The racquetball courts were calling my name. A 5 minutes drive, and a kidless hour was all that stood between me and some great exercise time. The first solution Richard and I came up with, was to go before the children wake up. This means EARLY! We left at 6am, but apparently no one else like to get up that early on a Saturday morning to work out. The gym was closed!! Of course we couldn't let this setback waste our early waking efforts. So we jumped on some bikes and took off. Richard informed me that there would be a big downhill, and then we could get on a nice biking trail. So we went down a hill, and I thought: this isn't too much of a problem. However, it wasn't until we reached the next huge hill that he informed me this was the hill he had referenced earlier. By this time my butt and legs were burning from last night's Wii fit, so I made the executive choice to turn around. This pathetic little bike ride was enough for my out of shape behind!
We ended up getting back before any of the kids had even gotten out of bed! I sat around like a zombie for a while, until Nancy came up with the idea to take the kids with me to the gym. I wish we could have though of that earlier! Nancy wanted to get some kidless cleaning time in anyways (mom was arriving later), so this was the perfect solution. We got to play racquetball, and she got to clean without kids. The poor nursery lady didn't know what was coming for her: 6 kids at once. And this wasn't one of those super nice/big kid areas in the monster gyms, there was only 1 kid in there before we got there.
Things like racquetball are my favorite kind of workouts. During the workout, you aren't thinking about how tired you are, only about how you want to win. This applies to things like dancing too, where you are just having fun. Treadmills and elipticle machines just make me feel like a hamster. After 3 good games, I was already trying to plan the next time we could come back!
The day was flying by fast, and we still had a lot to do. We needed to pick up the grandmas (mom and great grandma) from the airport, and make signs to welcome them. I left the signmaking up to Ruth, and jumped in the shower. By the time I got out, it was time to leave. We all piled into 2 cars. All of a sudden (after a while), I looked to my right, and there it was: the Pentagon. I guess important sites like that are all over the place here, I just didn't expect to see it.
Great grandma was going to her daughter Nancy's (I'll refer to her as Nancy W) house for the week, so we made the drop. The kids promplty started playing with her son Christopher (10). Any time my kids are playing contently, without fighting, or whining, I try to milk that moment as long as possible (see park post). The others were ready to get back to Nancy's for some downtime, so the kids and I decided to stay longer and play.
My kids got introduced to Wii. Winter turns out to be a great bowler. Sterling and Ginger hold their own in golf. I wish I could have gotten some video or picture, but we had planned to just go to the airport and back, so I didn't want to lug my backpack around. When Ginger plays golf, it really looks more like the hitting a baseball bat.
Nancy W's community pool is the social hangout. Her kids do swim team there, and stay to play the rest of the day. Nancy W has 2 boys, and we didn't come prepared for swimming, so she magically assembled several swimsuits for my girls to choose from. She even had a swimsuit for me. (more tropical/flowery than I'm used to, but it fit) I cherish these times of happy play. It sure beats fighting/bickering/roughhousing/boredom.
I wasn't prepared for the drive home. The GPS was my only way to navigate, I didn't have my cell phone, or my wallet. It started out okay, but soon I got to a road that was a "pike". In Dallas the pike is a toll road, and like I said, I didn't have my wallet. So I decided to go a different route -not the "toll road". Turns out, the toll road is exaclty where I ended up. The sign said: Dulles Airport - no toll. I guess this road was parallel to the toll road, and is only supposed to be used my airport passengers and businesses. This also means I wasn't able to take the exit I wanted, because this road only led to the airport.
The gas empty light came on. Oh cr*p. I'm still miles away from home, lost, no phone, and now out of gas. I figured, at this point, I should stop deciding my own route, and trust the GPS instead. I finally did make it home, a half an hour later, and running on fumes. Lesson learned: if a GPS is your only navigating guide, in a strange city, without a phone or money, trust the GPS. Even better: don't leave the house without your phone or wallet!
drive back, get lost with GPS, out of gas
quote sterling: grandma, you missed the reunion
I signed up for packing a picnic lunch. Turns out, making sandwiches for 20 people can be a daunting task. Luckily I had my great helper Winter.
One of the lookouts has some fun rocks for the kids to climb around on
The whole group. Ginger was NOT cooperating at all. She either screams and cries, or does extensive posing when we try to take pictures.
Logan: 11 going on 16
Isaiah, Haley, Ginger
Haley, Ginger
Jesse, Ginger
Winter, Naomi
Naughty Boys
Ashurst-McQee's
Mom: last minute ironing
Naomi: computer time
Richard: computer time
Dad: reading stories to Ginger
Jessica: rolling out tortilla dough
Sterling: wigging out in front of TV
Winter: time-out 
The main reason this playground was so fabulous, is that there was a ton of shade. Also, great benches in the shade to watch the kids play. We didn't even loose any of them! 
We also went on a little stroll down a path in the woods. The kids played in the creek, and found a frog.
Turns out, going to bed after midnight, and getting up before 7, makes me tired. I'm used to going to bed after midnight, but at home I get to sleep in until 9am. See, the kids just sneak up, turn on the TV, and watch cartoons until I finally rise from the dead. Being at someone elses home, I feel a little more responsible for my kids, and making sure someone else doesn't end up taking care of them. Therefor, I feel the need to get out of bed when they do. I might just set an alarm for 8am in the future, and tell them not to get out of our room before that! Or, I could do the more responsible thing, and just go to bed at 10pm next time. But oh, how I enjoy my alone time at night!!
Winter was begging me to use my camera, and had a lot of fun snapping away at all the fun exhibits. I took this opportunity to teach her a bit about focus and zooming. 
We all got tired out after just over an hour, and headed back to the house. Then, the kids splashed around in the pool, built sandcastles in the sandbox, and flew to the sky on the swings.
On a side note: A big advantage of cable is the availability of programs that regular TV doesn't cover. Tour de France is one of those. My opa Valk always watched this when I was little, so it brings back some good memories.
Since we weren't going for the best score, it was funny to watch the kids hit the ball over and over. Also, Ginger would hit it once, then pick it up from wherever it landed, and move it within 3 inches of the hole, and then putt it. Thanks Nancy, for a great adventure.
The celebration started off last night (my actual birthday). Joe took me out to see "Angels and Demons". I recently reread the book, so it was fun to compare the book to the movie. By the time we got out, and picked up the spit in downtown Dallas, it was 10pm. Good thing some restaurants have bars, so they stay open later. TGI Fridays' baby back ribs and salmon are the bomb!
While Joe and 1 missionary were taking care of that, me and the other missionary were taking care of the lawn. I was on the riding mower, and since it had been a few weeks since we moved, there were a lot of grass clippings all over. The missionary was nice enough to run this humongous industrial vacuum over the lawn, and collect all the clippings.
It was nice to get a nap in, before the crowds started to arrive. It was so great to have all my friends and family here, to celebrate with me. Everyone brought all kinds of yummy food, and snacks.
Of course the pool was the main attraction, and with so many adults, we got the volleyball net out. We had a good game going, with 4 on 4. 
Grandma even got in on the action!
For some reason, when a lot of people get together, someone always ends up swimming in the lake. This time it was Joe, Brooks, Tucker, and Bailey. They ran off the dock as fast as possible, and still landed in the middle of the algae/weeds/muck. I think that if we wouldn't have a pool, we would keep that lake cleared of algae, so it would be better for swimming. But, hey, like I said before, who wants to swim in a mucky lake, when you have a sparkly pool?
The goat was delicious! I think it was even better on the spit, than how we cooked the last one in the oven. the Morphises brought all the fixings for gyro sandwiches, which just complemented the goat so well. Then, there were yummy salads, and of course lots of chocolate dessert. Liz knows what I like!
As it was getting dark, we had to pry the kids out of the pool and into cars. It was sad to see everyone leave again, but at the same time, I realized what a great success this party was. Thanks Joe! (and everyone else who contributed)
Ginger, Baily, Winter, and Riley Gangstas of the Texas back country
It's amazing how much more quiet it has been too. It seems like Winter and Sterling are always arguing, or whining. S&G played in Sterling's room for hours, building bionicles. What great friends they are!
Since we're not going on any long/far away trips this year, I thought it would be fun to do something local. Oklahoma is only 3 hours away, and I heard it's a nice place to go. My plans went from 1 week of camping, to 4 days, to overnight. I think if we would have gone the beginning of June, we might have survived a week. But in July, we were lucky to survive 1 night. It was just barely not too hot to get to sleep. But it was great to get out camping again. It's hard to believe it's been 2 years since we've last gone camping. My kids didn't even really remember what camping was like. I was also a little disappointed with the lack of "toughness" for all 3 of them. They kept asking me for permission to do any/everything. From going into the woods, to getting into the tent. etc.
The next morning we headed over to the caves. We came to this part of Oklahoma, because of the cave. Call me naive, but I was expecting a lot more. I guess I'm just used to Utah. There's really just 1 area with a bunch of rocks. The strangest thing to me was that you could totally hear the freeway while on top of the "mountain". We had fun exploring the caves and crevices though, and I really am glad we made the drive out there.
Once it started to heat up, we headed to the red-neck infested lake. Carlton lake is where the local fire department does their annual fireworks show, so as time passed, even more red-necks showed up. While the kids and I swam, Joe took off mountain biking. The kids favorite part of swimming in the lake was looking into the water with their goggles, and seeing the green water. Also, jumping off the dock that was in the deep end. Maybe it's because of my old age, but I prefer swimming in a pool!
There were also fun 4-wheelers, one of which Winter totally crashed. For a while, we weren't sure if she would be okay, but luckily her body took the fall very well. A few bruises, ice packs, and chocolates later, and she seems to be fine.
We closed our day with a humongous bonfire, and a few fireworks. What a great independence day weekend!
