. .oh, a few more vac pics

Just a few more pictures.

First the back seat became a beauty salon...anything to help past 18 hours!




Then chillin at Nana & Papa's house.

Every morning was a struggle after sweating all the day before. Next vac maybe we will just sleep.

We always to to A Bug's Life at Animal Kingdom. Don't we make cute bugs.

Oh, sisterly love. Sara usually attacks and Ruth retaliates...all in fun of course.

More love....see the smiles

One of my favorite pictures from Honeymoon Beack in Clearwater Fl. We always go there when visiting Jeff's parents.

OK. As you all know it has been too hot without relief anywhere. So, here is the inventive way to help with this:

First we found a new use for the soccer canopy that Jeff's parents bought for us....shade for the people and pup pools. It helps keep the water from getting too hot to enjoy.

Next, this is a mister that we got from Lowe's a few years. You hook the garden hose up to it and it makes a fine mist and it feels really good to feel....let it mist on you directly.

















Finally make sure that there is an unbrella over the seating area. If not, you may burn your bottom just sitting onto it. If a high wind comes by, look out. We actually have it anchored to the ground and tied with clothes line to the chair...country hick style, but it usually works, though we have had to chase it a few times.

My dad turns 80

It was a great birthday party. My sis had her canopy set up next to her jacuzzi-this is where I got the idea. Of course it was so hot, we had to wait for the sun to go down do the water would cool off enough to get in. There were games of washers-similar to horse shoes. Admiration for my sis's veg garden...always a green thumb.

We play a game called pin the parts on the old fart, and thank goodness it was a clean game. It was things like glasses, cane, sock garders, hearing aid....it was very funny. Then my dad posed as the old fart.

The cake was good, but my dad especially loved the apple pie.

Of course as is our tradition, it was all followed by playing cards and eatting queso and chips-thanks Mike.



We made a very fast weekend trip for my dad's 80th b-day. Jeff stayed at home because we currently have a very sick cat that can not miss any of her meds.....so he volunteered to stay behine and take care of our Puff.

HOT

yes, it is currently 10:30 and had finally dropped to 91. Last week I noticed that at 5 it had dropped to 105--this is all without the heat index.

WE are hibernating inside.

For those up north with this heat, at least we have practice handling the heat, so stay inside, lots of fluids, and turn the fans on HIGH.

SO, Happy July 4th. By the way, it was in 1776 that we got our independence. What are we doing today.....are you kidding? It hasn't been under 103+ every day so we are hibernating INSIDE!!!! And by the way....being in a SEVERE drought....many cities are cancelling fireworks. So far, our city is a go.....of course it will be going off over a water park, so, at least there will be water near by.

Hope everyone can get outside and enjoy the day

Sara's Mission Trip

Sara left for the church misison trip to LaFayette, LA. They had 124 teens attending in 12 work groups. Each group built wheelchair ramps.

Education in the summer

This is the 4th year that Sara was nominated for the Education In Action program. This year, we sent her. She went to the Houston/Galveston program. They spent 5 days touring, doing group activities, and I don't know what else. They had a huge workbook to work on and she said only the way Sara can "this is like school in the summer"....Yea...get the EDUCATION part?

Yes, Sara's best friend attended with her.

catching up

We finally refinished the chair in the back yard. most of the paint was chipped off during a hail storm a few years ago, and we finally went for it. The color turned out so bright, we had to get cushions to hide some of it.

Mother's day was great. I got flowers, chocolate and cards from my kids and Jeff.

New year photos

I forgot, but on new year's eve, we made drawings on our dry erase board, which is still there. The kids are so creative!

home improvements

Over Memorial weekend, Jeff and I added shelved in the laundry room. Some of the big boxes will be full of school supplies. I but them after school has begun and they are greatly discounted. One thing led to another since as I cleaned out where the supplies were, I found duplicate purchases of kitchen lunch bags, foil, etc. I guess we would not find them, so we assumed that there were none and bought more.
This then led to the discovery of more thing that I no longer use so the stack of donations is growing.


I have decided to finally repaint/paint the woodwork in the house. When we had wood floors added many years ago, the quarter round they added was primed white, but not painted white. Over time, the trim work has chipped and yellowed, so off I go. The hardest is taping off all the area, and the SMELL of the oil based w/ primer paint and the color~~white. It is actually more glossy than the paint now showing, maybe due to aging, but I am going to try to NOT have to do all 18 doors too.

Before

and after. It is not perfect, but it is much better.

God's gift

Today we had a rainbow. Actually it was a double rainbow, but it was hard to get a picture of it. We do not see many rainbows here, maybe because of the hills. We enjoyed it very much.

Soccer ends

Our last game, we tromped over a team 7-1. We had lost to them before, so winning was so sweet. It was a great team and a great season. After one game, coach treated the team to ice cream. We did no win that game, but the girls played their hearts out. Most of the teams at this level are on their high school teams. Sara and two others are younger-"playing up" because they are talented and need the challenge. Sara and her friend will both be trying out for the HS team in the fall.

Sara and her friends were teasing at the ice cream place-Chocolate, Vanilla and strawberry. The kids make such good friends during soccer....I recommend that everyone gets their kids into a sport to keep them active, teach them skills, including how to lose, and making new friends.

Awards

The girls both received end of the year awards. Ruth got hers as the best art studend and the teacher made a speach about how talented she is.

Sara got an award for A honor roll-aka all A's all year. She also got the Cougar Team award. One boy and girl were awarded this on each of the 3 teams as the kindest, best working in the team. Also, a very nice speach by the teachers.

School's over

This is last August when Sara went into 8th and Ruth into 7th.

This is June and they both advance with flying colors. Next year Sara will be in High School and back on the bus, and Ruth will be at her school by herself and I will continue the carpool. Notice the more casual clothing at the end of school. Sara is dressed in her outfit for athletics. They are on color teams and competing this week. Yes, her team is orange. One of the girls is yellow, and one is purple.

This is my wonderful carpool girls. The three middle ones are going on to high school. The other two, Ruth & M, I have been carpooling since first grade and I love to see them grow up.

Remembering Memorial Day

Not just a day off...but a day to be thankful.

STUDY

Finals are next week and the girls are going at it. They just got their state mandated TAKS test back and of course Ruth missed only 1 in math and 4 in reading, and perfect score in writing. She says she does not even remember what she wrote about. On the scale, she is and always has been way above the average. This is why Duke University brought her into their TIPS program at the University in 3rd grade....and yes, she has been in the gifted program since kindergarten. If only she would study without me reminding her constantly, but maybe she already knows it.

Then there is Sara. Considering all, she did very well. She still has a hard time on the math word problems since there are many words she still does not get. That child is driven to perfection! One of her teachers called her an over-achiever when Sara had only a 95 in the class and she asked for extra credit to bring it up.....that's Sara

Happy birthday son

Today is my son Bryan Christian's 27th birthday. Bryan died when he was 1 day old. Hard to believe it has been so long ago and sometimes it still seems like yesterday. The sadness is always there, just under the happiness, but it is there.

Though it was only for a day that I had him, I also had him for 8 months before and he always be my first born.

and the big wind blew . .

It is Tuesday night, a few days after Joplin, MO. and we hear that once again, we are heading into the weather fight. I prepare the storm room, under the stairs, and as I do, I think of all those who have had to go through this lately, and those who did not make it. I know that if one of "those" tornadoes makes it here, we are a goner since we have no basement. This is mostly for security and I will look into ways to secure the room better, but not tonight.

It was a scarry night and there were at least 9 tornadoes, luckily small, that hit north and south of us. Thank God we made it again. I have been in a direct hit by a tornado so I have great respect. As a child growing up in Mo in tornado alley, I have seen this destruction in person and it is something you never forget.

Take time and think what is your safest room and make a plan and make sure the kids are up on it.....what will you take, make sure you have shoes on, and something I heard new which was put the bicycle helmets on the kids. Have blankets and pillows to crawl under, flash lights, cell phones, meds......you get the point. Oh yea, remember that you animals are also looking for help...take them with you too.

POCKET PETS?

Sara has taken to carrying around the dog Jessie and cat Puff around in her soccer backpack until I notice. As you can see, the cat was having nothing to do with it. Jessie is laid back so he is OK. Note~she did not even try this with Cooper.....good choice.

Puppy Love

...do I really need to say anything?