Summer Break of '25 was so, so good!

Another summer break has come and gone. How does it happen so quickly?Three kids back in school after being home for almost 3 months. They were hugged, nagged, reminded, praised, lectured, empowered and blessed with prayers, all within a short 60 minute morning window of back to school organized chaos. 😜

If you know, you know. 😅 

I've been thinking back to what an awesome summer break it was, and here's the thing, we didn't do anything major, but we simply were intentional with making ordinary summer activities into lasting memories; some memories even being "firsts" for the kids. 

For starters, Briella attended her very first all nighter lock-in at our church on June 7th and her friend Mara Readnower came too. I did not take a picture.

Briella and Gianna kicked off their summer break by overnight puppy-sitting for my brother and his girlfriend, Sarah. They thoroughly enjoyed the special time with the doggies and Sarah (while Nick was traveling for work.)

Both girls got to experience attending a ballet for the first time. Gianna and I went to see the Northeast Ohio Dance Academy May recital, "Clue" featuring Gianna's best friend, Peyton McCorcle. Briella and I attended the Praise His Name with Dancing June summer recital of "For Such a Time as This" featuring our family friend, Sarah Creamer. (The day after she had been awake all night at the church lock-in. 💤😴) 

One of my Christmas gifts to the kids this past year was the gift of date months. Each one received 4 date months each, on rotation. I usually pick a special activity and we get something to eat before or afterward. It's been super fun and it warms my heart at how much they anticipate our dates! [sadly, I forgot to take a picture of my date with Briella at the ballet. 

 

Our bunny, Coco, got sick in June so we had to take her to the vet in June, and again in August when the sickness came back. 

This is why she needed the nebulizer below...

Briella had the opportunity to be paid to pull weeds again by our neighbor this summer. I "jump started" her for the first weeding session, to both spend time with her and to help lessen the 8+ hour job into a 4 hour job. It was quite overgrown everywhere, but we worked hard together and make a great team! 

She also spent an entire Saturday helping my parents cut a tree and stack the wood. She's a hard worker and an even more hard worker when money is offered. 😉 Who isn't?! Her future employers will be very lucky to have her as an employee. 

  

We visited St. Edwards in Wadsworth to play bingo with the residents and, on another occasion, the kids put on their first concert/recital for the residents. It was so cool that they gave them the opportunity to do it! Briella played the piano, Micah played the electronic table drums, and Gianna was vocals. I was beaming with pride. We also went to the Haven of Rest twice to serve as well. It's our fourth summer serving at the Haven. My hope and prayer for the kids is that they remember the times we've served over their summer breaks. It's such a blessing to give back to the Lord by serving others!

 

Gianna and Micah completed their spring soccer season of being on the same team together. It was a chilly, wet spring season and Micah had strep throat (during his first week of summer break no less) so he couldn't play for one week, but by looking at this photo below, no one would ever have believed this was May 31st and our kids were on summer break. 😂

I found this excerpt in Micah's VBS journal about my cousin Kirk. 💛💙

They enjoyed a week of VBS at NCA. Attending the NCA day camp has been a tradition for all of our kids, year after year. This year was Gianna's last year 😢and this was Briella's first year as a junior counselor and she rocked it. During this week, I had the kids take turns learning how to mow while I mowed. Gianna was meticulous, Micah was a natural, and Briella was a maniac on the mower. 😆 Since then, Micah has mowed a few more times by himself and he's really good at it for a 9 year old maneuvering a large piece of machinery for his age [his feet don't even touch the ground when he sits on the seat, haha].

♬♫♪♩She's a maniac, maniac on the mower... and she's mowing like you've never seen mowing before...♬♫♪♩

Jim's 13th Father's Day. I started taking a yearly Father's Day photo since Gianna was a baby in his arms. It's cool to watch the growth progressions from year to year, 

After the week of camp began the week of the annual Blue Tip Festival in Wadsworth. The kids and I went to the parade as well as to the festival. We stayed for the majority of the day, even retreating to our car to "intermission" for a thunderstorm break and it was a great time. 

When I saw this picture moment it reminded me of a picture that was taken of me and Shannon when I was Briella's age watching the Blue Tip Parade together. 😍 That picture is below.

We watched the Blue Tip with her right in front of her apartment 3 years ago in 2022 so I told her we needed to recreate the picture so we did and it's below. 

The Blue Tip is a tradition that I wonder if you'll continue on with your own kids? 

Going back for round 2 of rides after a huge thunderstorm intermission in the car.

 

Nonna took you girls on a special lunch and shopping spree day. You both came home with new, fun clothes to wear for the summer. It was very sweet and generous of her to do. 

As usual, with our house, there's always various yard work projects and cleanups to do throughout the summer. The kids helped us mulch 8 yards of mulch as well as 5 tons of dirt. 😳 Less than a week later, a bad storm blew through and tree limbs were down everywhere so we had to clean that up too so Gianna and Micah helped while Briella was at her weeding job.

    

Our next adventure was to Kentucky to see the Ark. We left immediately after church on a Sunday, stopped at the kids' favorite Chopped Five Restaurant in Columbus and we arrived to our hotel mid afternoon to swim until a very late dinnertime of 8pm. The next morning we headed to the Ark and spent the 90+degree day there. The Ark is spectacular to behold. 

I walked into their adjoining room to them trying to take a picture in front of the window so I took it for them. They said that this was their very favorite hotel room we've ever had because they each had their own "bed", even if Micah's was the sleeper sofa. Oh, and Micah really loved the ottoman. Video below!

The Ark: "The Door"

We recreated a picture from our first visit back in 2020.

Happy 65th birthday to Papa!

We hosted Paige, Archie, and Winnie for a fun playtime morning and later that afternoon we got the call for our FIRST foster placement during the Fourth of July week.

While our 2 year old was with Jim at home with a fever, the kids and I went to the Wadsworth hospital to watch the fireworks. I was sooooo proud of Briella, Gianna, and. Micah with our first foster placement. While it wasn't easy at times, they stepped up into loving kindness for a little 2 year old boy that wasn't always very "nice" to them. He wasn't perfect and neither were we, but we sure did try and I know the Lord is proud of the fact that "Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me."  

 

In the above picture we were doing our summer Bible learning. Last summer the kids and I memorized 1 Corinthians 13 "Love is patient, Love is kind, etc..."  (and the 50 states & capitals). This summer we memorized the beatitudes in the book of Matthew. 

You can see the rushed look in my face, but I was told, "Hurry, Mom, get a picture with the fireworks!"

Jim and I enjoyed our time at Matt Tousley's wedding and the kids got to enjoy a fun Saturday with Papa & Nonna.

Since we had never gone to a chocolate factory, I scheduled a tour of Fannie Mae's (used to be Harry London) chocolate factory. We got chocolate samples and bought more chocolate to bring home. All were happy...including me, haha.

We had a day trip to Hale Farm and even though it was rainy, we enjoyed it so much that we bought a membership so we can go again...which Gianna and I did a month later for the Civil War Weekend. 

It rained the whole time we were at Hale farm and our feet were soaked, but we had fun and Micah was hypnotized by the glass blowing demo. Actually, we all were!

The Civil War Weekend at Hale Farm is super cool!

Micah and I spent our date month of July at the Grizzly Arcade. We had so much fun together!

The girls and I had a getaway to Pittsburgh to attend the Phil Whikham and Brandon Lake concert. It was our second Phil concert and it didn't disappoint. The city was definitely sketch, but the concert was perfection. 17,000 praising and worshiping the Lord! It doesn't get much better than that. 

Downtown Pittsburgh is sooooo sketch for suburban country girls like us. We went running back to our hotel after walking a block, haha.😅

We're back in the "safe" hotel and we're so relieved. 

While we were in PA, Jim and Micah were home making their own memories of Jim injuring his hand at the arcade and Micah finishing out his night at our church's VBS. 

                              

Gianna attended a 4 day aerial silks camp in Fairlawn and really honed her skills. Briella got her braces off that same week while she continues to excel in piano. I admire both of their abilities so much! 

We celebrated on Friday by going to the Cleveland Zoo because we received a membership as foster parents so that was an unexpected surprise. 

 

 

Cleveland Zoo. (Micah didn't want to go.)

Micah had Malachi over for an entire Saturday and the girls both had their besties over for a random weekday of hanging at the splash pad (Shannon met up with me there to hang out with me for a bit while they played). The girls culminated their day with a girls only bonfire event for youth group later that night. 

These two have the most adorable friendship! Look how much they grew up in one year. 😳

The kids and I went to the library 1-3 times a week this summer. We were there so much that I started making "friends" with the desk workers in the kids department, haha! Briella met up with her school friends for an escape room activity that the library hosted and she had a nice time. She also was invited to go see a movie with some friends from school too.

We went to IKEA in Columbus (for the first time as a family) before heading to the Ohio State Fair. We ended our day at the fair with a concert by Tauren Wells and Josiah Queen. We got to experience a powerful prayer of miraculous healing for Forrest Frank while we were there and it was unforgettable. We got home sooooo late that night and the very next morning Gianna and Micah had their annual Beulah Beach on the Road Day camp and Briella got to be a kitchen helper for it this year. 

IKEA wore them out, haha.

Poor Micah was really scared of the heights on the ferris wheel...

😟

    

That same weekend we had our annual Piscitello family reunion. It's always a great time reconnecting with family! 

The day after the reunion, the girls, Jim, and I were given Guardian's tickets for the Sunday game. As soon as church let out we left for the game and my Dad attended our church and took Micah home with him to spend the day with them. He got to eat ice cream and go fishing. Naturally, he caught a fish.

Twinning thanks to Nonna buying us the hats, and ironically enough, the Guardians were playing against the Twins this day. 👌😍

The day after that we headed to Belleville to have a staycation at the Splash Zone hotel. The kids swam, swam, and swam until almost 10pm! There was also an arcade in the hotel. They swam the next morning until 11am and then we headed to Amish Country for the remainder of the day, got delicious gluten free pizza at Charm restaurant and made our traditional stop at the Berlin Resort play houses. We all were tired that night!

A few days later, I was enjoying my morning quiet devotion time when, all of a sudden, it wasn't so quiet anymore. I kept hearing this loud noise that was getting louder and louder by the quarter minute. It was after a few of these loud sounds that I realized, "I think that's a hot air balloon landing over our house!" Sure enough, it was flying right next to our house and landing in our side yard. Naturally, I ran upstairs and woke everyone up because I couldn't let them miss out on the incredible, once-in-a-lifetime moment. The pilot, Janet, and her daughter Grace and boyfriend Jacob were such kind hearted people. 

Over the course of the summer, we rescued two different turtles in our neighborhood that were both in the road. Even though one was a snapping turtle, it was a baby and I wasn't going to let it get run over by a car. 

  

Jim built a house for our outdoor stray cats that we had TNR (trap, neuter, release) done for them. It's obvious they love it, but sadly, one of the strays has been "missing" since a few days after July 4th. We're sad that something bad has happened to her. 

We met up with our beloved Mungo family friends at the Medina splash pad while Briella was babysitting cousin Marshall and Corbin. 

Papa & Nonna gave Gianna a day all for her with yummy food, convertible ride, bowling, and ice cream at Skoops. She had sooooo much fun!😍

Gianna got the itch to begin cooking and baking toward the end of the summer so she began checking out cook books from the library and she made the family scratch pecan crusted chicken with roasted ranch potatoes. A week later she made a scratch gluten free poundcake that was so decadent. It was eaten up in less than 24 hours. Way to go, Gianna!

Gianna is my sentimental, nostalgic journal girl (after my own heart). She presented this ongoing summer checklist in her special journal from Auntie Valerie that she been compiling of our summer together. When I read it over, I was so touched by her gratitude to commemorate every.little.thing we did. She's got a sweet soul. 💝💖

Our summer break came to a close with meeting up with my parents and brother and Sarah at Wink's in Barberton. Dad & Mom generously treated us all to dinner. It was a perfectly warm summer night and we had such a nice time hanging out together. 

We took the kids to complete their final bucket list item of the summer of going trail biking at Austin Badger. It was Gianna and Micah's first time doing it and they were so good, so fearless! [Briella had already had her first time biking earlier in the spring when I took her with her friend, Willow.]

   

Briella had a mole removed and a blood draw to check her iron levels at her well check; which were, both "firsts" for her. (her levels came back normal, but because she was complaining about being tired, the Doc thought to check her levels. 👌) She did them both alone and courageously. One would never know that she was struggling with anxiety two years ago and was so terrified of simply getting her braces put on that she was sobbing so doing these medical procedures proves she is conquering giants left and right now. 💪👏👊

Briella was 5'6", Gianna was 5'1.5", and Micah was 4'11 at their well checks. Micah stayed home alone while I took both girls to their well checks because he begged me to allow it so I turned on the home camera, told him to watch TV (ask my kids and they will tell you that it is rare for me to instruct them to watch tv), and I put an ear bud in my ear and kept ears and eyes on him and he didn't move from the chair.😆 Requesting to be home alone at 9years old is so brave, in my opinion, as Gianna started asking to stay home alone around 9 years old, but not something Briella ever requested. 

On a side note, I gave the kids lessons in how to snake a drain using a snaking apparatus as well as how to properly clean their ceiling fans. I do these kind of "tutorials" at all times of the year because we all have to learn at some point and I want to know that I helped teach them "basic life skills". I thought it was really endearing how all of them actually said, "Yay!" when I told them we were going to learn how to clean their fans, but the excitement was much more dull when it came to snaking the drain. 😂

This summer was extra special and I don't know why. It seemed so simple, but so fun making so many different memories. It brings me such joy hearing the kids reflect back on it and to talk about how great of a summer they had. To me, that's the best compliment ever. 

Kids, what a great summer! I am so blessed to be given this life with you. It's not always "easy", but what I do know is that it's a gift that I will treasure forever. It's always bittersweet letting you go and back to school. I pray you have the best year and you remember our verse for this school year from Philippians 2;5 "Let your attitude be that of Christ Jesus."

"May the Lord bless you, may the Lord keep you, may the Lord make His face shine upon you, may the Lord be gracious to you, turn His face toward you and give you peace."  Numbers 6:24-26