A quick update on us as a busy August marches forward....

- The Destefano family descended upon Battle Creek this past weekend to celebrate my grandma's 80th birthday. It was a great time of laughter (playing Cranium..oh my gosh, I'd thought I'd wet myself), swimming, of course EATING, and catching up with each other. My grandma was so happy to have everyone here. It was great.

- Saturday was Matt and I's tenth wedding anniversary. We didn't have much time to celebrate it as we were surrounded by family but I did wake up to a vase of ten different colored, gorgeous roses. We are tentatively planning to go on a cruise sometime in March to "officially" celebrate ten years. What a journey it has been. One of my cousins asked me if it's been a happy ten years...I had to stop and think! My answer was this, "No, not always. We've had joy, pain, sorrow, anger and love. But it's been blessed and that's enough."

- Jonah, Molli, and Emma head to to Sherman Lake YMCA camp next week..boy are they excited about that! How odd it will be to have just Sydney and Thomas here all day from 7:30 AM till 4 PM!! Syd is feeling quite left out so I have assured her that we will have very special mommy and Sydney time.

- Noah is still improving. I got him to get onto the floor and try his crawling/hopping thing. He was very tentative but did it and is now getting himself around some. Mom and Dad take him back to GR tomorrow for them to up his medication again and he will be readmitted to Mary Freebed Hospital probably next Tuesday. Be in prayer for my parents as they are entering a time of limbo and musical lives. MY mom will be up in Grand Rapids with Noah from Thursday to Monday and then she'll come back to work while my dad stays with him from Tuesdays to Thursday when he'll come back to work. They're not sure if Noah will allow them to leave him at night so there's trepidation there as well. Noah knows he's going back to the hospital and is very apprehensive about it. So remember them all if you would.

- I've had yet another encounter with a neanderthal person who insulted my choice of having five children. As we were leaving a check out lane at WalMart, Jonah bumped into a man walking by. He snorted, looked at me and said, "God, lady haven't you heard of birth control?" My mouth fell open and I was dumbstruck. I had no witty comment. As we headed to the car, Molli asked me what birth control was. So not only was I insulted but now had to try and find a delicate way to tell my seven year old what it meant! Why do people think they can say whatever dumb thought that comes into their heads??

- We are LOVING the break in the hot weather. I actually woke up this morning and put on jeans and a sweatshirt! Bring on fall!!!