Bliss

There is NOTHING sweeter than having a three year old climb up on you lap with her blankie and promptly fall asleep!

Ah bliss!

Brian's New Workout

Strap a 30 pound baby on your back and do pull-ups!

What would he do without us?

(Buy a gym membership probably)

Wednesday!

We got a Bowflex!

Since it was cheaper to buy a Bowflex than it was to sign all of us up at a gym here Dad decided to invest in an exercise machine. So, I got on Craigslist and ... TADA a gently used
Bowflex Ultimate 2!

The instruction manual was a little thicker than we anticipated!

Jenny on the treadmill
(and we keep the crutches handy, who wants to hobble all the up to the attic when in pain?)

Here I am helping! Brian kept me around to hold the instruction manual and hold the heavy pieces in place as he attached them permanently. I offered to help with screwing the bolts into place, but Brian and Emily just chuckled and asked me to hold the manual up higher.

Well on a different note, Brian got a job! He is now a lifeguard at Great Wolf Lodge! This resort has a huge indoor/outdoor water park with about a dozen slides plus a bunch of other water activities. Luckily he is allowed to bring friends with him occasionally!

Travel

Saturday---

6:00 AM CST - Left Home

We drove through Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, finally into Virginia.

7:00 PM CST - Denny's in Salem VA

8:00 PM CST - Comfort Inn Salem VA

9:00 PM CST - Left Comfort Inn because of bed bugs (EWWWWWWWW!)

10:30 PM CST - Found hotel room in Charlottesville VA. No bugs.

11:30 PM CST - Sleep

The good news is A) I drove through Kentucky and part of West Virginia (YEAH!) B) The mountain roads aren't as treacherous as they were in 1972 (No one got car sick!)! C) We only have 1 1/2 hours to Williamsburg!

See ya later!

Jenny's Camera

I just downloaded the pictures from Jenny's camera for the first time since she got it (in January) and decided to share with you some of her best shots that would recap our year thus far!

Hawaii
Sisters! (In Hawaii)
Mom playing BINGO in Tennessee

Easter Morning

Brian's Birthday Cake

A cool storm that rolled through this spring

Leah's Princess Tiana pumpkin

And a BEAUTIFUL self portrait of the Jennifer.
NOTE - If I am dead tomorrow, you have a suspect and a motive!!!!!

Photography of an Almost 3 Year Old

I don't want my picture taken ....

FINE, I'll stop crying, but I WON'T smile...

I'm done...

Oh, we are going to NANA'S house
Nana has jelly beans, right?
Yeah!
Oh boy, we are leaving now!
Come on guys!

Too cute!
(The easiest picture I took all day!)

New Blog Series!

I will be starting a new blog series about our life in Tennessee! This is the last time we will be going down there, so this is my last chance capture this unique time in our lives!

As for the unfinished Hawaii series, I'll get to it someday! (AKA - one more thing to add to my list of "Things to do before I turn 100.") This one will get squished somewhere between #247 -produce a movie and # 248 -go skydiving. #248 will always be the last accomplishment I want to do because I figure if I am free falling out of an airplane I will be scared senseless and will NOT remember to pull some cord to activate the parachute. AND on the rare chance that the rip cord DOES get pulled, I would land in a tree or river or something, hurt my knee, end up on crutches and rip up of that STUPID list of things to do. PHEW! SO, luckily for all of you blog readers who are awaiting the last details of our trip to Hawaii, I will get to it before I jump out of a plane.

Speaking of jumping out of a plane, I am baby-sitting right now. Boo has a sudden phobia of the song "My Darling Clementine". While I will admit that my voice is a little raw after coughing for the last 4 days, it isn't THAT much worse than usual! Whenever I try to sing the song to her, she scrunches her face up like I am sticking her with a knife, then she starts to almost sob. (You know that quick inhale hastily followed by another quick inhale) I just sent Jenny in to turn on Boo's "Dora" CD. The recording has 44 songs that are mainly 70's and 80's tunes with new words. It keeps Brian and I guessing what the songs were originally supposed to sound like. My favorite is "I'm the Grumpy Old Troll" to the tune of "Little GTO".

I just reread this post and am currently debating if I should publish it. Here goes nothing...

GERANAMOOOOO!

Well....

Well, rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated by those who are hoping to get their hands on my room and my millions (unfortunately for them, I don't have a life insurance policy AND my room is slated to be rented out and the proceeds would go to charity ;)

ANYWAYS -

I did go surfing with Brian this morning! (No crutches, braces, or plaster around me, so I figure I did REALLY well for me!) I am currently transferring the 352 pictures Mom and the girls took off my camera, so you will get to see the 352 times I fell!

(Oh yeah and for all of you who are wondering, Mom did not have a heart attack, and is sending Emily out tomorrow!)

ANYWHO -

We are going out to lunch for the second time this week

(food is really expensive on the island, especially eating out!)

so I will post pictures of our adventures in seafood!

The next post will include pictures!

Too Funny

Tonight we ate dinner in the dining room at the retirement center. Lots of residents came up and spoke to Dad or commented on his family. During a lull in the visitors, Leah turned to Dad and asked him, "How do all these people recognize us without our costumes on?" Out of the mouths of babes!