my watering can--part of my birthday present from Dave. ISN'T HE CUTE!!! 

the joy of silence, beauty, and the stories of our lives

buckle up folks, you may be in for a long read.
Today as Dave and I were driving back from my parent’s house, I started noticing more of what surrounds me up here in the mountains. I turned off the radio, which I don't do often when I'm not here, considering we don't get radio here because of the mountains, and just pondered inwardly. Dave had dozed off, and I was now in my own little world. The sun was heading in for the evening, and the sky was turning pink, and the mountains were just coming in to view. It was beautiful, magnificent even. The mountain air flowing through the windows--I was speechless. It was nice just to sit there driving, and just enjoy the drive for once. I didn't talk for a couple of hours, even after Dave woke up, I just wanted to enjoy the peace surrounding me, just enjoy those moments of wonder at what God has created. Then I started to watch movies in my head. Do you ever do that? I have a great imagination, and memory, for the movies. I like to watch them again in my head, and then change the story line alot. I also like to put a soundtrack to life. Something will happen, and I'll just think of a song, and maybe I'll "hum" it in my head for the next hour. While driving I was thinking about the book I'm reading right now called "Damned if I do." It's a book of short stories, and I highly recommend it so far. It's so much like life. Our life is just a big book of short stories. How many times have you written stories, books, novels, in your head?! I know I must have written hundreds by now, but would anyone want to read them, I dunno. Anyway, the book has sad and happy, funny and helpful, and even mad stories. So do we. We're not happy all the time, alot of our stories are sad, but they're written anyway. Because, if we didn't have those sad or mad stories, we wouldn't enjoy the happy, helpful ones just as much! I guess this blog today is just about enjoying life. Take the time to look around you, to see the beauty in your town. Even if it's just the wild flowers/weeds growing in the cracks of the cement--stop--breath deeply--and remember that life is worth living, every moment, if only for those few minutes that you smile, or even grin and bear it.
My mom's birthday was today, and we (my mom, my 2 sisters and I) went out shopping and to lunch. It was great! I enjoyed their company so VERY much...even when the twins were screaming through lunch at Cracker Barrel. I love you 3 wonderful women. You three are what I hope to live up to. Mom, you have given me more strength than I could even have wished for. Shannon, you were that shoulder to cry on, and the one who told me when I needed to shape up. Bethany, if I can grow to half the girl you are at 16, wow, you bless me every time I think about you. Thank you, my wonder women, for being my inspiration to push forward and live life to the fullest. I love you all SO very much. Happy birthday Mom.

p.s. my birthday is tomorrow, the 28th :)
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HI's and LOW's

So this week started out REALLY well. I had Sunday AND Monday off, which seems like an eternity after a 57 hour week. Sunday we went to church and I had a long nap in the afternoon---oh so nice. Monday we slept in and I went to the library in the morning. Then we painted our chairs some more and picked up some movies we had wanted to see for awhile. Tuesday was back to work as usual. Except we had a group 0f 92 come in, and that wouldn't be that bad if they weren't SUPPOSE to be a group of 52. Yup, they called on Sunday, TWO days before coming, and said, oh, by the way, we're bringing 40 extra people--see ya then! Yeah, so it was a lil hectic trying to get 32 people through the swing every 2 hours--but I did it anyway. Tuesday night however, was AWESOME. NOC hosts a Raft Guide Olympics every year, and Tuesday was the day. Different teams from all different companies compete. They have to go through a pretty complicated run down the river; hitting eddies, flipping and re-flipping the boat, and slalom through different rocks. Plus, they had to run Wesser Falls, deflate their boat, put it on the truck, and run back to the rentals area. It was pretty sweet to watch. After all the competing we had a big Togo party! It was awesome. We danced until 11 and we could dance no more. Wednesday, back to guiding a group of 92 down the river--8 guided boats, 6 self-guided boats = chaos. Thursday, my last day before I go home to see my parents, work is ok, but I wanna get home to clean the house before we leave the next day. So, I'm goin a lil fast, and sorta zoning out trying to remember all the things I need to do. I usually slow down after one particular bridge when I see the speed limit sign, but I was in my own lil world when I got pulled over. It was a highway patrol car, so obviously there was no getting out of it. Yes, I got my first speeding ticket, and there's a mandatory court appearance--ugh. Anyone have any advice for me? I need to get my speed reduced to, well, keep my license. That made my day definitely suck. But, now we're back at my parents house for a weekend of visa work (finger printing and the such), wedding receptions, and birthday lunches. So hopefully it will be better than my more-lows-than-highs week. PS--my birthday is this coming Tuesday!

How far would YOU go …to get out of using soap?

This is not a story to tell to the young. Viewer discretion is advised

Tonight I learned a new thing about my husband folks, and I jump at the chance to tell you. Yes folks, he has a foot fetish. Now before you recoil in horror, listen to the story I’m about to weave. Tonight we were about to head to bed, but quickly remembered we had just put clean sheets on the bed. Well, there’s little to nothing better than clean sheets….when you’re clean. However, our feet were pretty dirty from walkin around a bit in flip-flops today. SO, instead of going to bed dirty or having to take a full shower, we opt for just washing the feet. To Dave, “washing” as a term, is used lightly. If you can't SEE the dirt, it’s obviously clean (no matter how many times it’s been used). So, he turns on the water, rinses them off, and dries. I say, “aren’t you going to use soap? If you don’t use soap, they just LOOK clean.” He claims they are clean, “Look at them,” he says, “they’re clean!” So I say, “Well, if they’re clean, lick ‘em then.” Now, this wasn’t just a touch them with the tongue then quickly recoil thing. This was a, lick ‘em from heal to toe and in-between the toes type of deal. So, what does he do…he whips out the tongue and quickly obliges. All I can say between laughter and being grossed out is ‘ewww’. “They’re clean” he states again, and walks outta the bathroom.
For all Nelson family reading this, I'm sorry you had to find this out. It must be a great awakening. Or, you either knew he was like this, in that case....YOU NEVER TOLD ME???? Well, I will leave you to your nightmares of Dave licking his feet. Goodnight all.

The South will RISE AGAIN!!!  

most EXCELLENT adventure

Well, I promised to tell you more about the tubing, so here's a short synopsis. On Monday, my day off this week, Dave and I decided to go tubing in Deep Creek. It was TONS of fun --till it started to storm and the rain started to hurt. Then we were trying to get the tubes back on the top of the car in the pouring rain w/o soaking the car INSIDE and needless to say we ended up getting soaked even more while laughing too hard to actually tie on the tubes. But it was fun. A church group was watching us w/ this ordeal from their dry van, guess we were a good show.

Yesterday I had THE most awesome raft trip group EVER. They were a couple of highschoolers and one or two college students. They were GREAT! We got stuck on THREE rocks AFTER the last rapid cause I was laughing so hard I couldn't even guide! GREAT day. Well, I gotta get outta here now, I gotta go do the same group on the Alpine tower, should be another good day, if the mosqitos would leave us alone and it doesn't pour too hard, lol

ps my shoulder is doing much better thanks to a friend in massage therapy.

cool shot of the side--ps dave took all these...GOOD HEY!!! 

the buddha painting 

the infamous chairs 

remember this Candice? 

what shall I do today>.....TUBE!

I LOVE TUBING IN DEEP CREEK!
more to follow, but most go host a group now, just thought i'd give ya a taster.

for Molly---i'm still here and kickin

This post is dedicated to Molly. Just so you know I'm still here, and I read your posts tri-weekly if not daily.
Well, since my last blog I've been trying fruitlessly to recover. The problem w/ my recovery program is that...well...I don't really have one. I've been working as normal and raft guiding even more. So, my shoulder has steadily declined. I woke the other morning (i use that term loosely, it was around 2 am) in great amounts of pain. I haven't been sleeping since then because my muscles seem to like to tighten alot during the night...I think they are playing tug of war. So, I finally called my boss and said "I'll take the workmens comp., thanks." So I'm hoping to go to a massage therapist soon. And that's all of my aches and pains we shall discuss.

Dave and I did finally end of strawberry picking. They are delicious...I especially like having them on waffles w/ whipcream...mmmmmmm. We're still painting our chairs too. I have tried to put things that mean alot to me on there. Buddha is a big part of my chair. About now my family and all Christian friends are freaking out thinking I have converted to Buddhism, but I have not. So...I will explain.

During the time Dave and I were on our honeymoon in Hawaii, we went to a Buddhist temple just to site see (they're VERY beautiful and elaborate). I was amazed at the quiet and reverence in which these temples were set! There was just an "awe" about the place. You were advised to take your shoes off at the door and light a stick of incense for a loved one at the feet of Buddha. My spirit was so quieted. I thought, "How different Christian churches would be, if we would just take ONE hour out of our week, and be THIS reverent to our God." I left there feeling very convicted to seek those quiet moments with God at all cost. And so, I have a picture of Buddha on my chair, and every time I see it, it reminds me to listen to the verse, "BE STILL and know that I AM God."

P.S. Chris---Dave and I went to see Star Wars III just because of your recommendation! I was a lil skeptical at first (because of the first one) but it was REALLY REALLY GOOD! Thanks Chris! Hope you had a great time in Bon Echo!!!