You Could Almost Mistake Him For a Local....

If you were able to overlook the white hair, blue eyes and bright pink skin maybe. And, don't let anyone tell you that you can't burn through SPF 50 cuz I am here to tell you that it can be done!! Just ask Little Man.

Little Mans First Plane Ride

And, as you might be able to tell, he was a tiny bit afraid. But, by the last plane ride home, he was looking out the window and loving every minute of it. So, I would call that a success for sure.

Más Fotos Del Paraíso

Las Mejores Vacaciones Nunca

Just some pictures from one of the most relaxing vacations ever. We did a whole lot of nothing for 4 whole days and it was so great. I highly recommend the all inclusive route for your next trip!

I Am Going To Need Valium For Sure Now!

This is what the hubby got to do on Father's Day....he taught the Little Man to drive the 4-wheeler. Of course he cannot drive it alone yet, but he is super excited! The video is a little blurry till they get closer, but you can see that the hubby isn't steering! And since this 4-wheeler is an automatic, the Little Man even got to work the gas and the brakes. Now all we need is a helmet and a tree proof body suit for him! (and maybe for anyone riding with him!)

Flooding in Cedar Rapids

These are pictures of downtown Cedar Rapids. The devastation is just overwhelming. I cannot even begin to imagine what the clean up will be like here, and how much will be lost.

What We Are Looking Forward To...

Severe Thunderstorm Watch:
Issued at: 9:03 AM CDT 6/15/08, expires at: 2:00 PM CDT 6/15/08
Severe thunderstorm watch 537 remains in effect until 200 pm cdt for the following locations Ia ., Iowa Counties Included Are: Adair, Adams, Audubon, Cass, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Lucas, Madison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Polk, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Shelby, Taylor, Union, Warren, Wayne.

This is coming right for us, again. More rain...lots of rain in places. Don't think we are ever going to dry out. Good thing I have a nephew names Noah...might need to put him to work living up to that name.

Our Best Gawker Pose

The hubby and I at the Saylorville Visitor Center.

Listen Carefully for the Roar

You'll have to turn the volume up, but you should be able to hear the roar of the water going over the dam and the spillway. And we were probably at least 3 miles away at the Saylorville Visitor Center. It was amazing! But not nearly as amazing as it would have been to be able to actually be right there to see and hear it. The minute the dam road is re-opened, I am there!

Interstate 80 Just East of the Merle Hay Exit

This was taken driving along I 80....and just in case you were wondering, NO, it is not normal for the water to be so close to the interstate. And it has receded some since earlier in the week.

Mile Long Bridge Over Saylorville Lake

This is at Saylorville Lake. The water was nearly touching the bottom of the bridge, and that is far from normal here. I couldn't believe there were boats out on the lake...I would think all of the debris would make it dangerous. But, what I know about boating you could fit on the back of a postage stamp.

Des Moines River Bridge in Downtown Re-Opened

This is the concert stage at the Embassy Suites in Downtown Des Moines. They usually hold the Summer Series Concerts here...hopefully the waters will recede and they will be able to get it cleaned up in time! Critter, Burda and I got to see Sonia Dada here several years ago, and it really is a great place to watch a summer show!

Another Picture of Downtown Des Moines--Flood of '08

This is another picture of downtown. The metal arch out in the middle of the river?? That is an outdoor amphitheater where concerts are held during the summer. Both of the bridges on either side are closed, obviously. But wouldn't I love to walk out there to take pictures!!






Picture from dmregister.com

Floods of '08 cont--Chow's Gym (Thanks Carin and Mal!)

This is the gym that my niece coaches at....not a pretty sight at all! And this happens to be the gym that Shawn Johnson trains at, so this could not have come at a worse time for her since the Olympic Trials start on the 19th of this month. Nothing like a little drama and stress for the poor girl! Below is the story from the AP:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Floods force world champion Johnson out of WDM gym 6/13/2008 ASSOCIATED PRESS • June 13, 2008Des Moines RegisterWith the Olympic trials only days away, rising floodwaters have forced world gymnastics champion Shawn Johnson out of her gym. There were 8 inches of water inside Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute on Friday, and fish swimming in the parking lot. The gym is in an industrial park a few blocks from the Raccoon River, which is rising after heavy rainfall earlier this week.About 100 volunteers helped evacuate the gym Thursday night, moving equipment to a balcony and putting sandbags around the building.Johnson, who is a favorite to win the gold medal in Beijing, leaves Monday for the trials in Philadelphia. But she has to find somewhere else to train in the meantime, and that's not as easy as walking into another gym.At Chow's, Johnson trains on Janssen-Fritsen equipment — what will be used in Beijing. But Janssen-Fritsen is a European manufacturer, and very few gyms in the United States have its equipment.The women's competition at trials begins next Friday. The top two — expected to be Johnson and Nastia Liukin — automatically qualify for the Beijing squad, with the remaining four members named after a July 20 selection camp.

The Floods of '08

These are pictures from my cell phone so not the best quality, but the ones on the far left are downtown Des Moines and the Des Moines River. The Des Moines River is not supposed to crest until about 8:00 tonight. The middle photo is Adel and the Raccoon River. This is actually a baseball field, when it is not filled with water!

Adopted!

Well, our first fostering experience has ended successfully. Matt (not a name we gave him!!) has been adopted by a very sweet couple. They are expecting a baby in November and wanted to get a puppy before the baby comes. Not quite sure how I feel yet! He was such a sweet little guy with the most adorable face! I know that if we had come back from vacation and he had not been adopted yet, I would have been offering the hubby all kinds of special favors to convince him that we needed to adopt Matt ourselves. And I am pretty sure it would have worked too!! Oh well, this experience was such a great one that we will definitely be fostering more puppies. And I am looking forward to it.

Spongebob Cadepants....For Lesa!

Sleeping Arrangements

So this is the scene in our living room this morning. The kids made a fort, and believe it or not, they all 3 slept in it, all night!! Now keep in mind that the kids are 20, 17 & 5....so the only one that thought this was really super cool was Little Man. Critter and Burda probably did not get the best nights sleep they have ever had but they stuck it out with him anyway. Cuz they are a pretty great big sister and big brother!!! Oh,and PS---if you look real hard you can see the rain through the window...cuz that is JUST what we need!!! More damn rain!! Hopefully construction has started somewhere on that ark cuz we are gonna need it. The forecast for the rest of the week calls for....wait for it....MORE RAIN!!

Twenty Years Ago Today

I cannot even begin to explain to you how strange it feels to know that my first born is turning 20 today. What an amazing journey so far. He is just an incredible man....hard for me to call him a man though, because when I look at him I still see that adorable little boy. His strength and honesty amaze me and I am so incredibly proud of him. His humor makes me laugh out loud and his compassion touches my heart. I am looking forward to seeing what the next 20 years have in store for him and I will continue to be honored to be able to go along for the ride! I love you bear!! Happy Birthday!

He's No Baby Panda

All together now.....AWWWWWWW! This is our first foster puppy and he is just too cute! You can get an idea about how big this guy is gonna be by the size of that paw!! He has got some big ol' feet! My only concern with the foster parenting thing is that we will get too attached and it will be hard to give him up if he is adopted. But I am willing to take my chances cuz, seriously, look at that face!!

Can They Really Do This?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jHQ7Prwh7Gc&feature=related

Seriously...can this be done? I am not a terribly political person, but I do admit that I am trying to pay more attention as I am getting older. But this seems pretty far out of line to me. Where does it end? Again...I am not necessarily making a political statement here because I personally think that most politicians are at their core, corrupt. But, shouldn't this be illegal or at the very least considered HIGHLY immoral?? Isn't the President of this country supposed to be held to the highest possible standard? I mean we did give him the most important job this country has to offer, so I don't think it is asking to much for him to behave like any one of us would be asked (and are required by law) to behave. And again, let me clarify....this isn't as much a statement of politics as it should be a statement of fact. Everyone single person in this country should have to answers for their actions and that should include President Bush and every single member of his good ol' boy network.

UPDATE: Ok, now the link is working...sorry about that!

OK...Not The Best Picture But You Get The Idea...

Well, this is what the hubby happened across in his storm chasing travels last night. He watched it come down and go back up and then decided maybe he should be getting himself away from it. Ya think!?!?!? Seriously...he is going to be the guy running around in a wife beater, carrying a beer when the cameras show up to interview the trailer park residents after they have been picked up and tossed on down the road! And do I love him anyway?? You bet your ass I do!

Ridin' The Storm Out

With all of the storms popping up all around us, there is not a lot of sleeping going on in our world right now. So, here is your recommended daily allowance of adorable. Be safe, and watch for falling houses and flying monkeys!

A Much Better Picture Of The Iris

This shows the beautiful purple color so much better than the one I took yesterday. Little Man decided I needed a flower today. And, once again if you click on the photo it will open up bigger, and it really is a cool picture. Once again, I am enjoying the hell out of my camera!

Because I Am A Total Dork....

Check this out....I have been "published"!! How cool is that??!!

http://blogtations.typepad.com/quotes/shopping/index.html

The quote is from this little rant of mine.....think I need to start shopping for an agent? All requests for autographs will be processed as they are received!! LOL

It's Not All Deer Food

Can I Have One....Please????

We have been talking about being foster parents for animal rescues....you think this would count, cuz I would totally take in a baby panda!!

And Now For Something Completely Different

So, I took this picture in my backyard this morning. And for those of you that might be eeewwwwing and aaaahhhhing over the beautiful nature outside my back door, get over it! These little beasts are trying to eat every green thing on our fruit trees!! And if you look closely at the peach tree they are standing under you will notice that they have done a pretty good job on the lower branches!! Damn you deer!! I want peaches this year!!

And PS---did anyone know that the title of this post was a shoutout to the old Monty Pythons Flying Circus shows??!! What a great show that was!

Not Just an Elton John Song

I have been dwelling so much on the whole concept of the circle of life recently. And all of this dwelling has done nothing to make the death part any easier to deal with. I mentioned earlier that my friend's brother was battling cancer, and sadly, he lost that battle last week. Now it wasn't unexpected....and lets be real here....no one is going to live forever. To quote Lesa...you are born and from that point on you just get busy dying. But knowing it is inevitable doesn't seem to make it any easier for his family and friends, and I am still left wishing I could take some of the grief and sadness away for them, if only for awhile.
I have to admit that I am a bit jealous of the people that have an unwavering faith in God and the afterlife as this gives them a great deal of comfort when dealing with this kind of loss. I personally just don't have that kind of faith. That is not to say that I don't believe in some higher power because I do. I think it is a little arrogant to look around and truly believe that mankind is the end all/be all of creation. Not likely. And if you have ever held a new born anything in your arms it is very hard not to believe in miracles and divine intervention of some kind. That kind of perfection just cant possibly be an accident. But death...that has me stumped. The hole that is left when someone close is lost never seems to go away. The old saying that time heals is not quite accurate in my opinion. I don't believe there is ever total healing, but maybe instead that time just allows us to come to terms with what is an undeniable and unchangeable fact. And maybe the death of those closest to us is meant to simply remind us to get busy dying!! And not in a morbid kind of way, but more in a "if you don't do it now you may not have another chance" kind of way. (ok, that still sounds pretty morbid but hopefully you are picking up what I am putting down here...) Life is short and putting things off till tomorrow might not be the best course of action. So today, do something you have been postponing till a better time, and tell those close to you they are loved. Step outside and take a deep breath, and know that life is what you make it. Live out loud and be true to who you are and what you believe, and know that if it all ended tomorrow you would have no regrets. Wow...didn't mean for this one to be so deep and philosophical. And who knows, I could be full of shit!!! :)

Finally a Nice Enough Day for the Pool

Peek a boo!! Love how we just got lucky enough to catch this shot! Couldn't have planned it to come out any better. If you click on the picture, you will see a much larger version and it is much clearer. I love how the camera caught the water...I am loving my camera right now.