School Updates

 Okay, these past couple of weeks have been hectic with all the school information and such. Anyway, here's what's happening.

 I was finally able to sit down with a counselor to discuss my goals and such and my plans for graduation. She looked over everything, and told me "Okay, the waiting list for the radiation tech program is 2 years. After 2 years, if you get in, you'll be able to start the program. But until then, you can always take other classes."  Wait, what? 2 years? So let's see. I play around in school for 2 years in HOPES I get into the program. That's like 4 years to even finish. I can be done with my bachelor's degree in 4 years. No need to waste time. I know the nursing programs have waiting lists, but this? This is more for someone who's in high school planning ahead. Sigh.

  She did tell me the biotechnology degree doesn't require any waiting or programs, but informed me I'd have at least 15 units per semester full of high level math and chemistry classes; plus all the gen. ed programs. I thought about that one. But even in biotech, I'd need a higher degree.

  So, I walked out a little bummed about the whole thing. I considered other courses from the college, but realized the only appeal of driving an hour to school was for that one specific program. I decided the smartest thing to do was to look at what my college (a few miles away) has to offer. I let Gary know, then came home to check things out.

 Most of the programs I came across didn't really appeal to me. Sure, there were a lot of sciences, but even with these ones, careers in those fields would require me to at least get a master's degree. I haven't planned that far ahead and I'm not too sure if I want to go down that field. Don't get me wrong, the school has wonderful programs, but nothing I felt would be worth the money without going to school forever. Computer science is always good and handy, but getting an associates in CS doesn't really do much when I can just buy books and learn from home (Gary tells me this anyway).

 Finally, I came across something that didn't really grab my attention but I kept scrolling back up to. A science degree in automotive technology. Not exactly what my dreams were all about. But for some reason it kept calling out to me, and the more I thought about it, the better it seemed. It's hands-on (which I'm good at), doesn't require people skills (again), and it's a very valuable thing to learn. Even if I wasn't working later after graduation, I'd still have a skill that could save us hundreds of dollars in car repairs and mechanics. Not only will I get a degree in the program, I'd also be certified upon graduation to start work. Not too bad, right? While I was reading the requirements and information, Gary glanced over my shoulder and said, "Ooh, go for that one! Do you realize how valuable it is to learn something like that? We'd save hundreds if not thousands in car repairs; not to mention we'd know what we were getting into when buying cars, and you'd be able to start your own business if needed (if we lived out in the boonies someday on a ranch). You could even help people in the ward." While Gary was going off about how happy he'd be if I learned this stuff, I had everything transferred over to this college. Financial aid, orientation, assessments, etc. Now I'm ready to begin this fall.

 I know, rather a dramatic change, but I'm still determined to graduate with something I can benefit from. Since we have old vehicles, I'd be able to practice on them during my free time. Like I said, I didn't grow up wishing to go into this field, but with today's world, I can at least have something I could greatly benefit from (and my family). When Gary and I were watching The Colony some months ago (the show where they get people and throw them out in a closed-off area of the world and force them to survive on their own for several weeks), one of the girls from the most recent show was a mechanic. There were able to accomplish so much because of her skills. Of course, she grew up building cars, so her skills would far exceed mine, but still. So eh, just a thought.

 Anyway, that's the new update.

Summer Mornings and Health

 I just love summer mornings. Nothing beats it except maybe spring mornings; but summer mornings are a bit warmer so I enjoy it, especially when I do outdoor exercises.

 Normally my workout routine goes as follows: I open the patio door and windows to get that morning breeze in early mornings, and workout on my EA Sports Active for the Wii in my living room. The sound of birds chirping is always nice and refreshing. I do about 30 minutes of my own personal routine (lots of cardio and upper body one day, and lots of cardio and lower body the next). Every now and then I do half an hour of sports routines. Anyway, it averages to about 300-400 calories for that half hour, which isn't bad. And trust me, these are workouts, not easy stuff...enough to leave you sore for a couple of days if not prepared.

 Then, later in the evening, I do it again. This time with the doors closed and air conditioning on because it's much warmer outside and it's nice having cold air blasting you while working out. Plus, energy levels are higher in the afternoon and you're much more likely to burn more calories. Interesting fact, huh?

 Anyway, I know it seems like a lot, but I. feel. GREAT. I could swear my Hashimoto's symptoms have disappeared. Of course, I still take my daily medication because the disease itself won't ever go away, but the symptoms are pretty much non-existent. My joints don't hurt, I'm not tired all the time, I have energy like none other, my skin isn't crazy dry, my hair is healthy and my nails are actually growing. I feel fantastic.

 Of course, my diet has a lot to do with it as well. I track everything I eat and do on livestrong.com/thedailyplate- for free. The website pretty much has every food and brand listed with all the nutritional information, so all you do is start typing it and it pops up and sticks it on your chart. You can always customize if they don't have it though. Anyway, you put in your height and weight, and how much you want to lose per week (reasonably, at least). From there, based on your body description, they'll tell you how many calories to consume per day to reach that goal. Burning off lots of calories gives you the opportunity to eat a little more. This website is amazing and totally works. It also tracks and lets you know if you've gone over your sodium, carbs, protein, etc (based on a daily value). When I started it, I realized how many calories I was actually eating, even if I thought I was being healthy. It was a reality hit, but since tracking, I have definitely been losing the desired weight. Pretty awesome. Oh, and I also like to drink herbal teas before each meal. Not only are they excellent for me, they keep me from eating too much when I do eat.

I also take vitamins consistently every single day. My thyroid pill in the morning, a very good multivitamin in the afternoon with lunch, and the rest of my pills in the evening before bed. This includes kelp (for thyroid-does wonders on weight loss too), high brand omegas, extra super b-complex, and my vitex if necessary. Thanks to the nutritionists in the ward and the hormone expert at our local vitamin store, I feel amazing. Holistic really does work; I'm living proof.

You'd think I'd be overwhelmed with all of this, but I'm not. I've been doing it since January and have lost about 30 lbs since then (40 lbs total so far) and it's so easy and completely worth it. Not to mention my hormones have been regular for at least 6 months now. Which reminds me, my Dr. appointment update is on my other blog (good news- I'm healthy!).

But anyway, that's that. This morning when I attempted to workout on my Wii, I noticed chew marks on the wiring of the sensor bar. Bad, bad, bad kitty. So, glancing outside, I decided I was going to take advantage of the beautiful morning and go for a fast-paced but scenic walk around my favorite lake. SO glad I did so. I feel amazing.

 I always feel so much better when I take a walk like this. It leaves me glowing the rest of the day and much more appreciative of the lord's earth.

 Thanks for reading this long post.

 Also, the realtor guy contacted us and sent us many many properties that will be move-in ready (paperwork included) by the time our lease is up. Fun stuff. Some of these homes are just beautiful:

 

 A few of them have land and one even has its own barn. So, we'll see :)

And the Winner Is...

 Yosemite!

Part of the campground

   We decided we're going to spend a week in Yosemite next month for our summer vacation.  We made our reservations and are looking forward to it! I realized while making the reservation we had the choice to have our tent camping by a lake. There are 130 tent sites.

   One thing I forgot to mention about Thousand Trails is you can rent yurts (lake and hillside), cabins, bunkhouse cabins and trailers. We'll just stick to our tent, but if we decide to go to Yosemite or somewhere north during the winter where it snows, we'll consider renting a cabin or yurt so we don't freeze to death. I know there are sleeping bags made for it, but still.

   The Yosemite campground is 400 acres. You can swim (they have a "beach"), fish and pan for gold. It also has many fun and awesome activities. Of course, Yosemite is just beautiful and I'll be mostly going on nature hikes and enjoying the scenery. Hopefully by then I'll be able to use my camera. I ordered a new charger from Amazon and it came completely dead. So I contacted them and they'll be sending me a new one which I pray will work this time so I can finally use it!

Since I had the weekend off, Gary and I spent it camping at the Soledad Canyon campground. We had a lot of fun! We arrived Friday morning/afternoon, found a great location for our camp and spent a good deal of the day at the adult lodge. First, we started off by going to the ginormous swimming pool since it was hot. Gary always called it the ice pool as a kid, and he had good reason to! I thought I was stepping into the Pacific ocean. After a fun swim, we wimped out and went to the adult lodge where we swam in the outdoor heated pool. It's not jacuzzi hot, but just warmer water. We had fun playing swimming games and goofing off in the pool- people probably thought we were teenagers by the way we were "drowning" each other and splashing. Haha. We then headed inside the lodge and played some pool. I got my butt kicked by Gary since I've never been good at the game.

We spent Saturday playing mini-golf, more swimming, and even headed to Palmdale 10 miles away to check out their mall and get a few items needed. You see, I completely forgot to bring our quilt blanket so we FROZE the first night with just a sheet and blanket. I wasn't too proud of myself. But when we stopped in Palmdale we purchased an air mattress bedding set, which is super cute. It comes with a fitted sheet, comforter (which you can attach to the fitted sheet and zip up like a sleeping bag-awesome), and 2 blow-up pillows and pillowcases. It was a cute set and we were definitely warmer the 2nd night.

 We also saw housing in Acton and the super nice areas between Acton and Palmdale, and in Palmdale itself. Gary says we can totally do something like that. There were big, gated homes with lots of horse property. While we were in the mall, we came across a real estate listings store and checked it out. The homes are way affordable and when we told the guy we're from Valencia, he perked up, especially when we told him how much rent we're paying. He got our contact information and has been sending properties via e-mail. Gary started talking about getting a house when our lease is up. He's never actually done that before (normally he's a "we'll think about it" kinda guy), but this time, after actually seeing these giant homes with land, he's much more interested. The real estate agent said he'll send us properties that are of higher class and with land. I've never seen Gary so excited about buying a house before, so we might actually do it this time around. Exciting!

 Anyway, just thought I'd give an update. Time to wake my husband up from his nap and watch some Robin Hood (tv series). Later!

Next Vacation Spot

   Since Gary and I highly enjoyed camping, we decided to take it a step further to see what we could do.

   Growing up, Gary and his family were very involved in Thousand Trails, a membership campground company which operates resort-living private campgrounds. Talking about his childhood memories, especially with his dad, got him excited to look into a membership for us and our future family.

    We made a few phone calls and drove to our nearest Thousand Trails campground, which is about 20 miles northeast from here. We were able to stay a free night to check it out. This specific campground was the most memorable to Gary although he's been to many since his family did a lot of traveling growing up.

   Our biggest concern of course was noise. However, when it reached about 7pm, it quieted down and by 10pm, it was dead silent. We were actually shocked, especially since so many people were there. Someone later explained to us the reasoning for this: everybody has a membership, therefore they are all respectful of one another. If any noise gets too loud in the night (parties, etc), the ranger on duty can kick them out, membership or not. Sweet. Alcohol isn't even allowed in the park since it's family oriented.

   Anyway, Gary and I headed over to the adult center that night where we swam in the heated pool and later soaked it up in the giant jacuzzi with other friendly adults. Speaking of friendly, everybody was SO friendly! People would happily wave driving or walking by and even strike up conversations. Pretty awesome.

 The next afternoon, we purchased a membership and here's why:

• The parks are huge. Our nearest park is 266 acres with many campgrounds. 
• You can choose your own campsite. By the lakes, by all the entertainment, out in the boonies, whatever.
• It's resort-style living, so it has miniature golf, pool tables, swimming pools and hot tubs, lake activities if by a lake (fishing, boating, etc), and many other awesome things.
• It's quiet at night with family-friendly rules
• We have one so close to us, we can go every other weekend if we want
• The camping is unlimited. We have 30 camping nights in a year, and it's only $3 per night after we've reached that limit.
• We can go to any campground. We didn't buy the nation membership, just the Southwest (CA, AZ, NV).
• Best of all, we got an amazing deal on the membership.

  As you can see, we'll greatly benefit from it and we are totally looking forward to all of the fun trips. Here are some pictures from the trip:

The spot we chose for our campsite

Beautiful stream running near us

The stream continued, plus the miniature golf course

The GIANT swimming pool.

Pond nearby with some fishing (and cute ducks)

Gary made breakfast that morning :)

  So, we decided next month we are going to take a big, week-long trip to a campground a bit further from here and we narrowed it down to these choices:

Non-beach:

Yosemite Lakes:

Lake Tahoe:

 Las Vegas: (because it's 6 miles from the strip)

OR beach:

Santa Barbara (lots of horseback riding):

Palm Springs (very popular):

San Diego (3 different San Diego locations):

 Gary says it's like having a free hotel and being able to go anywhere :)

 Also, if anyone at anytime wants to camp, let us know! You are welcome to join us for free. There are also many locations up north by Sacramento and San Fransisco.

 Okay, bed time. Bye!

The College

  NOTE: I posted a blog earlier today. Read that first to catch up!


  As you have learned, I drove to the college grounds today. First of all, I didn't know Moorpark was in its own little world up in the mountains. It may have been just the route I took, but it's really beautiful there.
 There are 3 different ways of getting there. The 5 to the 405 to the 118, the 5 to the 118, or the 126 to the 23. Naturally, I took the 126 because there's hardly any traffic. Well, I probably won't go that way anymore. It's about 30 miles away but it took me an hour.

 I didn't know the 23 was a mountain climb. After 10-15 minutes, I thought for sure I missed something and was certain I was just heading up the mountains. It felt like I was driving to the cabin (for those of you who know those roads). I pulled over, pulled out my map to verify, but for sure it told me to keep going. So, I did. Finally, I saw a sign, "Welcome to Moorpark" and a city appeared out of nowhere. It's a  beautiful area and I was almost overwhelmed with the sudden appearance of life and buildings. So, I followed the road until I reached the campus. I spent a small amount of time walking the grounds and getting a feel of everything from the fountains to the walkways and parks. Unfortunately I can't see the counselor for at least 10 days, but I'm not too worried. Even if most of the classes are full, at least I can get some out of the way if I have to. 

Shot from the academic building. Most of the buildings are up the hills behind

 me

Finally after my little self-guided tour, I headed back to my car and decided to take a different route. Since the 118 entrance was literally right there, I took that instead and took it to the 405/5. I realized it was 20-25 minutes less than the 126 route. I'll stick to this one from now on.

I also was almost very tempted to change my major when I discovered something awesome about the college.

  That above me would be the college zoo. Yes, a zoo. Everything from lions, tigers, hyenas, lemurs to spider monkeys (true that), to all other sorts of monkeys, exotic birds, alligators and other awesome animals. They said there's about 150 applicants to the zoo program but they can only accept 50. Ah, well.

  Okay, that's that. Time for dinner!

Going For It

     I decided I'm going all-in. I've spent too much time thinking and planning and looking things up, but finally I'm taking action. I'm going back to school full-time this fall.

     Although I do have a medical transcription diploma, it doesn't seem like enough. So, I told myself I'm young and to stop procrastinating and to actually go to real college. Recently I've been looking around at community colleges and universities nearby. We have a couple near us, but they didn't have the programs I was looking for. So, I looked at the colleges near other counties; Ventura county for that matter. Lo and behold, they have programs I'm looking for.

 So, I applied to Moorpark community college in Ventura county, got accepted, went to orientation, took the assessment tests, and am driving down there today to see a counselor and get registered and ready for this fall. I even called my high school and had them mail my transcripts over. I have a set goal on what I'm exactly going to do.

     My plan is to graduate with a degree in science, my major being radiologic technology. Blackstone said they are willing to send my medical transcripts to the college, but I am uncertain if the college will accept it or not. If so, that would knock a few classes off the to-do list; which would be wonderful so I know I didn't waste my money and time learning all of that medical terminology and anatomy.

 The last year of school will require me to do clinical work in a lab. The work will be mingled with other classes so I don't have to worry about an extra year tagging along (thank goodness). The clinical lab work is wonderful because it will be giving me experience at an actual hospital/clinic; so I don't graduate and find myself searching for entry-level jobs in the field (they do have job placement).

 So why did I choose this field? It's nuclear medicine...which to me, is pretty amazing. When I graduate I plan to specialize in MRI technology. This can either be obtained by a one year certificate program or getting a BS degree specializing in radiologic technology (which I plan to do).  Not only does it make a crap-load of money, it has set and steady hours, and it's something I will love to do.

What about my job? Well, Gary supports my decision to do what I need to do. If I find myself too overwhelmed with school, I have permission to leave if necessary. So there ya have it. Emilee is finally jumping on board and taking action.

Jobs and Blog Posts

  I'm probably being very brave posting my job thoughts on here, but I shall proceed cautiously.

  I love my job. I really do. I love being able to play with the animals, take care of and spoil the cats (I call it my therapy time-walking into the cat section and being affectionate right back at them when they meow and nudge the bars to greet me-it's a great way to banish stress) and learn more and more everyday about fish and other small animals. I've been at it for a year and half simply because there's been no reason to leave.

  I have finished my program with a 4.0 GPA. I spent many hours studying terminology, disease processes, anatomy, and any other medical subject possible. I still have MUCH more to learn and need to take time to refresh myself, but I have indeed finished. Like any other person would agree, it's time for me to put my education to use. My school has already been paid off, but I still refuse to let my knowledge just sit. So, the job hunt begins.

  My current job has hired more people in the department, meaning our hours have taken a nosedive. I've been working 10-15 hours per week. Do I love the free time? Why, yes I do. However, it's not how I want to live right now. We don't have children and I know it's the perfect opportunity to save money and do something I love-work in the medical field. Getting my foot in the door is exactly what I need so someday I may work from home if necessary. It may also be a great foundation to continuing my education as well.

 On that note, I have found two wonderful jobs I could most definitely benefit from. They're both a little more south (Glendale and Baldwin Park), but I'm willing to commute if it means getting the job I want and need. One is in the pathology department and the other is in clinical research. They both have steady hours, marvelous benefits, and more pay than I've ever made, but most of all, they're just what I desire.

So, I am asking for prayers as I pursue this new world.

On an entirely different subject, I read a blog post from a friend of mine about romance books and how they can be like pornography to women. It actually makes a great amount of sense. Here's a link to her friend's original post: Romance Novels and Not-so-Romantic Results.

It's almost depressing these days how women will avoid something so wonderful simply because they can't seem to find their footing on the real world. They're merely swept away in fantasy land and dreaming about the perfect man. Let's not forget to mention married women who continuously live in a non-fiction universe and allow it to eat away at their marriage while they speak down to their husbands and see them as less valuable- all because they can't separate a romance novel and things as they really are. Which reminds me of this great article by Elder David A. Bednar- Things as They Really Are.

Well, it's time for me to head out. I'm actually working today (gasp), so I have many things to get done (which is mostly just being lazy and relaxing so I can be completely stress-free when I walk into work later, but still). :)

From Bed to Dirt

  Here's our out of town adventure:

  On Friday evening, we both left for Oxnard where we spent two nights camping on the beach. Now, Gary and I haven't been camping since being married. He went a lot as a child as did I. However, due to his allergies, it's been hard. Anyway, we didn't have much camping gear, but bought ourselves a small tent and some blankets.

 We arrived Friday evening, set up our tent, and had hot dogs with Josh and Megan DeMasters, as well as Jeremy and Jessica Packer (dinner provided by DeMasters). We all sat around the campfire chatting, making s'mores (with giant marsh mellows), and even tried the Russian boar meat from a boar Jeremy shot and killed himself. I actually thought it was pretty yum. Just a couple slices filled me up though, but it was tasty.

Josh (left) and Jeremy (right) - yummy hot dogs!

Sitting around the fire pit. From left: Gary, Megan, Josh, Jeremy & Jessica

Gary

Gary again!



Our tiny tent



 So after playing with fire and enjoying ourselves, we decided it was time to go to bed. It was still pretty early, but we had a big day ahead and Jeremy had some sheriff deputy training early the next morning. So, the adventure began.

 Gary and I crawled into our "2-3" man tent after setting up blankets. We didn't have an air mattress, but instead folded blankets under us for comfort. Okay, so it wasn't super comfortable, but it did the job. Anyway, I was the first to lay down on the floor and stretch out, when suddenly I noticed how I was almost too tall for the tent. At this point, I knew it was bad news for Gary, who crawled in next to me. Moments later, I hear, "I feel like a canned sardine". I turn my head and the vision I see sends me laughing to no end. His head was pressed up against the back and his feet against the front. I almost died. That boy was much too tall. While he continued on with the jokes, I continued laughing to tears. I then realize laughs coming from the tent next to us (the others in the group) because they were overhearing everything. I love my husband, I really do. After some tossing and turning, we finally managed to get comfortable enough.

 Next thing I know, the camp next to us had two women talking rather loudly. Alcohol was involved and they were laughing and chatting over something until about 1am. Now, as some of you know, when you visit a public campground, there are rules. The rules posted all over the park read, "Quiet time is between 10pm-6am." Clearly these women weren't following the rules. While I was going over in my head all the nasty things I wanted to shout at them, Gary politely exited the tent and walked over there himself. When he arrived back to the tent, all was quiet again and we fell asleep. Luckily, the women were very respectful and didn't know they were being so loud and were suddenly quiet when Gary approached him. See, I'm glad he was the one who went over there, haha. But if you think that night had loud neighbors, there are horrors ahead.

Saturday morning arrived, and Gary and I woke up to the sound of an abominable-sounding bird right outside of our tent. We stretched and sat up. 5:30am. Since we were responsible for breakfast that morning, we pulled ourselves out of bed and began the day with hot showers and prepping breakfast. The showers require quarters to use. In my luck, the person before me must've stuck several quarters in because I had a 10-15 minute hot shower without adding all the quarters (I put in a few to be safe). Around 7am, we cooked up eggs, sausage, bacon and pancakes and provided juice. We all sat around the newly lit fire pit and enjoyed our tasty breakfast.

When everyone had gotten ready for the morning, we all decided to take a walk to the beach itself and enjoy the ocean. The boys sat around for guy talk while the girls and I went for our own walk.

Beautiful beach



Gary and I







Us girls (Megan, Jessica, me). The wind's blowing my shirt so I look pregnant. Ah, well.



  After we spent a good time at the beach, we headed back to camp for a bit to hang out, then decided to head to Ventura Harbor Village where we did some shopping and ate fish and chips for lunch. From there we headed to the nearest Target and did some more shopping.

 Gary told me he really enjoyed the night and his allergies weren't bad (salty beach air) and says he wants to go camping more often. Because of this, he was interested in investing in a bigger and better tent as well as an air mattress and other camping gear we didn't have beforehand. So, we upgraded.





9-man tent with an attachable room divder as well as a covered patio. Well, it would probably better comfortably sleep 6 men.




 We also purchased a big air mattress to sleep more comfortably. See, now we're set.

 After we set everything up, I decided it was time for a small nap. So, I rested a bit. A little later, I heard small chattering (and pattering) and realized it was sprinkling. It had been sprinkling a little earlier, but it was picking up just a tad. I noticed the chattering was nearby, so I slowly zipped down a window and saw the girls sitting in our indoor tent patio with a table and chairs, chopping vegetables. Haha.

 Dinner was a lot of fun and really delicious. We had foil dinners. We added our meat, vegetables, potatoes and seasonings, then tossed it on the coals to cook. Yum! The Packers provided dinner that night.

 

 After dinner and chocolate-filled bananas (also cooked over the coals), we enjoyed our last evening around the fire pit. We seriously spent like 20 minutes talking about farts and poop. But it was hilarious nonetheless. Oh, and one of the funniest things about the trip? Our first night, Josh walked out of the tent wearing a headband with a light attached. There's a couple of daylights and a night light. The other boys thought it was the most amazing invention ever. They had so much fun asking Josh to "spot them a light" while they went to the table, etc. By night 3, this is end result:
 

They seriously couldn't help themselves. They were like boys with a video-game filled Christmas when it came to playing with these lights. It was awesome.

So, we settled the night by throwing everything into our last big fire, including some colorful fire additions (forgot what they're called), provided by Josh.

 Finally, it was time for bed. Because we're respectful and decent human beings, we quieted down by 10pm and got ready for bed. However...

 The women neighbors who had been loud the night before had left the next morning, so a new group of people had joined. Throughout the day they blasted their music and partied; which wasn't a problem because it was daytime and nothing's wrong with having fun. Yet when 10pm rolled around, it didn't stop. There were about 30 people there, including at least 10 children. They. Were. LOUD. Gary and I decided to give it some time before speaking up. When 11pm hit, we knew we had to do something. The rest of our party seemed quite annoyed at this as well. So, Gary crawled out of the tent and disappeared for a bit.

Before Gary even opened his mouth, all of the homies decided to gather around him gangster-style and ask, "What is it, man? What's up?". When Gary asked them politely if they'd follow the park rules and quiet down, they became very hostile with him and refused, saying, "It's camping, man, deal with it. We'll do whatever we want." They were all clearly drunk. So, not wanting to start anything, Gary came back to the tent. We couldn't get a hold of any park rangers either. They were rudely getting as loud as possible, swearing up storms, and one woman laughed constantly like a hyena on meth. It was impossible. Not to mention the tent with the children was closest to ours, and we could hear the children mimicking the parents by using the F-word every chance they got. After much prayer, I was finally able to fall asleep.

At about 2 or 3 that morning, a car alarm went off from one of their cars. They didn't respond to it for at least 5 minutes. Instead, Gary and I heard scuffling behind our tent and a teenage-sounding girl arguing. She kept crying out something, and at one point I swore I heard, "Johnny's dead." I went to sit up, but Gary wouldn't let me. This guy pretty much beat up his child (I guess she was trying to sneak out and got caught) behind our tent. Finally the alarm went silent and I was able to fall back to sleep. Yes, we are tired.

I was tempted to grab Josh, but I knew even if he flashed his badge (he's a cop)  it wouldn't accomplish much; just provoke them. Oh, what a night. Early that morning, however, when we all awoke, Jessica went around camp shouting loudly, "GOOD MORNING EVERYONE! GOOD MORNING GARY! GOOD MORNING EMILEE!" It was hilarious. Gary and I weren't quiet taking our tent down either.

So, that was that. We headed back home, unpacked and cleaned, took long hot showers, and now Gary is napping. It sounds nice. But we had a blast and are looking forward to doing it again (minus the inconsiderate muchachos). Anyway, that was our weekend adventure. It was a nice getaway!