Our evenings are spent outside with the neighbors or at the pool, leaving no time to come in and post updates.  But we've added more summer photos to the album so you can at least see the kids and how happy they are. 

Big things have happened at La Casa.  We won Yard of the Month - an award we will never win again because Chris and I both rushed out of the house to stop the people from putting what we thought was a "For Sale" sign up in our yard.  The sign has been in the yard for over a month.  We must have scared the HOA representatives from wanting to come and retrieve their sign.

Our AC unit broke.  It's not really a surprise anymore when the AC breaks.  In 8 years of marriage we have never had a summer where the AC worked properly.  The catch was that it was a manufacturing issue and still under warranty so I did not have to pay for a new compressor.  The thing was that we just had to be here when the repairman came or else they would leave.  So I spent a very warm Monday at the house waiting for the repairman.  Chris instructed us to leave the blinds shut so it would stay cool in the house.  At this point, "cool" was a relative term.  85 degrees is not really "cool".  What I've learned through this is that at our house if the temperature is above 82 degrees Hell will break loose.  The kids and I weren't getting along.  It was hot and they were tired of sitting around in the bath tub.  To top it off, the dog decided it would be a perfect time to get an upset stomach and pooed all over the house.  Not being able to open the windows that meant I had a very warm house that smelled of doggie mess.  At 3 pm I decided we couldn't take it any more.  I told Will to get his shoes, we were going to go for a ride in the air conditioned car.  He said "We should pray for God to send the repairman."  Having lost all sense of spirituality in my life after the third doggie mess pile I cleaned, I yelled for Will to "Have a ball" with praying.  I kid you not - as soon as he prayed his little prayer - "God, it's hot in my house.  We're all having a bad day because it's hot.  And God, it smells bad in here.  Please send the repairman for the air conditioner. Amen" - the doorbell rang!  Amen indeed!  Will promptly told the repairman he was so glad to see him.  After 15 minutes of glee and hopefulness that our AC was going to be fixed, the repairman let me know he "ain't got that part" and I'd need to "wait for someone else.  Probably a day or two."  Doing all I could not to break down and cry, Will pushed in front of me and said "And to think, I PRAYED for you to show up!"  The repairman, sensing the desperation said "Well, open up some windows and get some air going through here.  It smells bad in here, you know."  That night our neighbors took us in.  They saved our faith in humanity and possibly kept our family together.  AC was repaired the following day.  And the people rejoiced and shouted praises to God.

We retired our vacuum cleaner.  It was a bittersweet moment.  "Black Betty" - as we called the old vacuum - was purchased by my Mom in 1989.  I suppose she had performed her job as best as we could have expected.  The new one, shiny and purple, is a source of great amusement to the kids.  Reagan runs in front of it dropping things so she can watch the dual cyclonic action in the clear dirt holders.  We are all very fascinated at looking at the junk the cleaner pulls up.

Will starts kindergarten in a few weeks.  We're doing all we can to enjoy as much of the summer as we have left.  We hope you are all doing the same.