July 2008 is History

I gotta tell you, I thought this month would NEVER end!! Randy and I were just talking about this the other day. So many people have commented on how this month has flown by, but not to us. We have felt like this month has been two months long. Not quite sure why . . . but there it is.

Anyway, we are now looking at just six more weeks here in PA. I bet these weeks will fly by just because we'll be leaving. We've got a couple of big events first, though. One of our nieces is getting married in two weeks and I am excited about that. She and I are pretty close and I am thrilled she has found a young man who cares so very much for her. I think he'll take good care of her.

Secondly, Reagan will turn THREE the day before we leave. Of course, there will be much celebrating and excitement. It's hard to believe she'll be three and starting preschool this year. Seems like we were just sitting in that waiting room at the hospital awaiting her arrival. Whew. Talk about time flying by . . .

We received a cell amplifier/booster system today. We ordered it hoping that it will enhance our cell phone and air card reception in those areas where it is spotty. (We are in one of those areas right now.) When we got home from Lindsay's today, Randy got right on setting it up. We do have better cell phone reception and so far I've kept three bars up on the air card w/o having to restart. So, it seems it's doing its job.

Nothing more to share tonight. Tomorrow's pay day - YAY! I love the first of the month, I feel so rich! :) That is, until all of the automatic withdrawals hit. :) So, it's off to the bank and the grocery for us tomorrow morning. Hope you've got something fun planned!

Until the next time . . .

Reflections on a Marriage

Today is my parents' 44th wedding anniversary. When I think of marriage and all it entails, I am grateful that my folks have given me a great model. They loved each other in front of us kids and they fought with each other in front us, too. They laughed, yelled, cried, and showed us what it means to be married. And I am grateful.

My folks didn't have it easy these last 44 years. Daddy married into a ready-made family, complete with 2 kid and a mother-in-law. Mommy had weathered an emotional divorce prior to meeting Daddy and marrying him. So, they had some adjustments to make when they decided to make a go of this family. I'm sure I don't know all the compromises made (and I really don't want to), but obviously they made them and they made their life together work. And I am grateful.

I believe that parents often forget that not only are they role models for their children in behavior as people, but also for how to be a wife or husband. Kids watch their parents and learn how to respond to certain situations by what their parents do. My parents gave me great morals, values and showed me what character means. And I am grateful.

So, Mommy & Daddy, thank you. I hope you enjoyed your anniversary. Thanks for loving each other. Here's to 44 more! :)

Catching Up on the Last Couple of Days

I need to catch you up on our last couple of days. Tried to post last night, but Blogger is giving me a fit. Let's see what happens now.

We didn't make it to Curves Monday morning! And that was one of the reasons we spent the night at Lindsay's! Randy was supposed to watch Reagan while we were at Curves 'cause Jason's out of town. But, Lins was beat from her weekend away and suggested we bag Curves and just get out the door early and get some breakfast on our way to the Strasburg Railroad. So, that's what we did.


Strasburg, PA is a quaint little town that was established in 1733 and I would love to go back and walk its streets and take some pictures of the beautiful old homes in the area. But, the day was all about the trains. The plan was to ride one of the trains and then explore the museum. Well, the museum didn't happen 'cause we were pushing Reagan's tolerance by the time we were done with our train ride. :)


The railroad station has a store, a water tower, a cafe, a photo emporium (you can get pics taken in period costumes), and a couple of children's rides. We got there just before noon which was perfect because a train was just coming into the station. We bought our tickets for an open air car and boarded the train. The train cars and engines are authentic from the era and have been refurbished as needed. The engine that was pulling our train was 110 years old.


The ride was a 45 minute trip and we were so glad we had picked an open air car. While the weather was very warm, there was a great breeze through the car as we sped along. We passed some beautiful farmland as well as a couple of very small towns. The fun was in the ride itself, watching Reagan's face as the engineer blew the train whistle. It's so wonderful to experience life through the view of a child - an innocent joy we tend to lose as we age.



After our train ride, Reagan took a turn around the tracks on the "Cranky Cars." :) Boy, she was working those arm muscles!!



Our next stop was an ice cream parlor in town. We needed some nourishment! Randy & I were still full from breakfast, but Reagan and Lins wanted some lunch. However, we did manage to get some ice cream in us, too. :) The parlor was located in a country store and attached to the town's bed and breakfast. This is just one of those beautiful homes I was talking about!



Once we got home, it was decided that since we were going to the movies with Reagan in the morning, we'd just spend the night again. Yes, we are those annoying guests who just won't leave. :) Actually, Lins thought it was a good idea, too. Randy was going to be needed in the morning to watch Reagan while we went to Curves (we were going, no matter what!!), so we'd have to be back at the house early, so it just made sense.


After dinner, we vegged, watched some TV, and after Reagan went to bed, Lins & I watched a movie. It was "Mad Money" with Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, and Katie Holmes. It was kinda cute, but I'm glad I didn't pay the $8 or $9 movie admission. The best part was being with Lindsay. I love being with her - I'm so glad she's my daughter!


Tuesday dawned and, yes, we went to Curves. (Told you we would!!) Once back home we shifted into fast gear so that we both could get our showers and get back out the door for the 10am showing at the movies. We had to get there rather early because the theater fills quickly.


This local theater does the coolest thing - they show kid/family-friendly movies once a week during the summer and the admission is FREE!! Yep, you read that right - FREE. Isn't that amazing. And everyone is free, not just the kids. Today we saw "Clifford's Really BIG Movie." I was very impressed with the audience. I figured a theater full of little kids and their parents would be pandemonium. It wasn't, really. Yes, there were a few criers, but for the most part, the kids were quiet and watched the movie. Next week is "Veggie Tales." I can't wait!


After the movie we hit Target so Lins could get her fix. She loves her Target!! :) Once the damage was done there, we went to Quizno's for subs and then headed home. It was good to be home. While we are very comfortable at Lindsay's and she is so gracious, it's always nice to get back to our own place.


We did get some fun news this morning. Our son, Kevin, and his wife, Sara, have moved into their new (to them) home on base at Fort Riley, Kansas. I am so excited for them. It's their first home and their life together is just beginning. So many adventures lie ahead for them. I am so proud of their courage to be far away from family and friends. They have a great relationship and I pray that each day they grow stronger in it.


Well, that's it for the first part of this week. Not much planned for the rest of it. We'll see what happens. Until the next time . . .

Short Post

Not much to share with you today. We went to church, out to breakfast and then got home just before a thunderstorm blew in. I do love listening to the rain on the roof, I'll tell you. Since it was lightning and thundering, we kept the TV and computer off and just read for awhile. The quiet was kinda nice.

This evening we packed up and went to Lindsay's to have dinner and spend the night. Jason's away for a couple of days. I told Lins I would cook dinner 'cause she had just gotten back from a weekend away. So I cooked a chicken noodle casserole for us; it's one of my favorite meals.

We're spending the night 'cause tomorrow we're getting out the door early to visit the Strasburg Railroad and Museum. Randy's been wanting to do this since last year and we're finally going. It should be a fun day. I'm sure I'll have pictures to share with you.

That's it for now. Until the next time . . .

Christmas in July

We started our morning with beautiful blue skies, sunshine and 65 degrees. I just love it. We took Blackie for his morning walk and saw that a couple of sites have been decorated. As we got back to our site, our neighbors, Dick & Darlene, invited us over for coffee and goodies. In the spirit of Christmas, they have coffee, cookies and Amish friendship bread set out for drop-in visits. Pretty nice, huh?

We had not visited with Dick & Darlene before. We met them early this season when we attended Basket Bingo night. It was nice to sit on their porch and chat. They are locals; living just 12 miles away from the campground. This is just what I wanted to do this year – get to know more of our neighbors. Hopefully, we'll do more of that this evening at the covered dish dinner.

Okay, we're back from dinner! We had a good time. We sat with our neighbors from across the way, Dick & Darlene.

Several other folks joined us and I found that one of the couples worked at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory which is where I was working when we retired! Small world, huh? I even kind of knew the wife, Kay. She worked in the office of a woman I was friendly with. Kay's husband, Pete, used to teach in the master's program I oversaw. He taught there before my tenure, but of course, we knew many of the same people. We look forward to getting to know one another better during the rest of the summer.

After dinner, Santa arrived! He and his elves handed out gifts and I got my picture taken with him. :) I never pass up an opportunity to sit on Santa's lap.

Our campground owners, Greg & LeAnn, their son, Jaron, & Santa

Once the festivities were over, Randy & I drove around the campground to see the sites that were decorated. There weren't many, but we'll go back out after dark to see them lit up. So, more to come . . .

We took another walk around the campground to see the sites lit up and they looked pretty good. Too bad there weren't more of them. I told Randy that we will have to participate next year. Not sure where we'll get the decorations from since we don't have any, but maybe we can borrow from Lindsay. We'll see. Anyway, here are some pics of the sites during the day. Unfortunately, the pictures I took of the sites at night were blurred and unusable. I was pretty disappointed. Oh, well, you'll get the idea.

It was a good day; got to meet new folks, have a great dinner and see Christmas lights! I'm a happy camper – literally! :) Hope you had a good day as well.

Until the next time . . .

Looking Forward to a Quiet Weekend

Woke up to a very cool morning! I couldn't believe it – it was only 59 degrees outside at 6:30 this morning. I needed a jacket when I left for Curves. I could get used to those kind of mornings, knowing that the temperature will rise to the mid-80s each day. That would be perfect weather!

It's been another slow day here. After Curves, I got caught up on my blog reading and settled in for the day. Had a great nap. :) And that pretty much sums up the day.

This weekend is “Christmas in July” here at the campground. If last year is any indication, there should be several brightly decorated sites. I'll have to get some pictures. There's a covered dish dinner tomorrow night which we'll be attending. We've wanted to get more involved with the other campers this year, but have only attended one event thus far. But, we hope to remedy that this weekend and next. Next weekend is “New Year's in August.” We've gotten the schedule for that already and it seems to be a big 'do. There will even be live music. Should be fun.

That's about it for now. Enjoy your weekend! Until the next time . . .

Dinner and Playtime at the Pool

Finally, back to Curves and routine! I do like a routine. Yes, I know many folks think a routine is like a rut, but I like knowing what's going on and what's coming. I gotta admit, that's been one of the hardest things for me to adjust to in this full-timing life – lack of structure. And it's funny, because that's what most folks love about this lifestyle. Over the years I've become more flexible, but I still like my routine.

It was also laundry day, so after Curves we headed over to Lindsay's to complete that chore. We also planned to do dinner together tonight because Lins & Reagan are going away for the weekend tomorrow and we hadn't seen them all week.

Since it was a beautiful day, we decided to go to the pool this evening and have dinner there. Randy grilled burgers and hot dogs while Reagan and I played in the pool. Lindsay meandered back and forth between us and setting up for dinner.

I had so much fun with Reagan in the pool. She just loves the water! We started out in the baby pool, splashing around until it was time for dinner. After that, we ventured into the “big” pool, along with Lindsay. Reagan has learned to doggie paddle really well. She wears her swimmies on her arms and just propels herself around the pool. She also loves to jump into the pool, into someone's waiting arms, that is. She's not too sure about going under just yet. But, she does great and absolutely loves it.

It was a great day. Beautiful weather, family fun, doesn't get much better. Hope you had a good day, too!

Until the next time . . .

Beginning to Feel Normal Again

Okay, so I wasn't normal before, I know, I know!! :). This morning I was still feeling a little crampy and just not 100%; but, I am feeling more like myself this evening.

Since I wasn't feeling so great today, we did a whole lot of nothing. Randy reminds me that he did his chore for the day – flushing the tanks. Yeah, thanks, honey, you're the best! (Of course, that chore was desperately needed after the last couple of days!) Seriously, though, I do appreciate him VERY much. He's so good to me. And I will admit – I stayed in the recliner most of the day.

I'm sure you can't take any more of this excitement, so I'll leave you for now. :) Until the next time . . .

Well, Wasn't THAT Fun!?!?!!!!

I won't be nominated for colonoscopy patient of the year, I'm afraid. I have to admit, though, the prep IS the worst part of the whole procedure. That's no lie. Now, if you don't like talking or thinking about bodily functions, don't continue to read this entry! :) This is one time you'll be glad there are no pictures to post!

As I shared yesterday, I started the prep for the colonoscopy in the afternoon with a couple of tablets taken to get things “started.” Not a problem; I can swallow pills better than anyone! Then, three hours later I began drinking the crud that finishes the “cleansing” process. And this is where the evening went downhill, quickly.

The deal is you have to drink an 8 ounce glass of the crud every 10 to 15 minutes until it's all gone. Now, there's enough crud to drink for about 7 to 8 glasses!!! Do you know how much liquid that is??? It's a lot, let me tell you. I was a good girl. I even put on the timer so that I would know when 15 minutes was up. The first 4 glasses went down okay. The fifth took a bit longer. I don't think I've ever had that much liquid in me at one time in my life. I was halfway through the sixth glass when it happened . . .

(Gross out alert!!)

I threw it ALL up!!!!!!!!!!!!

I started crying. I figured I had blown it big time. The point of drinking all the crud is the clean out your system; hence, if you don't drink all the crud, your system won't get cleaned out. Well, I had another glass and a half to drink, so I did. I couldn't even call the doctor 'cause it was at night. So, I figured I'd go for the procedure, tell them what happened and let them decide whether or not to go ahead with it.

Fast forward to this morning. We got to the office about 7:30, I told them what happened. They asked some gross questions and decided to go for it. (I was kinda glad 'cause it would be over!) I was still a little anxious about the whole thing since I'm such a control freak and don't like the unknown. But, the nurses were great, the doctor very nice and, yes, just as promised, I didn't know a thing! They gave me some anesthesia and one minute I was talking with the nurse anesthetist and the next minute I was waking up being told it was over. YAY!

The doc said everything was fine and I didn't have to do this again for 10 years. And you better believe that I'm not drinking the crud again!! I'll drink half of it, but never again will I try to drink all of it. Yuck.

That's it for today. I'm not doing anything the rest of the day. For those of you who read this entire post, you'll receive a gift in the mail in about 3 weeks. No, not really, just playing with you. :) But, I am impressed.

Until the next time . . .

Start of an Interesting Week

Well, the hot weather is still with us. The hoped-for thunderstorms never happened. So, the A/C continues to run constantly and we continue to hide inside away the RV.

First thing this morning we went for some routine blood work. Can't wait to see our cholesterol numbers! :) Then, it was off to Curves for my workout. By now, I am really missing my morning coffee and my tummy is beginning to growl. Can't imagine what I'm gonna feel like by tonight! And to add to the misery, we had to stop at the grocery for a few things. Yeah, that's just what I wanted to do – walk among all that food!! But, I persevered and we were out of there in record time and $$.:)

Back home for a little while. We have to go back out early this afternoon to get our blood pressure checked. Doc wants to see how the meds are doing. That will be interesting, too.

We're back home again; for the night. Visit to the doc was good – the BP med is doing its job for both of us. Pressure came down quite a bit. That's good news. I also got a prescription for the arthritis med I was taking last year. Glad to get that again. I am so tired of hurting.

The rest of the day will be dedicated to prep for the colonoscopy tomorrow. No more details needed, right? :) I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow night! hahahahaha

Until the next time . . .

A Quiet Sunday

We were very lazy today. I actually slept until 8am!! I never do that. If I sleep until 7am, that's late. Guess that little girl wore me out more than I thought. :)

All that was on the schedule for today was for me to spend the afternoon with Courtney, the daughter of our friends, Lee & Cheri. Courtney's on her own this week and asked me to hang with her this afternoon. I felt very privileged to do that. So, after a very lethargic morning, I got myself up and drove over to Courtney's. We talked, watched a movie and both of us fell asleep. (I told you it was a lazy day!)

I only napped for a short time and finished watching the movie. When it was over, I let Courtney know I was leaving. I don't think I woke her up too much. :)

Looks like we might get some thunderstorms tonight. If we do, I sure hope they chase away some of this heat. Ugh! I know it's summer and all, but upper 90s I can do without!

The next couple of days are full of fun and frolic for me. NOT!! After midnight tonight, I'm on a clear liquid diet until Tuesday afternoon sometime. Tomorrow morning Randy & I are getting some routine blood work done. We also have a doctor's appointment to check how the new BP meds are doing. Then, it's preparation for Tuesday's colonoscopy for me. YAY! Aren't I the lucky one. Oh, well. It'll be over soon. But, I'm gonna be one hungry girl by Tuesday.

That's it for now. Hope you had a good weekend. Until the next time . . .

Kids' Fishing Derby

We had such a fun day today. The campground held its annual Kids' Fishing Derby, complete with live worms, prizes and lunch. For two hours this morning, kids of all ages ringed the lake hoping for “the big one.” Every few minutes you'd hear the walkie talkies used by the various judges squawk with the length and type of fish a child had caught. It was pretty cool.

Reagan used her Disney Princess fishing pole she had gotten while on vacation a couple of weeks ago. After a couple of casts, she caught a fish! We were all so excited – the adults more than Reagan, I think. One of the judges came by to measure her fish and announced she had caught a 7 inch blue gill. It was a pretty one, too. Since the lake is catch and release only, we put him back in the water to hopefully catch him again. Alas, that was not to be. Despite Jason's constant hooking of worms, Reagan only managed to feed the fish, not catch any. Even her mommy tried, but to no avail.

Catching a fish

Easy fishing

The family that fishes together . . .

An hour was all Reagan could take of this fun. :) So, we packed up and spent the next hour or so back at the RV getting cooled off. This is the hottest day of the summer!! Around noon we headed back out to participate in the lunch and presentation of prizes. You know, a meal is always good when you don't have to prepare it. We had hot dogs, macaroni salad, mac & cheese, BBQ, all of the essentials for a good picnic. And there was no charge!

The kids were finally assembled and trophies, medals and prizes were given out. Every child got some kind of prize. That was pretty cool. When their numbers were called, the kids were able to pick from a horde of prizes. They could pick anything they wanted; Reagan picked sidewalk chalk! Lins couldn't believe it 'cause Reagan has a bunch of sidewalk chalk already, but that's what she wanted. She passed by everything else to pick that.

We were all bushed by this time. It was hot, hot, hot!! So, we walked back to the RV and Jason, Lins & Reagan went home. Probably to nap, at least I know that's where Reagan was going. Randy & me, too! It was such a fun day, though. Making memories with the kids and grandkids. How cool is that. Maybe next year Chuck, Ginny & Tommy can join us, too.

Hope your Saturday was a good one. Until the next time . . .

Ending the Week

Started the morning off at Curves. I find that my back feels much better on the days that I go to Curves. Very interesting . . . maybe there's something to this exercise thing after all! ;)

Later this morning Lins, Reagan and I headed down to Columbia to get hair cuts. Patty has been doing our hair forever! And even though it's a 3 hour round trip, we just can't change hairdressers. I know, I know, with the fuel prices the way they are it doesn't seem reasonable to travel that far to get our hair cut. But, it's only every 5 or 6 weeks, so we rationalize. :)

On the way home I had to stop at the colonoscopy center to pick up my instructions for that wonderful procedure everyone has to get once they turn 50. This has been the only drawback to turning 50 for me. UGH! I have so much anxiety over this and everyone keeps telling me it's no big deal, the prep is the worst, blah, blah, blah. Well, I guess I'll find out next Tuesday.

This afternoon was quiet, what little I had left once I got home. Around 5:30 Lins & Jason brought Reagan over to spend the night with us! There is a kids' fishing derby here at the campground tomorrow, so we told Lins & Jason to just have Reagan stay overnight with us. They jumped on that idea; they were needing a date night.

Reagan is such a pleasure to watch. She is curious, humorous, fun, and just plain adorable. :) We went next door to see the very tiny baby bunnies living in a fire pit. Then we played with the mardi gras beads. She loves those. For quiet time we watched some of Monsters, Inc. And being the good girl that she is, when I said it was time to go to bed, she went right in.

Talked to Kevin tonight. He and Sara are enjoying their time in Wisconsin with Ted & family. They're going to Chicago for the weekend and will attend a White Sox game. I'm so glad they're getting a bit of a honeymoon. Ted's mom is pampering them and they are loving it. It's great to hear Kevin so happy and content.

Hope you're feeling content. I know that I am; life can't get much better than this!

Until the next time . . .

Errands and More Pictures

Yes, today I got dressed. Randy rode with me to Curves 'cause we had errands and laundry to do later in the morning. Today was my weigh in and measuring day at Curves. Considering that the first half of this month was totally out of my routine, I was sure that the numbers would not be in my favor. But, I am glad to say that I was wrong! I lost a couple of pounds and more than 5 inches!! I couldn't believe it. That makes about 10 inches lost since I started Curves two months ago, so I asked the counselor why my pants are still tight! Guess I haven't lost enough weight. Oh, well. At least I'm headed in the right direction.

After our errands, we headed to Lindsay's to laundry. When we got there, Lins was getting ready to go to her neighbor's for their weekly coffee get together. The girls were nice enough to invite me to join them. We had a nice hour and a half of chatting. The other two young women, Vicki & Stacey, are great. I am so glad Lins and Jason have such great neighbors.

Well, laundry is halfway done and we are just hanging out. It's almost nap time for Reagan (and us, too, probably). Not much on the schedule for today. So, guess I'll just end with some more wedding pictures. There are others on our picture website. Just click on "Guiler Pictures" at the left of this entry.

Kev & I at the rehearsal dinner - I love this picture!

PFC & Mrs. Kevin Guiler

Their first dance

Randy & our oldest daughter, Ginny

Grandma and her baby grandchild

Until the next time . . .

A Nothing Day

I was the Queen of Lazy today. I didn't even get dressed! No, I wasn't running around naked – I had my robe on. I decided I wanted to do nothing all day and that's exactly what I did. Other than cross stitching, watching TV and playing on the computer, that is. I feel so much better now! Tomorrow will be back to the routine.

Here are a few more wedding pictures. Thanks to Ted & Dan for sharing them!

Kissing my baby boy

Awaiting his bride

Until the next time . . .

Synopsis of the Wedding Weekend

When last I posted, we had just lived through the bachelor/ette parties. Everyone survived those, albeit some better than others. :) Randy was just fine.

Friday was a busy day of preparation. Randy & I were at the wedding location all day until it was time to go to the restaurant for the rehearsal dinner. We helped set up tables, decorate, run interference between bride, mom and grandma, and just pitched in as necessary. The dinner was a very laid back, easy event. All of Sara's uncles and their families came so it was nice to get to know them a little away from the craziness of the preparations.

We had several errands to run Saturday morning and had to drop off various items at the wedding location. Once that was done, we went home to recoup before getting dressed for the wedding. As I've mentioned previously, we were staying at my friend, Tricia's, house right in Columbia which was just 25 minutes from the venue. What a blessing that was. We were able to relax a little because we were so close. And there were enough bathrooms that all of us were able to get ready without running into each other or out of hot water. Now, THAT was great! :)

We arrived back at the venue around 5:00 and found that the weather was beginning to cool off. The area where the ceremony would take place would be shaded by the time of the wedding, so that was great. The photographer arrived on time and the picture taking began. Sara had wanted pictures taken prior to the ceremony so that everyone was fresh and also so that the reception could get started quickly. Although, I was disappointed that Kev would see Sara before the wedding (being the traditional girl that I am), it seemed to work well. I think the pictures are going to be wonderful.

Folks started arriving and you could feel the excitement starting. Reagan was so anxious to begin her flower girl duties – she was adorable. The ceremony actually began very close to on time. I was so proud to be escorted by my handsome son in his dress blues uniform. Blackie, Kev's dog, discharged his ring bearer duties without incident. And the bride made her entrance beautifully, complete with tears. It was a marvelous ceremony and the bride and groom made a very handsome couple.

I think everyone enjoyed the reception. We were able to see friends we hadn't seen for awhile and mingled with everyone. There was the traditional father/daughter dance, mother/son dance and the couple's first dance. I must say that I fell apart during Kev and my dance; no surprise there. I am just so darn proud of him. Some of you know how far Kevin has come in these past two years, so you know why I was so emotional. He has grown into such a fine young man. And we are thrilled to have Sara in our family.

Kev and Sara came up yesterday to spend the day/evening with us and Lins & family. It was our last time together before they leave for Kansas. Funny, it was a little harder saying good-bye this time than when he left for Korea. Not quite sure why. All I can figure is that he has begun his life as an adult since he now has a family of his own. But, I know that he and Sara will make a great life together and will support one another in their individual pursuits as well as their combined ones.

Just as I was comfortable in Lindsay's choice of a lifemate in Jason, I am with Kevin's choice of Sara. Ginny has found a good man in Chuck to spend her life with as well. As parents, Randy & I couldn't ask for more than to have our children content in the lives and spouses they have chosen. As I watched our kids interacting with each other and with their spouses and children, I was overwhelmed with the many blessings God has showered on us. It is awesome to see your family whole and thriving.

Now Randy & I are recuperating! :) Today was spent doing nothing! I did go to Curves this morning (as I did yesterday, too!). But, the remainder of this week is dedicated to doing nothing. And that's something I am really good at! :)

I've posted some pictures below. I will have more eventually, but this will give you a taste of our weekend. Until the next time . . .

Flowers on the table

Kevin & Lindsay before the ceremony
The groom and his niece, the flower girl
Exchanging the rings
Married!!
Cutting the cake
Saying goodbye

Short Note

Just a quick post – yesterday was a crazy day with all the pre wedding prep. Today's the big day! I'll post a long, newsy entry tomorrow night or Monday morning. In the meantime, please pray for our newlyweds, Kevin & Sara. Thanks!!

Big Weekend Ahead

Well, it's the start of the wedding weekend. Lots of folks have already come in from out of state: Sara's grandparents, Randy's sister and her three kids; Kev's buddy from Basic Training, Ted and his girlfriend, Bri, and a couple of Sara's girlfriends.

Tonight was party night – bachelor and bachelorette. The girls met for dinner at a friend of Sara's, LeAnne's, house and then went out bar hopping. The boys, just five of them, went to a local sports bar for the evening. Randy was their designated driver, lucky him. I went out to dinner with Randy's sister, Melissa and two of her three kids, MacKenzie and Patrick. Her oldest, Tara, went out with the girls.

The best part of the day, for me, was seeing Kevin and Ted together again. They had forged a great friendship during their Basic Training days. Unfortunately, they had not seen each other since that graduation over a year ago. But, it was so important to Kevin that Ted be at his wedding and Ted came. I think they have the kind of friendship that they can just pick up where they left off, no matter how long it's been since they've seen one another. I'm so grateful for that friendship for Kevin.

As I write this, I'm waiting for Randy to call me so I can pick him up from Sara's house. He drove the guys around in Kev's car 'cause I needed our vehicle to get to and from dinner with Melissa. I sure hope he calls soon!

We are spending the weekend at my friend, Tricia's, house. She lives in Columbia where we used to live and it's convenient to everywhere we need to be this weekend. She is such a great friend, allowing us to stay here. Lins & her family are even staying here Friday and Saturday nights. It's wonderful to have friends you can mooch off of! :)

Not much else to share now. I'm sure I'll have more stories over the next couple of days!

Until the next time . . .

Just a Lazy Day

Gosh, it was wonderful to sleep in my own bed last night! Randy & I have always said that one of the best things about full-time RVing is that we always get to sleep in our own bed. Of course, there are times when we visit friends or family that we've stayed in their homes so we've slept in their guest rooms, but for the most part we sleep in our own bed wherever we are. And we love that!

We didn't have much planned for today because we knew that the rest of the week will be crazy. So, I did go to Curves this morning and boy, could I tell that I hadn't been for a week! Came home and caught up on our fellow RVers through their blogs, plus a couple of others that I read regularly.

Blackie had to go to the groomer's this afternoon so that he could get beautiful for his role as ring bearer in the wedding. And, since we hadn't since Lins & family since last week, we caught up with them and had lunch at TGIFridays. We spent the remainder of the afternoon at their house, waiting for Blackie to be done.

I know it's only be a week since we'd seen Reagan, but I would swear she's even more grown up since then! During lunch, she was contributing to the conversation like she's 16 years old! It's almost scary just how verbal and aware she is.

We got back home and have just chilled this evening. Gotta start packing for the weekend. I always find it hard to pack 'cause we rarely have to do that. I really have to think about what all we have to take. But, this should be it for awhile.

Well, it's TV time – So You Think You Can Dance is coming on! Hope you've had a great day. '

Until the next time . . .

Back Home

Thankfully, my mom came home from the hospital this morning. She's pretty whipped, but hopefully, she'll feel stronger each day. I'm just grateful that she's going to be able to come to Kev's wedding.

With Mommy coming home, Randy & I felt comfortable leaving to go back to our home. We said our good-byes to Daddy & Mommy and headed up the road. And just to give you a clue as to how great my folks are to us, we are using their car for the rest of the summer. They hate how much it costs us to run the truck so they told us to take their car home. It was a nice, smooth ride home. Our truck is great, and so necessary for our lifestyle, but I gotta admit, riding in a car is such a treat. So, we're riding in style for the rest of the summer. Our fuel budget will certainly be grateful. :)

We got home a little before 3pm to a very, very warm RV. We had turned off the A/C, trying to save some money, but I'm not sure if it was worth it. It was 91 degrees in here when we opened the door!! Ugh! Of course it didn't help that I had left some salad in the refrigerator and it didn't fare too well with us begin gone for a week. Yuck!

Thought we were going to be babysitting for Reagan overnight 'cause Lins called while we were on our way home and she is sick. Reagan had run a fever and was not feeling well Sunday and yesterday, so I guess it's Lins & Jason's turn. We stopped by their house to pick Reagan up, but Jason said he was feeling better and had everything under control. Lins was on the couch and really looked like she wasn't feeling well. Hope it's just a 24 hour thing.

That's about it from Dover, PA. We'll be home for a couple of nights and then it's down to Columbia to help with wedding preparations. Gotta get Blackie groomed tomorrow – he's the ring bearer! And it's back to Curves for me the next couple of days. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually missed it these past few days!

Here are some pictures of Kevin. It's so good to have him home!!

Randy & Kev share a beer for the first time since Kev turned 21 in Korea

Kevin and his Grandma (she's gonna kill me 'cause she won't like this picture)

Kevin and his buddy, Granddad

Until the next time . . .

Lots to Share!

Wow, where to start? Okay, I'll start with last Friday. Yes, I know I posted Friday & Saturday but I couldn't share with you the best thing that happened on Friday evening.

KEVIN'S HOME!!

Randy and I were sitting with my folks and one of their neighbors in the living room, just chatting, when I glanced out the window and saw a couple of “kids” walking across the lawn. My first thought was who the heck are those kids walking across the lawn; a nanosecond later, it was “THAT'S MY KID!” I hollered and jumped up and ran out the door and launched myself into his arms. Luckily, he is one strong dude 'cause he caught me without any trouble. Needless to say I was a basket case. I was sobbing in his arms for about 3 minutes before I could get my act together to even speak to him. I finally allowed Randy to get a hug in, but then I was all over him again.

The scoop is that Kev was able to get his orders changed to come home July 3^rd instead of the 9^th as we all thought. Sara had known about the change in plans since before her bridal shower over a week ago! So, the little brats had this all planned. They thought they would surprise us at my sister's 4^th of July party last Friday, but since Randy and I were down at my folks', they first went to my sister's then came on down here to surprise us. And, boy did they succeed! He and Sara spent the weekend with us, going home Sunday morning. It was great – I could just touch him anytime I wanted to! :)

I hadn't been able to tell you all about this great news because Kevin's sisters, Ginny & Lindsay, didn't know yet. So, I had to wait until they were told. It's wonderful to have him home!

Last night we went to dinner with Doug & Linda, good friends from our old days of living in Maryland. Every year, they spend the first couple of weeks of July at the beach so they were just a few miles away from my folks'. Linda and I worked together at our church and we were all part of the same Bible study group. We hadn't seen each other in a couple of years, although we've kept in touch via email and such. It was great being able to get caught up face to face. We had a delicious dinner and good company. Can't ask for more than that!

My mom went back in for the second heart cath this morning and we had good news. The doc was able to unblock BOTH vessels. Hopefully, Mommy will experience relief from her symptoms now. We'll see once she's back on her feet over the next couple of days. She still has to undergo a CT scan sometime next week to determine if there are any blood clots remaining in her lungs which could be contributing to the problems as well. Please continue to keep her in prayer.

Okay, I think that brings you up to date. Sorry I don't have pics to share of Kevin, but I didn't bring my USB cable to upload them to the computer. (I didn't know I'd be needing it!) I'll share them once I get home. And we'll be going home tomorrow. YAY! I can't wait to sleep in my own bed for a couple of nights. :)

The next big news will be all about Kev & Sara's wedding which is this Saturday. So hard to believe it's finally here. Seems like we've been waiting forever and now it's almost upon us. Big week coming up!

Until the next time . . .