More Trip Pictures

Saturday night Molly and I took the boys miniature golfing. I thought the giraffe with it's head broken off and on the ground could be rather traumatic for small children.







As soon as we got out of the car at the zoo I took a picture of the wildlife.




Can't see faces, but I thought this was funny. The boys make me laugh to see them interact and the ideas the come up with.




This is one of my favorite pictures as the boys walked to the Hermitage path. Jeffrey was really cute with his head set on and carrying the Zoo backpack we had bought to carry water bottles. John Michael was close but just behind him in a big brother way.


The boys enjoyed swimming both in the late afternoon and the next morning. Although not in these pictures,they were wearing their Crocs as they were trying to kick them over the fence as they jumped in the pool.


The trip was a huge success in my book. I greatly miss everyone!!!

Trip Pictures

Oops, I meant to post this on the extended family blog which I eventually did, but now I've decided to leave it here as well.

Thought I'd share a few pictures of the overnight trip Mom and I took John Michael and Jeffrey on. It was a lot of fun, and the boys were great. The temps were close to 100 and the humidity felt like it as well. Jeffrey prayed on Monday night: "Thank you God for what we could learn at the zoo, at the Hermitage, and in history."

Playing games in the hotel. We had some pretty hot rounds of Rummikub, Pit, and Quiddler.

The boys and Grandma waiting to enter the Hermitage, home to the 7th president Andrew Jackson.

The boys and Grandma at a cannon at the Battle of Franklin, the deadliest half hour of the Civil War. I've driven past the sign on I-65 well over 100 times and had never considered stopping, but it was very well worth it. We went there based on a recommendation from my minister's wife as they had just visited that site the previous week.

At the zoo posing like a meercat which you can barely make out in the middle of the picture:

The four kids waiting to leave for church on Sunday morning:

Bike

This is my newest ride. Today I buy a helmet.

This is a "comfort" bike. Notice that the pedals are forward instead of almost directly below the seat which makes for a different ride and the distance between the seat and the handle bars is also greater than typical. I like not feeling scrunched up which I noticed when I test rode a cross bike (between a comfort and a road bike).

I’ve got pics from the trip I need to download, but here are three quick flying events that struck me funny.

1. On the first leg of the flights on Friday, the flight attendant just wasn’t your typical image of a flight attendant. I know they don’t have the height and weight requirements they used to so flight attendants had a beauty queen image, but this lady just looked as if she didn’t have all the room in the house finished. Anyway, there was quite a bit of turbulence as we neared Cincinnati so after a very bumpy couple of minutes she got on the speaker and said, “Folks, I can’t pick up the trash. I’ve got to sit down!”

2. Yesterday I went into the restroom at the Nashville airport. There were probably 6-7 stalls on each side and I walked down the middle to one on the end. I passed the only stall that was occupied but didn’t try to go in as there were plenty of empty ones; however, a voice said, “Someone’s in here.” A couple of co-workers today thought I should’ve said, “Someone’s out here too.” It was just weird.

3. On the last leg of the trip last night (delayed by three hours since I took a voluntary bump to get the bonus Delta dollars), the lady in front of me apparently had never flown before. Every noise such as the beeps when the seatbelt sign turned off and especially when the wheels went down made her jump, flinch, and gasp. It didn’t help that we landed just as a thunder storm hit so there was lightening flashing a couple of miles away and the plane had to abort its landing, circle around, and land on the second approach. There were fire trucks and other rescue personnel out on the runway—I’m not sure if they were for us or something else. I don’t know what she would’ve done had she been able to see them.

Day 2

Today was a full day--

1. Grandma's big pancakes

2. Shopping at the mall on a sales tax free day!!!

3. MK facials--does it get any better than that?

4. Miniature golf. I thought the headless giraffe was a bit traumatic!

Day One of the trip was a long day of travel. I worked all morning and then went to the airport at lunch for a delayed flight which ended up leaving about 3:30. The highlight of the air travel was getting to see Ryan, Sarah, and Micah. I'm not sure if Micah is dancing or praising the Lord.





But the highlight at the end of the day was definitely turning on my parents' street and seeing Jeffrey sitting on the porch (Grandma had gone in to get a drink) waiting for me. He darted in and soon he, Grandma, K-Daddy, Lauren, Lindsey, and JM all came out.

Sales Tax Holiday

Click here to see if your state is participating in a sales tax holiday. Thankfully I'll be in a state this weekend that has the holiday since Michigan isn't on the list!