Crazy Love

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Pam

This afternoon we got back from our quick spring break weekend get away. Because for once our kids are in two different schools their breaks are at different times. This past week was Lauren’s spring break. Michael’s spring break is this coming weekend. So we took this past weekend to go to an indoor waterpark we have never been to before. It is Great Wolf Lodge next door to Kings Island in Mason Ohio. Even though I grew up in Ohio and went to Kings Island a lot. We just spent the weekend and we had such a great time. We laughed and played and ran around. We just had such an amazing weekend like we didn’t have a care in the world.

I wish I had taken more pictures actually. But mostly I just enjoyed my family. But I have a few pictures to share.The kids just had a wonderful time together. There weren’t any arguments. That was wonderful. Seems being in college away from each other has really mellowed them out to the point that they actually like each other now. I knew it would eventually but it was a long time coming.

Saturday we went to the indoor watermark. That was really cool. There were pools and slides and rafts galore. I enjoyed the family slide where all four of us could ride together. I wish now I had walked around and taken more pictures of the pools and slides. I know it’s a little hard to see in this picture. Ron and the kids would go again late at night after I got in bed to watch TV.

The end of the day brought some tired pups at night. There was a couch. But an argument developed and it ended up with both of them in the bed next to us. Cracked me up. How I love them!!!

They just piled up wherever they were and stole my heart no matter what they were doing. Lauren was tweeting, of course. Michael was playing his game on his phone. I had just come in the room from shopping in the gift shop. Ron was working on his schoolwork. We were just hanging out. And they were just piled there stealing my heart! It was a crazy kind of love!!

Yep that’s my family! We had a great time! I want to take advantage of every second we have together. They are amazing and I am crazy about them!!!

What Is It About The Fall?

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Pam

When I stop to think about what things I love about Fall I come up with all of the same things everyone always says like the cooler weather, the changing colors, the bonfires, the fall holidays. But you know, in trying to come up with something different to say, I was sitting here thinking about what specifically I am most looking forward to right now about THIS particular upcoming autumn and why. It isn’t really all that different but the reasons do come from a different place. Since I don’t really have any idea where my writing is gonna end up when my fingers start typing who knows what we’ll find at the end of this post. So, let’s explore the recesses of my brain and see what we end up with.

At the beginning of the summer I decided I was gonna lose weight. So I set out for the umpteenth time with the idea to start walking, changing the way I eat and by “whenever” there would be less of me to love. I’m easy going like that. I don’t really set specific goals with dates and numbers. I just kind of have a general idea of what I wanna do and meander my way in that general direction and when I get there I get there. It worked quite well for about 6 weeks. I had a good system going and was walking at least a mile a day five days a week. The middle of July we went to our annual denomination’s national convention where I got out of the habit of walking. Since then I’ve probably walked half a dozen times. My weight loss has continued but, understandably, at a much slower pace. My eating habits have stayed about the same. But I have started using the line “when the weather cools off I will start walking again”. Now the first half of the summer the heat wasn’t a factor. I always walk in the morning usually right before sunrise. So the heat of the day really isn’t a legitimate excuse for me. But somehow I have come to find it a convenient one the last half of the summer. So, this year I am looking forward to the cooler weather to see if I will actually use it to motivate me or if I will use it as some other time of pathetic excuse to keep me on the couch. Do you ever just get sick of your own excuses? Oh my word! I sure do!

The changing colors is another thing I dearly love about Fall. This year our kids are in college. And they happen to be in colleges in the hills of Eastern Tennessee. I look forward to going to visit them on their campuses for games to drive through the glorious coloring book of God’s country. We usually spend Thanksgiving over in that park of the state in a state park. But Thanksgiving is always a little too late in the year for the color change. I want to go over for a weekend in Cookeville and another weekend in Chattanooga in October at the height of the season. I could just stand in the middle of the woods at look out over the glory of God’s creation and marvel at his handiwork. What a creator! What an artist! What a mighty God we serve! He made himself known through the glory of his creation from the beginning of time!

They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was create, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:19,10 (NLT)

Finding The Perfect Happy Moment

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Pam

This is my Finding The Happy entry this week. It doesn’t have so much to do with what is showing in this picture but more about what happened AFTER the picture was taken. This picture was taken on the Santa Monica Pier after dinner at Bubba Gumps. She and I were taking pictures of the sunset. However it’s important to realize that it was incredibly FREEZING OUT THERE!!!!!!! The wind was seriously blowing off of the Pacific and we were not dressed for cold. It was very nice when we went into the restaurant. We were shivering and laughing and talking…….I was trying to say I wondered if Bubba Gumps had sweatshirts in their gift shop. But with the shivering and the laughing at the shivering it came out like “I wonder if Bubba – SNORT……..hahahahahaaahahahahhahaa!” Yes I snorted while shivering and laughing and talking. It was hilarious. She and I were rolling and so were all the people around us – laughing at us. You know how it is when you start laughing and you can’t stop and it only gets worse. Yep that was us! People all around us were trying to enjoy the sunset but we were making it impossible because we were cackling so much that they all started cackling at us cackling. It was HILALRIOUS!!! It was a perfect moment for Perfect Moment Monday and it made me super happy for Finding The Happy.

Did you have a time this week like mine? Visit those two links above and share yours. Maybe you didn’t snort and make a fool of yourself but not all of us are so talented….there’s always this week for you.

In A Word…..I Have Returned

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Pam

This is my first entry after my vacation. I’m just glad to be back to the computer after an entire week+ off. I hope that you all have enjoyed the pictures I have posted from my cell phone each day.

Saturday was a very hard day on my Fibro-wracked body. We went to Six Flags. I started going downhill on Friday actually. So Saturday morning I stayed in bed for a couple of extra hours. Ron and the kids went on to the park. Ron picked me up at lunch time. I was feeling much better by the. After about 10 minutes in the park I realized that things were not going to go well for me. All the energy that I saved up in those extra couple of hours in bed were depleted after we were there for about 10 minutes when my right foot, that had surgery 15 months ago, began acting up. So, two and two together – cold, rain and lots of walking – I knew I wasn’t gonna be able to stand in those lines. Ron and the kids were there for 7 hours and only rode 4 rides. That’s how long the lines were. I decided to be proactive as best as I could because I knew that yesterday was going to be a LONG day to get back home. I went back to the front of park and found a bench under an awning out of the rain and there I sat for 3 hours. It was 53 degrees and raining – my foot was swollen up to where I had NO ankle. I bought a Six Flags sweatshirt. I looked for one that I said “I had a crappy day at Six Flags” but they must have been all sold out of those. So, I bought a different one. Two hours later I had gone back into the gift shop to buy a blanket and a pair of sweats. But Ron and the kids showed up then. I was way beyond ready to go. I had been so excited to go to Six Flags and ride roller coasters with my family. We all love thrill rides. I know I’m crazy. But I love the thrill. There were no rides for me.Then we had a 1 1/2 hour drive to our next hotel (closer to the airport and the church Ron was speaking at yesterday morning).

I collapsed in bed when we finally got there. I was worried sick about the flights and airports in store for me to get back home the next day (yesterday). That is another entry entirely. But I do want to say that my week was great. Saturday was the worst day I had. If my foot had no acted up and the rain had not hit I think I would have had a great time. But that’s just not how it worked out. But my Fibro was very well controlled all week long. We did a lot of driving and a lot of walking/site seeing. I was very surprised at how well I did especially considering that I wasn’t able to fly out with the family as originally planned the previous Friday. I hope you can see from the pictures that we all had a really great time.

I tried to keep you, my readers and tweeps, up to date like you were on the vacation with me by sending regular pictures/tweets. I didn’t hear from a lot of you. But some of you went along on the trip with me. I hope that you enjoyed it. I really loved taking all the pictures. There are so many others that didn’t make it here or on twitter. I will post a few here and there in the next couple of weeks.

It feels so good to be back here. I have really missed blogging. If I tweeted it once I tweeted it a million times…..I miss you all! But I am now back. I have had a day of recovery today and will be back in soccermom mode tomorrow. And I will be back on a regular blogging schedule as well. I missed linking up with all of my regular memes. Hope you’re ready to return here and read again because I am BACK!!!!!!

In A Word….Bravo

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Pam

Today was a fun day! We traveled an hour south of where we had been for tonight’s speaking engagement. We stopped at the most charming farm called Bravo Farms in Traver CA. They make cheese there. Why I didn’t get a picture of the cheese room I have no idea. The place was like a general store/antique shop/cheese factory/petting zoo. It was the most unique place i’ve been to yet. The following pics will give you an idea of what we saw. The coolest thing was the most elaborate tree house actually built in a tree. You will see it. AWESOME STOP! If you come to this part of the valley you really should stop.

Six Flags – Los Angeles – X marks the spot

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Pam

Next Friday we are going on vacation to California. One particular day we are going to Six Flags in Los Angeles specifically to ride THIS ride. Yes I believe I have lost my mind. And if I haven’t yet I have a feeling I will after riding this ride. Enjoy my Semi-Wordless Wednesday video. Hold on tight to your seat and your stomach. Enjoy X at Six Flags over Los Angeles:

Pics From Tortola British Virgin Islands

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Pam

Even though it was cloudy and dreary it was still so gorgeous. We rented a Jeep Wrangler. Ron & the kids insisted we have the top off. I thought they were a bit “loco” and I still think they are. However, it truly is the most beautiful way to see the island. We rode up into the mountains till we were actually in the fog/clouds. Those are some crazy curvey steep roads. But we all agree it was the best day by far. Lauren got a zillion pics. If you are her friend on FB be sure to check them out.

Thesew people kept goats chained next to the road. We assumed it was in place of mowing. And Lauren was especially excited to actually see “a chicken cross the road”. And contrary to the great mystery he actually DID do it merely to get to the other side. What a letdown.

Ok, gonna see what Tortola pics I have on my phone to share with you. Oh and you will want to grab a jacket. It was a bit chilly.

Enjoy!