End of Summer

Editor's note: this draft began two weeks ago and I'm just today finishing. Oops!

It is August 18 and teachers and kids are going back to school. I can't believe that summer is over. However, since we aren't really involved with the school system, summer continues for a few more weeks. As I think back over the summer, we have made a lot of changes and memories along the way.
In April we went to North Carolina to visit James' sister for our vacation. We decided to take a real vacation and go early since we would be having a baby in the middle of the summer. The highlight was probably going to the ocean and playing on the beach.
In May my mom was watching my oldest sister's kids while she and her husband were in Florida. We got a call early one Sunday morning that Mom was having some trouble breathing and was being taken to the hospital. I drove up to Cedar Rapids with Asa that afternoon. As I was driving, I remembered the last time I had driven to Iowa in my seventh month of pregnancy. It was for a wedding but we ended up staying for almost a month because Dad was nearing the end of his life. I was glad that this trip didn't have the same ending. It turned out that Mom had a heart attack. She only needed a stint put in one place in her heart and was released after six days in the hospital. That weekend was Mother's Day and I was glad to get to return home on my second ever Mother's Day. James had made a beautiful book full of pictures of Asa and our family. The other gift James had for me wasn't exactly a physical gift. He had finally refinished the dresser for Asa's room. It was such a blessing since we had more room for clothes and a changing table!
In June we had VBS at our church. Asa liked the singing at the end. The kids would cheer and scream for the music leader to come into the sanctuary. Asa also learned how to scream like this. For a while, every time he heard applause, he would throw his hands up in the air and scream! In June we also met the man that would become our new senior pastor at New Beginnings Church. He and his family joined us in Lee's Summit at the beginning of July and they have been a big blessing so far!
The most exciting part of June was the Friends Reunion. James' parents have been friends with three other couples for about 30 years. Everyone from three of the families were able to come to the Kansas City area for a weekend. It was great to see our family and the others that seem like extended family. We even had the chance to show James' family around KC and Lee's Summit. I was glad that Asa isn't afraid of "strangers." He knew that these people who loved him so much were family, even if he didn't remember them. And he loved playing with them.
The end of June marked the beginning of our journey with two kids. We took Asa to our friends Brad & Janelle's house the evening of June 29. The next morning we went to the hospital to have our second baby. Of course, Judah didn't help us move things along very quickly and he wasn't born until July 1. He was a big boy with lots of dark hair. We loved him instantly, well it took me a little longer. He was pretty goopy when he came out! Asa did well without us and we enjoyed his visits to the hospital. Asa liked giving Judah kisses from the very beginning and he still does today.
I would say that life with two hasn't been too bad yet. We actually have been in and out a lot and have had a lot of visitors. The first night home was the worst. Judah had trouble sleeping and Asa was all out of sorts. We had both boys in our bed for a while. And Asa wouldn't sleep with us; he just rolled around. I finally laid him back down in his own bed and he slept fine. The other terrible thing that happened is that Asa somehow contracted hand, foot and mouth disease. That was no fun. My mom changed some plans and came down for a few days. Thank you so much Mom! I would have died without you.
In August the Stonebrakers came for a visit. A week later we celebrated our fifth anniversary by going on a picnic and just spending quality time together. Judah joined us; Asa stayed with a friend. I spent a week in Iowa with the boys. It was great to see some long lost friends and my sisters and their girls. James came up for the weekend and we went to my friend Abbie's wedding in Pella. We had a great time: dancing, eating, laughing... it was so much fun!
The Crawley family came down for Labor Day to mark the end of summer. I am so glad my family lives near enough to visit occasionally. I love you all!