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 . . .

Hanging with the Folks

Actually slept until 8am today!! That is so unusual for me. I felt a little groggy for the first few minutes 'cause I'd slept so long. Got some coffee in me and I began to feel a little more human. Randy and I went to the grocery to get a few things to fix for breakfast and back home we came. I fixed breakfast for the family; eggs, scrapple, bagels. Yummy!

The rest of the day was just hanging out, chatting. You know – solving the world's problems. We didn't do much of anything. Very lazy. The weather didn't cooperate much, either. Hazy and humid all day and then a rainstorm came up for about a half hour this evening around dinner time.

Sorry that there hasn't been more to share. I'm kinda grateful for the quiet time, though 'cause I know next week is gonna be very full. Hope all in your world is good.

Until the next time . . .

Happy Birthday, America!

Today our country is 232 years old. And it is the best place in the world to live. I am grateful for every person who has sacrificed a loved one to keep this country free and those who continue to fight for the freedoms we enjoy.

On another note, my mom came home from the hospital this morning and is doing great. She will return to the hospital as an outpatient for another heart cath procedure to try to correct the other blockage.

Hope everyone had a great day today. Until the next time . . .

Sitting All Day in a Hospital

Today started at 4:50am. Yes, that was 4:50 IN THE MORNING! The good news was that I woke up before the alarm went off, so Randy was able to continue sleeping undisturbed (brat!). The bad news was it was 4:50 IN THE MORNING!! Anyway, I dragged my bum out of bed and headed to the shower, hoping that the water would contain miracle crystals that would ease the back pain and turn me into Cheerful Chelsea. It didn't. :)

Promptly at 5:50am, Daddy, Mommy, and I left the house and headed to the hospital for Mommy's heart cath. Strange how the hospital makes you check in at 6:45am for an 8:30am procedure and then don't take you for that procedure until 10:00am. Gosh, what would happen if we kept a medical professional waiting like that? Hmmmmmmmm . . .

Anyway, we were told that the procedure would take about an hour to an hour and a half. So, Daddy and I went down to the cafeteria for a much needed cup of coffee (for me) and breakfast (for both of us). Back in the waiting room, the clock continued to tick and we continued to wait for the doctor to come out. Finally, around 1pm, the doctor came out with Mommy following in her bed. Mommy went off to get settled in her room and Daddy & I talked with the doc.

Bottom line, Mommy has two blockages, one of which the doc worked on for over an hour (thus the long wait) but could not unblock it. Apparently, the placque is in such a place that it prohibits insertion of a stent or angioplasty. So, that blockage will just remain as it is. Then, because of the length of time the doc took to work on the first vessel, he was unable to do anything with the second one at this time. You see, the dye that is used in the cath process cannot continue to run through the body for a long period of time without risking damage to the kidneys. And we sure don't need any other problems! That's why he stopped the procedure. A second cath has been scheduled for this coming Monday and it is hoped that this second blockage can be opened at that time. This blockage is in the diagonal branch and it is about 80 to 85%. That's up from 30% last October. After that, we'll see if Mommy's symptoms are alleviated.

Whew!! Did you catch all that? I sure hope so, I don't want to repeat it. :)

So, Randy & I will be spending the weekend with my folks. Mommy should come home from the hospital tomorrow morning sometime. We'll stay until Tuesday so that we're here for the procedure on Monday.

Thanks so much for praying. Please continue to do so, asking God to guide the doctor's hands and give him wisdom and skill beyond his human abilities. Also, pray for Daddy 'cause I know he is concerned. He is so great – never shows how concerned he is, but my folks share a very special love for one another and this is tough on him.

Have a great Fourth of July celebration everyone!! Take a minute and thank God for this great country and all those who have sacrificed to keep us free.

Until the next time. . . .

Trip to The OC (Ocean City, MD that is)

Randy and I drove down to my folks' this morning so that I could go with them to the hospital tomorrow for my mom's heart cath. She's been having some chest pains and shortness of breath, so it's off to the hospital to see if there's anything going on that shouldn't be.

What should have been a nice ride turned into the trip from you-know-where! We left home a little after 10am. We were taking a different route than usual, just for fun. Part of the plan was to stop for a late breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Downingtown, PA, so we could add number 53 to the list. This new route called for us to travel east on Route 30 where we would turn south in Downingtown. OMG!! Seventy miles later, we had travel TWO HOURS to get to Downingtown!! Yes, you read that right – two hours. UGH!! It wasn't a horrible two hours, just didn't expect it. Plus, that turned out to be the best part of the trip!

After breakfast, we figured it would take us about three more hours to get to my folks; at least that's what the GPS said. WRONG! We turned south and headed to Delaware. That state needs to enact state income tax or get some money from somewhere 'cause their roads are horrible!! My apologies to any Delawarians, but good grief. We were on US Route 13 and 113 and between the bad roads, ignorant people and lights every other block, it took forever to get down the road.

Then, we ran into dead stop traffic. By that time it was after 4pm (remember, we left home around 10am and had breakfast a little after noon) and the sun was pouring in my window, I had a major headache and I was MEAN! Hard as that is to believe, it's true. :) I am grateful for the GPS, though, 'cause I was able to find us a side road around the traffic jam. Turns out it was road work that had caused the trouble. Once we got past that, we started eating up the miles. Thank God!

We finally pulled up to my folks' house a little after 5pm. Man, I was wiped out and I wasn't even driving. Poor Randy, he is such a trooper. I am so blessed to have that guy as my husband. He put up with traffic, poor drivers and a crazy woman in the passenger seat of his truck. If his crown isn't infested (encrusted?) with jewels, I don't know whose will be. :)

Anyway, after getting all our stuff inside, getting some drugs for my headache and settling Blackie, my folks took us out to dinner at Applebee's. That was so nice. They are so good to us.

It's now 10:30pm and I'm about to hit the bed. Gotta be up at 5am, so I can be ready to go by 5:45. Lovely. Hey, if you think of it, please pray for my mom tomorrow. Thanks.

Until the next time . . .

Beginning of a Busy Month

Well, I missed another day of posting an entry. So sorry to those of you who sit by your computers and wait for those pearls of wisdom that flow from my fingers!

Yesterday wasn't a busy day, but Sara, our soon-to-be daughter-in-law came to spend the night with us and the time got away from. We had bought a Garmin Nuvi GPS for them and she wanted to hang out and play with it, getting us to help her program some addresses and such. We had a good night together. Again, I was struck by how blessed we are to have her in the family. She is going to be a wonderful wife for Kevin.

Today was even busier than usual for the first of the month. We had several errands we had to run. I started the morning at Curves, as usual, and rushed home to get a shower to get back out the door for those errands. We said good-bye to Sara and off we all went.

First stop was the doctor's office for me. We are overdue for our annual physicals because we are in the process of changing all of our doctors to the Dover, PA area. Randy went yesterday and today was my turn. At first glance, everything seems to be okay, but of course, we have to have the requisite lab tests and those will have to wait until after the wedding. It was found that both of our blood pressures are high, so we have been put on blood pressure medication and will go back in three weeks to see if it's helping. Guess we are officially old – we're on blood pressure medication!!!

Next, we grabbed a quick lunch on our way to the bank. We handle most of our financial issues online, but on the first of each month (or very close to it), we head to the bank to get our cash for the month. We've found, since there isn't always a bank close by, it's easier to have cash on hands for various purchases.

After the bank, we headed to Kohl's and Target. We had to buy Randy a pair of pants and shirt for the wedding and also a couple of birthday gifts for Kelly, our “adopted” granddaughter. Those purchases made, we had to stop at a local RV dealership to pick up a surge protector we had ordered last week.

Our last stop was WalMart to get those prescriptions filled. Aaaahhhh, finally, the errands were done.

We headed over to Lindsay's because we were going to have dinner together 'cause we're all going separate ways over the weekend. They are off to the Eastern Shore for their annual weekend away with Jason's sisters' families and mom. We are going to my folks' for a couple of days as my mom is having another heart cath done on Thursday. She is having some chest pains and shortness of breath and, unfortunately, the only way to find out if there's anything going on is to have a cath done. Hopefully, it is something simple and easy to treat and she'll be home on Friday morning.

That's it for now. If you think of us over the next few days, please pray for my mom.

Here are a few cute pictures of Reagan to make you smile. At least, I hope they do 'cause I sure think she's cute!

Great G'ma and Reagan talking (I love this one!)

Enjoying her ice cream!

Until the next time . . .

Another Month Over

Wow, tomorrow's the end of the month. In 10 days, Kev will be home; in just 13 days, that boy is getting married. Life is moving fast, but in a good way, I guess.

Just another quiet Sunday. We went to church and just came home and watched movies. I spent the afternoon trying to get rid of a headache that hit me out of nowhere. Then it was leftovers for dinner and more TV in the evening.

Too exciting for you? I can understand that. :) But, hold on; the next couple of weeks should make up for it!!

Until the next time . . .

Another Wedding Shower

Today Lindsay hosted a shower for Sara. As usual, Lindsay did a fantastic job of decorating, providing finger food, and a warm atmosphere. This wasn't a surprise shower, so some of the pressure was off. :) We had a good turn-out and Sara got some great gifts. Randy& I are just thrilled that Sara is part of our family. She is a sweet, loving young woman and will be a wonderful wife for Kevin.

It's so hard to believe that the wedding is just two weeks from today. It seems we've been talking about it and planning for it forever. Of course, when you're concerned the groom won't make the ceremony, that makes things a little tense, too! ;) But, all is on course now and we can just enjoy the next few days.

Here are some pictures from the party. Enjoy.

Sara and her mom, Ann

Sara and Lindsay

Sara's ready to open presents

Mingling

Spending More Money!

Wow, what a humid morning this was! Yuck. Walking outside at 7am should be a refreshing venture, but not today. Randy rode with me to Curves again this morning because we were going to breakfast afterward (isn't that what you're supposed to do after exercise???) and then run a couple of errands.

We had breakfast at a diner we've been passing by and keep saying we need to try. It's called the 'Round the Clock Diner and it's open 24 hours. You don't see that much anymore. The parking lot is always full, so we figured it must be pretty good. We got a big breakfast; the pancakes were HUGE. I couldn't even finish my meal and that's not the norm. :)

Full from breakfast, we headed to our next stop, an RV Dealership. We needed to get a door stop and Randy wanted to check on getting a surge protector for the outside electrical hook-up. We had one and it got fried quite awhile ago and we've been saying we need to get one ever since. So, today was the day. The dealership didn't have them in stock, but we ordered one and it should be in early next week. Man, those things are not cheap! But, it's a lot less expensive than having to rewire the RV!!

After that, we stopped at Radio Shack to see if they had portable GPS on sale. We told Kev & Sara we would buy them one. We found a Garmin Nuvi 200 on sale and were pleased at the price. So, check another item off the list!

With that, we were done spending money for the day and headed back home, trying to beat the storm. The storm that never showed, by the way. Not sure what's going on with this weather. We did get a little rain this evening, but nothing like we thought we were going to get because of the dark clouds.

We ended up going over to Lindsay's this evening, which was not in the plan. She called to let us know that a package from Omaha Steaks had arrived. Our oldest, Ginny, had bought Randy a package of different meats for him for birthday/Father's Day and had it sent to Lindsay's. What a great gift! Randy was excited 'cause we just don't buy meat like that – filet mignon, sirloin, etc. Thanks, Gin & Chuck!

We're now back home, got the meat all tucked away in the freezer and it's time to settle back and watch some TV. Hope you all had a good day. We sure did.

Until the next time . . .

OOPS!

I didn't write anything yesterday! I can't believe it. I didn't even realize it until this morning. That just shows you what an exciting day we had yesterday – NOT! It was even more boring, er, um, I mean, relaxed than the day before. Man, we gotta step it up. Although I did go to Curves, so that has to count for something!

We were a little more active today. Randy rode with me to Curves this morning because we were spending the day at Lindsay's, so in an effort to save fuel, he sat outside and waited for me while I exercised. What a guy!

It was laundry day, as is the usual routine on Thursdays. So, after exercising we headed over the Lindsay's. However, today we had an extra duty. We got to watch Reagan this afternoon! YAY! After having not seen her for more than 10 days, I was ready.

It was great. She hadn't come downstairs yet this morning when we got there. And when she came running into the kitchen, she ran right into my arms, seeming so excited to see me. Aaaahhhhh, what a great feeling! Nothing like a grandchild to brighten your day.

Spent the morning doing laundry and playing with Reagan. Jason & Lins left around 1:30. They had to go to Silver Spring to attend a viewing for Jason's great uncle. That left us in charge for the rest of the day. :) We all took good naps this afternoon, so we were all in good moods this evening.

Dinner was meat loaf and a tossed salad for Randy & me; turkey, cheese and salad for Reagan. However, Reagan was adventurous and tried the meat loaf. And, she liked it. Boy, won't her mommy be surprised. But, I know that the only way Reagan will ever get meat loaf again is if I'm making it. It's not a favorite of her parents'.

Well, it's quiet time for Reagan, so I better run. She is such a good little girl, gets a little out of control once in a while, but hey, who doesn't? :) For the most part, it is a pure pleasure to spend time with her. And quiet time is the best – it's snuggle time!

Until the next time . . .