Summer Catch Up

My children were simply aghast that I would actually start a blog and, even worse, include them and their pictures on it. While they have FaceBook and MySpace sites full of their faces and random thoughts and messages to people they haven’t even met, somehow their mother’s participation was mortifying.



GET OVER IT, KIDS!

I started this thing in June and it fizzled due to my ineptitude at how to put this together. Thanks to my daughter Jessica (The Berke Five---see side panel) I became re-charged and am ready to make up for lost time.

So here are some summer memories in chronological order:

APRIL---SADIE!!!

My sweet husband finally allowed me to get another puppy. I had been missing our little Murphy since she went to doggie heaven in January. Although the breeder had pre-named her "Cookie," that didn't meet with the Furnish family approval. Yet, the 4 of us had difficulty agreeing until we settled on Sadie our new little lady.

Clare Magee came to stay

with us for a few weeks---

she found a new job,

a new apartment

and a new car.

SPRING GRADUATIONS---
MAY--

Daughter Abby graduates from

American University

with a degree in International Relations.

Her proud parents look on as she was installed in the

Phi Beta Kappa honorary society.

In December she gets her B.A. Next step....a J.O.B. !!!

A trip to Bolivia & Peru was a great way for her to celebrate this accomplishment.

JUNE---

Son Sam graduates from

Covenant Life School

Making a speech at commencement

as his proud parents look on.

Tom O'Brien's wedding at the USNA in Annapolis was blast. We cruised on a yacht for the reception.

And Sam gave support to his buddy Patrick, also known as the Best Man!!

VISITORS

My sister Gail and husband Mike Purath returned from Budapest, Hungary where they serve as missionaries to Eastern Europe. A two month R&R in the states, part of it spent in our home.

The Furnish clan arrives from all over.

Uncle Dale (on the floor) from Tempe, Arizona. Nephew Sam (1st Samuel) and Trish come up from Richmond with the twins, Will and Shelby, to help help celebrate the graduation of cousin Sam (2nd Samuel).

COMING SOON OUR COLORADO VACATION

Honda Time

Sadie sat between us in her makeshift perch (sheepskin on the middle console) as we drove to and from northern Pennsylvania---500 miles of Americana. Jim had a consulting job at a veneer company in Troy, PA where logging trucks "lumber" past large Victorian houses with neat lawns and the local restaurant serves such side dishes as stewed tomatoes and desserts of truly homemade pies. I recommend the coconut cream.

I would also recommend moving to this incredibly lovely community if I weren't such a Colorado gal.

In our new stage of life AKA "Semi-Empty-Nest," we are enjoying spending more JimandJudy time together, which includes my traveling with him on my days off when he has drive-to jobs. This was our first overnighter with Sadie the sheltie. The fall colors were wonderful, although the temperatures continue to hover around 80, not your normal October. I am tired of wearing shorts and sandals. When will it get cool??

While Jim toured the wood plant this morning, Sadie and I found a local hillside to hike and I discovered a great craft store in nearby Sylvania, PA.

The trip home had an unexpected delay. Just north of Williamsport (home of the Little League museum and the best cheesesteak sandwiches this side of Philly), a semi-truck had jack-knifed blocking both directions of a 4 lane highway. It gave me an hour to put some more steps on my pedometer and to meet interesting people who were getting out of their cars and milling around. Several Amish men were in a van 2 cars ahead of us. Sadie attracted many stares and questions as I walked her and Jim stayed in the Honda---patiently.

We entered our home around 8:30 p.m. tonight to a ringing phone. "I just got interviewed by the local NBC news on campus," our son informed us. We watched at 11 tonight with VCR ready for taping, but there was no Sam being questioned about staph infections on campus. Hmm...this is the guy whose doctor lost him immunization records because he hadn't been sick in 4 years. What does he know about infections? We will watch tomorrow night, perhaps our son will make his broadcast debut.