So glad it's over.

Tomorrow is the first day of school for me and for both of my daughters. Allison will be starting 10th grade and Gianna will be starting 5th.
I can't believe the summer is over, I am so glad it is. In a good year I am not a fan of summer in the desert and this year it was especially lame. I hate the heat and I complain about it a lot. But it's not just the heat that makes this place so miserable in the summer. It's the lifestyle. There is nothing to do. Most of the places we are looking at to move to are also hot but at least they have a 'downtown' area and there are plenty of summertime activities. I look forward to enjoying the summer again and not dreading it.
I started this post because I have been reflecting on how super dumb our summer has been. Nice right? Good attitude right? Well whatever, it was dumb and I am calling it what it was.
The summer began with my mom's death and everything that went along with it. That was not the best way to kick off the summer for sure. It kind of put a downer mood on the whole season. I still can't believe she has been gone for a whole summer. Still find it hard to believe that I haven't heard her voice or seen her face in over 3 months. That is crazy to me. I have missed her every single day and  have shed many tears. It is going to take a lot longer than one summer to get over losing my mom.
About 4 weeks after my mom died we were dealt the whole pay cut blow for Chris. We were hit with the enormity of it while we were out of town for the fourth of July. That was the very last time we were able to get out of the heat for more than 9 hours all summer. The rest of the summer has been spent trying to deal with everything.
We put our home on the market on August 5th. One month after we found out about the pay cut, it only took 1 month for it to hit us and for us to not be able to keep our home any longer. Twenty one days after we listed the house it sold. We have spent the last 4 days in kind of a fog realizing that time is going to fly and we need to have some kind of plan in place. Thinking that somebody else is going to be living in this house soon and we are going to have to find a place to live.
I will say that the good news about this whole situation is that the summer flew by. It went so quickly and that is really nice. It's like ripping a band aid off. I knew it was going to hurt going into it but before I knew it, the whole thing was over.
I am so looking forward to the fall. I am not a big football fan but I love football season and all that it brings. I love the weather, the sound of a game on t.v while I cook dinner. The way people come together to watch a game. I am hoping that where ever we end up it will be some where that has a college and professional team nearby, I want to live in a place where they get real excited to watch "their" team play. Where their is a sense of pride and camraderie.
 I also can't wait for Halloween. My kids are both a little too old for it but I can't wait to decorate the house and do fun art projects with my class. I have already bought a Halloween magazine filled with recipes and art projects. I am hoping to be able to take my class on a field trip to the semi local apple orchards and pick some apples. Doesn't that sound like fall fun?
Well it's getting late and tomorrow I have to be up bright and early so that I can be ready to see those 16 shiny little faces waiting for their first day of Kindergarten. I wonder if they will be as happy as I am that summer is over.