*Boise Music Festival*

We woke up in anticipation of the lonnnnng day. We took special care, and I spent 1.5 hours curling Alissa's hair..lol.


We arrive for the 1/2 mile walk from our parking space to the park, since they had cut off all parking inside Ann Morrison Park. We arrived and the sun was beating down with insane heat.

There was music happening all over the place and the vendor choice was amazing. The only thing we were interested in was ICE COLD WATER.
We found a spot fairly close to the stage and set up our seating for the evening bands. We took the kids to the inflatable play land...where Kobe won a gladiator match.
We stopped and played in the fountain a few times... We sat and enjoyed bands Ryan Star,Alex Band (lead-singer of The Calling), Macy Gray, Backstreet Boys and the amazing Bret Michaels.

It was a mess once the Backstreet Boys arrived. The crowd was uncontrollable and rude. None the less we continued to enjoy the music and the moment.
Leaving was fairly easy as we cut out in the middle of Bret Michaels...I had been out entirely way to long...it was a fun experience but I am greatly paying the consequences...

I've Wasted It So~

The longing is deeper than it has ever been..and I feel no closer than before....I just know that I can't do this alone anymore...surrender is the lesson I must learn...and yet I have no idea where to start...I am so confused on what is right and wrong..what is brainwashed and what is real...I know what I am...I know I need him so......

*Crumbling Cakes and Watermelon Frosting*

So I have been anxious and wanted to do some baking...lol..I should really reconsider when I have these ideas lol..Alissa and I tried our hand at making some homemade watermelon frosting...it turned out so sweet it would make anyone lips pucker lol...so we moved on to the cakes...so I made sure that the toothpick came out clean and it still crumbled!!!! This never matters to a 8 year-old girl..so she proceeded to frost it lol and even put some sprinkles on it lol..wow...I decided that the watermelon wont work so I am waiting to go to the store to get some frosting for the other cake, which seems to have held up much better than the other...so possibly if I can get it to look some what presentable..you might see a pic :P

Mother's Birthday And An Art Project...

Since I am home all day without a lot to do, I have decided to try my hand at doing something with this beautiful old window.. I have seen alot of them redone and they are so neat, but so expensive. So my mother's friend that owns a farm is giving me them for FREE! Wow if that isn't a great deal I don't know what is. I have done a number to the glass that was in it lol and long story short there is one pane left lol...It has made a lot of progress since yesterday so I am excited to see how I can make it look...

% Have I Told You...I HATE Small Spaces %

So last Wednesday I arrived at St. Lukes Hospital in Meridian for a gastric emptying study. I had the pleasure of being escorted by my daddy. I was very nauseated and upon informing the rad tech she informed me that if I puke we would have to schedule the test for another day...lol...I was so gonna puke. As I was ingesting my radioactive egg sammich (if that is what you could call the thing) she informed me if I was to puke the procedure that would have to be followed. They would have to use a special spill kit to clean up the vomit and the items used to clean, the vomit, and any other items in contact with the vomit would have to be placed in a lead bin for 7 days before it could be disposed of. I found this quite funny lol... The test went good and I managed to keep the "goods" in lol..Upon the results of that test, (stomach is emptying normally) which we received Monday, we decided to do a MRI. So today, Tuesday, I went to St.Lukes and participated in a MRI lol...I have never have a problem with small spaces, but today I found out that I don't like being put in little tubes with loud noises... The results from the MRI should be in tomorrow. The current findings are the my ducts are dilated and filled with sludge. They are wanting to go in and do a conscious surgery in which they would clean and repair the ducts. Than we are following on to the next dr..which should be a specialist in autoimmune diseases.
Someone close to me told me that I needed to learn to surrender. Those who know me would agree that I am a stubborn person and that surrender isn't in my dictonary. So as I was laying here on the couch (pain is at 6) I looked around my insanely dirty house, the pile of laundry, the dirty floors, the dirty counters, and I see the lesson of surrender. I was thinking that since I won't do it on my own, I am being forced to learn what it is like to surrender.
I was having a discussing with a dear cousin of mine and the subject turned to faith (something I thought I would never talk to him about) and when I told him I had lost faith, he was wowed. He told me that he looked up to me for the faith that I had always had. I was the last person that he thought would lose faith. WOW if that doesn't give one a reason to step back...I have not lost the hope of true faith, but have lost faith in just about everything. I will not stop in my journey in finding faith..though the road seems long and windy...I think of the song.."it's not the one who runs the swifest, but the one that endures to the end"

~When I Cry~

Despite the few days of missed blogging, I am feeling withdrawn and don't feel like talking. Tears speak the words that I can't speak at this moment. My family had to leave this morning to continue their journey to Washington, and I just wanted to go with them. Instead I headed to the Dr for more unanswered questions and continued puzzlement. Now I am home alone, sad, lonely, missing everyone and yet don't want to see anyone. Praying for strength, praying for intervention and praying that I can find some peace admist the storm.

*Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You*

The Fourth Of July is one of my favorite holidays. Not because we do anything special, but because it celebrates the most heroic.
We are not forced into service for our country but given the willful choice to serve. I am free because someone made the choice to fight the war for me.

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. ~Elmer Davis

It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you. ~Author unknown

Many sit and critize the war in Iraq, but they fail to see one important point. These soliders did not go because they agree with the war, they went because they were asked to go. They made a decision to defend our country and not ask questions. They made a choice to leave their families, their homes, their jobs and friends, without a second thought.
My Brother-in-Law, Michael Shoop, is currently stationed overseas. It is a sacrifice of which I will never understand. I am but one person but my sincere thanks goes out to ALL the men and woman that are not home.
THANKS MIKE!!!! Hope you are home soon!
Liberty is always dangerous, but it is the safest thing we have. ~Harry Emerson Fosdick