Disney Princess Ballet Dance Class

If you read Amber's blog, you know what happened at the ballet show. They went on the floor and lined up. The music started. Catherine decided, this isn't for me. When Mary saw Catherine wasn't around, she reacted likewise.

Dogwood Canyon - the animals

Dogwood Canyon - the water

Falling Skies

Notice a trend in my posts? Falling from my bike ... falling rain attacking the homestead ... and now Falling Skies, a new sci-fi series on TNT.

The show features Stephen Spielberg as an advisor, and deals with the situation on Earth after an alien conquest. The plots are meant to balance the human interest within the human camp with the aliens themselves.

Much like "V", no one knows what the aliens, called Skitters because they dash about quickly on six legs, are up to. Currently, they are enslaving the younger set, much like video games have already done.

The show has garnered excellent reviews, runs on Sunday nights, and deserves some time to develop.

Falling Rain

Saturday before last, it rained a phenomonal five inches in about an hour. Even though it was the middle of the night, a quick check of the basement windows (which are below ground level "protected" by window wells) found them full of water. From the inside looking out, it smacked of the view one would have in an aquarium. Needless to say, the windows were leaking a small stream of water into the house.

The next day, I devised a 2-stage defense plan ...

The first step involved caulking and covering the window wells, elevating the AC unit, and raising the ground around them to keep groundwater at arm's length. It rained again shortly after, and the new approach worked well.


The second step, which will be tackled this fall when growing grass is easier, will be a slight re-grading of the side yard. Doing this will keep water several arms' lengths away.

It was another battle in the ongoing "man vs. nature" rivalry. We're currently tied, but I seem to be working a lot harder at it!

Big Cedar

Last weekend we made a trip to Branson and stayed at Big Cedar Resort. All of this happened because our lovely, wonderful, beautiful neighbor Karen invited us to stay with her at her timeshare. The following pictures are a hodge podge of a few things we did while down there.
Jena and her sisters Ali and Hannah rode go karts after eating Andys ice cream!

We saw King Kong. He loves playing amongst the electrical wires!



This was a cute little airstream that they had transformed into a snack shop. Good sandwiches. Good ice cream.


Jena burning her marshmallows to a crisp. Apparently she likes them that way.


We saw this fellow at the restaurant where we ate dinner one night.

We all had a really great time. I can't wait to go back.

July 4th

We had a wonderful 4th of July. The only way it could have been better is if all of our kids/grandkids had been with us. We started the festivities with a fun time in the back yard swinging and blowing bubbles while Grandpa bbq'd.






Then we headed down to the new lake in town to paddleboat.





After a fun time on the water, what else could you ask for except chocolate ice cream with sprinkles on top?

We came home, had baths and then Catherine begged me to stay up late to watch fireworks. She had a very good argument. Her 2 year old cousin got to watch them the night before and since she is 4 that just didn't seem right to her. So Grandpa and I relented and the 4 of us walked up to the park behind the house and watched all the neighbors set off fireworks! There were several really awesome small parachutes/balloons that drifted into the area. We've never seen these before and enjoyed chasing them to see where they would land.