Who gave permission to June to go speeding past so quickly? I’d like to know. I am not ready to start school again in two weeks, please don’t make me! When I last left you I was headed to Portland , OR for the annual OCEANetwork Homeschoolers conference. They really do a very lovely job! Those who attended were treated to the pleasure of hearing Lamplighter’s very own , Mark Hamby, who along with Voddie Bauchman were the key-note speakers. If you missed the opportunity of hearing either of these men speak, I must implore you to change that quickly, and soon. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

While in Portland, Mark surprised Francis (Lamplighter Intern) and me to see the Multnomah Falls after we finished setting up for the conference. It was because of the generosity our host family who loaned us their car for the duration of the conference. Let’s just say, I will be going back and this time with a camera. I was in awe and amazement at the almost unbelievable beauty of the falls all while being sick to my stomach over not having my camera. Since it was somewhat of a pain in the butt to have to worry about my camera when I was in Orlando, I figured this time I would just leave it at home. Who would have known that I would be treated to all that beauty. So you have to look it up for yourself if you want to see pictures, better yet, plan your own trip to the breath-taking state of Oregon.

After returning home from Oregon, I had a day to unpack the suitcase and refill it for five days in Kernville, CA on the Kern River. Our family has been going for over 16 years. It really is a significant part of my children’s lives. We’ve patiently waited for the kids to get older so that we could take a rafting trip, and this was the year! To say we had fun is an understatement. We shared the trip down river with our dear friends who home school in the Central Valley of CA and my high school friend and her daughter.

We filled our days with playing games and swimming in the creeks and frogging and fishing.

Better yet, our nights with more games and smores!!!

Vacations never last long enough. I am home for a week and half and unlucky, I mean, lucky me is on jury duty. I will finish our last few days off with working the Lamplighter booth at the CHEA convention. I hope to meet new friends and reminisce with old ones. Make sure to come visit me if you attend so I can tell you all about the newest Lamplighter books, like my new favorite: Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince!

Blessings, Jennifer