Race For The Cure

This past Saturday was the annual Komen Race for the Cure and so we all got up early and headed to Dallas to participate. It is always amazing to see how many people come (over 30,000) and how many survivors participate (over 5,000). Here are a few pics of our walk. Thanks to all of you who helped me be a survivor. Go PINK!

A Day at the Ranch

Yesterday we took off in the morning and went out to our property for some get-away time. Scott invited two friends and they had a blast hiking, swimming, catching frogs, playing games, boating and taking time to just relax. We love going out there because it is so relaxing and we feel like we are free from everyday cares. As soon as the trailer gets fixed, we hope to go camping out there again, now that the weather is cooing off.

Blog Music

All music you hear on this blog is entered by Scott. I'm sure you already figured that out, since my music choices would be quite different. :)

Our Football Player

Here's our quarterback getting ready for the snap.

And now he's looking for a receiver to pass to.

Talking to the troops. He is #17.

His team has won one game and lost one so far. They have a game every Monday for the next month or so. He's having fun, but is dealing with a knee condition called Osgood Schlatter. It is very common in kids this age. As they grow the tendon pulls away from the bone which causes swelling and tenderness. He has to ice it down every day and take Motrin once in a while to help with the swelling.

We recently painted our bedroom and changed the comfortor and added curtains. It was time for something different after 7 years of the yellow flowers and white walls. What do you think?

I'm All Quarked Up!

So, after a 30 year absence from school, I decided it was time to finish my degree on line through BYU Independent Study. What was I thinking? My brain is full of cotton, mush, cob webs and everything else but scholastic knowledge. My first class (which I have to take to finish general ed requirements), is Physical Science. Ugh!!! I didn't pass it in college and am finding out why. Concepts, principles, models - how do I remember them all? And what in the world is a quark? Never heard of it. Needless to say, I am struggling. It is a good thing I have a whole year to complete this class because I am going to need it. I have a hard time motivating myself to study each day. I procrastinate by doing other "necessary" things - like blogging. Oh well, it will be good exercise for my brain, right? If you have any study hints, I am open for suggestions.

Aloha!

We had a great trip to Hawaii Aug.16 - 22nd. Grandma Malmberg, Bob & MyVan, Dave & Denise all met up with us in Oahu at the Marriott Hotel Waikiki. Here are some pictures to show what we did. This is the Sunday after we went to church at the Tabernacle in Honolulu. Scott was dying to go to the beach so we found one and let him get his feet wet for a while.

OOPS! Oh darn - I got wet.

Do we look like we are on vacation?

On Monday we took a little day trip around the North Shore. This was our first stop where everyone goes to get shaved ice.

YUMMY!

Who can resist climbing a fun Banyan tree?

Beautiful Waimea Bay. We stopped here and swam for a while. It was a very calm beach and the boys wanted a little more action, so we went to eat lunch at Sharks Cove and then headed to The Pipeline where the surfers go. Thankfully, the surf was not too strong and so we had a great time jumping the waves and trying a little body surfing.

Look what the tide washed in!

A happy surfer dude replenishing his need for sea, sun and sand.Beautiful gardens at the Dole Pineapple Plantation.

It took them a half hour to get totally lost and find their way out of this maze.

On Tuesday, we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Here is some of the gorgeous scenery on the way.

The island is called Chinamans' Hat.

Just look at the color of that water!

Flowers, flowers, everywhere!

Can you climb a coconut tree? This was one of the shows at the PCC.

Waiting for dinner at the PCC.

A young performer at one of the shows. Isn't he cute?!

Silly Scott!

Wednesday - Pearl Harbor - this is the memorial built over the sunken USS Arizona. This was a very touching experience. So many lives lost!

Thursday morning - we got up early to go snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. Right away we swam with a moray eel and a large grouper. We saw plenty of brightly colored fish in many shapes and sizes. Got rained on but didn't realize it because we were in the water. Scott was the best snorkler of us all as he learned how to dive down so he could get closer to the fish.

Rick's wedding ring came off while he was swimming. Some lucky snorkler or fish will probably find it. Beware when you bite into your next mouthful of fish!

A good view of the reef in the Bay.

After snorkeling, we went back to the hotel to check out and then just hung around because our flight didn't leave until 8:30 that evening. We decided to go to Costco to get a cheap lunch, but drove around for an hour or more asking directions, but could never find it. What a crazy way to end the trip!

We saw so much, enjoyed being with family, ate great food, and we look forward to our next vacation to who knows where? Anyone want to join us?

Scott's Summer Days

What do 12 year old boys do in the summer? Lots of computer games, playing the Wii, swimming, sleep overs, playing with the dog, etc. Scott will be playing football when he goes to school this year , and so he is trying to get conditioned by getting up in the morning and running. He only has a couple weeks left before school starts, so I know he won't be in the best shape by then, but hope it will help so he won't collapse on the field. He has also been trying to figure out ways to earn money. The latest idea was to distribute 100 flyers asking for old electronic devices ( cell phones, video recorders, digital cameras etc.) that he would send in to be recylced. Each item would be worth a certain amount, depending on the make and model. So far, no one has responded to the flyers - but it has only been one day. We will probably have to make more and hit several neighborhoods. I've also had him doing odd jobs around the house for me and washing the cars. When he gets a little older, he hopes to have a lawn mowing business.