We're home from Wisconsin/Minnesota.   I am going to be posting the pictures of the Mississippi Boat cruise and the wedding and everything else we did shortly.  We had a very nice time.   Payton was a super traveler as per usual.  Barely a peep out of him, just the sounds of his toys coming from the bac seat.  I really regret not being able to stay longer, since we were having such a nice time... but of course Tim does have to work.  

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How does one come up with the idea to do this?

 

Today is our trek up to La Crosse for the wedding and stuff.    So I have to pack the car this morning, then get the guys up.   Gotta run!

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As soon as I get Payton up and around we'll go to Omaha and do some shopping and browsing, then meet up with Tim around lunch time, then head to the zoo for "zoo member appreciation day".  Tim is taking half a day off.   Then after that I don't know, but it will be a long hot day.

 

I am getting ready for our weekend trek to La Crosse for Tim's cousin Sara's wedding.   Ever the organizer I have to make sure everything will be packed, but not only packed, but packed and organized in just the right fashion.   I have lists!  I think if I ever get alzheimers or become senile, that I will be ok in the early stages just because I make so many lists, assuming I don't lose my lists or forget what the lists were for. 

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We got our deck repaired this weekend.  A joint effort.  It wasn't really the way I thought it would be though.  My brother in law had said to use cedar, well long story short, I couldn't get the cedar so we used what I think was pine.   Then we couldn't get the main bolt loose to sandwich back the split beam... so I drilled out a notch in the pine board, and Tim screwed in our pine "bandaid board" right on top of it all.   Then Tim also took it upon himself to clean the garage out.   We get so much dust and dirt in there, and huge dead spiders.   But now I can walk confidently in there even in bare feet knowing that I am not going to accidently step on a dead spider carcass.

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Went all went to the beach again.  Had it to ourselves for awhile even.   Found a purple frizbee.   So not a bad day.    

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YES! I know.  When I read that I thought it was either a sad commentary on the state of things economically, or a joke.   But no- I was looking up native Iowa animals, and came upon a list of the endangered ones... and one of the ones listed was the 'Fat Pocketbook' aka the Potamilus capax.   It is a type of muscle.  See photo below.

Here is a list of the other endagered animals of Iowa if anyone is interested.... CLICK HERE.

 

I saw my first skunk in the wild while out running yesterday evening.   I was quite thrilled actually.   It came out and walked across the road barely 5 feet in front of me.   I stopped short obviously, didn't make a move, and let him cross, lest I get sprayed.   He did hesitate on the other side of the road when he was more like 15 feet away from me and kind of do an arching thing with his back then lift his tail, and I thought I was going to get it, but then he scampered into the weeds.  But I still thought it was cool to see a skunk.  Now the only Iowa animals I have not seen "in the wild" are a badger (I have seen them dead beside the road though), and a mountain lion, but both of those can be dangerous and I'd be ok never seeing either of them!  I guess there might be others but those are the to main ones I come up with.  Weasels?  Do weasels live in western Iowa?  Hmmm.  I don't know. 

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I am in the mood for the popsicles I used to make about 10 years ago, the kind with yogurt that are more creamy than icy.  But I don't remember the recipe.   I'm not even sure it was yogurt that was the main ingredient.   I am racking my brain on how I made them, because I didn't follow directions, I was just experimenting and came up with it one day.  And of course, I didn't write it down.  That will teach me.

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We all went to the local beach last night for a couple hours, and I realized that Summer is half done.   Payton goes back to school in less than a month!  But anyway, the water was really nice.  It didn't take any time at all to "get used to" since it is such a small lake and it has been so hot lately. 

 

I have only been running every other day.   It is hot and humid even at 5:30 in the morning (and I don't like getting up so early these days).  I know I SHOULD be doing it, but I'll pick up the pace when Payton starts school again.  I've just been eating a little less to try to balance things out.  So far that plan has worked for me.

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The other day I noticed our deck was splitting on a support beam.  Not good says I.  So I took a photo and consulted my brother in law who does carpentry stuff and he says yea not good, but he told Tim and I how to fix it.  Luckily since it had not split completly in half yet we could fix it ourselves without having to dismantle parts of the deck.  And because it is on a part of our deck that isn't too visible, the cosmetic aspect won't be terribly noticable.   

 

I also got a call from my credit card company asking me if I made a charge for $130 worth of stuff.  I said no, and it turns out there was some fraud on my card.   They caught it and so now they are sending me a new card and stuff and of couse I am not liable.  I then did a check on my other cards and stuff... and no activity at all so that was a relief.  But kind of scary.  They said it was some lady I forgot the name, in New York was using the number.  

 

Katies (delayed) College Graduation party was yesterday in Oakland.   It was supposed to be really hot, but in the shade it wasn't so bad.   Payton must have really wore himself out because he fell asleep in the car on the way home.   He rarely does that these days.

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To anyone out there who may know anything about it, my old treadle singer sewing machine is not working right and I don't know what to do to fix it.   I have the original manual that came with it... but there nothing in it about the problem I am having.  I have looked online with no luck either.  The problem is that the top bobbin thread is getting tangled up and knotted underneath the fabric the second I start sewing.  It doesn't matter what fabric it is... it does it irregardless the weight of the fabric.  I can't even get more than 6 stitches in before the whole machine binds up because of the knotted thread.  My guess is that somewhere inside the machine where the thread meets the bottom bobbin thread is where this is all getting messed up, but I can tell you that the TOP bobbin thread is the one that is getting tangled because I am using two different colors of thread.  

 

Here is what I have done:

 

I oiled all moving parts, I adjusted the tension, I replaced both bobbins thinking I threaded something wrong, and I tried running the wheel just by hand slowly and not with foot power.

 

Does anyone who has worked with an antique foot pedal sewing machine know how to go about solving this problem?   I am afraid to start taking it apart since I know nothing about how a sewing machine works, let alone an antique one- and also it doesn't appear anything has broken on it, so if I go messing with it I might just make more things go wrong with it.

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Today I took Payton grocery shopping.  We went to Sam's club first, then to Super Walmart next door.  After we were completely done shopping I realized that I didn't get the $20 in cash that I had reqested while checking out at Sam's club.   So back to Sam's we went.   I was pretty sure that they would give it to me.... I had that happen at Walmart once, and after confering breifly with a manager they just handed me a $20, even though the cashier said she didn't remember if she had given it to me or not.   They didn't check the register.  But I know I wasn't lying, so they were safe!  Anyway in this instance, I went to the customer service desk and I told the lady what had happened and she said that it was no problem they could do a register count to confirm whether or not the $20 had been taken out or not.  I thought that was pretty cool, and it made me wonder why the Walmart couldn't have a system like that.... but anyway... it took a few minutes but sure enough.... I had forgotten to get my $20.   So they gave me my $20 and off I went.  I am just glad I caught it before I was half way home.

 

And finally today we got some rain.   3/4 of an inch in a very heavy downpour.   It was very needed.   I don't know if it was enough, but I am sure anything is better than nothing.

 

Then tonight was the last day of Vacation Bible School.  They finished up with the big pool party at the public pool.  They rented it out for the church.   Payton LOVED it.   I know for sure that I will need to enroll him in swimming lessons next summer.  I think he will really enjoy them.  After the pool party then they had a program up at the park.   I wish I would have had my camera.   Payton was doing some John Travolta-esque disco moves.   It was very cute.

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This morning I got up at 5:30 to run again, I've started doing that this week.   My feet are (I think) getting better since getting my new shoes and insoles, and doing my soaking in ice water routine.   I'm not saying they don't hurt, because they do.... but they hurt differently, and it seems less intense than before.  But I can run on them, so that is the important thing.  I expect that the pain will eventually get completely better.

 

When I got back Tim and Ruth were up and having breakfast and getting ready for her departure.   I tried to wake up Payton but was unsucessful.  He ended up sleeping until about 9.    Kendra called and that was the exact time he chose to wake up and cry.   Probably confused as to why it was so bright out and why he was still in bed.   Anyway Tim's mom has left to go back to Wisconsin, so it is just Payton and I again.  

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Grandma Ruth IS leaving tomorrow morning, really.   For real.   She even put stuff in the car so we know she means business.   Tim tried talking her into another few days but she held firm.

 

Payton had his first dentist visit today, and did WAY better than expected.   He not only let them count his teeth with the little metal pick thingy, he let them do a cleaning with the electric toothbrush just like they would a regular visit.   I was really shocked.  He was nervous I could tell, because he kept glancing at me and I made sure to keep praising him and I kept my hand on his leg the whole time for reassurance.   He is getting to be so brave.    Anyway, at the end they gave him a new toothbrush and you would have thought they just gave him the Nobel Prize.  His eyes got so big and he said "OH! Thank You! --- Look Mommy!!! My own special new toothbrush!!"

 

Tim came home early and we all went to the park.   I posted 7 new pictures of that on the back end of the album.

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Neat Lego furniture!

 

We think we have it planned out that Grandma Ruth will stay until Wednesday.  But as you know... things can change!!

 

Payton LOVED vacation Bible school.   He was talking a mile a minute about it when he came home, with his little fishing pole he had made while there and a paper fish to catch with it.   He said he is excited to go again tomorrow.    It runs from 6:30 to 8:30 so it is a half hour past his bedtime, so by the time we get him to bed at 9 he is really tired.   I am hoping that he sleeps in this morning.   We will soon see... it's 6:45 now as I type this.   I am hoping he sleeps at least until 8.

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Grandma Ruth may stay until Tuesday....   :)

 

To recap the weekend Saturday Tim and I left Payton in the care of Grandma Ruth all day and went on a date.  We saw Ratatoulli, yes I know I misspelled it, I am too lazy to go find out the correct spelling.  Anyway it was really cute.  We both liked it a lot.  

 

Then afterwards we were going to grab a late lunch (it was 2pm) but we weren't hungry yet so we went to Peak Performance which is an athletic store because I wanted to check into getting new shoes or inserts to help with my recent heel problems which I thought was a re-occurance of heel bursitis, but after a very thorough foot analysis turns out was plantar facitis (I know I probably spelled that wrong too) and I ended up buying new shoes that will hopefully correct the problem and I got some great tips as well.   Unfortunately one of them is that I need to soak my feet in ice water daily until my foot pain is completely gone.  I tried it this morning after my run, and believe me- it is not pleasant.   Anyway... Tim ended up getting a new pair of fancy-schmancy running shoes as well.   His are made by a local company owned by Warren Buffet which I thought was kind of interesting.  Mine were regular Nikes EXCEPT they have a space under the insole for a pedometer thingy to go in that works with an ipod... it goes in the shoe and it remotely transmits your miles ran, speed, and all that information to your ipod.    What they won't come up with huh?  

 

So after our frenzy of shoe buying then we went out for lunch which was more like supper because it was 4:45.   But the supper was somewhat disappointing in that the things we ordered I almost felt like I could have made them better at home.   Have you ever had a meal like that?   Not that any of it was terrible... but I almost wanted to give the chef my recipe.   Just like, hey- here's a heads up for you!  This version tastes better!   Anyway....

 

Then on our way home as per usual a stop at walmart for some household staples.... Bananas for Payton of course... Grapes for me... then we also got some dumbbells so I could start doing some weight training at home since I have cancelled my gym membership.  Now I don't really need to re-up.   I can run outside and I have my dumbbells.  That's all I need.

 

That brings us to Sunday, Today.   We went back to the city to the mall to look at shoes for Grandma Ruth.  She has special shoes she liked called Propet, and we discovered JCPenny sold them... but not the one we went to... but at any rate at least we know where to get them now.  

 

Today is also the first day of Bible School at Church.  Tim is helping with it, he is the Mascot... JP Penguin.   Payton is enrolled this year so I hope he will have fun with it.   They will be leaving in about 15 minutes so I'll have to write about how it went later!

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It was really really really really really hot here Saturday... and today but especially Saturday... temps were in the 100's!

Yesterday was Tim's one year anniversary at Gallup.   I forgot to mention that.

 

Today is the Ice cream social at church.   I baked two pies for it.  By baked, I mean, I bought two frozen pies and cooked them.   I have never made a frozen pie before and now that I see how easy it is as opposed to making them from scratch perhaps I will do that from now on!  I made an extra pie for us to try out and I honestly thought it tasted every bit as good as a homemade one.

 

Grandma Ruth was going to go home today, but we talked her into staying until Saturday and now potentially Monday.... I'm not sure what was decided exactly- or if anything was decided.

 

Today I also have a doctors appointment for labwork on my thyroid.   Something I have to do a few times a year now.   It was disovered I have a low Thyroid level and it is right on the borderline between needing hormone replacement and not needing it... so I have to have it checked periodically so if it ever dips too low they can get me hormones right away.  I don't really understand the thyroid or what it all means, since for right now everything is sort of ok.   I guess until someone tells me I need to have this hormone replacement stuff I won't need to know. 

 

Having HOT weather still... and NO RAIN yet,  we aren't planning on any until Monday possibly.   Our lawn is dying in patches, but the spots with weeds look healthy as ever.  

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We spent the 4th at the Nelson Park Beach over by Dunlap.   It's a great beach.  We discovered Payton actually loves to swim.  He had never really been interested in the water before, never going in deeper than to wade, or just sit at the shore.   But this time was different.  He wanted to go in ALL the way.  He wanted to swim and never come out.   It was a drastic change.   It could have been that the water was warmer, or that he saw Grandma swimming, or a lot of kids swimming.... I am not sure... but now I think he will be a water lover.  So from now on we'll probably be packing life jackets and water wings or something.  There are a few pictures I added to the above photo album as well.

 

We also all had our hair done on the fourth, by me.  Here are some of the before and after shots!  Hopefully you can tell which is which.

 

40% chance of rain tonight and we're in a tornado watch.   I don't know how long it has been since we have had rain, but it has been a long time.   So I wouldn't mind a little storm I guess.

 

Grandma Ruth is staying through Friday at least, maybe until Saturday.   Nothing definite.  Who knows, maybe longer.   Nothing is really set in stone.  I am not sure she really thought she'd be staying this long, but we kind of talked her into it!

 

Not really a whole lot to report.   Tomorrow of course Tim is off work, as it is the 4th.  We don't have any set plans though.  

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The weekend came and went so fast again.   Really time has been going quite fast with Grandma Ruth here.   Sunday after church I decided I really needed to grocery shop.  I mean REALLY.  I hadn't gone proper grocery shopping in nearly a month, and we were really scraping bottom as far as our meals were concerned.   Down to my last loaf of bread even.   So while I did my grocery shopping the rest of them went to the park to play then afterwards we all went to DairyQueen.   (And the photos are posted.)  I also bought Payton another potato head with more accesories.   He loves the Mr. Potatohead he has that he got as a gift from his Aunt Barb, and I thought it this second one with all the new accesories would be a hit.  It was.   He has been playing with it quite a bit.  

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