Another weird thing from DC

Read the license plate closely....



Yep, it says, "Taxation Without Representation." What??

Sure enough, (link) residents of Washington DC pay federal taxes, yet are NOT represented in Congress. Does that surprise you? It sure surprises me. I thought the tag was a big joke, and I didn't get it.

Another "funny" is the quote: "The $10 fee for the new plates cannot buy a CD or a tank of gas"--hah, and this article is dated 11/2000.

A trip to the lake

As the girls' visit came to an end, we decided to head for the lake. With temps in the high 90s, topped off by high humidity, our timing was perfect.



Ever since we moved here last August, we've been wanting to rent a boat on the lake. As it turned out, it worked out very nicely that I hadn't made prior boat reservations--I was able to get a screaming deal with one of the smaller rental places that hadn't let out all of their boats.



We got a fun pontoon boat--the canopy was a necessity!



The kids opened the side gates and stuck their feet over the side to keep cool.



At the last minute, the girls decided to not bring their bathing suits. Big mistake! They jumped in the water with their clothes on. Everyone threw on life jackets to make swimming a breeze. Except me. When the girls said they weren't bringing their suits, I didn't either, but I was NOT going to swim in my clothes, yuck!

We parked the boat in a quiet spot, and they swam to shore to check out a hut.



As the boat drifted closer, I started to panic that it'd get stuck. I'm good for panicKing. (lol) It drives everyone else crazy.



We forgot to get a ladder, and it was a riot to watch the kids try to get up!


Rob, acting nonchalant about the boat being STUCK.

"I planned this!"

We zipped around and ended up swimming in another spot. (That's the French "we," as I said, I wasn't swimming!)



It didn't take long to dry off in the sun.


We boated for three hours, then stopped at Dairy Queen on the way home. It was a perfectly lovely day!

* * *

Early Tuesday morning, Holly, Mackenzie and I made the long drive to Raleigh. Poor Kenzie slept for half of the drive. We put her on the plane, ending the two weeks that the girls got to spend together.

This was so amazing how everything worked out. We'd talked about wanting to do this, and the plans just fell into place. I'm so happy for both of the girls, that they each have such a wonderful, lifelong friendship, and that both of our families were able to share our girls this summer.

"...there is a friend who sticks closer than a [sister]."

And so we are back to our real life!

Weekly menu

cheeseburgers, chips & dip, fruit
bbq hotdogs, encore presentations (!)
spaghetti, salad, french bread, rice krispy treats
cheeseburgers, ??? (Mom work)
breakfast
Chicken Fingers with Lemon Sauce
sub sandwiches, chips, fruit
Renita's Funnel Cakes!!!

Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J
Linda's Marinated Mozzarella
parmesan pesto things

On the back burner:
cutlets Romano
chicken ala king, rice, strawberries
chicken souvlaki, couscous
teriyaki meatballs, ???
pork loin
chile rellanos

The weekend

FRIDAY:

While I recuperated at work from driving the behemoth truck, Robert took the kids into Roanoke. They dropped Trevor off at Vacation Bible Camp for the afternoon, and he and the girls went to see Wall-E.

SATURDAY:

Robert drove the girls to horseback riding. Those pictures are on one of their cameras; none to post here, unfortunately!

It was one of those days when Trevor had to choose one from several great activities: Family Day at the National D-Day Memorial; the summer's only chess tournament; or the second day at Bible Camp. For weeks, I've already known what he would end up choosing, although he didn't make his decision until late Friday night.

"Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."

The water theme was a perfect fit; it was hot, hot, hot, and very humid.

The church does a lot of neighborhood outreach. On Saturday, we had more neighborhood kids show up for Bible Camp than came from the fellowship.


Several of the Youth Group girls led worship. We've often talked on our big list about Youth Groups, the good, the bad, the ugly. Ours is really amazing. The first thing we noticed is that the teens worship in the main service. They play a large role in the Children's Ministry, and they are just a really Godly group of kids.


I took the opportunity to visit the local homeschool convention. I wasn't planning on going, except that it was close by. Most of the exhibitors were just selling used curriculum, and I ended up with a few great deals. (Most notably, Around the World in 180 Days teacher guide for $3!) I ran into a few old friends and made a few new friend too. :)

SUNDAY:

No church bbq this month, since so much time has been spent at the park already for the past few days. Mackenzie's comment about our church: "It's very different than mine. I really like your music!" and "My church has been around for 125 years. And I don't think they've changed a thing." I'm glad we didn't scare her off, lol.

The girls join in a lovely sort of slapping game.

We spent a lazy afternoon at home, and I took an hour long nap. And I really should be sleeping NOW. It was a great weekend.

The behemoth

I dId iT, I DiD It!!

Rob's truck is HUGE, at least to me. I'm fairly tall, but I literally have to pull myself up into it, and slide out of it before my feet hit the ground. I've always been too chicken to drive it. I know, it's silly. My sister in law drives a big truck. My mom drives a big truck. But hey, I'm not car-coordinated; I can barely park my minivan. I've driven it just once, several months ago, down our road, but then I switched seats with my husband and let him drive.


Last Friday, he planned to take the kids to Roanoke, and they did not want to ride in the truck. I decided to drive it to work; he could take my van and get way better gas mileage too. It didn't start out well. When I unlocked the door, the alarm went off and I didn't know how to turn it off. But at least I was still at home, and I could wait for Robert to come and fix it, haha.

To give me more time to drive slow, I left the house a few minutes early. It was a huge relief that no one got stuck behind me, and my first venture on public roads actually went well. I was even able to park it decently. The first time. Not in my usual spot, but that's okay. In fact, it went so well, I even drove to the grocery store after work--where I parked a lot further out than I usually do.

So it's a silly thing, but I have a great feeling of accomplishment, and the thought of driving it again no longer terrifies me. But I don't mind waiting awhile either!

Lego daze

While Holly was gone, Trevor entertained himself with his Legos.



Now that he's older, his Lego interest comes in spurts.



It's either nothing, we never see them, he forgets he owns them. (Although with 2000 little pieces stuck in his carpet, it's hard for me to forget.)



Or the box is a semi-permanent fixture in our living room, and the building stops only to eat and sleep.



I'm always amazed at what he comes up with!

Things I can't do

Adding to my list of Things I Can't Do:

I can't make coffee without the pot overflowing.



It should be easy, right? You measure the water, pour it in, and push the button. But I always try to cut corners. If there's any coffee left in the pot, I still make a full pot, thinking, "I'll get the extra cup out before it fills all the way up."

You'd think I'd have learned by now.

You'd think I could actually make Minute Rice.

You'd think I could make blue box macaroni and cheese without it boiling over on the stove.

You'd think...

Another quick trip

The kitties knew something was up.

Ever hopeful

Since the girls' plane was coming in later in the evening, we'd already made plans to spend the night in North Carolina. Rob, Trevor and I left early and stopped for some quick shopping along the way.

Okay, *I* stopped for some quick shopping along the way

We hit quite a bit more traffic this time. I don't know the last time I actually drove in "rush hour." I certainly don't miss that one bit either!


We hung out in the hotel for a while. I took Trevor swimming, and then we grabbed a bite to eat.


The airport was just a few minutes away, and I watched the girls' plane land.


We'd planned to see the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit and the Museum of Natural Science today. But we decided to skip it: it'd be a rush, between the girls being on Colorado time, and getting home to pick up Lucky from the kennel before closing. Even though I knew they'd appreciate it down the road, the kids were only mildly interested in seeing it. It was expensive, $100 for us to get in! So we let the girls sleep in, ate a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, and let the kids swim before heading home.



It was a nice day to not have to rush. We ate breakfast for dinner, and are unwinding before getting back in the swing tomorrow.

This has been a wonderful summer to make quick trips. Living in Stickville, we're used to longer drives to get anywhere--and we're also closer to a lot more places to visit than we were in Colorado. It's a perfect combination!

:)