June marks the time of year when many of us get to celebrate--whether it's the changing of the seasons, a school graduation (kinder, 5th grade, 8th grade, high school or college), or a birthday, most of us welcome the shift with open arms. In real estate, this is the time of year when many people are eager to transition from one home to the next. Those of us in the housing world keep quite busy in effort to help our clients buy and sell their homes.

Wednesday, June 21, marks the first day of summer. After the extraordinary amount of rain we experienced in the Willamette Valley this winter and spring, I am more excited than normal to welcome these summer months. I know in my family we can all use an extra dose of Vitamin D to boost our immune systems, not to mention our moods!

June is particularly special this year for my family. First, this year, we will have our 3rd high school graduate. Go, Toby! While the road has been a bit bumpy, this milestone marks the end of an era and the beginning of something new for Tobes. Furthering his desire to make "cool art" is high on his priority list. It will be fun to see where his path takes him!

Second, our youngest son, Liam, celebrates his 17th birthday and will participate in his first boxing match. He will also travel to Milan, Italy, on a Rotary exchange. He is the first of our four kids to travel abroad - super exciting! Liam is pretty gifted with language learning, so fingers crossed his time on Duolingo will serve him well. :-) We will be receiving Liam's host brother, Daniele, in a couple of weeks and are thrilled to meet him and have him become part of our family.

Third, we will be remodeling our kitchen. This has been in the works for several years now and it appears to finally be happening! I am hopeful it will be a smooth process, but am open to the learning (aka, challenges!) that we may encounter along the way. We are preparing for lots of BBQ dinners on the back deck since we won't have a kitchen for most of the summer.... wish us luck! And if you have any advice, we are open to any and all suggestions you may have! Stay tuned for progress updates!

Best wishes for a glorious onset to summer!