I just posted 34 pictures into one blog. It was like pulling teeth; I think Blogger might hate me now. LOL >> AS THOUGH IT DIDN'T ALREADY! heehee

I promise, YOU'LL be as exhausted by the end of this post as were we on Sun./Mon.!!

The following two pictures are to hopefully show you how cuh-RAZY our tomato plants are growing. I'm afraid they might be trying to grow until they reach some sun. Yet, how could they grow this much if they arne't getting enough sun??





This is another picture which won't make sense to all readers. It's a complaint about getting one certain song stuck in one's head ... even if it's a perfectly good, well-liked song!! This cereal box has been in our house for two weeks or more, so my poor brain kept finding itself mentally singing, "The service of Jesus, true pleasure affords. In Him there is joy without an alloy. Tis heaven to trust Him and rest on His word, IT PAYS to serve Jesus each day.... IT PAYS to serve Jesus, IT PAYS every day. IT PAYS every step of the way...."!! It's exhausting!! lol I was so happy to see that box on its way to the recycle bin!



I've always been curious about Fried Green Tomatoes. I made some, using tomatoes from our garden. They were okay, but I'll change them up a bit next time and see if we like them better.




Chewie is NOT little any more, no matter how much he tries to curl himself into a tiny ball.



Saturday we made it down to the building in time to help clean up the Clothing Giveaway ... or so I'd planned. It was DONE!! Those ladies had started cleaning it up earlier than I'd thought they would!! I spent Saturday doing laundry and baking more banana bread for my special purpose for which I'm needing 10 loaves -or something- (thank you gifts re. the $$ for the engine); thankfully HyVee keeps putting bananas on sale! lol I spent some time on Facebook on Saturday ... how very fun and interesting. -wow- The three of us also rode our bikes to the bike trail and a little ways down it; the hills we live on rrrrrreally complicate the matter (sigh). Gotta get our muscles built up.

And then Sunday. Of course, with Jeremy gone it was a bit of a strange day for *everyone*, but mostly I just felt lonely; everyone is super understanding, though, and thoughtful in their words and actions regarding Jeremy's absence. I was interested and happy to have my first experience hearing lessons by our elders! Awesome!!

Then, it was off to Adventureland with the Thompsons, who get free passes every year (from their realtor) for their family to attend, plus a deep discount for any additional tickets they want to buy to take along more people. They bought us tickets, along with Katie & Kieran, too. We had a picnic lunch there, before entering the park, and then -woah- (blink, blink) ... this is a GREAT(!) place! True, we had one run-in with a mean attendant (sad), but other than that it was just a fun, fun day. Well, (caviat) (?sp) >> we did learn that Justus is NNNNNNOT ready for roller coasters. (Bad Mom of the Year award - again) :*( Thankfully that was short-lived and seems to be only vaguely remembered by the youngest member of our famiy.

The Thompsons like to take Katie & Kieran along (It's become a tradition.) because neither of them wants to *have* to ride every ride any of their four children of various ages might want to ride. Katie & Kieran (ages 14 & 12) like to do it ALLLLL, and they are ssssso good with children that it's a no-brainer to take them along for extra supervision, help, and fun. :)

No one but Katie & Natasha wanted to do the Space Shot. I was ssso surprised that N wanted to do it!! She's never been on anything like that before, but she didn't even blink! Even with all that time there to stand in line and soak up what she was about to experience didn't intimidate her at all!!! (She's on the far right.)



(N is second from the right; that's Katie on the far right.)


While Katie & N waited for the Space Shot, the other children except McKenna (too little) rode the Frog Hopper, a kids' version of the Space Shot. Justus wasn't too thrilled about it, but did enjoy it. Hey, there's a first time for everything. The Thompsons' Ross (same age as N) is beside J. His sister, Devyn (7), is second from the right, and brother Caden (5) is on the far right.




Since N enjoyed the Space Shot so much, Ross convinced her she *had* to try the Silly Silo (spins around so fast the floor falls out and riders stay against the wall). Sure enough, she rrrrrreally liked it.



Next was the log ride. Kieran rode with N & J (I missed that picture.) and Katie rode with Devyn and Caden. We adults didn't want to risk getting thaaat soaked. lol


Well, if Justus and Devyn could enjoy the log ride, wouldn't they like the Silly Silo? They sure did!! [See how soaked Kieran got??!! (on the right)]



So then it follows that if Justus and Devyn enjoyed the Silly Silo, wouldn't they like the "Tornado"??! [I should have *known*, just from its NAME!!] We waited in line.





This was my view going up that first hill on the Tornado. It all went downhill from there, in every way. ha! Justus told me later he started crying coming down that first hill; I didn't realize how serious he was until the third hill. But by that point I wasn't enjoying it either. It was SO ROUGH! -uggh- So we had some good hugs, made a good agreement that he isn't allowed to try another roller coaster 'til he's 9 (maybe his body will be old enough to take it), and wiped all those tears away! :*(




Then he and I went to feed the catfish, much more his speed. lol


Here are some 'waiters'. :) Missy, McKenna, and Darin. [I just could NOT pass up that pretty background!]











This was what Kieran, N, Ross, Caden, and Devyn were riding:


Next up, the double-loop roller coaster. N was so excited that she and Kieran went ahead and got in line even before I decided I would ride with Katie. There were a handful of people between us in line, and when we got up there, Kieran and N ended up going on a completely different train than Katie and I did!! Didn't phase N one.bit. (blink, blink) I said, "If it helps your stomach, don't hesitate to scream!" Once they got locked down, N told me later Kieran said, "I dare you not to scream." And SHE DIDN'T! Just rode it like she was on the way to a tea party. Here you can see her waiting in line.



Then we went and waited FORTY.FIVE.MINUTES (not thaaaaat long, I guess, but -blech- I hate waiting, especially since half of that wait was in the sun) to get on the giant water slide. Sadly, it really is a pretty short ride, but very, very nice.



The kiddos who didn't want to do the Sidewinder did this cute little wagon train ferris wheel ride. That is all four Thompsons + Justus.



Only Katie, Kieran, and N had the guts to do the Sidewinder. I would have enjoyed it, but I was getting really tired and headachy by then. (Too little sleep the night before, and probably some dehydration, didn't assist my head with dealing with the rough spots on the two roller coasters I rode.) The idea is a 'tire swing' that rotates as it swings. Look at how relaxed & excited N is before the ride!



Here N can be seen on the left, the first one in the sunlight.



When she got off that ride walking straight and smiling hugely, Ross (her same age) told her, "Natasha, you are the.bravest.person.I.have.ever.heard.of!!!"

Next Katie and I took the little boys on the Teacups. :)





Missy took Ross & the girls on the parachute ride.





Then, while Katie, Kieran, and N went on the rocking Pirate boat (Sound familiar, Dad???!!), the rest of us played some games. The first one was a water gun game. Darin helped Justus, and Justus ended up winning!! He won a stuffed fish!



Then Justus played a frog game to try to catapult the frog into a lily pad flower. Justus wasn't strong enough. :(



Needless to say, we barely eeked our way through Sunday evening's service, and then we were the very.last.people to leave, along with Joe & Sandy, because Sandy was giving me my instructions for my Bible class I'll start teaching a week from Wed. [A unique class it will be!! One high-needs student, a girl, age 11, who it is believed is suffering from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, bad. -uuuuugh- (Katie & Kieran's adopted sister.)] OH! And then after I tucked in the children, I had to go back out, late, again (TWICE IN ONE WEEK!), to go back to the building to pick up the labels and mail-out inserts I needed for the final mail-out for Pray Over Iowa. I was the one set up to do the mail-outs, and Monday was the lllllast day they could go out. I did NOT want to have to go out first thing after awaking that next morning!

Monday I did get the mail-out done, including a trip to the P.O.. Then we had a lupper (heehee) at the Italian food place close by. In the evening N & I rode bikes, and it was hhhhhhard work, because we were ssssso tired, it being the end of our really hard day-following-that-Sunday!! On Sunday JoAnn had given us, probably a full pound - or more - of cherry tomatoes from her plants!! So Monday marked the first day that Justus actually ASKED for a tomato!! Again and again, actually! [Always before we have had a hard time getting him to eat tomatoes.] Happy day!