J bday

J turned 32 yesterday. We celebrated by going to the grange fair - a one of a kind tradition around these parts. Several school districts specifically wait to start school so they don't interfere with the grange fair. I actually have been trying to contact someone via email for about a week and a half and just reached them by phone today - yep they are at the grange fair. For many people around here going to the grange is their only vacation. Even the YMCA programs shut down and downtown Bellefonte is a ghost town. People pass down their tent plots at the grange in their will (sort of like Packers tickets).

While we were there we tried deep fried oreos - they were good, but I prefer the original. We also ate gyros, and some also had funnel cake and cotton candy. I think the best description I have heard of this fair came from a fellow at church who said "Go to the grange fair and you will see all kinds of white folk there." Yep we sure did. We also saw more people sleeping in recliners, using scooters to get around (the mobility kind not kid toy kind), and more heart disease in the works than you can imagine. Let's just say I don't think I could go more than once a year. It was J's first (and likely last) time. We all left with belly aches. But hey, I am not knocking the grange fair - we did have a good time and saw cool things like a black chicken with a white afro (no lie) and a cow that forgot to wipe. So, if you all want to come for a visit make it this time of year so you too can have the experience of a lifetime!

Anyway - it was fun to celebrate J's bday - oh and I also turned in another dissertation draft to my adviser yesterday! Hip hip Horray! Now back to editing another paper - argh.

wimp yourself

H loves the Diary of a Wimpy kid series by Jeff Kinney. We were trying to find out when book 6 comes out when we came across a website that allows you to wimp yourself. Here's what we came up with:

Wimpy H

Wimpy C

Wimpy Mom (notice the backpack - a permanent student?)

Wimpy Dad

Oh and we also managed to make Wimpy Papa (pretend the hair is blond)

and Wimpy Nana from the 80s - you know we have photo proof to back this up :)

Time to lock myself away

Well, I suppose it happens to anyone in my situation, but the time has come to buckle down and get this dissertation done. This past week I spent a lot of time locked away in the room, and more of that is in my future. School starts in a week so I need to get as much as possible done before then. Great thing is, when I block out the world I make a lot of progress :) Still shooting for an early October defense which means a completed dissertation to my committee mid September!

Moving along

I finished data collection for the dissertation yesterday. I finished analyzing data today and it feels good to have that part done. Now lots of writing ahead of me. So happy to have headphones!
In other news J has what he hopes to be his final assessment for his next level as a referee. As long as he gets a pass tonight he is good to move on and take the test - classes, etc. I am very happy for him. Hopefully we get to go out and celebrate Thursday when we plan to have a date!
In other news, we are having a family day tomorrow at a local amusement park. We are very excited to have a day away from our normal (think crazy) schedule. I hope the kids have a blast!

Big D update

I already have 47 pages of my dissertation drafted (10,007 words to be exact)....plus I still have 2 more chapters to go. This is going to be a long one!

Attn all sports fans

Youth conference is in just a couple of days. It promises to be a tiring event for leaders and youth. Just thought some of my sports fan brothers might want to know that Dale Murphy (baseball superstar) will be at youth conference as a speaker. Turns out he is the father in law of my Laurel advisor at church - random but true. Just wondering if Matt has a baseball card he wishes he could get autographed?!

In other sports/church news Cael Sanderson - Olympic Gold Medalist in wrestling in 2004, who is also the head coach of the Penn State wrestling team is in our neighboring ward. His brother, the assistant coach at PSU, is in our ward.

If you want autographs you have to come visit us first!

:)

family visit

Around H's baptism and the fourth of July we had lots of family around. Nana,Papa, Uncle D, Antonio, Aunt L, and Uncle J all came for avisit. During that time we enjoyed a lot offun.Here are some ofthehighlights:

-Uncle D taught C how to

pump on a swing

-Picked wild raspberries with Aunt L & Papa

-H rode his motorcycle

-We went to music in the park

-We did an incredibly hard puzzle

-Papa turned 60 and we threw him a party with lots of fireworks

-Nana tested out aerobics with me

-Some of us went to movies

-We ate and ate and ate and ate!