July 4th celebrations

We had a pretty low key 4th of July - Grandma & Grandpa Dixon were here with us. We watched National Treasure 2, went shopping, hung out. Then went to my brother, Charlie & fam's, for a bbq - kids did a few smoke bombs, burned and buried a Lego guy, got in a fist fight, did a service project of collecting the neighborhood flags... you know the usual.

Then we came home to have our own fireworks display. Hooked up with our neighbors and the boys all had great fun lighting things up while the girls hung out until the sparklers.



We could then see the last bit of Clearfield city's fireworks display from our deck. It was pretty cool. Although, I have decided part of the fun of the fireworks displays is the noise. Without the boom of the canon, it is just not as cool. But it is nice to not have ashes land on top of us - remember those days...

As sands through the hourglass...

These are the days of the Dixon lives...
I got to take my Activity Day girls to Day Camp at Camp Kiesel - which was so much fun!!! We got to do all the things that the cub scouts get to do - only with a lot more fun (heeheehee - don't tell Kent - he got to go with the cubs). So, thanks for the opportunity to take our girls -

Robbie and her long legs crossing the monkey bridge.


We got to shoot guns, arrows, make a beaver tail boondoggle (I have no idea how to spell that), take a nature walk and learn about lambs ear, getting soaked (thanks Taren) in the rowboats. What a day!!

What a ride!

Most of you probably know = but our ride was great!!! It was so hot! The hottest day we had ridden so far. But it was fun. We started from Box Elder High School football stadium in Brigham City, UT. For those of you who don't know, it is in the sticks - cows and manure and farms everywhere. It is pretty - just not so pretty smelling.
We started at 8:30am and crossed the finish line at about 11:30am. What a feeling. Kent and I decided that they really good use some more crowds cheering you on the main street through town. It is the last couple of miles. But once you get to the top of the hill at the school, the crowd cheers and rings the bells and whistles. It is really cool. You ride into the stadium and do a victory lap around the track. You stop and they take your number to make sure you have finished and then you go to the other side of the stadium to sign your banner.
I got to wear a red rider jersey - the plus for having diabetes - and all the riders passing me on the roads would cheer me on. That was cool. We did meet a 10 year old boy, Adam, who also got to wear the red jersey. It was neat to meet him.
I will post some pix when I get them from Buffy - I didn't bring my camera. I know, disgraceful. But we had to leave at 6am - and if you know me at all, not my most favorite time of the day. Buffy got some great pix though.
See you same time next year - when you will take the ride of your life!!!

This must be some cosmic joke.

My Tour de Cure ride is on Saturday - today is Thursday. I have been training and riding and feel like I am totally ready to go. Then on Monday afternoon, I began with a full blown allergy attack - congestion, scratchy throat, itchy eyes. I am sure the baseball every night of the week in the great out of doors didn't help.
But by Tueday night, it was getting a little worse. I took a Zyrtec and now, it has developed into a cold.
A COLD??? IN JUNE???? I mean really. I am pretty anal about the whole sickness bit. It is really hard on me - with the Addison's and Diabetes, illness just isn't an option. So, all winter, I have not been sick once. No colds, no flu, no strep throat, unlike most of the neighborhood. I guess the cosmos decided that I just can't be lucky enough to miss out all together. And here I am with a runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever (although it broke in the night).
So to the universe I say - screw you!!! I am still riding on Saturday. It may take me longer since I can't really breathe, but I didn't work this hard to raise money (Thanks to those of you who contributed) or to be ready to ride, only to give in to a stupid cold.
So, I am home today - no car (Kent's is in the shop) - recooperating which again - I don't do all that well. I keep looking around the pig sty we call home thinking how much there is to do around here. Trying to lay low and not wear myself down.
But with any luck, or cosmic shifting, maybe I will be feeling fine come Saturday morning.

Baseball

Well, thanks to all my friends' blogs that have music attached (most recently - Merrilee, thanks) I just couldn't help myself.
I have chosen a few songs that I just really love to belt it out! Islands in the stream, copocabana (ask me about American Idol karaoke where I totally rocked as a back up singer).
But one of my all time favs is the song about baseball by my favorite - Kenny Rogers...And since my life is all about baseball it seems, maybe you can love it too.