Six Flags

I know this picture is too small to see, but I can tell you how you can see this picture and a few others online. There are several pics of our past two trips to six flags on there! Go to www.mysixflagsphotos.com. Enter my email (if you don't know it, comment on here and I will send it to you) the password is hopelouise. Really original, right? We had a great time there on Saturday with my sister and her family, and then we went back on Monday to see the things we didn't get to see on Saturday. It was a lot of fun. I will post our own photos soon, but I am tired. I am just so tired.

Hope's "New" Dog

Now most of you might recognize this dog as being Abby, the dog we have had for 4+ years, and you would be correct. We sent Abby to the groomers, and they shaved her, as we requested. Abby is a Lhasa Apso, and before we took her in, she looked like a big mop. Since we have gotten home, Hope has been convinced this is not the old Abby. It is a new dog all together, one she has named "Little Abby!"

Quick trip to Arkansas

We made a fast and furious trip to Arkansas this weekend to watch Julia perform in her school's talent show. She was a great cheerleader! We were also able to catch one of Riley's softball game. She can bunt like a pro! We have some talented nieces! Hope was so excited to see everyone, and so mad at John and I when we had to leave so soon! It was fun to see everyone, and hopefully we can see everyone again soon!

John is feeling so much better. He will return to PA on Monday. We have enjoyed having him home this week!

We're Home!

After some more travel woes, I was able to get John home to Texas Sunday morning. He is doing much much better. He even felt well enough to keep Hope home with him today. They stayed pretty low key, but they were both happy to be together. He will go back to his surgeon in PA on Monday and hopefully be cleared to go back to work. Thank you for everyone's prayers! We are so very lucky it wasn't anything more serious!

I have to say I have been so impressed with John's new company and the people he works for and with. They flew me out to John and back, got me a hotel room, picked me up from the airport, printed off directions for me, called and checked on John, brought him magazines, balloons. It has really made us feel we made the right decision in John changing jobs. I am so proud he is a part of such a great company.

My church is pretty awesome, too. I could not survive with out April. She covered all of my duties, plus hers. Sunday was going to be a busy Sunday for me, and I had to call and tell her Saturday night that I wasn't going to make it. She handled it all! She is such a good friend. She also watched Hope until my parents got here. Pastor Mike did the Children's Sermon for me, Becky got stuff ready for the baptism, acolyte, etc. I am so thankful for everyone at NW!

Hope had a great time with her Mimi and Papa Paul. They visited lots of book stores, the park, attended Hope's school program...they were very busy! At one point Mom said she felt like a new mom, she slept whenever Hope slept. We are so thankful they offered to come take care of her! They were on the road headed this way before I had even decided I was going! She said it was all worth it when Hope came running across the room to hug her!

Some highlights of the last few days
* John's Doctor's name was Kong Fooie. Seriously. I didn't spell it right, on purpose, but that is the pronunciation. John didn't believe me that that was his name. It wasn't until he looked at his prescription bottle. He started dying laughing, which really hurt him!

*Today, Hope was studying John's chin. He has not shaved in several days, so it is pretty scruffy. She said seriously "I don't like your chin." John said, "What's wrong with my chin?" She said "It's got grass on it."

I never thought I would be back in Pennsylvania this soon!!!

There truly is ALWAYS SOMETHING going on in our family! Hope and I returned to Texas on Monday, while John stayed in PA to work for the week. During the night on Tuesday, John woke up with excruciating pain. Pain like when I took him to the ER a few months ago when they couldn't figure out what it was. He tried to wait it out, but couldn't, so he went back to the ER in Harrisburg. They quickly figured out the problem--his gallbladder had to come out. So emergency surgery was scheduled for the next morning

So, meanwhile, I get the call Wednesday morning from John. He is telling me he is fine, doesn't need me to fly up there...typical man things. My awesome friends at church supported me and my feeling that I needed to go. April took care of everything for my program for Wednesday night and Hope until my mom and dad could make it from Little Rock, Sharon took care of travel plans and loaned me some cash so I didn't have to stop at the ATM. Then, the ID issue hits me like a rock. I went to get my TX driver's license Monday, and it takes 2 weeks to get it by mail (remember...TX is better than AR) and they took my old AR one, so I do not have a government picture ID, just a slip of paper from the great state of TX saying my license is in the mail. Airport security says you must have the picture ID. Sharon calls the airlines, tells the all the documents I do have, they say it's a risk, but I just might be able to get through if I arrive early. Genius Becky remembers that Hope's Dr's office would have a copy of my old one, so I ran by there to pick it up. At the airport, they search everything that I have with me, and I get the pat down, but I made it through!! Whew! Home free, right? Not so much. The airplane has a fuel leak. Hours later, they switch airplanes, put us on it, we're on the runway when bad weather is headed our way. The captain comes on and says that we will be stuck on the airplane for no less than 2 hours. They finally find a way to get us back to the terminal. They cancel our flight, the only one to Harrisburg for the day. Thanks to John's awesome company, they find a way to get me to Chicago for the night, and a flight from there to Harrisburg first thing in the morning. So, after some more delays for the Chicago flight, I make it there at about 3 a.m., sleep on airport chairs for a couple of hours, and make it to PA at about 10:30, where one of John's friends picks me up to take me to the hospital.

I get there, and John's surgery has been pushed back from 10 to 1:30. So, although he was ready to get it over with, I was happy I got to see him. They were still not sure that they could get it out laproscopically (which John had failed to mention when he was saying I didn't need to come!) They had an opening around noon, so he went in for surgery. It took a little over an hour. And, although they were able to get it out laproscopically, it was so enlarged that it caused more trauma to his muscles than they expected. He should have been able to go home within 3 hours, but they were unable to control his pain, so they kept him overnight again. I was able to finally bring him to his apartment today around 11:30. Right now the plan is for us both to fly home tomorrow evening if he is feeling up to it. Hopefully he can get some good rest today and still be okay to get home tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for their help and prayers! My mom and dad are taking care of Hope in TX. They took her to her end of the year program this morning and said she was wonderful! I can't wait to see pictures! I will post them when I get them!

City Island

We ended our trip

with a round of Putt Putt on City Island in Harrisburg. We have had such a fun trip...probably my favorite trip ever! Hope and I have to catch a really early flight, so we are off to bed!

Child Labor

We went back to Hershey Park today to tour the "Chocolate World" part of the park that we didn't get to see Friday. They put Hope to work in the Kisses factory!

Finally...there is Hope in D.C.

Hershey Street Lamps

I first visited Hershey with one of my childhood friends, Stephanie and her family when I was 10. Stephanie moved to Maryland a few years before, and I went to visit one summer and they took me to a lot of places in the short time I was there! One of the things I remembered was the street lamps in Hershey are shaped like Hershey kisses. I had to snap a few pictures of them as we left town!

Hope's Portrait

John wanted to have Hope's portrait drawn for me for Mother's Day. The poor artist trying to creat a still portrait of a less than still child! She did an excellent job! John got a big reaction out of me when I am sitting with Hope while the woman was drawing, me looking very rough after the long day, and he mouthes the words "She is drawing you behind her!"

The Kissing Tower

There is a

300 + foot observation ride called the kissing tower. The windows you look out are shaped like Hershey Kisses!

This is for Julia

My niece, Julia, is a master at those "claw" games. At Hershey, they had a Giant Claw Machine. I wanted to play just so John could take a picture to show Julia, but lucky me! I won a giant Ernie!

You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the girl!

Hershey Park just got a whole lot sweeter!

We have had a great day today in Hershey, PA. Before you walk into the park, you get measured to see which catergory you are in for rides. Our Hope was a Hershey Miniature! Then they gave her a Hershey Miniature to eat, so as we go into the park, Hope's face was already covered in Chocolate! Does it get any better than that? We rode the Merry Go Round first. Hope said "Mommy, this is a fun day!" She was right, and we had only gotten started.

Her favorite ride was this dinosaur ride. I think she was so proud she could ride it by herself! Her least favorite...this space ship ride that went really fast and high in the air. Even Mommy was scared! It looked innocent enough!

She was pretty traumatized after this one, so we had to take a little break from riding. She did not like to even watch the loud roller coasters. She eventually recovered and we went back to riding. She even got to ride the log ride! She said she liked it, but didn't want to ride again! She loved all the characters in the park, especially "The Chocolate Man!"