Nerd Camp and May Updates

Dats (now age 12!) received a letter of acceptance in the mail today.  He is so doggone cute when he gets excited.  He is going to STEM Camp (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) - what I am calling NERD Camp.  It will be held on the campus of IU in June for nearly two weeks.  The best part (in this frugal father's opinion) is that it is all FREE.  Potential campers all apply with an essay and teacher recommendations and grade requirements and, if selected, attend camp at no charge. We are so grateful for Dats' teacher who introduced us to this opportunity and then took the time to guide him through the application process.
 
In the midst of this, I can't help but marvel at how different Dats is from me!  When I was about his age, I had my one and only camp experience - also on a college campus.  It was not voluntary and I was not excited.  It was basketball camp and I spent most of my week in the dorm room with "a stomach ache".  Crying. 
 
But whereas I was shy, Dats is bold and outgoing. He really sees every stranger as a potential friend.  I envy that about him.  That perspective will serve him well throughout life.
 
Those two weeks will be long ones for Melissa and me.  We've never had any of our kids away from the family for that long.  It will be odd to travel without him, too, but we already have a speaking/sharing trip to Pennsylvania in the works for the weekend in the middle of his camp - and our trip may include a "swing" through Florida if we can work it out!
 
And that's a good segue into what is currently on our plate.  We just celebrated two birthdays - Dats turned 12 and The Drama Queen turned 11.  And we are in the midst of the final weeks of school, which especially keeps Melissa hopping.
 
Meanwhile, our house will soon be open again and that means we will need to either take another shot at selling it or find new renters.  Either way, Melissa and I have talked about it and it seems wise to dismantle the above ground pool in the backyard.  The cover had to be tossed at the end of last season, the lining is on its final lap and the decking is getting wobbly.  It would be a lot of upkeep for any renter and it is not a plus for most buyers.  If we end up renting it out for another year, we will have to find someone here locally who can be our "acting landlord", and I don't want to saddle that person with the responsibility of winterizing the pool this fall and reopening it next spring. 
 
At this moment, we are still hopeful for an August departure and thus, there are a thousand and one jobs to be done in the meantime even beyond the house/pool issues.  We need to keep pressing forward with the funding process while tying up loose ends here.  For instance, we know there will be a huge neighborhood-wide garage sale on May 25 and we need to take advantage of the traffic it will generate to get rid of some more stuff.  We can't leave my mother-in-law with a garage full of boxes! 
 
Three weeks of the month of July will be spent in Greenwood at One Mission Society headquarters for training in doing cross-cultural training.  Even the kids will get training and we will all be living in an apartment on the OMS campus during that time. 
 
Then, God willing, we'll be packing suitcases in August.  Time will tell!  We certainly appreciate your prayers now and in the hectic weeks to come...