Livin' the Dream

A series of events in the last 14 days has shook our world to about crazy. Nevertheless, I still feel I am "livin' the dream". Last Monday, the 7th of July, we started our cooling program. Normally two of the craziest weeks of the year. Last year, I spent one of the two weeks working out in the field, taking applications. It is always good for me to be reminded what the ones doing that job have to go through. This year, I ended up spending 7 days in the field in the Edgar county. Coming face to face with the people that I am helping is priceless. I had one older client who I got to have quite a visit with about family and heritage and how there are just some things in life money can't buy. I had another lady who came in on a Wednesday. She was telling me about going to Bible Study that night and said they were studying how to be a Mary in a Martha world. She laughed and said unfortunately most of the ladies in the group were beyond those years and were Marys even if they didn't want to be. She told me I was probably one who needed a study like that. I told her I would thoroughly enjoy that study because yes, I always am heading a million different directions but I learned a long time ago that if I started out my day spending time with God, it was easier to know he was there all day, every day. I got to spend time with a couple of clients that I had gotten to know through phone conversations and even one family that may benefit from meeting one of our other fieldworkers. Yes, it was a great 7 days. I wish I didn't have other work piling up at my own desk because I was out there, I would LOVE to get in the habit of working out in the field more. On the downside, I prayed daily that God would let everything else in the ERBA world go smoothly while I was detained. He didn't think that was the best idea so we had some long distance computer repairs as well as not one, but two computers being purchased. Still wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Thursday I traveled to Springfield for a meeting. As an added bonus, I had been texting with my sis on the way up (don't jump to conclusions, I have a hands-free and talk-2-text). Anyway, I just asked if there was any chance she could meet me for lunch and she said YES!
That was a great day! Then, just to top the day off, I found out I won the drawing at our local boutique and got a $25 gift certificate. ( the vest in the picture below is ONE of the things I got)

So, Friday I came back to work to find my desk so piled full I couldn't see any sign of wood. Job Security, I suppose. I finally turned it into two huge stacks on my spare table and started tackling jobs one at a time. My work is definitely cut out for me this week. It really did feel good to be home.

Then we started a weekend of Family. Mom and I went to Charleston yesterday to the antique tractor show. My Uncle Kenny was as mom says, "selling his fleas" there, and so we visited with him for a while. Mom and I also went out for dinner, which with all the craziness mentioned above, the last couple weeks of Mom time had been reduced to phone calls and seeing each other at church.

Today, we got to have lunch with three of my cousin's and their families. My cousin, Lila, is home from the DC area. I don't believe I had seen her since Robert was little. We have an odd family, when I was younger, she was more like an aunt to me because of the age difference in Mom's family. Lila's daughter Chris is just a year younger than me. Anyway, it was funny because today, I felt like we were closer to the same age than ever. Robert got to spend time with a couple of his cousins, one he had never really met and one he had met once. I LOVE feeling like we have family again. I SO miss family. It truly was just a perfect day.

So, now we are winding down and gearing up for the coming week, I get to have the yearly wonderful MAMMOGRAM tomorrow. Ironically, last year when I had this done, basically a year to the date, I was very anxious because in the 12 months before that, not one, but 2 of my first cousins had been diagnosed with breast cancer, Lila was one of them (she fought and won, and is doing well). Anyway, I'm going to put that plug in there, Mammograms are important, just because you avoid having one doesn't mean cancer won't be there. Make your appointment, get it done. Yes, your life depends on it!

Next Sunday Andrew finally gets to cash in on Father's Day. Our first live NASCAR race. And yes, I will just tell you, I am rooting for one of the unpopular ones. I like Kyle Busch. I think he has grown up a lot and everyone deserves a second chance, I also like the M&M car better than the other two and I am kinda thinking it may the M&M's turn to run. We shall see.

Yes, Life is an adventure. I get up every morning and thank the Lord for the day; good, bad, or ugly--he planned that day for me to grow in grace, spread His love and be just a little step closer to an eternity with him. Today is the day that the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Happy Sunday!!

Robert, Megan, and Michael...long lost cousins.

our family,

My cousins: Don, John, Kathy, Larry, Lila, Nancy, Megan and Michael.

Happy 4th!

So, we had this last minute chance to get away for a couple of well earned days off. We chose Land Between the Lakes/ Paducah KY. We love it down there, always so relaxing.

 We had all had a crazy June so just the drive itself, taking the two lanes down, was a nice chance just to breathe.

at Miss Patti's Settlement.

 At the Elk and Bison Prairie:

 Back to Miss Patti's for Dinner:

The Krispy Kreme Cruiser : http://locations.krispykreme.com/krispykreme-cruiser

Murals in Paducah

Robert in the train simulator

On our way back

What all we really did: Friday, First stop was IHOP--Robert's one request, two meals at IHOP--then we went to Miss Patti's, went to the Elk and Bison Prairie, visited a general store and antique place that was really cool and had just about every imaginable soda pop that is still being bottled (sorry to my friend looking for Tip, I looked, no go).  Went back to Patti's for dinner, went back to the hotel for a nap and then to the drag strip to see the drag races. We got there though and there was a dirt track across the road, so guess where we ended up? It was the 4th so we saw fireworks at the races.

On Saturday we went back to IHOP, then took a tour of Broadbents Gourmet Foods, they cure bacon and hams there, the place smelled WONDERFUL!! Brought home Ham, ends for green beans, as well as some bacon.  We then drove back to Paducah, took in downtown, and the train museum and then headed back for home. We stopped in Mt. Vernon for dinner. We had all these places that we thought sounded good, all of which were closed. I don't really ever want to stop to eat in Mt. Vernon again. We ended up at Chili's. They have changed their menu and none of us were impressed. We ended up eating overpriced hamburgers. The trip as a whole was wonderful though.

Pics from Kansas City FINALLY!!!

Our view from our hotel room

The Stuart Hall sign that, in December 1983, shown through an Amtrak train window, as we were parked there on our way to march in the Rose Bowl Parade. Things like this sure give me time to reflect, remember and appreciate all that my life has been.

Andrew at the Aquarium, our "date night" amid my conference.

THE BEST FOOD IN KANSAS CITY (and it wasn't BBQ!) The Jerusalem Cafe, where, as we found out, one of Andrew's long lost cousins works!

Andrew and Grandma Virginia at the Walt Disney Museum in Marceline MO.

Love this picture, she always wants to go someplace when we come, this was just about 15 minutes away and just right.

We ran out and snapped a picture, the tree is dead (and a grandson came and planted "the son of the Dreaming tree on the land)  but it was what Walt Disney called his "dreaming tree" The Tree of Life at Disney is patterned after this tree. Imagineers came to Marceline to study it.