Adventureland

My sister Kat (Kate) was able to get discounted tickets ($20!!) to Adventureland through her work this summer. I hadn't planned on going until Isaac saw a commercial and asked when we were going. Knowing Kate could save us some bucks, I asked her to get 3 tickets (a savings of $40) and then we waited to find a date.
This past Saturday, Kate, Isaac and I trekked off to Adventureland. Isaac had been talking about roller coasters all week and was really excited to go on them
I had researched already and found he could go on the all the ones I liked-and NOT the Dragon (the one that goes upside down. Whew-I hate that one)

Picked up my sister around 940ish and we got to the park around 10. I've never had to wait to get into the parking lot before, but that day we did! We paid our $5, found a spot and continued on to the gate.

Sister and I had a plan-go counter-clockwise around the park so we could hit the coasters before the lines got too long. So, we actually went on the log ride first. Isaac was a bit nervous, but said he loved it. He sat in the back with Kat, while I sat in the front and got soaked right away. They snap photos of you so we decided to take a look. The picture is taken right after coming down the big hill. I had ducked down to avoid the big splash-Isaac's face was priceless so we plunked down too much money for 2 magnets to remember it.

Then we headed over to the Tornado. As you can tell, Isaac was plenty tall to ride. We got in line and waited about 15-20 minutes. Not bad, really. He again decided to ride with Kate. We had the last 2 seats on the entire coaster. Click went the seat belt, down came the lap bar and we were off.
I would turn around on occasion to look at him-he looked terrified. The first thing he said when he got off was "it was scary and bumpy and I don't want to ride it ever again". Ha Sad to me though since that meant I didn't get to hit up my favorite roller coaster there-The Outlaw.

We road the Sky Glider several times (all but 1 time he rode with his aunt). We spent too much money on 35 cent stuffed animals but Isaac loved it. He came home with a fox, 2 octopus, a penguin, a frog, a plastic hammer (someone gave to us) and a monkey inside a banana.

Waited in way to long of a line for lunch. We had tacos and lemonade and then dessert was mini donuts. Yummy!

We thought there would be less people there because 1-The State Fair 2-the straw polls were going on up in Ames and 3-it wasn't hot. The weather seemed to be bipolar, as my sister called it. The sun would shine and it would be hot. Then the wind blew in some dark clouds and it cooled off. Then the sun, wind, etc, repeat. We got there at 10 and left the park at 630. It was a fun, full day!

Driving back to my sister's house, we drove by Bonanza (Anyone remember those?) Yes, there is still one left in DSM so of course, we had to go! Memories of our great aunt and family dinners there. This was a pretty nice place, with a really nice salad bar. Isaac of course was to entranced with the raisins and Goldfish crackers to eat any of the cheeseburger he wanted.

Isaac and I got home about 830. he had a quick shower and was in bed by 9. He was tired and I was happy he had slept in until 730 that morning.

Isaac and I are going again Wednesday with my friend Jess and her family. Isaac will love having someone else to ride the rides with.

The rides we rode:
1-The Log ride (Isaac loved it)
2-The tornado
3-The Sky Glider
4-Bumper cars
5-sawmill splash
6-Ferris wheel
7-Isaac rode the Frog Hopper
8-The kiddi semis
9-Infant Ocean
10-the kid airplanes
11-the train
12-Kate and Isaac rode the Carousel

I was sad we didn't get to go on the Space Shot (Sister and I love it) but Isaac was too short and no one else to watch him. Overall, we had a fantastic time!

Thanks for going with us, Kate!

In honor of my 32nd birthday....32 things you may not know about me!

Yep. Today is my 32nd birthday. Wow, I feel really old.

1. I created and perfected my own chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's tasty!
2. I was an army wife for almost 8 1/2 years before Mark got out. We lived through one deployment.
3. I was born on a Tuesday.
4. I LOVE the Iowa State Fair. I haven't missed a year since I was about 18 (which was also the first time I went!)
5. I do not like amusement park rides that spin around.
6. I do like roller coasters.
7. I got glasses in 4th grade. I wore them until my first year of college (1997!)
8. I have an AA from Iowa Central Community College (Liberal Arts/general studies), a BS in Housing and the Near Environment from Iowa State University and will have my AA in nursing (RN) in December (God willing!)
9. I ADORE books. I love to read. I wonder sometimes how many books I've read in my lifetime.
10. I've only broken one bone in my life. I broke my right clavicle (collar bone) when I was a bit over 1. I fell down some stairs in my walker.
11. I love wearing flip flops, even though they do horrible things to my feet.
12. I am afraid of fire. Like a house fire, mostly. I don't mind campfires but an out of control fire, no thanks.
13. I was 25ish and taking swim lessons. I still can't swim.
14. I like the Beatles.
15. Mark and I lived about 8 blocks away from each other in Ankeny. Before we ever met!
16. I started cooking/baking around age 10.
17. My mom bakes me a homemade chocolate angel food cake every year for my birthday.
18. I've had 2 of my 3 cats longer than I've known my husband.
19, I tried to join the Air Force when I was 19. They told me that I was mostly deaf in one ear. I saw an audiologist outside the military which proved that I am not/was not deaf in one ear. They still didn't want me.
20. I still got to see Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX when my sister graduated basic training.
21. I used to want to be an English teacher or environmental engineer.
22. I almost went to UNI. *GASP*
23. Now I say I bleed cardinal and gold. GO ISU!
24. I'm looking forward to taking Isaac to his first Iowa State Football game. Hopefully, this fall!
25. I bought myself a dozen roses in honor of my birthday.
26. I've enjoyed my time being a SAHM with Isaac the last 5 years. I think it was great for him and for me!
27. I'm looking forward to finishing school in December.
28. I do most of my shopping online, but I do enjoy going to the mall once in a while!>
29. I love Target!
30. I went tubing for the first time this summer. It was a blast!
31. I have a crazy memory. I remember things from when I was pretty small and just random bits of life.
32. I love my boys! (But I bet you knew that!)

#50 and news

Well, this is post #50! Slow going, but that's ok. I'm not in a race.

Can't believe summer is already half over!
So far, we have
*gotten a dog (Sophie, a 6 month old labradoodle)
*moved to a different place in Ogden
*celebrated a 5th birthday Phineas and Ferb style
*gone boating/tubing/swimming
*went swimming at the Boone pool
*went to Don Williams and introduced Sophie to the water
*went to the zoo 2 times
*Celebrated the 4th of July in Humboldt with grandma, grandpa and Kate
*got through a minor surgery (Isaac)
*read a lot of books


We've been staying busy and trying to have lots of fun.
Isaac is really enjoying having a dog and so am I. She likes (we think?) to swim when she's on the boat. She does laps around the boat.

Isaac loves to go tubing and swim off the boat. It's been fun watching his swim skills develop as he's taking lessons at the YMCA this summer.

Not sure what else is going to be on our agenda for the summer.....we'll play it by ear!

An old song

I heard a song today while I was out and about and it brought back a lot of memories...and made me cry. It reminded me of Mark's deployment and how I felt being by myself, with him thousands of miles away.
The first time I heard this song, I remember thinking that it's exactly my thoughts and what a wife of a deployed solider goes through. I learned how to get through a lot of things alone during that 18 months.
I'd like to say that the deployment (while it sucked), helped me become more reliant upon myself. I was the one in charge of our home, finances, yard, cars, etc while Mark was gone. I am not afraid to admit that I was scared, lonely, sad and sometimes angry at the Army for making MY husband go to Iraq.

As our time as an Army family comes to a close, this song is for all the military families who are living through a deployment.  "Come home soon...."

"Come Home Soon" performed by SheDaisy
I put away the groceries
And I take my daily bread
I dream of your arms around me
As I tuck the kids in bed

I don't know what you're doin'
And I don't know where you are
But I look up at that great big sky
And I hope you're wishin' on that same
bright star

I wonder, I pray

And I sleep alone
I cry alone
And it's so hard livin' here on my own
So please, come home soon
(Come home soon)

I know that we're together
Even though we're far apart
And I'll wear our lucky penny 'round my neck
Pressed to my heart

I wonder, I pray

[Bridge:]
I still imagine your touch
It's beautiful missing something that much
But sometimes love needs a fighting chance
So I'll wait my turn until it's our turn to dance

I wonder, I pray

I sleep alone
I cry alone
Without you this house is not a home
So please, come home soon


I walk alone
I try alone
I'll wait for you, don't want to die alone
So please, come home soon

Come home soon
Come home soon

a dip in the pool

Friday, the 3rd, it was HOT!

So, I picked Isaac up from school and we went to the Boone Pool. It was the first time we've been there this summer (well, it only opened a week ago!) and he was excited!

I was too, since I like it to be really steamy outside if I'm going to the pool! The temps were high, the water was cold!

It was still pretty busy at 330 when we got there. He wanted to go in the "big boy" pool, rather than the smaller one. I told him that in the big pool he can't have his hippo (inner tube) and I wasn't going to hold onto him the whole time. It starts at 4', I believe. The smaller pool is 2'6" to around 3' so it's perfect.

I gave him his new pool toys-diving sticks and 2 little plastic squid that you can dive after. He had a blast doing that....for about 1 1/2 hours!

I soaked up some sun, waded with Isaac and just sat on the edge watching him. Oh, it was fantastic!

I am hoping to get to the pool at least three times this week since the forecast says it's supposed to hit the mid-90's!

Ike starts swim lessons at the Y tomorrow night. 4 nights/week for two weeks per session. We chose to go that route since the time works better with our schedules. I hope he does ok and listens to his instructor!

He loves to dive under, swim underwater, tries to backfloat and just in general loves the water.

I'll say this-I don't think he got any of those skills from either of his parents!

Memorial Day Weekend

Why does it seem like kids always get sick on the weekend and/or holidays??

This past Saturday night, Isaac woke up around 1230 crying and not acting right. He had told Mark that his (left) ear hurt. He was running a slight temp at that time.

With Isaac's history, we figured ear infection. He had a double ear infection about 1 1/2 months ago. Before that, it had been almost 1 1/2 YEARS since his last one!

I was actually thinking clearly enough to remember that Ames has an Urgent Care. So, we made plans to head there in the AM. Isaac slept in my bed with his dad and I slept in his.

We took him to Ames in the morning. Apparently, you have to have an appointment for Urgent care. So, we were there at 10, appointment at 1215. It was 10:10. So...we went to Target to kill some time. Then we went to Hickory Park for lunch and to kill more time.

Isaac looked like he did not feel well at all. He wouldn't eat (except for 4 cherries) and had some chocolate milk. Poor baby!

We got to the clinic around 10 minutes to noon and were out of there by 10 after 12! Just as we suspected: ear infection in BOTH ears. Isaac even told the doctor he had an ear infection. His temp was 101.4 at that time.

so, a 10 day course of Augementin and he's on the path to health.

He was disappointed that we didn't get to go the zoo on Sunday like we planned. But, he and I went on Monday then met up with my mom and sister for lunch.

Looking at him now, you would have never known!

SUMMER TIME!

It's summer time for me! Yay!
Classes have been done about 2 1/2 weeks now and it's been GREAT to have the time off.

The last semester was a tough one. I enjoyed it, but it was mentally and physically draining. Between clinicals in Des Moines for 5 weeks (I think), regular clinicals and classes, I was tired. Overall, I did well.

My skills class gave me a scare, as I hadn't done as well as I had hoped on the last exam. That grade brought my overall grade down to a 79, need 78 to pass. I had a HUGE comp skills exam to get through that was going to make or break my grade.
I was so nervous going into the comp skills that I walked out feeling I hadn't passed. Praise God that when grades posted I had done well enough to pass, not only the skils exam, but the class. God was with me!

Come August, I will be in my "5th" term of the program. That means GRADUATION in December! YAY! Sadly, a good friend of mine didn't pass a couple classes so she won't be continuing on with us. We'll miss her a lot!!

I've been spending my days cleaning house, purging, packing. Packing? Yes! We are MOVING! We found a 3 bedroom house here in Ogden that will not only give us more room, but a little more in the bank every month.
We've signed the lease and will take possession on 15 June, moving in on the 20th. I am pretty excited as it's very close to the library, post office and grocery store!

What else.....

We put our boat in the water a couple weeks ago. The weather was perfect and it was great to be out there. I'm looking forward to many hours on the lake this summer! Isaac was excited he got to drive again.

Isaac lost his first tooth last weekend! He was pretty excited!

My own personal summer reading program is well underway. I've read 5 books so far since the end of the term and looking at finishing 32 by the time the semester starts. It's daunting but I hope I can do it.