Weekend Events

I've really got you wondering about my trip, so I guess I better fill you in! This week has been a little crazy, so I haven't gotten around to posting. Last Thursday morning Michelle and I left for Marco Island for a ladies retreat. We shopped all the way down there, and we shopped most of our free time! The weather wasn't the best, so we didn't get much time to just relax at the pool...be we accomplished a lot! The retreat was fun, very well done, and challenging. I won some Chanel sunglasses, that was note worthy since I never win anything! We came home Saturday and then Cary and I went to the hockey game with a bunch of our college kids. We had a lot of fun... the arena was COLD like it was supposed to be when Sarah came to town! On Sunday we had lunch with Josh and Jen and Owen got to visit for the first time in a while. THIS grandpuppy keeps growing!

TAG, I'M IT !!!

I have been tagged for a meme (no idea what this means) just trying to comply. I DO NOT normally do these kinds of things, but since I am hurting for blogging material......

Rules: Each player answers the questions themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, goes to their blogs to inform them they have been tagged by leaving a comment to read the tagger's blog, and letting those bloggers answer the questions themselves. Here are the questions:

10 Years ago I:
1. I was home schooling Kaylee-taught her to read, one of my greatest accomplishments, and probably the most fulfilling thing I've ever done.
2. Already married 15 years.
3. Living most of my life on a soccer field.
4. Had my own sewing business, making bridal veils, dresses, alterations.
5. Entered the joy of parenting a middle schooler.

5 things on today's "to do" list:
1. grocery store
2. pay the credit card bill...this may seem really insignificant to most, but one of the dear ones that tagged me for this chore will be blessed to know these details. Kathy, are you listening??? Until very recently, I kept envelopes of money in my purse, each marked with a category of my budget. I paid cash for everything and never borrowed from an envelope I shouldn't. Now, I have a credit card. One, only one. Pay it off at the end of EVERY month. I carry no cash. At the end of EACH day, I take the receipts from my wallet and pay them off. Then, when the bill comes each month, the bill has to be reconciled to my amount of money I am holding. Maybe I should say the money has to be reconciled to the bill??? That's a big word... the money must equal the number on the bill. A few times this has not happened, and my life has near ended and I am tempted to go back to the old fashion way. So when you read this today, PLEASE pray it works out. It really messes with my life when it doesn't work.
3. Pack for a trip that will be blogged about on another occasion
4. Dr. appointment
5. church

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. chocolate
2. grapes
3. chocolate
4. chocolate
5. chocolate...I'm really NOT a snacker!

5 places I have lived:
1. San Manuel, Arizona
2. Tucson, Arizona
3. Lancaster, California
4. Fort Worth, Texas
5. Ft Myers, Florida

5 jobs I have had:
1. working in a school for handicapped children (my all time favorite)
2. working for an eye doctor (very educational)
3. banking (NOT my favorite)
4. working from home and doing alterations on wedding dresses that cost more than some houses. (more stress than anyone should ever take on!)
5. secretary

5 people I tag: (I only have 3 blogger buddies that haven’t been tagged):
1. Angela DeBoer
2. Megan Hunt
3. I COULD tag Beth Moore, but I really don't think she'd do it and if she did, I'd probably NEVER recover!
4. It's not that I don't have other friends, I just don't have any other friends that blog that haven't already been tagged!
5.

Precious Flower Girl!

I'm getting fussed at for not blogging in a while, but things have been pretty quiet around here! So, when there's a lull, I can always talk about our zoo. This afternoon the girls and I saw a HUGE bobcat in the yard. Bigger than the last one, for sure. I couldn't get a picture fast enough. My math skills tell me that probably that means there are more than one! JOY! Then, there's always Tuc. Tonight he had his back side resting on Cary's chair, while his front end rested on the table. Isn't he a site??? Never a dull moment! This weekend we went to the wedding of one of our boys that we have known for about 15 years. The flower girl, without a doubt, stole the show. She behaved very well, it's just that she was too cute to take your eyes off her! She did a great job! We have loved her mama for many years. The wedding was another reminder of how blessed we are by long term relationships! Going through thick and thin together for many years just creates an amazing glue!

Old News

This is old news because I have been waiting for a certain daughter to give me pictures! Last week, while Cary was gone, Kaylee left her lights on at school and we ended up with a car that wouldn't start. Funny how that happens. It gets funnier...she finally got someone to help her jump it and they got it started. Here's the problem...when you jump the car, the sunroof comes opened. The only way to fix it is to turn it off and jump it again, then it closes! We know this from experience! So, Kaylee called me and told me she was on her way home, but the sunroof was opened! I went into panic mode...Cary was gone, it was going to rain for the next three days, starting any moment, can't have the car in the garage in case it doesn't start again and can't have it in the driveway because the sunroof is opened and it's gonna rain! I have to make a very long story short here, so let's just say we tried MANY things to remedy the situation, and nothing worked. Finally, we decided we just had to take it into the shop and let them take care of it. The problem: It is raining and the shop is about 15 miles away. You just do what you have to do! I got a plastic tarp out of the garage and shut it in the doors of the passenger side. Then, I pulled it over the sunroof, got in the car and shut the tarp in after I had tucked myself in real good. It worked well, for at least a few minutes. With speed, rain was blowing down as the tarp was flying up. The pressure was pulling the tarp up and I was watching the tarp slowly fly out the doors where I had tucked it in. So, I'm driving, trying to hold the tarp down with my spare hand (as if I had one). It was one of those situations where there were no good answers. To go home, I had accomplished nothing. To keep going...I was already soaked and so was the inside of the car. I stopped at the church and had several helpers evaluating the situation. Finally, it stopped raining and I took off, Kaylee following behind. I was almost in tears by now, but it really was pretty funny too. We made it to the shop, they fixed it, and all is well now. I hope Kaylee remembers to turn off the lights from now on!

Missionary Visitors!

On Thursday night we had some missionary friends from Guatemala that stayed with us. We met Arlen, Ruth and Gilberto the first time we went to Guatemala, about ten years ago. During that trip, Ruth spoke little English, and Gilberto spoke none. They were much better this time, but unfortunately, Cary and I have not improved much! They are precious people, really made an impact on my trip and it was such a joy to have them in our home. Cary and Arlen have kept in touch over the years, he and his family even stayed with us once before, but that was years ago. It was such a blessing to catch up and see current pictures. Ruth and Gilberto work with the Christian schools and also work with a camp there. They showed us pictures of places where we worked that now have added second stories to their schools. It was nice to know that God has still been at work and has continued to bring other teams in to work behind us. We have so many missionary friends now and we are so honored when we get the opportunity to catch up with them and really find out what is going on in their lives.

Sarah Palin!

Sarah came to town yesterday. They started giving out tickets last week and ended up changing where she would speak, because of the demand for tickets. Appropriately, it was changed to the hockey arena, holding 9,000 people. I wanted to go, but didn't go get a ticket because we always get called at the last minute when our friends are trying to get rid of extra tickets! Yesterday was no different. I got a ticket, and just had to find a way to get out to the arena since I didn't have a car yesterday! Cary ended up coming and getting me, I took him back to work and took the car. Well, the doors opened at noon, and by the time I got all my ducks in a row, it was 2:00 when I got there. She was speaking at 3, so I thought I was still doing fine on time. The entrance to the arena was blocked with cops. All the parking lot was full. So, I went to the outlet mall right next door to the arena. I cannot even TELL you what it was like. Long story short...I had already walked yesterday morning and I got AT LEAST another couple of miles in. It is Florida, the heat is still with us, and I had dressed to go to the hockey arena...usually pretty cold in there! I was SOAKED all the way through everything I had on, literally DRIPPING WET. Finally got to the doors where there was a line about 15 people deep and it went ALL the way around the arena. I started praying for ANYONE I knew, and sure enough, one of Carissa's friends saw me. I jumped in line with her, and in no time we were heading through security where they took my UMBRELLA and I heard them say the fire marshal was fixing to shut them down. Only about 10 people made it in after me. So, I was there, soaking wet, and standing room only. And, stand we did. Lots of other political speakers spoke before Sarah ever even arrived in town. She was late. Finally, the moment I had been waiting for! She spoke! It was great to be there, but she didn't say anything I haven't already heard in the comfort of my air conditioned living room. When I left, I went and begged the secret service for my umbrella, and they did give it to me...as long as I was headed out THAT door and not coming back in! No one goes anywhere in Florida without an umbrella, and I sure wasn't gonna be happy if I had to take my NEXT ten mile hike in the afternoon rain storm without an umbrella! WHAT were they thinking??? So, I made it back to the car JUST as it started to rain. At this point, who could tell sweat from rain??? I was really in bad shape. Maybe the most eventful moment for me was seeing the group in the stands holding up the American flag. There's just something about the flag. My mom would have been really proud. I was standing close when some from the "other side" had gotten in and decided to make themselves known. Can I just tell you that you don't really want to be on THAT side of the secret service? Oh my. They were out of there! So, I will post a couple of pictures just to prove I was there. Sarah is the bright blue spot under the media's tripod. The one on the big screen is a bit better!