My little artist

Okay!!! I love health and the human body and that is why I torture myself by stuying health related topics about 30 hours per week. Kate, my sweet little redhead, LOVES to draw and color and paint. I bought her a journal and every day she adds new masterpieces to her collection. I will go no further, just know that I have never been prouder....

WHY am I doing this again????

OMG!!! Why am getting my PhD? After days like today, I question myself. Ask me again tomorrow and I will probably love it again. I actually have enjoyed the last week...I have been at a 5 day residency (we are required to attend 4 before we can graduate). I have met a ton of great people and learned a lot, especially about the dissertation process. I have had a ton of homework this week as well so I stayed in the hotel for 2 of the nights to attempt to finish it all, which I didn't! Shane came up one of the nights and we had date night at the Cheesecake Factory in Marina Del Rey...my FAVORITE!

Today was rough, however. We did a lot of group work and why can't some people just not speak??? REALLY, are you still talking? I was thinking bad thoughts and then got a headache. So I drank a Pepsi and felt a little better. THEN, we had a speaker and during the question and answer period, people got on the microphone and just talked about nothing! HELLO...QUESTION AND ANSWER NOT I WANT TO HEAR MYSELF TALK!!! Oh well, one more day and it should be a good one. I will be meeting with just the students and faculty from the school of health sciences.

This week will be an easy one for HW so I will get to spend time trying to entertain the kids!

Devynn went to Palm Springs with Grandma and Grandpa and came home with some funky rash, Jake played all week with a buddy on his baseball team and was SO bored tonight because he had to stay home with us, Kate is still my crazy little red head and Mallory still has a runny nose!!!

That's all for now....

Mother's Day Cruise

My mom, Devynn and I decided to take a mother-daughter cruise over mother's day. We were originally supposed to go to Ensenada but because of the H1N1 flu outbreak we were diverted to Catalina which was WAY better. We left San Diego on Thursday evening and spent the entire day on Friday in Catalina. We rented a golf cart and took a self guided tour of the island in an hour. Then we shopped and Devynn and I got pedicures with the hottest 1980's pink toenail polish. We cruised around San Diego and Mexico all day Saturday and arrived back in port on Sunday morning. We ate way too much food, Devynn had her first lobster, first real bingo game (which we, of course, didn't win) and watched her first hypnotist show which would only have been funnier if I had been on stage!!! Now she wants to take a friend and go on a cruise for her birthday which I a considering if the rates stay as low as they have been recently.


WIPEOUT UPDATE



Shane has completed filming and his episode airs on Wednesday, August 19th on ABC at 8:00 pm. We will be having a big Wipeout party so check back for more details! It will be a good time to watch Shane crash and flip and spin and fall and....will he win?????? Stay tuned!

I know it has been almost 3 months since my last post but I really am hoping to stay more current in the future! School is kicking my butt (30 down and 92 to go)!!!! I Absolutely love it though! Someone asked me the other day if I feel smarter and I really do. I just finished an environmental health class and I think it is my new favorite subject. I was originally going to research childhood obesity but I think I have changed my focus to an environmental health issue. Right now I am REALLY interested in the effects of aspartame so I may move in that direction. I may change my mind 30 more times but I really am loving environmental issues...everyone stop drinking out of plastic water bottles or at the very least PLEASE recycle! Okay that was my platform issue today!!!

PAJAMA PARTY FASHION SHOW!!!


Devynn and Kate decided to have a pajama party fashion show. Shane played photographer and Jake even jumped in a few times. He is fashionably in his church shirt and swim trunks!

STEROIDS!!!

I really do have other children...whom I will write about very soon but I had to post this before I forgot...you know I am 40 now! Jake has been having HORRIBLE asthma attacks over the past week and today we took him to the doctor to get a prescription for prednisone. I told him he would be taking steroids and that they would make him feel better. He sat there for a moment and then said, "Mom, will they make my peepee smaller?"

Take me out to the ballgame!!!

Jake ROCKS!!! He pitched a 2 inning no hitter yesterday. He is only in 2nd grade and every other player on his team is in 4th, 5th and 6th grade. His favorite position is shortstop and he is really good at it but he is a great pitcher! Shane doesn't want him to pitch for fear he will throw his arm out...he is a bit young but the league only allows him to pitch every other game (once a week) for no more than 2innings. Catcher is my least favorite position for him and it definitely isn't his strongest position on the field. Last year he was on the league championship team and the city championship team. He was the youngest player in the league and played 3rd base and pitcher. He said one day he is going to play for the real Red Sox and will buy me a bigger house! Check back in 15 years!

A few pictures...

I wanted to add a few family pictures and although this one is a few years old, I absolutely love it!! We were in NYC in front of what used to be the twin towers. I had been there a few years prior when they were still standing and it was a very somber experience to return to the ultimate devastation. My mom, Devynn, Jake, Kate and I flew out to Connecticut to spend the week with K, K, T, M and M. It was the hottest week in the history of the U.S. I am sure. It was about 115 degrees with the humidity and it was exhausting to be outside for more than 15 minutes. Shane flew all the way cross country for the weekend. We will definitely go back when the kids get a little older and definitely NOT in August!


Last month we spent the weekend at San Elijo State Beach. It is one of our favorite places to camp. We took my mom and dad's trailer and Gina and Ron joined us in the tent trailer. The kids spent the day in the freezing cold water, including Mallory, and we just took lots of pictures.



Lastly, a Wipeout update! Shane had another exciting day and night at Wipeout! He made it through the 3rd obstacle course and into the finals at the Wipeout Zone!!! The were due to tape the finals at 8:00 pm and at midnight Shane called and informed me they still hadn't taped. He was super exhausted from the 3rd course so here he is taking a quick nap in his full wetsuit. I will post the air date as soon as I hear.

Shane's big night!!!

Back in December I decided that Shane should be on ABC's summer game show, Wipeout! I secretly sent in his application and picture and he immediately got an email asking him to come in for an on camera interview. He obviously did a great job in the interview because he received a callback, passed his physical and drug test and began taping last Monday. He is just finishing up tonight and we will keep everyone informed as to the air date. We will be having a big Wipeout party at our house and won't reveal where he placed until then...stay tuned!!! Everyone had to have an opening yell and Shane's was "I love Big Balls." So in his honor, I have attached a picture of what he apparently loves...it is okay, it's rated G!

Why I decided to blog...

So, I have made fun of my wonderful sister Vicki for quite some time now because she blogs. I said I never would, giving excuses like, "I don't have time" and a variety of others that I will not say but decided that it is time to journal my life in some small way and allow others to laugh along with me!!! I actually started today because a good friend of mine, Tara Smith, sent me an email about a friend who has just been diagnosed with leukemia for the 2nd time. The family is holding auctions of some great items to help pay for the cost of all of the medical expenses. I thought I could place my bid without logging in but was unsuccessful and since the only other blog I have is from my study in the Puerto Rican rainforest I thought it was time. I also need to journal!!! So much is going on in my life that I am sure I will forget very soon and since I am on the computer WAY too much, I figured this is the best way so keep a record of my life. BTW, the website for the above mentioned auction is: www.thegarberfam.blogspot.com.