Get Well Soon.

Our Grandy has been pretty.darn.sick.

It started with a plethora of symptoms and

has lasted an ENTIRE year.  Now we 

are in the THICK of it!!!  Please

pray that we get our sweet girl back

uber soon!!!!

Whitewater Rafting.

Luke is going on an exciting whitewater rafting

trip with his Scout troop this weekend.  Today

was a flurry of activity as we packed his

backpack and gathered all of the necessary

items that he will need to have a fun time

on the Kern River in California.

Unfortunately, Luke is comparing this trip

to his birthday river rafting trip where I 

took Zach, Sam, and Luke down the 

Truckee River when it was running after

a season of the most rain in like 100

years.  It was a disaster!  Seriously, we

are lucky to be alive.  The waves 

crashed around us, submerged our

raft multiple times, rocks hit us,

trees scratched our faces . . . We 

were seriously out of control,

unprepared, and totally unsure of 

what to do on the Truckee River.

Hence, my Luke is a wee bit nervous

about this experience with the Scouts

as he is comparing it to our horrendous

near-death experience down the Truckee

on his birthday . . . 

Can't wait until he returns on Saturday

to see how much he loved it!!!!

The Three Principals.

All three of the principals for my dissertation

have been interviewed.  All of the information

is contained on these two recorders.  I used

two recorders just in case one of them decided

not to work during the interviews.

I am going to be one busy girl typing, typing,

typing all of the information on these

recorders and tapes.

Chapters 4 and 5 . . . here we come!!!

Buds.

Did I ever say how much I adore my boys'

friends . . . They are simply THE most 

amazing group of people EVER.  All of

my boys have chosen awesome forever

friends.  This weekend Sam went to a 

prom-style birthday party for one of his

friends.  This group of friends is a really

close-knit group and do most everything

together.  If they are not eating and

sleeping at our home, then they are over

at one of the others home.  I.love.that.

Jameal is 6'8 and Sam is 5'7.  It took a

little doing, but it looks like Sam is 

finally breathing air up there . . . 

Baseball Time.

Out of our four boys, Luke is our bestest

athlete.  Give him a ball, racket, bat, or

club, he is a natural.  The Mom part of me

cannot believe that my youngest boy is

starting high school next year.  Did I blink

or something?!?  Luke is going to try out

for Desert Oasis baseball team.  He will

have an extremely busy summer ahead 

of him.  That means he would play American

Legion ball this summer . . . a game almost

every single day with practice every single

day!!!

While it is beyond our imaginations

to believe that our Dad is not here

to coach our Luke, we are so incredibly

thankful for our Uncle Jeff.  He has taken

Luke under his wing and is going to work

with him every.single.day until tryouts.

Once again, we continue to be amazed

and incredibly thankful for our wonderful

family and friends who have stepped up

to the plate in so very many ways.  We

seriously do.not know what in the world

we would do without them.  While I still

struggle to even accept the reality of it

all, there are those who have and have 

been such a blessing to our family in 

more ways than anyone could ever

imagine.

I struggle with the fact that my boys

earthly father is in Heaven.  It is beyond

my comprehension that our wonderful

Dad will not be here for Luke's baseball

games, has not here for Sam's golf

tournaments this season, is not here to

root Tim on with his guitar playing and

career choices, is not here to see how Zach

has managed to work and go to school

this semester.  Has not seen Luke's 

incredibly darling little friend Faith or

meet her amazing family.  I do not like

the fact that Mike has not been here to

talk about my dissertation or the fact

that tomorrow is my last principal interview

or the fact that I am working on Chapters

4 and 5 . . . 

Pretty crazy to even begin to comprehend it

all . . . Thankfully, I do not need to worry

about carrying that burden all alone!!

All-Time Favorite Snack.

I still can't believe I ate the whole

thing!!!!  For about a bazillion 

years this has been my very favorite

go-to snack.  I jumped up and down

the day that I saw it comes in a 

PARTY SIZE!!!!!  It is seriously

addicting and seriously yummy!!!!

I don't eat meat or dairy and seriously

try to limit my sugar intake.  I 

swear if a doc ever tells me that I

can't eat popcorn . . . 

My Zach.

Yep, Zach is the man of many

faces in our home.  How, oh,

how I love my Zach.  Like all of

us, my Zach definitely marches

to his own drummer.  He has his

own way of accomplishing tasks

and ordering his day.  He is the

smartest of the smart!  Zach is a

wonderful son and brother.  We 

do not know what we would ever

do without him.  I miss my Mike so

much when I see Zach.  I remember

how when Mike was so sick, he 

was still insistant upon taking Zach

for his special sushi lunch.  Mike

NEVER let a deed go unrewarded.

Zach loves to report in about

EVERYTHING!!  When we ask

him for the time, he tells us how

the watch was made!!  We do so

love that about our Zach.  He is

working like a little dog to put the

finishing touches on school!!!

I love, love, love this boy!!!!!!