Water World

We are getting ready for our weekend adventure with the Scouts. Within the troop, it's known as Water World. Mike is assistant to the Master Cook, and I was in charge of taking the registrations. There will be over 130 people attending, some or all of the 4 day event. We had a really wonderful time last year. The boys are camping on the island in the middle of a lake (no electricity, running water, etc). The girls and I will be sleeping in a cabin at the lake "resort" (and I use the term very loosely). It is still roughing it by our standards! Last year we had to deal with the most horrifying cave crickets in our room and I think one was on a bed..yuck! They were truly monsterous. We ended up putting coffee mugs on top of them. We even found a zombie cave cricket while I was trying to "mug" a more live critter that darted under some furniture. It was a nightmare. I've always wondered what the housekeeping thought when they came in to clean and saw mugs everywhere and when they picked 'em up, out flew those creatures from hell. I'm telling you, the island was looking pretty darn good after that, except for the nasty, nasty, pit toilet situation...couldn't get past that. And no showers. At least we have running water and air conditioning at "the resort".

Each morning we will be picked up (quite early I might add) and boated over to the island (with our bag of towels wrapped around contraband cokes and sprites) where we will stay until after dark. Mike volunteered our cabin as a holding center for all the ice chests of perishables until they need them. So every night when they drop us off, they'll grab the next day's coolers full of the food they'll be using. Hmmm...sure hope they packed a few extra chocolate bars for s'mores, 'cause you know I can't be everywhere at once and I do have 4 hormonal teenagers and one tweenie vs worn out me. I don't like Hershey's chocolate, so it's safe from me.

There will be lots of boats, tubes, water ski's, canoes, and good food and fun times. Gib is one of the more popular boys this time of year when suddenly the 15 and older crowd really want to hang out with him and his sisters! I'll be nearby too - Chaperone Extraordinaire for the next 72 hrs.

Here's a poem Gib wrote last year that we just updated for the blog:

Hearing the words – Water World –
Brings a rush of excitement
Memories of speeding boats going to and fro,
Great rides and better wipe outs
In the middle of the lake there’s an island,
That’s were we go.
The wakes from the boats are
Like smiles on the water
On the island the happy families of Scouts,
Are having so much fun they never want it to end.

Behind Door #2

I never did get around to showing you Taryn's room we painted just before my surgery.

She hated her beige walls. She promised to keep her room clean if it was blue....

Who believes THAT happened?!

That green piece of material on the wall to the left was an idea

with some material we had on hand

to show Taryn what it would look like if we covered a

cork board with batik material.

We just finished doing that and now I need a new photo

because it looks awesome!

Taryn's Reading Corner

The Bear really enjoys Calvin & Hobbes

Behind Door #1

When Indy got home from EFY, she had a surprise waiting for her in her room. It looks a little like a wrapped mummy or something doesn't it?! Her birthday is not for 3 months, so she had to decide to open it early or look at it like this until October. She chose to.......

OPEN IT!!

Grammy and I hit pay dirt at a Pier 1 sale,

and she bought the cafe shelves for Indy to take to college

I filled it with Indy's favorite goodies and foods

(she's been enjoying her own private stash!)

It's good practice for all of us, but I have to admit,

it bothered me the most just to even think about her going away!

Frog on Blog

So Indy has a friend from her first EFY 3 years ago who is spending his 18th birthday alone at BYU Idaho. History: This group of 3 guys have been friends since elementary school and they adopted Indy into their circle at EFY in Bowling Green, KY. They have all gone to EFY's together in Buena Vista, VA and Gainesville, GA before "her boys" started going off on missions and BYU Idaho. Indy just congratulated another on his mission call last night. But this blog is about Poor Trevor who is stranded at BYU Idaho on his birthday. He's not having the best of days: two girls who said they'd meet him at church didn't show, he's eating cold leftover pizza, watching Karate Kid, and doesn't even have a birthday cake! Luckily......HE HAS US!!!

We got to thinking late last night....when unfortunately all the best ideas happen. We called Kay who called HD & Brittany to see if they'd play a part in making Trevor's day. He said he would, so we hope they're able to swing by sometime today to surprise Trevor. We hear HD doesn't sing, so we sent a couple suggestions of stuff to do instead so Trevor would call Indy and yell at her "I can't believe you did that!!".

And then we got to thinking....Trevor needs the CRAZY FROG! It's kind of a silly tradition around here started by Gib a few years back. Everyone groans when they see it on their birthday. Then they try not to laugh so as not to encourage its usage any further. It never works. So, Indy and I staged our very first video on YouTube just for Trevor. And yes, the ending is planned...very carefully rehearsed and achieved on Take 2! I think we should have gone for Take 3 and let me get my arm out of it, but Indy liked it. Hopefully we will have good news later on how it all worked out. But until then, rest assured, the Crazy Frog made an impact on Trevor!

Doesn't Count

Mike's Fantasy Football post doesn't count! He did start working on a blog entry yesterday, but he wasn't kidding when he said it takes him weeks to finish one post. It's about a traumatic event in his life for which I don't think he has fully repented of, and until he works it out, you'll just have to wonder...what DID he do????? Wow, it could be anything!

Gib got a cool hair cut. We need a photo, don't we?! I am very happy with it because the giant alien helmet-head look is gone and the highlights look awesome. Just in time for his FIRST sacrament talk tomorrow!! He wrote the topic down as "Trying to BE Jesus" - he kind of forget the word LIKE so I commented that his sisters would be more than happy to sacrifice him. Now he's using that as his opening ice-breaker joke. I'm not too sure other people will laugh as much as we do about twisted stuff like that. Oh well, maybe they won't ask anyone else in the family to speak any time soon! Hey, what a plan!

Taryn and Mariah went back-to-school shopping yesterday. Taryn was a total WOP - Weird On Purpose. Will should be able to relate. When asked what she thought WOP was, Indy guessed Woman on Pills. That works too.

More back to school shopping today for school supplies with Gib and Mariah. Our good deed of the day was to help an Indian man decode his back to school list. His english was perfect, but I guess pocket folder with brads has no real translation! The wide rule spiral notebook threw him for a loop too. Walmart is not my favorite place to shop for school supplies - whooweee that place was hopping. Good thing we decided to carry everything in our arms because there was no navigating if you had a cart. Mariah is pretty much done. She only has $15 left in her back to school budget. Just enough for a Webkinz, or a t-shirt...hmmm, wonder what she'll chose?!

Indy has narrowed down her college list to a Good 6. Actually, it reached as high as 12, then plummeted down to 4, managed to climb back up to 10, dropped to 8, and now rests at 6. And guess what?! INDY DIDN'T DO ANY OF IT!!! The really funny part is waaaaay back last winter when we started our backyard project, I was talking to our landscaper about how we had just started our college search and how overwhelming it seemed to me. He looked at me and said, "Easy - Auburn. College Search Done". I rolled my eyes, wondered what freakin' state Auburn was in, and discounted it as too far away. Weeeellllll, guess what college is now at the top of the list?! Oh yeah. Ronnie loves it. Those Auburn alumns aren't to be messed with. Vanderbilt is still right up there too, but I think Auburn is going to edge in first once Indy actually starts LOOKING at her list of the Top 6 colleges!

Indy has also been really busy with her ACT Prep class. She's taken 3 prep quizzes and scored a 30 on the last one. We are keepin' our fingers crossed that it will happen again in real life in September when she takes the ACT again. Indy's also been working even though she really no longer works at the music store. They just call her to fill in...I guess she's kind of a Per Diem worker.

Taryn is going to apply to work at the music store for the rental season which is a couple months long. It will give her a job reference to put on a resume. She is thinking of applying at the gym down the street where we have a membership.

There! See, Mike?! It only took me 10 minutes to write another LONG post that was only going to be a couple sentences long to begin with. That's my problem.....I don't do pithy.

Fantasy Football 2008

Anyone interested in participating in a Fantasy Football League for fun this year? Gib and I started a league through Fox Sports. You have to sign up and choose to join a private league. The league # is 70253 and the password is franklin. The online draft is scheduled for August 30, at 8:00pm central time.

Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike!

We've had a very difficult week. When your child is hurting, it really messes you up too. We've just been trying to keep our heads above water and pray for guidance. I just haven't been able to blog at all. And today Mike has the day off. Who thinks it's his turn to contribute to, oh what's our blog called, Ringo's World???? Let him know your thoughts.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Will this be the theme of the week?

The two older girls returned from EFY (Especially For Youth) on Sunday. The same day Gib left for another week of Scouting. They didn't even get to see each other.

Gib is at a BSA National Youth Leadership training. This is something we signed up for, and had to get approval from his Scoutmaster, then accepted into; not a troop activity. Gib will hopefully learn some great leadership skills that will translate nicely into real life and help him be a Senior Patrol Leader within his Troop. I'm not sure what all they are doing during the week, but he had to bring his own tent and there's going to be some backpacking. His feet are growing and we found out a little too late that the boots he has (that were worn only a few times the past year) were a little tight, so I hope it isn't a problem for him. Hey, maybe he'll be taller when he gets back...that'd be two steps forward if he overtakes two sisters in height this summer, wouldn't it?!

Onward with the theme: I got the "all clear" from my doctor and went to the gym for the first time since last January when my left shoulder was fixed. I am so excited that my right shoulder is healing at a much faster rate and after a 2 hr workout, one of which was doing weights carefully with my arm, I don't appear to have messed anything up. I iced it when I got home. Tomorrow is physical therapy so we'll see what they have to say about that! Unfortunately, on the diet front, I had a little step back and will need to work a little harder this week to make up for the birthday week of fun food. I promised my mom to try her water Ai Chi class, so I'll be doing that, and I hope yoga this week too. If it's not too much. Gotta be careful when you reach the age of decripitness.

B-Day Photos

PHOTOS OF THE DAY:

(don't let them distract you from more important posts!)

Not that I'm trying to swing the vote or anything

but see the enjoyment on his face? He LOVES the card! After the unwrapping!

Big B-Day thanks for much needed new shorts,

cash to buy much needed new shirts

(because mom wasn't in the mood to shop),

much needed new shoes (do you sense a theme here?!)

PS2 videos, candy, slim jims to survive on while playing videos,

itune card, a Bota bag for backpacking, and a couple of

really GREAT birthday cards!

Sneaking in a photo of Mom's Cookie Jar

Mariah & her friend Sloan, and Gib made cookies so it would be full!

Vote Now

Left = Gib to Mom

Right = Mom to Gib

Another Teen in the House

Yep, that makes 3 teens! At least this one is male. Not that our teenage daughters haven't been absolutely wonderful and, considering the drastic hormonal changes that occur week to week, they are relatively easy to get along with! We have GREAT kids! Smart, good looking, they like each other (most of the time), they're fun to be with, and they sleep in too...what more could you ask for?! Oh wait, clean bedrooms, THAT I could ask for!

But this one's about GIB. Born on 7/11, weighed 7.11, and if we had 7/11's he'd love the candy aisle! Mike wanted to head to Vegas straight from the delivery room, but decided to chose life instead of fleeting fortune.

Gib even got a phone call from a GIRL today. An older girl. OK, it was his sister from EFY, but still it was exciting. Donuts this morning, as is tradition since we moved up the street from Dunkin' Donuts; presents, and dinner at a restaurant and maybe a cake tonight. I don't know though, between all these donuts, cakes, brownies, I could gag just thinking about one more. I know, I know, it's HIS birthday, but I gotta make it happen! For dinner, I think Gib is leaning toward Genghis Grill. Definitely not Thai. I guess Gib hasn't read the Pickle Post or perhaps he hasn't yet matured enough to acquire a taste for Fried Pickles.

Gib and I like to exchange "potty humor" cards and Gib got a good one in on my b-day, about Freddie the Fart Cloud hopes your day's a GAS, but I think the one I found for him is heads and TAILS above that kind of juvenile humor. Mine's much more sophisticated. Maybe we should let ya'll vote. You know it's a good one when Mike closes his eyes and goes "oh geez!". Ah, I live for those moments!!

Happy birthday Gib!!!

Symposium in August

My friend Joanne is presenting an awesome session at the Sunstone Symposium in SLC next month. It has been the subject of much discussion between us for over a year now, and I have helped with editing and Indy designed the power point. I will be in town as Joanne's moral support, personal assistant, driver, restroom spotter (for nervous stomach) bodyguard (her mom worries about muggers) and all-around symposium buddy from 8/6-8/9. All this in exchange for good times and free room & board at her at her brother's, except for probably Friday and Saturday night when she switches to another brother's house. I might need a place to stay (a couch will do!) or get a hotel room somewhere then. Offers are appreciated and will be gladly accepted!

I'd love to see ya'll, but the only thing is we won't be out of SLC until after 10 pm and back again the next morning before 8 am. That doesn't leave much time for anything else. There are some really interesting classes that we are planning on attending (and yes, we are staying away from the way out there woo-woo, weirdo stuff), so if anyone wants to think about joining here's the link - Sunstone Symposium

I have to head home Sunday because school starts for us on Monday. But if anyone has late church, I'd love to see family if I can get a ride and then be at the airport by 1:30 p.m. Since I don't have a car, it's a real pain, so if it doesn't work out, don't worry about it, and know that I'm near in thought and deed!

If anyone's interested, here is the write up on Joanne's presentation. I can't wait to get my DNA done! I was hoping to do it this summer, but time and $ has gotten away from me, so I don't know if I'll be able to get it done before the symposium like I had hoped.

Adventures with DNA: How a simple test led two LDS women on strange but blessed journeys of discovery.

In this session, two friends who met after having their DNA tested to determine their genetic genealogies will present how these cutting-edge discoveries have radically altered their perspectives on who they are and about the diverse "tribes" we all carry in our DNA. Even more surprising to them, however, has been the way their follow-up research has opened up new spiritual and historical understandings of LDS orgins. Were there Sephardic Jews and Melungeons among early LDS and colonial American leaders? What is the signficance of these ancestral tribes in Mormonism today?

Do you have hidden Sephardic or Meluncheon ancestry? If you're interested in learning about what could possibly be a major spirit and mind expanding adventure, come to this session!

Mellow Day

Except for the rain, it's another great day. I was going go for a long walk after I let the cats out around 5 am, then I decided to go back to bed instead..until 10! Gotta love those older kids who don't wake you up! Wow, that felt good. The only bad part was by then, it was about to rain. I managed to get in a half hour walk before it hit. I was watching the sky carefully and planning my route so I could make a break for home if needed. I even had my cell in case I needed a ride! But I timed it just right and got to my porch just as the first big drops started coming down. It stopped for a few hours but now the sky looks like it means serious business! I got home from a lunch date just in time to get a cat inside and the patio cushions put up and the umbrella put down. My mom bought a rain gauge so now we can give an accurate report to everyone whether they want to know or not. It's supposed to rain alot today, with rain in the forecast everyday until next Monday. Yippee.

So, my lunch date was fun. I went to Mellow Mushroom (super yum) with a gal from church. We both have a mutual friend who keeps singing each others praises (I always hear how wonderful and funny she is, and vice versa). We've done lunch with the gang together but this was the first time it was just us. She gave the waiter a bad time about the greek salad not having lamb in it. He played along and offered to go to the store and buy some. It was pretty funny. We both thought she got it out of her system, then she decided to do what I did and split the salad with a slice of pizza. You get it with one topping. So she goes, I'll have mine with lamb. We busted up laughing. I don't know, maybe you had to be there. She is the Laurel advisor, and had we not moved, would have been a neighbor in our old 'hood. Her daughter will be a freshman at our high school, so we were able to talk alot about our experiences with YW's, seminary and HS.

Happy B-Day to Me

Having a nice b-day, taking it easy....
*Flowers & donuts from my hubby
*Brownies and more flowers from my VT (diet? nope not today apparently)
*Went to the pool with Gib & Riah
*Went to Physical Therapy - they gave me new exercises and increased the weights!
*Got a phone call from Indy at EFY with some boys singing Happy Birthday in the background (Great EFY report-they're having fun and they have roomies!)
*A new cookie jar from the kids - HINT HINT (dieting here people!)
*A patio chair and ottoman (so I can sit outside and not be tempted by the smell of cookies!)
*Dark brown shag rugs (Mike doesn't get why something that was considered really bad a few years ago is now OK - I said orange & green shag BAD, brown leather shag GOOD!)
*A canvas abstract painted by Mariah
*Funny cards, mushy cards, cute cards, nice cards
*Going out for late night dinner with Mike after scouts!
*Possibly breaking the ADWADNM...but I don't know, it'd be the late show!

A Photo!

Group Photo

Gib in the ever-present brown cap with his group just before they went up to the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis last week. The trip leaders will compile a CD and we need to get Gib's film turned in for developing, but I knew everyone really wanted to see some syrup!

Monday, Monday

Couldn't think of anything else to call this one. At least you can hum along as you read.

What a Monday it started out as too. Big humungo migraine at 3 am. I limped to the bathroom and did the nasal snort zomig. This stuff goes straight to the bloodstream lemme tell ya. It started to work in about 5 minutes, but 20 minutes later I could tell it was going to get worse. So I decided to take what I call the "Clint Cocktail" (named after my favorite pharmacist) and loaded up on midrin too. And it worked! I vaguely remember Mike kissing me goodbye and me just waving at him. (He just got home and says I didn't...I seriously remember picking up my arm and giving him a little send off, but I guess I only mentally waved!). I got up an hour later only half as hung over as usual. That doubling up on controlled substances may be the way to go for those killer migraines. :)

So after a slow start, I was able to put sauce and cheese on the 67 enchiladas I made last night. I made so many because I'm splitting it 3 ways - missionary zone conference luncheon, dinner to the neighbor whose wife is camp director and left today, and 2 dinners for us. Good thing I did most of the cooking last night! I served my time at the zone conference luncheon and enjoyed working with the ladies there. I made a couple teenage boys very happy when I started bringing them all the pans that had 2 enchiladas left in them so they could finish them off. One of the elders was drooling over the plate of brownies I was putting out and goes, "would you look at that!" and I answered, "we're sharing chocolate with you...what does that tell you?!" and he says, "that you think we're pretty special?!". I thought that was funny.

It's my turn for the traditional birthday dinner tonight with the crazy gals in our ward who hang with me. We're going to my favorite restaurant, J. Alexander's. I'm saving up my calories so I can eat their french fries. They are the best! Tomorrow, Mike and I actually have a date! I seriously can't remember the last time I saw a movie with him in the theater, so I kinda started a sarcastic personal goal not to do so for a decade, since I think I might be halfway there already. Will the A Decade Without A Date Night Movie (ADWADNM) continue, or will it die a timely death? From all the reviews I read from your blogs, it sounds like there are alot of good movies to choose from.

4th in Missouri

Gib spent his 4th of July in St. Louis. They floated down the Meramac river. 6 miles took 4 hours. Gib said it was very slow, freezing cold water, and a little boring. They were starving because they missed lunch floating at a snail's pace down the river. They ate lunch at 4 pm. The holiday was saved by going to the City Museum. They went to every floor in the place. It sounds like it is a bunch of junk metal welded together to make a huge building. It has slides, an airplane, huge metal coil springs, and everything else is indescribable. Hopefully pictures will be sent out from the leaders that accompanied the scouts. They watched fireworks from the top floor, probably 3 stories high. They could see a panorama of fireworks from all over the city from their vantage point. Very awesome! After the fireworks, they spent some time on the ground floor of this thing in the ball pit engaging in brutal combat. Next they toured some man-made caves down below with alot of engraved art on the walls and stalagmites. Then they played at the skateboard park, but without any skateboards. Apparently the seat of your pants works fine. They did alot of running around defying gravity there. They did a bunch of other stuff at the City Museum and finally went to bed after midnight.

They got up this morning, went out to breakfast at Golden Corral and headed home. Gib was patrol leader of 4 and says they were the best. One thing that is neat on these trips is figured in the cost is a daily food allowance for lunch and dinner. The leaders stand there and hand out tens for lunches, a ten and a five for dinner, to the boys as they get out of the van to go into the restaurant. The boys must manage their money and figure 15% tips for the servers. If they have leftover money from lunch they can save it for dinner or other stuff.

I asked Gib what he thought of the Gateway Arch that they went to the first day of the trip. He said it was HIGH! And the trip down was hairy since it's 630' up in a old wood egg shaped cable elevator with 5 chairs that you sit in. Gib is not fond of heights. Six Flags was as you can imagine, awesome! The best news of all...Gib didn't barf on this trip! It's good to have him home. I think he's taller again. I can't wait to crack a joke and hear him laugh. I missed my dude!

4th in Tennessee

Sorry no photos of our Fourth. I thought maybe we'd have some of Mariah, because Mike was experimenting with Taryn's 35mm camera, but they didn't turn out. I think the camera is a lemon. They can't seem to get a good photo out of it. Mike is trying alternating the auto focus with manual focus with Mariah as his model again to see what happens. I think Taryn will be getting a new camera. Just hope this one is still in warranty.

I did my physical therapy exercises. Mike stood and watched and made fun of me. He also noted that I was not nearly as diligent last time around and wondered why. Well, the last one hurt alot more, and it IS my right arm, so there's a little more incentive to get full use back. Plus, I realized two things: 1) my left arm still hurts and is only about 50% as strong as it used to be and 2) with my left shoulder I was unable to return to the gym for weights or yoga until May and by then I was scheduled for surgery in June and didn't want to get started just to have to stop again. Yoga hurts that first month! But NOW...I think I am ready to try yoga on Monday! Besides being a better physical therapy patient, another thing I did different was taking homeopathic for nerve rejuvenation after surgery. A whole bottle of it. When I ran out and stopped taking it the rapid improvement stopped, so I just bought some more on Thursday. Every morning I wake up with a very stiff and sore shoulder, but this recovery is so much better than the first time.

We had a nice time with our friends over for bbq. We had Western Griller steaks. I googled them for a recipe and found out they are incredibly low in both calorie and fat! Yay! I was able to stay in my calorie goal for the day, but unable to take the walk I had planned on to get my double exercise points due to a tummy ache. I was going to go to the HOA party at the pool and try swimming with Mariah. Mariah and Mike went without me. Poor Mike didn't get an umbrella and got tanned. Luckily the tummy problem went away before dinner. Mariah was happy to finally have friends to play with, the cats went into hiding, and the adults had a nice rousing game of Phase 10. And yes, there was some friendly competition! But it wasn't all-out. Maybe next time. And Mike, he sat all the way on the other side of the table! He said something about wanting to see the action unfold...as Indy would say, what-ev.

We all went to our church lawn to watch fireworks. It's a great viewing location. All the kids and many adults were running around wearing glow stick bracelets and necklaces. On their ankles, wrists, around their necks, even as hats. Enterprising young folk string them together to make hula hoops and frisbees and play glow in the dark games with them. I love it!!!! You know why? We started it all!!! Here's how it happened: The first year we came for fireworks, our kids were running around in the dark and I couldn't tell where they were, which ones were mine, and the Californian in me just shuddered at the danger of it all. The tic in my eye was rampaging, I tell ya. The next year, I hit upon an amazing idea and brought glow sticks for my kids, the kind that you can wear around your neck. It was so great! I could totally tell which kids were mine in half a second flat and all the kids gathered around them and they made up games to play with the glowsticks. We gave all my extras away, babies were enthralled, hearts were gladdened and parents far & wide jumped on the glow stick bandwagon. The next year, I reminded everyone I knew to bring their glow sticks. The 4th year, I found the best invention that ever hit the glow stick market: battery operated glow sticks in 4 different colors!! I'm pretty sure it was year 4 when the scout leader decided to sell glow stick bracelets and necklaces for a troop fundraiser. Previously they tried candy and parents have too much resistance to children begging for sugar, but they have almost none at all to those big eyes begging for a glow stick. And now it's tradition in these here parts!! Musta been a hundred glow sticks flying around. Now you can say you knew me when. And, to keep my personal tradition alive, I still give some away...little Amy Mei whose mean mommy said NO when she wanted to keep one of our wonderful glow sticks, had big brown tear filled eyes and yea, she was crying up a storm, but it had been a long day, and after a hug from Aunt Chrissie, she stopped crying and went home with a green battery operated glow stick!

4th in Florida

We've had phone calls and nice newsy emails from both Indy and Taryn the past two days. Complete with photos! I'm going to miss that when EFY begins. They are having a wonderful time and think the retirement life in Florida is the way to go. Beaches, dolphins, driving around in golf carts (technically that means golf, but not to them), dollar movie theatre which is actually $1.75, restaurants everywhere, walking a neighborhood where all the cute little old people are your best friends and come out to talk to you about their health and families, laughing at the ones with sock tan lines that when the socks come off, still appear to be on because the feet are so white and the legs are tan...oh wait, that's just Fred. Don't worry, I hear photos were taken. Indy says she can't stop laughing every time she sees it. On the Fourth, the girls went to the beach with Fred and Jan. The girls don't like the gulf water. They say it's dirty and weird colored, no waves, gnarly weird looking sea shells, and black fish bigger than their hands swimming right next to their toes. Here are some photos of their day. It is so nice to hear about all the fun they are having with Fred and Jan. I wish we were there too! I feel another Florida vacay comin' on.

That's Fred in the corner.

That's Taryn's hat and hair.

Otherwise, look at that nice beach!

Indy in the water with Fred & Jan

Indy likes standing next to really white pasty people

because they make her tan look better. Way to go Fred!

Indy says this wave is an optical illusion
It wasn't as big as it appears and it was the
only one of it's kind! Good thing Taryn was
ready with the camera!

Scout Update

This made me feel good, so I thought I'd share. We get one of these every night from one of the trip coordinators. I guess you're right everybody....it's better than Fried Pickles!

Update from the scouts:
* They went to Six Flags yesterday from around 10:30 until 6:00. Some lines were long but not too bad. The rain came after they left. They ate dinner at the Ponderosa.
* They went to the zoo this morning from around 9:30-10 until 2:30 and ate lunch there. The rain came after they left.
* They went to Fitz Root Beer this afternoon for a root beer float and saw the bottling process.
* They went back to the church to re-group before heading to the minor league baseball game. (The game was scheduled to start at 6pm but it was delayed because they were finishing the game from last night that was postponed due to the rain. The main attraction for tonight is the fireworks after the game so they were not in a big rush to get there.)

3,2....1!!!

Indy and Taryn arrived safely in St. Petersburg! We dropped them off at the airport, waited at the security checkpoint until we couldn't see them anymore. Then I remembered I forgot to tell them to look for their gate info on the boarding pass. So I asked the security lady to go tell them for me. She looked at me like I was insane and said that information wouldn't be on the boarding pass....duh! So I asked very nicely if she would remind them to look for their gate info on the screen thing. Indy mouthed I KNOW to me, so all was well. For about, oh, let's just say until we got to the parking garage. I couldn't take it anymore, so I called her. She didn't answer. I gave her another 30 seconds and called again. She answered! Yes mom, we know what gate, we're still walking to it, was going to call you when we got to it......yeah, she was pretty much laughing at me. So I gave her the helpful (and wanted) advice about listening in case the gate changed or the time was moved up. OK MOM! Bye. I could feel the eye roll she gave to Taryn about me! I admit, I deserved it!

So we're down to a lonely only. She went to the pool with Mike while I was getting my hair done. We had dinner at 2 pm today. That's kind of freaky, but I wanted to try it because I am not hungry for more than 1 meal in the summer on most days, and by the time 4 pm comes around I'm starved, end up eating the wrong things, and then don't eat dinner. So, here it is almost 9 pm and all I had since then was 1 ginger cookie. I tried to hear Kay's voice, I really did. But I didn't, so I bought one when I was buying a chocolate chip cookie for Mariah. It was yummy, so I have to say it was worth it. And when you buy them 1 at a time, it doesn't hurt the diet. And, we went on a walk tonight. I'm still not up for alot of speed with the shoulder not liking any jarring or movement, but at least I got out.

Tomorrow friends are coming over. We were talking about what we might do for the afternoon, and I asked if they liked Phase 10, 'cause I'm kind of in the mood for a game. She tells me her husband is much too competitive. We went back and forth with a really? really! really? really! kind of conversation, which ended.....can you guess? Phase 10 on the Fourth!!! I think I'll finagle it so he and Mike sit by each other. That'll be fun to watch.

Not in a Pickle Anymore

Whew! What a long day! I had physical therapy, followed by lunch for Taryn at the Fried Pickle place. That was fun. And yummy! Seriously, if you like pickles, you'd love 'em fried! I tried really hard to not mac-out and having no idea how to figure the calories, just counted it as half the day's allotment! That should cover it.

Too bad Gib missed the pickles. He's on a Scout Trip. I think today they were at Six Flags. They been to the St. Louis Gateway Arch, Westward Expansion museum, ate at Blueberry Hill's Piano room - full of wall to wall video and pinball games and booths with built in board games. They've also gone to Lincoln's home, presidential museum, library and tomb, and toured the Old State Capitol. They will go to a baseball game and who knows what else, and be home on Saturday. I'm sure he's having fun. It's pretty dang quiet around here without him. I miss him. He always laughs at all my jokes. I really miss him.

Taryn, Mariah, Grammy and I hit Target for a big household goods shopping trip and for EFY stuff - toiletries, and the like with my 10% off the entire purchase coupon. Then the girls and I all went for pedicures together!!!! Once in a blue moon we all go together. I thought about bringing a book to read but then thought, naw, I want to talk with my girls, I've got two leaving tomorrow and I want to spend this afternoon with them not a book! So I had to laugh when I got the chair sitting directly across the three of them and they all had brought a book and had their noses buried in them!

Our evening was filled with Indy working with my good friend to finish her PowerPoint presentation, and then we took a walk (yay exercise and my shoulder didn't hurt as much as last time I walked!). Taryn was packing for EFY. Indy is putting it off as long as possible! And the late night hours were spent finalizing Indy's senior portrait order. We ended up with the package of 10 poses, 20 sheets of photos, plus I'm getting an 11x14 for the living room wall. Mike went to bed, so Indy and I did it all by ourselves and were quite happy and proud of the results and we had it narrowed it down to 7 poses. Indy had to give up one pose she liked and that was a little sad. But then Mike got up to do a quality control check and apparently we didn't order one he really liked. So I threw Indy's pose back in that she wanted when I added Mike's and one that we liked but had eliminated. Yay! Indy has all the photos she likes and the order is ready!

So now the older girls are all packed and ready for an early morning departure for Florida and EFY (Especially For Youth). They are looking forward to spending time with Grandpa Fred and Jan, and the gulf coast beach this time. I hope they really enjoy EFY. Indy doesn't have her posse this year. They'll sure miss those crazy guys. And, the last two years neither girl has had a roomie. It's hard without friends and roomies! So, thinking good thoughts for a GREAT EFY!