Thoughtful Thursday

August 22, 2024– I remember back in grade school, one of the first assignments at the beginning of every school year was an essay or short story about how I spent my summer. As we wind down the summer and kids head back to school, I thought it would be fun to share with you how I spent my summer of 2024. I’m hoping you will share with me some of your summer adventures, too. My summer travels began in May when we headed to CA. First stop – Malibu for our niece’s wedding; next a visit to see Aunt Mary in Los Alamos, a quaint town tucked between Santa Maria and Santa Barbara; next we traveled to northern CA for our granddaughter’s junior high school graduation. So amazed how fast time goes! Only 2 of the 8 grandkids are under 14!! Ok, now I’m feeling old 🙂. After graduation, another granddaughter and I were off to Hawaii to celebrate her graduation from ASU! We had a ball! Back to CA to host Tom’s 75th surprise birthday party in Hollister! Mid June time to head back to AZ – why you ask when the temperatures never dip before 80!! I like to say the oven is always on!!

Not all the summer was fun, unfortunately. We made two trips back to CA to celebrate the lives of Tom’s cousin and our daughter-in-law’s mom. Two very special women who will be missed. Reflecting on these deaths, I chose not to be sad, yet rejoice in that God chose each of them on their death days for a reason. If you think about it, HE could have called any of us home. Yet, I believe HE has special plans that only these two amazing women can fulfill. Just like HE chose when we were born, HE chooses when we go home. I want to believe both birth and death are our own. When there for the services, we made the most of our time in CA. We took a few days to explore Monterey and reset. It was peaceful to be on the water, not to mention the 40 degree cooler temps! Yes, the swings between AZ and CA were as much as 40 degrees! Crazy!

We’re settling back in AZ, although the temps are still over 100. I look forward to September
rolling in as I love the Fall and all that it brings! Wishing you a blessed day!

I would love to hear how you spent your summer of 2024. I’m sure you have a lot of interesting,
fun and cool things to share! Please drop me a comment, post a photo or send me an email at bighugsforkids@gmail.com I would love to hear from you!!
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