Quick takes- what I did on Summer Vacation edition

Summer vacation came and went. Wow, it's already time to start the new homeschool year! But first, a quick wrap-up of my fleeting vacation...

~1~

We did a bit of this, but not as much as I had promised. I am vowing to go often now that school is back in session. A perk of homeschooling is hitting the beach when the crowds are gone! I plan to make up for not going as often as I planned this Summer.

~2~

Our Bible conference -with foreign guests (who stayed a extra two weeks) and the U.S. National Fencing Championships all happened at the same time. I survived. Barely. I will forever bless the dear Korean sister who took over the cooking for her family. They were happy (Korean food!) and I was happy, because I really didn't know if I was coming or going! Here's a clip of Josie in fencing action (and me being loud sideline mom in the background-and no, Josie is not her real name.)

~3~

Bible conference and Josie's fencing tournament collided with my mother becoming severely ill and then dying. It all happened so quick it still takes my breath away. I wrote, when she first was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver that I wasn't sad- but angry and detached. I was wrong, there are no words really, to describe the horror and pain of watching your mother suffering. I lost my mother way too young, and despite our lack of a close relationship- or maybe because of that lack, losing her left a big, gaping, jagged hole. This will be forever my Summer of regret.

~4~

Meg had a couple of these. Irish feis time is a lot of fun. Great photo opportunities!

I've discovered the video capabilities on my iphone, here's a short clip of Meg in action at her last feis:

~5~

Sky took time off work to attend a week-long wood marquetry class. I can best describe it as making designs with inlays of wood. He has done two complete projects, and I can't wait to share a photo- I do have to wait though, because one of them is a gift, so I can't spill the beans yet. Grumble.

~6~

The Orange County fair is a family tradition. Lately, we've had several family members enter art into the competitions. This year, Sky entered one of his horse jewelry boxes, Josie entered a dragon painting(and won a blue ribbon!) and Amie entered 3 paintings into the children's competition and won one blue and two red ribbons. It was a good showing for the {Home} gang :)

(I won't bore you with more photos, but if you follow me on instagram, you will see them there. )