Dear Spring Break:

Initially, after seeing the weather forecast, I wanted to ask you

for some reprieve as in "please be nice to us."

I have been looking forward to you since Christmas break.

But, this morning, I decided to embrace you instead of pout. 

Many plans have already been changed because of you.

Some are yet to be figured out because of rearranging the schedule not

once or twice, but, thrice.  

It's okay though.

After working like a mad woman Saturday in an attempt to get things in order

before the monsoon - I mowed.  That may be the understatement of the year.

Mowing the acres I mow after a long winter's sleep = a snail's pace.

It ended though when I mowed the garden hose that had nestled itself in

last years garden brush; it tightly wrapped itself

around my blades.  That ended that.  So, on to the landscaping. 

I pulled and tugged until I could no more.  Then, I gave up and pulled out the

roundup - knowing I had JUST ENOUGH sunlight to cause demise before

the rains hit.  It worked, they are dying.   I'll get back to the beds after the rains.

Then, Sunday morning arrived.  My head pounded in an unusual way.

When I saw my reflection in the mirror, I will say I panicked a bit

with flashes of Kelly's MRSA ordeal.  My eyes were swollen shut.  And,

my right side that was dependent through the night swollen twice its size. 

That lovely pollen.  That is why my head was pounding like a jackhammer.

Lovely.  Plans changed.  That afternoon when the Motrin had

taken effect, we loaded up our car {cars} with family and picnic goodies

and headed to a lake with a beautiful park.  It was so nice, despite no

fish being caught and my crazy brother taking the boys on the hike of their

young lives.  Let's just say I didn't take pictures, because I didn't want to remember.

They wanted to go again.

Today, the waves of the storms rolled through, I chickened cancelled out on

some fun plans with friends because I felt I needed to be home.  You know,

I don't have a very good track record with storms.  Two cars on separate

incidents nearly totaled - one due to hail, one due to flash flooding.   So,

here we are.  BUT.......despite today's rain.....

The boys are playing in the mud.  I'm enjoying their giggles and laughs.

The chicks and chickens have their coop readied for the storm.

The dogs are enjoying a rainy day nap.   I'm rearranging portrait

appointments.  I'm planning a quick road trip with kids in tow.  

The camping trip looks dashed.

The tripS out of town look dashed. 

But, I'm just so happy to have the boys home, mud and all....that 

you won't hear any complaints here.   

Happy Spring Break, everyone!  

{new-old books}

LOVE

My only purchases from our Spring Break travels other than a few t-shirts/hats. 

{shells}

A treasure trove of tiny shells on the riverbank. 

Our pockets were overflowing.

{back in time}

In every sense of the word.

Literally.

No phone service {unless we drove into town} and no internet

until the last night.

I don't have enough time to upload the pictures now, but wanted to get

a few thoughts {memories} down before they slipped my brain.

Because right now, I am crying at my desk {not really} because I got

home this morning from Scott's OT to find that about 87 of my 90+,

BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY strawberry plants were attacked, eaten and

ripped from the ground last night while we were sleeping.  The war

is on.  I think I may be sitting out in my car all night with a gun tonight. 

I'm not really kidding. 

**first trip with both of my brothers and family/wife - great time!

**stayed in a wonderful lodge in the middle of nowhere

**four-wheeler and ranger riding along nice and not-so-nice trails

**lodge owner plane fly-bys as we had our hotdog roast and sat by the fire

**a boy named Stonewall

**a dog named Colonel 

**a night cave entry on the property by flashlight.  HELLO bats!

**the white river

**bible study catch-up next to a waterfall

**hiking {snakes are out}

**trout fishing

**one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen:  Blanchard Springs Cavern {a MUST see!!} 

**a lot of history learned

**holding hands with my SIL as we plunged down a trail {unknown to her it was my hand}

**a town square

**food poisoning by many on night #1.

**antique heaven......I thought of TH.    

**laughs, laughs and more laughs.....

{spring break 2010}

we started off with a bang. or, i guess i should say a blizzard.

the last few days were a blur anyway. and, i didn't watch garrett. when they were mentioning the weather at a wedding on saturday, i didn't pay too much attention. they talked about a dusting to possibly two inches which typically equates to zilch for us.

for months, i had been looking forward to hearing a speaker that would be at church sunday morning. i hoped out of bed and put my eggo into the toaster. about 45 seconds later, no power. hmmmm.....i looked outside the window. UNBELIEVABLE! we called my in-laws as i was still determined to make it to church (they did have electricity) but, no cars were out on the highway in front of their house. scott grounded me. i have a history with driving and snow. not a good one.

i was soooooooo disappointed! but, when i opened my front door and saw this....it didn't last too incredibly long. amazing. hadn't it just been 70 degrees two days prior?

the boys barely survived the approximate 13 hours without electricity. they would have never made it in the frontier days. ever. we bundled up, sat by our fire, played lots of games and cards. it was perfect for me. scott had a horrendous headache - likely from the weather.

and, today, we woke up to sunshine! it's a muddy, muddy mess out there. and, thankfully the boys are wanting to do a little of nothing this week - they actually want to be home. we will see how long that lasts! :)

think i'm ready to look at condos for vacation!