July 2023

We started the month off with the girls and I going to Ohio to visit my sister’s family and my mom. We arrived around 5 on Friday evening and enjoyed dinner before all the girls enjoyed watching Taylor Swift concert highlights and music videos. There was a lot of singing and screaming, so the adults went outside. Igot a chance to see Laura’s office building on Friday evening and we went out to lunch at a local restaurant on Saturday.

The girls enjoyed hanging out with their cousins and I enjoyed sitting on the porch with Mom, Pete and Laura most of the time we were there.

The following weekend, we went canoeing on Sugar Creek near Turkey run on Sunday afternoon. The girls enjoyed moving down the creek and doing some swimming. They really enjoyed jumping off a rock that allowed for a 15-foot drop into the creek. After we were done canoeing, Deb went home as she needed to work on Monday and the girls and I stayed at the Turkey Run Inn. Beth and her girls met us there and we enjoyed and evening in the arcade and doing a nature scavenger hunt. The next day we went hiking on a few trials and the girls did well helping out Molly and Erin where needed. After a few hours of hiking, we all went home

around noon.   A few days later, we left on Thursday morning to Bluefield, WV for the annual McGonagle family reunion. The last 2 years, we have gone on Thursday because we need to leave a on Saturday to get the girls to CYO camp. We enjoyed staying at the Baker Hill Inn, seeing some baseball games and swimming at Bluefield State college. We left early on Saturday to get home and go to church since we were taking the girls to camp the following day.
The girls were more excited to go to CYO camp than Christmas, in my opinion. We arrived down at the camp and the girls found their bunks in their cabins and told us it was time for us to leave. We met up with some other parents who dropped off their kids at 317 BBQ in Broad Ripple for a few beers and then Deb and I came home and grilled out.

  Monday was Debbie’s birthday, so we went out to dinner at Harry & Izzy’s and then several friends came over and had some beers in our backyard. Wednesday, we went out for sushi with the Brandon, Diane, Tom, Tracy and Ben. Debbie picked up the girls on Friday and they were exhausted but had a great time.
 I went solo to Beachmo this year as it was the weekend after CYO camp and the girls usually come home pretty exhausted. I drove up and met everyone at the beach 

around 3PM on Friday afternoon. Went back to the hotel and checked in, got some dinner and then met everyone in the conference room for the evening. Saturday, we went to Warren Dunes for the day. It was a red flag day, so we stayed out of the water and just hung out on the beach after climbing the dune.  Sarah’s Things of the Month  

Sarah’s kickball season has started and she is enjoyed practicing with some of the 5^th and 6^th graders. She is also signed up for the Jr. Trojans basketball clinics starting in late July and fall softball starting in August. She got a chance to celebrate her softball season by going to a pool party hosted by one of the coaches.  Allison’s Thing of the Month  Allison has started kickball and she is playing with the 7^th and 8^th graders. She is signed up for the Jr. Trojans basketball. She has also started her summer workouts for XC, which can be tough with the summer heat.  

 

A few more items from this month: 

• Randy and Anna came to visit the weekend after CYO camp as they had several appointments were Debbie works to have some different things checked out. 
• We enjoyed a great firework display on July 3^rd at the Bailey’s house with several friends from school & neighborhood.  
• Debbie did a great job leading the used uniform sale at school this year. They raised over $3k which is great after all of her hard work.