{"id":604,"date":"2010-07-15T13:08:00","date_gmt":"2010-07-15T17:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.michellebeachy.com\/blog\/thursday-july-15-2010\/"},"modified":"2010-07-15T13:08:00","modified_gmt":"2010-07-15T17:08:00","slug":"thursday-july-15-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.michellebeachy.com\/blog\/thursday-july-15-2010\/","title":{"rendered":"Thursday July 15, 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"July_0048\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

Just crazy. I knew it was going to be and every time I looked at my planner I would take a deep breath and say, “We can do this.” <\/p>\n

I think we can. It’s just way crazy. At least it’s a fun crazy so no one is crashing, just tired.<\/p>\n

The first week it seemed like all I did was package books, make phone calls, answer emails, and go to the post office. Thank goodness I was a little prepared for the aftermath thanks to my children’s books last fall. We had guests over Saturday night for an outdoor cookout … it was such a fun respite in the middle of a crazy week. Adam lost his first tooth that night when he bit his towel. It’s still up on his dresser. He has full intentions of saving every tooth. I’m sure he’d be thrilled with visitors to his museum.
\"July_0006\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

Adam called me from the bottom of the basement steps. “Hey, Mommy. Would you have a vase for my two frogs named Snip and Bundle?” I just want to know what mom could resist those names? Seriously. We have two pet frogs on the kitchen island now. Adam catches flies and puts them in the vase for them. Sadly, Bundle died last night. I think there was too much water in the vase. Snip now has a few more rocks to sit on, aka gravel.
\"July_0011\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

The next week David’s family minus one brother and his wife got together to butcher 150 chickens. Call me crazy, but we actually had fun while we were working. It really helped to have huge fans blowing the hot stinky air into the woods and away from us. The guys are super nice to us. They took off work and did all the nasty parts of butchering so we ladies only had to clean and bag the chicken. They have their limits though. We sat around inside the house so long talking after lunch that they started threatening to chop the heads off and stick them in bags. You’re welcome for sparing you any pictures.<\/p>\n

Christy and I left for Ohio a day earlier than we needed to in order to market our books. You can read about our fun day here.<\/a>
Thursday to Saturday was one of the most indescribable events I’ve ever been part of. Three online friends decided it would be fun to meet in real life and each of them invited more of their online friends to join them for a big blogger get together. It was the oddest thing to go meet people for the very first time and yet feel as though you know them. It was also odd to feel so intimidated by a few people online and then go find them to be so friendly and accepting and warm and funny and, well, normal. Apparently super heroes are normal, too. You know people are comfortable when the ice breakers finally cause a moment of silence.
\"flipflops_0112\"<\/a>
\"flipflops_0416\"<\/a>
\"flipflops_0422\"<\/a>
\"flipflops_0094\"<\/a>
\"flip<\/a>
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Becky, Lisa, and Audrey really did an amazing job pulling the event together and making it be fun for everyone. If you’ve ever wanted to do something like this, GO FOR IT! I’m serious. There are so many women who’ve created great friendships online. Choose one or two of them and take it to the next level with a real life meetup. I am convinced you will not be sorry. I loved that I got to meet people I’ve “known” for several years and people I was only introduced to through this meetup. So much fun!<\/p>\n

In case you think the guys in our house suffered at all, know that David is by far the capable one around here. I’m the one who thinks it’s so much work to go anywhere with children in tow. I squeeze out of going a lot of places whenever I can because I just don’t want to think through the food issues. Well, David packed the boys up and took them tent camping at the new boys camp in Maryland because the board was getting together for an overnight trip to get camp ready for open house. Oh and did I mention he shared responsibility with one other chief from camp to feed a group of 50 the night he got there via Dutch Oven cooking. Mmmhmm. I’m kind of wondering why I exist around here.<\/p>\n

One of the fun things about this crazy month is that Christy stayed in Virginia between her Ohio trip and her Lancaster trip. She was with Mom and Beth most of the time, but Tuesday she and Mom came to spend the day here. Everyone else was going to join us for dinner, but Beth’s household got hit with illness so Kelvin kept the littles and Beth came alone. Christy chose grilled chicken, ceasar salad, calico beans, bread, and a raspberry cheesecake with a chocolate crumb crust. Oh my. I kind of wish someone would have a birthday every day. You know how family roots for each other? Well, that night mom did the bigger part of my attendance chart for vacation Bible School next week and Christy stayed until after midnight to help me get mostly caught up on the piles of book related work fogging up my brain. I got up the next morning feeling as though I could function again.
\"July<\/a>
\"July<\/a>
\"July<\/a>
\"July<\/a>
\"July<\/a> <\/p>\n

Next week after my trip to Pennsylvania and after VBS (David is superintendent), I’m going to sit on the deck and eat popsicles with the boys. And after a day or two of that I am pretty sure I am going to do more than write journal entries on my blog.
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