July 4th Eve

So i'ts already July and can't believe how the summer is just moving along. I am grateful for such a break from work, but i always hate that it comes to an end. I try not to complain, for i know any other job would not afford me such a break. Just hope it'll slow down just a bit before August comes zooming in.

We've pretty much been home bodies once the boys returned from their beach trip. With gas prices, heat, and some lack of motivation, we just haven't ventured out for summer activities. Not even to the pool. I've found that in the past few years, the boys would seem to get bored at the pool! It seemed i needed to entertain them. Which i didn't mind for some time, but i also enjoyed just laying out in the sun. Guess that's where they need to invite a friend to join them. Maybe we need to do that. I've also thought that we need to go bowling or putt-putt. I don't mind staying home, personally, but i'm sure it's not the best for the boys. You know, i wish they had summers like i had. Not that i didn't do my share of watching TV, but we played outside quite a bit. Rode our bikes all over the neighborhood, to Mr. M's for candy and soda, to the Mini Park or to a friend's. I remember on thing we enjoyed doing was riding our bikes to the water tower. It was uphill going but once we got there and began our trek back, it was downhill with no hands! That was always fun! We'd even stay out after dark with no worries. It was fun, safe, and just the norm. Kids can't seem to do that these days; plus i'd worry about mine too much. We didn't have all this electronic stuff to entertain us. We either played alone in our rooms, played with siblings or friends. Or, usually the last resort was TV. I often wonder if i'm a bad mom for not entertaining them more, but at the same time i want them to learn what i had to, and that is sometimes you have to entertain yourselves. I used to hate not having someone to play with or something to do, and it took me a loooonnngg time to learn that. Now i enjoy time alone; but i guess a hobby doesn't hurt.

I'm finally starting my photo organizing the PF way. Because most of my photos were already in chrono order, i pretty much skipped a few steps and am now putting photos that i want to scrap soon into the Storage Binders. The ones i kept but don't make it into the binders will go into Cold Storage (drawers with multiple tabs labeled according to Stacy's system). I'm getting excited as i look back through some of these pictures and can't wait to start scrapping some - IN ANY ORDER I CHOOSE! It sounds so liberating. What a way to celebrate the 4th - celebrating our freedoms in America and Photo Freedom!

Bye for now . . .