I know I know..... I am a SLACKER!!

It was bad enough that I haven't blogged in a couple weeks...but then to remember that I left the irritating "note blog" as my last entry. Sigh. Onward.
In the past couple weeks I have:
gone on a field trip to the springs preserve with Molly's 2nd grade class
watched Jeffrey take 2nd place at his second bike competition (in 103 degree heat) at Durango Hills Bike Park
Let Ellie go on a plane (by herself for the FIRST TIME) to visit her friend Casey...and Grandma Ellen and Paul.
and more recently...we had Michael's Dad and Rhonda in town for a few days to help us celebrate Karen's (Mike's mom) big 60th birthday.
Life around here has been busy, hot, more busy....and more hot.
I've been slowly but surely cleaning out areas of my house and getting rid of bags and bags and bags and bags and bags of STUFF. It amazes me that I can jump right on board with society and complain about my debt and gas prices....but here I am up to my eyeballs in EXCESS EVERYTHING everywhere in my home. We have too many clothes, books, gadgets, machines, devices, mail, toys, shoes, towels, accessories, bathroom products, ....you name it and we have too much of it. I am on my knees praying every day to STOP living this way. I am making progress...by the grace of God. How on earth can I justify having all of this stuff? I can't. But when I bought it.... I "had to have it right now" ...and here I am realizing the error of my ways (again) and now tossing so much of it out. We have been in our home just over 5 years and the accumulation of crap is overwhelming. Time to get back to basics. Anyway....no more chatter. Here are some pics:

Molly getting excited about the "flash flood" presentation at the springs preserve

and then once we got outside....she decided this was the dumbest field trip ever. She was hot and tired and felt like she had walked for days. She could have won an oscar for best drama. Her self directed skit of a child who was dying of thirst walking out in the desert for weeks....on the verge of death was truly amazing.

Jeffrey really improved just in one months time from his last competition. He did great.



Rhonda (Michael's dad's wife) and Karen (Michael's mom) ....some people would find it odd that a man and his wife would travel from Reno to Vegas to celebrate his ex-wife's birthday. Not us. It's all good...it's all family.

Michael and his dad Tom. We had a DELICIOUS dinner at Joe's crab shack!