hasting.org

But I did tear up my foot on the steel fence post that we are using to support that apple tree.
So, after two hours of bleeding, Sharon finally convinced me to go to the emergency room to get it all fixed up.
Then she posted a picture of my foot on facebook. Ouch. Got a lot of sad comments on that photo.

We had a really dry 2011. We were about 15 inches short of rain, and the lake is drying up. There are wells just north of here that are running dry, and the LCRA is having to truck water into those communities. So, we pray for a lot more rain…

Vera’s song that she sang to two camp counselors who tied the knot at Texlake Girl Scout Camp, July 2010

There was gossiping going about you and me

Being together

So we decided to play along with them all

Then one day I was thinking about us

being together forever for the rest of our lives.

You and me will become a family

But there is only you and me to start

And we’re taking little steps at a time.

You and me used to be just friends

but now we’re man and wife

So you may kiss the bride.

Oh yah nah nah nah oh oh yeah.

Dear Mom, Dad, Aric, and Scott,

I am having fun here and I have 12 girls in my group. We both sleep in different places but we have two cabins. I met new people like Emma, Avery, and (blank). (Guess she couldn’t remember her name…)

On Tuesday for dinner we had chicken, potatos, carrits, sunflower seeds to! What we ate often that’s bannaboat it with bannas, marshmelos, miny kisses, it was good.

How was your time family? I miss you all but I will see you all on Friday. I love you all. Kisses and hugs.

Love, Vera

6-6-2010

10:30 pm

Has it really been this long since we dusted off this strange compilation of thoughts? Obviously, it’s time to start again. It’s the “starting again” season, too, making this blog renewal all the more appropriate.

(What? You thought the season of renewal was spring?)

Nay. It is August, where all of us with children celebrate their grudging return to a place of bells, loudspeaker voices, lining up, and taking turns. (Somehow, my children always forget how to do that last thing over the summer break.)

Plus new clothing (that can’t really be worn until mid-October, since it’s still 100-and-hell degrees here in Austin), non-sticky lunchboxes, and backpacks without that funky residue that lodges along the bottom seams, comprised of…well, there’s no point in speculating.

And while I’m filling out endless school forms that HAVE NOT CHANGED IN TEN YEARS BUT I HAVE TO DO THEM EACH YEAR ANYWAY, I’ll be thankful that my children will no longer be home to take a clean glass from the cabinet, take a single gulp of water from that glass, set it down, and then repeat that action about ten times each over a 6-hour period.  I came home one day last week to no fewer than 23 juice glasses discarded about the kitchen and family room.

I also will be thankful that, in spite of the fact that this was the “summer of the emergency room,” we’re all healthy and relatively sane (although 60+ days of 100+ degrees threatens that status just a bit).

What are you thankful for, as we unwrap this new school year?

Funny thing #347 – Your kids post things to Web sites. Sites that YOU read.

Our intrepid Web explorer Aric apparently “makes LOLs” on icanhascheezburger.com. I saw this the other day, and then tonight he was looking at it to see how many votes it had gotten, because he’s the poster.

It IS really cute.

more animals

I ran across this essay that Vera wrote at school, thought it was pretty neat, and thought I’d share:

“Let Freedom Ring”

Freedom is yellow.
It tastes like lemon pie.
It smells like lemon.
Freedom likes pie.
It hates cookies.
Its favorite sound is people talking.
But it hates to hear bad words.
Freedom lives in Texas.

It’s the end of an era for us. One of the Hasting boys has been at Steiner Ranch Elementary since 2001, but today #2 “crossed over.” Parents and faculty worked hard to make the event really special, and the young men and women moving to middle school responded with their nicest manners during the long-ish event. In spite of some technical difficulties with part of the presentation (my part, of course!), it ran smoothly.

It’s amazing to see how these kids have grown. We’ve known many of them since they were kindergartners, and they’ve grown so mature!

This class (about 130 kids) was particularly academically focused, scoring 100% in math, 99+% on language arts, and 98+% on science TAKS. A great many earned the Presidential Award for academic excellence. We’re so proud of them!

Well, it’s April 3 and it’s already beginning to warm up here in Austin, enough so that we’re breaking out the lawn equipment for the much-dreaded “landscaping season.” (That’s 9 months each year.) Our neighbors have already been hard at it, disturbing the post-winter quiet with the mellifluous sound of leaf blowers. We’ve resisted as long as we can, but already our lawn is horribly overgrown with grass and (yes) some weeds.

Isn’t it too EARLY to have to start this? Maybe global warming *is* a real possibility. Heck, even the snowmen are being really impacted by this trend:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/nations_snowmen_march_against

On the positive side, we’ve planted upside-down tomato plants and have high hopes that they’ll eventually sort themselves out (currently they’re trying valiantly to grow UP in their hanging pots). They’re high enough that they may escape Sydney’s reach. She’s pretty bad about picking off the ripe fruits. This year she’ll have to content herself with the odd berry or try to graze on the rabbit’s herb garden!

Yesterday, we took my friend Kevin, his intended, and her two great kids out on the lake.
Vera and I were playing on the back of the boat and I asked her “How much do you love me? This big?” with my arms stretched out. “No! I love you to Russia and back!”

“Well then, I must love you more. I loved you to Russia and back, Twice!”

Richard

We spent another beautiful day in RMNP. We’ve definitely decided, though, that it’s later in the season than we prefer. Our previous visits included the colorful aspens of fall, but temperatures just warm enough to be comfortable. Today, it was cold and windy, and we decided not to take any extended hikes at high altitude.
At Endovalley, we did find a nice spot with enough sunshine to enjoy a picnic. We were almost immediately joined there by some cheeky creatures. First came the Steller’s Jays…

followed quickly by a chipmunk…

and then finally by a black squirrel who appeared at first to be shy. After he decided that we weren’t dangerous, he warmed up quickly, taking almonds from Richard.

We spent the remainder of the day in downtown Estes Park, enjoying the shops and then a terrific dinner at Nicky’s. We’re leaving tomorrow, but we’re reluctant to go.

(Click the squirrel pic to see him munch!)

Ahhh…we’ve been here for just at a day, and already we’re more relaxed than we’ve been in about a year and a half.

We started our afternoon at Rocky Mountain National Park, and were joined for lunch by some black-billed magpies, who were shameless about trying to steal our sandwiches and apples. Seems theft is a popular survival technique, because one of them flew off with a largely uneaten apple, only to have it stolen by a large hawk.

Mood: Happy! It must be catching, because even the animals here are smiling:

Sunday was a great day for us. Sharon played in the Worship event Sunday night at our Church, and I got to spend some alone time with Vera. I took Vera to Grandmom’s so that we could get some plants that she had been saving for us.

On the way back, the song that I had kinda held on to as the anthem for adopting Vera came onto the stereo. I noticed Vera singing it from the back seat. and when the song was over, she made me go back to it so that she could sing it again. I’ve never been so happy to hear her sing… So we sang together…
John Elefante

That’s why God made the moon

…

There’s a city in the distance,
but it seems so far away.
It’s a place where lonely hearts await
The Son to light their day.
But up here I know it’s silent.
There’s no sorrow to be found;
just heaven all around.
And every star up in the sky
has driven me to testify
that I wanna know you.

That’s why God made the moon.
For nights like these when we dream of all eternity.
As the angels sing the twilight symphony.
They sing la-de-de-de-da-da
la-de-de-de-da-da tonight.
That’s why God made the moon.

Here in Texas, Hot and Dry are words that we usually use to describe “summer”. So far, the lake rose 60 feet since March because we got rained on big time here in 2007. So Summer, 2007, has been wet and cooler than normal. Some evenings were downright pleasant. But those days are gone. It hit 100 degrees yesterday.
We have only been out on the lake a couple times, and that is too infrequent.

Vera has been in several camps this year. She has been in a sports camp, an outdoor activities camp, vacation Bible School, and for the next 2 weeks she is in a theater camp in Georgetown.
Scott and Aric got to spend a week with Uncle Mark in Silicone Valley. Scott was on staff at the theater camp held at Cedar Park High School. He loved that.

Scott took up the guitar, taking lessons over the past month or so. He is showing some actual talent. Aric decided that he wanted to be a drummer. So we now have a full set of Ludwig drums sitting in our music room. Aric is also showing some serious talent at this drumming thing. He is doing really well in his lessons. My stash of ear plugs is getting a workout as well.
Aric has obtained/earned his Green belt in Tae Kwon Do. He enjoys TKD, and hopefully he can make it all the way to black belt.

Of course, Lacrosse has started back up. Scott is discovering that physical conditioning is important. Especially if you don’t have it. So he has been working out a lot lately. And, yes, it helps.

Speaking of physical conditions, Vera has grown more than 3 inches in the past year. She was 48″ when she came here on July 4, today she is over 51″ tall. Aric is afraid she will catch up to him at that rate He figures he only has a year or so head start on her:-) vera is already the same weight as Aric at about 56 lbs, up 8 from last year.

Enough for now. Toodles!

Richard

The big double-digit day for Aric! Today he turned 10, and he was going “wii wii wii wii!” all the way to the Best Buy to purchase his heart’s desire. But we surprised him with a console and accessories during his birthday bowling lunch at Main Event, so all the money he’d saved the past few months was available for other things, like more GAMES!

Surprise! And happy birthday, Bear. We think you’re pretty awesome.

Just how fast is *too* fast on a Slip-n-Slide? Vera decided to test the limits today. After Dad spent a long half hour blowing up all the pieces (he’s recovering well, thank you), he stretched it out on Grandmom and Granddad’s lovely lawn.

Completely ignoring the intermittent rain and slightly chilly temperatures, Vera set out to break a few speed records (and thankfully nothing else).