TheGirls Are Back In Town

This is a small gathering of my crowd in high school. Have these gals aged well, or what?

Not Important Enough for the Nobel Peace Prize Committee

Shame on every member of that committee.


Watch this to see why. Have Kleenex handy.

Friday Fun

This is clever. (Hat tip: Palmtree Pundit)

Here is my prayer for the day, based on my personality type:

ENFJ: God, help me to do only what I can and trust you for the rest. Do you
mind putting that in writing?

You can find the whole list here.
There is also an online personality test with fun anecdotes here

The Weather is Normal

Just thought I shoudl tell you that since I did so much complaining before. It's been 81-86 for the highs and 46-50 at night. Yes, that is normal.

That's Why They're Denied Driver's Licenses

Dogs are 8 times more prone to epilepsy than humans. We discovered this last Saturday evening when Nan-A-Thon's little yorkie had a series of seizures. The girls brought him inside and it was clear he wasn't quite right. He walked like he'd been shootin' whiskey, as we say around here, and his tongue was so purple it looked black.
I was holding the dog in my arms. Auntie-A-Thon took one look at him and said, "He's not getting any oxygen!!" Before I knew it, Auntie was performing mouth to snout. It took one other try and then he was breathing on his own. (I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have crossed my mind...and if it had, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have done it. Well, maybe I would have...)

We left the kids at home, and Nan, Auntie and I made an emergency run to the vet. We got exceptional vet care. If you have an animal emergency, being in a place where people spend as much money building barns as they do houses is a good place to be!

All's well that ends well, and the dog is fine. Apparently yorkies can have seizures when they are overstimulated. I guess a house full of pre-teens and teens with water balloons is a bit stimulating for the little guy.

So Much To Say

So little of it appropriate.

So, instead, I'll tell you that I am planning to go on a little photo safari of the area in which I grew up. There are some great old signs (most in need of repair) and some funny places. Lots of wide open spaces--which I had been desperately craving--and some great characters in town.

On another note, I am getting to exercise regularly and am reading a book I have wanted to get to for about 2 years. It's a quick and good read. I'll post about it soon.

Auntie-A-Thon Says Hi

Auntie-A-Thon (who, by the way wins EVERY auntie contest becuse she is in fact a child in an adult body) wanted me to tell you all "Hi". There she is chatting up Girl-A-Thon before we left for her surprise birthday party. Notice the similarity in size between the two. It's just not fair. My sister is adorable AND pocket sized!

She and I have marginally different styles ;-)

UPDATE: Auntie-A-Thon did not liek the picture and would like me to tell you all that she does not have a flat face ;-)

How Do You Spell LOVE in Green River, Wyoming?

D-U-A-L-L-Y.

Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me for pictorial proof. But I saw someone's token of devotion in a shiny white dually with the vanity plate that read "4-Reba". Yes, I am from a place where people name their beloved baby girls Reba. On Purpose. Not on a dare. And though I am sure that Ray Jack or Billy Dean or whomever loves Reba so much he just had to give her her very own personalized ride, I must state that for me, the sign below (at the local carwash) says it all.

UPDATE: This is a dually. It's a pickup truck with four wheels on the back axle (two on each side).

A Busy Few Days

In the past few days, we have had some fun. I climbed "Man's Face" with Boy-A-Thon. Man's Face is the same mountain I climbed as a little girl in the summertime. I used to pack a lunch and a jar or two (for blue belly lizards and horny toads) into a backpack, sling a BB gun over my shoulder and head up the hill with my best friend, Keith Hodges. It was really something to share that with my son. Of course, we didn't pack a lunch, we brought water bottles. And my son did not recevie a BB gun for his 5th birthday, so that was missing too. Regardless, we both had a great time. (Note: climbing at 38 is significantly different than climbing at 8! At 38 you end the climb with elevated iced knees and Motrin!)

Did I Tell You?

I have a great husband. He made a surprise trip to see Girl-A-Thon for her birthday. She opened a big wrapped box to find her daddy. He had to take a last minute business trip and was able to sneak over to our neck of the woods for 3 days. What a treat. It had been three weeks since we had seen Dad-A-thon, so we were all thrilled.

Paradise--In Spite of the Weather

You know how you're always wishing you had just a little more time in the day? Well, it is all here in Wyoming. The time really does pass WAY more slowly here. So, I find myself with time to exercise, time to get my makeup on without rushing, time to curl Girl-A-Thon's hair in the ringlets she's decided she wants, and time to help spring clean my mom's house. The kids are digging it because they have time to play, read, and rest. Nan also has two little dogs that love attention, and I have two kids that love little dogs. We are doing a miniscule amount of schoolwork here, and it seems to take 30 seconds of our day. Boy-A-Thon has been playing video games sans time restrictions, and has been running around outside in the "Ninja Obstacle Course" he and his cousin have created in Nan's back yard. (Boy-A-Thon doesn't seem to get that it is COLD outside.) The only bummer so far has been that I still won't let the boys climb the mountain. The wind has been gusting up to 45 mph, and I just don't want them blowing down. :-)

A Nice June Snow

Yes, snow is predicted for the weather here tomorrow. (Does it start to make sense now why I had to move away?) It is currently 36 degrees and was raining earlier. If it continues to rain as the temp drops we will indeed get snow tonight. Whether it will be there when I wake up is another story. It hailed a few days ago when Teen-A-Thon was still here. It was the first time any of the kids had seen--or heard--a hailstorm. The kids thought that was pretty wild.

Anyway...the pies were excellent. Girl-A-Thon and I made them with Splenda, as my mother (a tiny pie person) is diabetic. We've been enjoying dinners together at the dinner table each night which is a different routine for the folks who live here all the time. Everyone seems to like it, though. I know I love cooking for my family--it's a love language of mine, for sure.

From The Road

Well, we have settled a bit and are in Wyoming for the rest of the month. We began this trip in Pennsylvania where we attended a very special baptism. The relationship I have been able to witness between a birth mother and adoptive family is truly amazing. I would never believe it is possible. All of the people involved are truly exceptional, and I suppose that is what it would take to make that relationship work. I've known great adoptive families, but with birth mothers who are, at best, psycho. So it is refreshing to see a truly good scenario. It's a God job, as Connie would say.

We then went to Washington, D.C. for what proved to be way too short of a time. Translation: we'll be back--next time with Dad-A-thon. Through the activities we did with many other homeschool families, we got to meet some great folks. At the end of each day, we were exhausted, and I learned again and again that I really like my kids. It is wonderful to see the fruit of the labor of parenting. The kids are enjoyable people. (WooHoo!)

So now we are in Wyoming, where the weather has decided to stay cold. We should be in Yellowstone National Park, but when I checked the weather forecast, it said the the highs would be 42 and the lows would be 28. Umm...yeah...I don't do that anymore. So, I nixed the camping trip to Yellowstone. My brother, his family, two other women and 10 Girl Scouts are there now. (Sounds like the third circle of hell, doesn't it?) It snowed the day they arrived and the park was closed for 3 hours as they removed snow. Clearly, my decision was a good one.

We are at Nan-A-Thon's where we are enjoying a much slower pace of life. I swear time really does pass more slowly here. I am thrilled, because they had rhubarb the size of a toddler's arm at the grocery store, and two quarts of strawberries for $2.59. The peaches were ripe and cheap, too, so...because I am a big pie person, I'm baking pies today. Wish you were here to share them with. I've got Grandma Peterson's crust recipe, and I'm ready to roll (out pie dough, that is).

My plan is to share my thoughts on "returning home", plus the experience of my 20th class reunion. Just thoughts, and hopefully lots of photos. This really is a beautiful place (even if it is a desert).