Where have I been?

I know everyone is asking, wondering, worrying about where I have been. No?  You haven't? Well, I'll tell you anyway.  You may have thought I was busy with my new friends ...well, I'm here to report I still don't have any new friends...but I have one possibility on the horizon...now that is just sad!  I have been finding things to do though.  Stuff like: going to another PTO meeting at the other school, getting kids ready for school pictures, starting my fall decorating (which is kind of laughable since I haven't even really decorated my house in the regular sense) and just hanging out with Charlie, who I'm sure will have a regular schedule soon...I'm sure of it...soon. We've been doing some fun family things too.

First up... backyard news...we had taken the badminton net down in anticipation of Hurricane Ike and we have not yet put it back up.  Our lawn thanks us as we've had ruts in the yard from playing nightly games.  So our new evening past time is FOOTBALL!  

The kids are out tossing it to each other lots and also playing two hand touch.  They are loving it.  As you can see we have lots of safety rules...flip flops, no padding, game rules change with every play...two people against one when dad is at work...it's all good!  Brooke plays center to Zach's quarterback - there is lots of huddling, not to be confused with cuddling - that wouldn't be very football like. Should Brooke, a girl 8 years old,  know how to call football plays? 

Now moving on to the events of yesterday.  We returned to the scene of the crime...the ranch crime, that is.  We have been wanting to take the kids and the bikes and try out some of the bike trails that way and yesterday we made a decision that we had to quit saying we were gonna do it and just go.  

Now since we were heading that way it seemed unreasonable to not stop in here....

Oh yes, Mamacitas I love you!

Here I am with all the wonderful things that she has to offer....lets see...

• strawberry margarita, frozen..check 
• chips...check
• salsa...check
• lime green guacamole concoction...check

Seriously good stuff!!!!!  Just wish it didn't take a 1/2 hour to get there.

While we were digesting after lunch we drove by the ranch to see how much progress had been made at the ranch since we left. Uuuh, can you say NONE! Let's just say "coming soon" has a whole new meaning...seriously I think the ranch is further behind than it was when we left.  

While out that way we visited Camp Verde, which is just past the ranch and had a look around. This was an Army post, circa the late 1800's, employing camels for overland communications.   It's an interesting history lesson, none of which we learned at the actual location.  It's a little general store and lunch spot now, so all we learned, we got from Google.  Sad but true!

Doesn't everyone have a picture of their family by an iron camel?  I thought so!  I know all you camel lovers out there will like this. Kristin??  Anyone??

And of course the reason for all this nonsense fun filled effort of going to lunch and sight seeing was to go on a bike ride. Here we are all loaded up and ready to go.  Thank you Thule for making a 5 bike rack for the car and thank you LLBean for putting it on clearance and giving me free shipping so I could afford it.  I'm sure it will be getting lots of use here.

And here we are just before we headed out on our ride....you can thank me for the before shot, because I saw what we looked like after and it wasn't pretty...it was just sweaty..and gross.

Now just a few comments about this adventure.  

1. I look like I've been lifting weights..I have not, as if you had to ask.

2. About half way up the first hill it became apparent that all of us, aside from Miles, were kind of out of shape.

3. It also became apparent that biking in 85 degree heat on a full stomach of Mexican food was a really really really bad idea. 

4. We were able to see many deer on the bike trail...and when I sarcastically mentioned that we should pet them (after seeing the sign that said don't pet the baby deer) Brooke agreed that we should give it a try.  She's quite the daredevil..we of course did not pet them.  

5. It is a glaring truth that I need to work out more often as I thought about claiming I was having an asthma attack so I could take a break...p.s. I don't have asthma.

6. I think biking with the kids is so much fun and although I was gasping for breath by the end of the ride I think we should do it again soon.

SO...if you and your kids don't have bikes or go on rides together...do it...please...it's a great way to spend some family time together and exercise at the same time....also, and more importantly,...I need others to join me in my pain and agony of working out.

OK off to watch football..today's lunch/snacks: make your own sub and 7 layer taco dip, which is 6 layer taco dip today because I forgot the 7th layer, black olives.