Back Again

Whew! That was QUITE a dry spell! Let me assure you that it was not for lack of having interesting things about which to blog! However, it was due to the lack of time or energy needed to put it all down.

We have had a whirlwind of activity since Anne and Bryan came home. Our lives change so dramatically and wonderfully when they are here, and this summer has been no exception. The kids have had sleepovers, pool parties, endless playing with Jack, tramps out in to the woods, trips to Lafayette, days at the Monticello pool and quite a little bit of drama here around the homestead (more on that later)! We've also been strawberry picking, which means we also cleaned and froze 15 quarts of yummy strawberries. Those are just the berries that made it in to the buckets. You'll have to ask Bryan how many POUNDS of strawberries he ate out in the field. He has maintained his record from last year and I think even added to it. Jack thinks that his bubba and sissy are the best thing that have ever happened to him and I hate to think what it will be like the first morning he wakes up after they leave.

As for the drama......some of you may have heard on the news that on Tuesday a 17 year old girl was abducted from her home here in Carroll county. They found the girl in a field very near our home, and began searching for her abductor. On Tuesday we found ourselves completely oblivious to the events unfolding, literally, around us and were having a perfectly fine day. A & B's friends, Ben and Lauren had spent the night after a late night pool party the evening before. We got up and went strawberry picking (I was patting myself on the back for "arranging" all of the free pickers). That afternoon the boys got all duded up in their cami's and knives and went out "hunting" in the woods. The girls were a little less enthusiastic and had holed up in the basement to watch a movie. Jack and I were walking outside down the lane and swinging in the back yard, when we noticed a helicopter flying by very low to the ground. He continued to circle overhead for several minutes, then pretty much flew the perimeter of our whole property. He was so low that I could see the people sitting inside and read the call letters on the side of the copter. Jack and I just stood there in the middle of the lane, looking up at it and wondering what the heck was going on! I went in the house to see if there was something on the news, when my neighbor called me and asked if I was alone at the house. I replied that no, I had several children with me. She told me to get them in the house and lock the doors! Then she proceeded to tell me the above mentioned story of the abducted girl, and informed me that the police were looking through MY woods for the fugitive suspect! It was at this point that I almost dropped the phone because Bryan and Ben were IN THE WOODS!!!! I hung up with her and started calling for Bryan. I was thinking that it would be better not to scare them, but just tell them to come up to the house quickly. Well, if you know boys who are out playing, you know that they are loathe to come in, much less quickly. Consequently I was out on the door shouting my fool head off for them to "GET YOUR BUTTS IN THE HOUSE NOW"! They came a little more quickly as I am quite sure that Bryan has NEVER heard me yell at him like that before! Once inside I called the sheriff's department and confirmed that, yes, they were looking for the fugitive in my woods and we should stay inside with the doors and windows locked! So we were under seige. I called Jeff and he came home as quickly as possible. They had K-9 units out and police from 8 different agencies all looking for this bad man. On a side note, when Jeff came home from work he scared the kids to DEATH by standing in front of the windows to the basement. Poor Lauren, I think she may have wet her pants. Sorry, honey.

All the next day we stayed indoors where it was "safe" and waited to hear if the man had been caught. It was a beautiful day and we all wanted to be outside, but not if somebody was going to be waiting out there for us!

Today we heard that the girl made it up. Made it up. Sigh.....

So today we went outside! And then we went to the pool.

Well, if you've made it this far I applaud you! It has been quite an exciting few days and we are looking forward to the weekend!