Mom and Dad's Visit Part Duex

Mom and Dad's visit with the Millers and me was mostly spent in Tennessee.  But they did come and spend a day and a night in Brown County, IN.  We went over and had a cook-out at the Chris's place.  We had burgers, fresh-picked sweet corn, and many other goodies.  The kiddos warmed right up to Mom, which they do not usually do with strangers.  She is a "kid magnet" as she says, and it is very true!  We spent the evening just hanging outside and eating.

We used the left over buns to feed the fish in the pond.  The kids kept eating it more than the fish, though.

We picked sack worms off a tree because Mom and Dad had seen them all over the place but did not know what they were.

We ran around in the grass and played three flies up with tennis balls, getting rather sweaty in the humidity.  We also had an egg toss with a bunch of bad eggs, which eventually ended up cracked all over ourselves.  And we let the kiddos chuck them at the tree to watch them splatter open.

Mom and Dad also got to attend little Cottonwood Church where I introduced them to the congregation.  We also were asked to be the greeters at the end of the service.  So of course everyone wanted to come up and meet them.  We had lunch afterwards with some of the church goers.  So Mom and Dad got to get to know some of the people better.  I think they had a pretty good time in Brown County, aside from the many bug bites Mom said she had all over her legs.  But they had it pretty good really, hardly any heat and humidity compared to what I have experienced! 

Murder

Its midnight.  I have been asleep about an hour.  I needed sleep since I had not gotten good sleep for a week.  I was happily warm and snuggled in my blankets when I awoke. 

What was that? Am I still dreaming… rustle rustle crinkle rustle… What is that noise?  Must be the air-conditioning vent blowing something.  I roll over.  The noise stops momentarily…rustle crinkle rustle rustle… Wait a minute.  Why did the noise stop when I moved?  It can't be the vent blowing.  Did someone walk into my room to get something after I fell asleep?  No, thats ridiculous, wake up Erin!  

…rustle rustle rustle…  Ok, there is definitely something in my room!  And it must be rummaging through the plastic bag at the foot of my bed.  It is huge, I know it!  It is going to go for my toes next!  Quick, I jump out of bed and run out the door, throwing the light on but not looking back to see what was there.  

I stand in the hallway feeling silly.  I can't wake up Darrel and Cathy, I am a wimp.  But I hear movement in their room.  

Cathy!!  There is an animal in my room!!  

Together we go back to the bag at the foot of my bed.  But there is nothing there.  

AAHHH!!! There it is! There it is!!  A gray mouse uses my dangling blowdryer chord to dart down the trunk (where he had been feasting on my previously un-opened 100 Grand bar) onto the floor and into the closet.  Darrel dives in after it, throwing boxes and towels at it in the attempt to catch it.  But it is of not use.  The mouse escapes into David's vacant , though terribly messy, room and under the bed.  The solution is then to put a mouse trap in the room and duct tape the door to seal it from allowing the mouse to escape.  Eventful night.  I fall back to sleep with ears alert for anymore rustling.

Note:  the mouse has yet to be caught in any of the traps.  But he left little presents all over the room to let us know he is still there.  We wait, plotting his murder.

Parents visit the Midwest Part I

Note: This post contains lots of pictures!  But I just couldn't narrow it down any further!

Mom and Dad came to experience the Midwest for the first time.  I must say they definitely did not experience the true heat-humidity combo that I wanted.  They needed to suffer as I had through heat indexes reaching 120 degrees!  they spent the middle part of their trip with me and the Miller Family.  David, his parents, one brother and sister in-law, and me and my parents spent four days in Tennessee in the Smokey Mountains.  Here is a morning view from our mountain-top cabin, be jealous!

 We went hiking one day on the Chimney Tops trail.  Its a 4-mile loop with a rock outcropping at the top that you have to scale to see the view.

 View from the top.

 The rock we had to scale.

 I love Dad's expression in this one :)

We took a steep, but paved, hike up to Clingman's Dome to get a good 360 degree view of the Smokeys.

And also took a drive through the 11-mile loop of Cade's Cove, stopping to see the old working Mill and some other old wooden buildings.

 Wildlife spotting.

 David is special.

On the last day we went tubing down the Little Pigeon River.  We had a blast maneuvering through the little rapids.  I think Dad won the award for most times stuck on a rock.  Mom won the award for best wipe out down a rapid, I only wish I had a picture of her limbs flailing out of the water.  And Brett won for most times falling out of his tube, though I think most were probably on purpose.  The rest of us were just too average to have any noteworthy mentions.

 We got a lot of funny looks as we drove up the river like this.

More to come on the visit....

Its Hot. Its Humid.

A lady in the church has a noteworthy quote for this week, "I know its hot out there.  But you can just deal with it.  If we didn't have Jesus it would be a lot hotter!"

So this week has been unbelievably hot.  Just go look at the weather for Brown County Indiana.  I mean we are talking heat indexes up to 120 degrees.  You walk outside and your hands instantly feel clamy from the wetness.  Or glasses and camera lenses fog up.  But we make do.  Either you stay inside in the AC, or you have a little fun outside anyways.

 You put small children on the roof to gather branches that fall on it.

 You cool off with any water source you can find. No matter what you are wearing.

 You eat lots of fresh fruit.

 You lay in the shade without moving so you sweat less. And you must use a sheet to keep the chiggers from eating you alive.

 You play in the rain.  Do not be deceived it is not cool out when it is overcast and raining.

When you only have sisters, you try on earrings even if you are a boy.

 You have tickle fights, which are especially fun since all the miller boys are extremely ticklish.

 You sweat a ton outside and then come inside to cool off.

You kiss your grandma.  Adorable.