Summer - What summer? Hawaii?! Yes please.

       As the summer flies by with birthday parties, bike rides, baby showers & BBQ's, work, church, family, and friends... it is hard to believe it is already the end of July!!! It seems like the months just go by quicker and quicker.... It also seems like transition has been a big part of this summer - Jacob completed his program, passed all his tests, and has been working as a Firefighter-Paramedic. He is doing a great job and enjoying being "on his own" again, but not without a 'healthy amount of fear' of course that comes with great responsibility. With the recent addition of a fantastic road bike (thanks Craig's List), he has taken up cycling and loves it! Earlier this week he completed a 32+mi ride!  Go Jacob!

     In the spring, I moved down to part-time and love working only 24 hrs/wk. It has been better for my physical, mental & emotional health. Our floor actually slowed down for a few weeks.... I was even census managed for the first time in a year and a half!!!! Of course it has picked back up again recently. Aside from a few relapses, it's been going well and we have such wonderful patients. They are a joy (most of the time lol) to work with. I organized a team again this summer for the Bern County Women's Basketball league and that has been fun, despite a few injuries (no surprise there, huh?). We ended the reg season 8-2 and start post-season play next week.

      This past June we celebrated 3 years CANCER FREE. Yeah, you can shout out a "woo woo". Jacob's healthy, strong, and feeling great. We are now on every-6-months-schedule for checkups and scans. Next set will be in September. We are so thankful for this milestone and God's grace & healing. In the meantime, we are supporting our 4 year old niece, Grace, who was diagnosed this summer with leukemia (pre B ALL) and is currently undergoing treatment in VA. She reached post-induction remission (can I get another "woo woo"?) and is doing pretty well.
 
     After building a raised bed, 4 truckloads of topsoil, compost & manure, lots of seeds, and a drip system, we've got a vibrant, healthy-looking vegetable garden!

J fertilizing the garden

    We're growing tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, green beans, spaghetti squash, romaine lettuce, melon, cilantro & maybe a bell pepper plant - if it hangs in there and doesn't get suffocated by the crazy squash vines that have taken over the entire bed. Already we have enjoyed harvesting and eating romaine, cucumber, and zucchini!!! Very soon the spag squash & tomatoes will be ready! It's neat to see how quickly things grow and be able to "pick" dinner from the backyard. I'm so thankful for Jacob and all his hard work. Def wouldn't have been possible without his amazing design, labor, bug-picking, soil-shoveling, watering & fertilizing skills!!!!

     And the exciting news of the week - Tomorrow we will be getting on a plane to the island of Kauai! We have never been to Hawaii, or anywhere tropical together. We can't wait to spend a week on the beach, snorkeling, hiking to waterfalls, eating fresh tropical fruit, and exploring the island! There will definitely be photos to come :) Goodbye mainland!