Hot Hot Hot

I do not like this heat! Of the four seasons we enjoy here in Michigan, summer is my least favorite. Yes, I'd take dreary February snow over this nasty heat!

So I'm going to pause for a minute and daydream about winter in Michigan... Wind and snow are howling around the house... I'm wearing a thick sweater, jeans, and two pairs of socks... I have a good book in my hands and an afghan on my lap... Fire in the fireplace... Hamburger soup in the crockpot and herb bread in the oven...

Okay, I'd better stop before I start weeping for the cold weather!

Anyways, we are plowing through our summer. Not too much to report right now. The girls have vacation bible school this week and so far it's been ... boring. For Lin, anyway. Ruby's in the preschool class and except for the fact that she's younger than her best friends at church and therefore in a different class, she's having a great time. But Lin is in the middle school group and is, once again, finding it hard to talk to any of the other kids her own age. She doesn't try talking to any of the kids and they don't know what to say to her ... It's frustrating for me to watch. And I don't know what to do to help her. I try suggesting ways she could start a conversation with someone, or ways she could get involved with a group, but she always looks at me like I'm crazy. On the way home last night I did have a moment of clarity and realized that it won't be this way forever. She's a funny, bright girl. She will be able to make friends someday. It just takes a lot longer than I realized it would.

Art from the Heart

What a crazy busy Summer this has been... Lin actually said tonight that she was too tired to study her English workbooks, but she did it anyways. Dedication. Why is she so gosh-dang tired you ask? Well, this week she has been going to an all-day art camp at the Institute of Arts. She has been working with different artists in different mediums and is having a great time. We've been packing the girl's Summer up with countless activities. In addition to resident camp, art camp, bible camp, air zoo, amusement parks, movies, swimming lessons and BBQ's, we'll soon be taking the girls to Nashville to visit friends from their orphanages and travel groups, as well as ushering them off with their grandparents for a few days on Mackinaw Island. These girls are going to be pooped by the time school starts back up... then it's off to DisneyWorld for a week. Whew!

Speaking of art... Lin will also be creating a piece for Half The Sky's Art from the Heart fundraiser. Half The Sky is a wonderful organization offering support, training and supplies to numerous orphanages across China. They had a program at the Shanghai Children's Home and have provided us with progress reports and photos of Lin when she was younger. Truly priceless. Please check out the link for the Art from the Heart fundraiser and consider sponsoring Lin's efforts to help give orphans a chance at a brighter future. Even a few dollars can help!

Our Summer So Far...

Gee, girls... whatcha been doin' this summer?

We kicked off summer vacation by going to an amusement park where Lin rode her first roller coaster. And Ruby rode absolutely every ride she was tall enough for, including her very first roller coaster, too! She made the height restriction by about a half inch, and loved every minute of it!

Look closely -- can you find those crazy sisters?





The whole family on the Tilt-A-Whirl -- three of these people were still smiling when the ride ended. (I'm not a fan of spinny-rides, although I didn't throw-up like I did that one time ... Ewwww ...)



Happy Father's Day to the greatest Dad and Husband on the planet!

Biking on one of the many great bike trails in our town.

Lin finally got up the nerve to pet her grandparents' dog for the very first time! This was a huge moment for her, and us. She's still not a fan of animals, so this was a pretty big deal.

Lin heads off to summer camp!



I'm told this is the aftermath of a marshmallow-paint war -- Lin's cabin won!

The only picture we have of Lin actually on a horse, and you can't even see the horse! Oh well. She got to go horseback riding twice at camp. She said it was scary, but she absolutely couldn't wait to show us the horses when we picked her up.

What's more fun than catching fireflies in a jar on a summer evening at twilight?

Hope your summer is going well!