Currently (or it would be current if it was still May)

Thank you all for your kind words about my grandmother. I miss her dearly, but as with my GrandmaJo, memories of her, both the intangible sparks in my mind, and the tangible ones like wearing her pearls or her mother's wedding ring, keep her close. I know I am so lucky to have had them both for so long.

Despite my last few posts with recaps of Mexico and Egypt, we really do just live in our house in Dallas the vast majority of the time. We moved here almost exactly 3 years ago, which seems crazy. It feels like we've been here so much longer, but then I'm always finding out new things and places near me and I remember oh yeah, I'm still kind of new? We moved into our house in late October, so we haven't hit 3 years here yet, but it does very much feel like home. I love every inch of it and it fits our life and the ages of our children so very well. Let's jump back to May and catch up on all of them.

First of all we have Landon.

He finished out his junior year strong and quietly confident as ever. He's in the top 10 of his class, feels good about all his AP tests, and got himself signed up for a job lifeguarding at the YMCA. James's company actually outfits all the Dallas Y's with their suits, shorts, shirts, and rashguards. James asked if anyone noticed Landon's last name is on all of their clothes. "No, I don't think anyone knows my last name." Probably true. He goes to morning practice at 8 am, then goes to work, then goes to afternoon practice, and then gets home about 8 pm. I miss him.

College recruiting will start in earnest in the fall and we're excited to see where he goes. He definitely wants to swim and has been talking to various coaches since last year.

He also recently decided he was a fisherman. In true Landon fashion he woke up one day and texted me from Academy asking if he could use our credit card to buy a fishing license if he paid me back. He you-tubed how to string up his new pole and headed off to the lake by our house to fish. I have no idea what sparked this hobby, but his pole now lives in his car and he stops at the lake or some stream almost every day. He's gotten some friends to go with him and now this is a thing they all do. I love that for him.

Yesterday morning I dropped him off at the airport at 6 a.m. for a flight to Santa Barbara, California for a swim meet. That backpack contains all he thought he needed for four days, four flights, and a swim meet.

He turns 18 in a couple weeks, which means my blog is already 18 and that really seems crazy. He's an awesome kid- responsible, funny, kind, smart, practical, and a friend to babies and animals. We called him in California at dinner last night and Clarie said, "I don't like that you're not here! You shouldn't go to college." and I feel her.

Speaking of Claire, she finished her freshman year with all A's and we could NOT be more proud.

It was a journey to get there, full of tears and reminders and patience and frustration and slowly increased academic confidence. It was a big year- she settled into a new school, made new friends while still pretty deeply scarred by the disaster that was 8th grade, realized how far behind she was academically (we simply survived 8th grade and that is literally all I can say for it), caught up, learned how to study, found the right balance of medication and worked so hard to implement behaviors to manage her OCD and ADHD, babysat a ton, won the Most Improved award for her club swimming team, and did the dishes every night.

We're very, very proud of her. Even when she steals dresses I just bought for myself and looks better in them than I do.

She turned 15 the day we got back from Mexico, so we did her birthday party the day before we left. She asked for a birthday brunch with swim party and that's exactly what we did! We decorated, cut up a ton of fruit, and I made homemade waffles and my icecream cake she loves so much.

Her friends were so sweet and while I was not invited to attend, it was clear through the windows that they had fun.

We get to start teaching her to drive now and she's already learned all the rules and is constantly correcting my form from the passenger seat which is so fun for me.

On to Cora!

She graduated 5th grade!

This little moppet is now a middle schooler!

Look at her on her first day of elementary.

After 12 years of having at least one Fike in elementary school (but never all 3 at once, sigh), we're a family of only middle school and high schoolers!

There were many end of school festivities, including the awards ceremony and an adorable clap-out where the 5th graders walk the halls of the school and all the current student line the halls to clap them through. Parents get to come and line up outside as they exit and clap too. It was actually very sweet.

The morning of the last day I realized we were maybe the only parents not doing big signs or flowers or something, so James gathered the big kids, who were both home early because of their finals schedule, and they made a poster while I was at work.

They came with us to clap their sister out and it was lovely. I was pregnant with her when Landon started Kindergarten himself. Time is wild.

Cora's having a good summer. We kind of failed to sign her up for anything (#ThirdBaby), but we've cobbled together some friend time, our trips, her swimming practices, and just yesterday found her a horseback riding camp for a few days in July that will be hot as Hades. She can't wait.

She continues to play soccer and swim and can't wait to start track in 7th grade. We applied for our district's magnet middle school that is ranked #1 in the state. She's #1 on the waitlist and I am desperately hoping someone moves before the first day of school (but moves for great wonderful exciting reasons! I wish you all the best family who I hope doesn't go to this school!). If she doesn't get in, she'll go to the same middle school Claire did, which we have feelings about, but much of that experience was rooted in the different children they are and the (terrible) timing of our move for sweet 7th grade Claire, so I'm sure it will be fine. Given her hatred of change and new things, Cora's handling the uncertainty of where she'll go far better than expected.

She's so very smart (scored 100% on her state-required end of year tests that control our public education system in ways I hate, but still seemed impressive), creative, loving, meticulous, extremely forgetful while also somehow forgetting absolutely nothing?, obsessed with animals and documentaries, easily scared by any movie or story where someone or something could be harmed (EXCEPT her graphic animal documentaries, which are somehow totally fine), and a voracious reader. She's absolutely ready for 6th grade and we can't wait to watch her.

On to me!

I had my colonoscopy and upper endoscopy and biopsies. The procedure was fine. The prep is unfun, but not nearly as terrible as I expected, so definitely don't let that come between you and any doctor-recommended testing of your own! I thought going a whole day without eating before the prep would be the worst part, but again, that was fine? Turns out maybe I'm not actually starving like I always feel I am? Not that I'm applying any of those lessons now that I can eat again.

My colon was deemed "beautiful" and I don't need another colonoscopy for 10 years. The biopsies confirmed I do have Celiac, which wasn't surprising, and was actually somewhat grounding to just know for sure. I haven't had anything with gluten since we got the results back and that also hasn't been bad. Do I want a cookie from our office lobby coffee shop? Yes. Is it easy to pass them by? Also yes. All our meals at home have been gluten free, I re-organized and labeled the pantry so I have some gluten-free snack areas, and it's fine.

I'm really excited to see how I feel as my immume system realizes it no longer has a war to fight.

(How long will the pantry stay like this? Days?)

James and I went to dinner to celebrate some news I can share in my next post. I wore an Alicie & Olivia top I got off The Real Real and I love it so much.

Also loved the restaurant, food, and my date.

Speaking of my handsome husband, he has taken the gluten-free cookbooks I ordered and jumped in with both feet.

His business is doing great- lots of new suits at Fike Swim and he's moved to outfitting country club and YMCA teams around the country.

We celebrated him on Father's Day with a brunch out on Saturday (Landon has practice on Sunday morning), bowling with the girls on Sunday afternoon (Landon had to work), and dinner with everyone at home Sunday night.

I always forget how much fun bowling is until we go again. I'm extremely erratic, but James is pretty good and we all have a fun together.

I made this Short Rib Ragu for his dinner and it was SO good. That was when I could still have pasta, so it was a delicious farewell.

And that's about it! Maggie has had double ear infections which has required multiple vet visits and many dollars, but she is, obviously, still perfect.

And that's where we're at! My sister came through town with her girls on Tuesday, which was a blast. Landon is loving California, Claire is babysitting in order to buy a Lululemon jacket she thinks she needs and I do not (not with my money; happy for her to own it with hers!), and Cora has a big swim meet tomorrow. Life is good, Happy Friday to you all.