So long, August. You kind of sucked.

There's a Slate article that convincingly argues for shortening August, and this year I'm inclined to agree. I had high hopes for the end of summer, beginning with my parents visit. When that was cut short, the month went from being a high point to a serious of blahs. Luckily, my dad had surgery on his knee as soon as he got home, but walking (and moving around in general) will remain a challenge for weeks. Poor dad also had hernia surgery last week, and due to some complications this has turned into quite an ordeal for both of my parents. Additionally, my father-in-law recently had major surgery, so we were in prayer for that (all went well, thankfully).
Closer to home nothing major has occurred, but there have been a few challenges. To begin with, we got the bill for the CAT scan I had last month, and it was jaw-dropping. Isaac has also been teething (again? still?), and it looks like his eyeteeth are poised to make an appearance. Which is to say, much sleep was lost in August. And let me tell you, that boy needs his sleep. More to the point, Momma needs her boy to sleep. He's been flexing his climbing muscles more than Anna ever did leading me to spend much of the day rescuing him from stuff, and vice versa. Most rescue operations concern the computer. This fascination, coupled with an ability to scale the desk using drawer knobs, keeps me busy.
Much blood has also been shed in August - lips have been split, noses flattened, fingers crushed, etc. It makes me wonder whether my children will survive to their 18th birthdays.

BUT, no one has been sick! We've also had fun playing with cousins and making new friends. And there were even a few days were the heat wasn't blistering, but merely uncomfortable. We discovered a lake nearby, and canned some pumpkin-butter. We found out that one neighbor grows the best plums I've ever tasted, and the other has yummy grapes waiting to be harvested. My tomato plant even has tomatoes. Best of all, Jon and I spent a night at a local resort sans children: dinner was quiet, swimming relaxing, and we woke up when we felt like it.

Okay, August, you can stay. But you're on probation.