Wekiva Springs, FL

Just wanted to show some pictures of our day at Wekiva Springs. It's a large freshwater spring that's about 25 minutes away from our house. We were worried it would be too crowded because it's so close to the metropolitan area, but it's such a large spring that it wasn't bad at all. The kids loved diving down to the crevasse where the fresh water came out. They are our little waterbabies for sure! As you can see, the water is very clear...but very chilly! Which is perfect on a hot Florida day! We'll be going to Alexander Springs this week and do some diving. Hoping to send some pictures from that. And Happy Birthday, Dad! I promise I will call even though I'm a bit filled with shame for missing it! Love you all!

Lana

It is HOT!!!

Hello all,

Just wanted to update everyone on how hot it is right now. We almost broke 100 yesterday and this morning when I went out to water my garden at 9 am it was already 87 so we are in for another fun day of heat.

I hope that everyone is well! I have been working hard at work and I will soon be moving into a Clinic Coordinator position. I start training for that next week so wish me luck. I have been really frustrated with how things are going right now but I know that it will get better, I just have to remember that a positive attitude does a lot for my mood. I know that I need to help motivate all of my employee's. Anyone got any great idea's??? They have been working really hard so I thought maybe some kind of treat or something like that???

Any way, last Sunday was birthday dinner. It was great to see Larry and his family and catch up. His kids are all grown up and it kind of freaked me out! The girls are definitely got the tall genes they tower over me! I guess it doesn't take much to tower over me, but still.

I am still madly working in my garden but I can't seem to get rid of the weeds. I spent 6-8 hrs before I went on vacation and pulled all of the weeds and they are back with a vengeance. I guess I will have to spend long days in the garden again, probably this week.

I was so excited to hear that Todd got a job. I hope maybe I will see him on the Trax train. I go by the Grand America everyday that I work.

Well I will write again soon

Miss you all in Florida!!!

Becky

Yeah, Todd got a Job

We are so excited. Todd got a job at Grand America!! He is really excited and so am I, there is a lot of opportunity to move up and he can ride tracks up there with the rising cost of gas.

We are so excited to see Larry and Michelle and the kids tomorrow, Brooks has been counting down the days for a week, I'm excited for Lagoon and everything else that we will be doing.

Well I've got to run, I'll update more when I have time.

Love,

LaNece

Home sweet home

I am finally home. It is so nice not to be so concerned about everything that is going on around me. I got some good sleep so I am feeling a little more rested then I have in the last week. I had a great time in Philadelphia and I hope to return someday. It was so neat to see the places where our nation was born. To see where so much history was made. I didn't even get to do anything that was outside of the city, and there is so much more to do.

I am bummed that I have to go back to work, but I feel refreshed and know that taking time off has been really good for me. I now have to work really hard and get myself ready for Italy this fall.

I hope that Whitney, Hunter, Taylor and Garrett got my postcards, I just mailed the last set yesterday so more still too come.

Love you all
Becky

Brighter Day

It amazes me how much a better day can make you feel. We got a great day of training in yesterday. We trained for almost 10 hrs with 30 mins for lunch. I really feel like things have turned around. We have been training with Saikai sensei and he has given me some really good advice. I also have received alot of positive feedback from several instructors from the West. Yamaguchi sensei told me yesterday that he thinks my iaido has improved alot from last year and that I am headed in the right direction. That makes me feel good about where I am going and how I am getting there.

We had competition today and I got to the second round (only by default) but I did my best and I feel really good about how everything went. I feel OK about losing because I don't think that there was anything else that I could have done to improve. Jason, one of our teachers took 2nd place in his division on the nation. He did very good and we are proud of his efforts. They continue to make us (the Utah group, with no formal instructor) look awesome in comparason with other groups who have top notch instructors year round. I am very proud of where we have come.

Tomorrow is test day, and for the first time in my iaido career, I am not testing. I am not eligible to test until next year. I will be working really hard between now and then to get my technique in line with what I think that I need to be doing in order to do well. I am so grateful for the teachers that I have that are so strict on me and that allow me to grow and improve at a high level.

I will see you all later. Thanks for putting up with my complaining for a few days. I hope that everyone will take care and knows that I love them.

Becky

Flock!

i used to use a browser called Firefox and i was very happy with it, but i just started (by just i mean i've been using this for a grand total of 3 mins) a new browser called Flock.  i like it better because of its collaborative powers.  it pulls everything into one place, essentially.  :D 

Kailey and Chelsea are going to some modeling thing today at Barbizon.  i've auditioned for them a few times and wasn't too pleased with the results.  i got a scholarship to John Robert Powers that i think i'm going to go back and renew...JRP is more about acting anyway and i'm not tall enough to make it very far in modeling. 

well, i'm going to go finish customizing this browser!  love ya!
*Megxoxo

Oh thanks heavens for a laptop

Just an update I slept about 1-2 hrs last night. The bed is so thin that it is like sleeping on the wood underneath so it is pretty hard. Last night I would roll over to 1 side sleep for 10-15 minutes then my arm would go numb and I would wake up then roll over to the other side. I went to be about 11:30-12 and about 3 am I got up and watched a movie. Thank heavens for the laptop! Thanks mom for letting me borrow it!

In addition to the great accommodations, during our 8 hr training session we only trained maybe combined 1-1 1/2 hrs. The rest of the time would spent standing around a Japanese instructor speaking Japanese with an interpreter (from the crowd not anyone official) who would translate about 5% of what the instructor was saying. I stood on a hard wood floor for almost 8 hrs in bare feet and really didn't get any instruction. We did do the Kata's enough to make us sweat in the 95% humidity (with no air conditioning in the training center) which then ran down my legs and caused me to get a rash behind my knees. So I am having a REALLY GOOD TIME! My feet would not fit in my tennis shoes after training they were so swollen I had to loosen up all of the laces.

OK now I am done venting for today. I am just so frustrated with how things are turning out. I wish that I would have thought more about staying in the dorms but hindsight is 20/20.

On the bright side of things the college campus is beautiful. It was built in the early 1900's so the architecture is awesome. The old stones and brick work is amazing. I was going to take some pictures I will try tomorrow.

LaNece, thanks for the look on the bright side of things I really needed that. My bright side is going to be getting home on Sunday! I am excited for your new calling. I know that you will do well with it and that it will help you grow physically and spiritually. I think it might help your patience with your kids too. You will get to see just how good your kids are compared to the Primary kids.

Mom thanks for the words of encouragement. I really needed them. I miss talking to you everyday and having my venting time. It makes me miss you and dad and Timmy (shocking). Sometimes just another body in the room makes you feel like every time will be OK. I hope all is well with everyone.

I need to try and get so sleep so wish me luck. Love you all so much, and apprecicate all that you do for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Becky

Hang in there Becky!!

Not that it doesn't sound completely gross, but try and remember the wonderful couple of days you just had. I loved reading all about Philly and now would like to go there some day. I remember how bad the first room we had in Paris was, we got in late and had to stay by the train station it was so gross and scary I didn't sleep all night, I was so afraid someone was going to break in and rob us. But I don't see any bright side for you to look on when it comes to the room.

Our first tennis game was rained out and now rescheduled for Monday, I am excited and a little nervous (I'm playing singles).

Todd is still job hunting and has had some pretty promising leads, and has another interview today for a job up at Snowbird.

Well the Primary President thing is a little overwhelming, but I'm sure in a year or two everything will make sense.

Love and miss everyone, Larry I'm so excited to see you guys in a week, we are going to have so much fun.

LaNece

HOLY COW

Hi guys,

I have to vent for just a minute. We got to the college where they are holding the national Iaido seminar and we are in the dorms. I want to cry! My pillow is about as think as my finger, my bed is like from the 1960's and the bathrooms are down the hall and tiny and gross. I think I am going to cry. I don't know how I am suppose to sleep in a yucky, gross room. with blankets that have hair and stuff stuck to them. maybe I will sleep in my sweats and jacket. It is so hot. The humidity is right around 90-95% and I can't breathe, my hair is out of control. I just need some moral support. I don't know how I am going to get through this.

OK, I will stop venting but I just needed to tell someone and get it all out so I am OK in the morning.

Love you lots

Becky

Philadelphia continues

I just have a minute to post before the shuttle gets here to pick me up. Today I finished up with all the stuff I didn't have time to do before. I went to Carpenters Hall where they held the first continental congress, I toured the Dolly Madison and the Bishop White houses.

I then went and "Rode the Ducks" that was really fun. They have taken WWII water/land crafts and take you around to see the sites and into the Delaware river to see the USS New Jersey cruiser that has been in 4 wars and them back again. It was kind of really cool. It got really warm inside it though from the diesel engine so I can image being a solider in those waiting to get out on Normandy Beach.

I then got to visit the National Constitution Center which was neat. They show a video and then they have different stations to see throughout the history of the United States. They also have a life sized replica of the room where the Constitution was signed with bronze life sized replica's of all of the people that were there. That was amazing.

I didn't have time to download pictures but hopefully tonight when I get settled at the college.

I miss you all tons.

Becky

Today I went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was great, and I had a great time. I got to see alot of my favorite artists like Van Gough and Rodin. They have a whole separate museum for Rodin which has the largest collection in the world. It was great.

One thing that was really cool in the museum was that they recreated whole rooms. They purchased whole rooms from houses and reinstalled them in the hotel. They had every thing from a Japanese Tea house, to a Hindu Temple. They had 17th century sitting rooms and other really cool stuff. They has a really cool altar piece from a church in France it was just so amazing!

I also went to Penn's Landing and to the Independence Seaport Museum. It was cool too. I got to tour a WWII sub and a ship that was crucial in winning the Spanish American War. I thought that I was going to jump out of my skin in the sub, my claustrophobia really kicked in. It was so neat to see the gunner and the shells on the other ship. I had a great day.

I had to take the trolley downtown and that was a little scary, I should say alot scary! Homeless people everywhere drunk people, people begging for money etc... It would not have been bad had there been someone else on the Trolley but I was on my own for a while. Needless to say I was way excited when someone else got on the trolley. I had a great sundae at an ice cream place called Franklin's Fountain. It is an old fashion fountain shoppe. My chocolate peanut butter sundae was Yum, Yum.

Well tonight I am going the the Lights of Liberty show so I will talk with you all later. Tomorrow is my last day of being a tourist, I then get to become the tortured Iaido student. It is all worth it though. I have had a great time. I am so glad that I decided to pay an extra $10 a day to stay in the historic district. It has really made my stay much easier. I have been able to walk to almost everything except the museum of art. If any one plans on coming to Philadelphia I would highly recommend the Holiday Inn in the Historic District. This has been a great thing to do. I am so glad that I decided to take the time and spend the money to come and see Philadelphia. It has been wonderful. I would recommend it to anyone!

Talk to you all soon

Love you

Becky

Historic Philadelphia

I saw so much today! Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross House, the US Mint and many many more things. It is so inspiring to hear the stories of the our country's birth and to see the places where things happened. This has been an inspiring journey. The liberty bell was especially moving after reading about its history. The pictures that people take for you are not necessarily great but I am grateful for people who are willing to help. I have not heard so many different languages in along time. How wonderful it is to see some many people enjoying the history of our nation.

I also went the the Christ Church cemetery and saw were Ben Franklin is buried along with 8 of the other signers of the Constitution. I got a tour from a local and we saw notable grave of the signers and also of those involved in slavery whether they were abolitionists or slave owners.

Tomorrow I plan on going to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the surrounding buildings. I am excited to see some great architecture. I had another great sandwich on the street and some yum, yum gelato creamy coconut.

I love and miss you all!

Becky

Catching up with World

Hey, all how is everyone doing. Man those are pretty trees, too bad they wouldnt make it in Arizona.

We are starting to think about getting ready for our trip to Utah on the 14th. We are thinking that we are going to be driving both cars up and splitting the assignments between Michelle, Megan, Kailey and me so it is looking pretty good.

I heard from Crystal yesterday and it was so good to talk to her. She is sending out her wedding invitations for August 9th. I am exicited to get there. I hope that you all can make it there with me. I talked to Stan about sending her an invite to the blog so she can join us.

OHH by the way I have LOST 15 pounds!!!!!! Ohh yeah, life is looking up. I am shooting for 210 at the end of the summer maybe 205 but it is coming off alittle at a time.

The guitar practice is going well and I am starting to transition from chords more smoothly.

I love you all as always and will see you all soon. Grats to Cody on his soccer tryouts, and to Conner and Natalie on their High School Graduation. Larry and Family.

Wow

Wow is all that I can say. I have never been moved to tears with art before today. I have never seen so many beautiful things. For all of you who have never heard of the Barnes Foundation, it is a school that was established in 1922 by Dr Albert C Barnes. He has the largest collection of Renoir in the world I think they said 168 paintings. Renoir is not all, they have Cezanne, Van Gough, Matisse, Monet, Picasso, Seraut, Manet, Rousseau, and a new favorite artist of mine Soutine. There were so many moving things that I saw today, but there is no photography allowed so I don't have any pictures of what I saw I did get some postcards with my favorite paintings.

In addition to the art, they have an extensive arboretum. The grounds and the architecture are awesome! I took some pictures below of some of the cool stuff I saw. The first couple of pictures are of a Japanese Dogwood. I have never seen a Dogwood it was spectacular!

I had a blast, the tour guides that did my tours were spectacular and everything was great. I then went to Campos and had an original phillie cheesesteak sandwich, can you say yum, yum. I then thought I would take a dip in the pool, but its not heated and 6:30 is a little late and COLD to be swimming in the unheated rooftop pool. I also just walked around and saw Christ Church and the Quaker meeting house. It is fascinating to see things that have been there since the beginning of our country. Bricks from the 1700's WOW. The trees here are massive everywhere you look there is another Huge tree. There is a cobblestone street by the Christ Church that is original and it is beautiful.

Needless to say I had a great day! Tomorrow I am going to Independence Hall and all that stuff. I also want to ride "The Ducks". So far no really scary people so that is good!

I will talk with you later

Love you All

Becky