SUMMER SOLSTICE... aka LDOY!

That's "Longest Day Of the Year" for those who do not speak "Helen"! This has gotta be one of my favorite traditions... an outdoor celebration of the day that the sun spends the most time in the sky! (Yes, the Pagan roots would date back to Midsummer's Eve... but we'll just Helen it up and call it LDOY!) We had a somewhat incomplete LDOY, as the big girls were all working/busy... and Steve stayed home to take care of Erika, who was sick. (Please not crypto, please not crypto, please not crypto!) So it was just me and Necia!

And since my camera is currently battery-less... I have no pics to share! But Nat's blog has lots!

Jada was torn between friends and the LDOY party. In order to be "pc" with the friends and not leave anyone out, she decided to miss Grandma's party. The next day the girls all felt bummed as we reminisced some of the LDOYs from their younger years.

Back in the day of the drive-in movie (all our local theaters are gone now) we would spend LDOY piled into the backs of our cars with the kids watching a movie. The girls and I were talking about the most memorable one... "Lion King". Good times!


The most memorable thing about this one was... the mosquitos, ICK!

We got ATTACKED! No seriously... if my camera was working, I would post the PROOF -- Erika helped me count today, and I have (Scout's honor!) 47 bites on my legs! Ah well... it's all good on the LDOY! The sad part... now the days get shorter... waaah! :(

Father's Day Fun in Fairview

We spent Father's Day weekend with the WHOLE Fam-Dam at a great little cabin resort in Fairview. This will probably be our one-and-only full family trip of the summer and it was a fun one. It was very laid-back and low key. The kids had fun and the grown-ups just got to chill and relax... and for once EVERYONE was there. COUSIN-PALOOZA!

Highlights of the event:

Watching "Ella Enchanted" and the group sing-along of "Can Anybody Find Me...Somebody to Love?" Jada wanted everyone to remember that this was a QUEEN song first!

Relaxing on the porch with Grandma and Grandpa.

The FOOD of course! Let's not forget who we're talking about here!

Swimming!!! (I am mighty swimmer-boy!)

Memo to Me: Little brothers will ALWAYS provide mocking opportunities!

Happy Birthday to Scott!!! 2 years old!!

(Adorable son of Swimmer Boy!)

And everyone's favorite... Uncle Jesse's trick computer mouse that shocked the crap out of anyone who touched it!

It was a weekend of full tummies, sunburns & just tons of fun for everyone!

Yee-Owch!!!!!

Yes, that is a picture of MY feet, bound in compression straps, resting on ice packs and elevated on a pillow. That has been my view ALL DAY! The latest in the saga of the plantar fascitis which plagues me constantly!

I had steroid injections yesterday which were supposed to be a pain RELIEVING attempt. Did great all day yesterday. Even went to lunch and did a little anticipatory baby shopping with Crystal. Then this morning I woke up with hugely swollen feet and so much pain that I was asking for a hacksaw to just remove both feet at the ankle!!! I finally got ahold of the receptionist at the orthopedist, and she very blithely announced, "Oh, yes, there can be some pain for 3 or 4 days." THREE or FOUR DAYS!!!! I want you all to know that I asked the PA who did the injections (never even SAW my doctor) specifically what I should expect and he just sent me on my way saying... "That's it. Come back in two weeks and we'll see if you have any more hot spots." GRRRRRR..... No word from the doc or the assistant.... no return call.

So, I called my physical therapist, who I really like, and he was awesome. He actually called me right back, between patients, told me all about possible side-effects to the kenalog, prescribed the elevation and icing, and then (MY HERO) called the orthopedist himself to let him know that there was a real problem here. The PT arranged for Steve to run to the orthopedic office (ALSO MY HERO) and get these compression straps which support the arch, control the swelling and keep the medicine at the back of the foot where it was supposed to be. (He told me, btw, that per his request, I was supposed to have gotten those straps when I went in yesterday. Neither of us is too thrilled with Mr. Hot-Shot Orthopedist right now.)

With that, and a little Lortab, I was able to survive the day. Now that, ladies, will tell you a lot. I HATE pain meds. They make me groggy and weird, but today, it was a necessary evil! After a trip to the bathroom that resulted in tears (big baby!) my husband showed up with one pill and a glass of water and said "No arguing. Take it!"

And now, here I am, lying in bed, missing rehearsal and wondering how in the heck I'm gonna have my family ready to head to the cabin tonight for our Father's Day adventure. I was supposed to get my groceries today... hmmm... hard to do when you can't even stand!!!!Thanks for letting me whine to you. And p.s. Crystal.... there, I do too have a picture of me on my blog! :)