earlier this summer, Dave now has access to his VA benefit to make it easier to get into another home. So, we processed the paperwork and our home should be listed before the end of this week. We'll see what happens. If we are able to get close to our asking price, we will move forward in building a new home - just 2 blocks away! Crazy, I know. We love the area, despite the commute, and although this home has been great for the almost 3 years we've been here, it is just too big - and my knees can take the break from the stairs. Like I said, we'll see what happens.

I've rambled enough for now. I hope you have a great week!