Summer's over, and it was a busy one!

I guess summer is now officially over. Madelyn went back to school this past Wednesday, Jackie and Dani went back to school this past Monday, and holy cow - it's September in 3 days! Where did the time go? It was a fun and crazy summer with lot's going on. Obviously you know all about Madelyn going to camp. In addition to that Trey and I each got a week off with her. She was all set to go to Grammy camp for a week in August, but unfortunately Grammy had a crazy accident and had to have surgery instead. It's a long, odd story, but the outcome is that she is recovering just fine and will be okay. The short version... while working on the ranch with Grandad with some some cows, one of the cows kicked a steel pipe that they were working with and it swung up and hit in her the face. Talk about "the perfect storm". It was a total fluke accident, but it hit her just right where it resulted in several fractures in her face. She had to have surgery to repair, and poor Grammy - her entire side of her face was literally black and blue. But like I said, she is doing sooo much better now, and with some more rest and a little TLC, she is going to be her normal self again. Thank goodness!!!! So anyway, instead of Grammy camp, Madelyn got a week of a little bit of this and a little bit of that. She spent a few mornings with the big girls - Jackie and Dani. They were absolute angels stepping in to keep her for us. April covered an afternoon after school and a day she didn't have school, and Trey and I took a few half days to balance the rest. It was CRAZY, but it all worked out just fine.

After that week, we headed to San Antonio for a little family vacation with my mom, Allan, Megan, Mia, Mara, Jacob, and us. It was tons of fun! We got to see Aunt Jo and had really yummy grilled hamburgers and hotdogs (thanks Marty) and swim. That was the highlight of the weekend!!! But we also went to the wax museum and Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, took a boat tour of the riverwalk, went to the Natural Bridge Caverns (very cool - and a good walking workout), and ate a ton of good food. It was so much fun, and so sad that when it was over, basically so was our summer. So that's all kept us pretty busy.

Unfortunately, the summer didn't end on the brightest note for me. I've been feeling great, with no active Lupus flare ups for several months now, and at the beginning of the summer, my Dr. and I discussed working on lowering and getting of some of my meds. We decided to wait until the end of the summer because being in the sun has caused flare ups for me in the past. So here I was thinking we were being so smart and strategic about it all. So about 6 weeks ago, I had another appt and we decided to get it going. I went off 2 of my meds, and started to taper down the Prednisone (steroid) from the 5 mg I was taking daily. The plan was to reduce by 1 mg each month. Very slow. Well, I went to 4 mg with no problem. Then I went to 3 mg and a week into it, my chest started to hurt. I am so disappointed and frustrated. I have now been back at 5 mg for a week, but since I didn't go back up to a big dose, I am still feeling bad. In the past, when I've had a flare up, it's taken a little while with big doses (40 - 60 mg) to get me feeling better, then we drop down. But I really didn't and don't want to go back up to that kind of a dose. So I am happy that we are trying a mild increase to a small dose to take care of it, and I expect that it means it will take me a little while to be feeling better - since it's such a small dose still, I am not going to all of a sudden be feeling better like before. But I just want to be feeling okay, and I really want to be off this darn medicine. I know that the small dose that I am on - even at 5 mg - is really not that bad, but I just want OFF. Oh well - it is what it is, right?

So the really great news is that we've decided to do something big for my 30th birthday this year. I am so excited I can barely stand it!!!! Trey and I, with my mom, Lene and Michael, are going to Las Vegas for 4 days for my birthday!!!!!! We leave on Saturday (my bday) 11/21 and come back Tuesday night. Then we have Thanksgiving that Thursday, which is my absolute favorite holiday. It is going to be so awesome!!!!! So the countdown has begun and right now we are at 84 days! It seems so far away, but I know it will go by so fast. Vegas Baby!!!

Well I think that is it. You are all caught up now.

Madelyn got back from camp, and just as the pictures seemed, she had an awesome time! We all missed her so much, and she missed everyone too. But she has such a great, fun, rewarding experience that it is soooo worth it! She's already ready to go back next year, and for longer!

So while she was there she did some incredible stuff... there was swimming every day, a huge rope swing, a gigantic slip n slide that was part of the July 4th carnival, cooking (she learned how to make pita over a fire, and chocolate balls), lots of good food, lots of great friends, and tons of adventures. She was so busy having fun, that she didn't even read her mail!!! Yes - after we all worried and fretted about making sure she got tons of mail - emails, letters, card, packages, etc. - she didn't even read any of it. I was laughing so hard, when as I was unpacking her, I came across of her mail in a huge pile, practically untouched. Anything that was mailed to her (cards, letters) WASN'T EVEN OPENED!!! She opened packages and took all the goodies out, but really didn't even know who sent her what because she didn't open the notes that went with them!! I'm telling you that kid cracks me up!

After a few leisurely days back at home with Daddy and Rarah, Madelyn is now with her mom and stepdad for a few weeks. We were so sad for her to go, and so was she, but she is also so excited to spend some time with her other side of the family too.

So I guess it's back to the real world for me... no more vacations for a little bit, and Monday I am back at work for the first full week I'll be working in over a month. What a bummer!!!

T minus 24 hours!

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. This time tomorrow, we'll be pulling through the gates at GFC to pick up the princess and my big girls too!!! It's very bitter sweet... I am so ready to see Madelyn and hear all about her camp adventures, the friends she made, and the fun things they did. I am so ready to give her a big hug and kiss and squeeze her tight. But I am also sad that her first summer at sleep-away camp is already over too. It went by really fast, and really slow at the same time. I just hope she can remember all of it so she can tell us EVERYTHING! I wish I could go back to camp...

I have to give another shout out to the friends that were at camp while Madelyn was there. They made it bearable for us back home. The daily doses and updated on how much fun she was having was both a relief and a joy to each day. It's been super difficult these past few days with no one there to send me texts, emails, and pictures! Next year, we'll have to coordinate their staffing time so that they aren't all there at the same time! Hello - priorities!!!

This morning was a little difficult. My routine for the past 9 days has been:
1. arrive at work
2. skim for important emails, skip all the others and come back to later
3. get on GFC site, look for pictures
4. email Madelyn

No #4. today. So sad. I didn't really know what to do - it felt so weird to not email her. So I started to email her anyway, but then I thought - well that's just ridiculous, she won't even get it!

Last night I made a big Welcome Home poster for Madelyn, and tonight I'm going to get some balloons to hang with it for when she gets home. I remember my mom used to always pick me up from the bus drop off (I took the bus home with all of my friends) with balloons, signs and presents. It was like it was my birthday! Spoiled, I know... but I guess the tradition must continue.

Well, I guess I better get some work done since today is my Friday!

And by the way... if I hear one more thing about Michael Jackson, I am going to scream. Enough already - let's talk about some real news!!!!!

Camp ROCKS

Well, 4 complete days of camp have come and gone, and my spies have given daily reports that Madelyn is all smiles and having an awesome time at camp. It's such a relief. It's harder than I thought with her being there (for me - not her!). It's not that I don't get to see her - I'm used to that - but I find myself constantly worrying about her. Is she having fun, is she getting along with her new friends, does she have enough clothes, enough panties, is she getting enough to eat, enough rest, enough water, is she homesick, blah, blah, blah - you get the picture. It's been a HUGE relief to have some friends there staffing this week (what a great coincidence that they are there the same week as Mads - that was a great surprise), and to hear little updates on how she's doing. Not just that she's doing well, but I've gotten specifics on some of the things they are doing, and some things she said...

For example: I asked Aimee to tell her that at the rate she was going, she better make sure she sends her clothes to laundry. (On day 2, I'd seen pics of her in 4 different outfits!! And when we packed her I packed her 11 outfits for 10 days and told her she didn't have to do laundry if she didn't want to). So now I've been panicking, think OMG - she's not going to send her clothes to get washed because "Rarah said I didn't have to", and then she's going to get to day 6 or 7 and not have any clean clothes! So I was going to go buy a few more outfits and get them in the mail real quick. And then I thought - no, she'll figure it out. She's a big girl, and at the end of the day if she has to wear some dirty clothes it's not the end of the world. Now you all know 1. this is a kid who wants to change if she gets the slightest amount of dirt or stain on her shirt, and 2. the thought of her having to wear dirty clothes both grosses me out and makes me feel just awful! So anyway, I asked Aimee to tell her to be sure to send laundry. I get a message from Barrett the next day, along with my "daily dose" that Madelyn is doing great and having fun, she says... "She said she thought she would be ok with her clothes, but will need to wash her underwear". I just laughed. That's my kiddo!

So in all of the pictures we've seen, Madelyn seems to be having the time of her life. PHEW! I really thought she would, but you just never know. She's so independent, strong willed, and fun, and so I really did think camp would be nothing but wonderful for her. It's just so nice that this experience is transpiring as we'd hoped. Again, a huge thanks to our friends who helped make this decision. It wasn't easy, let me tell you. But Trey and I discussed it a ton, and talked to several people with more experience in this area, and ultimately, I am so glad we made the decision to send her to Greene.

Madelyn's having a BLAST at camp!

I'm back at work today and it has been incredibly hard to concentrate and get anything done. Here are few of the thoughts that have run through my head today...

• 7:00 am - I hope Madelyn had a good night last night
• 7:05 am - Wonder what they will do today
• 7:10 am - I can't wait to get to work and see if they posted pictures
• 7:12 am - Okay stop thinking about camp, and get ready for work. Yuck - have to go back to work
• 7:20 am - No - you can't check pictures yet. You have to get to work first. That's the deal
• 8:05 am - This traffic sucks... I wish I was at camp instead of heading to work
• 8:50 am - Okay, at work - have a lot to get done today
• 8:51 am - Okay, first I'll see if there are pictures posted, then I'll get work done
• 8:55 am - What? No pictures?? Yeez... what a bummer
• 8:59 am - Maybe if I email her, THEN I can focus on getting some work done
• 9:10 am - Still no pictures
• 9:12 am - Still no pictures
• 9:20 am - Still no pictures
• 9:30 am - Still no pictures
• 9:40 am - Okay, this is ridiculous! I thought they posted pictures during the night
• 9:50 am - Hello - get some work done
• 10:00 am - I hope Madelyn ate a good breakfast. Wonder what they are doing now. Wonder what she's wearing and if she dirt on it and has changed clothes yet.
• 10:15 am - Still no pictures
• 10:20 am - Still no pictures
• 10:21 am - text from April "Pictures are loaded!" - What, I just checked...
• 10:25 am - There she is!! Yay, she's having a great time I can tell
• 10:30 - Okay, maybe now I can focus on work

Imagine all of this repeating throughout the day. With a few hours of actual work thrown in there, but not much. It's been so hard to get anything productive done!!

Then I got a call from Barrett and Aimee, who are at camp this week. They went by to see Madelyn and check on her, and were calling with a report. It put the biggest smile on my face to hear that she is loving camp and having a blast!! Madelyn thought it was so cool that they know me, and when Aimee asked her what she should tell me was her favorite part of camp so far, she said, "EVERYTHING! My bunk is wonderful!". She also said to tell me that she got just a little homesick for a minute, but she got over it fast. How cute is that! When Barrett told her that we went to camp together when we were her age, she just couldn't believe it!

So then, a few minutes ago I got a message from Oren, who is also at Greene this week. He checked on Mads and said she was having a blast and it was so great to see her running around mad with all of her new friends.

WOW. We are so lucky to have such awesome friends, and great spies!! I'm so grateful for them and the knowledge that our princess is having so much fun!

Our baby is growing up!

Well, we got Madelyn all dropped off and settled in at Greene Family Camp this morning. It was a wildly successful event.


Getting ready to leave the house this morning... GFC bound!


But before we left, April had a little surprise for Madelyn... a new bunkbed charm for her charm bracelet! Madelyn loved it so much, she asked April to get it put on her bracelet and mail it to camp!!

We made it in great time - thankfully since she was so excited and ready to be there.

On our way to camp... are we there yet?!

Pulling into camp... the excitement was boiling over!

We got her through check-in and to her bunk in quick time, and we even got to say hello to Loui - the camp director who has been around since before I was at Greene, and was very helpful in our decision making for Madelyn to go to camp. She was unpacked and all settled, and within minutes, fast friends! Dena, who we met last weekend at the pool party, is in Madelyn's bunk and we are so happy about that - they immediately hit it off last weekend, and today were instantly by each other's side.

At her cabin - all ready to meet her bunkmates!

Getting all settled in - she could have cared less where I put her stuff - she just wanted to get her camp experience started!

So after we got her bed made, clothes unpacked and cubbies filled, we headed to Kibbutz to see Dani and Jackie. At first I was worried because there was no one around, but as we were getting ready to head back down to main camp, they came walking up. Dani ran straight to Madelyn - she was so happy to see her and so excited that she is finally at camp. Jackie wasn't far behind and we got to chat for a minute and get a few pics in before we got kicked off of Kibbutz.

So excited to see her big cousins!

It all brought back incredible memories of my days at Greene. I'm so thrilled that Madelyn gets to experience this. I just know that it will be such a rewarding, growing, phenomenal time for her.

So as the day has progressed, it hasn't been easy. Nerves are on overdrive, and we're all so anxious about Madelyn being away. It was especially hard for Trey come 6:30, as I know it was for Jennifer too. This is the first time to not talk to Madelyn for a day, let alone 10! We all know that Madelyn is going to do great, have a wonderful time, and learn so much. But the question is... will we survive?!?! I know that we will, but in the meantime, Trey and I are learning how to be sooo happy, and sooo sad at the same time. All the way home I was worried that I forgot to pack something, or tell her something. I know she's fine, but I can't help it.

I hope that Madelyn found the surprises I left under her pillow from Daddy and Rarah, and one from Bubbe. I know she'll have tons of mail every day - there is already 7 emails waiting to be printed for tomorrow's mail call. I just hope she has enough time to read them all. I can't wait to hear from her, but I also hope she doesn't get too worried or consumed with trying to write everyone. Just one letter to let us know she's doing as well as we know she will, and that's all I need.

So that's all for now. Enjoy the pics of camp dropoff!

One last pic... as we were leaving (she couldn't get rid of us fast enough!), Madelyn was already hanging with her new friends!

Follow me to GFC...

T minus 6 hours...

Tomorrow morning Madelyn is headed to Greene Family Camp for her first summer sleep-away camp experience. I am SUPER excited, and really nervous too. I've gone through her packing list 3 or 4 times tonight, counted her outfits, panties, socks, checked for sunblock, waterbottle, stationary with labels and stamps, toothbrush, hairbrush, and bedding galore. I recounted her outfits and panties - for fear that she'll run out. And just as I always did when I went to camp, she has more than enough to get her through (of course I went over the suggested quantities just a little).

Madelyn is incredibly excited, and I am so glad that she is still looking so forward to it. I just know she'll have such an awesome time and I think this will be an amazing experience for her - both for the fun, and for the learning experiences too.

Well, it's really late, and I'm exhausted so I'll post on how the drop off goes. Don't forget to write her - email me if you need the email login or address info.