Summertime Highlights

One of the big reasons for my relative lack of posts lately is that, well, it's summertime and I want to enjoy it, since I know that there are six months of winter coming soon. Here's a few highlights from this summer in our family:

• Karen and I celebrated 14 blessed years of marriage while on The Horn Herd's excellent western adventure: We saw family in Wichita, got our kicks on Route 66, saw the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest, and Grand Canyon, walked across Hoover Dam, drove the "fabulous" Las Vegas strip, hiked Zion National Park, toured Salt Lake City, were inmates (briefly!) at the Wyoming Territorial Prison (including Butch Cassidy's cell there), counted pronghorns, lizards, elk, and jackrabbits, and visited old friends.
• Sara is rocking red, white, and blue braces, cut her hair short and is growing into a young lady before our eyes. (Which basically freaks me out, but has led to a lot of fervent prayer).
  
• Ashley is stylin' in her new glasses, and reveling in the natural world. I'm trying to encourage her love of rocks while being truly mystified by the fascination they hold for her.
  
• John learned to ride a bike without training wheels (at long last!) and got his tonsils out. He is also reading like a fiend and taking frequent trips to "John World," where Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, pirates, and cowboys and Indians dwell in prosperity, and where it seems even radio transmission is impossible.
  
• Nathan is still as rambunctious as can be, and continues to indulge in his love of the heroic. He has most costume changes than a Broadway play-cop to fireman to cowboy to football star to soldier of fortune, Luke Skywalker to Buzz Lightyear-all in the same day and often in the same hour. I'm just happy we're keeping clothes on that boy and that he still loves to pounce on and then wrestle with the Big Dog every chance he gets.
• We've been blessed to see my sister Kristen and her husband James and their daughters this summer. Two years in China and three months home is too short, but we tried to make the most of it. Family is precious, and we've gotten to be at home, all of us, together at Mom's several times this summer.
  
• We've been going to the movies a bit this summer, which isn't typical for us. So far, we've enjoyed Toy Story 3 and Despicable Me as a family and Karen and I really liked the new A-Team (I know what the critics say, but I still think Liam Neeson is better than George Peppard as Hannibal).
  
• I'm in a weight loss contest with Karen and a couple friends. The winner will take home a little over $500. I'm winning so far, with 3.4% lost to this point, but it's a long road between here and December 30th.