The Hills are Alive: July 2007

June has flown by! Ben often questions why time has to go by quickly when you're having fun and slowly when you're not. June is a good example of this.

Week 1: For any golfers out there, you may have heard of the Memorial Tournament (Jack Nicklaus built a professional golf course in Muirfield, where we live, and every year they have a PGA tournament here). Barr's boss gave him some tickets so we took the kids on Friday afternoon. We only had about 2 hours which was perfect for me and the kids because by the time we had dinner in the tent and then watched a group putt on a green and then tee-off on the next hole, we were ready. I know Barr could have stayed all evening, but he and Ben got to go back the next day. They were really hoping to see Tiger play, but the weather didn't cooperate. After waiting through a 2-hour rain delay, they had to give up. Ben was more concerned about us making our movie then watching anymore golf. Obviously Barr's love of the game hasn't quite rubbed off yet.

The reason we had to head home early Friday was because we had a piano recital, and it wouldn't have been good if the teacher was late! It was just Ben, Brittany, Brigham, my other 5 students, and another boy whose mom teaches him that were performing. All of the kids had memorized 2 songs and played them very well. We are good friends with all the families so it was a lot of fun afterwards to have a little celebration in the back yard.

Week 2: School ended!

Barr participated in another triathlon. This one was in Findley, Ohio, and had an open water swim which was a very different experience then the previous race in a pool. There were over 100 people crowded together to start the race and several times Barr found himself swimming on top of someone or getting kicked himself. I'm amazed no one drowned! His transitions were a lot smoother this time, with the run being his most difficult part. You can check out the results at the following site. Barr's results are under his first name, "Christopher Hill".

http://www.fatrabbitracing.com/ResultsDetails.aspx?RESULTSETID=40

Week 3: We loved having our good friends and old neighbors, the Fields, come for a visit. It's nice to get caught up on everything going on in Fishers, Indiana and just hanging out with our best friends! It was plenty hot to enjoy the pool before having to say goodbye to them and then take off to Cincinnati. We dropped the kids off at my parents and then flew to Denver so that Barr could participate in a Youth Conference for his mom. He did such an amazing job 4 years ago when he portrayed the Savior in "A Walk with Christ" that he was asked to do a repeat performance. I was grateful that I was able to be there this time, it's just too bad that the wife of Jesus doesn't have a part! Actually I was glad I could be part of the audience to see him come over the hill for the Sermon on the Mount. And even though I knew it was Barr, it didn't look like him. He really is a good Jesus!

We got to enjoy some water skiing the next morning and had a great time visiting with Barr's sisters that weekend. I often didn't know what to do with myself not having my kids to worry about. It truly was a mini vacation, and I was very grateful that my parents and sister and brother-in-law helped our kids have such a fun time too.

Week 4: We got home late Sunday night and Barr had scout camp early Monday morning. Because he's the scout master, Ben got to go along even though he's only 10. They have camp at a very nice state park/ recreation area in West Virginia called Summersville Lake. They had a fun time, but on the day they went white water rafting, Barr didn't put enough sun screen on his legs and he got the worst sunburn I have ever seen. That night he suffered from sun poisoning with a fever and the chills and for the next week his ankles were so swollen he could have been 9 months pregnant!

Friday night we drove up to Sandusky, Ohio and met my sister and her family for a fun weekend at Cedar Point. Her kids match up with our younger 3, so we also brought another cousin, Austin, with us so that Ben would have a roller coaster buddy. The younger boys just missed the height requirement for the big rides by 1/4 of an inch, but they found that the worker on the Matterhorn didn't measure, so they rode that one 4 times! Barr got the pleasure of standing in the hour and a half lines with the big kids to do the "real" rides. I made the mistake of going on one that made me so motion sick I was done for the rest of the day. I really felt old as Brigham was saying, "this ride is so boring" while I was trying not to throw up on him!

Week 5: This last week we have just had fun hanging out around here: going swimming, to the movies, tennis lessons, the zoo, COSI science museum, staying up too late enjoying the beautiful summer nights, and the lazy mornings playing on the computer and watching cartoons. Isn't summer time great!

Yesterday I met my sister halfway between Columbus and Cincinnati at some outlet malls to do the cousin exchange. We gave her back Austin and threw Ben in with the deal. Then Brittany and I enjoyed shopping!