Jam, Drama, and Birthday Cake

I just added a little post-script to that party post a few days ago. I was waiting for the pic to be emailed from Michael. There was a little color to my cheeks, we'll just say that.

Today was a tough day for me. Things didn't go like I had planned, and when I am in the height of PMS, I'm not a fan of things not going right (not that I'm a fan of it normally).

The day began by shipping all of the kids to camp - that went very smooth, until I got a call from Amy (who had the drop off shift with our boys) that they were quite disturbed by the lack of boys in their "Grease Academy" and disturbed by the mandatory jazz shoes that had to be worn. Oh, and Brayden lost a contact.....
The girls - HAPPY, at their camp

Alright, whatever, the boys could stick it out, it would be fine - on to my friend Kristin's house to make some jam. I had thoroughly reached a point of irriation on Sunday afternoon trying to acquire the necessary ingredients for 5 people to make jam, so I had an attitude about the whole thing going into it. However, the company was wonderful, so there was a certain guarantee for a good time - despite the moldy raspberries, lids not sealing, and jam not firming - (by tonite, the jam seemed like it had actually worked out). Things were slowly unraveling for the day, and my blood pressure was escalating in proportion.Doesn't Kristin have the most amazing kitchen?

Next came the phone call from Michele, who had the pick-up shift for the boys and was 15 minutes west of where she should have been because she'd gone the wrong way. It was a fun little blame game between the two of us for a few minutes - real nice.

Amy ended up picking up Andrew and Brayden, while Michele picked up Traig - and came back reporting that Andrew had been in tears when she picked them up - both boys were very disappointed and unhappy with the camp. This is further complicated by the fact that we had already purchased tickets for all three of our families to watch them do their performance on Thursday, adding up to a considerable chunk of change that would have all been lost were they not to continue. Throw in some mixed messages from Andrew stemming from not wanting to disappoint his parents by bagging out of the camp. HEADACHE. Long story short, we were able to get a refund for the "Grease" tickets and for the rest of the week Brayden and Andrew will be in the same camp as Traig. The transfer was not easy, and nearly pushed me over the edge.

Funny how it's the little things that take you down when you are dealing with "that time of the month". On an errand that I felt the need to just get away and do myself I recognized that pretty much the only thing I could control today was my attitude and responses to circumstances and people - and if I wanted to win the battle for the day, I needed to conquer at least that. It wasn't easy.

Fortunately, by the time we arrived at Adam's birthday party at Roaring Rapids Pizza, my attitude had turned around considerably. It wasn't my event to take care of, so that helped a lot. Plus, canadian bacon/pineapple pizza and cake can really help. It was sweet watching Adam so enamored by everything CARS related - a truly great turnaround for an otherwise irritating day.
This picture is really special to us - taken at the pizza parlor in the chair we got for him - Adam is "reading" to the rest of the kids from his CARS Search Book......

Not Exactly What We Had in Mind....

....But we made the best of it-

The intention for today was to celebrate our birthday on the lake with Mom and Dad, Travis and Stephie - and our family as well as the Schillings. But, at about 9 am, the weather wasn't looking so promising and Mom was dealing with some sort of nasty flu-bug, so for her, the boat trip was definitely a no-go.

So, we came up with a Plan B. We all went to see "Transformers". I know, doesn't sound quite like the chick-flick you'd expect "the twins" to pick out, but don't knock it 'til you watch it - it's actually a VERY FUN movie (outside of a little language and "references" that we pray flew right over the heads of our boys). The positive side of a movie - it's always a fun diversion for a couple of hours, a no-brainer in terms of entertaining the kids, and one of my favorite eating venues. (Popcorn and candy from a movie theater - ahhhhh, the bliss of it!)

KFC also had to be on the docket for our birthday, so that's what we just finished, all lounging in the living room (except for my dad who went home after the movie) while "Pimp My Ride" is on the television (a special request from Traig - clearly, NOT my choice, but that's really okay - the rest of the group can only tolerate "High School Musical" so many times).

Overall, not a bad way to spend our birthday. As the weather cleared and temps inched toward 90 this afternoon it was hard not to wonder if we shouldn't have been on the boat, but I gotta say, right now, while lounging, it's nice to not deal with all of the extra work that would have entailed.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend - We're looking forward to a crazy week with 4 extra people in the house as Michele's girls are in a "Fairy Tale Dance Camp" with Mikayla and Traig is at UO Sports Camp while Brayden (and his buddy, Andrew) head off to "Grease Academy" where they'll learn some songs and moves to perform in the Entre'Act at the "Grease" Musical being performed this weekend. Then, this weekend, both boys and dads will take off for "Boys Round-Up". You know what all this means? Get set for a lot of "kids' scrapbook style" posts. =)

Providing a Reason to Celebrate

Last summer, our friends, Randy and Nancy had a party at their beautiful home to thank everyone for helping them move. It was such a great summer evening party that both Michele and I tried to figure out how we could get Nancy and Randy to repeat it. Since they weren't planning on moving, we used our birthday as an excuse, hence this evening a bunch of well-clad beautiful people got together and had a terrific evening celebrating summer, and just a little bit, Michele and I's birthday (we turn 35 tomorrow).

Pete and Hollie were surprise special guests which made the evening that much more festive and fun. They both look great- what smiles and laughter they share with everyone they are around!

The evening was just as memorable and special as we had hoped, thanks Mom, for having us at the time of year that you did so we could use our birthday as an excuse to celebrate and party.

From left to right: Michele, Stephie, Lisa, Christy, Hollie, me, and Amy

More beautiful ladies: Nancy (the hostess with the mostest), Christy, Denise, Teresa, and Kris

Dear friends, Hollie and Lisa

Michele, looking very hot tonight, with her hubby, Michael

The guys, in an attempt to thoroughly embarass us, brought out identical presents for the "ideal date night" - gift certificates to Olive Garden, Regal Cinemas, and a little "something special" from Victoria's Secret. Certainly, it brought a blush to our faces, and money to my wallet when it all got returned today! (just the last gift....)

The "twins"

Working for Grandpa

Last night my dad called me and asked if he could take either of his two grandsons to work for him. Unfortunately, Brayden's soccer team has been at a soccer camp with the UO Women Soccer team and Traig was camping with his parents. Sorry, Dad, we don't have any boys for you - but, hey, Mikayla will be around.......and hey, she might stay on task longer than Brayden. (That's no slam on my son, just a certain personality contrast between the two of them). Dad replied that that might just work. I then talked to Mikayla and she was giddy at the idea- so it was set. Grandpa would be picking up his little helper at 7:30 am, have a lunch packed for her and he'd have her home by 2.

The job he had in mind was simply holding the tape measure so he could do distance calculations on the property where he's been asked to build his next house. If he didn't have a helper, he'd have had to nail the tape measure down to do it himself. So, clearly, he wasn't needing a rocket scientist, just someone willing to go the distance (or measure the distance, hee-hee!).

Fast forward to tonight - when Stephie arrived Mikayla proudly proclaimed, "Stephie, do you care that Grandpa and I are building a house?" Clearly, she feels a little more important than a tape measure holder!

Earlier this afternoon, after Dad dropped her off, they were both smiling, so I figured it went well. He handed her ten bucks and she literally snatched it out of his hands. Then he had a little talk with her about why she got the money - it was very cute.

A few minutes later he called me to tell me a few more details. He said that after about a half hour of work she was asking when lunch was and proceeded to ask at least every half hour after that. (That's no surprise - Mikayla is a huge grazer, can't imagine where she gets that). He also said that towards the end as she was starting to get bored, she began to pull all of the tape measures off of his belt. When she got to the biggest one, she said, "Grandpa, it's my turn to be the boss, you hold the tape measure now!" What a hoot. She also made it clear that the reason she was bored was because "Grandpa kept making mistakes". (Apparently, Dad had told Mom when she came by for lunch that he had made some mistakes and she latched on to that).

Of course, Brayden had a bit to say that she got to go to work and he didn't, so I assured him that there are two very big house projects coming up and I'm sure there will be opportunities a plenty for him to do some odd jobs (as well as the other grandkids). But, secretly, I gotta say I'm kind of tickled he got his granddaughter this time - just like the old days with his daughters doing work with him. Very cool.......

Two Cups of Coffee

I just got this email today. I've heard much of the "illustration" before, but never the last part. Hope you enjoy it, friends!!!

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours
in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of
coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in
front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large
and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He
then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the
jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas
between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was
full. They agreed it was.

Next the professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand trickled down and filled up everything else. He
asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a
unanimous 'yes'.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and
poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty
spaces between the sand. The students laughed.
'Now', said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
important things --- your family, your children, your health, your
friends, and your favorite passions -- and if everything else was lost
and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house
and your car.

The sand is everything else -- the small stuff. If you put the sand into
the jar first, he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the
golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and
energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that
are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play
with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse
out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the
garage and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first -- the
things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One student raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that
no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple
of cups of coffee with a friend.'

A Couple of Questions 76

Wow, guys - thanks for the support on HSM - Heather and Colie - definitely rent it or catch it this weekend on the Disney Channel (they're repalying it for the upteenth time). We'll certainly have a forum on the 18th of what we thought of the sequel.....

Not so sure I'm liking the rain. When did I turn into such a blue skies person? I used to like the change of pace of rain - hopefully I'll be better about it come Sept./Oct. I'm feeling kind of cheated right now, but glad at least I'm not having to water my plants......

OK, on to questions-

1. What is the strangest thing someone would find in your car right now?

2. What song best epitomizes your life right now?

"I've Got a Confession, It's My Secret Obsession......"

I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL AUGUST 17TH!!!

And, if you recognize the lyrics listed above, perhaps you can't either.

Yes, I'll admit it - I LOVE HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL!!!

I love the message, the songs, the characters, the actors, the cozy feel to the whole movie.

I stop everything and shush the kids when another interview, music video, or "behind the scenes clip" comes on the Disney Channel to describe the upcoming High School Musical 2. I, gulp, can't believe I am admitting this, have even looked up "Zanessa" on Google to see if the two main characters are indeed dating in real life (they are just so cute!).

So, come the evening of August 17th - don't call me. I'll be glued to the tv - with my kiddos who are just as obsessed as me - to the sequel of truly one of my favorite all-time movies (am I shallow, or what). It will be a grand evening, indeed!

The 5 "T's" of Boating

We just returned from our first boat outing of the year. We made plans in the spring to spend the night at a cottage at Loon Lake (near Reedsport) with the Whites. Loon Lake is one of the few sandy-shore fresh water lakes in Oregon, so we set off with high hopes of glassy water and sunny skies. Instead, we were greeted with choppy water and overcast skies within an hour of getting on the lake. Oh well, we still had Brayden and Mikayla both "laying" on the knee board, Stephie out on the intertube with the kids, and myself trying the wakeboard (for the second time in my life) and being so out of control that I was actually doing a few tricks without trying.....obviously, that didn't last long. It is one slippery thing to try to master.

We petered out quick on the lake and were eager to get into the cute little cottage across the street. We went on to the lodge and got our key, as well as some snacks - and headed back, only to open the door and find "somebody's been sleeping in my bed". It wasn't Goldilocks either - apparently, they had given another family our cottage that was supposed to have a smaller cabin. Not a big deal if other places were available, but they only had 3 cottages and with two families, a two bedroom location was a necessity. So, we got to hang out at the lodge parking lot for an hour (watching a Wonder Woman DVD - let's just say that special effects and acting in general have come a long way......). If we were irritated, you can only imagine how that family that got "evicted" felt. How awful!

Can't say we were super impressed with the place once we finally moved in - it was TINY, but clean, a little awkward in that we had to walk through the room that had the Whites to use the bathroom or even get to the living room or kitchen from our bedroom. (Apparently, there was no space for a hallway).

This morning we awoke to more overcast skies, and by the time we turned our key in - drizzle. Well, ok, then - time to find another lake- we ended up at Cottage Grove Lake - in the sunshine (for the most part) and had a delightful day. Pictures to come, when I am not too lazy to get up and unload the camera.

good times with Mikayla

Mikayla using the "knee board" - don't think she's quite caught the concept, but, hey, whatever works

Brayden, oh so close, to getting up.....

Note the amount of water that came into Brayden's side of the intertube - they "caught a wave" literally......

Driving with Daddy.....

As for the title of this post - I've devised our 5 "T's" for choosing a place to take our boat. (This is for you, Pete and Hollie, if you ever get that boat). With so many lakes in our area, here's how we've been able to evaluate where our favorite places are:

TIME - The amount of time it takes to get to a place. This will be at least 30 minutes and up to an hour and 15 minutes. This is one of Hills Creek Reservoirs striking points.

TEMPERATURE - I am a huge woose about being cold - even with a wetsuit. Both lakes today had awesome water temperature, but the closest lake to us, Dexter is freezing........

TURBULANCE - The general "quality of water" - (glass or not) that a lake has. Suttle Lake will always be axed for this reason, way too windy.

TERRAIN - I'm also very picky about how pretty a lake is (or not). I think Fall Creek Lake is beautiful, but can't stand Fern Ridge - I need a pretty forest-like setting.

TRAFFIC - How many people are using the lake. This is the main reason Fall Creek Lake gets axed, it's got the other four T's, and everyone else thinks so too. This is also based on how big the lake is, as to how many people it can handle. Triangle Lake is so small you can all only go one direction.

Hasn't this been informative? All the stuff you never needed to know, but I spent way too much time trying to find synonyms that begin with a "T", not to write it down!

Jordan Kent and the Boys

First of all, thank you everyone for your awesome comments and interaction on that last post. Very fun! I feel like I got to know each of you a little bit better, and some of you in ways I didn't even need to know about!

On Thursday, Brayden got another opportunity to hang with Jordan Kent (see similar post last August). One of Brayden's best buddies, Andrew, got to have Jordan Kent as his special guest of honor for his putt-putt birthday party (his parents won the opportunity at the Young Life Auction).

I can't praise Jordan Kent enough - what a fine young man! He's now officially an NFL player, #82 for the Seattle Seahawks, so it was quite a feat to get him to set aside some time for a bunch of rambuxious boys. But, he did, with a constant smile on his face, and a willingness to sign everything the kids put before him, including the back of their shirts.

It was sweet to watch, and perhaps these pictures will be worth money if he ever makes it super big! Go Jordan Kent!

A Couple of Questions 75

Alright, I've been thinking about this one for a while, trying to turn it into a game or something. But, I figured if I went to that extent the results wouldn't turn out as fun or creative.

Here's the gist - stemming from the "I Have Never...." game, your goal is to come up with a "couple" of things (2-5, or whatever) that you have never done that you would assume most other people have done. Try not to be so obscure that really only you could have been the only one to not have done that - for example "I have never occupied a womb by myself" - hee hee. That doesn't tell you anything interesting about me, but it is technically true.

Now that being said, I have been wracking my brain for interesting things to put in the comments as for what I have never done - (my last thoughts before falling asleep) and they are pretty lame. Oh well, I'll set a standard that you don't have to be interesting to participate! Also, feel free to re-comment as you find yourself relating to some one else's "I Have Nevers....."-

Is This Cool or What?

The last three posts have had song titles for thier titles - I'm breaking the trend today. That could get really hard and time consuming to try to continue, and since it happened by accident - I'm not going to try.

Wanted to put a link to my friend Heather's blog so you can read from her post what is so cool:

http://www.youhavemyword.blogspot.com/

The latest post and then 2 back tell of what's going on.

Yeah Oregon!

How Could I Ask for More?

When I was thinking of questions for the week, I thought about asking for a song title that best describes your place in life right now (do think about that one because it might just come up). The song title that came immediately to mind for me is the title of this post. A song I love - had at our wedding - and think about and sing all the time. The title alone speaks to how I feel about my life right now - I'm in summer as far as the year goes, and in a summer season of my life.

So, why does my mind not feel that way right now? I'm getting plenty of that endorphin-releasing Vitamin D sunlight from the sun, I have wonderful people surrounding me on a daily basis, the summer has just enough scheduling that I don't feel like I'm dangling on some abyss of boredom for two more months.... What is it?

I know this is going to change the subject a bit, but bear with me. I read in the paper last week about the relationship they are finding between weight gain and stress. Apparenlty, they conducted experiments on mice and if you fed a mouse junk food AND combine it with a series of high-stress situations (standing in cold water for an hour or being put in a cage for 10 minutes with an ALPHA mouse), the mouse gained much more weight - and the wrong kind of weight (full of nasty hormones and settling in right around the abdomen) than the mice who just ate the junk food. Isn't that interesting? To me, it explains why certain people might have a very difficult time losing weight who are struggling with so many other problems simultaneously. Even more, though, it tells me, once again, how detrimental stress is on the body.

And, I am believing that that very stress is going through a cycle in me. I was worked up for the run, tore myself down physically a bit after it (battled heat exhaustion headache all day), got quite antsy about a doctor appointment that ended up being exactly as easy as I thought it would be (I have a weak stomach lining which causes a lot of pain if I eat the wrong kind of foods.....), and then, yesterday, got myself too heated as well and nearly passed out. I think I've pointed out in previous posts that health issues are a weakness of mine. For many years, with the help of medicine and answered prayers, it's been kind of a non-existent issue for me. However, right now, I feel like my body is messing with me because it is feeling physically stressed. I, therefore, freak out internally about why it is freaking out physically - and get emotionally stressed out. And, then, my body reacts strongly to that and I have these sudden adrenalin rushes that freak me out even more. The end result, I am on edge, feel like crying, and can't figure out why in the world I feel this way - which makes me feel even worse. Has anybody else ever been there?

So, I think by admitting all of this to you all, as well as John and Michele - I'm already getting better. SO, SO, SO much of it is an emotional decision, but not all - which I have already addressed. In these times, it is an exciting thing to see how God acts, how He delivers, and it's a fresh time again to just trust in Him. Case in point, the Christian fiction book I picked up this weekend involves a soccer mom who must suddenly face an enemy that physically poisons by the words he suggests that mislead, manipulate, and direct her into believing in lies. Hmmmmm, how interesting that I happened to start reading just that book without knowing its content. Also, this from today's reading in the MESSAGE from Ecclesiastes 7: "On a good day, enjoy yourself; On a bad day, examine your conscience. God arranges for both kinds of days so that we won't take anything for granted." Yeah, that speaks to me.

So, quoting from the song - "Cause there are questions without answers, flames that never die, and heartaches we go through are often blessings in disguise - so thank you Lord, how could I ask for more......"

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Let me first stipulate this post that I feel so blessed that we even have a boat and am not whining about the gifts we've been given. That being said, though - I'm going to embark on some wee bit of frustrations we've been experiencing this weekend.

John, having owned his own stereo store - and being one of the best audio installers in the state - never once made a stereo system for any vehicle he owned. So, after getting the boat and being assaulted on the lake with the hard rock or crude rap songs of other wakeboarders, John decided the boat would be the "vehicle" he would compile his life's knowledge of stereo ingenuity upon - and thus, one day, be able to blast everyone on the lake with what Mikayla and Brayden refer to as "God Songs". Stereos mean about as much to me as fine vehicles, so I've just shook my head, figured he needed birthday and Christmas presents of "something" and acquiesced it might as well be woofers and storage capacitors. And, he was very happy.

Ironically, John decided he really wasn't the man to do the install itself. To much tearing out and redesigning that couldn't be done easily in our garage - as well as time he didn't really have. Another one of those, "what's the point" things, but again - just do it, honey - you're the one bringing in the income and we're doing okay - so have fun. So, back in March, the boat left our garage (oh, the blessed room we have again!) and entered into the care of "Soundsational". Yes, March.

From there, it's been a joke as to when the boat would be done. By April 13th, nope.... How about Mothers' Day - that would be fun. Nope. Father's Day? Nope. The weekend prior to our trip, Huh uh. It began getting a little bit nasty at that point as we discovered they had put it off to the side to accommodate other more "in your face" clients. Well, John could play that game. But, instead came home having made friends with all of the folks there and trying to show grace as he wanted to demonstrate a life led by the Lord. I get that too. Well, the good thing about it was, the weather hadn't been too cooperative, so we hadn't really missed that many boating opportunities. Besides, to not worry about getting the boat back right before Tahoe was a relief and for sure it would be done the Sunday we pull in.

You guessed it. Nope. John didn't get the boat back until Thursday - and yes, it did look and sound very good. (Sorry neighbors for the "sound check"). The plan was then to get it de-winterized Friday, have the boys take it out for a quick run to check things out on the lake Friday night - and then Saturday would be the maiden 2007 voyage with our buddies the Quigs and Whites.

But, wouldn't you know it, as it was being de-winterized, a problem surfaced with the ignition. It wouldn't start. CRUD! It appeared that a part replacement was all that was needed so with hopes held high, Travis picked one up while he was conducting business up north on I-5. But, Friday night's efforts didn't work. Disappointed prevailed as Saturday's "voyage" was looking doomed. After some consulatation with folks that "know this stuff" John ascertained that perhaps it was still that part that was the issue, but it had been put in wrong and shorted. So, Saturday was spent with the guys driving back up to Hillsboro for another part and hoping upon hope that this time it would work. Saturday night attempt - no luck, even with my dad around to offer his mechanical/electrical expertise. So - no boating this weekend. And, hopefully some boat-mechanic expert will be able to solve the problem before John is slated to drive the boat for the High School Group on Friday, have a weekend at Loon Lake over the weekend with our family and then take Michele's Bible Study out on Monday.

When frustrations like these happen, I think we all have a tendency to want to point a finger at who we can be mad at. My fingers been wagging away since Friday at "Soundsational". Had we gotten our boat back earlier (even a few days), these problems could have been solved without losing a precious summer (excellent weather) weekend. In addition, there's even a bit of shadow now cast their direction as to having created the whole problem in the first place with how they did the wiring. I'm ticked, but even more so, very disappointed for John. I'm glad he's the one dealing with the problem and will be the one addressing "Soundsational". If it were me, all testimony would be lost.

If there's a bright side to the whole thing, I will say yesterday was tremendously therapeutic to me in terms of having a day without agenda when I felt like both my body and mind were functioning simultaneously. Since the race, the ankle and quads have made any movement "very strained" and I just have felt very "discombobalated". To get my own act and house together yesterday was a blessed thing. As for today, well, the Schillings are down, so that is fun - and perhaps we'll head to the Camp Harlow pool. The water won't be "glass" - but, we'll do the best we can with what we have........

Running Just to Catch Myself.......

....or perhaps, my twin sister-

The Official Butte to Butte post-

At 6:30 Wednesday morning, I have to tell you, I was really questioning our decision to run the 6.2 miles that it takes to complete the Butte to Butte race. Why, when I could be sleeping in, or making carmel rolls for the family, was I donning a paper number to my stomach (which was full of butterflies) and hopping in a vehicle at 7:10 am to stand around with a bunch of ultra-athletes to torture myself?

To tell the truth, I have been preparing for this event since May. Prior to May, I've never ran more than a four mile distance - so when I hit 5 miles on the treadmill I had to call everyone I knew - what a huge deal to me (however, after brother in law runs 100 miles - it kind of takes the wind out of the achievement....... =) ) Michele was already running and getting in primo shape (she looks awesome) - so when she suggested doing the Butte to Butte with John - my pride interceded and I agreed to the crazy event. My mistake.

The time before the race started seemed to drag, so I can't tell you how fun it was to run into Michele and I's favorite teacher - Mr. Halupa, his wife, daugter, and grandson - also ready to take off. In fact, I got so distracted by them, that when the race began, I hadn't even figured out my i-pod to get the music prepped for the most dreaded first mile - all uphill. That was problem #1. I'll go ahead and list the rest of the problems that morning-

#1- I-pod malfunction - couldn't figure how to start Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American (God Bless the USA)" and then put it in the armband without turning it off. Hence, I let Michele get us up the hill way too quick because I was so distracted. Good news, I didn't realize how "hurting" I was until we were practically moving backwards at the steepest crest - bad news, I was ready to throw up and totally overheated and had only completed mile one.

#2- After running downhill for the next mile, in the shade, and figuring out my i-pod, I was starting to get my groove (I also made Michele slow it down a bit, I mean, it's not a race - well, I guess it is, but not for us.....) so just as I was feeling like I might be back in this thing, I totally turned my ankle. Fortunately, that former teacher of mine had just passed us, so I didn't attract the kind of attention I didn't need at that point. I continued running, hopefully, I could shake it off.

#3- By about mile 4, I had worked out the ankle thing, to some extent, and had found a few sprinklers and water cups to douse myself. This was a good thing. But, wouldn't you know, that cooling effect of the water - had an adverse affect - can you say "severe chaffing"? Oh, man, that was worse than the ankle - it hurt every time I moved those thighs. Where's some Desitin when you need it?

#4 - Running with Michele - Absolutely the only reason I finished the race still running (and not succumbing to the desired walk pace) - but, pretty much the only reason I decided to race in the first place. And, unfortunately, why I'm sure I'll do it again next year - and this time see if we can't beat that 1 hour and 10 minute end time. Love you Michele - thanks for hanging in there with me - what an UNBELIEVABLE memory running through the chute - with the crowd cheering and Mom looking on - very proud of you!

As for the extra players - John and Travis both ran as well - Travis, who had been training very conscientously, did fantastic - even passed one of his "friend/competitors" in the last stretch. Way to go, dude. John, who, due to some calf injuries, hadn't been training for the last 6 weeks - had a not so happy experience, but finished just barely over an hour, nonetheless. Proud of you too, honey!

An Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration

Our buddies, the Johnsons, co-host quite a sweet cul-de-sac Fourth of July Party. It feels so "hometown" complete with , bounce house, potluck, lemonade stand, bike and scooter parade, and of course, some illegal fireworks....... It's certainly a treat to be invited-

Camp Harlow on the Fourth

Following a very active morning (see following post) - we headed off to Harlow - I'll let the pics speak for themselves:
A Picture of the gang of us entering in.....

Ellie - creating this pose on her own, with Travis

Now, this duo is trouble with a capital "T"

Michael and Traig taking on the bumper boats

Thanks to Brayden blinking - you won't be seeing this pic as our Christmas card....

Go Carts - yee hah!

Chele, racing with Ellie - this would be the picture taken before she pulled back in at the end and forgot she had a brake pedal - consequently ramming the kid in the cart right in front of her- way to go Michele, you may have beat me in the end racing at the Butte, but at least I can drive a Go-Cart....

Notice who is in the lead.....

A special pic of John and his Mommy

Third of July Celebration

The third of July has been a bit of a traditional celebration day for us - this year was no exception. All the typical stuff - bbq, snacks, and lounge chairs out front. This year, instead of getting ripped off by the outlet stores, we hit Costco for the fireworks supplies and felt very good about it. It was a very sweet evening......



At the end of the fireworks display, Travis took a long-wand sparkler and snuck into the garage. He came ripping out of the garage on Brayden's scooter with what looked like a lightening torch coming out of the back. It was hillarious and totally impressed the kiddos......

A Couple of Questions 74

I know I promised creativity, but given the week that we're in - I had to go with the obvious. I have a fun idea for next week, so hang in there with me.

1. What are your Fourth of July celebration plans?

2. What is one thing you'd really like to have happen or see accomplished before the end of summer?

Water Works Park

Thanks everyone for indulging me in my online scrapbook of the longest vacation our family has taken. It's felt kind of selfish posting all of these fun things, but my mom said she was appreciative of keeping up with all of our activities which is part of the point of this whole thing. So, thanks guys, and I'll try to post some really creative "Couple of Questions" on Monday to take the focus off of our "spoiled" family (but very, very, very thankful........).

Today was the last full day of activities. We heard a waiter talk to a group seated near us yesterday that going through Weed, to Klamath Falls and then through Oakridge should shave us an hour off our time. Hard to imagine when Mapquest shows a 1 mile difference, but, for the sake of diversity we'll give it a shot bright and early tomorrow.

I have to say my best food recommendations from the whole trip are actually franchises - go figure (it shows my amazing fine dining expertise). You just can't go wrong (unless you are a vegetarian!) with In-N-Out Burger. Man, good stuff - and I love mixing the vanilla shake with root beer to make the best root beer float I've had in years..... Also, we tried Black Bear Diner (which I've never heard of before, but I now know is a franchise). Huge platters of yummy, homestyle food (with vegetarian options..... =) ) Had some tremendous corn flake coated french toast with fresh strawberries and whip cream this morning. Tood good for my own good - that's for sure. I have some serious work in store for me in the gym when I return!

OK, today was Water Works. Not a lot to expand on, other than it was a lot of fun and a perfect activity for a 90 degree day here in Redding. We rented double person rafts (a very good suggestion for anyone considering this as a future family activity). I tried to store the memory of laying on it with Mikayla pulling it along in the Lazy River for future daydreaming in the depths of winter, or anytime I'm depressed. The picture of Mikayla shows her in the kiddy area while Brayden was doing some slides that she was too short for. I think she did that slide at least 2 dozen times.

Thanks again for the sweet comments. John and I feel so incredibly blessed to have had such a fantastic family vacation-

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Before John and I were married, we took these long road trips on random windy roads just for the sake of exploring. After we got married, however, those experiences went to the wayside (kind of like my interest in playing card games - I can be fair that we were both a bit misleading in our interest in certain hobbies). So, yesterday, when I proposed taking a less than direct route to Redding, I was surprised that John was game.

It was a fun drive, we drove by one of Jodi's favorite places, Lake Almanor, and the adorable little accompanying town called Chester. When I looked at the route I noticed that there was also a national park nearby that supposedly had some pretty cool Yellowsone-like volcanic features. I thought this would be a stretcher for John to try, but with a little bit of "kid influence" - he took us up the mountain road. It took even more convincing that the three mile (round-trip) hike to "Bumpass Hell" would be worth it, but, once again, caving to the pleas of the kids - he was gung ho. Thank you John, because the experience was so worth it.

Having spent an entire summer in Yellowstone, I'm a little biaed of all that that place has to offer. But, I'm willing to admit, Lassen had some pretty cool features itself. Stuff that certainly impressed the kiddos. As we laughed, I think it was a much more memorable experience for them than seeing if the Gap store at the Shasta Outlets has anything good on sale..... (besides, we can check that out tomorrow!) Here are quite a few pictures of steaming sulfur, boiling mud, and other geothermal oddities that has us thinking, "God is so creative".