Joy to the World

When I was a kid, my family always went to upstate New York to my uncle’s house for vacations. We would always stay at my uncle’s house with my extended family and we would use the house as our base of operations and everyday we did different things like skiing, sledding, going to Lake George and other fun things. In the evenings we would always go back to my uncle’s house. The kids would always hang out down in the basement where there were pool tables and dartboards and a stereo. One day when we were downstairs, my cousin, Buddy, came down to play pool and started looking through my collection of music cassette tapes for something to play on the stereo. Buddy was older than me and was not very impressed by my music collection. Back then my music collection was pretty typical for a pre-teen boy in the 1980’s whose taste in music was not fully developed. I think back then I had the soundtrack to Ghostbusters, We Are the World and an assortment of mixed tapes. But then he pulled out a cassette that was not really mine and that I never listened to. It was the soundtrack to The Big Chill. It belonged to my mother and probably got into my cassette carrying case by accident. He put the cassette and we listened to:

1. Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine
2. The Temptations - My Girl
3. The Rascals - Good Lovin'
4. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - The Tracks Of My Tears
5. Three Dog Night - Joy To The World
6. The Temptations - Ain't Too Proud To Beg
7. Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman
8. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles -I Second That Emotion
9. Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
10. The Exciters - Tell Him

I loved it. That music cassette quickly became the music soundtrack of the basement. We probably listened to that cassette a million times while playing pool, bumper-pool and darts in that basement. I think I owe a lot of my current musical taste to that day and my cousin Buddy putting in that particular cassette that day in my uncle’s basement in upstate New York.

Why am I thinking about that today? Two reasons: #1. Yesterday, Buddy’s oldest daughter got married. #2. Also yesterday, I was down in my own basement exercising and trying to pick a CD to listen to while exercising. Emily was keeping me company doing some of her old puzzles(remember this?) and I put in 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Three Dog Night. And the first song was Joy to the World. Before I knew it, exercising and puzzles were forgotten and we were both dancing and singing and having a great time. As soon as the song would end she would say, “DADDY, PLAY THAT SONG AGAIN!!!” We must have listened to that song a thousand times and it brought back a lot of old memories for me and hopefully, created some new memories for both of us. She especially liked singing this part of the song:

“Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea”

Puntabulous

Okay, so me and my blog got a mention on my brother Craig's blog, Puntabulous, today. So let me return the favor. In today's Puntabulous post Craig said

"My brother Adam found my blog. I’m not sure how he found it, but he did."

So let me shed some light on that little mystery and tell you that back in February, I was working the night shift at work and out of boredom started Googling the names of different people that I know. When I Googled Craig's name the #1 result was about a Podcast interview with Craig McAnally (silly me for not Googling Sock Full of Oranges or Pregnant Superheroes Slave for a much more direct route to Puntabulous). When I clicked on it and read about the author of Puntabulous, I naturally went to Puntabulous and the first thing that popped up was my brother Craig's picture. That is how I found Puntabulous and my wife, Missy, and I have been daily readers ever since.

Anyway two months after discovering Puntabulous, I started my own blog. Here is how Craig describes it:

"My brother Adam started his own blog. Now I’m not sure why he did, but I can only assume that he was amazed and inspired by the wonderfulness of my blog, that he tried to emulate me by making his own. Right, Adam?"

I knew that if I wanted to compete with Puntabulous that I would have to take two very crucial steps. Step 1. think of a really snappy name for my blog. You know, the kind of name that would draw in thousands of readers and totally eclipse Puntabulous. Step 2. Make sure that some really Internet savvy people, namely my mother,were reading my blog so that word would spread quickly that my blog totally kicks Puntabulous' ass. So that's how Adam's Blog was born.

Okay that's really not what happened. I was inspired by Puntabulous but I was also inspired by my friend and neighbor, Kim (a.k.a. Miss Mommy) and her blog. Here it is. I always liked writing and considered myself a good story teller and if you get a few beers in me then I become a GREAT STORY TELLER (there was even a short lived YouTube video of a very drunk me giving a much more colorful version of the story of Jillian's birth than has ever been published on the blog). So I am sorry to say that I never meant for my blog to compete with Puntabulous despite what this guy said:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Adam's Random Thoughts": PUNTABULOUS RULES! I LOVE CRAIG...SORRY ADAM, YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE.NOW BACK TO THE REAL BLOGGER IN THE FAMILY, PUNTABULOUS! XOXO

There is another satisfied reader. I especially appreciate the kisses and hugs at the end of that comment.

Adam's Random Thoughts

1. One of the most aggravating parts about getting the girls dressed is finding a pair of shoes for Emily. It's not Emmy's fault that I can never find any of her shoes. It's not even Missy's fault that I can not find her shoes. It is 100% Jillian's fault. You see, Jillian has a thing for shoes. She usually can't put on her own shoes without help so she likes trying on Mommy, Daddy and Emily's shoes. She usually does not get too far in Mommy and Daddy's shoes so they can always be found just a few feet from where we left them. But Emily's shoes are an entirely different matter. They are never anywhere close to the location where they were removed. Most times the left and the right shoes are in different rooms and sometimes different floors from each other. As I type this post Jillian is climbing into my lap to give me a hug, so I can't stay mad at her for long.

2. Today Emily and I saw Shrek 3. It was pretty good but no where near as good as Shrek 1 & 2. I know with the success of Shrek 1 and 2, there was no way that they were not going to make a Shrek 3 but I can't help thinking that Mike Meyers always pushes a good thing just a little too far. Wayne's World 2 and Austin Powers 3 come to mind as movies that pushed a good thing just a little too far. But more importantly, Emily behaved very well inside the movie theater. This has only been her forth time seeing a movie in an actual movie theater and she did very well. Note to self: Bring a jacket or blanket for Emily next time we go to the theater.

3. Last week I lost 3 pounds. I am not sure how much was due to diet and how much was due to exercise and how much of it was due to me clipping my toe nails. EEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW!!!

4. I am not sure but I think that the moment that my wedding ring was slipped onto my finger there was a chemical reaction between the gold in the ring and my body that now causes me to take great delight in annoying the crap out of my wife. Am I the only husband that has been afflicted in this way? It's not anything really big but it's the little things that really seem to satisfy this urge caused by the chemical reaction. For example, singing the wrong words to songs seems to annoy the crap out of her. This one is especially great because it drives Emily crazy as well. I can throw the whole house into turmoil by singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star How I Wonder What you Had For Breakfast." Another way I can drive Missy crazy is by pretending that I don't know who people are. We have had conversations like this:

Adam: comes home from work and asks, "What did you guys do today?"

Missy: "I took the girls to the pool today and we saw Cheryl."

Adam: "Cheryl, who?"

Missy: a little annoyed says, "Cheryl, you know, our neighbor, Cheryl"

Adam: "I don't know who you are talking about. Have I ever met her?"

Missy: now clearly annoyed says, "YES!!! YOU KNOW THE LADY THAT LIVES IN THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR TO US THAT HAS THE TWO BOYS - SEAN AND RYAN ?!?!?!? SHE IS OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR!! YOU HAVE MET HER MANY MANY TIMES!!!"

Adam: "Nope, doesn't ring a bell."

Missy: Storms off, "GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!"

Adam: "Excuse me for being interested in your day!! Next time I just won't ask."

Why does this make me happy? I must be sick. It's not me, it's the ring!!! Are there any other husbands out there that have this same problem? Maybe another support group would be in order.

5. Missy and I have other little games that we play that drive each other crazy. When we first got married, I would come home from work and go upstairs to change clothes and relax and Missy would call me down to dinner. I would come down to find that not only was dinner not ready, it was a good twenty to thirty minutes from being ready. Okay, as the years of marriage go by I find myself coming down to dinner later and later from the time she starts calling me. As a result she starts calling me down earlier and earlier knowing that I will ignore the first few times she calls. It has become a vicious cycle. I think that by the time we are both 80 years old we will have resynchronized because she will start calling me down for dinner about midnight the night before and I will just be coming down for last night's dinner at midnight the next day. And all will be right with the world.

Adam’s Blog: MAN OF THE YEAR

It’s Father’s Day and that means that it’s time for the Adam’s Blog Editorial Board to name its first annual MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD. No, it’s not my Dad (sorry Dad) or any other Dad for that matter. This year the board has chosen a man that has dramatically improved the lives of all men past, present and future. And that man is:

FRED MERTZ (played by William Frawley on I Love Lucy)

For his work on behalf of men's right to dress comfortably:
In an age when men were required to always wear a jacket, hat and tie if they were going to leave their house, Fred was never afraid to take a stand and wear the clothes that made him comfortable.

DO YOU REMEMBER when the Ricardos and the Mertzes were going to the movies and Lucy henpecked Ricky into putting on a jacket and tie? At first, he resisted but then when he found out that they were going to a Marilyn Monroe movie he relented and changed but then the Mertzes showed up and Fred was dressed casual.

This may sound like a small thing to you, but don’t forget that this was a time when it was taboo for people to wear blue jeans on the NYC Subway (remember when Lucy got the loving cup stuck to her head and Ethel was going to escort her to the silversmith shop on the subway but refused to leave without changing out of her blue jeans). Without Fred Mertz taking these vital steps towards men being able to dress comfortably, would we even have the T-shirt and blue jeans guys that are so common today? I mean we are not talking about civil rights or women’s suffrage here!!! We are talking about something important, like a man’s right to dress comfortably and Fred Mertz pioneered the way for the rest of us. Every time a man puts on his favorite T-shirt and/or most comfortable pair of blue jeans they should say a little prayer and thank Fred Mertz.

For his work on behalf of the environment:

These days it is common for both men and women to work from home. Technology has allowed us this luxury in the 21st century. But Fred was doing this back in the 1950’s when a pocket calculator was about the size of the Empire State Building. There was no daily commute for him. Fred knew, even in the 50’s, the price of not being ‘Carbon-Neutral’ would have on generations to come. Also working from home meant that he was always available to watch Little Ricky when Mrs. Trumbull was not available.

Also Fred helped the tennants in his building minimize their carbon footprints by not allowing them to be so wasteful with their home heating. Although he was not appreciated for his enviromental efforts back in his own time, we can now look back at Fred Mertz with a degree of gratitude. Present day earth could possibly be a lot warmer place these days without the efforts of Fred Mertz.

For his work in being a Best Friend:
They say that a good friend will come and bail you out of jail when you get into trouble but your best friend will be sitting in the jail with you saying, “Man, that was fun!!!” With that in mind, I think we can definitely say that Fred Mertz was definitely a Best Friend to the Ricardos.

DO YOU REMEMBER when the Ricardos and Mertzes were driving to California and Lucy took a turn at the wheel and got them lost in Bent Fork, Tennessee? They wanted to avoid running into Cousin Ernie Ford so they decided to drive through the town as fast as possible and winded up getting put in jail for speeding. They first tried to break out of jail by singing Old McDonald Had a FARM to mask the noise of them filing through the bars. They were caught when the sheriff decided that their singing had cheered him up so much that he would let them go. But discovered their escape attempt when he opened the door to the jail and not all the bars swung open. They finally ended up escaping by tying up the sheriff and his daughters while square dancing. But the point is that Fred Mertz was always up for one of Lucy or Ricky’s crazy schemes.

DO YOU REMEMBER when Ricky asked for a raise at the nightclub and got fired.? Lucy came up with the plan of making enough reservations to fill up the entire nightclub. Then that night, Lucy, Fred and Ethel used Fred’s old vaudeville quick-change trunk to dress in different outfits and arrive at the club several times as different parties. As soon as they find out that Ricky Ricardo is not playing, they would turn around and walk out. They repeated this until the owner of the nightclub got so scared that he offered Ricky his job back with a raise. This crazy scheme deserves special mention because Fred really went above and beyond the call of duty by dressing in drag during one of the arrivals at the club.

For is work in stretching a dollar:
In an era when a nickel would get you into a movie theater all day and you would still had money left over to buy enough popcorn, soda and candy to feed a small nation, Fred would still make Ethel sneak into the theater and once inside, drink from the water fountain. Fred knew the value of a dollar and worked hard at making sure that he stretched it to the max.

DO YOU REMEMBER when Fred finagled a free all-expense-paid trip to California by reasoning that since the Ricardos were driving that meant the back seat of the car was going to California anyway?

DO YOU REMEMBER when Fred finagled a free all-expense-paid trip to Europe by being Ricky’s band manager?

These are just a few of the reasons why Fred Mertz is the Adam’s Blog MAN OF THE YEAR for 2007. I hope you enjoyed reading this and remembering Fred Mertz as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Man vs. Wild and Mind vs. Body

One of my newest favorite shows that I watch is Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel. Here is the Wikipedia description of the show:

The program follows Bear Grylls as he survives harsh conditions with minimal resources and finds his way back to civilization... Man vs. Wild shows Grylls purposefully demonstrating more extreme methods of survival in harsh conditions. The program has shown him eating raw meat and live fish, staving off hypothermia after intentionally jumping in a frozen lake, and drinking the fluids of elephant feces for hydration.

Anyway, last night was a new episode where Bear Grylls is dropped off in the middle of the Everglades. While watching this episode, I had another Mind vs. Body moment:

Body: “Eww, Bear Grylls is eating a live frog!!!

A few minutes later

Body: “Eww, now he is eating a turtle!!! You know with our energy reserves we wouldn’t have to eat anything gross if we were stuck out in the Everglades!!!”

A few minutes later

Body: “Okay, now he is eating ant larvae!!! That’s it, we need to bulk up some more!!! Let’s go eat some Ben & Jerry’s”

Mind: “Nice try but NO!!!”

Body: “Well I am just trying to think of our survival if we were ever trapped in the middle of the Everglades!!”

Mind: “Listen to me, with our excessive amounts of ‘energy reserves’ as you like to call it, we would have never been able to shimmy up that tree to avoid the alligators and we would be dead anyway.”

Body: “Now you are just being ignorant. Everyone knows that alligators don’t eat fat people they go for the lean and fit people. We would be able to just stroll right by those alligators with no tree climbing required nor desired. Now let’s go get that ice cream.”

Mind: “Where do you get that little theory from?”

Body: “Do I have to explain everything to you?!! Don’t you remember Peter Pan? That alligator went right after skinny old Captain Hook and did not give that chubby first mate a second look. Now let’s go get that ice cream!!!”

Mind: “There is a few things wrong with your logic: Number one, that was a crocodile in Peter Pan, not an alligator. Number two, the reason he went after Captain Hook was because that was the crocodile that ate Hook’s hand and was obsessed with eating the rest of him. That is why he did not try to get the first mate. And number three, I can’t believe you are hinging our survival on your knowledge of a children’s cartoon.

Body: “Not just a children’s cartoon but a classic Disney cartoon…”

Mind: “uh-huh”

Body: “…based on the biblical story of Peter Pan. Now where is my ice cream?!!”

Mind: “Don't start that again!!! Nutrisystem pretzels, take it or leave it?”

Body: “Fine, but if we don’t last three days while stranded in the Everglades, don’t blame me!!!”

DON’T READ THIS!!!

Warning #1: This post contains mild violence.

Warning #2: This post contains some mild objectification of women.

Warning #3: This post contains a scene that takes place in Adam & Missy’s bedroom. (The author of Adam’s Blog has heard your many complaints about bedroom and bathroom scenes (such as Booty Kisses, U Can’t Touch This and My Stock is On the Rise-Part 1) but this one was too good not to post.)

So you have decided to proceed reading this post. Good for you!!! Now let me set the scene for you. It’s about 10PM in Adam & Missy’s bedroom. Missy and I are lying in bed watching TV with the remote control firmly in Missy’s hand. As usual, Missy and I cannot agree on what to watch on TV so Missy flips back and forth between her show and my show. It usually starts off as a 50-50 split between the two programs but quick devolves to about a 90-10 split in Missy’s favor until finally my preferred programming is completely ignored and I roll over and go to sleep.

But last night I did not roll over and go to sleep, I watched the program that Missy was watching on the Food Network. So there we are watching a group of bakers making cakes that look like Disney characters when a commercial came on for an upcoming show starring that Food Network hottie, Giada De Laurentiis.

On the TV the commercial starts

Adam: “Hey, look it’s Giada!!! Man she’s HOT!!!”

WHAMM (sound of Missy hitting Adam)

Adam realizes he has hit a nerve and decides to pick at it.

From the TV Giada says, “we’ll make your night sizzle!!!”

Adam: “Oh Giada, you can make my night sizzle!!”

WHAMM

Adam: “Look now she’s wearing a bikini!!!”

WHAMM

Adam: “Hey, if that show comes on and I am not home can you please throw a tape in for me?”

WHAMM

Missy “Hey, my fist doesn't bounce off you belly as easily as it used to.”

Adam: “Well that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

Missy: “Yeah, but I really hurt my hand.”

Adam: “Well if it makes you feel any better, I’ll probably have a black & blue mark on my belly in the morning.”

Missy: “That does make me feel better. Good night.”

Missy rolls over to go to sleep.

Adam: “Seriously though, can you throw a tape in for me so that I don’t miss that show?”

WHAMM, WHAMM, WHAMM

Above: Picture of Giada De Laurentiis

Adam’s Pheromones

I have come to a stunning realization over the last few weeks. I have concluded that my body secretes a pheromone that when it hits the female brain automatically makes them think that I am a complete idiot. I used to just think that it was the way I looked or talked that gave females that impression. But since the birth of my daughters I think that I have proof that this is something that is naturally occurring beyond my control. Take yesterday for example:

When I got home from work, I asked Missy if she had read my blog? She said that she did not and immediately turned to the computer and went to my blog. She started reading my latest post and snickered in a few areas and when she was done reading she turned to me and said, “Rip Van Winkle is not in the Bible.” I told her that I knew that already and that it was just part of the joke. I explained that in my head when my body and my mind have these conversations, the body is not quite as smart as the mind and is grasping for any excuse not to lose weight. So in an Archie Bunker type rebuttal he says, “READ YOUR BIBLE!!!” But since I have to explain the joke then it kind of loses something in the translation.

So later on in the evening, I checked my blog one more time before turning in and I found a comment from my mother “Very funny! Except I don't think Rip Van Winkle was in the Bible…” Now here are the two women in the whole wide world that know me the better than anyone else, my wife and my mother, and they both think that I’m an idiot. My mother even has access to old school report cards and IQ exams so she has actual proof of how smart or dumb I really am!!! So there is genuine cause for concern.

So just as I am resigning myself to the fact that I really am an idiot, my daughters come into the world. Two fresh female brains that don’t know me from Adam (that saying kind of loses something when your name really is Adam). But anyway, these girls think that I am the one that was born yesterday. For example, last weekend I was doing some chores around the house and Emily was “helping” me. I told her that we had to go up to the attic and change the air filters on our heating & air system. Emily looked at me with pity in her eyes and said very seriously, “But Daddy, we don’t have an attic.” Here is a girl that has only been in this world for four years and she thinks that her Dad is so dumb that he has obviously deluded himself into thinking that there is some sort of mythical attic in this house that he has lived in for the past 6 years.

Then there is my other daughter, Jillian. I know you all remember my post: My Stock is on the Rise-Part 1. Well we have similar conversations every day (most of them are thankfully when I am not on the potty). And they all end up the same way, she looks at me with those eyes that say, “you stupid, stupid man!!! Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth? All I want to do is go outside and blow bubbles and you can’t even make that happen!!!”

Yet, I do not have these kinds of problems with the males of the species. I talk with my brothers and father regularly about variety of different subjects, work, schools, politics, etc. A few weeks ago one of my brothers asked me advise about his 401K investments. I also gave my other brother advice when he hated his new job and now he is thriving. I am widely regarded at work as an electric motor and generator repair expert. Last week, I had to drive all the way to Baton Rouge to discuss DC motor repairs with Georgia Pacific. Now these people obviously don’t think that I am dumb. I am not trying to brag here, I am just trying to understand what the difference is?

So I think that it has be a naturally occurring issue that is beyond my control. My body must emit a Pheromone that when picked up by the female brain triggers it into automatically assuming that I am not the brightest crayon in the box. So next weekend’s mission is that I am going to buy a fully contained environmental suit in order to keep the pheromones from getting out and causing the female brains trigger the mechanism into believing that this guy is an idiot. The worst-case scenario is that women and girls will still think that I am an idiot but at least I will really look the part in my spiffy new environmental suit.

Are there any other men out there that have similar problems with females? Maybe we can start some sort of support group or something.

Weight Loss Update

Friday was day 50 of my Nutrisystem adventure so I wanted to give you guys a brief update:

I AM FREAKIN’ STARVING!!!!

No, not really. So far, I have lost 38 pounds. This number might be a little inflated since when Missy told me my Nutrisystem box had arrived, I ate really big that day since it was my last day before starting the diet. So when I stepped on the scale the first day the number might have been a few pounds more than it may have otherwise been. But 38 pounds is close enough so let’s just go with that.

Let me give you guys some stats:

4/19/2007: 283.5 lbs.
4/19/2007: Pant’s waist size: A very tight 40”

6/10/2007: 245.5 lbs.
6/10/2007: Pant’s waist size: A comfortable fitting 38”

Weight listed on Adam’s Drivers License: 230 lbs

# of days until we go to the beach: 56

Here is my weight loss chart:

The hardest part about losing weight is the mind and body working against each other. Sometimes I imagine my mind and body having conversations with each other:

4/20/2007 (DAY 2)
Body: Hey, what’s going on up there?!!!
Mind: We are on a diet. We are entirely too fat.
Body: What?!!! Don’t think of it as fat, think of it as energy reserves in case we decide to hibernate. We are a mammal, you know?!!
Mind: Two things wrong with that. Number one: It’s April and Number two: According to my calculations we have enough “energy reserves” for about a 1500-day hibernation.
Body: Hey, it’s winter somewhere in the world and have you ever heard perhaps of Rip Van Winkle? READ YOUR BIBLE!!!

5/13/2007 (DAY 25)
Mind: Hey Body, what have you been up to lately?
Body: Oh nothing. Why?
Mind: No really, what are you doing down there?
Body: Nothing, just some minor adjustments on our energy consumption. Why do you ask?
Mind: Well, we are sleeping 14 hours a day, we are always tired and we haven’t lost a pound all week.
Body: Oh, you noticed that, huh? Is there a problem?

5/14/2007 (DAY 26)
Body: Hey, what are we doing now?
Mind: We are taking the girls for a walk around the neighborhood.
Body: Why would we do that?
Mind: Just trying to boost our energy levels.
Body: But then we will expend more of our reserves!!!!
Mind: That is the point.
Body: Oh yeah. When will it be our turn to ride in the little red push-car?

To Be Continued...

My Music Collection Needs the Doobie Bros.

I am a child of the 70's and 80's and there is so much good music from this time period that I just have no clue about. I am slowly learning though. In the last few years, I have added bands like 3 Dog Night, CCR and the Rolling Stones to my collection. One of the big advantages of having XM Radio is that when I hear a good song, I can look at the display and see who it is. Lately, I have come to realize that a lot of the great music from my childhood was the Doobie Brothers. On today's ride into work it was "THE DOCTOR":

"Music is the doctor
Makes you feel like you want to
Listen to the doctor
Just like you ought to
Music is the doctor of my soul"

My mother tried to by me the Doobie Brothers greatest hits for Christmas, but she got jerked around by Amazon for months until they finally admitted that they did not have it and weren't going to get it. But this weekend, I am going on a mission. I am packing up the girls and going shopping and we will not be returning until we have a Doobie Brothers CD.

Wish me and my music collection GOOD LUCK!!!!

Hypocrite, Thy Name is Adam

Readers of this blog know that on occasion, I call my kids "GOOBERS".


The real dilemma is that I just don't know where they get it from? I mean, just look at these children:






I just don't know where they get it from.

Certainly not my side of the family.







Emily: "Daddy, can I take your picture?"

Adam: "Sure"

Emily hands Adam a set of old headphones and says, "here, first put these on."

Adam puts on the headphones and says, "Okay, now take the picture."

Emily: "Daddy, make a silly face."

Daddy: "Okay, now just take the picture."

Camera makes computerized clicking noise and flashes

Adam: Mental note to self... I need to make sure that I erase that picture before Missy finds it.

Karma: "Not so fast, Genius!!!"

And They Wonder Why I call Them Goobers...

Sorry it has been a while since my last post.

The girls received a box from Missy's Mom on Saturday. The box contained various swimwear including the goggles pictured below:








Above: Jillian in her new swim goggles

Below: Emily in her new swim goggles (she added an old set of headphones for this picture. What a goober!!!)