Vacation/school

I'm trying my best to recover from the long vacation. I usually do not react to changes very well and I usually settle in very slowly. It is same with warming up to people, trying to get used to the bed, try to feel comfortable in new environment and understanding it.
I always have had hard time sleeping first nights at different places. In a week and half alone, I had to sleep in four different places. And every night, I am always worried about something- will Timmy sleep okay or won't he fall off that new bed? Will we be able to make it in our schedule? Will we have lots of fun? What should I be taking to prepare for this activity?
I have been sleep-deprived for a while. Ha. I'm pretty happy to be back home and realize all the more how a homebody I am!
We had fabulous time nonetheless. Pioneer trek was pretty difficult, I will admit. Timmy and Annalise had their schedule at home and didn't react very well to different situation. Timmy was crying half of the time because he needed nap so badly and only will sleep in our arms. We walked 9 miles with Timmy in our arms. It was very exhausting. Clint and I took turns with Timmy and pushed the handcart other time. I have a complete sympathy for pioneers who had to deal with their own cranky STARVING children in the winter time. I heard some stories while we did the walking activities. I heard how parents had to endure hearing their own little children crying themselves to sleep because they are so hungry. It pretty much broke my own heart. Basically, if people just went there just for sighteeing . . . There will be nothing to see. The main reason people went there is to EXPERIENCE, walk in the footsteps, and develop better empathy/understanding of the depth of sacrifice the pioneers made. People basically told some pioneer's stories while we made stop there and there. I know that I said that I walked nine miles. It was supposed to be 12 miles in total. But due to many having health problems and others having little children, our bishop announced that teen boys and fathers take handcarts back while mothers and others drive back to the meeting place to clean the handcarts down. SO I took our kids back in the van while Ian and Clint walked back. We ONLY HAD to wait for 45 minutes! I saw Clint pushing the handcart being red faced and out of breath. I asked him why. He said in between hard breaths that those teen boys in the lead practically were RUNNING back with handcart and all for three miles in straight! I had a good laugh! They must have been very anxious to be home. It took us two and half hours to the camp for three miles due to frequent stops but it just took forty-five minutes for teen boys to get back to the meeting place!
After pioneer trek, we went straight to mom's place in Rapid City. We were so happy to be back into cleaner place (it was very dusty and hot at Martin's Cove. We had to push handcarts in 102 degrees). I washed so many clothes. I was so glad to just be sleeping in a decent bed- and not worrying about rattlesnakes!
Then on Sunday, we went to the church with my parents and had fun meeting some people. We then got to return back home and celebrated Annalise's belated birthday. Mom made her cake and we had ice cream to go with it. On Monday, we went to Mt. Rushmore. On Tuesday, we went to Jewel cave. On Wednesday, we helped out at CSD serving food items to motorcyclists for Sturgis Rally. On Thursday, we went water sliding at a waterslide resort attached to two hotels. Then on Friday, we left for North Fork camping. Clint's family was having camping activity in North Fork. It is wonderful seeing our children getting together with their cousins and did a lot of fun stuff. My brother in law got a new kayak so he was teaching everyone else how to ride in it on Saturday. Ian and his new friend, Jesse, got into mud fight so they had to get their "CHILL" dip in Libby Lake. On the afternoon of Saturday, it poured so hard. Clint put our tent on higher ground so our stuff remained dry. I counted my good fortune in being married to a clever man like Clint. We managed to get our tent down on Sunday before it poured again.
We got home in the evening of Sunday and I was so glad to be sleeping on my own bed!
I will put up some pictures for you guys to see- in slide fashion!
Yesterday, I took Ian and Suzy to store to get some school supplies. The school is starting on 18th of August. Ugh. Too soon! I just was getting used to them! Ha. They really love playing with their friends and they aren't too much of a hassle like they used to be on the first week of summer. Ian, Suzy and Annalise all have soccer this year. I feel awfully torn. Everyone is having games, practices around same time and I guess Clint and I will be spending most of our time for a month and half splitting up and taking kids there and there!
Basically, it is our August. What a hectic month it is!