June & stuff

Finally! I am jumping back on the horse and blogging.  I tell ya, the longer I try to get consistent with this, the more respect I have for those 2+ times a week posters! It's not that it's a drag, or I don't enjoy writing. It's just having MAKING time.  Making it a priority. I'm obviously not there yet. But I digress.

June has been a whirlwind, for serious.  May was pretty busy too if I recall, but it seems oh so long ago, so I can't tell for sure. I spoke of a yard sale and was rather dramatic about how difficult the set up was. It was a chore, as was the packing up, but the two days of selling was super fun to me.  I got to spend it with my bestie-soon-to-be-married-lady, it was beautiful weather so I got some good sun, and made some good money! All from my own front...driveway.  What more can a girl ask for?  And to you, lady customer who came 5 times and always walked away with purchases...WE LOVE YOU! 

Riiight after the yard sale was a girl cousin get-away with the Stoltzfus side of the family. hehe...real specific right? Anyways, that was SUCH a grand time spent with 8 other lovely girls.  I was the only in-law, but I was welcomed with open arms, and only got yelled at and talked over like one million times twice. Toootallly kidding. Well kidding about it being because I was an in-law, there was 9 of us, did you expect that there wouldn't be tons of talking and opinion giving? :] We stayed at a place in Ohio which was like a bed and breakfast, but we asked if we could prepare our own food and just have the house to ourselves, and that's how it worked out. We did a little running around one day, but mostly just chilled and ate really really really yummy food. It was super fun, and I hope there will be another in the future.  All of those girls are gems, and each has been so enjoyable for me to get to know.  There were a number of photos taken over the couple days, so maybe I will dedicate a post to those at some point, just for your daily dose of beautifulness. ;] I also had a grand time with Lyndsi road tripping...we apparently have a knack for picking the PERFECT exits, which have yummy drinks (to the Starbucks employee who spelled my name BATTTY, thanks for the laughs-for-days), Chick Fil A, and a mall with an H&M that had an outside entrance. Adventures were had, Laughs were laughed, and talks were deep and wide. :] 

The woman's softball league that I play in started in June, and Lyndsi has joined this year which is fine.  Last year was my first year, and I only knew one other lady going into it. It is a fun way to get a little exercise and have something to do during the week.  Last year we super dominated. This year has been a bit different so far, but I think we will get back into our groove.  There are some people who make it really fun, some people who I have become friends with, and some people who need to go sit down somewhere and chill out. But I enjoy it!

The a fore mentioned bride-to-be and I took an overnight trip to Rochester NY, which is slightly over an hour from home.  We did the same a few weeks before I was married a couple of years ago, and it's just a good time.  Pretty low key, movie, out to eat, and just time together at a hotel.  Kinda a sending off party I guess. I enjoyed both so much.  The one similarity with each is that we planned day #2 to be a beach day up at Ontario Beach Park, and both times were AWFUL.  I think this year was worse, I'm talking walk on the beach and you can't even see the water it's so hazy.  It was windy and it started to spritz. So we decided to head towards home early, and stop at Target and frozen yogurt. The day was not lost people. 

A couple of days later I hosted a bridal party for that special (special like awesome, not special like, special.) girl. The plan was it have it outside in my cute backyard, and it looked so awesome in my head, but the weather didn't cooperate.  It was pretty rainy and just dreary so I committed to having it inside, and it actually turned out fun. My living room is pretty open, so it's a nice place to host. There was about 16 or so people, and it was really chill. There might be pictures of that night in the future too. :]

Next was family vacation.  We planned to do this in July when things weren't as busy, but  my brother-in-law found out he would be leaving the beginning of the month for his 2 year commitment at Fair Play Wilderness Camp for Boys, so we moved it up a bit.  We went to the Lapps hunting cabin in Coudersport PA for the weekend.  It was a very relaxing weekend, no requirements except to eat yummy food and take naps, and no cell service.  I played a game of wiffle ball which was fun...and so so tiring.  Try playing that game on an uphill grade, with only 1 other teammate.  Winning totally made the sore legs worth it. ;] Coming home our vehicle decided to give us fits, not my favorite thing. The last time it decided to lose power was on the side road right by our house, so I decided to cut the corner and run through the field with Dakarai and catch the corner of our backyard. Would I have still done this if I knew our neighbor man was out enjoying his pool and his music and his cigarette, right by the field and corner I ran to?  Probably, but it was a tad bit ackward. And funny in hindsight. 

The next morning I had to be up bright and EARLY, to head to Tennessee with a wide load escort. Like, 5 am early.  That trip could almost be a post in itself (as probably all these little mini events could be), but here I am back home at last.  The load was half a cabin, so 15 feet wide, and required a double escort (one car in front, one car in back) through most states we drove through.  We drove 11 hours the first day (All the trucker was allowed) and stopped for the night and a evening meal of Chipotle. The next morning we were up and ready to go about 5:30 am, and seriously. I don't think our ETA got any closer for like the first 3 hours.  It just takes long with those big loads, and there is a permit required ahead of time mapping out the roads we are allowed to use, which aren't always the most direct way.  Traffic was a bit hairier that day, and I felt awfully small sometimes as I was straddling two lanes in the little Jetta, a tractor trailer in each lane right on my tail, traffic zooming by on my left, and the butt of a big ol cabin in front of me.  But like I said, home safe and sound. :] On the way home we were able to load a car on the empty trailer, so we rode together, plus we had a dear friend who had gone down with the first half the week before to fill her love cup with time spent with her grandbabies.  With 3 drivers we decided to drive straight home, arriving around 6:30 am the next morning. I was pooped by then, and slept most of the morning. 

And I think we are pretty much current! This evening Brad and my Dad and I went to the Haiti Benefit Auction for dinner and to watch a little of the livestock auction action (say that 5 times fast!). I am such a sucker for auctions, not cause I love buying stuff but I LOVE to hear the auctioneer and the "yeppers" and watch the bidders and how they bid etc.  Secretly (or not so secretly) I would love to have the auctioneer skill under my belt.  Maybe some day.  There was some Alpacas there for auction that I hoped to watch but they didn't come up before I left.  Maybe someday when I'm like 60 and lack for something to do, I'll have a small farm of those sweet lookin things. :]

So yes.  This might be a rather boring post to most of you.  And I may touch on some events more in the future.  And I do wish I had pictures to punctuate some of these events.  Mostly I didn't want to just skip over them because I am sure in the years to come when I read back over my posts, I will want to remember this sweet busy month of June, and all the excitement it held, the hum of lives changing, and time spent with dear people.  Thank you for being patient.