The next step in our journey

Today Dick moved to Anthony and Lori's. What a mix of emotions we are experiencing.

Here he is with the "stuff" he's taking on this trip.

After he loaded those things into the Explorer we went to his dad's place where he had his tools loaded on his dad's trailor. That's a lot of tools, folks!

Then we said goodby. He starts his new job tomorrow at Pep Boys in State College. We have no idea what his schedule will be, but I'm sure we'll see each other at least once a week - either he'll come home on his day off or I'll go up there. Besides we can talk on our cell phones or chat on Facebook or gmail, or we can Skype. We'll hardly have a chance to miss each other, ha, ha, ha!

Here's a view of Dick's dad's lovely garden.

Pictures from our camping weekend

Like I said on the family picture I posted last night, camping together with Dick's family is a tradition that goes back 30-some years. Actually, as Dick was growing up, his family did lots of camping. His parents were tent camping "pros". I think the first time we went as a family group was the summer of 1975. Probably the only year we have missed since then was the summer of 1981 when Dick's mother died.

Almost all the pictures posted below are taken from Anthony's blog, where he has posted many more than the ones I'm showing here. His camera is so awesome I decided to let most of the picture taking up to him.

There were about thirty of us this weekend - working together, eating together, playing together, worshiping together.

Sitting around the fire, talking, laughing, telling stories, reading, sleeping, holding the babies....

Sand volleyball pictures.

"Swimming" in the pool took up many hours of Saturday afternoon. Be sure to click on these to see the amazing action shots.

Of course being able to spend time with my favorite baby boy in the whole world made the weekend even more special than usual for me. This first photo was taken at the top of nearby Peter's Mountain.

We used to always drive up that steep mountain enroute to the camp, but in more recent years have discovered a route that goes around the mountain instead of over it. However, Anthony and Lori went over it Saturday morning and discovered this amazing view!

Anthony posted many more amazing pictures on his blog. If you click through some of the diving pictures fast enough, you'll think you're watching a video!

A GREAT weekend

We had the most wonderful weekend camping with Dick's family - an annual event for about 35 years! Here's a picture Anthony took today with his camera on a timer. There were a few people missing from the picture - yesterday Ray and Thyda were with us, but not today. And also, last evening nephew Eric got a badly sprained ankle, so his dad (Dick's brother Fred) took him home; thus they aren't on the picture either. The picture is clickable for those of you who want to see the faces up close and personal!

I'll post more tomorrow.

Feeling like refugees

Well, here we go - looking like a couple of refugees as we carry our bags and pillows and cameras and water mugs to our car a couple of streets away. I think this is going to take more than one trip, unless Dick feels really, really strong.

Celebrity deaths, our crazy dilemma, the 3 kids

What a week of celebrity deaths - Ed McMahon earlier this week, now Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson today. A sad day for many people.

We have a dilemma of our own here. We are going camping with Dick's family this weekend - one of our beloved annual events. Many of you have seen the pictures from other camping weekends of all the STUFF we pack into our Explorer. Today I was cooking up a storm in preparation for the meal that I will provide during the weekend. WELL, this afternoon there was a note attached to our door. Two of the streets in our community (including ours) will be getting repaved tomorrow. If we need to go anywhere tomorrow we are to park our vehicles on another street. WHAT????

So just a while ago Dick took two cooler chests of food to my school to put the stuff in a frig and freezer there. This evening we will pack up the tents, sleeping bags, pillows, towels, cooking supplies, chairs, Destiny's bike, lanterns, etc, etc, etc, etc into the Explorer before Dick takes it to another street. Then tomorrow when we're ready to leave we'll carry our bags and whatever else last minute stuff. This should be interesting.

Last week I posted this picture of the three of our children that were born to us - Lisa, Anthony, and Jeremy. It was the first time in four years that we were with all three of them at the same time.

Today I decided to pull out the file of family pictures from the past so you could see these three kids when they lived in our house every day of the year.

1981

1983

1986

1991

Dentists and doctors

This morning I had a dental checkup and cleaning. I was so happy that I was finally having a checkup with no problems needing work. Would you believe, the hygienist was almost finished, was flossing my teeth, and the floss got stuck between two back teeth. As she pulled it out, a piece of silver filling came flying out of my mouth. So now I have to have an appointment in a few weeks to get that filling redone. Unbelievable.

This afternoon I took my parents to the local health campus for my dad's myelogram. They are trying to discover if the cause of his leg pain, weakness, and numbness is due to another nerve being pinched. It was a very uncomfortable procedure for him, followed by a very long waiting period afterward in the "holding" room. Doesn't that sound like something for animals? Why can't they just say recovery room?

Dick and I decided to go to Country Table (a local restaurant) for supper, because we had a gift card to use. Our time together will soon be very limited. He will be moving his tools and some of his clothes, etc. to Anthony and Lori's next Tuesday and starting his new job on Wednesday. I don't think either of us can quite picture what the rest of this summer will look like.

Oh, I almost forgot to say that he had a followup appointment with his oncologist yesterday and got a good report. The lymph nodes they are watching are significantly smaller since the maintenance chemo treatments he received in March. He was given the names of two oncologists in State College to check out. So many new things ahead. We have never moved out of this area of Lancaster County before!

I miss these little sweeties

Here are some really precious pictures I stole from Lisa's Facebook album.

Glad for my books

Wow, everything I want to write about seems so dull and boring after my week in Florida. Let's see..... yesterday I caught up on the bookwork and bills, the laundry, blog reading. I went to school and deleted (or saved onto my jump drive) everything out of my two computers, and most exciting of all, finished my book. Boy, am I ever glad I bought the whole rest of the series at Barnes and Noble. I'm all ready to start the next one.

This morning I have a dental check-up and cleaning, then this afternoon I'm taking my dad for a CT myleogram. Better take my book along. Maybe I'll finally make it to the gym this evening. Better take my book there too - makes 40 minutes on the elliptical go much faster.

Florida, Day 6 and we're home

This morning we all got up early to see Anthony, Lori, and Austin off at 5:45. I didn't take any pictures, because I didn't want to get Austin wide awake. But trust me, he was as adorable as ever when he opened his eyes and looked at all us of watching him. Later today Lisa walked into the spare bedroom where they had slept, and she said, "Ohhh, this room smells like Austin!"

Sophie and I had fun together this morning before Lisa took her to summer camp at her school. We took pictures of each other. This is what she looked like - all ready to go and beautiful, as usual.

Here's what her sleepy memaw looked like in her night shirt, ha, ha, ha!!

Dick and George went golfing this morning with George's stepdad. I have no idea how Dick stood it out in the heat - just amazing what a person can stand for the sake of golf!!

At noon Lisa and I went to pick up Sophie, and I got to see her school (Carrollwood Day School) and to meet some of the teachers and the administrator. Lisa has done lots of volunteering and subbing at the school this year. It was fun to have the administrator say to me, "We just LOVE your girls."

From there we went out for lunch, but I can't remember the name of the place. While we waited for our food to arrive I played the "dot game" with Sophie. When Lisa saw what we were doing, she said, "Oh that game got me through many a church service!" Me too!!

Soon after we all got home, we packed up and left for the airport. Several times in the past few days Sophie said to me, "I wish you could stay here forever." I have so enjoyed spending time with her. She has the most amazing vocabulary, a really sweet spirit, a great sense of humor, and a wonderful imagination. I just love her so much.

Our trip home was uneventful. I read most of the way home - the 3rd book of The Yada Yada Prayer Group series. I can hardly put it down. Dick had bought a book about 9/11 (102 Minutes that Changed America) at Barnes and Noble the other day, so he was reading a lot today too, except when he was driving home from Baltimore airport.

I'm sleepy and I'm going to go try out my good bed.

Florida, Day 5

This morning we went to Lisa and George's church, Grace Family Church. The praise and worship, and especially the message, moved me deeply.

When we came home we all pitched in to help get the house ready for Jeremy's graduation party. After we were finished, I went around the house taking pictures of some of the rooms.