I found this on the blog of an old friend, Erin (Gibson) Enyart. Thanks for the great laugh, Erin!
2008 Democratic National Convention Agenda
7:00 pm Opening flag burning
7:15 pm Pledge of Allegiance to the U.N.
7:20 pm Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
7:25 pm Nonreligious prayer and worship with Jesse Jack son and Al Sharpton
7:45 pm Ceremonial tree hugging
7:55 pm Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
8:00 pm How I Invented the Internet - Al Gore
8:15 pm Gay Wedding - Barney Frank presiding
8:35 pm Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
8:40 pm Our Troops are War Criminals - John Kerry
9.00 pm Memorial service for Saddam and his sons - Cindy Sheehan and Susan Sarandon
10:00 pm "Answering Machine Etiquette" - Alec Baldwin
11:00 pm Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
11:05 pm Collection for the Osama Bin Laden kidney transplant fund - Barbra Streisand
11:15 pm Free the Freedom Fighters from Guantanamo Bay - Sean Penn
11:30 pm Oval Office Affairs - William Jefferson Clinton
11:45 pm Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
11:50 pm How George Bush Brought Down the World Trade Towers Howard Dean
12:15 am "Truth in Broadcasting Award" - Presented to Dan Rather by Michael Moore
12:25 am Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
12:30 am Satellite address by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
12:45 am Nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton by Nancy Pelosi
1:00 am Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
1:05 am Coronation of Hillary Rodham Clinton
1:30 am Ted Kennedy proposes a toast
1:35 am Bill Clinton asks Ted to drive Hillary home
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Back to Bloggin! (8-19-07)
Kaitlynn doing some rock navigation
A beautiful sight
Ryan stretching his abilities
My favorite part of a Gatlinburg trip...the mountains.
Ryan trying not to slip on the wet rock
Evan was a little pro at navigating the rocks
Havin' fun with Papa
Mom enjoys reading one of her "outlet" book finds
Ryan and Papa at The Track
Evan and Olivia enjoy breakfast at Shoney's
Greg discusses something with the rest of the crew...looks pretty important!
One of my favorite nature shots
Mom and I resting after walking Gatlinburg at night
Olivia...very, very tired!
Ryan and Evan with someone a little taller than their dad!
Greg and Evan at The Track
Uncle Eric and Ryan enjoy the pool
Kaitlynn found a little friend at the pool
Two happy gals
Takin' a break in Gatlinburg
Kaitlynn telling her mama about her lack of golf skill. Mama said, "Kaitlynn, you're good at shopping and eating out!" She was happy with that!
Ryan doing the unthinkable after visiting the Comedy Barn...he'd kill me for posting this!
Wild girl trying to putt putt. She wouldn't take any advice.
Unlike her brothers, she wasn't gifted with the greatest golf stance!
The part of the Black Bear Jamboree that we enjoyed!
These pics of Olivia's birthday are in reverse order...
All done and ready for bed!
Cake everywhere...even the diaper!
Yum Yum Yum!
What a cute little 1!It seems like forever since I've posted, so I'll give a short update:
1. Ryan's lymph swelling finally went down with the antibiotic. Thank the Lord! I am a "glass half empty" kind of person, I guess (at least that is what my dear husband says!), and always tend to fear the worst instead of hoping for the best. During the last couple of days he took the medicine, his sinuses kind of cut loose, so to speak, and seemed to take care of it.
2. Another Yount baby has appeared! Congratulations to Devin and Jennifer (Yount) Driggers on the birth of Whitney Faye last Friday. She joins her brothers Logan (2) and Landon (1). I am awaiting pictures!
3. Vacation Bible School was a good success at our church. The directors attend our church, and always do a fantastic job. Their theme was "The Armor of God" and my kids (2 weeks later) are still putting on their armor, as well as singing songs such as "Onward Christian Soldiers" in very embarrassing places such as restaurants and stores.
4. We just finished vacation! Tuesday evening we made our way to Pigeon Forge, TN to spend a few days relaxing. My parents came down separately, and we spent Wednesday kind of doing our own things. Greg and I took the kids to The Track for a couple hours of rides, etc. I purchased a discount pack online before the trip because those things can be incredibly expensive! Even with the discounts I was grimacing the whole time! We wanted to do something different this time. Ripley's Aquarium and The Dixie Stampede are awesome, but we have visited each of them a couple of times in the last couple of years. Having heard rave reviews about the Black Bear Jamboree, we decided to give it a try. We were told it was even more child-oriented than the Dixie Stampede, and having seen a video of the show previously, we figured the kids would really like it. Our table ended up being on stage level...not a good thing we would find out! There happened to be an "all new show" for 2007, and we were so disappointed! The pre-show was great, and they still used the bear puppets, although very minimally, but everything else was loud, driving music with lots of immodesty and dance. We're not talking square dancing. I felt like I was in a night club. Within the first few minutes one of my boys had his head down with a very disturbed expression on his face. I felt terrible, like I had violated his innocence! I asked the kids if they wanted to leave, and they all did. I wasn't even worried about the money...I just wanted out of there and when the lights went out, we left. I found out that another large family had gone there a couple of weeks before, and the mother was in tears because she had subjected her family to that kind of trash. So, this is my advice...spend your money elsewhere! I did talk to the management in a very kind way before I left. If they receive enough negative response, maybe they will have an "all new show" for 2008! Other fun things we did were The Comedy Barn (with my mom's brother John Yount and several of his kids and grandkids who also happened to be vacationing), lots of shopping at unique places, a few hours in a mountain stream (that was the most fun) with mommy as the all-time "bear-watcher," and spending Friday evening and Saturday morning at Eric and Meg's place. We celebrated Olivia's 1st birthday which is at the end of the month. She is walking all over the place now, and getting plenty of bumps and bruises! It was a good time, but I am glad to be home...safely. It was over 100 degrees almost every day, and the humidity was terrible. I acquired some kind of allergy or sinus cold while down there, and am taking everything I can without much relief.
4. After arriving home from vacation, I received my grades for the last class. God really helped me with all of my projects, papers, etc, and everything was a success! Vacation week was my 1st break from class since mid-April, so I was ready! Tomorrow I start Counselor Professional Identity, Function, and Ethics. There are 3 very large texts, but it looks like it will be a good class. I will finish that one in early October, and take off until January. That will give me time to have a baby! My last 2 classes will be scheduled for spring, and then I will be done. Yahoo!
5. Ryan finally lost a top tooth this week! He is almost 8 and has only lost the bottom 2 (almost a year ago). The 2nd top one is hanging, and should be gone in the next few hours!
6. Teacher's inservice days begin tomorrow and school starts Wednesday. I don't even want to think about all the work the next 48 hours will hold! It's kind of like housecleaning, if your house is like ours. All the clutter has to be dealt with before you can actually clean. I'll probably spend the 1st half of tomorrow just dealing with clutter. Once that is taken care of, I'll feel ready to begin a new year! A nice benefit is that 2 weeks will bring Labor Day weekend, and then 2 weeks later brings us another long weekend with our Staff Convention on a Monday and spouses joining us in Holmes County for a staff retreat Monday evening and Tuesday. That will be a fun break. So long for now!
1. Ryan's lymph swelling finally went down with the antibiotic. Thank the Lord! I am a "glass half empty" kind of person, I guess (at least that is what my dear husband says!), and always tend to fear the worst instead of hoping for the best. During the last couple of days he took the medicine, his sinuses kind of cut loose, so to speak, and seemed to take care of it.
2. Another Yount baby has appeared! Congratulations to Devin and Jennifer (Yount) Driggers on the birth of Whitney Faye last Friday. She joins her brothers Logan (2) and Landon (1). I am awaiting pictures!
3. Vacation Bible School was a good success at our church. The directors attend our church, and always do a fantastic job. Their theme was "The Armor of God" and my kids (2 weeks later) are still putting on their armor, as well as singing songs such as "Onward Christian Soldiers" in very embarrassing places such as restaurants and stores.
4. We just finished vacation! Tuesday evening we made our way to Pigeon Forge, TN to spend a few days relaxing. My parents came down separately, and we spent Wednesday kind of doing our own things. Greg and I took the kids to The Track for a couple hours of rides, etc. I purchased a discount pack online before the trip because those things can be incredibly expensive! Even with the discounts I was grimacing the whole time! We wanted to do something different this time. Ripley's Aquarium and The Dixie Stampede are awesome, but we have visited each of them a couple of times in the last couple of years. Having heard rave reviews about the Black Bear Jamboree, we decided to give it a try. We were told it was even more child-oriented than the Dixie Stampede, and having seen a video of the show previously, we figured the kids would really like it. Our table ended up being on stage level...not a good thing we would find out! There happened to be an "all new show" for 2007, and we were so disappointed! The pre-show was great, and they still used the bear puppets, although very minimally, but everything else was loud, driving music with lots of immodesty and dance. We're not talking square dancing. I felt like I was in a night club. Within the first few minutes one of my boys had his head down with a very disturbed expression on his face. I felt terrible, like I had violated his innocence! I asked the kids if they wanted to leave, and they all did. I wasn't even worried about the money...I just wanted out of there and when the lights went out, we left. I found out that another large family had gone there a couple of weeks before, and the mother was in tears because she had subjected her family to that kind of trash. So, this is my advice...spend your money elsewhere! I did talk to the management in a very kind way before I left. If they receive enough negative response, maybe they will have an "all new show" for 2008! Other fun things we did were The Comedy Barn (with my mom's brother John Yount and several of his kids and grandkids who also happened to be vacationing), lots of shopping at unique places, a few hours in a mountain stream (that was the most fun) with mommy as the all-time "bear-watcher," and spending Friday evening and Saturday morning at Eric and Meg's place. We celebrated Olivia's 1st birthday which is at the end of the month. She is walking all over the place now, and getting plenty of bumps and bruises! It was a good time, but I am glad to be home...safely. It was over 100 degrees almost every day, and the humidity was terrible. I acquired some kind of allergy or sinus cold while down there, and am taking everything I can without much relief.
4. After arriving home from vacation, I received my grades for the last class. God really helped me with all of my projects, papers, etc, and everything was a success! Vacation week was my 1st break from class since mid-April, so I was ready! Tomorrow I start Counselor Professional Identity, Function, and Ethics. There are 3 very large texts, but it looks like it will be a good class. I will finish that one in early October, and take off until January. That will give me time to have a baby! My last 2 classes will be scheduled for spring, and then I will be done. Yahoo!
5. Ryan finally lost a top tooth this week! He is almost 8 and has only lost the bottom 2 (almost a year ago). The 2nd top one is hanging, and should be gone in the next few hours!
6. Teacher's inservice days begin tomorrow and school starts Wednesday. I don't even want to think about all the work the next 48 hours will hold! It's kind of like housecleaning, if your house is like ours. All the clutter has to be dealt with before you can actually clean. I'll probably spend the 1st half of tomorrow just dealing with clutter. Once that is taken care of, I'll feel ready to begin a new year! A nice benefit is that 2 weeks will bring Labor Day weekend, and then 2 weeks later brings us another long weekend with our Staff Convention on a Monday and spouses joining us in Holmes County for a staff retreat Monday evening and Tuesday. That will be a fun break. So long for now!
Update on Valerie...
I didn't go to my parents for lunch today due to this head cold, but Greg and the kids went and were able to talk to Valerie via the web cam. Val and Adam purchased one for us and my parents, but I haven't had a chance to get ours running yet. Anyway, Valerie is very nervous as you can imagine. Although their church is a hurricane shelter, Adam says they'll probably just stay at home...we'll see if that holds...I'd be in the church! :) I think their electric and water are going to be cut off at some point today as a precaution. I found a link that has info if you are interested...
http://www.caymannetnews.com/index.php
http://www.caymannetnews.com/index.php
Oh, No, Not Already!
Most of you (if you faithfully read my blog) realize that my sister moved to Grand Cayman 2 weeks ago tomorrow. If I'm not mistaken, 2 weeks ago today we were having our last Sunday dinner together at mom and dad's place when the subject of hurricanes arose. We were questioning the accommodations and precautions that were in place specifically for the compound on which they would live, especially since much of it was destroyed a couple of years ago during Ivan. After listening to their confident description of the new structures that were built even better than hurricane specifications required, I really figured it wouldn't be a huge deal if it happened. They didn't seem to worried about it anyway, and when you move to a coastal or island area, this just happens to be something you plan to deal with on a yearly basis. Kind of like buying Christmas gifts or going away on your anniversary - it's routine, I guess - yikes!
Well, Friday evening as the rest of us sat at Eric and Megan's, the phone began to ring. Relatives in Indiana were worried about the hurricane headed straight for Grand Cayman. Not having internet access for a couple of days, we didn't even realize there was such a thing as "Dean!" We ended up talking to Valerie for a little over 20 minutes on mom's cell phone (I'm glad I'm not getting that bill!), and she assured us that they were preparing. I have not really been worrying myself sick, basically because to us in the Midwest this is probably way bigger since we have never dealt with it, and there was a chance it could change course. As of today, it doesn't appear to be on track to hit them straight on. They will probably get tons of rain and some wind (which would be enough to scare me to death!) but the devastation may not occur. Of course, this could change at any time given the way storms move. So, please pray for my sister's nerves! She's had a few annoying things happen all in the last 2 weeks (washer leak, dead hot water heater, etc.), but nothing of this proportion! Even if it doesn't hit them, the amount of prep work that had to be done was enormous and that will all have to be cleaned up, as well.
Our mission island of Dominica has already been hit by Dean. I don't know the extent of the damage that our churches may have received, but some of the pics of the capitol city were pretty ravaged. From what I understand, Dominica is a poor island in many, many ways, and unlike the island of Grand Cayman (which the weather reporter called the rich island), places like Dominica would seem to have more difficulty recovering from something of this nature. So, pray for our pastors and churches there. They have very humble structures, and it wouldn't take much to destroy everything for which they work so hard.
Well, Friday evening as the rest of us sat at Eric and Megan's, the phone began to ring. Relatives in Indiana were worried about the hurricane headed straight for Grand Cayman. Not having internet access for a couple of days, we didn't even realize there was such a thing as "Dean!" We ended up talking to Valerie for a little over 20 minutes on mom's cell phone (I'm glad I'm not getting that bill!), and she assured us that they were preparing. I have not really been worrying myself sick, basically because to us in the Midwest this is probably way bigger since we have never dealt with it, and there was a chance it could change course. As of today, it doesn't appear to be on track to hit them straight on. They will probably get tons of rain and some wind (which would be enough to scare me to death!) but the devastation may not occur. Of course, this could change at any time given the way storms move. So, please pray for my sister's nerves! She's had a few annoying things happen all in the last 2 weeks (washer leak, dead hot water heater, etc.), but nothing of this proportion! Even if it doesn't hit them, the amount of prep work that had to be done was enormous and that will all have to be cleaned up, as well.
Our mission island of Dominica has already been hit by Dean. I don't know the extent of the damage that our churches may have received, but some of the pics of the capitol city were pretty ravaged. From what I understand, Dominica is a poor island in many, many ways, and unlike the island of Grand Cayman (which the weather reporter called the rich island), places like Dominica would seem to have more difficulty recovering from something of this nature. So, pray for our pastors and churches there. They have very humble structures, and it wouldn't take much to destroy everything for which they work so hard.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Weekend Wrap-Up
I don't know that anyone specifically cares to read about the events of my life, especially when pictures are non-existent, but I don't know that I'll get much time to post next week. So, if you care, here it goes!
I took Ryan to the Dr. Thursday because he has some swollen lymph glands in his neck. She confirmed that there are knotty areas in 4 places, mostly the neck and throat area...please, I still don't need horror stories! She figured it was from allergies, etc. that he has battled with this summer, and placed him on a 10-day antibiotic. If the knots aren't going down following the antibiotic, we are to take him for blood work. He has had no lack of energy or appetite, so I am trusting that it is just an infection. I tend to really worry about these kinds of things, so prayers are appreciated!
Thursday evening we went out to a private campground with my parents, grandmother, and Adam and Valerie. We had a cookout and the kids were able to swim in the in ground pool for a few hours. They always love that!
On Friday we went for our 2nd ultrasound. The whole family wanted to go even though we weren't finding out the sex, so we pretty much filled up the little room! When they were applying the lubricant to my abdomen, Evan asked what they were putting on me. Greg told him it was jelly, and Kaitlynn said, "Jelly?!" Ryan said, "It's not sandwich jelly, Kaitlynn." The kids loved seeing it, and once when the tech did a double screen Kaitlynn said, "It's twins!" After the ultrasound was finished, Greg took the kids out in the hallway. Kaitlynn, in a very serious, wide-eyed manner said, "What are they going to do to our Mommy?" Boy, she's gonna love it when I go in for the C-section! Anyway, the baby is approx. 1lb. 8oz. and is in the 38th percentile for weight. The doctor said it would probably end up in the 6lb. range, which is normal for me. Baby was doing somersaults during the ultrasound, and seemed to be very active...hmmm...a busy next few years!
After my appointment, Greg and I left for a tiny anniversary getaway...yes, it was tiny. All the way to Findlay! Greg delivers to a hotel in Bluffton, OH, and the manager told him he could get a king suite w/hot tub for about half price whenever he would like. We went to Outback for a fantastic steak dinner, then to the mall where we found some incredible deals. At about 11p.m. Greg headed out for milkshakes while I visited all of your lovely blogs from the comfort of my big bed (believe it or not, we still only have a queen at home!). This morning we slept in late, then headed back to Lima for lunch at Skyline. Around 4:30, we went by mom and dad's to pick up the kids, then decided it would be a good night to head to Delphos to The Creamery for some of that sinful Black Raspberry Fudge Chunk Swirl (or something like that!). It was kind of a last outing with Valerie before she leaves for Cayman. Mom and Dad are taking she and Adam up to Detroit tomorrow evening, where they will fly out early Monday morning. We will not see them until Christmas, so that is going to be a little different for my kids. Kids adjust fast, so it probably won't be terrible for them, it just seems that way now!
Monday will find me back in the classroom, but it definitely won't be what I'm used to! I'm a fill-in in the adult ed. dept., so I will be more nervous about them not being kids. Fortunately it is the 1st day of their class, so we will spend most of our time on standardized tests, filling out forms, etc. Monday night begins our VBS at church. The kids love this every year, and I'm sure this year will be no exception. I am going to attempt to paint my living room this week, while finishing up my last week of the current class, Group Process. By the way, has anyone seen the movie "12 Angry Men"? I have to watch it next week (the 1957 version) and am curious about it. There are remakes, but we are required to watch the "oldie"!
To end this document, I don't believe I have posted that Eric and Megan are moving to Chicago in October. They were up here last week to spend a few days, and we had a good time. It will be nice having them a little closer to home, although the excuse to go to Gatlinburg has been great, as well!
Since it is 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, and Sunday School is coming quickly, I need to end the rambling. I hope you all have a wonderful Lord's Day!
I took Ryan to the Dr. Thursday because he has some swollen lymph glands in his neck. She confirmed that there are knotty areas in 4 places, mostly the neck and throat area...please, I still don't need horror stories! She figured it was from allergies, etc. that he has battled with this summer, and placed him on a 10-day antibiotic. If the knots aren't going down following the antibiotic, we are to take him for blood work. He has had no lack of energy or appetite, so I am trusting that it is just an infection. I tend to really worry about these kinds of things, so prayers are appreciated!
Thursday evening we went out to a private campground with my parents, grandmother, and Adam and Valerie. We had a cookout and the kids were able to swim in the in ground pool for a few hours. They always love that!
On Friday we went for our 2nd ultrasound. The whole family wanted to go even though we weren't finding out the sex, so we pretty much filled up the little room! When they were applying the lubricant to my abdomen, Evan asked what they were putting on me. Greg told him it was jelly, and Kaitlynn said, "Jelly?!" Ryan said, "It's not sandwich jelly, Kaitlynn." The kids loved seeing it, and once when the tech did a double screen Kaitlynn said, "It's twins!" After the ultrasound was finished, Greg took the kids out in the hallway. Kaitlynn, in a very serious, wide-eyed manner said, "What are they going to do to our Mommy?" Boy, she's gonna love it when I go in for the C-section! Anyway, the baby is approx. 1lb. 8oz. and is in the 38th percentile for weight. The doctor said it would probably end up in the 6lb. range, which is normal for me. Baby was doing somersaults during the ultrasound, and seemed to be very active...hmmm...a busy next few years!
After my appointment, Greg and I left for a tiny anniversary getaway...yes, it was tiny. All the way to Findlay! Greg delivers to a hotel in Bluffton, OH, and the manager told him he could get a king suite w/hot tub for about half price whenever he would like. We went to Outback for a fantastic steak dinner, then to the mall where we found some incredible deals. At about 11p.m. Greg headed out for milkshakes while I visited all of your lovely blogs from the comfort of my big bed (believe it or not, we still only have a queen at home!). This morning we slept in late, then headed back to Lima for lunch at Skyline. Around 4:30, we went by mom and dad's to pick up the kids, then decided it would be a good night to head to Delphos to The Creamery for some of that sinful Black Raspberry Fudge Chunk Swirl (or something like that!). It was kind of a last outing with Valerie before she leaves for Cayman. Mom and Dad are taking she and Adam up to Detroit tomorrow evening, where they will fly out early Monday morning. We will not see them until Christmas, so that is going to be a little different for my kids. Kids adjust fast, so it probably won't be terrible for them, it just seems that way now!
Monday will find me back in the classroom, but it definitely won't be what I'm used to! I'm a fill-in in the adult ed. dept., so I will be more nervous about them not being kids. Fortunately it is the 1st day of their class, so we will spend most of our time on standardized tests, filling out forms, etc. Monday night begins our VBS at church. The kids love this every year, and I'm sure this year will be no exception. I am going to attempt to paint my living room this week, while finishing up my last week of the current class, Group Process. By the way, has anyone seen the movie "12 Angry Men"? I have to watch it next week (the 1957 version) and am curious about it. There are remakes, but we are required to watch the "oldie"!
To end this document, I don't believe I have posted that Eric and Megan are moving to Chicago in October. They were up here last week to spend a few days, and we had a good time. It will be nice having them a little closer to home, although the excuse to go to Gatlinburg has been great, as well!
Since it is 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, and Sunday School is coming quickly, I need to end the rambling. I hope you all have a wonderful Lord's Day!
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