Destinations

We made all kinds of destinations yesterday and this morning...
Tyler rode along with grandpa yesterday to meet grandma Honeycutt, Uncle Bob and Aunt Boots half way (Lexington, KY) to get grandpa Honeycutt. He will be going with the group to Canada next week. Yes, an 83 year old man going on a fishing trip to Canada. You have to understand this man, though...he is non stop and we love him to death! Anyways, they made it back home about 6 pm or so last evening so we were able to see him. Although he hated to leave home and all the work he has there (feeding and caring for all his animals, etc) he is looking forward to the week in Canada. It will be a new experience for him.
Trenton made it to Oklahoma City last night about 9:30 pm. Left at 8 am so it ended up being a 13 1/2 hour drive. He said it was lots better compared to the 22 hour trip to Fargo. I am anxious to hear about the city. He also said the Freestyle team must go and watch the Greco team so he will be traveling to and from the wrestling premises for the next few days. Not sure about how much free time he will actually have.
And then there is me...I made my "feeling better" destination! Yes, I can finally breathe from my nose! I didn't feel the best all weekend and it was frustrating because I couldn't breathe. Well, yesterday my sinuses cleared and I could smell the fresh air again! And this morning...after not being able to run Wednesday and Friday of last week...this morning's run felt good. It was rough, don't get me wrong. After getting my right side cramp at 15 minutes into the run I thought I couldn't make it but I did. I might have been just a tad slower but I was NOT going to regress from all my hard work. I finished that 30 minutes and it felt good. Happy Monday!

Travis

Happy Birthday to my nephew, Travis! He turned 13 today!!! Please know we love you and miss you bud! Have a great day!!!!
**** Note to Jenny - I am in need of some updated photos of Travis! It's been way too long since we have seen you : (

2008 Junior Duals

Trenton left about 15 minutes ago to be dropped off at Purdue University for Junior Duals Camp and will leave from Purdue on Sunday morning for Oklahoma City Junior Duals. He will be representing the great state of Indiana at 140 lbs. You can actually track his progress by going into the actual tournament (Junior Freestyle Duals) on July 1st here. It's actually pretty cool because you can have track wrestling text or email you individual or team results (for a fee of course). Since he is only wrestling for the freestyle team he will have a few days in Oklahoma City to relax and enjoy the Greco part of it. Trenton will arrive in Oklahoma on Sunday night but will not actually wrestle until Wednesday at 6 pm or so. Like I said before, unlike Fargo, Trenton will be wrestling in a team format. He will be wrestling at the Freede Wellness Center (see picture below) at Oklahoma City University and his schedule is as follows:

• Friday, June 27th 2008
  4 - 5:00 p.m. Check into Camp-Blake Wrestling Room located in Lambert Field House on the campus of Purdue University.
  5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Introductions & Practice for Both Groups (Greco & Freestyle)
  8:00 p.m. Dinner
  9:00 - 11:00 p.m. Movie
  11:30 p.m. Lights Out
• Saturday, June 28th 2008
  8:30 a.m. Breakfast
  9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Practice
  12:00 p.m. Lunch
  2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Practice
  5:00 p.m. Dinner
  6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Practice & Review of Team Trip and Team Rules
  8:00 - 10:00 p.m. Movie
• Sunday, June 29th 2008
  7:00 a.m. Breakfast, Shower & Prepare for Departure
  8:00 a.m. Load Bus and Depart for OKC
  9:00 p.m. Arrive Hotel in OKC
• Tuesday, July 1st 2008
  6:30 - 7 p.m. Freestyle Team Registration
• Wednesday, July 2nd 2008
  3:10 - 3:45 p.m. Freestyle Coaches Meeting
  4:00 p.m. Medical Checks & Weigh-Ins
  6 - 9:30 p.m. Freestyle Session I: Rounds 1 & 2
• Thursday, July 3rd 2008
  7:30 a.m. Depart Hotel for Competition
  9 - 12:30 p.m. Freestyle Session II: Rounds 3 & 4
  1:30 - 5:00 p.m. Freestyle Session III: Rounds 5 & 6
  6 - 9:30 p.m. Freestyle Session IV: Rounds 7 & 8
• Friday , July 4th 2008
  7:30 a.m. Check Out of Hotel & Depart for Competition
  9 - 10:45 a.m. Freestyle Session V: Round 9 (if necessary)
  12 - 5:15 p.m. Freestyle Session VI: Consolation and Red & Blue Pools (Rounds 1 - 3)
  6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Freestyle Session VII: Placment & Awards
  * 8:30 p.m. Bus will depart for Dinner and trip Home as soon as team Indiana is Eliminated

I will try to update as much as possible as I hear of results. This is such an awesome opportunity for him. I want to wish Trenton and the rest of Team Indiana the best of luck. I know you will do us proud!

Pom Camp 2008

If for some reason the sound doesn't work...you can click here to go to it on youtube.

Sick

So I have been spoiled by a good doctor who will call in antibiotics for me quite a bit...as long as I have seen him within a period of time. I was looking forward to that...because of Gabi's camp, things I had to get done, etc. Well, I call and the office is closed due to a computer training class. I call the backup office and the doctor does not call in antiobiotics unless being seen and the only appointment she has is 4:45 pm. I wasn't going to wait that long! So, disappointed I have Tyler drive me to Urgent Care around 9:30 am. By this time...I am just feeling terrible. I had a throat swab and the doctor said it came up positive for Strep within seconds so I must have it pretty bad. Incidently, I also have a sinus infection. The good thing...I got the antiobiotics! The bad thing, it was a prescription and I had to wait for 20 minutes at Meijer to get them. It felt like an eternity. My loving hubby decided to come home to take Gabi to and from camp so I could rest and that's indeed what I did. The rest of the day and all night...in bed. Relaxing and sleeping. Didn't have the best night but hopefully today will start the uphill process of getting better. Neck is sore, throat is sore, headache and stuffy nose still. I am hoping by being up and around today, I will feel a little better. We'll see. Strep throat is nooooo fun! : (

Necklace

I have been getting alot of "what is that on your necklace?" ... so here it is...I saw the necklace and had to have it. It fit my life perfectly right now.

Some verses I have been leaning on lately...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. (Psalm 138:8)

On a bad note...not feeling well today. Think it may be strep throat. Didn't sleep a wink last night (terrible sore throat, stuffy nose, headache) so I will probably call the doctor this morning - hopefully to get an antibiotic called in for me. First scheduled morning since here I am skipping out on my run and I feel guilty for it, but I know it would only make me feel worse.

BFF

I heard Gabi say more than once last night..."we're best friends forever, right, Emma?"

Had a show complete with karoake, some keyboard tunes, a little dancing and lots of giggles; played on the Slip n Slide; rode on scooters and played on the swingset; watched this before falling asleep (courtesy of our neighbor who got in on DVD in Guatemala way before it comes out on DVD here); ate yummy cinnamon rolls for breakfast; and finished off the day at Pom Camp -(more on that one to come...) - it was "crazy day" today. Fun times!

Camp Rock

So this is the new "hit movie" for little ones...similar to High School Musical...I must say, it was a HUGE hit with Gabi!

Baby Birds

Last year around this time we thought we would have baby mourning doves but this happened. This year they hatched and they are cool to watch and keep tabs on. Interesting to read about them and their nesting habits, etc. Here is a pic of them just today...We were excited because lately all we have been having are baby sparrows! In fact, we witnessed some baby house sparrows that had tried their luck at leaving the nest. Both parents were not very happy with that idea considering we were all outside last night with Maizy very curious to know what was going on. They were cute though. Got some cute pics...just another reminder we will probably be having one leaving our nest soon as well : ( I won't be taking it quite as well as these little birds.

Craving

Can I say I caught the last end of Rachael Ray's show yesterday, watched her make this, thought it looked delich and headed to the store for the ingredients???? It was YUMMY and easy too! Even Gabi liked it!

Iowa

So we were supposed to be getting ready to go on a trip with the wrestling team...a high school nationals event. One that we missed last year to spend some quality time with Gabi. Had coolers packed with LOTS of food, clothes ready to be put into the suitcases, had trailer ready to be pulled with all the wrestlers' gear....
Instead....we are unpacking the coolers and finding places for the extra snack foods, putting our clothes back in the closets, taking the trailer back to Aunt Annie and working on getting hotel refunds via some long phone conversations...and I do mean long.

Iowa trip cancelled because of the flooding : (

Daddy

Lovin' this "daddy - Gabi moment!"She loves her daddy!

Father's Day Camping

The annual "Father's Day Get Together" at my parents' house was put off this year...at least for my brother and his family, us and my parents. We opted to go camping together. This is the second year that Chad and Amber have had their camper and so they want to put it to good use as much as possible. It just so happened between our two schedules this is one weekend that we had that we could go together. We decided on somewhere we had never beed to... Jellystone in Grand Haven, Michigan. Ben and I invited my parents to stay in our camper since we would be less Tyler this weekend (had football camp to attend). They decided to try a cabin instead, but we would still be able to be together at the campground. We ran into some snags with the rain and basically figuring out the staff didn't have a clue there, but other than that...not a bad weekend. Rained Friday afternoon while setting up but we were able to sit around the fire. Saturday we enjoyed the Fun Zone at the campground...complete with bumperboats, mini golf and go carts. The kids LOVED it (and the big kids too). We swam at the pool and made our way into Grand Haven to the beach. Trenton and my parents went in the afternoon while Presley and Addy were napping to see if the beach was worth the visit. They came back with rave reviews. We got to the beach around 7:30 pm or so...just as a storm started to blow in...I was so looking forward to getting some good pictures! But with winds gusting, sand blowing and lightening every now and then we made it a very quick visit. Wish we could have visited longer. At least we know this is definitely someplace we would love to go to again. Rained out our fire that evening...we were all pooped anyways, so we turned in about 10:30 pm. Got up on Father's Day, presented gifts, ate breakfast, went on a walk and started to tear down by 11 am. Made some lunch complete with lots of leftovers and we were on our way back home. It was a nice visit...someplace we would like to go back to...at least the city and beach, of course. Campground could have used some fixing up in all areas, but we had a good time being together.

Want to wish my dad and father in law a very Happy Father's Day! They certainly deserve it.

And Ben...well, he's just the best daddy in the world! We love you!!!!!!

Pictures from our weekend here.

Cleaning Bug

So the cleaning bug bit me today...got groceries for our camping trip this weekend, came home and decided it had been too long since I shampooed my carpets. So amidst, getting groceries together for the camper, getting together the necessities for Tyler's football camp this weekend, washing all the mattress pads on the beds, changing sheets on them, dusting and sweeping, I got the carpets shampooed also. Shew!!! Now I am off to a wrestling meeting.......

How many ways can you play with water?

Waterballooning, water gun fights, water hose fights, swimming pool and lake fun this weekend! Did I mention the rain puddles also? Hot weather makes for some awesome water fun!

Summertime and Friends

What better way to spend the summer than with friends? Remember when that's all we did when school was out...staying outside till dark with friends playing hopscotch, dodgeball, freeze tag, four square, riding bikes, swimming and just having good ole' summer time FUN! Gabi, Tyler and I visited with Lina, Emma and Joey today...got to do a little swimming, a little talking, a little laying by the pool...aaahhhhh! Summertime!

Oklahoma City

Because Trenton placed third at the State tournament in freestyle, he qualifed to go to Fargo, ND again this year. We got all our letters out to businesses and family asking for monetary support again and upon some investigation and a call from the Purdue coach we realized Trenton would fit nicely into the Junior National Duals Championships in Oklahoma City. Unlike Fargo (in which four kids in each weight class are taken), this team is made up of one wrestler per weight class. It is supposed to be the first place State winner in each weight class. In the cases where the first place winner is unable to attend, the Coach taking the team (Purdue coach) intensifies his search and pursues the 2nd and 3rd place winners. In Trenton's case, the 2nd placer was also unable to go which left Trenton the opportunity. The opportunity of a lifetime. Competing with the best of the best. The Indiana team. Unlike Fargo, this team competes together in a duals format. In Fargo, it's every man for himself, representing Indiana of course. Also in Fargo once a wrestler loses twice, they are finished for the tournament. In Oklahoma City Trenton will be guaranteed 6+ matches. More mat time with great competition. Trenton is very honored he is able to go. We will keep everyone posted as to his accomplishments there. If you would like to make a donation on Trenton's behalf please send to ISWA, Inc., c/o Tom Erikson-Team Leader, 3471 Ferdinand Court, West Lafayette, IN 47906. Be sure to write Trenton's name on your donation check. Trenton's schedule looks like this...
Friday, June 27 - Sunday, June 29 Camp for the team at Purdue University
Sunday, June 29 - Leave for and arrive in Oklahoma City
Tuesday, July 1 - Trenton's team will register for freestyle
Wednesday, July 2 - Freestyle weigh ins and Freestyle session 1
Thursday, July 3 - Freestyle sessions 2, 3 and 4
Friday, July 4 - Freestyle session 5 (if necessary), Consolation, Red and Blue Rounds, Placement and Awards and Depart from Oklahoma City
Saturday, July 5 - Trenton arrives home

Shopping Spree and Such

So Gabi and I finally got to go on a shopping spree with her birthday money from maw maw and paw paw. Armed with the catalog and a 15% off coupon we were ready to go! I got up this morning, ran my 30 minutes-yes, I am still doing it three times a week ; ) - made some yummy cinnamon rolls for Tyler and Gabi, showered and headed out. Dropped Tyler at Marissa's house for a little while and Gabi and I drove here. Picked out some really cute things...a bandeau top and knit shorts to match (page 8-9 of this magazine), the same exact swim suit on page 18 of the same magazine (blue and white striped), and a cute hooded short sleeve red and white striped short sleeve shirt. Gabi looked adorable trying everything on. Can I say she loves that store! I could really go crazy in there if I wasn't careful. Expensive, but some cute clothes! Anyways, walked away with all that and a little ring for under the $60 she had from her birthday. Saved 15% too!
After the shopping spree, took Tyler to the doctor to discuss getting his plates and screws out of his leg...still haven't decided when and if we will do this. Dr. suggests it, just because he is young and another trauma to that area would be a mess complete with metal, etc. but he did say Tyler could be okay with it in his leg also. A matter of personal preference. The hard part is choosing a time to do it. He will have to be careful for about 3-4 weeks after surgery and unfortunately, he just doesn't have that amount of time. Tyler has already started football...working on qb as a matter of fact...def looking forward to that!
Trenton has been working at the golf course again this year. Started Saturday. Loving the independence and knowing he is doing something for himself. Responsibility. We are proud of him. SATs on Saturday.

Happy Birthday, Brother!

Happy, happy birthday to Chad! So glad we live so close and we are able to do things together with him and his family and see them as often as possible. It means alot to me : )

Looking forward to camping season...Enjoy your day!!!! We love you!

Favorite Spring Break Pic

Yucky, rainy day today and I have been going through pictures...namely to get blown up and ready to place strategically in our new home eventually and I thought I would share a couple of my favorite from North Carolina over Spring Break. I really like the one with the chairs...probably my favorite at this point.

Hold Your Tongue

Yesterday morning before going to church we were discussing the way we talk to each other and if we don't have something nice to say, we probably shouldn't say it...mainly between the kids. This is extremely important with summer here and the kids home together all day long. Gabi pipes up and says, "my teacher said if you feel like you have to say something that isn't nice, you should hold your tongue..." and she proceeded to stick her tongue out, grab it with her fingers and started to talk, "like this." Ben and I had to smile and of course, Tyler went into the explanation of how "holding your tongue" is an actual expression, not an action. Out of the mouths of babes.....(ha ha)