Bermuda - Day 4

We had another great day. We got up at 7am and took showers and went to breakfast. We had Crystal Caves and an Aquarium excursion at 9:20am. We boarded a bus and headed north to the aquarium first. It was full of great fish. We re-boarded the bus and headed to Crystal Caves. We made several stops along the way and the driver was very informational. It was another hot and humid day. The temperature was in the high 80’s and the humidity was 85%. We were hoping it would be cooler in the caves. There was a long ramp we had to walk down and about 40 steps also going down. It was a beautiful site to see. We then headed back out and had to go up all the steps and ramp. My god by the time we made it to the top, I thought I would die. My shirt was soaked with sweat and it was hard to breath. But at least the bus was cool and we could sit. We headed back to the ship terminal, but did make one stop at a local beach. The sand is so pink and I was able to get a sample. We were also able to put our feet in the water. We made it back to the ship and dropped our stuff off and had some lunch. We talked about what to do with the rest of our afternoon. We decided to take the ferry over to the Royal Dockyards. It is at the far tip of the island. We did find out that Bermuda is only 21 miles long and 2 miles wide. The average home is about 1.2 million dollars, but there are 5 condos that you could by as low income homes for $500,000. Funny, I never thought of low income as a $500,000 home. We also learned that when you die you are buried facing east and west. Unless you were convicted of murder and then you are buried north and south. Gas is 6 dollars per a gallon and all rain water is collected from the roofs of the houses for recycling that is why all roofs are white. Other facts are that each household is only allowed 1 car, but you can own as many mopeds as you want and they are everywhere. We left the Dockyards around 4:30pm and did some major shopping. We then boarded the ship for a quick rest and some dinner. There was a street fair starting at 7pm. We walked around a while there was not much to see and both our feet were hurting, so we called it a night. We came back on the ship and had a couple of drinks in the bar. We are going to take showers and get a good night rest. We are hoping to sleep in tomorrow as we don’t have any excursions until 2pm.

Bermuda - Day 3

What a great day we had today. We had to get up at 6am as we had to meet in the showcase room at 8am. We packed and had breakfast. We had to be tendered to shore and it took 30 minutes to load and unload and 30 to get to port. We had a swim and sail escape excursion at 10am. We sat on the bow of the sail boat. It was so cool. We took a sail around the St. George Island and anchored in Whale Bone Cove. We were able to snorkel for 30 minutes. We saw several kinds of fish, really cool coral, and different types of plants. The time went by really fast and we hated to leave. We then headed back to the dock. We changed into some dry clothes and headed to explore the city. We walked up a big hill to see the unfinished church. It is a church that was started in 1874 and due to many disagreements it was never finished. We then went to Somers Garden and Ordnance Island. We took a tour of the Deliverance II. It was the ship that sailed from England to settle in the new world but never made it. It is amazing how little these ships were and how many people they crammed on them. It was really hot and we were both getting tired, so we headed to the terminal dock. We had to go through customs and then waited for the tender to take us back to the ship. We took showers and dressed for dinner. We both had chilled banana soup and chicken with a crumb mix on top of it with peapods and sweet potatoes. I also had a celery/apple terrine. I was not sure what a terrine was but what the heck. I found out a terrine was a vegetable puree that was layered and then sliced. It did not have much flavor, but was pretty good. We came back to the room to find we have been invited to have brunch with the captain on Saturday. Way cool. We are setting sail for Hamilton at 7am and will dock at 9am and have another big day planned.

Bermuda - Day 2

We did not get up until 8:30am this morning. We took showers and headed to the Lido deck for some breakfast. After that we went to a meeting on things to do in Bermuda. It was very informative and we found some places to see tomorrow. After that, we stayed for a meeting on places to shop in St. George. We then grabbed some lunch and caught most of the Edible Bouquets demonstration. We came back to the room and changed into our Eagles gear and headed to the photo session Q&A session. We had our pictures taken with each player and as a group. There was a raffle awards and I won an eagle’s baseball cap. We came back to the room to rest awhile. Tonight was the first of 2 formal nights. We decided not to dress up for them this time, so we had dinner in the Lido dinner room. It is the same food, just served differently. After dinner, we spent a little time in the casino. After losing my allotted $20 buck, we headed to the showroom for a musical performance. It was pretty good and all the songs were Broadway numbers. We are now heading to bed as we have our first day in port tomorrow and snorkel at 8:30am.

Bermuda - Day 1

I got up early this morning and did the watering. Beth took a shower, made the bed, and took the suitcases to the car. We had an appointment to see Dr. Bill at 8:15am. After our adjustments, we headed home to finish some last minute items and then headed to New York. The GPS said it would take about 2 and 1/2 hours. Beth was a little nervous what the driving would be like in lower Manhattan. We found the cruise terminal with no problem and the drive was not as bad as we thought. We unloaded our bags and then went to park the car. The parking was very limited and we found a place. So on to the boat we went. First stop was check in and getting our key card. Next was a quick picture and then we boarded the ships. Our rooms were not ready so we headed to the Lido Deck for some lunch. We found a table and waited in line for food. I had some chicken and Beth had pizza. It was a very hot, sunny, and humid day. After lunch, we were finally able to get in to our room. We dropped off our backpacks and put away our clothes. We then had a life boat drill as you do on all cruises. We then went back to the room and got the camera. The ship headed down the Hudson river out of Manhattan and past the statue of liberty as seen in today's picture. We had dinner by the pool and spent the rest of the night just walking around the ship. We had a cocktail party with the eagles players and it was great just talking football and visiting. They are all so nice. We are headed to bed as it has been a long day.

Packed and ready to go

I was up at 7:45am this morning. I had to show Shelly the routine for watering since she will be doing it while we are gone. After the watering routine, I had to put the hose in the pool to fill it. I went inside to take a shower. We then headed to the outlet mall for some shopping. I was still looking for a good pair of sunglasses. After searching a couple of stores, I found a pair of Maui Jims. They cost a bit but are well worth the money. We had lunch at Subway and I had the new orchard chicken salad. Yum Yum.. Beth was not able to get in and see Dr. Bill, but he will be able to see her in the morning before our trip. She thinks that she road the lawn mower a little to fast and hit too many bumps. Dr. Bill will have her good as new tomorrow. She had to got to a bridle shower at 1:30pm, so she did not par take in the shopping. We then headed to Super Wally World for grocery shopping and a few last minute things. We then headed home. The Reed family went swimming and I finished packing. Beth came home around 4:30, but had to leave for mass at 5:15pm. We had bar-b-que chicken, corn on the cob, mac and cheese, and salad for dinner. We are all packed and ready to go. We are hoping to leave around 9am and be on the ship by 12pm. Today's picture is of the oldest cobble stone road in the US. It was pretty cool, but very hard to walk on.

Reed Family Arrived...

Beth was up at 6am this morning as the car had an appointment at 7:30am and I slept until 7:30am. I did not have to water this morning due to all the rain we got yesterday afternoon. So I took a shower and headed to Lowe's and the bank. Beth had to stop by Dawn and Jo's house to get the blow up mattress and to also get her Rylee time. Shelly texted that they were on the road again. I had some laundry to do and some last minute house cleaning. Beth came home and started on the backyard mowing. We had lunch and played on the computer a little while to cool down some. Around 2pm she started on the front. The grass had not really grown much since it had been awhile since we had any rain. But it needed it since we would be gone for a week. She finished up around 4:30pm and took a shower. Shelly had called and they were about a hour and a half away. The made it here around 5:45pm and were glad to be off the road. We ordered pizza and afterwards the kids went swimming for awhile. We went from a house of 2 and a dog to a house of 7 and 2 dogs, although Mindy Sue is not bigger than a loaf of bread. I told Shelly to watch the hawks during the day as she might become lunch. Everyone is beginning to settle in for the a good nights rest. Today's picture is the Tomb of the Unknown Solider from the Revolutionary War in Washington's Square in Philadelphia.

Beth Home..

I got up early this morning as I had a lot to do outside and it was going to be another hot day. I talked to Beth and they left around 6:10am this morning and were going to stop at Cracker Barrel for breakfast. I went outside to water first. The poor tomato plants are not liking this hot weather at all. I then came in to wake up Kyle and went back outside. I was going to help DJ and Beth out by doing the weed eating on the back yard. I used my little trimmers first on the sidewalk and the pavers by the blood grass. After that I tried to start the gas powered weed eating and no luck. So I came back inside and found Kyle still sleeping. So of the third time I yelled at him to get is butt out of bed. We had breakfast and he started on the floors. I wanted to go to Lowe's as they have an electric start for the weed eater, but knew if I did Kyle would not finished the floors until I came back. So I waited until he was done and headed to Lowe's. I wanted Kyle to get on the back and mow the grass, but he kept putting it off. We had lunch and I went outside to start the weed eater. Boy was that a lot easier than pulling the cord. I was able to get about 3/4 of it done before the first safety shut off occurred. So after about 20 minutes I finished the rest of the yard. I could tell it was starting to cloud up. I put everything away as I was hot and tired. I came in to take a shower and again asked Kyle when he was going to cut the grass. Nothing. After I got out of the shower and got dressed I could hear thunder. Kyle now decided to go cut the grass. He made about 4 passes and here came the rain. And boy did it rain hard. The wind picked up and was really blowing. Beth called and said that it looked like Morgan town had been hit by a tornado. We did not have that kind of wind. It lasted about an hour and 1/2 and was done. Sun came out and it was at least a little cooler. Beth gone home a little after 4pm. DJ came by to get Kyle around 4:45pm. Since it had rained she was not able to weed eat, but it was no big deal. We had to go see Dr. Bill for adjustments and then went out to eat. We headed to Target after dinner to get new guest towels. Shelly was able to 1/2 hour early and will text me tonight when and where they stop for the evening. I only have a few thing to do tomorrow, but laundry and packing are tops on the list. Beth had to take the jetta in for service then will be home to cut the grass. Today's picture is of Rylee wanting to be a big girl and hold her own bottle.

Rylee likes the big bed...

I was up early this morning as I wanted to get things done before Dawn got her with Rylee. About 9:20am Dawn called to say her class was cancelled, but would it be alright if Rylee came over anyway as she had some shopping to due and it was so much faster without her. I said of course we love to see her. So she came over around 10:30am. Rylee played in the new walker that Beth's mom had. She likes it in that she can go backward and move in it. She hate it when she stops. I gave her a bottle around 11:30 and knew she was getting sleepy, but she wanted no part of going to sleep. She is able to sit up and play on the floor and hates to lay down. Dawn finished up around 1:15 and as she was feeding Rylee lunch we decided to watch a movie. Dawn and I had try to see this movie in the theater, but could not as the machine was broken that day. So the movie started and by now Rylee was really tired. Dawn walked her into our room, laid her down on the bed and she was out. We watched The Book of Eli. It was one of those movie you hope got better as it went along but never did. We were really disappointed. So Dawn let Rylee sleep 2 1/2 hours and they had to watch her up as they had to be at Jo's mom and dad's house for dinner. Guess she liked sleeping in the big bed. Kyle and I went to Super Wally world and saw DJ. Maggie, and Payton. I still can not find a pair of sunglasses I like. It was a super hot and yucky day today. They say it might rain tonight and tomorrow, but I don't hold much faith in that. I want to get up early tomorrow and get started on the lawn while it is still cool. DJ is coming by after work to do the weed whacking which will help a lot. Beth is leaving at 6am and should be home in time for us to see Dr. Bill at 6:15. I did do all the laundry today and did my packing so that is out of the way. Kyle has floors to tomorrow and that should complete everything on the inside. today's picture is of Rylee showing I can set up all by myself abilities.

You call that rain...

I got up around 8am this morning. Buster decided to sleep with the boy all night and I think they both enjoyed it. I finally woke Kyle up at 9am. I headed out to water the plants. The last few days of high temps are taking a toll on the plants. The weather man is calling for rain some time today. After breakfast, we headed to Pep Boys to get a battery for the jeep. It cost $103 dollars, but has a 3 year warranty with it. We then headed to Lowe's to get some much for the banana plants and an extension for the socket set. Once home, we tackled the battery first. It was sure a lot easier to put in than to take out. And the socket extension was a blessing. Kyle aired up the tires and we took it for a test spin around the block. Next we had to put mulch around the banana plants. First I had to scrap the grass off around each of then, then put down the weed barrier, then the mulch. By now the sun is a blazing and we are done for the day. I came in and took a shower and fixed lunch. I had a hair appointment at 3:15pm. Kyle took advantage of watch TV while I was gone. After I got home, Kyle began working on the downstairs floors. He has the thing about not being able to vacuum when he is by himself. He is afraid he will not hear someone if they break in. Guess all kids have something like that. He fixed tacos for dinner with very little help form me. He did a good job and they tasted great. He even baked some cookies also. They were the pre-made kind, but a step in the right direction. After dinner the clouds rolled in and rain was on it's was. I was hoping to get a lot so I would not have to water in the morning. We after about 20 drops it stopped and the sun came out. You call that rain. We then watched a the movie Law Biding Citizen. I had seen it before but he had not. After that, we watched the Phillies will a close game and saw Jimmy return to the line up. We have Rylee tomorrow for a couple of hours so I have to get up early and get watering and shower done before 9am. So I am off to bed. Today's picture is of another new day lily. I think there are 2 plants that have not bloomed yet. The flowers only seem to last a day, so I have to really watch then last 2 for blooms.

Hearing is Fine..

The alarm went off at 7:30am this morning. I took my pill and rolled over and went back to sleep only to be awaken by a 13 year old thinking I was sleeping too late. He was bored and had been up for a couple of hours. He is still on school time. Oh lucky me. He wanted to go swimming, so I told him to go ahead since I was now up. I had breakfast and read some emails. He was only out there about 30 minutes. He came in and had some cereal and then went down stairs to watch some TV. I got dressed and went out to water. It was another hot and humid day. I came in around 11am and took a shower. I had to be at the doctor's at 1:30pm for a follow up hearing test. The doctor said my hearing way fine and that it could have just been the high amount of Synthroid I was on. So no need to go back unless it gets worse. I came home and we had left over spaghetti for lunch. I had the remove the battery from the Jeep. We went to use it a couple of days ago and it was dead. It was purchased in 2004, so we think we might as well just replace it. So Kyle and I started to take it out. Can I just tell you what a pain in the butt it was. First we had problems getting one of the cables off. After awhile we finallywiggled it off. Next we had to remove the champ that was holding the battery. I only had a 4 inch section to work in and it took forever to get it off. It was 91 degrees and I was sweating like a pig, but I got it off. We then went to the bank, CVS, game stop, grocery store, and got gas. Kyle got a new Wii game thinking that it would help him not be so bored. So downstairs he went to play with the game. I fixed dinner and he headed back downstairs. I went down to tell him that tomorrow he needed to vacuum and mop the downstairs. I was watching him play the new baseball game when the TV just went out. Oh great, that is all I need. We will deal with it after we get back from the cruise. We have a busy day tomorrow with getting mulch for the banana plants and getting/replacing the battery. So we are off to bed for a good nights sleep. Today's picture is of another new day lily that bloomed in the mailbox flower bed.

Happy Father's Day.

Beth was up early this morning as she was leaving for North Carolina. Liz and CJ were riding down with her to see Tom and his family as they were in from Mexico. She wanted to leave at 8am and left right on time. After she left, I went out to water and I have to chop off the thistle heads in the back ivy bed. They were not as bad as I thought. Beth has a war going on with them and I think she is winning. It only took me about an hour and half to pull the dead one and chop the heads off the others. I then bagged the remains for the trash man to take. I did notice I had a new day lily blooming in the bed by the mail box as seen in today's picture. I then came in and took a shower as my clothes were soaked. I was very humid and hot out today. After my shower, I went downstairs to watch a movie. I have a lot of Si-Fi DVDs and now is a good time to watch them. After the movie, I called my step dad to wish him a Happy Father's Day. I then headed to Michael's as I had a coupon, but could not find anything to us it on. So off to pick up Kyle. DJ and Maggie put down a new floor in their kitchen and painted the walls. It looks really nice. Kyle and I then headed to Wal-mart to find me a new pair of sun glasses, but they had nothing worth buying. We then came home and watched some TV. Kyle went downstairs to play Wii and I fixed dinner. Not much on TV tonight and I am kinda tired. Beth text me at 6pm to say they made it to North Carolina and she is glad we have a dog and not teenagers. Guess they talked about some weird stuff on the ride down.

Twins drop by for visit...

I left to take Jennifer to the airport at 10am this morning. We had to take the rental car back first then made to trip to the airport. The traffic was not bad and we made good time. I was back home by noon. Beth had finished cutting the back yard and was working on the front. I made her a sandwich, so she could get the grass cut faster. She finished the yard and took a shower. She wanted to go up to see her mom and dad before leaving in the morning. DJ stopped by to get the truck. They had to buy a new stove for the kitchen since theirs shorted out yesterday. Dawn, Jo, Rylee, Aiden, Zach, Linda, Jo, and Lorraine came by for a swim and a cook out. The weather was warm and the pool felt nice. Beth got home about an hour later. We had burgers and dogs on the grill. The twins are getting big as you can see from today's picture.

Jojo visit...

I had to get up early this morning as I had a dentist appointment at 8am. It was not bad, but I did have to have a shot to numb the area. I had the shots, but was out in 30 minutes. Came home and had breakfast. Beth took a shower and I headed out to water. We had some errands to run, so it was off the the outlet mall first. We both needed new tennis shoes and we had coupons. Then it was on to Target and finally to the grocery store. We came home I fixed us lunch. Beth called to see if Jojo could come over and go swimming and visit, since we will be gone the next 2 weeks. So Beth went over around 3pm and picked her up. We went swimming and then went to dinner around 5:30pm. We went to Friendly's and boy was it busy. After dinner, we had to go pick up dog food for Buster and then took Jojo home. She wanted Beth and I to come in her room and she played music and served us pretend tea. She did not want us to leave. We finally made our way to the door and she was sad. We finally got hugs and kisses. We headed home and found the Phillies were winning again for their 3 game in a row. Let's hope they can keep it up. Today's picture is from the flower garden in back.

Banana Plant have a home...

I was only able to sleep until 7:45am this morning. Beth on the only hand had no problems making it til 9am. I called to see if I could get in to see Dr. Bill. My lower back was hurting and I had pain down the back of my leg. They were able to get me in a 2:45pm. We had breakfast and I headed outside to water. Beth came out shortly afterward. Today was the day that the banana plants find their home in the ground. Beth began digging the holes. I decided to tackle the weeds in the tulip bed. They were starting to take over and with a little rain we had last night I thought they would be easier to get out. It only took 3 trip to the woods to empty the cart, but all the weeds are gone. Beth came over and trimmed the bushes when she was done planting the banana plants. She then started on trimming the shrubs. She was not in the best of moods and the shrubs paid for it and I thank them for the sacrifice they made. I headed to see Dr. Bill and then came back home. As I suspected it was the sacrum that was out. Ice and some rest should to the trick. I then backed the truck up to the shrubs in the front yard so the limbs could be tossed into the woods. We had Crusty Chicken Romano for dinner and then went to CVS. Of course we stopped for water ice at Rita's. Today's picture is of the carpet lilies in back. I love the colors.

New Day Lily

We were up at 8am this morning. Dawn was dropping Rylee off at 9:30am and then heading to her meeting. We fed Rylee breakfast and then had breakfast ourselves. We put her in the exersaucer and she was cranky. Dawn said Rylee had woke up screaming this morning, so we wondered if she was still tired. Beth rocked her by the window, which she loves to look at the trees. She then sat on the couch, so Rylee could look out the window some more. She put a little fight, but soon fell asleep. She slept until Dawn arrived at a little after noon. Dawn and Rylee left around 1pm and we had a quick lunch and headed to DJ and Maggie's house. We started with the ceiling fan in the dinning room. I found that the bracket was not tight against the wall. So we turned off the electricity and fixed the problem. It worked great and did not take a lot of time to fix which we thought it might. We then headed out to the light on the porch. This ended up being the hardest to fix. The bracket for the new light was too small for the hole and they don't make bigger ones. So after talking to DJ, we put everything back and they will try to find a globe light to fit over the housing. We headed home around 4:30pm. I had to finish laundry and fixed Beth a steak for dinner. We are watching the Phillies beat the Yankees and hope the Phillies fix what had been wrong with them the last 2 months. Today's picture is of the new day lily we purchase in KC and planted by the mail box. I love the colors.

Award for Kyle..

I was up at 7:30am this morning. I had to make sure Jen was up as they were coming at 8:30 to pick her up for her car rental. I had to leave a 8:30am and head to Kyle's school. They were having school awards and he was getting some. So I met DJ at the school at 8:45am. Kyle received an award for Outstanding Attendance and for top honors in Social Studies. The school allowed the award students to go with their parents if they wished. So DJ took the day off and her and Kyle spent the day together. I headed to Target and them home. Beth told me that the rental car place did not pick up Jen until 10am. What a mess it was, but she did make it to New Jersey. Dawn and Rylee were here when I got home. We were suppose to watch Rylee since Dawn was helping with a gold tournament. But she hurt her shoulder over the weekend and was now not able to help, but we still wanted to see the baby anyway. So Dawn and Rylee spent the afternoon with us and left around 4pm. We had a good time and will watch Rylee again tomorrow because Dawn has a couple of classes to go to. I am hoping to get over to DJ and Maggie's house to look at their light problems. So it seems to be another busy day tomorrow. I have a feeling it is going to be like that for the next couple of weeks. Today's picture is of Kyle receiving is award.

Busy Day...

What a day we had today. We were up at 6:30am this morning and left by 7:45am. We wanted to get to the game early as the travel mugs were given out to the first 2000 people. We were able to get there and got our mugs. Our seats were two rows up from the field, but we had people crowded all around us and a very eager little boy in front of us. We lasted about 2 innings in our seats and then moved to some seats behind us where we could stretch out. We lasted til the 8th inning and left. They were losing and we were hungry. We headed to a place called The Works. It was a restaurant and game room in one. The food was good, but the games were great. Beth and Jennifer played games that paid tickets. I played more of the action games. We had a great time and look forward to going back. There was a place next door that you could play Laser Tag. I thought it would be good to get a bunch of people together and play. The price is not bad either. We left there and headed out on an excursion. Jennifer found this Hex Barn Art tour, so we headed to Kutztown to see about it. You are asking what is Hex Barn Art, it is a PA dutch type item that people have painted on their barn. Most were circles with stars in them of different colors as you can see for today picture. We wondered around looking at different barns, but some how made a wrong turn and went in the wrong direction. We eventually figured it out and had to turn around. We then made it to Hawk Mountain visitor center. We finally headed for home around 5pm and had a great day. Today was Jennifer's last day and she will be heading to New Jersey tomorrow morning.

Mowing in the rain...

We slept in late this morning. I got up and had to water since it did not rain much last night. Boy was it already hot and very humid out. I began pulling the weeds by the back sidewalk. After I finished, I went in side and had breakfast. After we all had breakfast, Beth began cutting the grass. You knew it was going to rain it was just a matter of when. Jennifer headed out on her own. Beth was able to get the back yard cut and we had lunch while she cooled off. After lunch she started on the front yard. About 15 minutes into cutting, it began to rain. Beth just kept on cutting in the rain. She did take her time and was very careful coming up the hill. Just as she was finishing the rain stopped. We did see a face book comment and knew Jennifer made it to the outlet mall and had purchases some luggage. Beth came in and was soaked from head to toe. She took a shower and played on the computer for awhile. Jen came home around 5:30 from shopping. I fixed dinner of burgers and hot dogs on the grill hoping it would not rain until I finished them. It seem to be a pattern of rain for about 10 minutes then stop and then the sun would come out for about 30 minutes and the cycle would start again. I was able to get dinner cooked before the next shower. Beth had to go a fill the car with gas as we are going the Reading Phillies game at 9:30am. Yes a baseball game at 9:30am. They are giving away travel mugs to the first 2000 people so we wanted to get there early. Today's picture is of the Liberty Bell.

Independence Hall

We had to get up at 6am this morning. We wanted to be on the road and at Independence Hall in Philly by 8:30am. We did pretty good and made it by 8:45. We got tickets for the 9:30am tour of Independence Hall. It was very interesting and gave you a good idea on the events leading up to the July 4 celebration. We then crossed the street and saw the Liberty Bell. It was smaller than I thought it would be. We then took a walk to Washington square to the tomb of the unknown American Revolutionary solider. We then took a walk up to where Benjamin Franklin is buried. Next on to the tour was Betsy Ross's house. We then walked to the oldest street in Philly. It was the original cobblestone road. It was very hard to walk on . We were tired and our dogs were barking very loud, so we headed back to the car. It was a very interesting tour and there was a lot more to see. One day I want to tour the US Mint. Of course we were this close to Pat's, we decided to stop there an have lunch. Jennifer had never had a cheese steak sandwich. The line was long but it moved pretty fast. And boy was it great. The best I have ever had. We then headed to Valley Forge to see if we could get into the church and take pictures. Well that was a no go. They had a wedding going on. So we headed to BJ's to pick up a few things. Next stop was home for a well needed rest. We ordered pizza for dinner. DJ, Maggie, and the boys came by for a visit. The boys went swimming for a while. It was a great day and the rain did hold off until just a little while ago. We have been able to see all the things Jen wanted to so far. We are sleeping late tomorrow and will see what happens after that. Today's picture is of Independence Hall.

Zoo Day...

I was up at 7:30am this morning. I had to call DJ at 8am and then had to water the plants. We left at 9am for the Philly Zoo. We knew we were in for a long day when we saw all the school buses loaded with children. So we started down the path to each exhibit. We made sure we found all the Lego exhibits. We were able to see a lot of the animals as it was still cool out. By noon it was getting a little hot. We left around 3pm and headed to KOP for an early dinner. After dinner we then stopped at the visitor's center at Valley Forge. We then started on the tour. It was kinda neat to see all the historical events. We headed home around 7pm and were very tired. We are heading back to Philly tomorrow to do the Independence Hall tour and see the historical things there. I expect another long day but will get to see new things. Today's picture is of the Penguins at the zoo made of Legos.

Jen is here...

We slept in so late this morning. I did not even get out of bed until 9:30am. It was so nice sleeping in a very cool room. We did not have a lot to do this morning. Beth cleaned the pool and the pool filters. I had a few things to clean in the house and moved the cable box from the scrapbook room to the guest room. We left for the airport around 2pm. Jen's flight was on time and we picked her up around 3pm. We stopped at KOP mall on the way home. I needed lotion, which was on sale, and we went to game stop, and the As Seen On TV. We then went to the Cheese Cake factory for dinner. We headed home around 6pm and ran into a little bit of traffic but not much. As soon as we got home, Maggie called and said Kyle ran away from home. I called him and he did not answer, so I text him. He called me back and he was at the elementary school down the road. I went to get him and talk to him to see what was going on. We talked and then I took him back home. Not sure what is going to happen from there. We are going to head to the zoo tomorrow since it is going to be a nice day.

Rain Gauge tracking...

It was a cool morning when we awoke. It was nice to have the windows open and the temperature outside was 58 degrees. We had a lot to do today as Jennifer is coming into town tomorrow. I started working on cleaning the rest of the house and doing some laundry. Beth was going to go outside and finish trimming the shrubs, but it began raining, so they will have to wait. She then remembered it was Wednesday and headed for the new Pogo games. We had lunch and I finally took a shower. Beth had to run to CVS to see if she could get her 4 prescription set up to reorder on the same days instead of 4 different days. The doctor's office called to let me know that my ultrasound scan was negative and I am another year cancer free. I had to go pick up Kyle from school and take him to the doctor's. When we arrived they told us he would be having a physical and could he give them a pee sample. He was not ready for that and he could not as he had just went. So they called us back to the room. They did the initial stuff then told him he would be getting a shot. He was so not ready for that. The doctor came in and did his exam and asked Kyle if he was ready for his shot. He wanted to hold my hand. But before he could even squeeze my hand the shot was over. He was so surprised. I dropped him off at his house and headed to the grocery store for a few things and then home. It had been raining all day and my rain gauge was working great. I just love the new weather center. We had dinner and Beth began vacuuming and mopping the floors. I had to go downstairs and pick up the toys from when Payton was here last and did a little vacuuming. We will be picking up Jennifer at the airport around 2:45 and then stopping at KOP mall on the way home for a little shopping and dinner. Today's picture is of the carpet lillies in the back.

Weather center...

Beth was up at 7am this morning getting ready for her doctor's appointment. I was able to stay in bed until 8am. I got a weather center for my birthday and wanted to get it up and running today. There were 4 separate components to the whole process. Since they are all wireless they have to be set up first. After that, I had to install them. The first is the thermo-hygro sensor. It was easy to install it on the back of the shed and it measures the temperature and humidity. The next one is the wind sensor. It was going to take some time to get this up. It had to be mounted on a pole and then mounted on the shed. But the side of the shed is not even and there is at least a six inch gap. I had to think on this some more. Beth finally came home from her doctor's appointment and we went to Lowe's to see what I could find for the wind sensor project. No luck on that, still need more thinking. I had to leave to go to the hospital for the ultrasound. The test did not take long and I stopped by Home depot. After an hour of looking at things, I came up with something that just might work. So I headed home with my purchases and was eager to see if they would work. I had a quick bite of lunch and headed to the garage to assemble the items and they worked. So I was able to get the wind sensor up. Next it was on to the rain gauge. It had to be on a level spot in the middle of the yard. I wanted it to look nice, so I decided to go tomorrow and get a copper pipe to mount it on. Next I had to set up the weather center display station. It displays just about anything you would want to now about the weather. It is very exciting. Beth worked on the shrubs out front. She was able to get all of them done except the two in front of the window. They look nice. We had a late dinner and are watching the Phillies. we are hoping they hold one for the win. Today's picture is of a mature male common whitetail dragonfly. It was just flying around the backyard this evening looking for insects to eat.

Shrub trimming...

I wanted so much to sleep in late this morning, but could not as we had appointments with Dr. Bill. After much needed adjustments, we headed to the broker's office. We had to finalize some funds and amounts we wanted to make adjustments to. After about an hour there, we headed home. Beth began working on cutting the back yard and trimming the shrubs. I began working on cleaning the house. Jennifer, my friend from KC, is coming in on Thursday for vacation. I was able to get an appointment for tomorrow to have my Ultrasound done. I had to go to Lowe's, the bank, the pack n ship place, and then to Arby's for lunch. Then back to cleaning house. This month is going to be a world wind. Jennifer is in the end of this week and next week, then Beth is leaving for North Caroline for a week, then Shelly is here a few days before we leave for the cruise at the end of the month. Beth finished trimming what she could today on the shrubs. I fixed her steak for dinner and watermelon for dessert. We are watching the Phillies lose, which is becoming a habit with them. Beth has a doctor's appointment in the morning and I am hoping to sleep in just a little later than normal. Will it happen????

Resting...

Beth and I were up around 7:30 am this morning. The door to the boys room was still shut, so we figured they were still sleeping. Finally around 8am we went in to check and Payton was awake and playing with his stuffed animals and Kyle was still sleeping. So Payton told Kyle to get up and he did. I got Payton dressed and then got dressed myself. We were going to the diner for breakfast. It was already 80 degrees out but was cloudy. We headed to the diner and found a table. Payton wanted pancakes, I got french toast and a side of sausage thinking Payton would eat it later. When our breakfast came, Payton was hungry and started eating his pancake. I gave him one of my sausage patties and he ate that also. He finished about half of his pancake, which was about plate side, all of the sausage, a piece of Beth's bacon and toast. He was a stuffed little boy. I was really surprised at Kyle. He had 2 biscuits with gravy and 2 hash browns, which is a lot for him. We then headed to Namco to look at pool toys. They had a couple of things for Payton, but nothing for Kyle, We came home and changed into out suits. Beth called her brother to see if he still had the basketball net for the side of the pool. He did and was not using it. So she went over to his house and picked it up. Kyle was so excited to get it. DJ came over around noon to get the boys. She stayed and had lunch with us. Payton was so tired that he almost fell asleep at the table. After they left, we both took short naps while watching TV. We had left over spaghetti for dinner and watermelon. It was a great time watching them and look forward to having them again. Today's picture is Aunt Beth and Payton playing chase me..

Boy watching...

We were up early this morning as we wanted to get some stuff done before Kyle got here. I had to water and Beth began weed whacking. I then pulled all the weeds around the pool. Kyle and Dillon got here around 11:15am. They headed for the pool and Buster was right behind them. Payton was going to a birthday party and would be back later in the afternoon. I needed to pull the weeds in the bird area and Beth began cutting the front yard. I fired up the grill around noon to fix hamburgers and Brauts. Beth took a break from cutting and joined us for lunch. After lunch, the boys went inside to play Wii and I did up the lunch dishes. Beth finally finished cutting the grass and weed whacking. It was so hot out today. We went and hopped in the pool. Boy was the water nice. It was 79 degrees and felt great. Payton arrived with his moms around 3pm. He was so ready for the pool that he did not want to stay for ice cream and cake. So he headed for the pool and needed to stop first and get some toys out of the coffin. DJ and Maggie stayed for a little while then headed home. We played in the pool until 5pm and Beth took a shower and went to church. I started dinner and played with Payton as Kyle watch TV. Beth was home around 6:40 and we had spaghetti with garlic bread for dinner. After dinner, Beth took Payton outside to play as I finished the dishes. The forecast is calling for rain tonight and tomorrow, so we will see if it happens. We came inside about 20 minutes later. Beth then folded all the laundry while Payton and I played downstairs until 8:30pm, Payton's bedtime. He was a little unsure about going to sleep here as he has not spent the night in a long time. So I put him down and ended up going back in to lay with him awhile. It only took him about 10 minutes to fall asleep. The Phillies won 2 in a row and seem to be getting their bats back. Let's hope so. We are both so very tired and hope to be in bed by 10pm. We are taking the boys to the diner for breakfast in the morning and then DJ and Maggie will come by and get them around 11am. If the weather is nice we will be swimming again tomorrow. Today's picture is of Payton playing outside.

Another Rylee day...

It had rained enough last night that I did not have to water this morning. I got up early and took a shower. Beth took her time getting up and in the shower. Dawn arrived with Rylee around 7:45am. She had to meet a lady about selling her house, so we watched the little princess. Dawn told us that Rylee did not want to get up, so she had not had breakfast yet. So we played a little while then had breakfast, cereal and prunes. She looked so cute in her pink jammes. I finished feeding her and handed her off to Beth. I had a doctor's appointment with the cancer doctor today. Everything is good and I seem to be another year free of cancer. I have to schedule an Ultrasound of the neck area and that is all for this year. I am so happy for no radioactive pill or low iodine diet. I stopped and picked up milk and breakfast. Rylee was sound asleep on Aunt Beth when I arrived. She slept for a couple of hours. Dawn finished up came by around 11:30. Rylee was ready for a bottle around noon. Pearle Vision had called and said they had the lens for Beth glasses. So her and Dawn went to the mall and then to Target. Rylee had decided that she was still hungry so she had mixed vegetables and cherries/apples for lunch. Dawn and Rylee left around 3pm and we spent the rest of the day doing nothing. I fixed an early dinner of Tacos and then we headed to the mall to get Beth's glasses. Beth watched the Phillies finally win a game and the Flyers are ahead, so it is a good night. We are watching the boys overnight tomorrow for the first time in a long time. I think Payton was still a baby the last time he stayed. Kyle is having Dillon over to go swimming and to hang out for the afternoon. It should be an interesting afternoon and evening.

Car is home...

I was up at 7:30am this morning. Read some emails, then went out to water. It was already a hot and muggy morning. After watering, I came in and we had breakfast. We wanted to finish taking up the black carpet on the spa deck. So we rolled it up and then came the task of sweeping all the loose concrete. It was about what we expected. After working on that for awhile and getting up what we could, we began cleaning out the left side of the garage. We knew Charlie was going to bring the 35' home, but were not sure when. Most of the stuff needed to be taken to the shed or downstairs. We finally got it all cleaned out and ready to go. Beth removed the wheel for the cart to see if we could get a replacement from tractor supply. We also loaded the stuff we needed to return to Lowe's and the pool store. A college friend of Beth's came by for a visit around 1pm and stayed for about an hour. Charlie just happened to call and said he was bring the car home around 5:30pm. Good thing we worked on the garage today. We then had to take him and CJ home and then went to the pool store of the first return. We were able to find a new wheel for the cart and then headed to Lowe's. We stopped and had dinner, then came home. Dawn is bringing Rylee over around 8am in the morning and I have an appointment with the cancer doctor at 9:15am. Don't think I will have to water as it is raining, but have to wait and see how much we get. Today's picture is of Kyle helping Jojo use the snorkel. It was so cute.

A Ward Of The State and My First Popsicle

I got up at 7:30am this morning and headed outside. I had to water and fertilize the tomato plants. Then I had to water all the rest of the plants. I came back in the house to make sure Beth was up as Dawn was dropping of Rylee at 9:30am. I then headed back outside to put down some ant killer and to sweep the dead grass and leaves off the back patio. I sprayed some of the ants to try and hide the trails so we will see tomorrow if it did any good. Today was a very exciting day as Rylee had court to determine if she could be made a ward of the court. No one showed up and her wish was granted. Dawn and Jo only have to file out the letter of intent to adopt and a date for adoption would be set. It was a grand day getting such great news. Ryle is learning to sleep in the big bed with the soft jazz music on. She was able to go to sleep twice, but only slept for about 40 minutes each time. But it is a start. She also had her first little taste of a Popsicle. She loved it. Dawn came by around 1pm and hung out with us until 4pm. After she left, we had to go to CVS to get my pills and then on to get lottery tickets. Beth is watching the flyers game and I am heading to bed. My foot is getting better each day, but is still swollen and a little sore. Today's picture is Rylee having a taste of her first Popsicle.

Nothing...

We had to get up at 6:30am this morning as we both had to give blood at 7:45am. It sure made the day go by slower having to get up that early. My foot was still sore but felt a little better. Beth had to cut the grass, so she headed outside. I, on the other hand, did absolutely nothing today. After Beth was done cutting grass and had a shower, we headed to K-mart, Home Depot, and Best Buy. We stopped and had pizza for dinner. I am hoping my foot is a lot better tomorrow, as I have a lot to do outside. Dawn will be dropping off Rylee tomorrow around 9:30am. Their termination hearing is scheduled for sometime tomorrow. We don't expect any issues, but you just never know. Today's picture is of Kyle and Payton standing on the diving board. Payton wanted to stand on it but had no intentions of jumping in the pool.