I love my Geek.

A geek is an individual who is highly intelligent (brainy) and technically oriented.

Ok, ok I know that this is supposed to be about "our inner geek". However I thought about the few technical things I do and I realized that anything computer oriented I do which takes even the least amount of trouble shooting I automatically refer to my own personal life-sized computer tech. So to sweet Derek who has to listen to "could you help me do this" "how do you do that" "couldn't you just do it for me? it'd be a whole lot faster". I thank him for being my own personal "inner geek reference" guide.

I puzzle him so much don't I? Love ya honey!

Just a Thought

Here's a little Family update.

Summer so far has consisted of:

X dancing outside in ballerina outfits, princess outfits, her undies, her birthday suit, and her swim suit. I thought I'd keep my blog G rated--She's a cute ballerina isn't she?

X playing with the camera non-stop, she and I take many shots like this.....

And like this. She usually tells me to act like a doggy. Note the fingernails--those are the result of X's nail polish expertise.

Catching frogs. L's favorite thing to do this summer is go to the state park and catch miniature frogs. She usually stows them away in her water bottle. Perhaps you can make out this one floating in the water.

Many sister moments. Here they are flashing the peace sign. Which is kinda funny cause I think they do that mostly because they've been watching Japanese anime with their Aunty Hanna lately.

We had a pretty stylish fourth. At least as stylin as I can be seeing how I'm a little bit fashion challenged. I thought they looked cute though.

L chose those sunglasses her self and even for X. I think she's proud of her find.

Derek looking as handsome as ever. We've been doing quite a bit of paddle boating and row boating at the state park as well.

Here I am doing some paddle boat loungin.

X enjoys a little snack on her paddle rides. Note the glasses her older sis picked out for her. Completely cool.

The whole clan joined in on the paddle boating during the fourth of July. Grandma enjoyed feeding the very hungry and agressive geese (can you see them starting to swarm them?).

The high schoolers and college kids came along too. This is right before Derek and I (remember we are older and wiser) plastered them with our hidden super soaker stash. It was like Pirates of the Carribean, except on paddle boats and instead of cannons--the well stowed away super soakers. So sad we were too busy getting them drenched to take pictures, they would've been classic. We did give them a couple of super soakers and after a while and they got their revenge pretty well I'd say.

We've also been hangin out at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va. However the camera seemed to die at this point and my last picture was typical X sticking her tongue out. Ahh.....summer gotta love it!

Which Character Are you?

Take the Quiz here!

For some reason I'm not completely buying how they got Elizabeth Bennet from my answers, but I'll take it!
Elizabeth Morse, I'm really interested to know which one you are!

Favorite Things Package Has Arrived!

Yeah! It was so fun participating in the "3 Favorite Things" gift exchange. My exchange partner was Michelle who is a very talented and busy woman from Layton Utah (how's the move going?). She's also ultra-crafty. She hodge podged a school box with music paper, ribbon, and a very cute picture. She really ejoys Mary Englebreit and sent me a cute little box with a Mary Englebreit design (I love Mary Englebreit also and almost sent out an old Home Companion magazine I have but thought "what if she doesn't like that style?--Ha! I just might send you out a copy now anyway). She also made the cutest cards out of pictures of pretty tulips, a home made apron, hair band, and bracelets (the hair band and bracelets my kids grabbed up so fast that they have been wearing them the past two days). Here's a picture of my stash of Michelle's favorite things.

* notice the loss of the hair band and bracelets, my girls took them before I could even take a picture.

Michelle it was fun getting to know a little more about you!

SPT Picture TIMEZ!!

Hi, this is bucky's husband stepping in for a guest blog entry. How exciting!

When I first heard of this week's SPT challenge, I had several ideas for a picture fly through my brain but then the reality of a late tuesday evening began to set in. So I had to settle for a past picture that I took of my wonderful, charming wife not too long ago on a visit to the old Fort Story Lighthouse.

I'm a stereotypical guy when it comes to describing things, so let me iterate my thoughts as briefly as I can with bullet points:

(My first impressions)

We're pretty high up, I hope this thing doesn't tip over!

Does she know that pose is really dorky?

Oh wait! She's gonna get after me for that one... uh redo!
Does she know that pose is really dorky?

She know how COOL that pose looks?

It's really hot! How does she keep looking so cool?

The only thing I like about France are the french fries

(Me guessing at what she's thinking)

Where's the Beef?

Ta daaa! Here's your new lighthouse!!

Walk like an egyptian!

Here we are! We made it to the top

(My feelings after the initial impressions have passed)

Bucky is a lot of fun, look at her face and pose. It's as if she's saying "what's next?"

She has such a beautiful happy smile, one of the things that I found most attractive about her (even with the Ugly Betty braces which she still had when I met her)

How does she get such a darker tan than I do?!?!

Boy did I get lucky! She had no idea who/what she was marrying! heheheh :-D

Well, that's all I've got. Hope you enjoy it!

SPT--What are your "True Colors"?

What are your true colors?

Ok anyone who knows me knows I LOVE color. Hello when I went to England for the Summer my big find was a pair of red jeans? I know, it's a little, odd--but hey so am I so what ever. I really thought that I would be putting red down today, but I took a good look at all my pictures and the color I saw most of in my house (I might add on the things that I hand painted) tends to be of the green variety. I do love green, I just didn't realize that I gravitate towards it as much as I do.

In Tulsa the budget was tight so the dresser in back, which I found by the trash can was promptly painted green and used as our entertainment center, notice other green accents.

I loved my place in Provo. Look at the blind I painted green and in the right corner a thrift store find I painted green--oh and green filing boxes.

Ok the armoire is what you get a tiny glimpse of and I painted that a mixture of green colors as I ran out of my trusty green paint and started mixing in my various shades of green acrylic paint into the green latex paint I had. On a side note that was L's favorite bird/friend for the two years we had him--sadly a neighbor girl opened our window when the bird was out of his cage and he flew away :( We like to think he is in the lush, green amazon living the good life with his other bird friends :)

Rehoboth Beach

Wednesdy I woke up with an idea to keep the girls home from school and take Abel to Rehoboth Beach in Sussex, Delaware. When Derek and I were first married we came out to DC for internships and we went to this beach. Lately however our beach trips have been more "in depth" meaning we rent beach houses at Fort Story and spend a day at Busch Gardens in near by Williamsburg as well. So I haven't been on a simple all day beach trip for a while. And I definitely haven't attempted to do it on my own. So I had some reservations about this plan. However Derek's sister Farina was so excited when I told her my plan that her excitement lead me to really believe that a 3 hour drive to Delaware, 3 hours at the beach, and 3 hour drive home was worth the trouble of keeping the kids home from school. It was especially wonderful as my brother Abel is visiting from Missouri, so a trip to the ocean is a real treat.

Well off we went to Rehoboth. It was a gorgeous drive over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Annapolis to the Maryland East Shore and Delaware. Delaware is beautiful in that it is a string of little old towns that have been there since before America was a country probably and inbetween is lush farm land. It was a drive that seemed more pleasant than endless (even with me taking a 1/2 hr. detour by accident).

We made it to the beach and my girls just jumped right in not afraid of anything--cold water, murky ocean, strange sea things washing up on the shore--Nothing. They love it.

Here's L with her first find of the day a Jellyfish, if you can't see it. X is in back running through the washed up waves.

Here's Abel body surfing. The water was just cold enough to shock you at first, but the waves were really strong that day so we spent a good hour body surfing and jumping over crashing waves. The scariest thing happened when X was caught in a strong under current, I saw her fall over and almost get swept under a wave just peaking. Luckily Farina saved the day and grabbed her.
Here they are a couple of moments after her sweet Auntie Farina pulled her out of the water.

Well after getting our fill of water we spent the rest of the afternoon shoreside making castles, and walls, and burying each other in the ground.

Here's a little Mermaid that has been washed ashore and is taking a nap in the warm summer sun.

Here's another Mermaid that thinks the sand is cold and ticklish.

Abel was so fascinated with the sea gulls. Usually I give those birds the "mean stare" because they always seem to get into your food when you're not looking. However this day the beach was so empty and all the birds were congregating right behind Abel watching him eat his chex mix. So Abel, being the little trouble maker that he is, decided to "train" the birds. He had them eating out of his hand quite literally by the time we left. People were even taking his picture it was a sight to see. He'd hold his hand up in the air and the birds would hover in one place in the air. Then perhaps the most courageous of the birds would speedily swoop down and take the food out of Abel's hand. It was cool.

Abel had my camera and took most of the pictures while we were there. So it was fun to see what he took pictures of. At first I thought he took this picture for the old buildings or the Menonites that are standing there. Then I saw Penny Lane and realized that he loves the Beatles and I bet he took it for that sign alone. I'll have to ask him.

The beach was so fun! X was asking to go the next day and S was so excited that she announced it at school the next day (in which she received a little lecture from her teacher about not going to beach on a school day---I told S that I'd write her a note to explain the situation--gosh!).

Here is a picture of us crossing the bridge back into the city, back to traffic, congestion, and the hustle and bustle. Man I'm ready to go back to the beach!

Enjoying Abel

My brother came out to visit on Memorial Day and I was determined to become a better tour guide of my new home. Since he flew in to BWI on Memorial Day, I planned our day's activities up there. First we went to Crystal Grottoes. It boasts that it is the only public cavern in Maryland. We've been on a cavern tour in Virginia and unlike the many Va. tours, this one was nice because the owners operate it themselves. Just the day before we went their nine year old daughter took her first group of tourists through the cavern!

Here's S making a leaf boat to float down the river right next to the cavern place.
And below X throwing a flower to watch float down the river.

Derek is thoroughly enjoying his game of Yu-Gi-Oh against Abel, as seen by the giddy faces of these Nintendo clad guys.
Next off to Nutter's Ice Cream Parlor in Sharpsburg, Md. to enjoy this banana split. It was $4.75. It has 1 banana, 3 flavors of ice cream (2 scoops of each flavor-strawberry cheesecake, mint chocolate chip, and cherry nut fudge), whipped cream, nuts, 3 different toppings (butterscotch, chocolate, and blueberry) and two cherries. We had no idea when we ordered the banana split that we'd be getting enough ice cream to feed a village, but we were definitely NOT complaining!

Contrary to the face Abel is making he really did enjoyed his "Pocono Paws" Ice cream. Tell me what is a Pocono--any help here?

Here is my favorite Memorial Day photo. X decided to take a little solo stroll through Antietnam National Cemetary. It had such a special feeling the moment you walked in. It was quiet, peaceful, and had a nice cool breeze skimming over us. It gave me the moment to reflect upon the reality of how many people have died trying to protect freedoms here in America. My heart was filled as I reflected upon the reality of it.

Well that is really the most brief recap, however I just can't seem to sit at the computer for a second lately. Anywho.....

We are enjoying our time with Abel.
He definitely brings his own Abel style to the mix where ever he goes. We have gone on many more adventures, since he's gotten here, but I am a little behind so I'll have to write more later.

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This was fun to do, thanks to Elizabeth's suggestion.

My Late Self Portrait

I was so happy to read the SPT for the week but I wasn't able to post Tuesday.

Above is a fantastic picture of my Ring. I kept trying to take a nice picture myself but it turned out blurry everytime, so I looked it up and found my ring online.
I have a Hawaiian Designed ring and I love it. I lost my original ring 6 years ago and I cried all night and had a gut wrentching feeling everytime I thought about my "lost" ring. So about 3 years after I lost it Derek surprised me with this ring. He tried to get a Hawaiian fern leaf design like my original one, but they don't make that design anymore. He was such a sweetie for taking the time to order and surprise me with a new ring. I treasure this one more than my last and I have vowed NEVER to loose this one!!

A Little Update, A Lot of Pictures

I have been so busy the past two weeks. Since my girls don't know too many kids at their school I decided to sponsor an after school Hawaiian Hula Club. There are 15 little girls total who signed up for the class. So I recruited my sister in law and her friend to help out. We usually warm up together then split the class. One group practices dances with me and the other does a craft with Hanna and Sarah--my helpers (the crafts will be used later for a luau we are throwing for the parents) and then we switch. It's been very fun and very rewarding. Such a bright spot in our lives. Here are my Hula girls holding up their posters they made for the Luau.



This thursday we are making surf boards out of large cardboard boxes, they'll be using them for the "Hawaiian Hula Ride" Song from Lilo and Stitch--I hope it turns out!

On a side note I was going through my memory card and found all these pictures that I've NEVER downloaded. They are really great ones that we've taken since we moved here. I must of seriously been in the dumps to not appreciate these pictures. So here is a little picture binge.

We drove Derek's sister back to college in Virginia and stopped by Endless Caverns on our way back.


By the end of the tour X was a little "caverned" out.

I thought the buildings on top of Endless Caverns looked like a Hobbit Village.

Here's us striking a pose outside the Jefferson Memorial.

We had a fantastic time at the Swedish Embassy. It is really modern and clean on the inside. They have water displayed in very unusual ways. Here are the girls behind a glass wall waterfall.

X has just spotted a polar bear through her binoculars in a special activities room at the Swedish Embassy.

The purpose of the display at the embassy was to raise awareness of global warming. They had the children write about the display and they hung them up for all to see. Here is L pointing to her's and holding her special pin from the Embassy.

For L's birthday her teacher invited me to her class to read a story. L got to wear a crown all day and sit in the teacher's "special" chair for reading time. It was so much fun! Look how young her teacher is! She is such a fun woman.

We were cleaning the backyard and got the airblower out. Here is a classic "airblower" picture.

I was driving down the street (camera in my bag) and spotted this guy. He walks around the neighborhood each morning in the funkiest, brightest tight spandex pants. It's so awesome. Well come to find out he's Questionmark Man from the Infomercials. I don't know if anyone knows what I'm talking about, but he lives close by and even drives a question mark car. Crrrazy!