Tagged again!

Tagged so the answers first then the post.
A- Age - I told Lauren & she said whoa that is old. Being 52 does not seem that old
B- Band listening to - sorry I hate music unless live
C- Career - shopper
D- Drink or Smoke - No, I act crazy enough without drinking
E- Easiest friend to talk to - most days it is definitely Mark but Somedays it is Shalene (she let's me whine)
F- Funniest moment in life - Richard waking up going whoa! whoa! whoa! when Mark took a corner in our old van on the way back from Busch Gardens. You had to be there!
G- Gummy bears or worms - neither
H- Have a significant other - husband of 35 years Mark
I - In love - oh yeah going on 37 years (yeah that was 15 for me)
J - Junk food I like - everything - Sister Ards fudge is so my favorite - I love chocolate & peanut butter
K - Kids - 2 girls & 1 boy (ok - so they are adults)
L- longest ride ever - NC to Salt lake City - long & hot without air
M -man/woman I love the most - Mark - no contest
N- Names of kids - Stacey Leigh Hopfer, Michelle Dare Peed, & Captain Mark Dale Wyrick II - plus kids by marriage are Richard, Ryan & Shalene.
O- One wish you have now - I would like to be well & my trip to St Croix would hurry & get here P- Phobias - we do not have enough time to list - but I really hate spiders
Q- Quote ( favorite) "The day may come that men's hearts will fell but today is not that day"
R- Reasons to smile - my husband, kids, grandkids - I live therefore I will smile
S - Sleeping hours - 3am - 8am (on a good night)
T - Time I wake up - 8am - 10am
U - Unknown fact about myself - I get my feelings hurt really easy
V - Vegetable I hate - brocolli
W - Worst habit - talk too much
X - X-rays I have had - teeth, wrist, ankle, leg, MRI, CAT scan, & etc.,etc.
Y - Yummy foods - any potato, chocolate & Outback's steak
Z - Zodiac sign - I am a Leo


I am making a bucket list - I think it is a good idea & I want to start crossing off things.
Off to Boone this week to see Shalene in her spring concert. Mark is worried as always.
He hates when I drive that far & stay in a hotel alone. Will I ever get old enough to travel
alone? haha! I am very careful so he has little to worry about. I get to see my girls & hear good music too - what a win-win!

FAMILY VISITS PHOTOS ONLY

Here are the family photos that were eaten during the earlier post.
As you can see they are the Stacey, Richard, dallin, Parker, & Gretchen having way too much fun on the spring break. They were so tanned when they visited. Oh yeah, envy is a bad thing. :)

I LOVE FAMILY VISITS

The Hopfers came for a visit & a break from being sick was much enjoyed. Dallin & Parker are growing up so fast both in size & maturity. The say such "growny" & intelligent things. It often makes me ponder their words. Parker says I have crepey skin {I think he finds it creepy too :)] & with no insult meant. He was telling me that I do not look old at all except for my crepey skin. LOL Dallin has lots of profound thoughts & they are both great with the twins. They not only play with them but are very careful to watch out for them. All weekend if you saw a twin you saw Dallin or Parker. They all ooh & ahh over the museum & its snakes, dinosaurs & even the butterflies. The twins sat beside them as they each played computer games. These were 4 funny dudes.

Our little dudette, Gretchen was also very good with them but she is a girl :)
The twins think she is funny but Dallin & Parker were hard to get by. Gretchen is so cute & wow what a good dresser (thanks to Mom). She is just too cute & very funny.
Hudson just hung out - literally in museum. Those wraps he sits in are sooo cute.

The adults hung out, talked, tried to keep up with all the kids at the museum.
Mark & Richard tried to catch up on all those "guy" topics & with connections of Ryan munched away on some raw fish (yuck - the fancy name does not help with me).
Stacey, Dare & I chatted & tried to catch up too but with kids it is tough.
I have been recovering from pneumonia & the tiredness is just overwhelming at times. I can hardly stay away to night but I wanted to post while the memories are fresh in my mind. A good tired - my Mom would have said.

COLD & RAINY BUT SUN IS COMING

It has been a cold & rainy weekend. Since we need the rain it is truly hard to complain without feeling ungrateful for the rain. Speaking of being ungrateful - I have complained for a couple of weeks about being sick. It started as a cold & became bronchitis & laryngitis - then developed into pneumonia & then into double pneumonia. I have done my share of whining over feeling tired & being sick. I did share the bronchitis just ask Mark who has it too. After Mark's surgery & worrying about his health, I promised to be grateful & not complain but here I am complaining before he even gets his drains remove. I am grateful for his health including the
45 lbs he lost and will try to stop whining about feeling tired all the time. I am blessed with the most beautiful family who I love so much.

Last night I had the most horrifying dream & no it was not about Dale. It was about Dare & her family in a auto accident in DC. Dreams can be so real sometimes & hard to forget. Mark & I had been discussing the weather & Dare's anniversary trip to the Cherry Blossom Festival. I guess it was on my mind when I went to bed - even now I can not shake the oppressive feeling of plain old fear. It reminded me of what little control we have over life & death. I trust God in his choices for my life but where my family is concerned it is so hard to let go of that need for control. I want my family safe so drive carefully folks. Dare & her family are fine & I am sure had great fun.

The SUN part finally - Mark & I have been planning & discussing our trip to St Croix. We are so ready to go - NOW! June will be here soon & our 35th anniversary will be celebrated at the beach on the beautiful island of St Croix. I included some photos that we were looking at that we got from the resort in St Croix (Virgin Islands). It has the only underwater National Park. we will sleep, sail, shop, snorkel, sight see & maybe even scuba for Mark. The "S" seem to be the theme.
Rain or shine while there we will enjoy our trip. The rain is not likely there except in Rain Forest area.

WHAT A 10 DAYS!!

Dale is home for an 18 day leave from Iraq. It was great to see him safe & sound. Not the same as hearing he is safe. They took a trip - not the one they planned or wanted but better than no trip at all. Grammer & Papa kept the girls and loved to get to know them better. They are growing so fast & their personalities change all the time. Rebekah is out "artsy" one - she sings, dances & can discuss movies & books like an adult. Not bad for a 4 yr old. Leah is VERY independent. She talks when she wants to, snuggles when she wants to & naps when she wants. LOL
Rebekah looks just like her Mom & Leah looks exactly like her Dad (we have a play school picture to prove it - haha.

The last 2 days that we had the girls with us - Mark had to have surgery. It went from an in office procedure to a out patient hospital procedure with a local to an out patient with general anesthetic & ended with a 2 day stay after general anesthetic. Home with drains & other icky things. He is doing great after trying to scare me to death with a blood pressure spike in recovery. That was the longest
6 hours wait before the surgeon came out to say he was okay. Another 3 before, a room. Everyone around me was getting awful news & my imagination was running wild.
Glad to be home. A special thanks to Minnie for rescueing me & watching the girls, to Dare for rescueing Minnie (if you are not use to 2 little ones they can be tiring) & bringing her 3 little ones to play with the girls & to Racheal for offering to bring her 3 over & watch them. I love family. They are truly safety nets. I love you guys!!!!

On Sunday, Dale heads back to Iraq & it will be hard for his little family to let him go again to Iraq. December seems far away. Stacey & Richard came over the mountain to spend a day with them & left for a Bahama cruise. They drove so no missed cruise. We still hate that Shalene set up the cruise & the cruise line booked the flights so that they missed the cruise. El Stinko!!

We are still preparing for the Virgin Island vacation. Details are important - our resort condo is right on the beach, so if you step off the patio you are on the sand & a few feet from the beach. Father's Day is coming & the snorkel set at Target is great for Mark (it has feet flippers & a bag).

I miss everyone but enjoying the quiet too. Leah left me with an awful cold so I am off to the doctor. My chest is killing me.

I HAD COOL PICTURES BUT i CAN NOT GET THE TO LOAD - MAYBE LATER!

OUR NEW CAPTAIN

Wow - we are so excited with the news from Iraq & the Army Times.
After careful reading of the Army Times, Jewel discovered the new Captain's list would come out on Valentine's Day (a co-winkie-dink). So Valentines Day came & no list so at 9pm & one more check - there it was the new list. A quick reading of the article & on to the list. Suddenly Jewel is telling Mark that he is "Captain Dad"
They share the same name minus a II behind it. We are very proud although Mark tries to be more reserved than Jewel but not much more reserved.

3 years & a Captain & Ranger trained - we are so proud. We hope it will keep him safer too. Hope springs eternal. lol


We need new updated photos - the Christmas picture with his men is the recent one.

THE BIG "5" for Gretchen

We are so sad to miss your birthday & party. 15 tumbling cuties - what a picture!!
Sorry that you have the flu. You are way to cute to have the flu.

We love your ballet class picture & the picture with Grammer & your cousin Rebekah.
You are our #1 Grand daughter. 1st grand daughter in our family. We love you!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY & have a great party.

LOVES OF OUR LIVES