Beck's Trip

 For a year Beckham worked and saved to pay for a school trip to Europe. They went to Germany, Switzerland and Austria. We were proud and impressed how hard he worked to pay for the trip. Also, he pretty much went alone. He knew kids on the trip, but he was going because he wanted to go. He packed the night before they left. An international flight put off until the end. He has a calmness to him that I will never have. I would have had to be packed or have piles ready to go, at least a week beforehand. It all worked out well and he packed what he needed. 

I made Brad take him to the airport. Leading up to it I had to stop myself a few times from getting emotional, I knew I could not drop him off and cry a little. So I hugged him goodbye and cried while Brad dropped him off. Waiting for the 'we landed in Vienna' text took way to long to come, but they made it safe and he had a great time. 

A few pics the teachers sent. 

This is now Beck's account of his trip. 

"On about the 6th day we made a detour on our way to Germany to a small town on the edge of France. We were given free time and a group of about 7 kids found a cat café. I assumed it would be like a regular cat café, but instead it was a gentleman's house with 8 different Persian cats. As we were there, the man explained the names and differences between his multiple cats. After about a half hour we left to get with the rest of the group and head back to Germany."

"This was a massive statue of a lion carved into the wall of a very large cliff. It represented a group of men from WWII. The story was along the lines of a captain being away from his soldiers as they were attacked, and his sorrow for his party resulted in the statues. The lines within the cliff side are intentional to the art piece, representing arrows falling toward the sad injured lion."

"On one of the final days, we went to one of the largest churches in Europe. The place was gargantuan in comparison to everything around it. The funny thing was right next to this castle was not only a McDonalds, but a Five Guys nearly directly in front of it."

"This was on the 4th or 5th day, where we went on a tram and a train up to the top of a very large mountain. It was about 7,000 feet in the air, and there were clouds of fog surrounding the entire area. There wasn't much up the mountain except for a few hiking areas where you could go higher up the mountain."

"During one of the first days we went to Salzburg, Austria which is known because it is where The Sound of Music is set. Though I have never seen it, there was a bike tour around town that showed us the different filming and set locations for the film. This photo was in front of the abbey that the lead character left."

"For the final and most unexpected photo, it is the line for security check in the Denver airport... at 3:30 in the morning. We were there because the previous flight back home got cancelled and we needed a hotel to stay at for the night. Though it looked and was very long, I didn't have to walk through it. One of the other students on the trip needed a wheelchair accommodation and I was given the job to push the wheelchair. Because of this we were aloud to cut through lines and it only took about 1/2 and hour to traverse the entire line. But after that I got to the plane that would eventually take me back home.

Over all I really enjoyed the trip. Everywhere we went had beautiful scenery and phenomenal food to go with it. The experiences were fantastic, but I am glad to be back home for a while."

The souvenir Beck made me. I've never had anything with my name spelled correctly on it. 

Cam Anatomy

 Camden finished his anatomy class through ISU last week. He loved the class and can do it a few days a week after school during the year. He thinks he may do that. 

Jackson Camping

This past week Jackson went Camping with my brother Bryan and his family. I was a little surprised he was okay being gone 5 nights, but had a blast. 

I did not help him pack. I said I can if he wants, but he wanted to alone.

This is his week in his words: The first day was just driving there, unpacking, and setting up for the week. The drive was actually fun, everyone was talking, making jokes, and the rest was sleeping. When we arrived we set up and after that we ate something called tinfoil food which was a mixture of potatoes, vegetables, and pork. The dinner was pretty good, I ate most of it and I also tried Chick-fil-a sauce for the first time and I think its really good. Although, the first nights sleep was horrible for me, I went to bed around 12:30-1:00, I kept waking up in the middle of the night, and I woke up at 7:00. The second day was the best day! First we had waffles and pancakes for breakfast, which was delicious. Then we went to a little gift shop to get some ice, while we were there the people who owned the place had a pet baby duck and I got to pet and hold the duck. Then we went to the river and floated the river. This was really fun, it was relaxing for some of it and it was crazy for the rest. I got a few bruises from the rapids but the rapids was the best part. Through the river Jarom and I stayed together. We went back to camp after and showered. The kids tried the pool out but it we really cold and shallow, the max depth was 3ft. Then we ate taco stew which is and bowl of taco ingredients and you dip your chips into it. There was beans in it but I didn't taste or feel it because of all the other ingredients.(everyone but me, Kilie, hates beans in  my family) The second night I had an amazing sleep. I went to bed around 10:30 and I woke up around 10:00. The Third day we went to different stores and went to park. We went to a thrift store were I got a purple monkey and a frog wearing a shirt. The park was pretty good there where swings and a weird spinning thing. Also, while we were there we saw these wasp the burrow, they're called digger wasp. Then we got to the camp and had hotdogs and hamburgers. We only had white bread but it was still really good. The forth day we went to the museum and went to river to float it again. This wasn't as fun but still fun. I got more bruises and I got a scar on my foot from trying to paddle but hitting a rock. For dinner we had chicken and rice, which I thought was really good. I had a decent night sleep I went to bed around 11:00 and woke up around 8:00. The fifth day was just packing and load stuff into the car. The drive home was good because I just slept the whole way and we got ice cream.

Cam Update

 

One big school Camden was hoping and waiting to get a pamphlet from John Hopkins. This past week it finally came. He is like Brad and doesn't show over excitement with much, I may have been more excited than he was. It's cool though to see a top want school send him something.

Emery's Special Night

For a while, Emery has wanted to get her second piercing in each ear. I have wanted to do my helix, so at the beginning of the year I told her I'm going to plan a special night for her. She wanted it for the second special night which was today. We went and got eye brows done last night and then today went and got holes. We both were over thinking the pain, and well it was not bad at all. The noise of the helix was the worst part, so far, we'll see how healing goes. 

She was a little nervous.  

Isn't she beautiful? 

Lazy Paid Off

 If you know me, you know I don't cut my hair very often. I have no real reason than I just don't enjoy it or care to go. I tend to go about 2 times a year and will chop a lot off each time. I was booking Emery an appointment and noticed that the last time I went in was one year ago. I didn't realize it had been that long. I was sick of being so hot at FOB in the sun with all my hair, so I made a day off appointment and chopped it off. When I told her what I wanted she said, it may be long enough to donate. That wasn't my intention, but kind of cool to have happen. She cut off 8 inches off the bottom, then probably a little more evening it all out. It feels so much cooler and lighter now.

Emery's haircut. She knows I put random pictures up so she sent me this one of her hair. 

So Much (For) Fall Out Boy

Last weekend we took another trip to Utah for another concert. This time to see Fall Out Boy and this time I brought another adult. It was out family and Zander who went. The first two openers were okay. Then it was Bring Me the Horizon. I really like a few of their songs, then a few I'm not a super fan, but he was good to watch. He is from England and has a very cool accent. First concert in the lawn. Didn't love it, but didn't hate it either. 

I've said it before but I love how much Jackson looks up to Beck. Jacks Beck and Zander got into a few BMTH songs.

Beck feeling the music deeply here (or just a picture at the right time)

I am not sure what is said in this song and it's a louder scream song, so forewarning on that. I loved watching them during the song, Can You Feel My Heart. Jackson will never cut that hair now, maybe worth it for those moments. 

 

Then Fall Out Boy. They are always good, and this was no different. They didn't talk a ton, they just wanted to play as many songs as they could in the time they had. They played a few we love, a few we haven't heard ever by them, and a few favorites that we were wishing would be live, like The Kids Aren't All Right. Worth the drive and heat, and will go again next time. Which I hope isn't too far away. 

First Date

 Camden went on his first date this week. The other day he asked if I cared if he went on a date and watched movies. I thought he said watch movies but he doesn't know what date, like calendar. It probably was better I thought it was just hanging out and not a date date, I would have probably been awkward...or more awkward. He went with a friend from school and his ISU Anatomy class. They had pizza, watched movies, when the power went out randomly, they went swimming and watched another movie. He said a 10/10 day. 

Full Combo, Times Three and Cold Dogs

A lot of Rock Band is played in our house. It is still so much fun after all these years. We need new instruments, but since you can't buy them anywhere, we're stuck with what we have. Brad, Emery and Cam did something the other night that they have never done before, all three got full combos, which means they all got 100%, no errors on In the End by Lincoln Park. They were pretty excited. 

I had an upset stomach the other day and was using a heating pad. Eevee came in just as I was feeling better so I thought I would burrito her. She loved it to say the least. Once she got warm, she did not want to move. We may need to pull this out in the winter for her. 

Beckham

Beck came to me about a month or so ago he said he wanted to go camping, but he said alone. He is going to Germany soon, and that is making me freak out a little. He will be on another continent away from me for 12 days! And that is with a company and adults who do this often. (I am trying not to thing about graduation/college/mission right now. I know soon they will be out of the house) We told him he can not go alone. He went with a friend from work. They went up by McCall. He said the water was freezing, the mac and cheese he meant to make didn't work out and he didn't sleep at all. So he had a pretty normal camping trip. Not sure how quickly he'll go out again, but he did it. 

I read that coffee grounds can help your plants. We don't drink coffee but Beck gets a free bag a week, if he wants it. So I had him get me a bag. It was only  when it was home that I realized I don't have a way to cook this. Beck said to get filters and he could do it. I think he just poured hot water on them and drained them, but I'm not sure. All I know is our house smelled so bad for 2 days. Jury is still out if it helped my plants or not.

But the snake plant I got for my birthday last year has a baby!(that is probably not what it is called)

Camden

 

Something I never experienced in a 'typical' way was college. I never wanted to go away to college. I knew CSI was cheap, close to my mom and gave me an Associates just like other places could. Having Cam and Beck now going into their senior year, we get a lot of mail for them. Both boys get letters pretty often. Camden is doing a program that also puts his GPA on a site schools can look at. He has kept all the mail so far and it is a lot, and a few from really good schools.