A summer of many journeys...

It's been awhile since my last blog entry and I feel as though I've lived a lifetime during these past two months. We started a 2 weeklong vacation in North Carolina with kids and dogs at the beach. We rented an adorable little cottage in Kure Beach, very near where Tommy went to college at UNC-Wilmington. It was my first time there to see his stomping grounds and I rolled my eyes at how tough he had it going to "University of the Beach". Poor guy...

We then headed to his Mom's for the second week and a quick 4th of July day with the Hoke clan. We love staying at that little cottage in the woods. Unfortunately our time there was cut short and we left to drive through the night when my mother became very ill back in Michigan. My mother had been steadily declining in her health over the past few months and sadly left us on July 16th. The time we spent with her these last few months and even the 2 and a half years that she was with us in Michigan were priceless moments that I will never forget. But no matter how much you prepare, you can never prepare yourself for the loss of a parent.

It has been a surreal summer of ups and downs and now we enter the end of summer with Tommy in 2 a day football camp and working 17 hour days. Drew has started freshman football and the summer for us is really over sadly. We look forward to the start of football season on Labor Day weekend with a game on Friday night, September 2nd versus Youngstown State. I'll attach a few highlights of our summer...

I'll start with a wonderful photo of Mom and Dad from many years ago, this is exactly how I remember them both for the majority of my childhood

kids, dogs and me at the beach. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach but we snuck em on around twilight. We got busted the last day though so no more beachtime for the doggies which was a bummer because they loved it!

our cottage kitty - free of charge!

Tommy arrived in Wilmington on Thursday and the kids were glad to see him!

After summer conditioning this is about all the exertion he wanted to have

Later in July we were treated to a weekend retreat with the football staff and families. We started with a boat ride around the harbor in Harbor Springs

This is a pic of Me with George Blaha, the voice of Spartan Radio and a generally great man!

the ladies of Spartan Football on the boat

and a few of the guys

hubby and me on the boat

the 2011 media guide family pic - this time featuring the ENTIRE Hoke family!

and finally the last addition to our beautiful Zen Garden, Buddha who sits atop the waterfall and brings peace and serenity and a beautiful bonsai tree below him. All brought there by wonderful family and friends to remember Mom and Dad and honor their amazing lives.