Happy, Happy and not so happy....but mostly happy!

Happy, happy!  It's Hump Day, the last day of June, our last choir practice until September...lots to celebrate.

The kids had their first marching band practice.  They were in the back parking lot of the school in sections marching away when I got there.  The most exciting news they had was that they are doing music from Journey!  Last year Chicago, this year Journey!  Of course I am assuming that some of this is due to the GLEE excitement, but that just adds to it!  The kids are excited.

I asked Son how he liked his first band practice.  He said it was good.  I asked him if it was better than he expected and he shook his head yes vigorously. 

Last night, I was home putting dishes away and aggravated a rib that keeps displacing itself.  Luckily, I go to the chirpractor this evening to get it checked, again.  He will have to put it back in place, again.  OUCH!  I pretty much scream the whole time I am on the table until he gets the thing that looks like a sander or car waxer.  It massages my whole back.  I gotta get me one of those. 

I don't have much more to say, so have a great one.  I'll update you on the garden tomorrow. 

Oh, yeah!  If I get 100 follower today, there will be a give away this weekend!  So let's cross our fingers!

Post It Note Tuesday: Camp Edition...

It's Tuesday!  Praise the Lord!  Go over to the side and click on SupahMommy's button to go look her up and all the other links!
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This week I give you an update on Daughter's camp, and Son's hair, plus the weekly favorite, Personalized License Plates...

Daughter came home from camp early, Wednesday afternoon to be exact.  It was 95 + degrees  with high humidity and she was having stomach issues.  We are thinking that just having gall bladder surgery three months ago, things are still wacky with her system.  So GPa and I were in the vicinity with my friend's father's funeral, and I got the call, so we jumped over there and got her.

On the way home...

Son, Me, & Daughter.

Weekend Update: A game, a movie review, and a scavenger hunt. Oh my!

Happy Monday!  Well, okay maybe not happy, but at least it's another day.  We had another full weekend at the Fox house.  

Friday after work, I stopped at Costco.  Here's what I got.

Then I went to the chiropractor.  I have had a terrible pain below my right shoulder blade.  Come to find out, I have a rib that keeps moving.  OUCH!  It hurt putting it back in.  So I go back on Wednesday evening for another adjustment.  He's really a great doc, but I hate having to be touched.  

Then me and the family went to the Cincinnati Reds ballgame at Great American Ball Park with my co-workers.  What a great turnout this was.  We tailgated and watch the Reds beat the Cleveland Indians 10-4.  Then we saw some terrific fireworks displayed.

This is the riverboat that is part of the park.

This is Son, me and Daughter tailgating.

What a beautiful ball park, with a great view of the Ohio River.

Isn't this a cool fireworks display?  It looks like a dragonfly or something.

Out of focus, but still, really cool, huh?

On Saturday, me, Daughter and BFF took a road trip to Hillsboro.  Daughter was at camp there, but because of the excessive heat and her still trying to deal with food after her gall bladder surgery, she came home on Wednesday.  I had arranged with her friend's mother that I would pick them up because she was so busy with a family reunion and all.  Besides, it's a great trip over. 

During that time, Son and Foxy went to church for a Father/Son Breakfast.  It was great for them.

Then Foxy, Son and I worked in the garden.  Wait until you see my new pictures tomorrow.  I am excited to show them to you!

Then Foxy, Son, Daughter, BFF and myself went and saw Toy Story 3 in 3D.  Okay, the 3D thing, for me at least was okay, but not all that.  But I did keep my cool nerd 3D glasses as a souvenior.  As for the movie, it was really good and actually touching.  We really enjoyed it and I thought it was a great way to end bring it all together.  If you know anything about Toy Story, you must see Spanish Buzz.  Hilarity abounds!

Sunday we went to church.  After church, we grabbed a bite to eat and ran back to the church for a High School/Jr. High Scavenger hunt around the city of Lebanon, OH, my hometown.

Here are some pictures from that.  Foxy and I had three girls, Daughter, Avery and Mady.  They were great fun.  As we were starting our journey around town, I took a step and my favorite pair of flip-flops broke.  I mean, the piece between the toes broke.  There is no repairing this.  So, I was forced to purchase a new pair.  For shame.  Here is what I got.

The best part was they were half off and in my size.  So now I have a pair of Vera Bradley flip-flops (pattern Night and Day).  Too cute, I think!

I don't know about Mary's garden, but here is mine!

Today is What the Friday!  At least that what the DJ's on the radio said.  My What the Friday is that my eyes will not focus this morning.  I am having trouble seeing.  I will have to go home and take out my contacts. 

Tonight, the whole family is going to the Cincinnati Reds game with my co-workers and their families.  We are tailgating first, so it will be a lot of fun!  I am going to take lots of pictures, so I'll have lots to report (I hope).  After the game there is going to be fireworks, so that will be fun too!

This morning before work, I walked outside in the dewy grass and took pictures of the garden.  I thought you all would like to see how we are progressing.

This is the watermelon.  My how it is vining.  I need it to go the other way, though.  It's gonna choke the

Radishes!  Aren't they getting big!  

This is a tomato plant that is right next to the back porch.  We didn't plant it.  It is probably cherry tomatoes because we had a bunch of cherry tomatoes on the back porch last year and it just was from one them.  Yay!  Extras!

This is a pepper plant.  Foxy thinks the unidentified ones are the same as what we bought.  Jalepeno.  What the Friday am I going to do with 6 or 8 hot pepper plants?  I guess dry them and stick them in everything.

DISCLAIMER:  We have been so busy that I haven't got out to weed around the plants.  Foxy tilled the rows this week, but I haven't been out to do my duty.

This is our zuchinni plant.  I am so excited there are several blooms on it.  Grandma's zuchinni bread, here we come!

This is the cucumber plant.  I love me some fresh cukes!

This is our row of beans.  See how some of it is starting to vine?  We got to put a fence up there as soon as we can, so it can weave in and out.  Saturday, definitely.

Here are some more tomato plants.  See, I need to weed badly!

Well that's the Fox Garden by the end of June.  Have a great weekend!

Google Maps, a Dog, a Funeral, and a Child

Okay, I love my friends.  They are a strange bunch (which probably explains why I like them and they stick with me).  And if it wasn't for our families, I wouldn't have anything to write about.

I was MIA yesterday because of friend's father's funeral.  It was a long way off and right in the middle of the day, so I took the day off and went with my father over there.  I knew it was going to be interesting because of the visitation the night before...

Foxy, Son and I drove the hour and a half over to the funeral home.  I had my Google Maps on my Droid working as we went, as I had only been in that little town one other time three months ago.  We get all the way to the the intersection of the street the funeral home is on and the Navagation voice states, "Turn left at Mulberry Street."  What the Friday?

I am positive you are suppose to turn right.  I look down to the right, and sure enough, there is the white house-looking funeral parlor with cars parked in front of it and people milling around on the porch, smoking.  So I turn right and the voice says, "Recalculating route."  I tell Son (who has been in charge of my Droid) to "turn that stupid thing off, it's wrong."  Hey, it got us all the way to the intersection and then screwed up?  Someone at Google better come out and look for themselves at that problem.

We park, and start to walk up to steps when we spot a girl holding a leash with a big white boxer attached.  I really didn't think a whole lot about it because this down is very small and has just one light.  All the men are dressed in jeans and wearing ball caps, and all the women have capris, and flip-flops on.  Not that there is anything wrong with any of those items.  But this is a small mid-American town.

As I am talking with my friend, hugging her and saying all the appropriate things, I notice that there is a picture on the casket of her father and that dog.  Well that explains that, I think.  Then her brother leaves and soon comes back with the dog.  In the building.  Hello?  Well, I guess there wasn't a sign that said NO Pets, so I guess this is fine.

Brother takes Dog up to the casket, and makes Dog stand on two legs, with front paws on casket.  He says, "Say Goodbye."  The canine, sniffs a few times, looks around and generally doesn't look interested.   Now, I totally understand the closure thing.  But by now, the corpse has been washed down, and injected with all those yucky chemicals and by no means smells anything like what anyone remembers.  So I guess it made Brother feel better, because hey, that dog and the father were constant companions.  But that was a first for me and my family.  I told my dad that if the dog was at the funeral, I was so taking a picture.

The next day, my father picks me up 15 minutes later than I had requested.  We start the journey and 25 minutes from the town, my dad looks at me and says "I think we are going to be late."  I roll my eyes and agree.  So I text Friend and tell them we are on the way, but running late.  Hey, at least they know we are coming.

We get there eight minutes after the funeral service starts.  My dad asks me if he should put his tie on.  I tell him, no because then he will be way over dressed.  Which is true.  The only person wearing a tie is minister.  The corpse is just in a blue button down shirt.

We slip in the back door and sit down.  There is maybe 30 to 40 people there.  In front of us a few rows is three men, two women and two little boys that are approximately 3 to 4 years old.  There is an aunt reading a letter from my friend about her father, and then a song.  Then the minister gets up to talk.

As he is talking, I was still teary from the letter.  I was sitting there imagining what I would say about my dad when this time comes.  When all of a sudden, a little boy goes "BBBUUURRRRPP!"  Loudly.  I glance at my dad, wipe a tear from under my eye and giggle.  Dad starts to giggle.  The men in front of us laugh.  I look at my dad, take a deep breath and "Gawf!", but I quickly try and cover the explosive giggles as a sob.

All a sudden, "BUUURRRP!"  Oh my goodness!  He burps again.  Someone get that kid out of here.  More giggles and hand covering the face.  How can that preacher keep talking.  It took me two to three minutes to get things undercontrol. 

See I told you it was going to be interesting.  True story.  I couldn't make this stuff up.

PINT - Automobile Edition

It's time for....

SupahMommy

cfoxes33's automobile edition!

 Here is picture of said ranger.  

Weekend Update for June 18 - 20 - I made this long because there is more hours of light today.

Happy Summer Solstice!  What are you doing today to celebrate summer?  I am working.  How exciting is that?

This was a pretty busy weekend. We celebrated Father's Day, Daughter left for Church Camp, we were shopping all day...it was pretty busy.

Friday, I left work and went to the hospital.  My very close friend's father passed away suddenly and I needed to be with her.  She just lost her mother three months ago, so this is probably enough to put anyone over the edge.  My heart is with her and her family right now.

In the evening, we had the closing program for Vacation Bible School.  We had the closing program which the MC kept adding to and it ended up being over and hour and a half.  Ridiculous!  It should have been 40 minutes, in and out and then everyone could have fun.  But sometimes people like being in the limelight and thinks everyone won't mind "just one more song." 

On a good note, the students raised over $700 for the missionary.  This year the mission chosen was called the Warrior Backpack Program.  The local school system started this last year and each week packed a backpack of food for children to take home.  It wasn't for low-income students, or anything like that, it is to insure that all kids get at least a few good, healthy meals on the weekends because sometimes the only healthy food that a child gets is from the school during breakfast and lunch.  Just this $700 can make over 2,500 meals!  That is half of what they did last year.  Way to go kids!

We had a cookout following the program and a dunking booth which the kids really enjoyed.  Then some of us cleaned up and got outta there!

Saturday, Daughter and I got up and piddle around for a bit.  She was leaving for camp on Sunday, and we still needed to get her a one-piece swimsuit and the essentials.  Plus she was still doing laundry and had not started packing.

So we picked up BFF and went shopping.  Shopping with Daughter is honestly not always fun.  She likes to look and look, until it comes to swimsuits.  See, she's top heavy and hates the suits with support.  She's only 15, but she is twice as big as me in this department and it's something I have never had to worry about.

Anyway, we ended up at Dick's Sporting Goods and found one that was not only expensive, but not stylish.  She's all about fashion, you know.  I think it's cute, but I'm just Mom.

I also found this shirt for Son that is black with an orange and blue basketball on the front made of little pieces of basketball material.  It says something like I don't have to tell you how good I am.  Just watch and learn.  This is in black all through the emblem on his shirt.  I thought it was kinda cool.  He basically work it the rest of the weekend.

We finished up the shopping, got food and went to Costco.  There I got my Dad and Foxy's presents.  My Dad is a huge American history buff, so I found a book on Abraham Lincoln's last 12 months in office.  He already started reading it.

For Foxy, the kids (Son) wanted to get him some DVDs.  So I picked these.

We watched Shutter Island yesterday. Son wanted to because we heard it was really scary and he didn't want to have nightmares.  So we watched it at 3:30 in the afternoon.  It was really a good, play with the mind suspenseful movie.  There was only one scene that kinda freaked the guys out.  I apparently was getting a load of laundry done, so I didn't see it.  Son keeps come running in to me, tagging me and shouting "Tag, your it!"  If you have seen the movie, this will make sense to you.   We haven't seen the other two, but Foxy has talked about The Book of Eli since seeing previews for it.  He was happy with the selections.

Anyway, we gave the gifts to our Dads on Saturday evening when we went out to eat.  We went to Smokey Bones.  It was yummy, and a lot of food.  We celebrated Father's Day a day early because of Daughter leaving.  It worked out well.  Everyone was happy.

Well, mostly.  Daughter gets really nervous when she goes away from home for extended periods of time.  So Saturday evening and Sunday morning she was a little weepy.  BFF did everything he could to keep her upbeat and not crying.  He didn't want that.  He will miss her, but she needs to go.  She needs this time away.  She loves camp.  she has basically grown up there.  There is just her and Dancer.  They were making all kinds of plans and will have a great time. I will miss her this week, but it helps her grow up a little.

Sunday we had a great church service, ran to get lunch and then finish Daughter's packing.  Then I took her over to Dancer's house.  Dancer's mom was taking them to camp.  I am picking them up.

Then, I came home, did some light cleaning and piddled around the house the rest of the night.  It was nice to be home and not running.

As usual, it was a very busy, crazy weekend.  I don't see it getting any better in the foreseeable future, either.  Have a great Summer Solstice!

Friday Photo Flashback & Friday Follow Me

Here are my Friday Photo Flashbacks.  My father found these and showed them to everyone during VBS.  Kinda embarrassing, but cool, because some of these I haven't seen in quite a while.

This is my sister, me, and my two cousins.  It's somewhere around 1976.  I believe we are getting ready to go to church.  Don't you love the cute dresses, bobs and the plaid pants?

Here we are again, with one extra cousin.  This is probably 1973 on my backporch.  My cousin's always wore socks with their sandals and I wore those shoes until they fell apart!

This is my paternal grandfather.  I cried when I saw this picture.  He passed away when I was 12.  He was such a crazy, fun man!  Don't you love his glasses?



I am also Friday Follow Me-ing.


Have a great weekend!