~~ They're leaving the nest, sew it's time for a trip - or two - or three...~~ D~'s bag ~9/22 ~~

[Pluto0809]

Those pictures are better than most professional ones I've seen, just beautiful!

Hope you had a wonderful time today with your dad.

 

[Denovagirl]

Gorgeous pics!!!!!!!!!!!! Your daughter is so beautiful!!

Running shoes are totally adorable, love the colors!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Wow. These pictures look fantastic. The above one is my favorite! D, you are much better off with these, at least for right now. If I had someone take pictures like this for me last year while I was a senior, I would have great piece of mind not ordering from the professional photogrpher. Allison looks stunning! Also, tell my same name buddy , I love her outfit, especially the shoes!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

 

[mymainmouse]

Those pictures are so pretty! I think they would be great for senior pictures. We decided not to do professional senior pictures this year for our oldest. It is just sooo much money. We just took pictures during the school year outside during different seasons and used those. We did have my MILs fancy camera so that helped.

 

[Iamthequeen]

When my oldest was going into her senior year, we could use any photographer for her pictures, but by the time my next one was ready, we had to use a specific photographer for the year book pictures. I never did get a large picture of Shannon, because I didn't care for them very much. I have her 11th grade picture on the wall with the other's Senior pictures. Bad mommy!

 

[DMGeurts]

How many lovely and great pictures you have taken of Alli at/after the photoshoot.
I hope you have a great day with your dad and that the driving goes well.

Yes in Norway you would have to pay $1200 for the photoshoot. And then you have to add the price for the pictures you want to get and the CD.
Things are not cheap in Norway. 1 gallon of gas for the car cost $7.36 in Norway.
I can't believe it's 1st August today. My trip suddenly came so much closer. I'm going this month. Not next year, in august, in a couple of months or next month. But THIS month I have been planning this trip for over a year so it's so much fun that it's getting so close now. I still have some things that has to be done before I leave, but I think I have control now.

Thanks Lillian!

I did have a nice time with my dad, as always - it was good to see him and spend time with him.

Wow!!! That is soooo expensive!!!

I cannot believe your trip is this month already too!!! It's coming so quickly! So, please remind me about a few of your trip details... Where are you flying in to - and what are some of the sites you are planning to see?

I hope you had a nice weekend!

The closeup picture of Alison is gorgeous and would make a good portrait. But all of them make a good collection.

I hope you have a good weekend, too.

Thank you - I was thinking that too... I believe that was actually one that I took. She does everything though... she does all of the camera settings, tells me where to stand, she poses herself... All I really do is "push the button", LOL

Thanks Sue - same to you!

Her pictures are great! Sorry you had such sticker shock when you found out the pricing of the professional photos. I don't think senior pictures are such a big deal here. I think it is just getting it through the photographer the school uses for the yearbook pictures.

Have a great day with your dad!

Thanks! Yes, it was a big sticker shock... I knew it would be expensive, but I was in no way prepared for that!

Thanks - I did! We had a nice time and a nice lunch.

Haven't been commenting much, but I have been following along. And I just had to say the pictures of Allison are terrific! They look amazing and I think would be great senior pictures! The first one, one on the metal ladder and the close up one are ADORABLE! She has a real talent!

Hi Lori! Thanks! I am hoping we can, at least, use a few of Allison's pictures - that will help with the cost a little bit. I love that one too... When they were taking it - I was like, um - not sure I like that angle... but it's one of my favorites, as well.

Alli's pictures look great. People around here often take pictures of their kids for senior pictures. All You need is a good camera and a good eye for detail now.
It's not like the old 35mm cameras. I see a lot of senior pictures taken by mom, dad or a friend at work. One of my friends, not the photographer, kittenstook all her kid's senior pictures.
Today I'm going to the animal rescue place to find a couple of kittens. I miss having cats in the house.
Have a good visit with your dad.
Liz

Thanks Liz... I agree completely! I just hope Allison is realistic in this situation.

Awww... Congratulations - I hope you found some new kitties to add to your family.

Thanks - I did. I hope you had a nice weekend, as well.

Lovely pictures…the close up one is GORGEOUS!!! You did a really nice job!!

Thanks! It was mostly Allison - all she really lets anyone else do is push the button. LOL

Those look great and unless the photographers photos are leaps and bounds better, I think those are wonderful! I can't imagine them been much better!

Have a wonderful time at your dad's!

That's what I was thinking too... I think they will work excellent for "extra photos"... You - know - extra wallets and such.

Thanks I did! I hope you had a nice weekend too!

Those pictures are better than most professional ones I've seen, just beautiful!

Hope you had a wonderful time today with your dad.

Thanks Ariana! I think they turned out great! I would kind of like to take another trip up to Minneapolis and take a few of Allison up there, I think we could mimic a few of our favorite shots of her.

I did, it was an exhausting trip, as usual... but we had a good time.

Gorgeous pics!!!!!!!!!!!! Your daughter is so beautiful!!

Running shoes are totally adorable, love the colors!

Thanks Terri!

Thanks! I love them so much - best purchase I have made in a long time!

Wow. These pictures look fantastic. The above one is my favorite! D, you are much better off with these, at least for right now. If I had someone take pictures like this for me last year while I was a senior, I would have great piece of mind not ordering from the professional photogrpher. Allison looks stunning! Also, tell my same name buddy , I love her outfit, especially the shoes!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Thanks Allison (or is it one "L"?)... I think these will be great as extra photos... Hopefully we are able to find some sort of compromise on the actual photographers photos.

I will tell her about the shoes... I think she found those at DSW? I love them too - I wish I could share them with her, but sadly her feet are bigger than mine (which I guess I am not so sad about, because then I don't have to share my shoes with her either. LOL)

Thanks - I did - I hope you had a nice weekend too.

Those pictures are so pretty! I think they would be great for senior pictures. We decided not to do professional senior pictures this year for our oldest. It is just sooo much money. We just took pictures during the school year outside during different seasons and used those. We did have my MILs fancy camera so that helped.

Thanks! I hope Allison will be satisfied enough with them to want to use them. They are so expensive - you almost have to... I am still a little sad about the expense of it all... but we will find some sort of compromise for her. I am sure yours turned out wonderful too - I agree that Seniors should have nice pictures, but those were just so expensive! I am glad you were able to sue your MIL's fancy camera and take some pictures.

When my oldest was going into her senior year, we could use any photographer for her pictures, but by the time my next one was ready, we had to use a specific photographer for the year book pictures. I never did get a large picture of Shannon, because I didn't care for them very much. I have her 11th grade picture on the wall with the other's Senior pictures. Bad mommy!

That's how we are too - we can use anyone.... We are encouraged/expected not to use the school photographer.

I am hoping we don't like the ones from the photographer - LOL - then we won't have to buy any. But I have a feeling it will be the opposite situation and we will want them all.

Not a bad mommy... I am sure it doesn't bother her.

*********************************************************************************

I had a good weekend - it was a bit crazy, as usual.

I had to leave at 6am on Saturday morning to get to my dad's on time to take him to church. So, it was a long drive up. I didn't sleep the night before - so I was tired before I even left. But I made it safely and he was to church on time.

While he was at church - I went to the local mall and walked. I had worn my work out clothes up, just so I would be sure to do this. After - I changed in the mall bathrooms and shopped for a while.

I picked my dad up from church and he took me out to lunch at one of his favorite restaurants... Sadly - his favorites are not so much mine... He likes to eat at greasy places with questionable salad bars... I always let him choose where to go, because he doesn't get to eat at these places very often any more... but my stomach doesn't always like me for it. I just do the best I can and try not to cringe. I'd go into more detail, but I don't want to gross anyone out - so I will just leave it at that. Sigh. He was happy and his belly was full - so that's all that mattered.

Then we went shoe shopping. He told me a few weeks ago that he needed to go shoe shopping - I just assumed he wanted new shoes, he didn't elaborate. So, on Saturday, when I picked him up for church and he was wearing his bedroom slippers - I asked him if he was going to change into real shoes before church (it is NOT like my dad at all to not dress up for church) - but he said his feet were so swollen from his diabetic meds (the Dr. is monitoring this) that none of his shoes fit. I wish he would have told me that- I would have found a day to go up and take him shoe shopping sooner. So, we went to a GOOD shoe store and tried on about a dozen shoes - it was quite hard to fit his feet, because they were VERY swollen, but in the end, we found 2 pairs - he bought both of them. They were not cheap at all, as a matter of fact - I am pretty sure these 2 pairs cost more than he has paid combined for shoes in the last 10+ years... but it was nice that he was able to buy these for himself too. And once he got actual shoes on his feet - he was able to walk so much easier.

We did a few other errands for him, but he was tired and ready to go back home.

My drive home wasn't too bad, I was able to stay awake.

When I got home, I relaxed for a little while... Then V came downstairs to show me her neck. She's been fighting a rash from (what we think) is an allergic reaction to the necklace she wears all the time. Between Friday and Saturday - the rash tripled in size and looked like it had become infected. I decided to take her in to urgent care... We were in and out fairly quickly - the Dr. determined that she had a staph infection, so put her on oral and topical antibiotics... It took us much longer at Walgreens to get the prescriptions filled... by the time we got home, it was after 11 PM and I was BEAT!

Yesterday.... I was so tired! I slept in until 10am, and for those of you who know me, know this NEVER happens. Even though it felt good... It kind of threw me off for the rest of the day.

Josh took the dogs out to the field to run and play a little bit.

While he did that - I took my new running shoes out for a test run... I wasn't too excited about my time, but I am not really working on time, I am just working on doing it. To my great surprise - I RAN the entire 2 miles - hills and all!!! Me, the girl who has never been able to run more than a block - if that - at a time. I was shocked and elated at the same time! I am pretty sure I could have walked that distance faster... but everyone tells me that speed will come. So, I trust them. My new shoes were awesome - my feet are still a little sore from my last walk in my old shoes, but the new shoes didn't seem to make it any worse - so I was thrilled. Not only that, but NO knee pain at all yesterday or this morning! This is aweome news too! I am so excited!

Once I got home from my run, I went upstairs to work for a while. While I was working - I realized what time it was and it seemed like Josh and the dogs had been gone for too long, I was starting to worry. I looked at my phone to see when the last time I had heard from him was, and it had been well over 2 hours. It was very hot here yesterday, and they aren't normally gone for that long when he takes them to the field. I got to thinking about the last time that I went with them, and Josh had fallen in a hole and twisted his ankle - thankfully he was able to walk it off - but then I really started to worry... What if he fell and twisted his ankle and was stuck in a field somewhere. I decided to send him a text, and I am glad I did... Here's our conversation...

He wouldn't have asked me to come unless he needed me to, he is a man, after all... but he was too far from the truck - and him and the dogs were so dehydrated that they wouldn't have made it back to the truck to get water.

I had no idea where this road was, or where he was... So I had Allison looking up the road on Google Maps while V and I were getting bottles of water to bring to them. It took us a while to find them, they had taken shelter in a grove of trees on the side of the road... They were all exhausted, hot and thirsty... From what Josh was telling me, they walked probably about 12-15 miles through fields, brush and grasslands (which is a work out) in the noon-time heat with no water. He hadn't intended to go into the fields that far, but this was a new field for them, and once he got in there, he got twisted around. Because it was noon-time, the sun was straight up in the sky and he couldn't get his direction. It was just a bad set of circumstances, and we are very lucky that it turned out OK. I am just glad I texted him when I did.

Since Josh is a soldier - he is well aware of dehydration, the signs of it and how to treat it... So, we got him and the dogs home and started cooling them off and slowly giving them water... With in a few hours, they were all back to normal - aside from being very tired. Josh was pretty sore last night... and he debated on taking today off of work - but he is up and getting ready to go.

I am just so thankful that this situation turned out OK - it could have been so much worse!

Puppies resting after coming home...

Yesterday was also BFF's birthday... We were going to have her over for dinner - Josh was going to grill, but after what happened, he was in no condition to grill...

Instead, I took a few hours (even though I didn't like leaving Josh home, he insisted he was fine) to hand-deliver BFF's birthday card. V and I stayed to play "yard Yahtzee" with BFF, O and a few of O's friends. It was fun - but I was still exhausted. So we went home to check on the boys - who were doing great.

We all went to bed pretty early last night.

Today is a Target day for me... I know - it's a Monday... But they have been switching up my schedule a lot lately.

I hope you all have a great day! Prayers and good thoughts go out to all of you!

D~

 

[Wood Nymph]

That was a pretty scary incident with Josh and the dogs. Thank goodness he was able to contact you and you were able to find him.

Congratulations on the 2 mile run. That is really good. I wouldn't worry about your speed. I discovered that my speed at short distances, like a 5K race, improved when I started running longer distances. I had been training for a half marathon when I ran my fastest 5K time ever. But you are really just racing against yourself, so the speed doesn't really matter. That is great news about your knee, too. I was hoping it had only been new muscle soreness that had bothered you earlier.

 

[Born 2B a Princess]

Oh my goodness! I'm so glad Josh and the dogs are ok! What a scary situation -- good thing you texted them when you did!! I'm glad your run went well -- you're giving me hope that I will be able to work up to running. I really want to.

 

[Pluto0809]

Wow that was a scary incident with Josh and the dogs! Glad everyone was ok.

 

[dalayney]

Oh my gosh how scary! Poor pups! Heck poor Josh! If he's like my hubby... him even saying "come get me" , is huge deal. Darn those men. Lol. All testosterone and pride.
You know... losing all that weight and now running... you're disney apparel probably is all too big. Gonna have to make/ buy a new disney wardrobe for all those trips! ( doesn't that sound fun? Shopping spree at the disney store! )
Do you have a good disney store? Closest one to me is in Gurnee, IL
Sometimes I go there just to get my disney fix.
Have a good week!

 

[DMGeurts]

Hey all - I will do replies tomorrow morning... but as I was working out - I thought of a question... A Disney question

If I were to buy an AP, just straight up buy it... It doesn't start until the first time I use it right? So, if I were to buy it now, and receive it... my one year doesn't start on it until it's activated at the gates right? I just want to verify.

D~

 

[Kitchensink]

Actually what you purchase is an Annual Pass voucher and when you get to Walt Disney World you go to Guest Services and exchange that for the actual Annual Pass ticket. If the price of the annual pass goes up while you are holding your voucher, you've just saved yourself some money! Your day that you convert the voucher to an Annual Pass is the day your annual pass starts.
Karen

 

[ljcrochet]

Glad Josh and the dogs are okay. Glad you texted him, and glad he was somewhere with cell service. It is hard to use the map programs on the phones if you are not on a real road.

 

[Terkina]

Sounds like you had a great time with your dad. I'm glad you two found shoes that fit him.

I hope V's neck gets better soon.

Josh and the dogs walk could have gone really bad. I'm so glad you message him when you did ( even if I think he should have messaged you and asked for help sooner). This could have been really bad. I'm so glad this story ended with a happy ending.

That's great news that your knees didn't hurt after running in new shoes. I hope it continues that way.

I hope you have a good day at Taget.


I had to find my book where I have written down where we are going each day. Because i don't remember it all in my head
We're flying from Tromsø to Oslo and then from Oslo to Oakland (San Fransisco) where we have to change flights and check in again to fly to Seattle. It's going to be a very long day because of the timezones. So I really hope I can get some sleep on the plane. The flight from Oslo to Oakland (San Fransisco) takes 10 hours and 15 minutes. Our flights depart Oslo 12.45PM local time and arrives 2.00PM local time. But our bodies will say it's 11.00PM and our day isn't over yet since our flight to Seattle is leaving at 6.55PM and we arrive in Seattle at 8.41PM I'm guessing we are going straight to bed as soon as we arrive at our hotel in Seattle.

We arrive in Seattle on a Tuesday and will stay there until Monday morning the following week. So we will be in Seattle for almost a week. The reason we are going to Seattle is because it's there where Geocaching Headquarters is. So all our time in Seattle will be about geocaching. We will see some tourist places as well, but my main focus at least is on geocaching and having fun with some geocaching friends that are also going to Seattle the same week because Geocaching Headquarters are arranging some geocaching events the whole week. I'm really looking forward to this.

On Monday we will rent a car and start on our road trip. Our first stop is near Portland where we are going to find the first ever geocache. Then our trip goes towards Yellowstone. During our trip we are going to find geocaches in 27 states so when we are traveling home we will have found at least 1 geocache in every state except Alaska and Hawaii. On our last USA trip we found geocaches in 21 states. We are not visiting any of those states again this time.

Then I'm not sure what places we are going to see until we arrive at Mount Rushmore. The next highlight I know about is Minneapolis and meeting you in Bloomington. From there we are going to Madison, Wisconsin where my family and I lived for a year when I was 7 years old. So I'm going to take a look at where we lived and where I went to school. Maybe I will say hi to an old couple that we visited a lot while my family lived in Madison and who my parents have had contact with ever since.

Then about 10 days later we will arrive at Niagara Falls. Our plan is to walk over to Canada and visit Niagara Falls from that side as well. From there we are going up to Maine so we have visited that state as well. Then we are driving back to New York. We are going to take in on a motel near JFK airport so we have a short drive to deliver our rental car back at the airport early in the morning. When we have delivered our rental car we will take some form of transport from the airport and in to New York City. There we will stay for 3 days before we are heading back to JFK airport and get on our flight back home. We will be gone for 6 weeks.

And then when I get home everything is back to normal and I'm guessing my therapy horseback riding is starting again the same week I get back. And I have an appointment about my new car and I have to get a new HC parking permit. So a lot is happening when I get back home. I'm expecting to have a really bad Jet lag when I get back home. Because I had a really bad Jet lag the last time I came home from the USA. So it's going to be hard getting the things that needs to be done when I get back home.

I'm sorry this ended up as a really long reply.

 

[Clio]

I'm glad Josh and the dogs are ok. It sounds scary, getting lost in the heat.
Glad to hear that you had a good visit with your dad. It looks like he likes his new shoes.
I did get two three month old kittens, a boy and a girl. We named them Jack and Salem. They're both all black. We're not sure if they are brother and sister but they were together in the cage. They're still shy and doesn't go far from the room I put them in. They come to the top of the stair and look down and them run back to their room. I'm sure they'll adjust soon.
The baseball game was fun but no fireworks because of high winds. I found out the next day that someone keyed my car. I'm trying to get in touch with my insurance to see if it's covered with my luck it's not.
I go back to work today after a week off. It should be interesting.
Have a good day.
Liz

 

[Denovagirl]

Yay for the new shoes!!

Scary about Josh!! Glad you found him when you did!

I hope Vs rash starts healing quickly, no fun

 

[Chicago Mo]

hi there.. Man oh man was i behind.. Thankfully we keep up with each other on facebook otherwise i would freak out here..

i do love the new shoes.. i think i am going to do the same.. which store did you go to?!?!

 

[KathyM2]

Wow you have had a lot going on!! Firstly...those photos were amazing. Sorry about the ridiculous photographer prices. I hate when they do that...but I guess with everything digital these days it's hard for them to make any money when people just want the files. But still seemed extremely high. Way to go on your workouts!! I wish I had more motivation to do it!!! Have a great time on your trip!!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

I'm so happy your husband and your pups were ok! As a dog owner and lover, I know how scary it can be you worry about them, and especially if they are dehydrated! A scary situation, but a good outcome overall.

If I were to buy an AP, just straight up buy it... It doesn't start until the first time I use it right? So, if I were to buy it now, and receive it... my one year doesn't start on it until it's activated at the gates right? I just want to verify.

For someone who really wants to buy a AP for herself, and who has researched the topic a lot, I can answer your question lol. The answer is yes. You activate your voucher once you get to Disney. This can be done at any of the 4 parks or DTD at guest services and once it's activated, then it starts!

 

[DMGeurts]

That was a pretty scary incident with Josh and the dogs. Thank goodness he was able to contact you and you were able to find him.

Congratulations on the 2 mile run. That is really good. I wouldn't worry about your speed. I discovered that my speed at short distances, like a 5K race, improved when I started running longer distances. I had been training for a half marathon when I ran my fastest 5K time ever. But you are really just racing against yourself, so the speed doesn't really matter. That is great news about your knee, too. I was hoping it had only been new muscle soreness that had bothered you earlier.

I agree... I wish he would have contacted me sooner though. But like he said - he was no where that I could get with a car. Just relieved that it turned out OK.

Thanks! I am very excited about it! I cannot believe that I can run!

Oh my goodness! I'm so glad Josh and the dogs are ok! What a scary situation -- good thing you texted them when you did!! I'm glad your run went well -- you're giving me hope that I will be able to work up to running. I really want to.

Thank you! I am relieved too - it could have been really bad.

You will!!! I am shocked that I can. It was never really in my plan, because I'd never considered it an option. I am still amazed that all of my hard work - up to here - has prepared my body for this, and it is so much easier now than it ever has been for me in the past when I've tried. I think so many things have aligned to make it possible for me. So, don't give up, keep trying... And also - start lifting!!! I think my lifting has been absolutely instrumental in this.

Wow that was a scary incident with Josh and the dogs! Glad everyone was ok.

I know - I am just releaved that everything turned out OK.

Oh my gosh how scary! Poor pups! Heck poor Josh! If he's like my hubby... him even saying "come get me" , is huge deal. Darn those men. Lol. All testosterone and pride.
You know... losing all that weight and now running... you're disney apparel probably is all too big. Gonna have to make/ buy a new disney wardrobe for all those trips! ( doesn't that sound fun? Shopping spree at the disney store! )
Do you have a good disney store? Closest one to me is in Gurnee, IL
Sometimes I go there just to get my disney fix.
Have a good week!

Exactly... He never would have asked - ever - if he really didn't need the help. That's why my adreneline kicked in and I freaked out a little bit.

Hehehe... I am working on that - slowly. Surprisingly, all of my stuff still fits from last summer - which makes me sad... I wanted it to be too big, and it isn't. I am exactly the same size as I was when we went on our August 2014 trip. But... I do have to buy some new things, because the weather will be VERY different in November vs. August... So, instead of bringing exclusively tank tops and shorts... I am bringing tees, fleece jackets, capris and skirts/leggings... I've been slowly knocking away at these... I just have to find a pair of white capris for my one Donald outfit and I should be OK.

We have the MOA Disney store, but it really sucks. It used to be super awesome - but like all of the other Disney stores, it went through that ugly transformation and it never came back... It's really just a toy store with one small rack of adult tees - so I really don't even bother going in there when I am at the mall - I am tired of disappointment. LOL

Thanks - you too!

Actually what you purchase is an Annual Pass voucher and when you get to Walt Disney World you go to Guest Services and exchange that for the actual Annual Pass ticket. If the price of the annual pass goes up while you are holding your voucher, you've just saved yourself some money! Your day that you convert the voucher to an Annual Pass is the day your annual pass starts.
Karen

Thank you Karen!!! Do you know if I can made FPs with that? Or do I need to purchase a regular ticket now so I can make FPs and upgrade to an AP when I get there?

Glad Josh and the dogs are okay. Glad you texted him, and glad he was somewhere with cell service. It is hard to use the map programs on the phones if you are not on a real road.

I know - me too... It could have been so awful! And that's exactly what happened. Live and learn, I guess.

Sounds like you had a great time with your dad. I'm glad you two found shoes that fit him.

I hope V's neck gets better soon.

Josh and the dogs walk could have gone really bad. I'm so glad you message him when you did ( even if I think he should have messaged you and asked for help sooner). This could have been really bad. I'm so glad this story ended with a happy ending.

That's great news that your knees didn't hurt after running in new shoes. I hope it continues that way.

I hope you have a good day at Taget.


I had to find my book where I have written down where we are going each day. Because i don't remember it all in my head
We're flying from Tromsø to Oslo and then from Oslo to Oakland (San Fransisco) where we have to change flights and check in again to fly to Seattle. It's going to be a very long day because of the timezones. So I really hope I can get some sleep on the plane. The flight from Oslo to Oakland (San Fransisco) takes 10 hours and 15 minutes. Our flights depart Oslo 12.45PM local time and arrives 2.00PM local time. But our bodies will say it's 11.00PM and our day isn't over yet since our flight to Seattle is leaving at 6.55PM and we arrive in Seattle at 8.41PM I'm guessing we are going straight to bed as soon as we arrive at our hotel in Seattle.

We arrive in Seattle on a Tuesday and will stay there until Monday morning the following week. So we will be in Seattle for almost a week. The reason we are going to Seattle is because it's there where Geocaching Headquarters is. So all our time in Seattle will be about geocaching. We will see some tourist places as well, but my main focus at least is on geocaching and having fun with some geocaching friends that are also going to Seattle the same week because Geocaching Headquarters are arranging some geocaching events the whole week. I'm really looking forward to this.

On Monday we will rent a car and start on our road trip. Our first stop is near Portland where we are going to find the first ever geocache. Then our trip goes towards Yellowstone. During our trip we are going to find geocaches in 27 states so when we are traveling home we will have found at least 1 geocache in every state except Alaska and Hawaii. On our last USA trip we found geocaches in 21 states. We are not visiting any of those states again this time.

Then I'm not sure what places we are going to see until we arrive at Mount Rushmore. The next highlight I know about is Minneapolis and meeting you in Bloomington. From there we are going to Madison, Wisconsin where my family and I lived for a year when I was 7 years old. So I'm going to take a look at where we lived and where I went to school. Maybe I will say hi to an old couple that we visited a lot while my family lived in Madison and who my parents have had contact with ever since.

Then about 10 days later we will arrive at Niagara Falls. Our plan is to walk over to Canada and visit Niagara Falls from that side as well. From there we are going up to Maine so we have visited that state as well. Then we are driving back to New York. We are going to take in on a motel near JFK airport so we have a short drive to deliver our rental car back at the airport early in the morning. When we have delivered our rental car we will take some form of transport from the airport and in to New York City. There we will stay for 3 days before we are heading back to JFK airport and get on our flight back home. We will be gone for 6 weeks.

And then when I get home everything is back to normal and I'm guessing my therapy horseback riding is starting again the same week I get back. And I have an appointment about my new car and I have to get a new HC parking permit. So a lot is happening when I get back home. I'm expecting to have a really bad Jet lag when I get back home. Because I had a really bad Jet lag the last time I came home from the USA. So it's going to be hard getting the things that needs to be done when I get back home.

I'm sorry this ended up as a really long reply.

Thank you - to all of the above.

I'll say it again - thanks so much for typing that out - but it looks like you are going to have one awesome trip!!! I cannot wait to hear all about it. You are seeing more of the USA than many people who live here do! So, that's really cool! You are going to have a great time! And, of course, I can't wait to meet you!

I'm glad Josh and the dogs are ok. It sounds scary, getting lost in the heat.
Glad to hear that you had a good visit with your dad. It looks like he likes his new shoes.
I did get two three month old kittens, a boy and a girl. We named them Jack and Salem. They're both all black. We're not sure if they are brother and sister but they were together in the cage. They're still shy and doesn't go far from the room I put them in. They come to the top of the stair and look down and them run back to their room. I'm sure they'll adjust soon.
The baseball game was fun but no fireworks because of high winds. I found out the next day that someone keyed my car. I'm trying to get in touch with my insurance to see if it's covered with my luck it's not.
I go back to work today after a week off. It should be interesting.
Have a good day.
Liz

Thanks Liz!

Congrats on your new kittens - they sould so cute! I love kittens, I just cannot live with cats. They will adjust soon and then they will be all over the house! LOL

Oh no!!! People can be so awful! Seriously! Grrr... I hope it's covered with your insurance.

Wow! Your week off went fast! I hope you had a great day yesterday!

Yay for the new shoes!!

Scary about Josh!! Glad you found him when you did!

I hope Vs rash starts healing quickly, no fun

I know- I am pretty excited about them. My feet are still sore from my other shoes... I think I did a number on them. Grrrr... I may have to take a short break from running until my feet are better.

Me too - darn men... Sigh.

It's getting better day by day, thankfully.

hi there.. Man oh man was i behind.. Thankfully we keep up with each other on facebook otherwise i would freak out here..

i do love the new shoes.. i think i am going to do the same.. which store did you go to?!?!

Hehehe... I know - thankfully we are good about that.

Thanks! I got them at The Running Room... It's an actual dedicated running store, where they analyze your gait and how you walk/run, so you are fitted with proper shoes. I am sure you have something similar by you? Usually they are not a chain store and are individually owned.

Wow you have had a lot going on!! Firstly...those photos were amazing. Sorry about the ridiculous photographer prices. I hate when they do that...but I guess with everything digital these days it's hard for them to make any money when people just want the files. But still seemed extremely high. Way to go on your workouts!! I wish I had more motivation to do it!!! Have a great time on your trip!!

Thanks! I am happy with them - I just hope Alli will be satisfied with them too. Very true... but yikes... I wish it wasn't so horribly expensive.

Thanks! There are definitely days that I don't want to work out... but I just push through it, because I know I have to. Which is why I have my time limit - if I didn't have that - I'd never work out. LOL

I'm so happy your husband and your pups were ok! As a dog owner and lover, I know how scary it can be you worry about them, and especially if they are dehydrated! A scary situation, but a good outcome overall.

For someone who really wants to buy a AP for herself, and who has researched the topic a lot, I can answer your question lol. The answer is yes. You activate your voucher once you get to Disney. This can be done at any of the 4 parks or DTD at guest services and once it's activated, then it starts!

Me too... I was scared for them too... I don't think Josh would have had me come and get just him - he was more worried about the dogs. Just glad he finally swollowed his pride.

Hehehe... OK... next question... If I buy an AP now, can I make FPs with the voucher? Or do I need to buy like a 5 day hopper and upgrade to an AP when I get there, so I can make my FPs now? THanks for your help!

*******************************************************************************

First... A Disney question... I asked it above to some of you who answered yesterday, but I'll do it down here too, just in case someone else knows. If I buy an AP now, can I make FPs with the voucher? Or do I need to buy like a 5 day hopper and upgrade to an AP when I get there, so I can make my FPs now?

Yesterday was a good day... I worked all day at Target, it went reasonably fast, which is always what I wish for.

I came home and our internet was down... So, I made dinner and hung out on my tablet for a while playing games.

Internet was still down, and I was bored... I noticed when I got home that they hadn't started ripping up the road I run on yet... SO, I decided to go out for a run... Probably not the wisest choice. Live and learn, I guess. I am a bit sore today... My feet are still pretty sore from my old shoes - I think I really did a number on them. And my knees are a little sore today - not bad, but not painless either. I shoulnd't have ran last night.

I've also been "volunteered" to run a 5k on Saturday... Nothing like being thrown into the fire, I guess. I know I can do it... The 2 miles I've been doing have been pretty easy... I won't run the whole thing, I'll probably walk a good portion of it. But it will be nice to get my first 5k out of the way, I guess - even though I wasn't thinking I would do it this soon to starting.

I went to bed shortly after coming home... and now here I am.

I have a busy day ahead of me... Lots of little projects to tie up in my sewing room. I have last weeks' order to finish up this morning... Then a couple of other little things to work on before I start this week's order - which probably won't happen until tomorrow.

Today is also a heavy lifting day - I will be doing that shortly .

I hope you all have a great day! Prayers and good thoughts go out to all of you!

D~