Can the bugs just leave me alone!!!!

Well if you are reading this blog then you probably know that I don't like to do yard work. Me picking up the sticks for Andy, that I mentioned in my previous post, is about all I want to do and picking up sticks is a rare, just ask Andy. Well, it is a long story mostly starting with the day that I was born but to keep things short here I will tell all of you out there that I do cut my mom's grass. I know, I know I am sure that you all know about how I told Andy that I would never cut our grass when we got married and he has let me stick to that. He cuts our grass and I sit on the couch. (It is not THAT bad but it goes something like that.) At any rate I do go over to my mom's house and every other week or so and cut her grass before it gets too high and she has to pull out a machete to get to her door. So on Sunday after church I headed on over to her house. I finished one side and had just started on the other. I was cutting an area that is really close to this tree and thought that a limb had scratched my arm. I looked at my shoulder and sure enough to my shock and horror was a bee. Did you hear me, I SAID THERE WAS A BEE! and it was sticking out of my arm (read: it stung me!) I grabbed it and squeezed it, threw it on the ground, pushed the mower out of the way (for fear that more were coming shortly behind this one and I did not want to get the mower trapped in a bee infested area- I think pretty quick on me feet don't you think!), and ran as fast as I could into the house. I yelled for my mom to get some ice. Once I had calmed down it felt like I had just gotten a tetanus shot. It hurt and I complained to my mom and then to Andy that night. The next day is was still sore and itchy and I had a huge knot on my shoulder and I figured by today it would be gone. You are not going to believe this... or maybe you will- I don't make a habit of being stung by bees but you might. This morning I woke up and my shoulder was still itching. I looked in the mirror and said to Andy, "I think that I am having an allergic reaction to this bee sting." Andy, knowing that I am not allergic to anything, said, "No you aren't it is just a sting." Then he looked at it. The rash that is now the size of a baseball and WILL NOT STOP ITCHING is surrounding the sting area. So like the drama queen that I can be I called my father-in-law who is the most wonderful doctor in Knoxville and asked him if my arm was in any danger of falling off. He assured me that it is not and this is something that can be quite common and the only solution is to wait it out. So all day long, I have had to explain to people at work that I don't have some crazy, infectious disease. I just have a bee sting. Have I ever told you guys that I HATE BUGS!!!!

PS: Doesn't that picture scare you. It looks like the bee is going to fly from your computer and sting you. My arm hurts just looking at it... and itches.

Night under the stars

Well, yesterday Andy cut the grass and to be helpful I went out there (I know, I know hard to believe that I would help do yard work) and picked up the sticks from the blustery storms that we have had (they only list like 5-7 minutes). I got quite a few and Andy told me to throw them over the fence into the backyard and he would burn them later. So last night we sat outside on our patio and Andy built a fire in the little fireplace thingy that we have "borrowed" from his parents. I was a lovely evening and I didn't want it to end. The temperature was wonderful (I don't like to be cold) and with the exception of the smoke blowing in my face at one point I could have stayed out there forever. I hope that all of you get a chance to spend some time with the ones that you love!!!

I am a die hard Monarchs Fan!

Most of you know that one of my very best friends plays in the WNBA for the Sacramento Monarchs. Well, thank goodness the WNBA decided this past off-season to put a team in Atlanta, GA called the Dream. This is great for me because that means that when Kara comes to play the Dream in Atlanta, it is only a 3 hour drive for me to watch her play. I miss watching her play. I hardly ever missed a Lady Vol game when we were in college. At any rate that is not part of this story. On Monday, my mom called me to remind me that Kara would be in Atlanta the next game. So what did we do. We asked off work and woke up early and headed down to Atlanta for the game that was at 11am. That means to the Monarch players if felt like 8am. I don't think that any of them have played that early in years. They did awesome and dominated the Dream. Kara as usually played awesome. Here are some pics of the game and us after. Oh and by the way I am wearing a Monarch's shirt that has Kara's number on the front and back and her name on the back. I told her that when I am around her in that shirt I feel like such a stalker. Especially when I am snapping pictures of her. She laughed at least I am a friendly stalker...

Kara in action... she had 13 points on the day... what a stud!

Me and Kara in her hotel room. The hotel, arena and CNN center are all connected and the Olympic park was right across the street. Pretty sweet set up! Too bad they were only there one night...

My mom and Kara. Can you tell that my mom loves Kara. When Kara was in college people would ask my mom if she was Kara's mom. She would say, "I am her Knoxville Mom." So sweet!

It was so good to see Kara and get a chance to watch her play. We will not get to see her again before the Olympics but she promised to send us her new USA shirts (they are similar to the shirt that I have on only they are for the USA team, again I will look like a stalker, but that is okay with me) and we will wear them proudly for each game! We love you Kara and miss you! Good luck in China!!!!

UTAH 2008

The Broome extended family minus Andy took a trip this July to Utah. We got to stay in a beautiful house in Heber City, Utah which (for all you geography majors out there) is in between Park City, UT and Sundance, UT. The trip was a ton of fun although I dearly missed not having my husband there with me. Here are some of the pictures from out trip.

This was taken at the Olympic Training Facility near Park City. Those ramps to the right are the ramps that the skiers go down and do all of their flips and turns and land in the swimming pool. Those black things in the pool create air bubbles (lots of them) in the water to break the surface of the water for the skiers. The really tall ramp in the middle can allow the skiers to jump as tall as the building that should be to the left but was cut out of the picture. I think that it was 3 stories tall. Pretty high and pretty scary. I am not sure that I could jump off one of those ramps, much less on skis.

This was our mini-hike for the day. I forget what the name of it was but we walked all over these springs and it was really pretty. This is the fam... from left to right... Amy, Megan, Cally, Danielle, Jeff and Bill.

These pictures are from the "real" hike that we went on that day. We hiked up to Scout Falls and it was beautiful. It is amazing how different the mountains look out West. We packed out lunch and ate on the trail. Fun, fun, fun!!!

Then we went Mountain Bike Riding (I don't know if that is supposed to be two words or one so there you go!) I loved this part. It was scary and slightly dangerous. I have never done anything like this before and it was so neat. The mountains look so different without snow on them. We went up the the Sundance ski resort and they let you take bikes to the top of a run and then they have runs that you can go down that are different sill levels. Lets just say that the beginner was not really a beginner...

Jeff, since he was the expert on this part of the trip, found this great trail. The first picture is of Bill and his girls taking a break on the trail. The next one is of Jeff, Cally, Megan and Bill at the spot where we stopped to take some pictures. This view was amazing and totally breathtaking. In the third picture Bill was trying to get a picture of us jumping. Obviously we were not very good at it. The last picture is of the sisters that never fight, and I really mean that honestly. They never fight. Crazy...

The trip was amazing and I have to thank my husband's parents (Amy and Bill) for planning it and taking us on this trip. You guys are wonderful. Now Andy and I are trying to plan a trip back to this area for a winter ski trip!!

Drum roll please...

I would like to add to all of the official announcements and let the world in on our little secret...

KARA LAWSON WILL BE ON THE USA BASKETBALL TEAM AND COMPETE IN THE 2008 OLYMPICS!

We are so proud of her and could not be happier. I know that she will make all of us proud. This is really a dream come true for our family. Kara, you are so wonderful and so many of your dreams are coming true. You are an amazing person and I just can't tell you how proud of you I am. You will do awesome and bring home the GOLD to the USA!!

Kara is now officially our favorite Olympian. When Kara called me the day after she found out (that is how it was a secret, and she did call the night she found out but we were sworn to secrecy, so don't worry I was not out of the loop for very long) I told her that she is my favorite Olympian. She said, "Already?" It was then that I told her that she was on a short list since I don't really know that many Olympians. She laughed. I feel so special because it is not everyone that can say that their roommate (I know, I know we don't live together anymore but she will always be my roommate) and one of their best friends is an Olympian. Can you all tell that I AM SO EXCITED! It feels like I am going to the Olympics. Andy and I will not be able to make the trip to China but we will be at home with our red, white and blue on cheering Kara and the USA team! We love you Kara! GO USA!!!

Happy 4th of July!

Well, Andy and I are off (well not really since we will be sleeping in our own bed every night) to the lake for three marvelous days! I can't wait. Some of his family is going to be making the trip to good old Knoxville and we are soooo excited. As I have said before, the lake is our very favorite place on earth and three days of lake days is almost more than I can imagine right now. We hope that all of you have a wonderful and safe holiday. I promise we will think of each and every one of you while we play at the lake ;). Have a happy 4th of July!!!