Have I mentioned lately that my children are brilliant?  And they keep me laughing!  Abby and Alex added a twist to the old rock, paper, scissors game that we all know and love.  They say rock, paper, scissors, but then they add a fourth, random, thing.  Anything that pops into their head.  Then they decide who wins based on who chose the stronger item. 

So, we're driving down the road and I hear them discussing:

Abby: Fireballs would burn up a jaguar so I win!
Alex:  But a jaguar is stealthy and it would be able to dodge the fireballs, so I win!

Next round:

Abby:  The cliff breaks the waves and pushes them away so I win!
Alex: The waves erode the cliff, so I win!

Next round:

Both: rock, paper, scissors....
Alex: What are you supposed to be?

I glance in the rearview mirror and see Abby with both hands in the air. 
She replies,
"GOD! I win!"

Other things the kids have been doing this summer:

Shelby and Alex spent a week in downtown Indy with their youth group working in a homeless shelter.  That was a great experience!  Shelby said it was like not even being in the same state because everything was so different. They kept forgetting they were only thirty minutes from home.  


Alex is fourth guy in the back. Shelby is third in the front row.



Serving at Wheeler Mission


Alex and youth leader Fred cleaning up the neighborhood.



Pulling weeds!



Picking up thousands of cigarette butts on the mission terrace.



More cleaning.  Doesn't he look excited?



While they were on their mission trip and Nathan was in Belize, I took Abby and her friends to Caribbean Cove which is an indoor water park.  It's a Holiday Inn, so you have to spend the night to get water park passes.  We had a great time, but there were a few rough moments with the babies.  I probably won't try doing that again without daddy!





Abby pumping water



Friends Faith and Rachel.  Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of Lizzie!


Phoebe is changing very quickly from a baby to a little girl.  She talks all the time now.  Most of her words are very clear, but her favorite food is still "meatmo" otherwise known as oatmeal.  I think I can safely say she is sleeping through the night now.  It was a long time coming, but she's been consistent for the last month!  Yeah!

Hudson is rolling front to back and back to front.  He laughs and laughs at everything.  He is truly the happiest baby I have ever known!   He is pretty much down to one night time feeding now, so I feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Hopefully, the light isn't too bright though because I really need my sleep. 

VBS starts tomorrow at Grace Baptist.  We've been decorating in the luau theme all afternoon and everyone is very excited!  Shelby is heading up crafts and Alex is helping out with the 5 & 6 graders.  This is Abby's last year to be a student and next year she can be a helper.  They are growing up sooo  fast!!

jjz x c  do (Hudson typed this)

Today Phoebe participated in the Beautiful Baby Boone contest.  She was so cute and did a great job!! 







Congratulations to winner Lyla Jackson!!  She was adorable with her curly brown hair and great dress!!

My beautiful sister Libbi is engaged!  She and Fred are considering tying the knot in the Bahamas in October.  We are so excited for them!! 

Here is a picture of the bride-to-be.




A picture of the bride and groom! Isn't he a handsome fellow?
 




And the gorgeous ring!! 



A close up of THE ring!



Congratulations Libbi and Fred!

We love you!!! 

I miss you, Daddy!  Hurry home!

Last night's fiftieth Mrs. Boone County pageant was so much fun!  The committee did a great job.  They had all of us come out on the platform.  I'm not sure how many were there.  I'm thinking just over thirty.  It was nice to meet some of the formers whose names I had heard but had never met. 

The new (50th!) Mrs. Boone County also won Mrs. Congeniality.  She is only the third person to win both titles!  And the winner is.......Dawn McNair! 



Interestingly, at one of the dinners leading up to the pageant I found out that Dawn graduated from high school with Nathan.  She is also my dad's pastor's wife.  Merv and Dawn started Lighthouse Baptist Church. 

Here is a picture of the former Mrs. B's and Dawn, but there are several that you can't really see in this shot.  The very first Mrs. Boone, who is actually the only one that carried the original title of Mrs. Liberty, was Anne Graham.  She is in the front row very center.



Here are a couple of shots hubby took of me before the pageant.  I was hoping to go to dinner with all the other ladies, but due to my lack of ability to get ready for anything on time I didn't make it.  Hubby was so sweet and took me to dinner...just the two of us! 

I like this shot because it shows the sparkly tiara!  <grin>  I had him take this one as sort of an aerial shot because it makes my face look thinner.  Every little bit helps!!!




All dressed up and too late to go!!



If you read my previous post about feeling fat and being stuffed into a formal, you will appreciate the way my evening ended.  Ann from Lebanon Sports and Fitness came up to me after the pageant and said that they read my article about my desperate attempt to lose weight and they would like to offer me a membership and follow my progress.  If that doesn't keep me motivated I don't know what will!!  Hopefully I won't end up like my dear deejay cousin who was doing something similar with Nutri-system (or some such program) but got "fired" because she actually gained weight! 

It was a beautiful evening and I was so proud to be a small part of it.  All of the candidates were wonderful! I appreciate all of the hard work they do within our community and they should be very proud of themselves for stepping out of their comfort zone and participating last night.  It's not easy!! 

Congratulations, Dawn!! 

Oh, yeah...here is a short video clip hubby put on you tube.  He is in Belize today and this is his first you tube post.  He has other parts of the pageant that he will post later.  Mrs. Boone on You Tube
 

Here is a news article with some really nice pictures.  The Boone Sun Article

Tonight is the 50th annual Mrs. Boone pageant.  I love being a former Mrs. Boone.  I really do!  But I hate parading across a stage when I'm fat and I've shoved my body into a semi-formal poufy dress.  I feel like Anne Hathaway in Princess Diaries when she says, "In case I'm not enough of a freak already, let's add a tiara!"

So, I'm going to go take a shower, cut the tags off the dress I kept thinking I would take back, and polish up the tiara.  When I get there I'm going to have a great time!  It's just the getting ready to go part when I've been eating like a horse all day and feel bloated that's the problem. 

Good luck to all the candidates tonight!  I can't wait to see who wins!

I saw this sign outside the Wal-mart dressing room today and it just struck me funny!  I wonder what the attendant woud say if I stripped out of my undies before entering the dressing room.  Do they keep them in a basket or should I just hang them on the doorknob?  On a busy day finding your panties might be similar to that game we played as kids where they put everyone's shoes in a pile and you had to be the first one to find yours and put them on.  (Snicker snicker)

Check out Jenn Doucette's blog and enter to win a new book by Sheri Sand. 

Jenn is a great author in her own right, and I highly recommend her books! Jenn's Books  She is very real and down to earth, and I think you will enjoy her perspective on motherhood.  There aren't many books that make me snort, but she made me snort right out loud!!  More than once!! 

The thunderstorms over the past few days have been really unbelievable!  We got around 11 inches of rain on Friday and Saturday.  The wind was terrific and sent us to the basement for a short time.  Since Sunday it has been storming off and on.  Today started out beautiful and sunny and we spent two hours at the park.  Shortly after lunch time the sky darkened, we heard thunder, and our power went out, but it was a couple of hours before it actually started raining. 

The creeks are flooding, there are cranes standing in the flooded cornfields, and when we were at the park today Abby commented on the number of men running around with chain saws.  Indeed, this is not a sight you normally see at the local small town park, but there were a couple of huge trees down and it appeared that the entire park staff was equipped with chain saws in order to move the trees out of the way. 

When it's not raining, it is sweltering hot and humid and you can barely breathe.  But you know what?  I love the midwest and wouldn't trade it for anything!  When Nathan talks about moving or retiring to Belize, I tell him only if we can come home for the winter.  I would be the exact opposite of all the other old people who go south for the winter.  What would I do without changing seasons?  Fall is my favorite time of year, and I love hibernating during snow storms.  And because I would hate to give up those two seasons, I will suffer through the heat and humidity, and lay awake at night for 3-4 months a year, wondering if I should wake up the kids and gather them into the basement. 

Many years ago my parents' little town, 15 miles from here, was ravaged by a tornado.  Many homes were completely demolished and nearly all had severe damage.  It was quite a frightening experience for them! A couple of weeks later my little sister told me that she and mom and dad had gathered in the basement again, reading scriptures and praying for safety because they could hear another tornado tearing through the town.  The sound they heard was actually the street sweeper.  I always thought that was such a funny story.  And I'm thankful God kept them safe through the entire street sweeping experience!

Well, the lightning is getting worse, so I probably ought to shut down this ol' computer.  If you are up late reading this, say a little prayer for our peace of mind and safety tonight.  I'm persevering through the storms because Fall will be just around the corner!!

Good night and God Bless!!