Cassie's Journal - June 30, 2012

Congratulations, Grandpa Grant and Grandma Eleanor!

The wedding ceremony and reception were only for close family and a few friends, and Grandma and Grandpa were the only members of our family who were there. Rowen and I did get to congratulate the happy couple when we just happened to pass by the church just shortly after the ceremony ended. I’m sure that nobody believed that it was the coincidence that we pretended it was. I almost never thought about it, but close family included Stephanie, and she and Jake looked like they were definitely enjoying a rare summer Saturday off from the Inn.

Rowen and I got to hear a few, short wedding stories then, but the full recap will have to wait until tomorrow, when I expect Grandma and Grandpa will need to tell Mom and Aunt Leanne all about the wedding and reception. I’m not sure how she’s going to spin being a twenty-nine year old grandmother, but I wasn’t the only person using Grandma Eleanor and Grandpa Grant today – including their kids, grandkids, and in Grandma Eleanor’s case; great-grandchildren.

This morning, after seeing Rowen off to work, I spent the morning out in the yard. Cutting the lawn and gardening were my jobs this week, and it took me until nearly one before I had the last garden weeded. Mom had lunch nearly ready by then, so I jumped in the river to cool off and get the dirt off, and then I was set free to meet up with Rowen for our afternoon play and post-wedding bike-by hugging plans.

Our play time included hanging out at the park with some of our friends, and we all spent a lot of that time swimming in the river. We split up for dinner, and then went for a bike ride before going for one more swim shortly before dark. Rowen headed home after our swim, and I went inside for a little cuddle and Magi time with Mom, Dad, Violet, Ethan, and Ehlana until Violet went to meet up with Dillon after he was finished working at the Inn.

I haven’t been in bed long, but I’m skipping most of my usual bedtime computing. It’s been a long day; I’m really tired out; and July will start soon whether I’m awake to see it or not, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Cassie's Journal Now in E-book Format at Smashwords!

Cassie's Journal has been compiled into two e-books (so far), and are now available at my Smashwords Author Page.
Cassie's Journal 2011 and Cassie's Journal 2012 - Part One are both free to download in their entirety, and are an easy way to catch up on life in Witch Falls since the end of Magi Master - especially if you're new to the Heirs of the Magi blog.

I'd also like to note that Smashwords.com's summer/winter sale begins July 1st, and three of my books are included in this year's sale catalogue.

Thank-you to everyone who has been so supportive of my books and blogs.  Your interest and encouragement is very much appreciated!

Cassie's Journal - June 29, 2012

It’s been yet another hot summer day, though we did get a short dash or two of rain here and there too.

Rowen and I have been free most of the day to play, though we also spent a couple of hours before dinnertime helping out at the computer store with getting ready for the extra holiday week business that Rowen’s parents expect to have; mostly from area campgrounds, and visiting family and friends.

Mom and Dad were hosting our dinner and a movie night, and Uncle Adam, Aunt Leanne, Aunt Deborah, and Nick were all here for it this week. Rowen’s here for a sleepover too, though we’re doing that in my room tonight instead of camping. Dad and Nick were already working the grill by the time Rowen and I got home from Emerson’s Computers, and Mom put us to work on setting the dining room table before getting us to play with Ethan and Ehlana while she and Aunt Leanne and Violet put together the dinner side dishes.

Our dinnertime chat was mostly about work and weddings, and then, after cleaning up, the movie part of our night was changed to a play and swim evening instead. We hadn’t been able to swim in the river with so many of our favorite grownups very often so far this year, and we had a lot of fun – especially while Ethan and Ehlana were in the water with us. We went to the park to play, and watched a bit of baseball while we were there, but after that, Violet went to meet up with Dillon at the Inn; the rest of our guests went home or moved on to other plans; and Rowen and I helped Mom and Dad with Ethan’s and Ehlana’s bedtime bath, story, and snack.

We’ve been in the lounge since then, watching a movie, chatting, and surfing the net on our computers. The movie is nearly finished, and we both have work in the morning – in the yard for me, and at the store for Rowen – so we’re going to pack up now and head for bed. The only news story around town tomorrow will be Grandpa Grant and Eleanor Byrd’s wedding, and I’ll include any wedding stories tomorrow. Until then, though...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Cassie's Journal - June 28, 2012

I think that today is the first time that I wish Rowen and I were going to a birthday party for one of the guys in our class.

Before you go all nuts over that (Aunt Leanne), my reason for wishing that is because Joshua’s twelfth birthday party was at Quarry Lake today. He was having a guys-only party, so it wasn’t like any of the other girls were invited either, and Rowen and I weren’t interested in hanging out with a gang of eleven and twelve-year old boys; but we would have really loved being able to stay cool while playing in and around the lake. A few of the girls in our class apparently didn’t have a problem with that, and just happened to pick today to go to Quarry Lake too. I’m not sure whether that should be chalked up to boy-crazy; or just plain crazy.

The good news was that those same boys were out of town for most of the day, and that was definitely noticeable around town, and especially at the park. Rowen and I weren’t completely free of pests all day, because Patrick and Scott decided to try their very best to annoy us a few times while we were at the park. After our big canoe trip yesterday, we were ready for a comparatively quiet day, so Rowen and I mostly took it easy, even when we were at the park; floated around in the river a lot; and even spent nearly two hours just lying on a blanket under one of the big, shady trees by the river in my back yard later in the afternoon.

We had dinner at her house, and then played until about nine o’clock. After splitting up for the night, I did the bedtime routine with Ethan and Ehlana, and have been working on my computer since climbing into bed with Mandy after spending a little quality time in my Jacuzzi. There were a few family business issues that I wanted to work on tonight, and some family and friends emails to read and answer. I’ve spent some time in the archives too, and all of that’s kept me busy for the past few hours, but it’s after one now; and I’m ready to call it a night, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Cassie's Journal - June 27, 2012

It’s time for another short update, and then I’m going to get some sleep.

Rowen and I canoed to the whirlpool and back today. We had a picnic lunch, and it was hot enough that we needed to stop a couple of times each way for cool-off swims. There was a group of teens already there by the time we got to the whirlpool, and four more kids joined us about a half-hour before we left to head home again.

We went for another swim after having an ice cream break with Mom, Violet, Alicia, Ethan, and Ehlana; and took the twins with us for that. Rowen stayed for another baseball practice night easy dinner, and then we spent the evening taking care of Ethan and Ehlana while Mom and Dad were busy playing with their friends.

Rowen went home after we were done at the park, and I had a quick shower before climbing into bed. Mom and Violet are probably still working on a lesson as I write this, and Dad’s working in the office, but I’ve had enough fun for today, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Cassie's Journal - June 26, 2012

I don’t have much to report today.

Rowen worked at the computer store this morning, so I spent that time working in the office on the family business. Violet spent the day with Dillon, Jake, and Stephanie; and they went out to play shortly after breakfast. As I write this, Violet still isn’t home, so I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what they were doing all day.

Mom and Alicia were busy with their usual morning work, and keeping up with Ethan and Ehlana; so I was pretty much on my own in the office until wrapping up in time for lunch. Rowen came over while I was still helping with the lunch cleanup, and then we were free to play for the afternoon. The park was unofficially kid central, and we biked over there; then stayed to play and swim until dinnertime – except for one short trip to the Emporium for an ice cream snack break.

We were having a baseball practice night easy dinner, and Rowen stayed for that before we were off and running again to our Rovers’ practice. I don’t want our team to get over-confident; but we really do have an awesome team this year! Grandma and Grandpa stopped by to catch part of the practice, though I suspect that Grandpa had the ulterior motive of going out for Emporium ice cream treats; since their visit was timed for near the end of our practice. Rowen and I were okay with that because we were invited to go along for that second stop on their evening walk.

Grandma and Grandpa walked home with us while we ate our ice creams, and then went to visit with Mom, Dad, and the twins while Rowen and I went for a long swim in the river. She headed home after that, and I went inside to join in on the extended bedtime routine with Ethan and Ehlana that included stories by Grandpa with telepathic support from me, and some Magi play time that we all had fun with.

I’ve been in my room since Ethan and Ehlana were tucked in and Grandma and Grandpa went home. The swim in the river had cooled me off, but I still needed some Jacuzzi time to get cleaned up, and then it took a while to get my hair brushed out and dried. Once that was done, I climbed into bed with Mandy and started my usual nightly computing. The email check didn’t take long, since I’d kept up with that while working all morning, but I did spend an hour studying in the archives before getting around to this.

There really isn’t anything else to write about from today, and I’m ready to shoot for another good night of sleep, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Cassie's Journal - June 25, 2012

The top news story today comes from Uncle Adam’s cousins, Kevin and Elaine. We found out today that they’re expecting their second child, and Elaine is due sometime near the end of next February.

Compared to that excitement, my day has been fairly uneventful. Rowen and I packed up our campsite this morning; spent the rest of the day playing, including a lot of swimming in the river; and then we split up at dinnertime for the rest of the night. Other than helping with the post-dinner cleanup, I’ve had a quiet night at home. I played with Ethan and Ehlana for an hour or so before Mom did a little Magi lesson with us, and then we did the usual bedtime routine before they were tucked in; Mom went to work in the office with Dad; and I came upstairs to my room.

I’ve only done my usual email check since climbing into bed with Mandy and firing up my computer, and I’m going to get some sleep as soon as I have this done, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Cassie's Journal - June 24, 2012

The top talk at church today was about Grandpa Grant and Eleanor’s upcoming wedding this coming Saturday; with a lot of teasing aimed at Grandpa Grant for marrying a twenty-nine year old.

Today was a fairly normal, post-city week work day for Dad, so other than going to church; he mostly stayed in the office all day. Rowen and I spent a lot of time outside, though it was probably the hottest day of the year so far. We went swimming a lot; needed several ice cream breaks; and waited until after dinner to play at the park. We’re camping again tonight, and so are Patrick and Scott. The heat has slowed them down a bit, or they’re just tired out from their adventures in annoying late last night. Whatever the reason, Rowen and I are glad for the break; and we’ve even managed to have fun with the boys earlier when we all went for a swim, and then played a couple of games in the back yard.

Rowen and I played in the river with Violet, Ethan, and Ehlana for a while this afternoon too, but the twins weren’t outside in the heat for long, and Violet was splitting the rest of her afternoon between a little work in the office, hanging out with Mom (and probably doing a lesson), and meeting up with Dillon whenever he was taking his breaks at the Inn. We saw Rebecca and Jenny during one of our ice cream runs to the emporium, and I’m really glad that I wasn’t working in the kitchen at the Inn today. From how wrung-out they looked, the air conditioning probably wasn’t quite keeping up with the temperature outside today.

Anyway, since moving into the tent for the night, Rowen and I have been listening to music and talking. She fell asleep about twenty minutes ago, and I’ve been doing my nightly computer routine since then. We’re about to start the last week of June, and while we don’t really have anything special planned, the weather forecast is mostly for more hot and sunny; and I’m sure that we’ll manage to fill week two of our summer holidays with fun and excitement.

I’ve had enough of both for tonight, though, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Cassie's Journal - June 23, 2012

Live from Witch Falls, and Rowen’s back yard; this is Cassie and Rowen with today’s journal report!

Our Real Estate Rovers won again today against Connor’s Colonists. We were the home team, and didn’t need to play the bottom of the sixth inning; earning a fairly lop-sided, ten-to-four victory. We had Aunt Leanne, Violet, and Ehlana on our cheer squad today, so that helped, but I think that there were more tired out shoppers on the Colonists’ team than on ours. Maybe we should book shopping trips before all of our games!

We had our usual pos-game trip to the Emporium for ice cream, and then I went home to change and get to work in the back yard while Rowen needed to hit the shower before going over to the computer store. We both worked until mid-afternoon, and then were free to play again; though we started out by setting up our tent in Rowen’s back yard and filling it with supplies for what would probably end up being another two-night camping adventure. Conveniently, Ethan and Ehlana were doing a sleepover with Uncle Adam and Aunt Leanne; leaving Mom and Dad on their own for the night. Let’s move on from that thought, shall we?

After setting up our camp, Rowen and I biked to the park, played there for a while, went for a swim, and then we headed back to our tent after stopping in for some goodnight hugs and kisses with Mom, Dad, Ethan, and Ehlana. By then, a second tent had been set up, and we didn’t need three guesses to know who the extra campers were going to be. The boys weren’t there right then, and Rowen and I ended up keeping busy while helping her parents with making dinner, and then cleaning up after. We stayed around our tent after that, except for one more swim in the river shortly before dark.

It wasn’t until after dark that Patrick and Scott started goofing around as usual with us, and being in the back yard with minimal parental support gave them lots of opportunity to annoy us with their little jokes, games, and attempts at spying. They certainly had fun with all of that long after Rowen and I stopped being amused, and even as I’m writing this; they’re still prowling around and trying to scare us. I’d suggest that it would be nice if they’d just grow up, but then again if that means being like Chris, Martin, or some of the other younger teen boys we know; that might just end up being worse.

The good parts of our camping have been the chat time; doing a little star watching while laying on a blanket; and the bakery snacks that weren’t captured during one of the boys’ first raids on our tent. It’s not quite midnight, but we’re going to wrap this up, and hopefully get some sleep once Patrick and Scott get tired of their games.

Until next time; it’s lights out, campers!

Cassie's Journal - June 22, 2012

Happy 1^st Birthday, Ethan and Ehlana!

Mom and I skipped Tai Chi this morning – we had enough on the go getting ready to be at the Inn for the buffet breakfast by seven. We had one gift each for Ethan and Ehlana to open before we left, but the morning for all of us was the amazing food that Jacob and Miranda put together for their very appreciative customers. Ethan and Ehlana were given a few gifts too, including one from Miranda, and since Dillon was working at the Inn with Jake all day; he and Violet gave the twins their presents then too.

We were on the road by eight o’clock, and Rowen and I went with our Moms, Aunt Leanne, and the twins. Violet drove too, and she had Stephanie and two of their friends with her. The trip to the Mall was a fast as it always seems to be on the way there, and then it was time to get on with the shopping!

One thing that was different for this trip was the make-up of our shopping group. We didn’t have any teens with us, or any of the girls that Rowen and I usually ended up with. That was mostly because Mom and Aunt Leanne had set up our group to include Naomi and Sophia Bassett to hang out with Ethan and Ehlana. With the Moms, and Sophia’s sister, Jessica, we had a big enough group; so Rowen and I were the senior kids, and eight-year old Jessica was our adoring little shadow for the day.

I love everything about my life in Witch Falls, but today I did learn that Ethan and Ehlana don’t always have it better than I did when I was their age, and it was just Mom and me. The average one-year old probably doesn’t care at all about what they’re wearing, but I know that I did, and Ethan and Ehlana do. Unfortunately, they couldn’t exactly discuss their shopping choices with the Moms, Aunt Leanne, and Grandma today; though Ethan did venture a couple of well-timed ‘yucks’ that earned him some laughs and hugs. Ehlana didn’t have very many fashion choice issues as Ethan did, but then she did have some shopping support from Naomi and Sophia; while he had no guy-perspective help at all.

Rowen and I stayed with our group for most of the day, but we also had a little time alone with Aunt Leanne and Patricia after lunch so we could pick up a few things, like underwear, without the extra audience; and a pair of gifts for Ethan and Ehlana. Before doing that, we shopped until noon; took everything out to the vans and cars; had lunch in the food court; and done a little shopping with Violet, Stephanie, and their group before splitting up again.

As usual, we had a post-Mall stop at Wal-Mart for anyone that wanted to go there, and then we moved on to the usual steakhouse we went to for sit-down meals.

Dad and Angela were meeting us there from the courthouse, while Terry got there from a job site by the time we had everyone invited to Ethan and Ehlana’s birthday dinner from the shopping group together again and in the process of being seated at the group of tables that had been reserved for us. I didn’t get to see Terry and Angela very often, but Dad saw Angela around the courthouse during the weeks he was in the city, and always went out to dinner with her and Terry at least once every trip too; so Mom and I were kept up-to-date with Angela’s pregnancy. Hearing the stories wasn’t nearly as much fun as seeing her today at about six months along, and having her tell us some of those stories in person.

Taking a quick side note, we had one, little future plan issue to take care of today, and Dad and Aunt Leanne did that by recruiting Terry to work as a consultant civil engineer for all of the construction projects we were going to be doing – starting with some roads we’ll need to start the actual work on by September. He was really happy to take the job, and I was glad to see one more little piece of the puzzle drop into place.

Ethan and Ehlana were at one of the biggest tables in the restaurant, but Rowen and I sat with Violet, Stephanie, and their friends to leave two more spots open at the main party table. That made my end of our reunion with Dad short and sweet, and we missed out on some of the birthday action, but Rowen and I did really love getting to spend an hour or so with Violet and Stephanie. We’d met at the restaurant for six-thirty, and it was past eight-thirty by the time we were carrying Ethan and Ehlana’s gifts out to the parking lot, and loading up to head for home. Aunt Leanne ended up driving Dad’s truck home, and Patricia, Rowen, and I went with her so that Mom and Dad could have that time with just Ethan and Ehlana.

Back at home by a bit after ten; it was time to get some work done; unloading vehicles, and getting our purchases into various houses. Mom and Dad stopped in at our house first, but then she and Aunt Leanne needed to make a little run around town to drop off some other shopper purchases after we unloaded everything that was ours first. That included Rowen’s things, and I helped her carry bags to her house before we came back to my house again and joined the porter crew to carry everything up to the second or third floor.

Dillon and Jake came over straight from the Inn to meet up with their girlfriends; and the four teens stayed for a snack and chat with us once the work was done. Uncle Adam had come over too, and he and Aunt Leanne took care of part two of our future plans plan for today by talking about getting Terry hired as our civil engineer consultant, and moving along to another discussion of the lab that was all about nudging Dillon and Violet into thinking about career and education options that wouldn’t have been possible for them in Witch Falls before. I think we’re just about there with them, and Ehlana was particularly happy about that.

Rowen and I have a game in the morning, so she went home after our snack break, and I came up to my room to unpack my bags and then get to bed. I only planned on checking my email and writing this journal entry, but a couple of little work issues were waiting for me; so I took care of them too, and now it’s nearly one o’clock already.

I really need to be ready for the game, and though I’ve skipped over quite a bit of today’s adventures, that’ll have to do for now.

Live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Cassie's Journal - June 21, 2012

Rowen and I canoed, swam, biked, and played all day. Mom kept me busy after dinner with Magi lessons and helping with the twins while she and Aunt Leanne did one last check of the shopping trip arrangements before sending out the final, final group and travel lists.

I’ve had a shower, and am in bed and ready to get some sleep; and it isn’t even ten o’clock yet! Watch out Crystal Springs – I am so going to be ready to shop tomorrow!

Live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off and getting ready for a shop ‘til I drop day!

Cassie's Journal - June 20, 2012

Violet finally had some free time to play with Rowen, Ethan, Ehlana, and me this afternoon while Dillon was working at the Inn. We had a lot to talk about, and managed to do a little canoeing, swimming, and just laying around doing nothing by the river too.

There was rain in the forecast today, but it didn’t get here until after the Arrows’ baseball practice. Rowen and I watched Ethan, Ehlana, and Naomi while Mom, Uncle Adam, and Aunt Leanne practiced, and after getting home; Uncle Adam and Violet helped me with getting the twins ready for bed while Mom and Aunt Leanne worked on the shopping trip and birthday party plans for Friday.

After Ethan and Ehlana were sleeping, and Violet was off to meet up with Dillon, Mom did a short Healing lesson with Uncle Adam and me before he and Aunt Leanne went home. Mom and I were both ready for some Jacuzzi time by then, so I’ve had a nice long soak first, and have been working on my computer since climbing into bed with Mandy. The usual email and entertainment check didn’t take long, but I read through the archive material Mom assigned us to go along with the Healing lesson tonight, and then I did a little work on couple of our future plans projects.

That’s had me thinking about the near future, and it’s probably time for an update.

I’m not involved in the first two weddings of the summer, but Grandpa Grant and Eleanor Byrd are getting married a week from Saturday, and Amy White and Jared Spencer are getting married the Saturday after that. We’re not invited to either reception, and Grandpa Grant and Eleanor are just doing a small ceremony with family and a few friends, but Rowen and I are planning on going to the church to see Amy and Jared’s ceremony. Aunt Deborah and Nick have their big day five weeks from this Saturday, and Aunt Leanne and Uncle Adam will be doing a lot with them for that once we get past the shopping trip and fourth of July holiday. The last wedding of the summer for our families is Rob and Trish’s on the second Saturday of August, but it will only be the Johnson and Carrington families going on a road trip for that wedding.

Since Mom and Dad got married in the fall, and Uncle Adam and Aunt Leanne had a spring wedding, this is really my first summer with a lot of family or friends summer weddings. With the extra parties and everything else, there will be something wedding-related going on for at least half the summer. I won’t have much extra happening with all of that, but the adults will be quite a bit busier than usual.

Moving on to other summer plans, the Fourth of July is on Wednesday this year, so we aren’t going to have the usual family incoming, but the parents are working on the details for kid vacation visits. Mom and Dad are working our end of that around what Uncle Adam and Aunt Leanne will be doing with his cousins, but it looks like we’ll probably have the younger cousins here for the week after Aunt Deborah and Nick’s wedding, and the older cousins for the two weeks after that – ending in time for Uncle Adam and Aunt Leanne to take their cousins to Rob and Trish’s wedding.

Other than the weddings, what hasn’t been worked out much at all is what we’re going to do during those three weeks. I’m a little scared about having two weeks around here with Chris and Martin like we had last summer – especially if my older friends are hanging around them all of the time again. Let’s not think about that until we have to, and move along.

The last bit of news I have on the summer plans is that Rowen and I will be doing the riding program at the Ridge River Ranch again this summer; starting the day after the Fourth of July holiday. Mom’s setting up some weekend rides too, and I think that Violet’s looking at doing some extra riding with Dillon and their friends; though that would likely be on their days off from the Inn.

It’s getting late, and I’ve got another busy play day ahead, so it’s time to call it a night. Two more sleeps to the big shopping day – and Ethan and Ehlana’s first birthday. That is going to be an awesome wrap-up for the work (summer play) week! Until next time...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Cassie's Journal - June 19, 2012

We’ve had another beautiful, hot, sunny day; and Rowen and I spent most of it outside playing and having fun.

Our fun didn’t include spending much time with Violet, since she was at Quarry Lake most of the day with Dillon, Jake, and Stephanie. Mom, Ethan, Ehlana, and I did get to talk with her for an hour or so around and during breakfast, but she was already on the road for Quarry Lake by the time that Alicia got to the house to start work. Maybe Rowen and I will get some play time with Violet tomorrow. Dillon, Jake, and Stephanie will all be back to work; so she might be available for some canoeing or swimming with us.

Our day wasn’t quite up to Quarry Lake-level fun, but Rowen and I did go for a long bike ride this morning; we went swimming several times; played at the park; and managed to still find time for two ice cream stops at the Emporium. Lunch was a picnic to go that we ate at the park, and since Violet was still out with her friends; Mom just went with bakery buns, assorted cold cuts, and salad sides for dinner.

With a game coming up this weekend, everyone on our team worked a little harder than usual during our practice, and then Rowen came home with me for a swim and ice cream cool-down break. Since Violet was away, we did a Magi lesson with Mom, Ethan, and Ehlana after that; and then Rowen went home while I helped Mom with getting the twins ready for bed.

Violet and Dillon got home in time for goodnight hugs and kisses with Ethan and Ehlana, but then they went over to his house for a couple of hours. Mom and I worked in the office for a while after they left, and then we both went up to bed at about eleven-thirty. I’ve been doing a little archive studying since then; mostly to go over the reading that went with tonight’s lesson, and to catch up on the latest archive entries that Uncle Adam wrote in our Magi Project journal.

Since I am supposed to be on summer vacation, I’m going to finish this up and get some sleep. Maybe I’m just out of ‘fun’ shape, but I’m more tired from playing all day than from any recent long school and late-night work marathons. The good news is that there are going to be a lot of fun days ahead for me to work on that with.

Anyway, that’s all the news for today, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Cassie's Journal - June 18, 2012

Happy 17^th Birthday, Violet, and welcome back to your home away from home!

Before Violet got home by mid-afternoon, we’d already been up early to see Dad off for his week in the city; Mom and I had exercised by the river; done a quick breakfast; and then I was set free to spend the morning playing with Rowen. Mom had Alicia starting her Monday to Friday summer job, and I’m sure she was very happy to have the extra help around the house and with taking care of Ethan and Ehlana.

It definitely felt more like summer vacation had really started now that we weren’t in school on a weekday. Rowen and I spent our first morning of freedom biking, playing at the park, and swimming in the river. Lunch was at my house, and we took Ethan and Ehlana with us to eat our sandwiches and salads down by the river. We went for a little canoe ride after that, followed by a cool-off swim, and then we had just enough time to dry off before Violet pulled her car into the driveway.

While we’d been playing, she’d done a birthday breakfast at home that included a few of her friends, and then she drove to Crystal Springs in time to have lunch with Dad before making the rest of the trip to Witch Falls. Dillon, Jake, and Stephanie were all at our house by then, but even with the extra competition, I still managed to be second in line for hugs with her – conceding first place in line to Dillon; since they hadn’t seen each other since Memorial Day.

I was put to work after that, and Rowen stayed to help me as we first were assigned porter duties for luggage deliveries to the third floor, and then helped Mom with the birthday dinner barbeque that we were semi-hosting; though it was mostly for Dillon, Violet, Jake, Stephanie, and some of their friends. The bonus for us was that we got to help out with the eating part of the party; and Jake and his Dad were grilling the entrees while Mom, Grandma, Aunt Leanne, Aunt Deborah, Mrs. Jacobs, and Stephanie had all been recruited for side dishes and desserts.

My party involvement – along with the grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles – ended with the dinner cleanup. Rowen and I were off and playing again once the work was done, and we biked and played at the park until dark while the teens ruled my backyard. There was a campfire lit by the time I got home after going with Rowen to her house and visiting with her Mom and Dad for a while; but other than taking Ethan and Ehlana out back for a round of goodnight hugs and kisses, I stayed inside for the rest of the night. Mom and I put Ethan and Ehlana to bed by ten, and I’ve been in my room since then. After a long play day, I was definitely in need of some Jacuzzi time. Since then, though, I’ve mostly been working on my computer while sitting in the window alcove and watching some of the campfire action.

Rowen and I have most of this week off from work, though she’ll be working at the store again starting this Saturday morning. I don’t think that Mom and Violet have worked out their work and lessons plans yet, though while I’m thinking about that, I should add in an Isabelle and Andrew update. We would have loved to have Isabelle work with us again this summer, but she didn’t want to put Alicia out of a job, so she’s helping out at KidZone – the daycare that Sharon White and Colleen Sparks started up last fall. Thanks to the extra summer help, the little daycare will be doing a summer program for the younger school-age kids. Andrew’s doing some freelance computer work that just happened to come from one of the companies in our family business; though Andrew doesn’t know that. They were both honors students for their freshman year, and though I don’t see either of them much except at church or around town; Isabelle is a regular on my email network.

Anyway, it’s getting late, and it looks like I’ll have to wait until at least tomorrow to get to spend much time with Violet; so I’m going to call it a night and go to bed.

Live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

P.S. Violet didn’t get any cars for her birthday this year, but she did love the gifts that Mom, Dad, Ethan, Ehlana, and I got for her; along with the rest of the presents she was given here and back home. I didn’t really think about how close her birthday is to Ethan and Ehlana’s, but I’ll bet that with four sleeps left until their big day that they sure are now! (And no, they’re not getting cars for their first birthday either.)

Cassie's Journal - June 17, 2012

Happy Father’s Day, Daddy and Grandpa!

Violet’s coming home for the summer tomorrow, so I’ll try to keep the weekend update short and be sleeping before midnight after a couple of late nights.

Saturday morning: Tai Chi; breakfast; yard work.

Saturday afternoon: Surprise trip to Quarry Lake!!!

Saturday night: Camping by the river adventure number two – no neighbor boys’ camp tonight. (Bonus!)

Sunday morning: Tai Chi; Father’s Day gifts and breakfast for Dad; church.

Sunday afternoon: Barbeque lunch at Uncle Adam and Aunt Leanne’s house, including more gifts for Dad and Grandpa; afternoon play time on/in river, at the park, or in Uncle Adam and Aunt Leanne’s yard. (Dad needed to work in the office for a couple of hours to get ready for his week in the city)

Sunday evening: Late Buffet at the Inn; Magi lesson night at home; full bedtime and bath routine for Ethan and Ehlana; and I’m doing this after enjoying a bit of Jacuzzi time once the twins were tucked in for the night.

I don’t think that our first weekend of summer vacation could have been any better, but I’m seriously ready for some down time, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Cassie's Journal - June 15, 2012

School’s out for the summer!

The good news is that Rowen and I – and our classmates – are finished Grade Six. The scary news is that Ethan and Ehlana unofficially finished Grade Eight. That puts them a bit ahead of where I was at one-year old, but then they have iPads to help them. No, I’m not going there tonight; and I really do think they’re amazing.

It was mostly party time all day at school, and nearly everyone except for a few graduating seniors were just having fun and waiting out those last few hours until we were set free for the summer. Rowen and I went straight home and started working on setting up the tent and campsite for our first camping adventure. Ethan and Ehlana came outside to play and supervise for a while, and then we took them for another short swim when we were all ready to cool off. We were having a gang over for a barbeque dinner tonight, so Mom recruited Rowen and I to help out when it was time to get everything set up for that and put together the side dishes. The Arrows had their second game of the season tonight, so that did mean dinner was fairly easy and on-the-fly. Paper and plastic dinnerware helped keep the cleanup to a minimum too, and then Rowen and I took Ethan and Ehlana to the park so we could hang out at the playground until the Arrows-Torpedoes game started.

This was the first game of the season for Taylor’s Torpedoes, so the Arrows had that slight advantage; plus they didn’t want to start their season with two losses, and definitely had the edge with their cheerleading squad. Rowen and I had Ehlana and Naomi helping us, and they did a particularly good job with the hugs, kisses, and giggles that entertained and charmed our parents, the other players, and all of the spectators. The game was good too, and was really close; with our Arrows managing to pull out a narrow eight-to-six win in the bottom of the seventh.

After that, it was campfire time. Mom and Dad ended up with about half of their team coming over to our house for that, and the usual group of neighbors started dropping by once the fire and music had started. Rowen’s parents, Patrick, and Scott were first and, as usual, the Stones were last after getting home from the Inn – though this time they didn’t have Rebecca and Jenny with them since they were doing a sleepover at Jenny’s house with some other girls.

The music, scary stories, and quiet chat-time around the fire lasted until a bit after midnight, and then Rowen and I went up to my room to get ready for bed before doing a round of goodnight hugs and kisses and heading out to our tent by the river. We’ve mostly been sitting or lying down and talking since then while I’ve also been doing my usual bedtime computing. We aren’t the only riverside campers; though we are a lot quieter than the two boys out in the Stone’s back yard. Being able to listen in on what was going on a few yards down added some entertainment and a bit of weirdness. Let’s just say that Rowen and I heard enough to strongly suggest that two more of our classmates have crossed over.

**If you’re reading this some day; - and you know who ‘you’ are – make a note to yourself that sound travels very well over water. :^) **

Moving on, this has been another great day, but I have a yard work morning coming up soon, and Rowen’s working at the store, so it’s time for us to get some sleep.

Live from summer vacation central in Witch Falls; this is Cassie and Rowen, signing off!

Cassie's Journal - June 14, 2012

This has been a seriously awesome day!

Before I get to that, though, I should mention that the last two days were hot, mostly sunny, and except for baseball practices; almost all work and nothing newsworthy to report. By the time I went to bed at around two-thirty this morning; I was ready to forget about work and studies for a while and have some fun.

The big play day at school was definitely fun. After being pregnancy-exempted from the volunteer pool last year, Mom was back helping out again this year for a half-day while Ethan and Ehlana entertained Grandma and Grandpa for the morning. Instead of working a booth like she did two years ago, Mom was assigned to one of the game stations – a relay race that she needed to change the difficulty for depending on the age of the students competing. My class didn’t rotate to her station until later in the afternoon, but Rowen and I did stop in for a visit when it was our turn for our morning snack station break.

Summer is definitely here, and we had another beautiful, very hot day. That meant lots of water, suntan lotion, and regular breaks for frozen treats. Someone reading this in the future might think that a Magi Master using suntan lotion is silly, since I could just heal myself of any sunburn; but miraculous healing from something so visible just isn’t an option for Magi in twenty-twelve.

With only twenty or so students in each grade, we don’t really have a serious competition; though most of the games are contests of some kind. I’m sure that our teachers sometimes need to be a bit creative about it, but by the end of the day; every student had won at least one ribbon or prize – something that was a very big deal with the younger kids. Though Rowen and I are at the younger end of our class, we did better than most of the other girls today – in the games, that is. Half of the girls were more interested in boy-watching; trying to impress boys; or distracting them so they’d goof up in the games. The third part of that was fun for everyone except the guys caught up in their games.

By the time we were set free for the day, Rowen and I were ready to cool down; starting with a swim in the river even before we did snack time with Mom, Ethan, and Ehlana. We ended up with a twin each when Mom brought them out – already changed into swimming diapers – and we floated around with them for nearly fifteen minutes before getting out; drying off a bit; and then sitting out on the back porch to do the daily update while eating ice cream cones.

Rowen and I went to play at the park after that; split up for dinner; and then she came back over to our house in time to go to the Inn. This was the last game night of the school year; mostly because Miranda had decided that we shouldn’t try having one next week when we had the big shopping trip scheduled for Friday. Miranda and Jacob didn’t even come close to winning the summer-long bragging rights for game night Champions; though they did have some consolation when Jake and Stephanie did win the Junior Championship. They weren’t the only disappointed team tonight, but first-time this season winners Heather and Adam Green were quite happy – especially since they were also enjoying a few rare hours of baby-free time thanks to some Grandma and Grandpa babysitting services.

I’m in bed and doing this early tonight. Working was an option – especially since we don’t even have a full school day tomorrow, but Rowen and I have camping plans for tomorrow night, and getting some extra sleep tonight is probably a good plan, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Cassie's Journal - June 11, 2012

It’s time for another short entry.

School was fun; Rowen and I played until dinnertime; and then I’ve either been doing Magi lessons, work, or studying since then. Other than the Magi Healing lesson with Mom and Uncle Adam, tonight’s work was just a longer copy of last night. I’m keeping this short because it’s closer to three o’clock than two, and it is definitely time to call it a night, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Cassie's Journal - June 10, 2012

This has been another one of those really great days!

We had a beautiful morning for Tai Chi by the river; followed that up with breakfast and church; and then Rowen and I were surprised with an after-lunch trail ride with Mom, Dad, Uncle Adam, and Aunt Leanne while Grandma and Grandpa took care of Ethan and Ehlana. Rowen and I had some time to play after that, and managed to fit in some canoeing, swimming, and playground action before we needed to be at Uncle Adam and Aunt Leanne’s for a barbeque dinner that Grandma, Grandpa, and Rowen’s parents and brother all came over for too.

With just a week left before summer holidays, I wanted to work on my computer after getting home, and have been doing that since Ethan and Ehlana went to bed – including while I was getting cleaned up in the Jacuzzi. There were email to catch up on; I worked on the family business for an hour and a half; spent another hour or so in the archives; and studied languages for nearly two hours before getting to this journal entry.

It’s heading toward two o’clock now, and though we won’t be doing much actual work at school now, I’m ready to get started on one of these last five sleeps before the summer break.

Live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!