Texas in August, part deux

Here I sit, at my mom's dining room table in beautiful Keller, Texas...been here since Saturday - enjoying some down time with the family. Headed to Texas Stadium (hence the picture), then to Dealey Plaza (Nathanael doesn't have a new theory yet)yesterday; and to the Fort Worth stockyards to watch the cattle drive thru the city today. Right now it is 90 degrees outside with humidity to match...dark thunderclouds, but no real good thunderstorm just yet...we shall see! We'll be doing stuff with my sister & her family later in the week - her 3 are a hoot!

Texas in August

So...off we go tomorrow am...why Texas in August you ask? It was the only time we could squeeze in a trip & it was $1000 cheaper to go now rather than go over July 4th...the things we do. We'll be at my parents & my sister's homes in the course of the week - most likely laying around her new pool like slugs!

Banana mobile

Almost forgot - some dear friends at church are letting us borrow a car while the van spends 3 weeks in the body shop - and it is pretty much banana yellow!!! Used to be a Servicemaster company vehicle - their name is off, but not the color. In fact, Servicemaster had it painted that wonderful shade, since the posts in between the doors is the original brownish gray still! Looks like they taped off the windows and went at it with a can of spray paint.

Chill bumps and first dental visits

Chill bump story first - a new friend of ours is with Bob at camp this week, and kept just covertly staring at another youth pastor who was conversing with Bob about the knee injury from last summer. She finally questioned his identity Tuesday morning, only to discover that he was a dear friend of her parents who had both been killed in a plane crash when she was a child. An aunt was awarded custody and never followed up on the friendships the parents had made. This gentleman has not seen our friend in years! It gets better - her dad was still conscious when he made it to the hospital and asked the nurse to call 3 people for him - the first name was this gentleman - basically her dad got theses words out "take care of my girls for me". Since the aunt kind of walked away from all the girls knew, this poor guy has had no way of knowing how they were doing and such, and has been carrying all kinds of guilt for years about it. He is a school teacher & would only be at camp Monday thru Wednesday, and they not only were there the same week, but made the connection within hours of being there! Is that God or what?!?!
As for dental visits, I know, I know, I work in an office, you'd think I'd get my kids in when they needed to - Nat had been seen before, but not Nick - so, the hygienists had time today, and I had a car - so off I went to get them. No cavities for either, but pretty much a given that braces are in the future for both. They inherited my crooked teeth instead of Bob's! Nick actually has a tooth coming in behind his front ones and the one it replaces is barely loose....such is life in my household this week!

Vegas happenings

So...we arrive Thursday morning in Sin City - its interesting, they're now marketing themselves with items that have those very words on them - anyway...that nite some guy decides he's going to open fire in the New York New York hotel. Noone is killed, but he sends 5 people to the hospital. Sunday am, Bob & I are headed to the strip when we notice black billowing smoke - the bus driver says its the Venetian hotel...construction accident, so the only injury is a fire fighter who got overwhelmed from the 120 degree outside temp along with his gear and the fire. And then, I keep getting 3 6's at a table game??? Maybe I shouldn't go back????? In spite of all this, we had a good time with the brothers, two sis in laws, nieces, nephews and Bob's mom. There were 15 of us all told...the guys tried to play golf Sat am, it was only 90 when they started at 8:30am...crazy heat!

Happy 4th!

Happy Independence Day to you all! The boys are happily playing on the Playstation, Bob is in town, getting some last minute things together before he & I head to Sin City. We are meeting up with the majority of his brothers, two of the wives, the older grandkids, and his mom for the weekend. Should be fun! Have a great weekend....and since what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, I may or may not tell you what happened!
Bye!

Cars

At 7:31pm last Monday night, my airbag in the driver's seat deployed after a huge THUD! Now, I was traveling about 65 mph on the highway, on my way home to Sutter...no one around me...yet I was fighting with the airbag & trying to get to the right side of the road - I figured I had a blow out on the left front tire. Nope - the belt (ya know, steel belted radials) had completely peeled right off the tire - kinda like an onion, but with much more force. The impact was enough on the side sensor to deploy my airbag. Just like you see in the commercials and is promised - Onstar called me immediately to verify that I was okay and to offer to call for help. None the less, I am fine, and since I was alone, so is everyone else. The van however is not okay. Drivable, but missing most of the bumper, a left turn signal, and quite dented along the front fender. The insurance has done their estimate and may go after the manufacturer of the tire since there was no evidence of a puncture. In fact, when my knight in shining armor showed up in his white steed (the 25 passenger bus) with his 2 princes, the remaining part of the tire was still holding air! It always seems that it is the left side of this vehicle that gets smashed (Bob was sideswiped about 2 years ago - same side). Oh well....the boys keep asking when its gonna get fixed...we will see since the insurance lady won't return my phone call now that the estimator is done! I'll keep you posted - meanwhile - the before pictures - sorry they aren't too clear, I was still pretty shaken up when I took them!