Preparation Day

Tomorrow (Tue) we leave for Crane Lake, MN. That's a lake at the Northern border of Minnesota. It's 3 1/2 hour drive from where we are in Deerwood, MN tonight. Should be a fun trip. We hope!!! :)


Today was spent in getting prep work done. The girls and some kids went shopping, the guys and one kid went down to the airport in Minneapolis (2+ hour drive) to pick Randy up. We stopped and picked up a couple of things necessary for the trip on the way back.

So, we're all ready, mostly. In the morning, we all get up, eat breakfast. We'll then load the van and truck and boat and head North. Once we get there, we put the boat in the water. Unload the van and truck into the boat and then load ourselves - float out to an island and set up camp for 3 days of camping, fishing and relaxing!

That is if we can keep the mosquitos/flies off us! :)

Well, watch for the next post, maybe on Saturday.

Sunday we leave for home in TN again.

Have a GREAT week!

3 slides, a lazy river and a HUGE bucket

Minnesota, Day 3

What a fun day. We took the kids to an indoor waterpark in Brainerd, MN.

They had one small red slide, one big yellow body-slide, and one big blue tube slide. They also had a lazy river circling around and a huge bucket on top of the climbing water toys that would dump quite a few hundered gallons of water every 15 min or so.

We got there a little before 10a and didn't leave until 4p. We took probably an hour for a picnic lunch we packed. Other than that we played, and played all day long.

What a day. I'm wore out, all the kids are super tired - which is GREAT and we had so much fun.

Enjoy the pics of our activities.

Preparing for a day of H20 Fun!









Natalie blazing out the end of the body slide!









Shelly, Colby, Calvin & Carlie floating around the lazy river.








Natalie sitting on the floating 'water' snake in the pool.








Joelle climbing across the animal walk in the pool area.









The kids still having fun at the end of a very long, FUN day!

MN Day 2

The kids all sat wonderfully in church drawing on the back of bulletins.









Lunch in a HUGE bowl, Taco Salad. Yummy!









In the afternoon, Doreen and Shelly played the piano together, some songs they did great on, others went very badly. (ie. Dion/Bochelli's version of the Prayer - oh my goodness!!!) It was great for a laugh.






Farmer Joelle running the front end loader.










Two guys (Me & Tracy) truly on a relaxing vacation! Don't have the boat in the water yet, but enjoying the comfortable seats anyways!

Greetings from MN

After a breakfast of Belgin waffles, donut & OJ, a few hundered miles, lunch at Wendys, 2 fuel stops, 1 potty break and 2 geocaches found we made it to my sister-in-laws place.

Wheeeewwwww.

I was tired enough of traveling that even though I was looking for one on my gps, we didn't stop to grab a cache in Minnesota, a state we need to add to the list.

Well, it is good to be here and we've had fun relaxing in something other than a moving vehicle, caching up, playing with the cousins, all that stuff.

After a good night of sleep we're headed to church then who knows what.

Stay tuned for more updates!!!!

...On The Road Again

We had a 5am departure from TN to all points North. We ALL took a nap or two at some-point in today's trip. We beat traffic into Chicago, stayed long enough to not have to be in traffic leaving - so it went PERFECT!!!





Went to the top of the Sears Tower today. We had a ball up there - but the girls were so wore out, they had a hard time standing still for 3 seconds. Other than that it was extremely cool being back up in there after visiting so many years ago.











After we got back down, we walked about a block and a half to Giordino's pizza. Oh was yummy pizza. We had to wait 45min for the Stuffed "Truly Deep" dish pizza to cook, but oh was it ever SO worth it!!! Yummy!!!

Stopped in Rockford, IL tonight. Was going to at least try to cross into Wisconson, but ran into traffic and construction, saw a motel, went and grabbed it!

Gonna post the 4 geocaches we found today, including the one at the top of the Sears Tower (Virtual), then hit the hay!

Tah tah for now.

Two Tires, Two Flats OR Ready To Go

Hey ya,

Both of our vehicles have had a tire low in the last few days. Thankfully my father-in-law has a compressor so we have kept them aired up. Well, on our trip to Pigeon Forge, we took my in-laws mini-van, the very one we're taking to Minnesota. Got back and saw that the front passenger tire was FLAT. No air at all. Then the rear driver tire on the pickup looked low, sure enough it was 15 lbs low.

So I pulled the tire of the pickup (knew where the jack was) threw it in the trunk of the car. Aird the the car tire up and took them both to the tire shop. One had a nail, the other just a puncture and that was it. Got 'em both fixed and now we're set to go when we get back from Minnesota!!

Typing about our Minnesota trip, we're ready to go. We've been ready since about 3 in the afternoon. I like being ready like that. Hate waiting for the last moment before we get everything finished and then rushing around to get ready.

Tomorrow between 5 and 6a we're headed north.

Ye haw!

Gaseous Humor!

You all will have to bear with me as I share this with you. If you don't 'appreciate' this kind of humor, just go on to the next 'normal' post.

As I was posting the videos of the girls, I ran across this video and just followed links to a few other gas gags that cracked me up.

Hope you get a 'blast' out of 'em too! :)

He, he, he!

(A blast at the end!)
Dance



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(You gotta watch his hair at the end of this one)
Foreign Gas Girl



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(This guy has a machine to make this, but it's the reaction of the people that cracks me up!)
Gas Machine



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(And my favorite. The lady in the back seat just cracks me up!!!! Hilarious)
Gasy Date



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Vacation Heavenly Guidance

On the post for July 20, you'll see we had plans on Monday and Tuesday to go to Dollywood Splash Country. Well, a couple of things came up making it impossible to go to the waterpark. We tried to cancel the motel reservation, but it was too late to do that, we were gonna get charged for the room anyway. So we decided to go on up and do some other fun things.

Turns out, that it was a blessing in disguise that we couldn't go. Monday afternoon up there we had rain off and on mixed with Thunderstorms. Which means they would have shut all the water attractions for an hour each time they saw lighting. We wouldn't have had much fun. Then this morning it was quite cool, too cool to really enjoy a water park - plus we ran into a TON of rain coming home. That would have been a mess too.

Also, we were trying to figure out what to do on Sunday a 'free day' we have while we're up in Minnesota. We came up with a number of ideas, and none of them seemed just right. There was always a problem with one or two.

Well, with us not going to a waterpark here, we decided to go to one up there. It keeps us all together and I think it will be a TON of fun. I don't know, we'll have to let you in on how it turns out.

Boy, we're thankful for Heavenly guidance, even in something as simple as a family vacation.

Enjoy the following pics of our day in Pigeon Forge!

Pigeon Forge Stuff

On the way to Pigeon Forge, Natalie played nicely brushing her dollys hair over and over and over again! Precious!








Our hotel was on a very big hill and they'd built a deck off the lawn in the front for folks to enjoy a beautiful view of the Smokies. Of course we soaked it all in!








Of course we saw many cool things up there. One I didn't get a photo of was an awesome P-51 Mustang in front of a museum.

In the pic, which is right-side-up, you see a place called Wonderworks. We didn't have time to check this place out, but the next time we will. It's an amusement park for the mind with a bunch of interactive exhibits. Looks like a ton of fun.

Pigeon Forge Activities

Some of the activities we did in Pigeon Forge were...

Geocaching (Of Course)













Black Light Putt Putt (A glowing experience)






Go karting









Faster Mommy!!!

VIDEOS: Frogger OR Spidergirl

My little girls are bundles of energy - as all kids are, I know. Well, let me share some of their exploits with you!

At the motel we stayed at in Pigeon Forge, as usual our girls had some fun hopping from bed to bed. Watch this little jumper! :)





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At home, my little Spidergirl was climbing the walls, literally! :)





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VERY Special Music

This past week at our old church, Doreen played special music on her marimba. It was a medley of My Jesus I Love Thee & All to Jesus I Surrender. She did a fantastic job, as usual and so I wanted to video it and share it with y'all.

A quick sorry for the audio quality on it. Our camera isn't so hot when it comes to that! :)

Enjoy!





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Family Bike Trip

Today we took a ride on the Chattanooga Riverwalk. We rode just over 13 miles in just over 2 hours. It was a TON of fun. Both the kids did great and we all had a ball! Of course we had to stop and get at least one geocache, but our hiney's need a break from those seats! :)







Here's Joelle concentrating as she rolls on the bridge.





Natalie was just moving right along helping me on her trail-a-bike! :)

My Girls

Got a little R/C Helicopter to play with. Both my girls wanted to fly it. Joelle did great at it. Here she is with the controller flying it.












Natalie LOVES to take pics just for the fun of it. She gets quite creative, here's her crazy eyes pic.

Favorite Cousin

Laura Jean I think is the girls favorite cousin. She has been visiting family in Thialand and we've been dog-sitting for her.

Well, she got back, stayed at out house last night, had breakfast with us this morning then had to leave.

The WHOLE time they all were awake, J&N were talking NON-stop to Laura. It was SOOOO cute. They are SO enamored by her!

Precious!

Sweet-H20

After visiting some friends today, we headed home. On the way home I stopped at this location to grab a quick Micro cache.

After I found it, signed the log and retuned it - then looked at this cool welcome sign. Memories flooded over me of the births of both my daughters at the Sweetwater hospital.

So I called them to get out of the vehicle to come over and get a quick pic. We want to remember this place forever!!!

GeoCaching Milestone - 150

Today we reached a Geocaching Milestone! We found #150. Awesome.






We had to run up to Athens, TN for church today. Doreen had special music. On the way up, I had to grab a cache. I watched too many pass by on my GPS. So stopped for 1 minute and signed the log and re-hid it.

On the way up to our friends place for lunch, I saw a bunch more - but passed on them, but on the way home... had to get my Geo-Fix and grabbed two.

Coolness!!!

PS By the way, with the 150 we've found as family and the 30 I found while driving for work, that's 180. AWESOME!!!

HGTV vs Food Network

Yeah - ok - I know TV, but we have a problem It's a channel war!





One of my favorite channels to watch is the Food Network. I LOVE seeing how they prepare different kinds of foods. Some I wouldn't touch with a 50 foot pole, but many of them I'd devour in an instant.




Doreen's favorite channel recenly has become Home and Garden TV. She loves to see how they fix up homes etc.

So we have a problem - which one to watch??

I don't know - we'll see! :)

14 Years

This past Wednesday after 3 in the afternoon, my precious wife and I have been married for 14 years. That sure sounds like a long time, but it has really gone fast. I was thinking up some 'statistics' for or marriage, but the list is too long.








So, I'm just going to say, "Thank you" to my beautiful bride for being such a wonderful wife and for two wonderful girls. Life truly is good!!!

Aaahhh Vacation

It has arrived!!!

Vacation is now here! Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!

So this is our plan, try and keep up! :) (I'm not sure I'll be able too! He, he)

Sat July 21 - Church in Athens, TN - Lunch & Visit with Friends Elvin, Betty, John, Tami & Debbie. Get back in the evening to visit with Doreen's Cousin Laura who just spent a month in and around Thiland.

Sun July 22 - Breakfast with Laura, then part ways, with us going biking on the Chattanooga River Park. Picnic lunch, evening with Derrick, Tracy and Dustin as we make 'Social' plans for our SS group.

Mon July 23 - Pack the van, run some errands, lunch then leave for Pigeon Forge, TN, GeoCaching on the way up, and spend from about 4pm on at Dollywood's Splash Country. After closing - motel.

Tue July 24 - Day at Dollywood's Splash Country Waterpark, then home.

Wed July 25 - Clean clothes, pack suitcases and van for Minnesota trip. Log Geocaches.

Thur July 26 - 5am (or earlier) head North towards Deerwood, MN where Doreen's sister lives with friends Tracy & Cheryl. On the way up - stop in Chicago at the Shedd Aquarium for a few hours, Eat, drive a bit farther, then motel for the night.

Fri July 27 - Finish trip to Deerwood, MN.

Sat July 28 - Church & Relax

Sun July 29 - Go miniature golfing with the kids & relax.

Mon July 30 - Tracy and I go pick up bro-in-law Randy from Minneapolis airport. (Probably with kids) The ladies go shopping for camping.

Tue July 31 thru Fri Aug 3 - Camping on Island on Crane Lake up on USA (MN) Canadian Border. One day go fishing, one day go swimming, one day go to Wild Bear Sanctuary.

Sat Aug 4 - Relax

Sun Aug 5 - Begin trip home with stop in Chicago to go up in Sears tower, and eat at good Chicago restaurant. Continue home with stop in Motel.

Mon Aug 6 - Arrive at home.

Tue Aug 7 - Relax, put everything away.

Wed Aug 8 - Back to work.

Should be FUN! Watch for updates as I can post 'em!

Blow Out

Today, we went for a bike ride on Collegedale, TN Greenway. We are really enjoying that trail-a-bike. We started at the West end and headed toward Southern University. Once we got there, we rode around campus a bit, then started heading back.

We get in the middle of the greenway on a long relatively straight stretch, me & Natalie in front, Joelle and Doreen bringing up the drag.

All of a sudden I hear a "POP." I sounded like a little .22 pistol going off. I look around and Joelle & Doreen are stopped.

I turn around and come to find out that Joelle's back tire blew. It was a used bike, and whoever owned it before obviously LOVED to skid the tires. Joelle does too a bit and I guess that it wore through, started rubbing the tube and 'pop goes the weasel.'

She did great though, kept control, pulled off to the side and stopped.

Well, we were all going to walk back to the truck, then Doreen very wisely suggested, that Natalie and I bike back, at a high rate of speed, got the truck and headed back to pick up Doreen & Natalie and the wounded bike.

What a memory! :)

Artsy Fartsy Video Pt 3

Visiting the Kids Discovery Museum, they had one of these big electrostatic balls. You know you touch it and the 'lightning' follows your had. Kinda cool!

So I took some footage of it, just to share with you here. Isn't that special! :)

Zapper



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Discovery

Every year the company I work for sponsors two exhibits at the Kids Discovery Museum. Hence two times a year, staff of the company I work for get in free. Cool eh?




I had today off, so we went. Boy we had a BALL! Joelle's trying to make a 'kids' sized bubble around her. (She got up to her waist and the slight breeze that was blowing would pop it. She tried hard though.)




I did some face painting on Natalie - that was her favorite thing to do.



And the girls and I built an arch, just like the one in St. Louis - just not as big! :)

What a good day!

Painted Floor

A friend forwarded this pic in an e-mail to me. If you get to looking at it - it'll mess with your mind. Not sure you'd want to 'use the restroom' in this 10th floor apartment.

Enjoy!

Crazy Saturday OR Tired

This weekend was PACKED.

We're part of a Young Adult Sabbath School Class. We had a SS business meeting and a social with pizza buns and home-made ice cream. It was a good time. But that wasn't the whole day...

Alarm 6:15a to begin the day. Shower, breakfast church, home lunch. Then what. Lets bike around the neighborhood. Then lets bike around Southern. Load everything up, bikes, stuff for SS social and head to campus.

We ride around for an hour then meet our friends and hike the biology trail for another hour. Then over to the church for the social.

We had an awesome time, and I think make some good plans for our SS.

The problem was, we were running out of time. We got out of there at 9:15 and I had to be to work by 10p.

Home, change, load a lunch, kids my family by and out the door.

My turn to drive out. So I drive to London, KY and finally get to bed by 2:15a (Up 20 hours) while my co-driver got us to the 1st drop around 4:30a. Unloaded for an hour, then another hour nap while driving to the next drop. 2 1/2 hours unloading, then a 35 min nap on the way to the last drop. A hour of work, then I drive home 5 1/2 hours. Boy am I tired.

At home, change, a 20 min nap then grocery shopping wtih the fam.

Oy!

Watch the "Next Food Network Star" show, then off to be now.

I'm tired.

Thankful for Problems

The other night I got back from a trip at 11p and hopped in the pick-up to head home. I started hearing this AWFUL racket from underneath. Oh man. I drove a little farther and it got worse.

So I limped it to the mechanic and left it. Got a ride home thanks to my father-in-law who happened to be home.

I'd been noticing the smell of anti-freeze occasionally when I drove it - so had the mechanic look at that as well.

He looked at the awful noise I heard and found out that it was only a heat shield that partially fell off the bottom of the vehicle and was hanging on the drive shaft making a terrible noise.

Easy fix...

...What wasn't so easy was the anti-freeze I was smelling was a leak from a broken radiator. When he had the radiator off, he noticed that the timing belt was seriously cracked and about to bust. (I looked at the thing personally and was suprised it still held together.)

So because of an awful racket I heard one night, and a couple hundered dollars of work, we saved a bundle with an over heated engine or a busted timing belt screwing up the inside of the engine.

So, we're thankful for problems! :)

Scrubs OR Homemade Ice Cream

Doreen had to run a few errands today and in the process, stopped by the Scrubs store and picked up her scrubs that she will wear to class on clinic days. All the students in her class have the same color. I think it looks GREAT on her.











Saturday night, we're having a Sabbath School social at our church to discuss our class and hang out together. One of the things we'll all be doing is making some homemade ice cream. We are borrowing my in-laws ice cream maker.




Since I've never personally made homemade ice cream 'from scratch' I wanted to give it a test run to make sure that we could actually make ice cream.





So I ran to the store picked up some ingredients and we gave it a whirl. We made a double chocolate flavor. Success!!! It was good stuff. Now just a bit of tweaking and we'll be good to go Sat night!

Yummy!!!

Trail-a-Bike OR Busy Week

We've been wanting to do some biking stuff around here, and just haven't much cuz Natalie still has training wheels on her bike - and that severly limits us.









So recently while talking with a friend, he told us about some other friends who have one of these trail-a-bikes that they're wanting to sell. So we bought it today and got it all hooked up and running. Now we're ready to bike like crazy - after we get my seat fixed - seems to be wigglin around all over the place and I've tried every fitting I know to tighten it down - no such luck! :)




Took three trips this week. One back to back - I got home, two hours later I got in another truck and back on the road. Went to WV, Chicago, IL and Central SC. All good runs, save one. The guy was throwing the cakes down the rollers like most people bowl at a bowling alley. Too fast for my preference. Had to be very careful not to get hurt by hurled cases of nutty bars! :) It's good to be home! On the trip to IL, I was sleeping peacefully in the bunk and then heard a bang. It was like a firework going off! Turns out we blew the inside duel of the trailer on the right side. Cost us 2 hours on the run! :(









Got an e-mail this morning after breakfast, about 9a, about a new cache put out in the area. We decided to go try and find it. We left the house at 10:45 and spent 15 min looking for the cache. When we found it - 2 other people had alread been there that morning. Missed the First to Find. Arrgh!

Still, overall, it was a very good week!!!