I feel pretty ...Oh so pretty...

What do you get to wear to work?

Not always... just sometimes, I get to wear the lovely ensemble seen in the photo above. It's from the PPE or Personal Protective Equipment collection. This is the very latest in H1N1 Influenza (swine flu to you) protection.

1. Do I look like a rookie inductee to the KKK? (hope not)
2. How about Renee Russo in the movie Outbreak? (sadly, no.)
3. Perhaps a smurf... maybe a beekeeper smurf?

I spent probably half of my 12 hour shift last Friday in my own personal sauna suit. The tres chic cinch belt holds up the battery pack and fan that force filtered air through the hose and into the top of the hood. It provides positive air pressure so I'm not exposed to the virus.

I should be grateful that I'm strong and healthy and able to do this kind of work and not the poor patient lying in the bed hooked up to a ventilator. I am grateful... it was just a long weekend.

Sorry the pic isn't super quality. A coworker snapped it with her cell phone.

Happy Father's Day

I am blessed to have a wonderful father for my

children.

He likes to get out and do things with his family.

"You have taught me more than can be expressed in words. I am so glad that Mom met you. I wouldn't have anyone else for my father." Sarah


"I love you more than anything else in this world, and if it weren't for you we would have many terrible things happen like....... a flood in our house, no computer, no Friday movies, no kite flying and no new sinks!" Emily

He is a patient teacher. That's one of the things I found so attractive about him. I knew he would be kind and patient with our children.

Of course you need to have a good role model. Rich's dad is such a good man and taught Richard all the important lessons. Thanks Dad.

I can't forget my own Dad. I am so grateful that I get to be your daughter.

Happy Father's Day to these amazing men. Thank you for your love, work, patience, humor, strength and good examples.

Emily's Travel Agency

I'm beginning to see a pattern in our days this summer. We get up early, head off to swim team practice and then come back home for a more substantial breakfast and some quiet time. This hasn't been scheduled, it's just happening. The girls swim hard and need a rest afterwards. If they're well stocked with piles of books from the library, they find a quiet spot to read and get comfy.
It was nice enough weather on Monday for Sarah to do some reading on the patio. I went out to water some plants and on my way up the back porch I saw a paper taped to the railing. Sarah & I had a closer look.

"Webkinz carnival cruise CHEAP!!!!!!"

Sarah and I looked at each other, smiled and followed the arrow.

"Office buy tickets here"

This was the efficient travel agent who helped Sarah purchase her tickets and plan her cruise vacation. I heard Em say, "Do you have any special needs that we should be aware of?" and "Oh, we can take care of that... no problem!" (Please, please double click that picture so you can get a good look at Emily being the professional woman.)

This is the cruise ship and the tiny little Webkinz kitten is the captain of this mighty vessel. (It may look like the foam pads Sarah slept on at girls camp, but really, it's a ship.)

I think the green bin may be the swimming pool. Please notice that the guests are all dressed for formal night. We loved going to a delicious dinner each evening. Emily hasn't forgotten. She loved the cruise we took last fall and was so sad to get off the ship when it was over. She is a great traveler.

I love Emily's creativity... she amazes me, and I love that Sarah put down her book to go cruise with her sister. Happy summer my girls.

Movin' on up!

Sarah is advancing to junior high in the fall. Amazing. I can vividly recall Sarah's first day of kindergarten. Parents were invited to come into the class, help the children find their seat, put away their backpack and get acclimated to their new surroundings for a few minutes. We were then asked to leave so they could start learning. I'll never forget Sarah's lower lip quivering, eyes pleading as she looked at me and whispered, "Don't go Mom". My heart. I smiled, told her I'd be back soon to pick her up and then bolted for the door as my tears flowed.

Time goes so quickly.

No tears now! Just a lovely, confident young lady.

Sarah was asked to be one of the speakers for their graduation ceremony. She did an amazing job. She wrote the speech herself and spoke as though she's been doing it for 20 years.

We're so grateful for good friends...

amazing teachers...

and completely supportive family.

Congratulations Sarah! We are proud of your accomplishments and the bright, kind, hardworking person you are. We love you!!

Clothing Optional

A few weeks ago in May (A time when there was real live sunshine to be had. Tired of the cool, rainy weather? Why yes I am!) I was in the kitchen with the window open. I heard Emily talking outside on the patio. I thought she was alone and took a peek through the window and saw that Em was not alone. She was in the company of many naked Barbies. She said she was having a hotel with a fancy swimming pool/hot tub for the Barbies.

Emily could be quite an entrepreneur.

(By the way, that's not a tumor or wad of chew in Em's cheek, just a mighty big jaw breaker.)

Examples of the new Barbie Godiva by Mattel.

Long haired brunette Barbie is getting a shampoo and set.

Hotelier, cosmetologist... whatever you choose to be, it will be great fun to watch you do it. Love you Emmy.

Swing me!

During the last few weeks of school, the students got an introduction to dance...

...the scary kind in which you actually touch your partner!

Sarah's fabulous teacher decided to have a swing dance competition for the sixth grade. Sarah came home from school a few weeks ago with a very big smile.

"How was school Sarah?"

"Good. (larger smile nearly accompanied by a giggle) Kevin asked me to be his partner in the swing dance competition next week!"

Look at the fun they're having!

Way to be brave Kevin.

I'm not sure who had more fun - the cute couple or me.

I may be enrolling Rich and me in some dance classes. Really, a girl likes to be spun around the dance floor once in a while.

The Last Monday in May

Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day) began as a way to remember and honor those who gave their lives in the service of their country.

On May 5, 1868 General John Logan, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic proclaimed flowers be placed on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers in Arlington National Cemetery. It was to be a time of remembering and honoring and healing.

One hundred years later, the U.S. Congress designated the last Monday in May as the official Memorial Day. To some its a get out of jail free day... no school, no work. It is used as another day to vacation or to commence the first home improvement project of the summer.

In my family, Memorial Day is a day to remember our dear ones who are no longer with us and to honor our ancestors.

Throughout my life I have heard my parents and grandparents talk about going to decorate graves. I've had the opportunity to go with them to various cemeteries in Idaho and Utah. Those are sweet memories. To drive through the small towns and hear them tell 'who lived here' and 'whose business was over there' and 'the dances we used to attend at this church or school'. I wish I had a recording of them telling the stories.

These are the graves of my grandparents, great grandparents and great great grandparents. I dearly miss my grandparents and my sweet mother misses her parents. We stood in the cemetery and laughed and cried remembering them.

Here Mom is securing flowers near her grandparents marker. Mom has perfected the technique using wire hangers cut in half to help stake down the container so it won't tip over in the wind.

You also need a willing assistant who will fetch the water so the plants will have a fighting chance for a few days. Sarah was very willing.

Mom came prepared with genealogy charts so we could look for more distant ancestors. It took a little while, but we found some!

After the cemetery, I asked if Mom could drive us to the old family home. Here Sarah is listening to her Grandmother tell her stories of family and life as it was then... and how much Sarah's great great grandmother would have loved her brown eyes.

I am so grateful for the blessing of loving family and for the example of my hardworking, faithful ancestors.

Memorial Day is special to me.