Long Course Swim Team

The kids have spent the summer in the "big pool" swimming long course team.  It is a great change for them as they rethink and train their bodies for these longer races.  We had a huge meet out in the hot sun over three days.  The kids enjoyed the swims and the downtime with friends spent playing cards and eating.  My how much swimmers do eat!  The little ones were sick so Patrick and I took turns at home with them.  We all learned some things over that weekend.  Sean learned the importance of flip-turns.  I learned he has quite the competitive side (just who is that screaming like a maniac kid on the relay team?) Sarah learned how to better pace her stroke and breathing on the breast stroke so she doesn't look like a hamster in a wheel, as her coach said.  Luke learned it is hard to leave a swim meet for scout camp, but was glad he did...scout camp involved lots of fun as well.  It also had him on the winning canoe race team!

15 years....a few days late

Patrick and I weren't together for our 15th anniversary.  I was up in Cleveland with the kids and he was back working and getting ready to head on his mission trip to Bolivia.  Seeing as he is the thoughtful, romantic in our relationship, and I generally think of beer as a great gift for him, I decided to surprise him with a getaway trip when we returned.  I planned a trip to the mountains for us, and once I had childcare arranged and things packed up, I headed up to Boone, NC to pick him up from his day at the office up there.  We then hit an Indian food restaurant for lunch (what a treat), and then headed to Linville Falls for some hiking.  It was a lovely day with plenty of sun, which is rare here this summer (unfortunately).  A long, romantic, hand-held hike, it was not.  We had people chuckling along the path, as we raced from lookout-point to lookout-point.  Some box-jumps on stumps and racing led to a sweaty hike, but it was really a fun time.  Then we headed to Asheville, via a long-cut and some repeated sights, but we got there eventually.  We spent the night at the Grand Bohemian hotel which was really eclectic and fun.  We walked to a great dinner, had a great breakfast the next morning, and then hit the Vanderbilt Mansion.  It was beautiful and amazing, and gigantic.  Our tour through the home resembled the hike the day before.  We were running through the home and passing people on all sides.  (Patrick wasn't nearly as amazed at the home as I was...."yeah, yeah, another bedroom...") We made to the Basilica of St. Lawrence for noon Mass and then headed to downtown Asheville for some lunch.  We arrived home to one sick child (everyone else had been sick before we left).  And then Lucy proceeded to flood the bathroom at bath time and water made its way to the basement.  But we remained remarkably calm through it all.  It is blessing what a little quiet, relaxing, alone time can do!