Our very first post over 11 years ago was about what teachers can do in the summer (link below). While our lives were a little different back then, not too much has changed, and we are still using our time both to learn more and to invest in the lives of others. Here is what our crazy summer looked like this year.
June: The Shenandoah Christian Music Camp, Virginia Campus (above)
The Shenandoah Christian Music Camp, Ohio Campus (below)
July: After a five year hiatus, Jeff spent another season with the Oasis Chorale, and I got to assist with some of the choreography. Our son Levi and daughter Mary were also singing with Oasis this year, so that made three Swansons on the roster.
While they were on tour, I took another one of our sons to Texas to visit family. Upon returning, I presented a session on art education at an arts conference.
We celebrated our 32nd anniversary at the beach doing one of my favorite relaxation activities, beachcombing. Although I did my research, the beachcombing wasn't actually that great--it was the 4th of July weekend and the beaches were crowded, I only got half of my order of crabcakes, we couldn't get the air conditioning in our Air Bnb to work, and I was attacked by a dog on the beach. It was still wonderful to be together and we laughed about all the mishaps, but I think we may go to a few museums for our 33rd anniversary next summer.
We traveled to North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia with the Weavertown Amish Mennonite Church youth choir. It was quite the experience and we had a fabulous time. These pictures were taken at Stone Mountain in Georgia.
August: Teachers Week is always an encouraging place to be. The conversations are interesting, the energy level is high, I get new ideas, and it just helps me get mentally ready to be back in my classroom.
Five days later we were on the road again heading to Ohio. The 2023 Anabaptist Orchestra was an incredible amount of fun. It's worth all the time we put into planning and practicing to enjoy three and a half fabulous days playing our instruments together.
We usually stay as late as we can talking and visiting with friends the last night of an event. The next morning we grab coffee and enjoy the drive home. The place we stopped in Holmes County gave me a yummy latte in this cup, and it made me smile. I hope you had a fabulous summer too.
First post: What Should Teachers Do in the Summer? Part I :
What Teachers Should Do in the Summer, Part III