tamara b

Arizona with the B’s
We were gone to AZ for 8 days and what a relaxing trip it was. Eunice and I started another quilt project. We picked out a pattern and then went to the fabric store to find 27 different fabrics. After washing, drying and pressing them, Eunice cut the fabrics and even sewed a few strips together. I liked it so much that I bought enough fabric to make two. The first one I’m making for Ryan and Renessa Zurbriggen, our friends that are raising support to go into ministry with Athletes in Action. So, I’m excited to have time and take the time to sit down and work on that.
Ryan and I also got some dental work done while we were there. Ryan’s dad put a bridge in Ryan’s mouth where he was missing a tooth. Ryan spent some quality time in the dental chair and Mark spent lots of time prepping and creating the bridge (I don’t understand how it all worked but it takes lots of detailed attention and time). Ryan also had two little pits to be filled. They weren’t quite cavities but still needing to be filled so they don’t become cavities. Anyway, while working on it, Mark saw that it was a little more than a pit and Ryan felt it. My poor husband is afraid of the dentist (his own dad). And all the nervousness plus being able to feel the drilling caused him to pass out. It was quite the experience for Ryan, Mark and his mom. Needless to say when it was my turn to sit in the chair, I was a bit nervous too. I have no fear of the dentist at all but I also had a pit to be filled and was afraid of feeling it like Ryan. I was also concerned that I would get nauseaus having hands and a saliva sucker in my mouth. But, all went well. Mark’s assistant (Eunice) was not there and so he didn’t even use the sucker. He filled the pit and cleaned my teeth with no problem. Yea for Mark and me working so well together.
What else did we do… play with the puppy a lot, eat a ton and watch movies. It was fun times. I got some girly movies (Serendipity, Miss Congeniality and Princess Diaries 2) for Christmas so we made the boys sit through a few of them. We flew back home on Tuesday the 28th. We were late getting into Cedar Rapids from all the delays, fortunately we had our luggage and weren’t stranded in any airports. My folks dropped us off and picked us up so that we wouldn’t have to pay for parking. We had to stop at Applebee’s for supper AND mostly so that Ryan could watch his Cyclones in their bowl game. By the way, GO BULLDOGS! Anyway, on the way home, Mom and I gabbed while the guys listened to the football game on the radio. And finally, we were home. There truly is no place like home!

William Edward Goat - again
Ryan went back to work the next day while I stayed home the remainder of the week on vacation. Thursday morning though, I did venture off to Elkader to retrieve my lovely William Edward Goat. I was enjoying the high-class-white trash experience all over again. After picking him up, I met my folks on a nearby farm where an old barn had blown over in our lovely weather. The owners happened to be good friends of our goat sitters and they gave my parents permission to take as much of the barn wood as they wanted. So, we gathered there to pick up barn wood, pull nails out and stack it on the trailer. Meanwhile my goat was hanging out in the back of the truck. I was scolded on more than one occasion for lifting the boards. Apparently pregnant women aren’t supposed to lift weighty objects and they kept reminding me. It couldn’t be that big of a deal, I lift and move things a lot so a board was no big deal. It didn’t take too many hours of work before we were tired, the saw battery was dying and we were cold. So, I suggested a quick run into town for Subway. My parents were pulling a trailer and woldn’t exactly be able to park the thing on Main Street. So, we all squeezed in the old Ford. I offered for Ralph to drive so he could at least have leg room but he didn’t want to so I drove and had to move the seat up which moves the whole bench seat up together. So, the three of us cram into the truck with our bulky coats and I was in coveralls and head to Subway. Now, I’m parked on Main Street in Elkader (about four times the size of Elgin) with the goat tied in the back. As we were cramming back into the truck (remember we’re all dressed like snow bunnies) a little girl walking by with her mom says “mommy, look at the puppy”. It was quite the entertainment for me; here’s this goat with horns coming out of his head and the girl thinks it’s a puppy. I was just glad the Ford started without any problems and I didn’t have to have the hood up like a few weeks earlier.