Independence Day

Happy Birthday America!  We had a splendid four day weekend at The Beehive.  Because I am part crazy woman, we did all of our shopping and setting up on Wednesday night.  On Thursday, we woke up early and hosed everything down and blew everything up (remember new favorite lake toy--it takes lots of air!).  By mid-morning, we were done and able to relax and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

We had a constant flow of friends from Wednesday evening to Sunday afternoon.  We had more food than we ever needed, four days of sunshine, and sensational temperatures!  The boat ran smoothly, and everyone who wanted a ride on the tube behind the boat was able to do so.  John and a friend did a back flip dismount on Saturday afternoon.  That was a little scary for this old lady, but they definitely got high marks for their synchronization!  I hope we are never too old to go for a a bumpy ride on Big Mable (or whatever they name the next tubing invention).  Also, we were able to spend a little time with our Conway family on July 4th.  We are so thankful for good friends and a close family.

God Bless the USA!

Sisters-ready for a boat ride!

Kerry

Captain John

Clay and his baby, Martha

Yours truly

Stuffed with BBQ-Bill, AJ, Uncle Jerry Joe & John

On a related note, I gained some independence on July 2 when my new pair of glasses came in.  After about 10 years since my last pair of "new glasses" and five years since my last eye exam, my vision was getting fuzzier and fuzzier.  My glasses were shrinking (in all seriousness, I don't know how...but they no longer fit my head), the lenses were scratched and, quite frankly, no longer effective.  I FINALLY went to the optometrist in El Dorado, had my eyes examined, and ordered some new lenses. I'm thrilled...and so should everyone else who meets me in traffic and/or who rides with me in the car!

I know--I LOOK as smart as I AM!!

June

Well, let's start on May 31, and then I'll wrap up our June whereabouts!  John and I are moving to Denver, CO this summer.  John will be with the same family of companies, but looking forward, it seems that he will be traveling more and more with much of his travels in Denver.  We decided that it would be prudent to have family home base in Denver since that is where he is spending much of his time.  My last day with Team Boozman was May 31.  It was a bittersweet day, but as the old cliche goes, "I'm looking forward to this next chapter!"

Tasty cake my co-workers surprised me with on my last day.

The next day, of course was June 1.  June 1 comes and goes every year, and it is always a tough one for us.  I remember June 1, 2007 like it was yesterday.  I sat on one side of the bed with Kerry and Dad at the other.  John and Clay stood at her feet.  We all sobbed and told her over and over that we loved her and that we were all going to be ok.  I don't know that time really heals.  I know that it dulls the pain, but the emotions are still very fresh.  As I type this, tears are streaming down my cheeks.  We are at peace knowing she is free of pain, but sometimes I think I miss her more as time goes by.  John and I took her flowers and dusted off her headstone.  If there is one thing I know for certain, she would LOVE her headstone!

Our beloved

A few days later we took out for Denver.  John and I have been doing lots of house hunting in CO.  We were hoping to rent something for a few months and then get settled.  So, we packed up the car and headed out.  As our luck would have it, the apartment we wanted to rent was rented out from under us. So, we retained yet another storage unit and left a load there and drove on home.  Poor John celebrated his birthday on the road this year.  I hope he gets a proper 38th Birthday celebration next year.  37 was uneventful and somewhat boring.  He did get to eat his favorite pancakes at the Original Pancake House in Denver before we left.

Breakfast of Champs!

Next up on our June schedule was Father's Day.  Dad came up to celebrate with us in Little Rock.  We went to see Superman on Friday night, shopped and had an awesome lunch on Saturday and rounded out the evening watching Clay shoot in the Arkansas Skeet Shooting tournament.  Number 1--Superman was REALLY good.  Great moral to the story and really good acting.  Number 2--Local Lime is awesome!  It was our first visit there, and it is as good as everyone was saying.  Number 3--We have NEVER seen Clay skeet shoot before, and it was lots of fun.  He is so good, and it was great to see him in action.

Cheese Dip & Salsa Trio-so yummy.

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Dad and his eldest

Dad, John, Clay and Chris (Clay's other brother-in-law)

Whitney (Clay's sister) and Kerry-watching Clay shoot

Last but not least, John busted out his new golf clubs at the end of the month.  He got them for Christmas and this is the first time he has had an opportunity to use them.  He was fitted for them in AZ, and they were ordered and shipped to us in El Dorado.  That took about a month or so, but still...the guy has been too busy to golf.  We had an unseasonably cool few days in South Arkansas, and John was finally able to hit some balls.

He loves these clubs!

Almost finished.