I know there aren't too many people that keep up with these postings that don't know about Tom's situation.  He's in a Rhode island hospital and things aren't looking very optimistic.  Lindsey has been there all this week and I am here in Socorro with Emma but planning on going out there this weekend.  It's really unfortunate that this is happening.  Please, say a prayer and have faith that things can improve for him.  He is a strong guy and the heart of his family.  I know that Lindsey and Tom have always had a very special relationship and as I look through pictures we have, it kills me.  There was never a time that even saying good-bye didn't bring tears from the both of them.  The picture I posted was from Thanksgiving 2007.  It was the first and only time that Tom was able to come out to Socorro and see our new house.  This summer, he really wanted us to go out to Rhode Island and visit, as Kelly and her family and Liz with hers, were all there enjoying the beaches and spending time together.  We had decided early in the summer that we weren't going to make the trip this summer and I even accepted a job teaching here at Tech.  I realize you never know what life has in store for you but I sure wish I had gone out there.  I mean, one of the reasons I even became a teacher was to be able to spend time doing things like that, things that you can't put a price on.  But, you never know.  You never ever know what is in store for you or why.  Some things can seem so unfair that you can question, be angry, be sad, confused.  But you just have to keep your faith that things will get better and do all that you can for the people around you.  Tom IS a great guy, the type of person who can always find an old friend or make a new one.  He loves everything Boston and even watched a Red Sox game at Fenway just this past Sunday with Sue.  He's an intelligent person and I always enjoy talking to him about teaching math.  He is a great coach and I know that he has helped so many kids accomplish much more because he saw in them what they couldn't see for themselves.  So, remember to say a prayer for him and make sure you take advantage of every situation to let people you care about know that you do.  

Not Your Typical Sunday...

The alarm went off at 6:00am. As I was getting out of bed I could hear this noise..thump, thump. I listened for a minute but then went on my way to get ready for the Kelly Mine Run Race. However, Kona, our dog, was very excited about something on my side of the bed. He grew more and more interested. So, I moved the bed and to my surprise was a cute FROG! He hopped across the room until Steven could scoop him and take him outside. Too bad Emma had stayed the night at Nana's house-she would loved to have seen it! We were then out the door by 6:40 and drove up the Mountain to Magdalena. It was a beautiful drive, overcast, the road were wet and the clouds were very low. I have never done this race before and only knew that it was uphill. Steven led most of the way for the guys and I was in the lead for the girls until I fell back two spots. It was a tough race. 4.35 miles all uphill! Steven finished second overall, and I finished third for the women, first in my age group. THEN WE RAN BACK DOWN! We had a nice breakfast a little place in Magdalena while it rained.

We then headed back down the Mountain, took showers, packed some snacks, picked up Emma and headed to Elephant Butte Lake for the afternoon and Evening with Mike, Marlene, Monique, and Levi. We knew we would probably run into bad weather, seeing how it has been raining everyday for a couple weeks now. So, we set up the shade tent and sat under that while it continued to rain. We ate, and the kids played in the sand and ran in and out of the water.

Once the rain eased up, we got on the boat for nice cruise around the lake. It was really nice since it was overcast and not many people were out. Emma always enjoys the boat...she gets really relaxed-she closes her eyes and just lays there:)

Then we blew up the inner tube. It was a three-seater, and the kids were really excited so we put Mo, Levi, and Emma in and pulled them along nice and easy. They loved it! Then Steven got on with them so they could go a little faster. Steven and I even got on and Mike really whipped us around the lake-it was a blast! Mike and I rode too for a little bit, while Steven drove the boat around.

We packed up, ate at Denny's, got in the car to head home and Crash-Emma falls asleep instantly! WHAT A GREAT DAY!

Thanks Mike and Marlene-we had a great time! The pictures are from my phone, sorry about the quality.

~Lindsey

4th of July

We enjoyed the day by relaxing around the house and not feeling rushed all morning long. Around 3:30 we went to Tech, where they always have a Celebration that starts at 11:00am and doesn't end until the fireworks are over. They provide live music, local bands, food, and lots of things for kids to do to keep cool. We knew they had a big water slide so we took Emma's bathing suit. She has seen one before but has not wanted to go on it because it was at our School for fun day and there were too many people around. So, we were not sure if she would actually get on it today, but she did. She was the smallest one to go down and the guys asked her if she wanted help climbing up the stairs...of course that was a big NO! She went down and had a blast. She wanted to go again until she looked at how long the line was and said, Never Mind:) So she enjoyed playing with water balloons, getting her face paited, eating cotton candy, and dancing to the music. After that, we went home and prepared dinner, jumped on the trampoline, and watched the fireworks from our front yard. It was a nice quiet evening shared with Steven's Mom, Grandma, Auntie Emily, and his brother Paul, from Phoenix. We hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday as well.