Not the Best Week...

Basketball was supposed to start last Sunday. I wasn't feeling 100% so when our former neighbors, Al and Donna Smith, showed up at church, I made the decision to skip BB and we went out to lunch with them. Monday afternoon I played Mah Jong with intermittent coughing. I hope I didn't expose anyone to my upper respiratory infection. Tuesday, I woke up feeling awful so canceled my tee time. I went to the doctor and because my symptoms weren't bad, he prescribed Amoxycilian. Golf was rained out on Wednesday, which was probably a good thing for me. I spent most of the week reading "House Rules" about a boy with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. No fitness center since Monday! :-(

I was feeling better this morning so went to Beginner's Open Pickleball. I played for an hour and a half before deciding I should probably quit. I didn't feel great this afternoon so probably overdid it. I canceled basketball for tomorrow and will just take it easy one more day. Hopefully, I can get back to the Fitness Center on Monday.

Oh...I did go to see "Eat Pray Love" on Thursday with a neighbor. We decided it was a chick flick and our husbands wouldn't care for it. I had read the book several years ago and did enjoy the movie.

Back to Normal

Kadin and Gracie left a week ago. We have a memento of their visit as they left a plastic glass on the piano on which was printed "Tips are Exepted". Guess they thought the piano player should be rewarded for his playing. How cute!


ANTS! While the girls were here, I got many ant bites on my left foot as one evening we were following a toad in the grass. I had a flashlight but didn't see the anthill. Poor Kadin was sitting on the anthill and got many bites on one of her legs. Earlier this week, I was pulling weeds out of our front landscaping. I had on flip flops and this time got many bites on my right foot. They get quite itchy and after a few days look like zits. Fortunately, Arne had some calamine lotion, as well as some advice to wear shoes next time. :-)

We've had quite a bit of rain this week but nothing compared to Iowa. A friend sent us a slideshow of ponds and flooding south of Ames. I'm glad I didn't complain about being rained out on the 8th hole on Friday and HAVING to go to lunch early.

What a shame! In the PGA Championship, Dustin Johnson is charged with grounding his club in a "waste bunker." People were standing in the "bunker" which I guess is allowed on this course. I like that golf is a gentleman's game but I believe this is a sham and a shame! With all of the people standing around him, Dustin didn't realize he was in a bunker. Where were the officials to move the people back who were standing just a few feet from Dustin? Have I expressed my unhappiness over this decision????

They've Come and Gone!

Moondog, Nick and Daniel arrived at the house around 11 PM on July 20. On Wednesday, Aaron 2 came with his grandparents, aunt and uncle who live in the area. He had been staying with them for a few days. It was nice to meet them. We are fortunate that his adoption has worked out so well. As Lisa wrote in a poem when Aaron was a month old, ...you have twice as many loved ones as most other children have. We feel blessed that Aaron was raised by wonderful people and we are now able to be a part of his life.

On Saturday, the 24th, we all headed to Orlando. I had reserved four rooms at a motel that looked to be one of the original Disney World lodgings. I don’t think the decorating had been changed in over 30 years. But, it worked just fine for us, giving us all a bed and shower. Erik and girls arrived late Saturday night making the family circle complete.









Sunday and Monday were spent at Disney World. It was very hot and humid and at times tempers got a little heated. Lisa was intent on keeping everyone together. One problem...some wanted to just go on the “roller coaster” rides while others wanted to do other things. I was in the latter group and rode Space Mtn twice, Splash Mtn, Thunder Road, Mt. Everest twice, Tower of Terror and Aerosmith’s Rock n Roller Coaster.

Tuesday, the 27th, Aaron 2 and Daniel flew back to Phoenix, Lisa, Taylor and Moondog flew to New Orleans, and Nick, Erik, Kadin and Gracie came to The Villages. The girls went swimming EVERY day and loved riding in the golf cart. Friday, the 30th, Arne took Erik and Nick to Tampa for the Tampa Bay Rays and Yankees baseball game. They were hoping to witness history as A-Rod hit his 600th homer but was not to be. They had a great time anyway. The girls and I went to a movie and to Olive Garden.Saturday night, the 31st, we went to a Japanese Steakhouse for dinner cooked on a hibachi grill around which we all sat. Everyone loved the presentation and the food was excellent also.




Sunday, August 1, Erik flew home, with Nick following on Monday. Now we had just Kadin and Gracie for five days. On Tuesday, we went to Pauly’s Pizzeria where the girls created their very own pizzas and dough knot desserts which we ate for lunch. In the afternoon, we all went to Line Dancing for two hours. That evening, we had birthday cake in honor of Arne’s birthday.Wednesday, the girls spent several hours in art lessons with Grandpa. I took them swimming for a couple hours in the afternoon.
Thursday, more art lessons, swimming and craft at one of the recreation centers. They each made a model golf cart.
Friday morning, water sports with races and diving for coins. In the afternoon, Arne took the girls to a Magic Show.Saturday afternoon, we headed for Orlando as the girls had a 4 PM flight to Albuquerque. I told Erik I felt like we had put the girls in one of those bank money tubes and sent them on their way. When he picked them up, they said the flight was sooo awesome! Guess they won’t mind traveling alone again.

Sunday, I was very blue as the house was quiet and the skies full of rain. I’m better today as I get back into the swing of Villages Life.