summertime...and the livin' is easy.  I don't know about easy livin' but it is summertime in the tri-cities!  Mother nature is celebrating with 100-110 temps over the weekend which apparently last through August.  We'll let you know if it is truly a 'dry heat'...but does it really matter when it's that hot??

Somehow our summer booked right up.  We've gone from "what should we do?" to "when will we have any free time?".  We have 3 separate groups of visitors in July.  We're expecting our friend Ed to visit over the 4th of July weekend quickly followed up by some 'old' friends from Ames who are passing through on their way from Colorado to Iowa (yeah...not sure which map they were looking at - haha).  At the end of the month, Jessica will be back for a 10-day vacation.  In between all that we will have a few days back in the Seattle/Tacoma area.

After Jess leaves we'll have a breather before the in-laws arrive for a week.  What has been nice is that there is an apartment we can 'rent' for guests so it gives them a place to go when we, or they, need some down time.  It's proven to be much more convient and affordable than a hotel.  So...if you're coming our way...let us know and we'll leave the light on.

Olivia is a big fan of the horse movies "Dreamer" and "Flicka" and we're frequently hearing the request to "ride horse" after she watches them.  Up until yesterday, her experience on a horse was limited to the electric horse ride at the mall.  That has now changed.

We found an "open barn" event and Emailed to see if it would be ok for Olivia to ride (given her age). They assured us some gentle ponies would be available for the younger/smaller children and they'd love to have us come out...so we did!

We prepared Olivia for the big event and the news was met with shouts of "YAY!!!" and her signature 'happy dance'.  Upon arrival at the farm she grew quiet but you could see the excitement in her face.  We found a helmet that (almost) fit her and picked a horse.  Her first ride around the ring was done bareback.  She gripped Belle's mane and, though she started sliding a little to the right, did a great job!  There weren't too many little kids there, at the start, so Olivia was fortunate to take several more rides around...these times with a saddle which helped her keep her seat a bit better.

We thanked the owner for the wonderful opportunity and then spent some time walking around to see the other horses, some dogs that were too hot to care about Olivia wanting to play with them and fed a BUNCH of carrots to the 14-year-old horse "Bubbles".  

This was 'one of those moments' you get as a parent when you just know you've made a lasting memory for your child.  The day additionally provided Olivia with some 'non-traditional' therapy that calmed her senses to all her to focus on this special and exciting occasion.  it was a great afternoon for all of us.

Have I been missing out!  About the time we left Ames, I lost my sense of smell.  It didn't happen overnight but, by the time the holidays rolled around, I realized the sense was gone.  For the most part I didn't give it too much thought...until we went into a place like a bakery where normally I would be salivating at the delicious smells.  Not only that but nothing tastes good...not even ice cream.  I know how things 'should' taste...but only imagine how they do taste.

Other than the obvious, the problematic side of it was realized while I was toasting some bread in the oven...and got distracted.  Jimmy said to me from the other room "is something burning" and, low and behold, the bread was charred.  I was standing right in the kitchen and couldn't even smell it.  

Fast forward 7 months...I notice one day that I have a rash on my arms...and then my legs...and it gets itchy...and then I see signs up around the area that there has been a measles outbreak.  I head to the doctor (tough call for me since I currently don't have insurance).  What occurs to me, as I'm waiting for the Dr., is that I had been using a new lotion...and a LOT with it being so dry out here.  

Well...the Dr. diagnoses me with 'hives' and prescribes a steroid and allergy medicine.  Within the week I find myself cheering that I now CAN smell a poopy diaper.  We walked around the farmers market today and I could smell the fresh Walla Wall onions, the plump, sweet smell of strawberries...heaven!  

I find myself smelling everything now...which garners me some strange looks from people.  I don't care.  My sniffer is only working at about 60%, and kind of puts out by the end of the day, but you have no idea just how exciting it is to smell again...even a poopy diaper.

Jim and I watched the movie "the great debaters" the other day.  We rented it based on a short preview we saw and were motivated more for the cast than what we knew about the story (based on a true story of a 1935 black debate team from Texas).

While watching the movie I think what struck me most is how desensitized I've allowed myself to be to the history of blacks in our country.  While I am shocked that there are (still) people who would have trouble voting a black man as president, this movie reminded me that in my life time there is still this mindset of segregation...oppression of African Americans.  

Yes, we've come a long way since lynch mobs and signs by the drinking fountains saying "whites only" but there are still people in the "good old" USA that are saying "Obama should focus on his whiteness to win votes" and "he's 'only' 1/2 black but his wife is all black...I won't vote for him".

Kind of a ramble, I know.  I think it's my (gulp) 40th birthday looming, that is re-focusing my attention to history...black or white.  While it's important for history to be recorded, we don't report about Bush as "the 43rd white man" to be president.  I hope my youngest grows up in a place where it's not news when a black man (or woman) is president.

While "googling" black history I found that we actually had a black woman run for president in 1972.  Shirley Chisholm won 28 delegates during the primary and (thanks to Humphrey) had a total of 152 first-ballot votes.  Before this, she defeated (black) Republican candidate, James Farmer (depicted in "the great debaters"), and became the first African-American woman elected to congress.

There are days where we're out and about and I say to myself "oh...such-and-such will be great to blog about when we get home" and then, when we get home, time slips away as do the thoughts.  Most days I feel like I'm on auto pilot.  Olivia is so routine-driven that I find myself walking the same path through the house each morning, driving the same routes during the week and falling into bed each night going "where did the day go?!"

Our routine changed this morning.  We're only a couple hours into our day but I feel like this change is going to be a very positive one - if we can keep it going.  What's so different?  Well...my night-owl husband has joined a car pool which leaves at 6:30 AM.  Given that he's usually going to bed about 1AM is going to mean some tired mornings until his internal clock gets use to this (and he goes to bed earlier!).  For Olivia and I this means a way more relaxed start to the day.  We had been all getting up, showered, fed and into the car to make the 20 minute drive to drop Jimmy off by 8, 8:30, 9:00 (we've gotten later as the months have gone on).  

Although there was a snafu this morning (the carpool got lost on the way to pick up Jimmy and called the house - waking up Olivia), Olivia has shown to be much more agreeable and relaxed.  We had a leisurely breakfast, just finished showering and are getting ready to head out to the Wednesday farmers market.  Another plus to this new schedule is that Jimmy will be home by 4:00 (without us having to make another 40 min. trip to accomplish that) which gives us an extra hour and 1/2 of family time.  Now that the pool is open, and they tell us warmer temps are on the way, I think this schedule will go a long way in giving us all more time to really enjoy each other...we'll have quantity AND quality!!

A lot of words aren't necessary with this picture.  We're all feeling the pinch at the pumps whether you're paying this much or not (yet).  We've been in WA for just about 7 months.  Gas was $3.15 when we moved here.

so I no sooner published my first blog post when I had a comment added by my (previous) neighbor, Laura.  I was pretty surprised and, not yet having this blogging thing all figured out, a little perplexed as to how she knew about my blog when I hadn't announced it to anyone.  Then it dawned on me...I had commented on HER blog which revealed mine :)  

I use to be "up" on technology...I've come to accept that it's quickly passing me by.  I had to text Nicole to find out how to use the memory card with my cell phone (yes, it's also used to text, take pics and videos) but was pleased that while she was teaching me something, I turned around and taught her something.  

I am capable of some simple technology-related tasks...at least enough to make the grandparents happy...post/Email pictures, upload a video or two, create picture books, but I am miles behind knowing what all is "new" out there in technology-land.  I am coming to terms with the fact that it REALLY doesn't bother me all that much.  Keeping in touch with family and friends online...that suits me just fine right now.  It WILL start to really bother me when Olivia is teaching me things. LOL

I have done a mediocre job updating the blog on our family web site so am not sure if I'll be any better with my own, or not.  I've been pleased to find out that so many of our friends/family are blogging...and what is revealed on blogs...I think it'll take me a while to get in the groove of this and decide what all I'll share.