The Week

MONDAY:
Up at 5:15 and got ready to go to Jazzercise.  What was I thinking?  That is awful early.  Felt great to work out though.  Class was from 5:45-6:45.  Back home and lounged around.  That also felt great since we have been so busy.

We decided to go to the movies.  We ran a few errands first though.  We ran my video camera to the camera store to see why it wouldn't turn on.  Come to find out there was nothing wrong with it my charger just wasn't strong enough to charge it.  Next stop was the mall.  I needed to get my jewelry checked before heading back to China.  Stopped at a gas station to get some treats for the movie.  Finally at the theater.  We went and saw Brave.  It was such a cute movie.  It was 3D but it didn't have to be.  There was nothing very 3D about it.

After the movie we went home and dropped Cameron off with Grandpa.  Mom and I ran to Walmart to exchange something and buy a few groceries.  Back home we had steak and corn on the cob.  Very tasty.

Cameron showing Grandpa how to play wii.

A new Just Dance game.

Thinking of our friends from Mexico while doing this dance.

Corn on the cob = delicious.

Gave Cameron a haircut, watched some tv, and off to bed.

TUESDAY:
Up again for Jazzercise.  Today was a little harder.  I was way more tired.  Made it through though.  Got home and read the newspaper.  At 8:30 I went in my room where my parents were checking out the blog on the computer.  I laid on my bed and fell asleep.  Woke up at 10:00.  Nothing like a nap at 8:30 in the morning.

Got ready for the day.  At 11:40 we left to pick Grace and Griffin up.  We went to Wendy's and had lunch.  They have a new Son of Baconator sandwich was so good.  We love Wendy's and miss it in China.  I dropped Mom and all the kids off at the movie theater.  They saw the new Spiderman movie.  I went shopping trying to find things to take back that we need. I went to Kohl's, Gordman's, and Penney's.  The only thing I bought that we needed were belts for Todd.  The rest were not needs they were wants.

At 3:00 I was back at the theater waiting for the rest to come out of the movie.  Finally at 3:30 they appeared.  The kids could not stop talking about the movie and repeating lines.  They said it was awesome.  My mom even really liked it and she doesn't like movies like that usually.  I was kind of bummed I didn't watch it.  I'm sure I can get it on DVD when we get back.

After dinner Cameron and I went over to the pool.  As it turned out the DeFrieze family was having Alexis' birthday party so 3 of Cameron's buddies were there with their sisters.  Ethan, Bryant, Jon, and Cameron all played together.  They shot some hoops and went off the diving boards.  At one point we looked over and they were doing dance moves on the high dive.  Goofy boys.  It was so great to see everyone.  We headed home at 8:30.

Ethan and Cameron together again.

Jon, Bryant, Cameron, and Ethan striking a pose.

These boys are goofy.

They all wanted their heads wrapped.

Showered, played a game with Grandma, then off to bed.

WEDNESDAY--60 weeks in China:
Jazzercise at 5:45 again and then met Cameron with my dad at the doctor's office.  They have open clinic hours and Cameron's doctor was working it today.  We went to have his ears checked again.  Dr. Neptune wanted to make sure the fluid in his ears was cleared up before we went back to China.  He had an appointment on Friday but going today was so much easier and faster.  His one ear has a little fluid in it still but Dr. Neptune said it was nothing to worry about.

Back home.  Mom and I went for a walk while Cameron entertained himself and Dad worked in the garage.  When we got home we decided to go over to our house and get our bikes.  Cameron also got his karate stuff and some Mario "dolls" to take back to China.  We rode our bikes home.

I jumped in the car and went to the chiro while Mom and Cameron went for a longer bike ride.  The chiro made my neck feel so much better.  I have been having problems with my ears and vertigo and I am hoping this is going to help.  He said from the neck down I was really out of whack.  It felt so good hearing all those cracks.  I'm going to go one more time before I leave.

At 12:00 Cameron and I left to meet McGuire's at the Coal Valley Happy Joes.  We had lunch and then played pee wee golf.  It was fun and I won so that made it even better.

The much more mature Cameron.

They look like bad under cover agents.

Too funny.

A hot game of golf.

Fun times with great friends.

Back home.  We skyped with Todd and then I went to dinner with Steph, Linda, and Marcia at the Skyline.  It was really good.  It was nice to catch up with the girls too.  While I was with them Dad took Cameron to Karate.  He was excited because his friend Ethan joined so they were in class together.  He was also glad to see his Sensei. They went to the car show at Governors.  I was meeting some friends there too.  When I saw Cameron he did not look thrilled.  He said Grandpa wanted to walk around and see every car and talk to every person.  That wasn't quite true but he was less than impressed.  I went to the patio.  There ended up being 13 of us.  It was so fun and great to see some of my friends.  Mom and I left Governors at 12 a.m.  Thank Goodness for my Mom.  She is such a trooper.

Todd, Karen, Lee, Scott, Me, Jason, Lori, Bob, Jeff, Jamie, and Kelly.  So glad we could get together.

My girls.

East Moline has some awesome teachers.

So happy Lori was also in town.

THURSDAY:
Slept in after my late night.  Took Cameron over to Ian's house at 10:00.  I ran to Kmart to get some stuff to take back.  I got home and packed most of my clothes so I could see if I could fit them in one bag.  I worked on the blog to get caught up.  At 3:00 we picked Cameron up and headed to Walcott, Iowa to go to the Truckers Jamboree at the I-80 Truck stop.

While Cameron was with Ian they played, went to the library, Arthur's for lunch, and then a park. Cameron loves hanging out with Ian and he had a great time.

Lunch with his buddy.

Frozen yogurt for dessert.

The trucker Jamboree was pretty uneventful.  Walked around looking at fancy trucks.  We all picked out our favorite new and old trucks.  Cameron went in a giant dinosaur looking climbing thing, we picked up some free stuff like coozies (because we do not have enough of them), and grabbed some dinner.  Mom and Dad had Pizza Hut and Cameron and I tried the Doritos Taco from Taco Bell.  We each got one just to try it.  Two bites in Cameron said "I'm going to need two more please".  I had one more.  They were pretty good though.  In the truck stop they sell all kinds of stuff.  We saw a couple magnets we had to get for Carrasco's.  I'm sure they will laugh when they see them.

Cruising over the bridge to Iowa.

We have arrived at the Truckers Jamboree.

I got the Bieber look going on.

Crazy dinosaur thing Cameron climbed in.

No Grandpa, don't kill him.

Pretty cool cement mixer.

My favorite truck because of the color.

Cameron liked this one the best.

This is what it said at the top of the tank.

Of course it is the one my mom picked for her favorite.  Everyone loves a good dump!

Dad's favorite.  It said Charlie where he is standing.

Cameron and Dad's favorite old school choice.  Of course it is IH.

Mom's favorite oldie.

I liked the old Skelly gas truck.

Pizza Hut and Taco Bell together.

Enjoying the Doritos taco.  Yum.

We stopped at Farm and Fleet in Davenport on the way to Grace's game.  We found the coolest Illini looking shoes for Cameron but there was no price tag.  He walked up to the counter with one shoe on and we asked how much they were.  On the way he said our budget was about 20 bucks.  I agreed.  I would pay 20 but not more than that because he is too hard on shoes and they would be destroyed in a day.  The lady at the counter scanned them and said $59.99.  At first I thought she said 15.99 so I asked but again she said $59.99.  Cameron immediately took the shoe off, put it back in the box, and said no way.  That's my boy.  He knows that was ridiculous.

Off to Beyond the Baseline for Grace's basketball game.  Cameron was able to see some of his friends because they just got done playing.  We wished we would have known they were playing because we would have went sooner so we could see them.  I also got to see my Superintendent for my school.  He was shocked to see me.  We had a nice visit and I assured him I would be back next year.  Grace's team lost 47-19.  Ouch.  It was still good we got to watch her play.

My brother coaching and Grace (4) taking a break.

Back home and off to bed.

FRIDAY:
I had to go for a mammogram at 7:50 a.m.  Not the best way to start a morning but at least I got it over with.  Kelly and the kids picked us up at 8:30 to head to Fun City in Burlington.  We arrived around 10:15.  It was raining a little bit but no one seemed to care.  The kids went on the water slides, played in the pool, and rode the lazy river.

Cameron on the big drop slide.

Of course he loved it.

Cameron, Griffin, and the tube went completely underwater.

 

Grace and Cameron's turn.

Grace got jammed on Cameron's head but they didn't flip out of the tube.

Crazy cousins enjoying the day.

At 12 we went out to the car to have lunch.  Kelly brought a blanket so we put that on the ground and ate behind the van.  It was a nice little break in the day.  Back inside and more slides and fun.  Kelly and I did the lazy river with the kids.  We made it one and half laps then had to get out.  I was starting to feel sick.  Too much motion.  It was fun but I just can't handle that anymore.  I guess I'm getting old.

Picnic lunch on the parking lot.

Posing.

Goofballs.

3:00 we packed up and made our way back home.  We skyped with Todd, had Tombstone frozen pizza for dinner which was really good, then Cameron and I ran to get some movies.  We watched Airplane first.  Thank goodness a lot of the humor went over Cameron's head.  It is a dumb, funny show.  At 9:00 we put in Twister.  Cameron was surprised how fast the tornado action started and how good the movie was.  At 11:00 we were finally heading to bed.

SATURDAY:
Skyped with Todd and then Cameron watched Ghost Rider.  It was the last of the 3 movies we rented.  I watched about half of it.  Pretty strange but Cameron liked it.  Now we have to rent the newest Ghost Rider.  Dad decided he needed a haircut.  He let Cameron give him one.  At first Cameron gave him the old man cut with a ring around his head.  Too bad Dad's hair is so gray, you couldn't really see the ring.  Cameron finished but then I went back and touched it up.  He did a pretty good job.  Dad was a trooper for allowing that craziness.

Let the cutting begin.

Doesn't Dad look thrilled?

Had to get a step ladder to get the top.

At 12:30 Cameron and I headed to the pool.  McGuire's met us there around 1:00.  The kids had a great time.  At 3:45 we went back home.  Cameron hurried and changed because McGuire's were picking him up to take him home with them.  He spent the night.  He was so excited.

Mom, Dad, and I went to church and to dinner at Famous Dave's.  It was really, really good.  We then went to Doc's Inn to have a couple drinks.  They were having an outdoor party for the golf classic.  Ran in to some people we knew so it was fun.  We were home by 9:00. Off to bed.