This Year's Rib Cook Off Actually Got Better..if that is even possible!

We had our usual deliciousness with ribs (me obviously not eating those), lemonade, and yum-o corn...

BUT THEN, guess who decided to show up and give a free concert!


This one is my favorite. I think he dedicated this song to me..maybe.


Sigh. Jonny Lang.

AND Izzy dressed up like a chrysalis. Awesome.

Why I Like Mike #25 ADULT WARNING!!

This blog will now be showing porn. Some of the following images are not suitable for young children, women who cannot keep their hands and thoughts to themselves, or men who have ever thought my husband was hot. Proceed with caution. I apologize if these images make you stumble.


SEE! Oh my goodness. Kenny Chesney MAY have written that sexy tractor song after seeing my husband in the distance or closeness at some point. Hopefully not the closeness, cause that makes me a little scared.

Seriously, how do I make myself attractive enough to keep up with this?

Oh my. I have to go......

First Day of School

Layla Grace, the beauty queen. Seriously, this girl is just getting more beautiful by the second.

Eli apparently got the memo that said we were going fishing, not to school. I am still confused.

Middle schoolers striking a pose.

And then there is Sam. Also, confused.

Happy Bday Louie (Not Louise). I got you this shirt.

I wouldn't normally dedicate an entire blog post to my pastor for his birthday, but this was too much to resist. Here is to being 40 and mostly swearing in church. It is very similar to being mostly dead.

Question (not about bears)

If galoshes are two or a pair, what do you call it when you lose one?

Let's say I have one boot on, and the other is just out of my reach. Would I say, "hand me that galosh, please?"?

Tall Socks Make Everything Better

So, an update on my parts. Aren't you glad you stopped by? :)
I had a dr.s appointment yesterday with great news.

First, let me say that I regularly get obscure compliments about my parts. Let me clarify.

Many of you probably get hit on even if it's rare. And when that happens, it is probably something like, "Hey baby, nice (fill in the blank)." Not me. Well, not unless the man is toothless or the man is indeed a woman. I know what you are thinking- LUCKY (like Napoleon). I usually get the clear equivalent of being hit on from my doctors (who are not at all hitting on me) when they say things like

• Man, your bag of waters is like LEATHER!
• WOW, your bag of waters is really bulging!
• (and more recently) WOW! Your cholesterol panel was just magnificent! Really, it was amazing! (it was good for me too doc.)

It truly was. As were my chest and abdominal x-rays and my

ultrasound even seemed to go well this morning.

Well, it WAS going well while the female lab tech and I were cooperating-

her ultrasounding my belly and me hold the top of the robe closed over

my twins as she dug that devil wand into my ribs in search of kidney stones and other weirdness.

It sort of went downhill just after I had to do the pants unbutton so she

could get a scan of my bladder. We are both girls and she is a pro, so I

thought I could risk it. She did what she does and went back to

looking for "Walter", my strange growing development just under

my right rib. But then the doctor, who isn't a girl, came in suddenly.

So suddenly that I forgot my pants were sagging and my unsensible

cotton pink laces were out in the open. I didn't actually realize it until

he was unable to stop looking at them. Now, boys, you may not be

aware of this behavior, but GIRLS, it was like when boys notice great

boobs and no matter how inappropriate it is to look or how holy a man

pretends to be, he is unable to keep from glancing quickly until he forces

his eyes to stay far away from that region. Awesome. By the time I realized

what was happening, it would have been weird and obvious if I buttoned up,

so I just pretended that we were all professional adults and broke out into

fits of giggles in the dressing room. Then, I called my husband and told him

I made the doctor flustered and possibly stumble. I also mentioned that it

wouldn't have killed the doc to slip me a buck. Sheesh. For all of it, I blame

my husband who said, "sensible cotton briefs are for husband's work days, not home days."

Anyway, all that to say that kidney stones are likely, and "Walter" the lump is likely a pocket of fat or at the very least, something to forget unless it causes other problems. So the two things are unrelated. Odd, but true for now. I will know more concretely on Thursday, next week when i see my doctor, where I promise not only to avoid lacy under garments, but keep them tucked far away.

My money is still on Ben who said it is really a large nugget of gold and this is God's way of blessing us. Medical journals here I come. Also, if anyone has a metal detector, we could use it to detect said gold.

While I'm Waiting

Some of you know that my body hates me and so is rebelling. A week or so ago, my Chiro clarified what I thought was a misplaced rib as a "something that should get x-rayed." So I made an appointment with my doc and he sent me for blood work and chest and abdominal x-rays. My husband was great enough to take the morning off and make a date of it :) Not the most entertained we have been, but still good times. There was laughter where there have been many tears lately. We won't get the results, most likely, until Thursday the 24th.

So my dilemma has been keeping my mind off of what could possibly be growing in me or wrong with my body. It isn't helping that the pain is getting worse where before I had very little symptoms.

So, over the weekend, Mike and I went on a fantastic grown up date night. The only downer was when I realized I don't have clothes for occasions like this. Still, he likes me. Then, we spent the next day with the fam at Apple Hill for opening weekend. mmm Delish. Sunday was busy with church in the morning and the rib cook off with a very special ending featuring Jonny Lang in concert. Happiness.

Monday was back to work on ministry stuff, but when you get to meet with your friends at Starbucks, it somehow seems much more tolerable.

Tuesday was back to school for the kids, lots of homework for me, and morning prayer with people who love us.

My days have been defined by how I can keep myself busy. Now that my husband and eldest are off hunting the Nevadas, I am having a trickier time keeping busy. Which leaves too much time for stewing and not enough peace. Anyone not yet praying for my sanity should count this as an invitation to start. Those of you who have been praying, I have felt it tremendously. I cannot say thank you enough times.

Her Before Cast

It is handy having a firefighter for a daddy. He rigged up this boy scout sling in no time flat. Addison insisted on pointing to her injury while she posed. The second we mentioned the possibility of a break, she asked for a red cast. awesome.

Did You Know...

it is tricky to keep a four year old's cast cared for? Yeah, well, it is. So far she has dunked it in water...awesome, hit her brother with it :/, and thrown up in it. IN it. Yes, she threw up in her cast. ew. That's going to smell by next week when we have it taken off.