What I Learned in June

The month of June was full of fun surprises, family time and not as much "June gloom" weather as we usually have here in the Northwest. Here are eight things I learned in June:

1. Tow isn't just how all the boat owners in my town get their boats to the water. Tow also refers to flax or hemp fibers. The term Towhead was explained to me by an elderly gentleman I passed while walking baby Brooke, my boss's daughter, to the post office. The term towhead means a child or adult with very light (almost white) blond hair. My oldest son was a towhead as a little boy; now he's 28 and hardly has any hair. (I thought my boys wouldn't lose their hair since my daddy had a LOT of hair. What's up with the saying that the hair gene comes from the mother?! False information, apparently...)

2. Sometimes it's smarter and cheaper to rent a home for a few days in L.A. instead of staying at a hotel. I learned this fact from my boss who went on a "buying trip" a couple weeks ago. She got to stay in a swanky place in Beverly Hills and guess who was her neighbor? Jessica Alba. I totally think we need to connect the Honest Company with Charlie Barnes Kids. 

3. Family Reunions are worth the time and money to attend. For the 3rd time in 20 years my husband's side of the family gathered at a lake in Minnesota. Most of the extended family could come. The Omaha clan drove, we flew and rented a car. We ate too much, fished, played games, and the cousins got reacquainted. Mid-week my oldest son arrived with quite a surprise; he had bought a ticket for his Nashville sister who claimed she couldn't get off work! Mamas love it when all their kids are together under one roof! I have lots of fun memories, but my top two are: falling asleep listening to my four kids laughing in the next room and going canoeing with my hubby. 

(All the kids with Grandpa.)

4. I was told not to give up my "day job" to become a singer. What?! First of all my day job is just part-time and secondly I thought I did a fabulous job singing Karaoke! OK, maybe I was just having fun and I got caught up in the moment. Our family had a blast singing together at our reunion. SO much fun in fact that we did it for hours using You Tube. I need to make a list of my go-to song titles for the next time I get a chance to take the microphone. Watching my hubby and kids singing and dancing away and the talent of my Nashville daughter also needs to be added to my list of favorite memories.

5. I was reminded for the 3rd time in my flying life that First Class is way more fun. On our way back from the family reunion trip to Minnesota, my hubby surprised the two youngest kids and I with an upgrade to First Class. We enjoyed the free cocktails, inflight entertainment players, plus a yummy ravioli dinner. I finally watched the movie Life As We Know It. So good! If only every seat on every plane was First Class...

6. "Friends are friends forever, if the Lord is Lord of them..." Those song lyrics are true. Back in the mid-1990's were were in a small group in Illinois. One of the couples now lives in Minnesota and invited us to lunch on our way to the airport. Thank you McLains! It was so fun to catch up over delicious chicken and see how the Lord is working in our family's lives. We also spent an hour at the Mall of America. It's SO big! I did find a cute purse on sale at Fossil which made trek from the parking lot totally worth it.

7. Hoopfest in Spokane, Washington is quite an event and my oldest son never gives up. Have you heard of Hoopfest? It's the largest 3 on 3 tournament of it's kind in the United States. People from all over the country converge on Spokane where streets and parking lots become courts and players of all ages and abilities play for two days. Both the boys needed their ankles wrapped and the oldest repeatedly sprained his ankle. Despite the pain, he wouldn't give up. (He also didn't want his Dad, who was the sub, to play too much and get hurt.) Their Jambox team lost by one point in the finals and I was so proud of their effort! We also cheered on our daughter-in-law's team. The weather was glorious ~I wonder if the event must be cancelled if it rains?

 Here are some tips if you go next June: take chairs, a Kindle or book for in-between games, a cooler with lots of waters and Gatorades, and fun people to hang out with. I got to hang with my daughter-in-law's family and my son's girlfriend. If you love basketball it's the place to be.

8. Wardrobe malfunctions happen on the porch. If a neighbor shows up at your open front door with your dog (Miss Sydney ran away without my knowledge) it is totally appropriate to answer the door in your p.j. pants and sports bra.  I was hot and almost ready for bed and totally into my new favorite show, HGTV's Fixer-Upper, when the doorbell rang. Opps, but thankful.

I am linking up with Emily Freeman from Chatting at the Sky. What did you learn in June?

In His Grip, Jane