All While Nursing a Cold

It's been 10 days now . . . of hacking, of my abs being purely sore from all the coughing, of almost crying because everytime I laugh I cough. . . and I just want to laugh. . . and NOT cough.

I've tried Master Tonic, comfrey (2 of Ang's "potions", as I call them), Advil Cold & Sinus, cough drops, peppermints, ibuprofen, Claritin, and now I'm on a Z-PAK, hoping this will kick this cold out of my system.

Meanwhile, cold or no cold life continues. That's the thing about a cold. . . you still work, do school, chores, soccer. It doesn't put you out cold in the bed, but you are miserable all the while living life.. . . trying to have lots of energy and wanting to have fun. . . just coughing your lungs up while doing so. This has made me so grateful for good health. So, here's a little catchy up of what we've been doing.

I swept this pile of trash up in my downstairs. P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C. Don't judge me!

We've been loving watching the "Food Truck Race" on Food Network. On Thursdays Food Trucks come and park near Jon's work. We went up there and chose this one. We were disappointed because normally there are more to chose from. Oh well, just another excuse to go up there again and have lunch with him.

We then just sat ourselves right on the concrete and had us a pic-a-nic.

We were supposed to eat at a food truck that specializes in cupcakes. However, it wasn't there, so we went to this new cupcake bakery. They know Jon on a first-name basis now.

Hanna was pretty much wearing hers. . .like she does a lot of her food.

The red velvet was yum-o

I love the green icing on Ash's nose. The girl had mint chocolate. . . one of her faves.

I then took the kids to Centennial Park. Hanna has been asking forever to go here. The last time she had an upset stomach so we couldn't make it. After all, what's the harm? The park is free, right? NOT!!! I had to pay $10 to park my car!!! I was astounded!!! But the kids had a great time, so it was worth it.

Even the 14-year-old made the most of the park.

The kids loved these swirly things that twirled you around and around and around and around

Hanna was truly giddy with delight. She just loves the park. Poor thing, being the baby she missed out on the park more than the other 2 ever did. . . just like she missed out on library story time, McDonald's play dates. . . oh no, there I go with my list of mother guilt. . . moving on now.

Despite my cold and the heat making me cough all the more I tried to muster it up and play with the kids some. I tried the twirling thing. Seriously, I thought I was going to puke. And, it had NOTHING to do with the mess of hair I have.

Also, while nursing my cold I've started couponing again. Look what I got for $23!!!

Also, we cut this furry pooch. We got a before picture, but haven't snapped an "after" yet. Poor Cooks. He's just a good dog.

We also went to SSI and hung out there. It's so much more fun when you feel good. I had not run in a whole week, then went out for a 4-miler on Monday. I sweated more than ever, and Monday afternoon I was paying for it. I felt awful. My friend and running partner, Becky, sent me a text that said, "I'm thinking you've been sick for so long there might be a 4th little Hendrix." To which I replied, "If there was, I could have coughed the baby up by now." Nope, no other Hendrixes. . . just a cough that has been with me so long I feel like I've been pregnant with it.

I finished "The Help" tonight. It's so good. I can't wait to go and see the movie.

I got letters written to my friends in Guyana. Now, I just have to make sure I mail them and FOLLOW THROUGH!!! Following through is my biggest problem.

I'm really hoping to be back to feeling like myself tomorrow.

The family is at church. I didn't have the energy to muster up to get ready and go and hack up my lungs.

I think I'm going to go and read "Fox Fever". However, as good of a book as it is, and as much as I need to memorize the information it contains, I do so love an easy read. It calls my name much more than a book I've got to use my head with.

Dear Booher

Dear Booher,

I promised you this post would be out by the end of this week. . . and, although I really am at heart a "wait to the last minute", here I am.

First let me say how your facebook post on my wall made me smile from ear-to-ear. I'm still a tried-and-true blogger, although from the lack 0f my posts it doesn't appear to be that way :) (**wink, wink** Lisa) However, I did browse around and found you have been quite the blogger. I'm so proud of you, my friend. Before Monday morning I hope to sit down and read your posts and see what has been going on with YOU!!!! You are so sweet to want to know what is going on with me and the fam. . . so here it goes.

Well, first of all you know the disease I have . . . "can't blog without a picture". Well, I have TONS of pictures, and I really just need to do a big 'ole slide show, but not today. . . coming soon though, pinky promise. I also am so anal I feel that I can't blog in the here and now. . . like last night we went over to the Cecils' office and ate pizza, hung out with friends, and the women got a beatdown in "Bible Outburst". . . sorry, I digress. . . I feel that I can't blog until I get all caught up on here. . . which may just take nothing short of a tiny decade. . . . so, I guess I'll have to get over myself and my analniss and start back on the "here and now" bloggy bandwagon!!! I'll go through a quick (well, as quick as this wordy girl can be) "catch-up" list.

**Hung out at the Cecils' farm one day and went on what my kids refer to "THE BEST HAYRIDE EVER". However, I refer to it as "THE DAY I ALMOST LOST MY LIFE". Seriously, the thing was so rough I literally texted Jon "Take out a life insurance policy on me NOW. Going on a hayride with John Cecil" I survived and we have great stories to tell from it. I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Cecils. This deserves a post of its own.

**We celebrated Christmas with a bang. . . including a family game of "Minute to Win It". FUN, FUN, FUN. This, too, deserves a post of its own.

**I got to have lunch with my very favorite 19-year-old. She's precious, and you would just absolutely LOVE her!!! God is doing some really amazing things in her life. I'm just so honored she wanted to share them with me and have me praying over her. And, I've been going to the throne of God on her behalf. I served her my baked potato soup. We talked for 4-5 hours, but it seemed like only 30 minutes. It was a day of joy and delight and I hated for it to end. Oh, wait, you already know about that 'cause it was YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, I'm so looking forward to our next lunch date!

**Some friends of ours took us for a night out on the town with a Scavenger Hunt. It was so much fun and we made so many memories. . . more to come. . . you guessed it . . . deserves a post on its own.

**And, did you know about Shelby and Brian? They are now being homeschooled. They are doing a virtual academy online, but are coming here 3 days a week. It really has been good. Talk about true discipleship . . . life-on-life. . .The way this all came about was totally of the Lord and . . . everyone say it with me now . . . "deserves a post on its own".

**Oh, have you seen my really bad haircut? I saw you at a distance the other day. It is forever in the perpetual pony tail because I absolutely HATE it. When it is all down I look like Joan Jett. Don't worry, you don't know her. You were probably in the womb or maybe not even born when I was rocking out to her songs. Needless to say, in the 80s, it looked great on Joan Jett. Here, in January/February of 2011. . . it looks horrid on "Mama in High Heels". I've been dousing and dousing it with horse shampoo. Don't worry, it's not Natalie's fault, she did what I asked her to. My sister says I'm having a hair midlife crisis.

**Speaking of midlife. . . well, I hope it isn't midlife for me. . . but I've been celebrating my birthday. Normally I take a whole week to do this. However, this year, I actually just took the whole month of January. Now, before you go and start thinking I'm a narcissist and all. . . . hold your horses. . . there's a mighty fine reason for this. . . but, yep, "it deserves a post on its own."

**I also gave up on Trinitarianism. It got to the point where it made me cry. . . seriously. So confusing and philosophical. . . so I bailed out for several Wednesday nights and came home and worked. However, a new class is gearing up and I'm super excited.. . . Man and Sin. Now, THAT is something I can understand. :)

**Oh, I got another job too. . . transcription still. My company was losing work and it was such a blessing to get another job in a "dying field". The LORD has been so good to us. That is one reason why I haven't been blogging. It just takes a while to get used to working on a new platform. Hopefully I'm there now though.

**As far as running, well. . . if this weather doesn't stop acting up, my legs are going to forget how to run. That's all I'm sayin' about that!

**I've also been taking the kids to Spivey Hall to watch some plays. . . "All Around the World in Music" and "Twosome Seussical". We met the neatest woman there. Mother of 7, husband was in construction (which basically meant no work), ran up a lot of dept (unfortunately sounds so familiar I could choke J/K), sold their house, lives in a camper (yes, with 7 children), works from 1:30-10:30 at Chick-fil-A, and HOMESCHOOLS!!!! Now, if I ever go to feelin' sorry for myself because I'm a working and homeschooling mother, somebody SHUT ME UP QUICKLY!!! This woman was absolutely precious. I really wish she wasn't so busy because I want her to be my friend. Her story was inspiring and such a blessing.

**Oh yeah, I've also been showing my sister houses. We've put in a couple of offers, but nothing has worked out so far. Hopefully soon, very soon. I'm excited at the thought of them living nearby.

**Oh, and the Lord has been working on me about being honest in love. You know how I love for everyone to like me, even 14 and 15 year olds. I had to call one of the girls in my discipleship group out in some sin I was seeing in her life. Yikes, hated it. . had to do it. . .was so afraid she'd never enter the doors of my home again because she would hate me. . .but as her mentor and sister in Christ it had to be addressed. You know what? She still loves me. . . I think even more now, and she's still coming, and she wasn't angry, but very remorseful to first and foremost the LORD.

**We finished up 1,2, and 3 John in Sunday School. I have never learned so much in my LIFE!!! God is really teaching me so very much. And those girls. . . those 14 and 15 and 16 year old girls. . . seriously hold pieces of my heart. I'm praying they are taking hold of the truth that is being taught them. We're about to dive into 1 Peter. . .SO.VERY.EXCITED!!!!!!!!!! With that, I have to to tell you, one day a couple of weeks back I was talking to them about how we are always being watched. People are always looking up to us, watching how our walk with the Lord is, how we act, treat others, etc., etc. So, before I led into talking about THEM being watched, I asked them, "Tell me someone you look up to that you are watching. I don't care if you tell me Jennifer Lopez. Just be honest with me, and tell me who it is you are watching." Do you know that 3, yes, I said 3 different girls said, Booher? Yep, that's right. You are making a difference for the kingdom my sweet friend!

I love you, Booher! I'm so proud of you. I'm honored I get to pray for you and share in this life with you. God's fingerprints are ALL over you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, when are you coming over for lunch? Just mark your whole day off 'cause you know we'll get to chattin' and what seems like 30 minutes will go by and it will be almost 5:00 again :)

"Dear George. . . A man who has friends is NO failure"

That little title right there wraps up my very favorite movie in the whole wide world. It's a long one. . . one that is void of color. . . well, the color you see with your eyes. However, it's as vivid as the rainbow with color you see with your heart.

Know what movie I'm talking about?

Oh. . . I'll keep you hanging just a little bit longer.

In the movie there is a sign and you only see it in the background for a few seconds. It's in the Bailey Building and Loan (know which movie, yet?). It says.

"The only thing you can take with you is that which you give away."

I don't know if that would be a theologically sound statement. However, I do love its message!!!!

For those of you who are still wondering what movie could I possibly be talking about. . .

"It's a Wonderful Life".

If you've never seen it . . . YOU MUST!!!!

If you've seen it before. . . YOU MUST see it again!!!

If you watch it every Christmas season. . . then certainly don't let this season pass you by and not watch it.

I see something new every time I watch the thing. . . probably because every Christmas season when I see it the LORD is doing something new in my heart. . . So, I think I see it every year with brand new eyes.

Anyhoo. . . I basically forced my children to watch it with me today. . . while I wrapped presents that were in boxes. They were grumbling. I was plain giddy. I hope they learned something about how our lives touch more than just OUR lives. . . whether we want it to or not!

It's not making money or chasing a career.

It's not pursing their biggest hopes and dreams that their little imaginations can muster up.

It's not having the nicest things money can buy.

It's not living life for themselves.

It's not making a bucket list and trying to cross everything off it before they die.

It's not chasing and accomplishing this lie called the "American Dream".

It's not accomplishing the unaccomplishable.

My prayer is that my children. Each one, by name. . . Alec, Ashley, and Hanna. . .that they will invest their lives in people!!!!!!!!!! Encouraging people, carrying burdens with people, laughing with people, smiling with people, caring for people, giving to people more than they give to themselves, exhausting themselves for people, loving people, sharing with people, checking on people, forgiving people, seeking people, pursing people, hugging people, listening intently to people, . . . oh, my list could go on and on.

And oh, how I pray. . . how I deeply pray. . . I am a good example to them.

Weekend Wrap-up

My, my where do our weekends go. I believe there is a saying that says, "Time flies when you're having fun." Maybe that is why life seems to be going at the speed of light these days. . . I'm grateful that we are having fun.

Friday night we were at home as a family . . .Praise the LORD!!! I just love it when we're all home together. We played Jeopardy (just with the TV). We do this frequently. However, I would not have blogged about it until now. . . because every.single.time we play Jon beats me!!! I finally took the big "W" this time. I think it was the "Dr. Seuss" books category that brought me in for the winning stretch. I rocked it! After that I was literally falling asleep sitting up on the couch. I felt this thump on my cheek. It was Jon. I was so very tired!

Saturday morning we headed out bright and early to the f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g soccer field. Ash had a game at the same time as Hanna about 30 minutes away, so I went with Hanna and Jon and Alec took Ash. It was a whopping 37 degrees, which meant the soccer field was about 10 degrees cooler so that made it 27 degrees, which means I already stay about 10 degrees cooler than everyone else so that made it feel like 17 degrees to me. Waah, waah, waah what a big baby I am when it comes to the cold.

However, it was ALL worth it to see this cutie pie play her last soccer game of the season!

Hanna decided last year she'd had enough of ballet. Each of the kids get to participate in 1 activity. So Hanna ditched ballet and decided to play soccer. I'm so glad she did. I just love soccer.

My sweet niece was visiting. She is so precious and sweet and loving! I really enjoyed her at the soccer game.

She loved my camera. So, during half-time she and I had a little photo session.

She wanted her picture made first!

Then she wanted to take Granddaddy's picture. . .

Next, she wanted Aunt Michele's picture (don't let that sunshine fool you. It was FREEZING)

After the soccer game we headed to Cici's for Hanna's soccer party. I loved watching her as she interacted with other kids. She's so very shy and it really is so sweet to watch her.

Sweet little thing! She was so proud of her trophy!!!

She and I headed home and played a game of Disney Pictionary. Then we watched part of a movie. Jon, Ash, and Alec got home. We then had our sweet friends, the Lawrences, over for burgers and a movie. Angela had a great idea . . . that we just all have a PJ party. What fun!! and it was so very comfy!!!!!!!! We just love this precious family, and are so thankful God put them in our lives.

I was grateful we got an extra hour of sleep. Sunday morning I hit the ground running. Sundays tend to be pretty busy for me.

Went to church, then went to Kerry S's house. He had the youth leaders over for a time of fellowship. I'm so thankful to be serving with such Godly men and women. One guy there just got back from David Platt's "Secret Church". I was soaking up all the details he had to give. I'd love to go to this!!!! He heard the word of God taught from 6:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. WOW!

Then, I got an extra special treat that day. Kerry's backyard backs up to our old and dear friends, the Poole's. Ash came running inside the house saying, "Mom, mom, Benjamin (who she has loved since she was a baby and he has felt the same way about her) is outside!!!!" Then, she came back and said, "Mom, Mr. Greg is outside." I go out there and see their whole family. We were all giving hugs over the fences. My heart was so very full!!! Andrea was such a dear friend to me after I had Hanna. She really took me under her wing. She knew how hard 3 children was on her, so she really reached out to me. She was just a blessing to me at a point in my life where God knew I needed a "big sister" like her. We were really close until she went back to work. They left our church soon after, and it was really hard to keep in touch. However, I'm always overjoyed when I see them!!! When I think back on the memories we share with their family it makes me smile!

After leaving Kerry's I went home, changed into my blue jeans and boots. Shelby came over and she and I went to the church. My discipleship group has grown from 2 girls to 4. I love these girls so very much!!!

After the service we hung out for a little while, then came home, ate frozen pizza, and hit the sack!!!

164. For seeing old friends.

165. For Shelby, Makayla, Jaimie, and Rebecca.

166. For Kim and her partnership with me with loving, serving, and teaching our Sunday School girls.

167. For power of prayer.

168. For being a soccer mom.

169. For the Lawrences.

Blogger Overload

My poor blog . . . probably felt like my printer did when I started printing our "Tapestry of Grace" for the entire year. . . in fact, I think I broke my printer. Oh well, to say I've been behind on blogging is quite the understatement.

I've just been so swamped with work. . . with homeschool. . . with all good things. . . with family. . . with friends. . . with church. . . with being in God's word. . .

Speaking of God's word. . . Right now I'm in the midst of teaching 9th and 10th grade girls the book of 1 John verse by verse, chapter by chapter. I literally have a commentary and that's ALL! Seriously, I spend about 5 to 6 hours a week preparing for my Sunday School class and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love those girls. I love teaching them. I love studying the Word of God expositionally (that's verse by verse). I love how much I am learning. I love how much God is changing me!

Also, I'm now leading our Grow Group. Although I am with some very spiritually mature women I feel as if we are all disciplining one another. . . so I do prepare the lessons, but other than that I'm just the leader on paper. We're currently going through "The Gospel-Centered Life." It is literally changing my life. I'm in a hard place right now, but a very good place. I probably have more questions than I do answers. . . but that's okay. . . I'm seeking, I'm searching, I'm learning, I'm struggling and, honestly, God couldn't have given me a better group of women to do this with. I always love studying the Word, but to be able to do it with my dearest and closest friends is a true gift. We're all learning so much about one another. For example, I'm the defender. We have some hiders and fakers too. (anyone going through this will know what I mean). And, to boot, we have accountability. . . you want to talk about being vulnerable. . . boy, oh, boy. . . hard stuff, but good stuff. And, scripture memory. . . we recite every week. Really holds you accountable.

I'm also taking a theology class on Wed. night. Right now we're in Trinitarianism. . . I keep telling everyone I'm the dumbest person in the class. I wrote Jon a note one day saying "I think the only gift God gave me is social skills." Another time I wrote him a note saying, "I'm sooooo sleepy." He replied, "That's because you're below the arch". There's lots of philosophy in this class and to say it is way over my head is an UNDERSTATEMENT! However, I've met a precious young couple. They are really struggling with their faith. . . . just hurts my heart tremendously. We've had them over for dinner. Jon thinks like her husband, so that is good. As for me, I can love on her, but she is way more intelligent than I. She's got some really hard questions that I really and truly do not believe there are answers for. Deut. 29:29. . . in fact, as i type this now it was a tough class tonight. I almost broke into tears for her. She left class while we were closing in prayer. I've texted her. . . yet, I haven't heard back. . .

And, I've been reading "Radical" by David Platt for quite a while now. That book has got me all messed up. Messed up in a really good way. . . but really messed up. I've gotten it all wrong. . . terribly, terribly all wrong. Praise God for His grace, and I know He's going to get us out of the mess we've wanted, the mess we've created. . . and I'm so excited about how God has/is changed/changing BOTH Jon and I's hearts. . . so excited about the things He's leading us to do. . . so excited about what the future holds.

See why I have no time to blog? I'm going to hopefully do better. I love blogging and recording down my heart, hopes, dreams, fears, frustrations, etc. I've got a few more posts to catch up on and I should be good to go again!

10 on the 10th

You know when every single room in your house is a mess, and you feel so totally overwhelmed you just don't know where to start? So sometimes you just leave it all a mess for awhile.. . that is until you gear yourself up and talk yourself into tackling it just like a coach would do before a big game? That is how I feel about blogging right now. Since scrapbooking and I are no longer apart of one another's lives, this blog serves as a scrapbook for me. It is very important to me that I document our lives in the pictorial sense. So, in an effort to try and get caught up on blogging, and in honor of Meredith's 10 on the 10th, I've combined 10 blog posts into one.

It will take much dedication and tenacity to make it through this post. Just warning you. So, if you're ready. . . on your mark, get set, GO!!!


1. WHAT PART OF NO DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?

As we were helping my parents move this weekend, the girls wanted to spend the night. There was nowhere for them to sleep. Mama was trying to work it out so they'd be happy. I just kept telling them no. Finally, I'd heard enough of their whining. I looked at Hanna and in a frustrated tone said, "I said no. What part of no don't you understand?"

Her response, "The N and the O."

I laughed so hard I could hardly stand it. There went my frustration out the door.


2. SOUTH CAROLINA ZOO

A little over a month ago the kiddos and I took a trip to visit my sister, Melissa. We are all so excited that they've moved to Columbia, SC. It's so much closer than Dallas, TX. We all took a trip to the zoo.

Hanna cracked me up with this mail. You'd think she was "Dora the Explorer." That show hasn't graced our TV in years. Every time we would leave an exhibit, she'd pull out her map and look to see where we should go next.

The gorilla was really cool. Only this piece of thick plexy glass separated us from him. It was really neat to see his fingers, toes, and the kids got a good giggle out of seeing his booty.

The girls wanted to bring their purses with them. We told them THEY had to carry them. Guess who ended up with them?

Sweet cousins!

3. SO EVERYONE WOULD FEEL AT HOME

Last Monday my friend Jennifer called to say she would not be at Bible study. As we were talking I told her I had piles of laundry so high that I wouldn't have time to fold before everyone got there. She told me, "Just leave it. That way everyone would feel at home." I listened to her. Guess what? They did feel at home.

4. SPRING SPRINT

"Faithful Feet's" 2nd 5K together. Along with my family 2 other families were participating. Poor Faith, she was really looking forward to this race. She'd gotten some new shoes that I know made her super fast. Plus, I told her a creme-filled donut would be waiting for her at the finish line. The day before the race her daughter broke her arm. We had her oldest 2 kiddos with us so they could run the race. We missed Faith, Steven, KJ, and "Flash", but Jennifer, Jon, and I and all the kiddos had a GREAT race!

There are 2 kids in this picture that are not in Faithful Feet. They play soccer with us, but we didn't want to exclude them from the picture.

Me and my girls.

Alec had an awesome race. He came in 1st in his age group. I was so proud of him.

Noah did a great job too!

Here are Hanna and I coming up for a strong finish. This was her 1st 5K so I ran with her. She finished in 34:09. Bless her heart, about mile 2, she kept asking me, "Is it almost over?"

Ashley was DYNAMITE!!! She was the first overall lady to cross the finish line and won her age group.

Hanna came in 3rd in her age group

Alec is going to be a close competitor with me. He won his age group and was 4th or 5th overall crossing the finish line.

All these boys did a terrific job.

5. HOMESCHOOL BOOKSALE

It's that time of year again. . . we love the homeschool book sale. This year I sold A LOT of my curriculum. I'm revamping all of my curriculum. In order to pay for the new stuff I needed to sale the old stuff. This year was much more overwhelming for me. I really didn't buy as much as I had planned. There were just SO MANY PEOPLE and SO MANY BOOKS!!!

One cool thing I found those is amongst the thousands of books there I saw this book called, "The Mystery of the Boston Marathon." This fall my friends and I are going to try to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I took me finding this book as a sign that we'd all qualify. Ha!Ha!

During the used book sale Alec hung out with his buddies Noah and Griffin. I'm so glad these boys have one another! Their families are a big blessing to our family.

6. EASTER

Honestly, Easter was quite a blur this year. The day before we'd run our Ultra Marathon (I promise a post is coming soon). We did make it to church that Sunday. I think we actually did our egg hunt on Monday. I rationalized in my head that hunting eggs was actually a pagan tradition (this is really true) so it was no big deal that we didn't do it on Easter. I didn't even have baskets for the kids. We used plastic sacks. . .

By the looks of everyone's faces I think Hanna and Cookie enjoyed it the most.

Ash always gets mad and pouts if she doesn't get the prize egg. I think there is a pouter in every family, whether or not people chose to admit it or not.

7. DAUSET TRAILS

We headed to Dauset Trails and enjoyed a day with our friends. We looked at the animals. The kids got to hang out with their friends and the parents got to hang out with our friends. We all had a picnic together. It was such a beautiful day.

8. CHILDREN SINGING

I'm so thankful I almost always have my camera with me. One Sunday night the kids were singing, and I didn't even realize it. I always love it when I see my babies up in front of the church singing. Just warms this Mama's heart. Thank goodness they were dressed halfway decent that night.

9. PARENT'S WATCH WEEK

The studio where Hanna takes ballet has a couple of times a year "Parent's Watch Week". It is really a big deal to the ballerinas and their parents. Hanna was so excited and kept asking, "Is Daddy going to make it to Parent's Watch Week?" (he was working out of town a lot at the time)

Splits . . .

10. STONE MOUNTAIN HIKE

Our homeschool group went on a hike to Stone Mountain. For those of us who tend to run late we were told, "We're hiking at 10:00". Unfortunately we weren't told there was more than one parking lot. We got there at 9:38. I was so proud of us for being early. My friend Jennifer G was already there, so we hung out with her crew. Then Jennifer B. drove up. She was there before 10:00 too (I was super proud of her). It got to be almost 10:00, then I received a text from Tiffani letting us know there was a different parking lot.

Thing is, they weren't kidding. They started hiking at 10:00, so we were a little behind. My feathers were a little ruffled that we weren't told there was a separate parking lot and we were left, but I calmed down and no one (other than Jon) knew I was peeved. I was glad to be with the 2 Jennifers. We all eventually got caught up with one another.

Hanna was one serious hiker, and she was cute as a button too!

Alec was a hoot. He packed his ruck sack, making sure it weighed 25 lbs. He's really into Navy Seals right now. So I'm sure all of this had to do with all this Navy Seal stuff in his head.

A hiking we will go. . .

At the top. See how hard they worked. They're all sweaty!

The kid crew. . . minus Hanna. She was being a booger, and I wasn't up for arguing with her not being in the group picture.

Our family

The moms

After our hike we headed to the picnic area and had a picnic. Jon was jealous of Steve. Steve had white bread, non-natural peanut butter, jelly, and a soda. Jon had wheat bread, natural peanut butter, jelly, and vitamin water. It was like he was 8 years old again in the cafeteria at school wanting the other kids' lunch. They kids all played, while the grownups all talked. We had a great day with our friends. I also loved that several of the Dads made it and got to fellowship with one another.

If you made it through the longest blog post in the history of blogging, you deserve a round of applause, a cookie, a donut, and a cup of coffee!!! CONGRATULATIONS