Anyone have $29 Million?

If you have the money could you please march on down to Warrens, WI and give it to the Jellystone owners and buy yourself a great get away location! Please do it before the end of September so we can make our little mini-vacation a annual event!

This last weekend we made the trek to Jellystone with Chad's brother and family. I was a little unsure before we left as to what the weekend would bring. We are so used to state park camping where it is quiet and naturely (not really a word, huh?). A large private campground full of families of small children gave me a little bit of anxiety. But when we got there and saw all the fun to be had we were feeling better.

• We had two nice campsites next to each other that worked out great with our two campers. We even had trees on our site.
  
  
• We were right across the street from the outdoor waterpark. Great location!
  
  
• We had the most relaxing day at the pool! The kids had a blast and so did the adults!
  
  
• When we were done being in the sun we moved to the indoor waterpark for a couple of hours.
  
  
• Each night at a large outdoor theater they play old Yogi Bear cartoons. The kids brought their blankets and pillows and laughed away! We all thought that they were funnier when we were kids. By the 4th or 5th episode we were done!
  
  
• There were two mini-golf courses so we tried out one of them before we left. Really needed another day to get it all in!
  
  
• I love taking pictures of the three cousins!!! Check them all out!
  
  

So, apparently the owners of the resort aren't doing so well financially and if they don't have a new owner by the end of Sept it will shut down. I can't believe someone won't snatch it up! We would really like to go back!

Fun times in the sun! Click here to see more photos from the weekend!

Random Thoughts

• Today is the start of the great MN State Fair! Oh how exciting! In fact, as I was watching the news this morning I wished I was one of the crazy ones waiting for the gates to open at 6 am! Next year I think I will do that! I so look forward to this time of year. We love the food, the entertainment (aka people watching!), getting on the news, oh and did I mention the food! Usually we go the first Sat of the Fair but this year it was postponed to the second. I don't know if I can wait that long!
  
  
• So, if today was the start of the Fair then that means that summer is almost over! It amazes me that it is the end of August already but I do really look forward to Fall! Love it!
  
  
• We have been getting baby news left and right lately! I know quite a few friends of friends that are pregnant but we also have some close friends that are expecting in 2009! Can't wait!!!!
  
  
• My dad was able to get us a Wii Fit from Target! WE LOVE IT! I can't believe how fun it is! The only downside is that it is really honest and tells it like it is! But that was really what I needed to hear right now. I will just ignore it on Fair day! :)
  
  
• We are heading to Jellystone in Warrens, WI this weekend! We are so used to state park camping that I am not really even sure what to expect. It may be a little crazy!
  
  
• Anna and I were in Costco this evening and all of a sudden I hear Anna all excitedly saying, "Michael Phelps mommy, Michael Phelps!" And I mean she was excited. And yep, there he was on all 100 TV screens right as we walked in. First of all, she was usually in bed by the time he would swim so how in the world does she know him so well! Second, why was she so excited to see him. Sometimes I forget that she is getting older and understands what is really going on, the hype!
  
  

"Cousins"

This is my cousin Britt! Do we look alike? Do we look like my mom and her dad could be siblings? There were countless people in our elementary, middle and high school days that believed us! There possibly could be some out there that still believe we are cousins. We told our friends, our teachers, our boyfriends. And they believed us. Boy did we have fun with that over the years.

We lived two blocks away from each other, we rode the bus together, we worked together, we played volleyball and basketball together. We really did almost everything together. We had a notebook in middle school that we would pass back and forth to each other with notes and stories. We shared all of our secrets together.

Unfortunately, when I graduated from high school she still had one more year left. And we lost touch. Part of it was that when I left Monticello for UW-Eau Claire, I really wanted to start fresh. I left a lot of Monticello behind. But honestly for the past 14 years I have missed my "cousin".

Then late last year Britt signed a Caring Bridge site guestbook and left her e-mail address. We had a chance to reconnect again and did. Through e-mail at first and then she suggested that my family come to hers and spend some time this summer.

That is what we did last weekend. We spent a great day and evening with Britt, Adam, Brendan, and Svea. Brendan, Anna and Svea played so well together and had a great time. Anna was in heaven with all the room to run, play, bike, and ride horses! And I was in heaven just reminiscing, catching up and learning what has been going on in her life! They were so welcoming and such great hosts!

It was just really great seeing Britt again, getting to know her husband and family, watching her be a mom and a wife, and sharing some stories together. I am so looking forward to staying reconnected with her and her family!

Tina needs........

While making the blogging rounds I found this little game that was kind of fun! All you have to do is go to Google search and type in your name with the word needs behind it. (Tina needs). Then you look at the top ten items the search comes up with!

1. Tina needs to win the Home Depot contest. (Yeah, that would be a good one. I would like a deck and a patio!)
   
   
2. Tina needs a slower pace. (I thought I was doing so much better this summer but I suppose we could always use a slower pace!)
   
   
3. Tina needs a boy. (Hmm. I like the boy that I have thank you very much.)
   
   
4. Tina needs a home. (I have a home but laughed because this link was for some animal that was named Tina and needed to be adopted!)
   
   
5. Tina needs prayers. (I will always take those!)
   
   
6. Tina needs to get over herself. (Anybody else think that besides Google?)
   
   
7. Tina needs Diet Pepsi. (LOL. I am such a HUGE Diet Coke fan that this isn't even funny!)
   
   
8. Tina needs to build up her back bone. (I would have said this about myself at some points in my life but not right now.)
   
   
9. Tina needs the extra money. (Who doesn't?)
   
   
10. Tina needs an algebra class. (Interesting. I do love math!)
    

Daytime Zombie

I LOVE THE OLYMPICS! And thus I stay up way past my bedtime every night to make sure I see every last minute of prime time coverage. And then I pretend that anything on after midnight is just repeats so I don't feel like I am missing out on anything. Here are my highlights from the past 5 days!

• Michael Phelps, Michael Phelps, Michael Phelps! I don't think I have ever yelled at my TV so loud as in the past 5 days. Incredible is the only word. And when they do the in depth pieces with his mom I instantly start bawling.
  
  
• Gymnastics and the Chinese girl controversy. I say there is NO WAY those girls are 16 - no way!
  
  
• Volleyball. I love playing volleyball but also love watching it. Never was much of a beach volleyball fan until this year. May and Walsh are AMAZING!
  
  
• The Opening Ceremony was fabulous - until I heard that the little girl wasn't really singing and they wouldn't let the real girl on camera because she wasn't pretty enough. A 7 year old - ARYKM?
  
  
• Have to say that in the beginning I was on the side that thought Pres Bush should have boycotted the Olympics but seeing him there and attending some of the events, waving his American flag really changed my opinion. I thought it was great to see him sitting in the stands and cheering on the athletes.
  
  
• TIVO! This is the perfect situation for having a DVR. I record like 10 hours of events a day and can watch it in a couple of hours. I can go back and watch the photo finishes over and over again, like the men's 4x100 swimming relay. Did you see that?!?
  
  
• Looking forward to more favorites like track and field, diving, table tennis, triathlon and so much more!
  

Having the Answers

Being a parent is rough - especially when you have a very inquisitive 4 year old. We have always been pretty candid and straight forward with Anna on a number of things like the names of the private parts or where babies come from (no storks at our house!). Of course though we try to simplify things to get down to her level of understanding.

In the past year Anna has gone to Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, we do a nightly devotional with her before bed and talk about God and Jesus daily. Again, we are simplifying things to help her understand things that to be honest, Chad and I don't always fully grasp!

We must be doing something right as she is often asking us questions about God or reaffirming the things that God would have on his "list" of dos and don'ts. We even hear of some proselytizing going on at daycare like when one of the kids said that he was the strongest and Anna corrected him to say, "No. God is the strongest!"

We often can answer her questions but this has gotten harder and harder! This past March we had to put our cat to sleep. We explained it all to her and in the end said that Tigger went to heaven. (Do animals go to heaven?) That was comforting to her but she is still, 5 months later, having a hard time with how he actually got there. So our over simplifying has brought on more good questions. Who brought him there? Did the vet? How did his body get way up there? Ok, so his body stayed here but his spirit went? Well, how did his spirit get there? Did he get a new body? Etc.... We answer them the best we can and sometimes we even just say we don't know! Oh, we always want to have the answers though.

Then this morning, I got a question I really didn't know how to answer in the right way for a 4 year old. It stems from the over simplifying talk that Goad is always with us! Here is the conversation:

Anna: Mommy, God is always with us right?

Me: Yep, that is right. He can be everywhere and is always with us.

Anna: How does he see all of us, with like a big TV screen and we look like real people?

Me: I don't think that is the way it is. He is so powerful that he is able to be with everyone always.

Anna: So, we can pray to God always. If we are in trouble or need to talk to him we can just pray.

Me: Yep, you can always pray to God. And when you have questions or are sad is a good time to pray.

Anna: So, if we are in trouble like we are in water and we can't swim or breathe we can pray and God will come and save us.

Me: *Gasp* Ummmmm, welllll, that is not exactly how it works. Ummm!!!! We can pray to God for help but other people would have to help you too.

Anna: Ohhhhh, you mean like lifeguards. Mom, what is Mary going to have for breakfast today?

I was saved by the short attention span of a pre-schooler! I know that conversation isn't over as she has a tendency to bring things like that up over and over again. So, now I am racking my brain for the best way to answer that question. That question of why some people are "saved" from situations like that and some aren't! Ugh! Any suggestions?

I am sure we will have an answer that will appease her but then we will move onto the next hard question that we won't know how to answer. Things you don't think about when you have a baby that is suddenly all grown up with grown up questions.

Back to Back Celebrations

Chad and I had a very nice dinner out for our anniversary. We checked out the new restaurant, Flame, in Rosedale mall. The steak that Chad had was very good and my pork tenderloin was good too. I would say that the atmosphere is great and it was fun for us to sit outside since it was sooooo nice out that night. Overall, it was a good place but not one that we would go back to many times over.

But moving on from our anniversary, today is Chad's birthday! 32 years young! As you read from our previous post we got married 8 years ago on August 5th and then 8 years ago today we were on a plane to Jamaica! By now we were at the swim up bar at Sandal's Negril with a drink in our hand. A "Howard Special" to be exact! Oh those fruity umbrella drinks were so good. We have tried to replicate the Howard Special at home with no luck!

Since there was no such thing as digital cameras at the time, I had to scan this photo from one of our scrapbook pages! But then we also got the recipe for the Howard Special too! Should try it again!

Anyway, every year since 2000 Chad has had to sort of share his birthday with our anniversary! Oh well! It makes for a fun week of celebrating!

Happy Birthday Chad! Sorry I can't deliver you a swim up bar or a Howard Special again this year! Maybe one of these years we will get back to Jamaica to relive that wonderful week!

Love ya! Tina