VIDEO POST

Joelfre asked me for a pic of my hair today because I (gasp) actually styled it today (2nd gasp)! So I took a quick video at lunch. Via con Dios, Jojo! We love you!

I never get quotes right - or jokes. Seriously. I'll say, "Oh I just love that quote by that one person who said that one thing. I can't remember it, but it was awesome." Or I'll say, "Oh I have a joke. Okay, there was this (pause) woman. I think. Yeah, yeah. It was a woman. And she (pause). Wait - WAS it a woman? I can't remember." And so on and so on until I kill the joke (and not in a good way). All of that to say I really DID hear a good quote yesterday, and I'm going to try to impart it to you.

I was watching PBS (okay, flipping through channels at a mile a minute), and there was a program on about a naturist who worked tirelessly to conserve parts of what is now Yosemite Park. I've never been to Yosemite, but I grew up going to Glacier Park, and we just spent our family reunion in Yellowstone Park. But hello. I am NOT a nature girl. I do not ENJOY camping, tent or otherwise. I do not ENJOY sitting outside in the dark or waking up covered in dew. I do not ENJOY hiking to the top of a mountain. Or hill. Or walking over land as flat as a fritter. I just don't. However........

.....when we went to Yellowstone, something in me was awakened. Or maybe I should say "re-awakened." See, I used to swim in the irrigation ditches and LOOK FOR snakes in the hills outside our house. I used to catch turtles in the pond, and spend hours on the tire swing. I used to collect rocks (of the outdoor variety). I used to sleep outside with nothing but some blankets and a pillow. And I wasn't even being punished! I actually WANTED to stay out there. Wow. But somewhere along the way, I lost my verve for all things outdoors. Enter Yellowstone. Its pristine mineral beds, forest regrowth after the fire, sky that goes on FOREVER, animals just roaming - - it was all mind blowing, really. We even got a personal tour from my aunt who works there. Amazing, amazing creation. I felt close to God there. And not in a cheesy, emotional way. Just in a very true, comfortable way. It was like something that had long been dormant was awakened, which leads me to the quote. Don't worry - I looked it up just to be SURE I didn't butcher it!
"
-John Muir

Okay - the above is NOT a type-O.

After MINUTES of looking, I cannot find that blankity blank quote ANYWHERE! The gist was something about how nature makes our souls complete.

Or something like that. Crap.

INSPIRATION?

I have to say, I'm not feeling very inspired lately. Is it because fall is approaching? Anyone who knows me knows that fall is not my favorite time of year. Although it's been so dang HOT here this summer, that the fall temps might be a welcome change. I don't know. I'm just kind of going to work, taking care of Bella, paying bills, doing errands - nothing really going on. Well, I guess I AM going to teach at a worship seminar this weekend, which will be fun. I guess I better talk to the coordinator to see exactly what he wants me teach!

What inspires YOU?

A PIC OF THE WHOLE REUNION GANG

UPDATE #2: I think this will work now..... click on it to enlarge it.

UPDATE: This is a thumbnail - not an actual picture - so you can't enlarge it (thanks for cluing me in, Tracy!). I'll work on this so you can actually see us!

Click on the picture to enlarge it and see all our beautiful mugs! :-)

FUN TIMES IN MT (and Idaho)

Oh. My. Gosh. We had a great time in Ronan, Yellowstone Park, and Hope, Idaho. What a vacation! Here are some of the highlights.

PROOF OF SAID FANGS

Ok, you can't see her teeth in this one, but I had to show her her tie-dyed cuteness!
There they are!

This one just cracks me up! Look at those CHEEKS!

All the better to eat solid food with, my dear! (not yet, but soon!)

AN UNWANTED FIRST

Little dolly girl fell off the bed. Ugh. What a sickening feeling - for her AND us! She's ok. In fact, she is totally fine. We called the doctor and all that. Immediately after it happened, we did all the right things, and WILL do all the right things in the future like not letting her nap in our bed anymore, only having her sleep in her crib, etc.

She doesn't even have a knot on her head. Or an irratic, new twitch. Or crossed eyes. Or any other number of hideous scenarios floating around in my head. She truely is fine. Then why do I still feel sooooo heartbroken?

I waited 4 hours after it happened to call my mom. I needed to know that *I* had fallen off a bed at 5 months old and lived to tell about it because if it happened to ME, surely MY little girl will be ok. Logical? No. Comforting? DEFINITELY. Well, comforting if my mom answered the right way.....

She did! Yay! I fell off a bed when I was 5 months old too! (that explains a lot about me, doesn't it?)

My mom told me about my "incident" in great detail and even now, 35 years later, I could hear the emotion in her voice. Just knowing that she empathized with me was a real comfort. She also shared about a fall my sister took down some stairs when she was about 1 and a half. (Don't worry - she was ok. They were getting ready to take her to the hospital to get her checked out. She was screaming her head off and all of a sudden, she stopped screaming. My mom looked at her to see what was going on. Out of my sister's little mouth came the words: "That's MY hot dog! Want hot dog!" Apparently, one of the bystanders had a tubular treat that my sister wanted to get her mits on! Right then and there, my mom knew my sister would be ok.)

Before I got pregnant, and really DURING the pregnancy too, I told my nearest and dearest friends (you know, the ones who understand my narcissistic, sardonic ways) - "I do NOT want ANY advice about pregnancy, babies, the care of babies. Nothing. I want to experience this ON MY OWN. I want all the firsts."

After today, I realize the importance of not only getting, but more importantly, LISTENING to the advice and stories of those who have gone before.

Well, I'm taking a deep breath, counting my blessings, and looking forward to FUN firsts.