Summer Madness: Part 1

So we've been busy lately. Part One of summer madness as started, and the next parts are going to be just as crazy. So, here is part 1.

On the second weekend in May, Mandy had her second cello recital. Instead of the formal black and white that she wore last year, Mandy went for a different look that was more of her style anyway. She wore a long black skirt, a sleeveless white shirt, and then a long maroon vest; oh, and she went barefoot. Mandy did good, except for a couple of goofs that happened because either her hair got caught in the strings or because her sitting position was not what she was used to, causing her intonation to be off. I recorded a video of the performance, but Mandy was not happy with how she did and has told me not to upload it.

The week after that was also busy. Mom took her students to a tree farm for the afternoon, and we had them over for burgers that night. Her students, to show their appreciation for her teaching over the past year, gave Mom a series of gifts: a two-night stay at a little bed and breakfast in southwest Georgia, a cheesecake pan, a stainless steel skillet, and then the extra money. It was very generous, and we were very touched by it. Then on Friday, Mandy went with a group of her friends to Six Flags for Homeschool Day. Mom and I used that day to get some shopping done and do running around. On Saturday, one of Mandy's peers had a graduation party that we attended.

Then last week was very busy, largely with us camping at Blue Ridge in North Georgia. We had two families over for dinner on Monday, and then on Tuesday Mom made dinner for a church family that recently had a baby while Mandy and I went shopping. On Wednesday, there was more running around and then hasty preparations to leave. We ended up leaving the house later than we wanted to be, which led to us having dinner on the road. We arrived at the campsite on the north side of the Lake around 8:30 or so, and we had to set up the site as quickly as we could before it grew dark. Then we made a fire and sat around it for a little while before going to bed. The first night, as always, was the hardest because we were getting adjusted, and it was cold. Mom made lemon blueberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs for breakfast, and then we hung out that morning. We visited the beach for a swim and waited for another church family and Mandy's Latin teacher Ben to show up. On Friday, we went tubing down a nearby river, and it was a nice two-hour trip. I kept hitting rocks and such, and at one point I actually got stuck on a branch, which was embarrassing because a guy was fishing nearby and watching me. Mom also had a few funny moments on the trip, such as when she and her tubing partner got a spider on their tubes and had difficulties getting rid of it or when she fell out during the last set of rapids, the most intense of the trip. After our fun-filled trip, we went back to the parking lot, where we learned that our pastor's step-father was being rushed to the hospital, so we offered up a prayer for him. On our way back to the campsite, we learned that the man had died upon arrival at the hospital. It was a bittersweet evening with the man's grandchildren, who had gone tubing with it, but we nonetheless enjoyed some fellowship. On Saturday, we got up, had breakfast, and then began packing up. Mom, however, accidentally burned her hand while she was dumping out the dishwater on the fire, but she's all right. Then we drove home, where we unpacked, did some laundry, and took much-needed showers. All in all, it was a fun trip with our friends, and we all enjoyed it.

And so, now on to Part 2 of the summer madness. We've got Memorial Day festivities tomorrow, Mandy's graduation party, and then our trip to Florida.