Packed and ready to go!
The third annual “Freeze Your Nads Off” camping trip has come and gone – three weeks ago already. The day we packed up and headed out was also Taylor’s 18th birthday. A long time ago, I started a tradition of decorating the kitchen for each of the girls when it was their birthday. It seems I always do it the same way – simply because how differently can you decorate a room with streamers and balloons? I decided to try something a little different this year.
“A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip.” ~ Unknown
Taylor turned 18 on November 2. It was the day we left on our annual fall camping trip. Life happened and I haven’t been able to do a post just for her. This is your post, Taylor…HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
I decided what I wanted to do for you was to gather a few pictures together for all the world to see. What I really wanted them to see was a shortened version of the kid you were and the young woman you have become. I hope I have adequately done this.
Jim and I were able to visit the WWII memorial while in Washington DC last December. He always wished he could have gotten his dad there to view the memorial erected to honor him and his fellow war heroes.
I had a different idea for a post than the one you are about to read. I intended on sharing our weekend of camping. This will have to wait for a few days.
CAUTION! This is a lengthy – but fun – post!
It’s actually been 10 days ago that I shared with you the happenings of the Zeorian household. When I left off on the 21st, we were about to begin an adventure at a local State Park. Plans changed. Instead, we packed a lunch and headed to the “Eagle’s Nest”. The Eagle’s Nest was built quite a few years ago – when Jamie and Jenna were much smaller. Then came along Taylor and Callie. Now… it’s Brooklyn and Jillian’s turn to play and imagine and have fun.
Some days seem so much fuller than others! Mine have been more full than usual since Friday. So full that checking in with my blog and my blog friends has been tough to squeeze in. I’m going to take a few minutes before the next half of the day begins and we’re off on another adventure.
I agreed to have Brooklyn and Jillian spend the weekend with us while mom and dad went to the NASCAR race in Kansas City quite a while ago. What I didn’t have planned when I agreed to that was the amount of bus time I’d also be putting in at the same time.
“15 there’s still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
15, there’s never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live”
“100 Years” lyrics by John Ondrasick – Music Video performed by Five for Fighting
This is Curt & Jamie’s home. The colors have not been edited or enhanced by any means! Beautiful, gorgeous, awesome, amazing picture taken by Taylor.
Well, we did it. We broke down and turned on the furnace earlier this past week. All at once, summer turned its steamy head and walked away! I wouldn’t be too upset, though, if it decided to come back for a little while. I was thinking about a day this summer that I thought was almost the hottest day I could remember. I remember this day in particular because we were cutting barley and I was trying to keep the barley chaff from filling the cab of the truck – so I had the windows rolled shut when both combines came to dump. It seemed like Ed’s green combine would unload the bin faster than Jim’s (maybe he had his idled down some). Anyways…by the time Ed was done emptying his bin, the sweat was rolling from head to toe. By the time Jim finished, I literally wondered if I was going to die in the cab of that truck! When Jim FINALLY finished, I jumped out of the truck to tarp the box. When the breeze hit me – I thought I was going to freeze to death! I remember goosebumps forming before my body realized it was over 100 degrees!
The flag I immediately hung outside my front door. You can tell it was there quite a long time – ragged and bleached.
The day began like any other and ended with confusion, fear and…a sense of being united.
9/11/01 will forever be a memory in my brain. A day in which the events will never be questioned by what I was doing and where I was at.
While sitting at an intersection waiting for a vehicle, I HAD to try to record the sun as it was coming up over the east horizon. Unfortunately, this doesn’t do justice for the beauty of the moment – especially through a dirty bus window.
The weekend started for me on Friday morning. Jim was caught up with dry corn and had been spending some much-needed time on combine and corn head maintenance. On Friday morning, he asked me if I wanted to ride along to Cornlea (Nebraska) to get parts for the corn head. Jenna thought that was quite funny…going to Cornlea for the corn head – appropriate. Cornlea was about 2 ½ hours from home. I thought…what the heck?! Before we could go, though, I had to sub for a driver on the morning bus route.