On vacation, I continued to imagine how my gratitude list would go.  There are so, so, so many things I could put on here, I don't know where to start.  Plus, how do you put words to breathtaking beauty?

Well, here is my feeble attempt.

596.  I am very, very, very grateful (and somewhat amazed) that I got to see all of my best friends (who are scattered all over the country) within a one month time span.  As I put it:  every wedding that I was in, I got to see the brides, who live all over the country.  One of them I hadn't seen in six and a half years (since we were bridesmaids in another wedding).
597.  To top it all off, I got to see my best friend from high school twice in two weeks.  (Once in Indiana, once in Arizona.)  I was going through withdraws when she left.

598.  That my friends live all over and I can go visit them (it stinks for a Friday night, but is great for vacations).
599.  That I had the ability to get off work (and get paid nonetheless) to take off so much time with friends and family.
600.  That I could afford to travel
601.  Having friends who are such gracious hosts (which made staying with them all that much better)
602.  Not seeing someone for a long time, but still she knows you so well.  My college roommate asked me if I still got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and talked about how she didn't want to slice up a melon, because she knew I hated the smell.  I guess it's what happens when you live in a little room with someone for four years.
603.  Speaking of my college roommate, I am thoroughly grateful to have her.  We were randomly put together and barely survived our first semester, but it all seemed to work out.  We actually marveled at the fact that we didn't kill each other in college (604).
605.  That my friends have been blessed with children.

606.  Those goofy moments when my friends will do anything (or convince me to do anything).

 607.  That I am not tied down that I can't travel.
608.  That my friends have some really great husbands/boyfriends who are just as fun to talk to as their significant others.
609.  My college roommate's husband has had a string of temporary jobs and unemployment for a long time.  They were preparing for a move to Georgia (where they assumed there would be jobs and could live with her father), when they got a call from a college in Indiana who wanted him.  They are moving Monday.
610.  That their move is financed.
611.  That they are going to see some pretty cool stuff on her move.  (It's like a mini-vacation!)
612.  That she will be much, much closer.
613.  That I can celebrate her 30th birthday with her.
614.  That they will have 60 days of housing from the college while they seek their own living quarters.
615.  That they were already in route for a move when they had received word that they had this job in Indiana.
616. My college roommate saying over and over again how grateful she was that I was at church the day that they made the announcement to them.
617..  His unemployment was scheduled to run out in Sept., just a month after he is scheduled to begin work.  (As Harmony says..."people just don't understand what a big deal this is.)
618.  That she was close enough to my family that she wanted to talk with my mom on the phone.
619.  That I have a long term friendships that have sometimes just become part of the family.

There are so, so, so many more things, but I need to get on a bike ride and I am tired of pretending my SD card in my phone is going to work.
.

Flashback Friday--Swimmin'!

After finding the local public pool a little sketchy, my parents built a pool in the backyard (595).  Oh...many  summer days were spent in that pool.  My parents still have the new grass ring in the backyard...years later.

I have been laying here in bed, listening to the radio in the boys' room and just thinking about how happy, how content I am.  Even despite missing some of my friends to the great continent of Africa, I am still satisfied.  (There was a song for that on the radio...about missing you long after you are gone.)  My aunt and uncle just came back from there in time to be present during my grandma's hospital stay (592).  Iam at a gorgeously huge house for an overnight babysitting gig with three awesome boys.  I am grateful to have the flexibility to do this (593).
  We played Wii until the absolute latest second, ate pizza, watched Shrek, raced down the hill to the chicken coop, and then hanging off the basketball hoop.  God really wanted me to drive my old car today.  I get why now.  The backseat in this one will fit three little bodies much better than my SUV (594).  We ate jellybeans too close to bedtime, read Smurfs, and were responsible enough to brush our teeth.  It was a great time.

Arizona. Nevada. Cali. Texas. And Grandma. (Or just, vacation and real life.)

Ok, so I haven't blogged in a really long time.  Things have been busy.  Really busy.  Vacation was AMAZING...miles and miles of mountains, red rock formations, huge holes in the ground (okay, maybe there was only one), beaches, and tons and tons of man made beauty.  To top it all off, I got to spend over a week with my family and even more time with my besties.  Oh yeah, it was a good vacation.

We flew into Phoenix, stayed in Sedona, and made a day trip to the Grand Canyon.  It was like everywhere I turned in Arizona there was a new surprise; some more terrain to explore, more geographical wonders to see and more plants and animals to peak* my interest.  It was so unreal at times, I finally started saying "everything in Arizona is real".  We all had a hard time believing it.

We then drove to Vegas and the Hoover Dam.  Oh, the engineering wonder of it all.  I am just in awe of how the primitive technology in the 1930's could water at least four states.

And then there was Vegas.  Oh Vegas.  It was a sight to behold, even for the most conservative bunch.  Averies in hotels, flamingos in the backyard, water shows set to music, and indoor European streets.  I just drank it all in.  Every last drop of glitter.

We headed onto to SoCal, where we stayed on the coast.  We took our first taste of raw seaweed and my family tried tapas for the first time.  (Everyone was pleasantly surprised.  Like I would pick a bad restaurant for my mom's birthday.  Maybe next time we can actually eat the appetizers and do this thing right.)  Megan, Bradley, and Kristen tried surfing for the first time.  Having done this once (six years ago), I was the supposed expert.  So, they made a point to remind me of how I didn't actually stand on my board in the water.  No, I'm not bitter.

I flew to Sacramento to see my college roommate.  She also told me that we would be living in the same state in three short weeks.  Oh, I am excited.  Thank you, Jesus, for not sending her to Georgia.

We joined a friend in Modesto to get a taste of wine country, love all over her baby, and invade her brand new house.  (P.S.  did you know that those grapes off the vine actually taste like wine?)

My short stay in San Francisco was fun and left me deciding that I must return for a trolley ride and some clam chowder.  I will always search for an excuse to travel.  Always.

I made a detour through Dallas, which landed me another state on my checklist.  I enjoyed the great state, but was ready to come home after a canceled, rescheduled, and delayed flight.  Nine and a half hours later, I was ready to be in my own bed (which happened around 4am Wed. morning).

My vacation glow quickly dissipated as I faced the realities of working a few jobs and paying bills.  I am still in negotiations with my insurance company over my ER vacation, which has completely convinced me that their graham crackers are made of saffron.  That is really the only explanation for such an outrageous bill.  And maybe water from Iceland.

Thursday (the day after I returned my from eventful trip), both my uncle and grandmother went to the Emergency Room.  Both were held overnight.  My uncle was released the next day following some tests (he had passed out a work).  My grandma had fallen in a store and fractured her skull and had some internal bleeding.  Her physical wounds are healing, but she was unable to keep her balance and was admitted to a nursing home Monday.  Tensions are high as my grandma's future is decided and naturally there are concerns about how this exacerbates her Alzheimer's.  As my friend said "it sucks being old".  Yes, it does.  Hopefully I will not be there for a long time.

*I looked up whether this was peak or peek, but Webster didn't seem to help me out.  I apologize if I got it wrong.

Flashback Friday

 

This week has been incredibly busy.  Hence, the reason for a late Flashback Friday.  So here it is.

 

Jack Johnson concert--2008

 

 

 

We had another great concert last night.  It was a wonderful way to end a month of fun.

Flashback Friday--South of the Border

While taking in all the beautiful scenery on the west coast, I had to post our visit to this East Coast treasure.

Independence Day

 

On July 4th, I declared my Independence from fat (okay, totally kidding) and did an 80-mile bike ride.  While that may seem like a feat, I am honestly upset that it wasn't 100.  That is my goal.  A century.  By the end of the summer.

 

There were sweet rewards along the way and at the end.

 

 

 

548.  That my legs were strong enough to push 80 miles
549.  That my willpower did not give out on me
550.  That I knew my final destination well enough to get around to where I needed to go
551.  Getting back in time to have dinner with my family
552.  Steak on the grill with just enough seasonings
553.  Plenty of stops for bathrooms and drinking fountains

554.  Protein bars
555. The money to pay for my delicious meal
556.  "I love Tim Horton's"--the words I uttered to the cashier


557.  A slight reprieve from a long bike ride
558.  Doing this alone=time to think and pray
559.  My friend, who just completed her first Ironman Sat., offering to go with me
560.  My newfound cyclist friend almost being right...I did mostly stay dry
561.  The entire trip being on a trailway
562.  No flat tires
563.  The time to actually have done this
564.  The invention of clip pedals and cycling shoes

 

Followed by a wonderful steak dinner with the family and a dry fireworks show (565).  (P.S.  Did you know the quality ones have blues in them, because that is a hard color to replicate in fire?  We had a quality fireworks show (566)...I think.  Do the upside down smiley faces count?)

 The sky cleared off to make an amazing and gorgeous night (567).

 

 

 

568.  Chinese lanterns while we were waiting on the show

569.  Getting a good seat and getting out of lot quickly to avoid traffic

570.  Having a little anonymity in the community

571.  Not having PTSD triggered by the fireworks

572.  The Magic Jacket of Inspiration

573.  The ability to still do cartwheels

574.  My mom claiming she didn't know us, but then sitting next to us anyway

575.  The freedom that I have to live in a country that has rules and laws that are most abided by (I know this sounds naïve...I was drinking out of a disappearing Civil Liberties mug on July 4...it is just better than some nations)

576.  The people who have sacrificed life, limbs, and their own freedom for mine

577.  The fact that our nation, in general, has began to revere veterans in a much better way than we have previously.

578.  Our founding father's vision

579.  That there were people who were brave enough to set foot on a boat and travel to an unknown land

580.  That at least a few settlers survived those first few, harsh winters

581.  Pocahontas and the other Native Americans who had shown mercy and compassion on us

582.  The Boston Tea Party

583.  The American Revolution

584.  The Emancipation Proclamation

585.  That the north won the war (I am from Indiana and will always believe this)

586.  The abolition of segregation (I just finished reading The Help and have a lot of thoughts on this...for a later date.)

587.  That I have learned to be culturally sensitive as a way to combat the heinous ways races have treated one another in this country

588.  The freedom to practice whatever religion I choose (I just finished reading A Thousand Splendid Suns today and have lots of other thoughts on this and the many other things on this list)

589.  That I am able to go out without the company of a man (see #584)

590.  That I can have a job without the fear of being beaten (against see #584)

591.  That I don't have to be in an arranged marriage, to rely off someone else for my survival (588), or put up with someone hurting me (589)  (again, see #584)

592.  That my own ancestors migrated here generations ago so that I can be born in the richest country in the world.

 

I went home and packed for vacation, but still have so much stress.  Do I pack the clothes I like or not like?  Do I worry about extra shoes?  If the airline loses my bag again, will I have backup clothes?  Will I be upset if this suitcase is lost?  Oh, First World problems.  How you baffle me.

 

Flashback Friday--The Wild West

As we gear up for another trip out west, I am reminded of this one we took when fanny packs were cool, not just ironically cool.

I just hope no one loses a tooth this time.

Pure Michigan

My other best friend from high school was in Michigan over the weekend.  (541)  I take any opportunity I can to see her and her babies, even if it means a seven plus hour round trip in two days.

The house was full of extra kids (and extra chaos), but they were tons of fun.  (542)

These girls watched me go for a run when I arrived on Sunday and asked me if they could go with me the next day (543)...

....and then take them to McDonald's (544)

Bonus:  They think that I am the coolest person ever because I was blaring Justin Beiber on the way home (545).

Telephone Pictionary is so much more fun with kids (546).  They don't quite know what the words are, the pictures are a little bit of a guessing game, and sometimes the order gets off.  Everyone gets a little mixed up...even if it was originally your drawing.  Is that a Spider or Phantom of the Opera?  How about Genie from Aladdin?  

A bowl of Chips?  Well, that was good enough to draw twice.

I took a two hour nap one day.  I don't think I am quite ready for motherhood.  I will just enjoy other people's kids for now (547).

Cooling off the Arizonians

My best friend from Arizona came into town.  (#537)  I love have long-term friends who have so many connections with me.  (#538)  We chatted, caught up on life, went to the pool (where I gave myself a nosebleed...summer accident #3...I am thinking about writing a summer safety manual at this rate), got some local food, and had a few drinks (#539)

The best part about the whole trip?  We get to do it again in a week (#540).