June recap

Today is the last day of June, so for most intents and purposes, the summer is about half over. Connor starts football on August 4, which means we have to be back in town from Colorado the weekend before.

June's been good! Kelly went on a Dino Dig trip with about 20 kids from school and 3 teacher/staff chaperones. They went (and camped) to New Mexico, Colorado (yes, she's already been to Estes once this summer :), Wyoming and South Dakota. They saw Mt. Rushmore, and actually dug for dinosaur bones at an excavation site in Wyoming. The dig is run by a Christian college and they approach it from a creationist worldview.

Connor's been recuperating from that dislocated shoulder. He's begun playing 7-on-7 football, although I'm still unclear as to whether the doc has approved it :) He is currently at Beach Camp in Florida with the youth from Prestonwood Baptist Church.

Nick and I went to Kansas State for orientation and enrollment. He's enrolled for 15 hours for the fall, and we are having an ongoing conversation on whether he should just take 12 as he adjusts to college and pledges a fraternity. He is pledging Delta Upsilon and will be living in their house. I toured the house when we were up there and it's pretty cool: 3 levels plus a basement, sleeping dorms, study rooms, an industrial kitchen... they have a full-time cook and the pledges do all the cleaning! Nick did Wildcat Warmup, a welcome weekend for new students. I had a relaxing weekend at a hotel in Topeka while he did that. A tornado had hit the campus just 36 hours before we arrived, so there was a lot of debris around. However, the school did a great job of keeping the weekend going.

Nick had all four of his wisdom teeth extracted at the beginning of the month and it was a difficult week. Now, 4 weeks later, he has developed an infection under his gum and is just as swollen as the day after they were pulled! He's on a stiff antibiotic and the doc says he'll be feeling fine in no time.

Last week, Nick, Kelly and I volunteered at West Dallas Community School in the mornings. We enjoy doing that every summer. We may try to work it in for two weeks next year. The kids are great, and it's easy to bond with them in a short period of time.

Nick has been playing golf almost every day. Kelly has been writing stories. Connor has been hanging out with his friends, and looking for a job. Kelly leaves for Kanakuk Colorado on July 7. We all pick her up from camp on the 19th and head up to the cabin. Bill is taking two weeks off, so that will be nice. And Astro...well he's just been hanging out!

Kelly's 8th grade graduation

Kelly graduated from the 8th grade last week. She has loved middle school and is somewhat sad to leave it behind. Some middle school highlights: Wildnerness Trip (with all the 8th graders in the Ozark Mountains), Academic Awards for Science and Latin, National Latin Exam awards - 7th grade and 8th grade (gold medal summa cum laude), State Recognition for SAT score taken as in 7th grade under Duke Talent Identification Program, 6th grade Physics Camp by Women in Physics at University of Texas at Dallas (selective admission), and just enjoying school. (Hope this didn't sound too much like a Christmas letter! We are very proud of her and thankful that she enjoys learning and have a strong curiosity).