Day One of Our Vacation Adventure

Travelog...Day One...

We arrived at Silver Dollar City around 9:30AM.  The weather forecast, for the past several days, had told me that it was going to be a HOT one.  The temperature was supposed to top out around 94 degrees.  But, thankfully, once again the weather forecast was wrong and I'd be surprised if the temps even made it in to the upper 80s.  It stayed cloudy all day, and there were even a few sprinkles of rain here and there.

As soon as we got to the park, the kids wanted to head straight for the new roller-coaster we didn't get to ride on Wednesday:  Outlaw Run.  I stayed behind with Jelly and said a quick prayer before Peanut and Butter jumped aboard, as I looked up at the 162 feet of track they started chugging up, to be plummeted down on the other side, at an 81 degree angle going 68MPH.  They went up, they came down, and when they got off the ride Peanut INSISTED that I ride it with her.  Told me I'd love it, and just HAD to try it.  So, I went and got back in line with her while Butter and Jelly stood watch.  

When it was our turn to get in to the car, I jumped in and started to get buckled.  But, there was a problem. The seatbelt that first straps you in wouldn't go around my waist.  Now, I'm a good sized gal, but I have NEVER been on a roller-coaster, or any ride for that matter, in which I was too fat to ride.  NEVER.  And, even though I've gained a few pounds in the past few months, I still didn't consider myself too big to ride on anything.  But, apparently, my prayers were answered with the Big Man, and I wasn't getting on this ride.  

But the minute I had to walk away, not being able to ride, I started to get that urge to want to ride.  Isn't that the way it goes?  I was a little angry that I couldn't.  Angry at myself for being too big, angry at the park for limiting the constraints to not allow someone of my size (which is not exactly ginormous) to get on.  And, the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth and made me start questioning my ability to get on other rides with my kids.  I mean, I knew I could get on the other rides.. I rode them only 4 days ago (and I've even lost 3lbs since then) but just the whole thing with being "too fat" to ride on something made me question each ride's ability to hold my weight.  A nasty blow to my self-esteem, but also a nasty blow to the realization that I really need to start losing weight.

Anywho, I let the situation go, and we moved on to the next ride I wouldn't ride on Wednesday:  The Giant Barn Swing.  Peanut and Jelly had rode on it, Wednesday, but the giant swinging arms had made me feel a little nauseous just watching them.  It's an ordinary swing, that flew up you in to the air at great speeds, and then flew back down again.  UGH!!!  But I got on it. Because I had promised that I would.  And, it was OK.  It was fun.  But I had to keep my eyes closed for most of the ride.

The rest of the day was spent riding on all the rides we enjoyed, and having a great time.  The other giant roller-coaster we didn't get to ride on Wednesday had to be shut down because of the weather (another answered prayer) and so we made do with all the other thrill rides that remained open.  

By 4:30PM, the kids and I were all ready to call it a day and head to our resort.  By the time we made it through the gift shop and back to our car, it was around 5PM.  Just as we were leaving the park, we got stuck in some MAJOR traffic.  I knew it wasn't just the park traffic, because even though the park had seemed pretty busy, we hadn't waited in a single line for a ride all day long so I know it wasn't too bad.  Come to find out, there was a major wreck, which kept us all sitting in our car for over an hour.  Our resort was only 7 miles away from Silver Dollar City, but we didn't get here until 6:20PM.

Once we checked in and took all of our stuff to our room, we decided to head straight to dinner.  We chose one of the restaurants located at the resort, and had a great meal.  As soon as we were done, it was back to our room to get ready to head to the indoor water park.  

The indoor water park is nice.  It's small, and definitely more focused for the kids, but it wasn't too busy and we had a good time.  I lazed around on the Lazy River and in the jacuzzi pools, went down the slides a few times, and just relaxed while the kids went all over the place.  One thing I really liked is that nothing is deeper than 3FT deep, so Jelly could go pretty much anywhere she wanted and I didn't have to follow her around.  Great for me, and great for the kids.  They could do what they wanted to do, and I could do what I wanted to do.

We left the pool a little after 9PM, and it was straight back to our room for some much needed rest.  The kids all passed out pretty quick, as did I.  I didn't sleep very well, but I never do when I'm away from home.  I was up bright and early this morning in order to drink a cup of coffee and write my blog... like always. 

It's just about time to go wake up the kids for Day Two of our adventures.  But, I'll share more about that tomorrow.

We are having a GREAT time, and can't wait for more fun today!!

Why Can't I Ever Sleep When I REALLY Need To?

Yesterday, I took the kids out to buy all of our last minute items needed for our "getaway".  Travel sized bathroom supplies, new flip-flops, a couple of new outfits for each of them, new bathing suits for Peanut and Butter (Jelly just got two new ones from Grammy), and snacks and drinks for our hotel room.  We got home, packed everything that needed to be and could be packed, and I finished up the laundry I'd been doing.  

The family even decided to skip going to watch another firework display so that we'd have plenty of time to prepare and weren't rushing around at the last minute to get everything done.

All was good.  All was packed.  Got the kids to bed nice and early.  I decided to do the same and headed to bed around 10PM.  I set my alarm for 6AM, and that's when I laid there.  And laid there some more.  Turned on the TV for a while, watched a couple of episodes of Hell's Kitchen that I had on my DVR, and STILL after all that?  Could not "switch off" and didn't feel in the slightest bit tired.   

I got up, again, got myself something to drink, set the coffee pot up to go off this morning, went out on to the patio and listened to some fireworks that were still going off, spoke to an old friend on Facebook for a little while, and finally decided to give sleep another try.  It was after midnight by this time.  

I eventually dozed off, but I have no idea how long it took me.  By the way I feel this morning, apparently a while.  I felt like I just closed my eyes when the buzzer on my alarm went off.  And, I'm suppose to be driving to Branson and spending the day at a theme park.  Nice, right?

But, that's how it goes with me.  When I don't need to sleep, I can sleep for 12 hours at a time.  When I really need to sleep? Lucky if I get 5 hours.  

Isn't that what vacation is all about, though?  Hardly any sleep, crammed in fun, coming home exhausted and in need of a vacation just to get over the vacation?

Regardless of feeling extremely tired this morning, I am ready and excited to get going.  I've spent the past couple of days psyching myself up to get on the two roller-coasters I didn't ride on Wednesday, and the Giant Barn Swing that Peanut has been begging me to at least try.  And so, I'm just kind of ready to get those things out of the way so that I can at least relax, and enjoy the other rides without being too terrified of what's yet to come.  We did everything else on Wednesday, so now it's a day (post two GIANT roller-coasters) I can ride the rides that I was so terrified about, and just enjoy my day.

For someone as scared as heights as I am, I do get on some crazy high thrill rides.  I spend the whole time feeling queasy, shaking, and on the verge of a panic attack.  Then, once I'm on the ride and in the middle of the rush of adrenaline that courses through my veins, I get off the ride ready to go through the queasy, shaking, panic stricken rush all over again.  

And, even though I can get on a ride time and time again, there's never ENOUGH times to take that slight fear away.

Weird, right?

I know that the fear isn't directly to do with heights.  Sure, the heights make me a little weak in the knees, but  the majority of the fear has nothing to do with the heights or even me at all.  Half of my fear comes from not wanting one or two of my children to ride the rides alone, and the other fear comes from getting on one of those rides while I still have one or two children watching me.  Sure, I don't like the heights, but that's not what really keeps me off the rides.  If my fear was that bad, there's no way I'd climb into a seat that chugs up to a 150 feet before plummeting me back down to earth at 60+MPH.  No, the real fear comes from the fact that I can never shake the feeling that something might happen either to me and the kid(s) riding with me, and the kids left off the ride will be abandoned and lonely, scared out of their mind.  

I guess that's why I was so brave at Worlds of Fun when I went in May.  I didn't have near the fear level I had on Wednesday, and got on EVERY. SINGLE. RIDE the teenagers that were with me got on to.  Because they were all with me.  Right there, sitting right around me.  I had nobody standing and watching, waiting to make sure I make it off.

But, I'll get through it.  I'll face my fears.  I'll have an amazing time, and make sure that my kids have an absolute blast.

Which I better get to doing... because it's just about time to leave and I'm still sitting in my PJs.

I'm taking my iPad with me, and I'm thinking I'll be blogging in the evenings.. but no promises.

Have a great Sunday, everyone!!  And keep us all in your thoughts as I tackle crazy thrill rides, will ya?

Had a Great Fourth...Now On to Vacation Prep

                                         

Well, we managed to have a fantastic 4th of July.  The kids and I went up to the park, that's just down the street from our house, and enjoyed the town's 101st Freedom Fest.  Even though we've only been living in this town a year, we've been coming to this celebration on and off for years.  It first started way back when the kids were small, and we lived in this town then.  

The park fills up with car shows, tractor shows, vendors, inflatables, and local bands for a day of fun, food, and small town togetherness.  

We spent a couple of hours looking around, playing, and enjoying ourselves that can only be explained further with the pictures that I took...

Our first stop was to look at the animals that were on show by the Wilderness Safari that's located a little outside of town.  They brought a trailer full of monkeys and had some more "farm friendly" animals for the kids to touch...

Jelly petting a calf, and as you can tell, not too sure about that...

                                       

Jelly touching a baby llama (or alpaca, I can never tell the difference)

                                      

All three kids petting the baby donkeys...

                                     

Some bunnies...

                           

And some piglets...

                                       

After that, Jelly took some time to enjoy the inflatables...

                                     

                                     

                                     

Then, we took a ride downtown on the back of a tractor wagon...

                                      

                                      

                                      

And before we left, the kids took a picture with the giant gorilla...

                                       

That was the end of the first trip up to the park, but after being there for a while, we were hot and ready for some swimming.  The original plan was to come home, swim, eat dinner, and then go back to the park for the concert and fireworks that started at 7PM.

When I say that was the original plan, I mean the plan got changed a little.  When I got home and discovered that EVERY. SINGLE. swim towel was ONCE AGAIN stuffed in the laundry basket to be washed, I may or may not have had a little baby tantrum and declared that I was NOT going swimming.  I then went in to my room to "cool off" for a second, and the next thing I know Hubby was waking me up and telling me dinner was ready.  And, low and behold ALL of the kids had to be woken up as well.  Apparently, after my little fit, they all decided to lay low in their rooms and all fell asleep.  So, even though we didn't swim, we did all enjoy a nap.

Hubby had grilled chicken and baked potatoes for us to eat, and after enjoying every bite of it, it was back to the park for a free concert and fireworks.

Jelly opted to go back on the water inflatables for a while...

                                        

Peanut and Butter were enjoying the nice weather and decent music...

                                        

                                         

And they even decided to have a little "planking" competition to amuse themselves...

                                          

Jelly made up a comfy spot on the grass when it was time to get ready for fireworks...

                                          

She didn't stay there long, though, and opted for a chair.  She doesn't look very happy, but that's only because the flash caught her offguard...

                                          

The other kids kept a smile on their faces all night...

                              

And finally it was time for the AMAZING fireworks.  I'm only going to show two pictures, because the pictures I got don't do the fireworks any form of justice...

                               

                               

We had a great time, and despite my little fit throwing, enjoyed our entire day together.

Today is all about getting ready for our vacation.  We're leaving bright and early tomorrow morning, so I have a lot to get done.  I need to make sure everyone's clothes are clean, make sure everything we need is packed, run to the store and pick up the few essentials we need to take with us, and clean the house so that we can come home to a clean house.  

I bet Hubby can't wait for us to all be gone.  He has to stay behind, but that's like a vacation for him anyways.  He'd much rather stay home and have an empty house than gallivant off with us to theme parks, shows, and water parks.  Which, despite being sad he won't be there with us, I am relieved that someone will be here to watch the house and the cats while we are gone.

The kids are all uber excited.  This is our first family getaway since Jelly was 6 months old... so about five and a half years.  Even if we are only going to Branson, which is just a two hour drive from where we live, it's a vacation in their eyes.  In all of our eyes.  A giant resort, indoor water park, shows, miniature golf, and Silver Dollar City.  And we even plan on doing some shopping at some point at the giant outlet mall I've never been to that's located in Branson.

Our trip was supposed to be three days and two nights, but I've already decided that we're going to add another night because there's just no way we can do everything we want without rushing and squeezing it in... so another night will help lift some of that.

I'm taking my iPad with me, so I might be doing some blogging while I'm away.  Not making any promises, but I'm thinking in the evenings it will be nice to have something to do once all the fun of the day is over.  

OK, can't spend anymore time sitting here...so much to do and so little time!!

Have a great Saturday, everyone!!

Let's Celebrate Our Freedoms...At Least For a Day

                              

Today is the 4th of July, or otherwise known as Independence Day.  A day where our country can rejoice and celebrate all the freedoms it has to offer.  Not that anyone from any other country would understand that, if they spent just a few hours reading some of the Facebook news feeds of some of the citizens of this country.

In 1776, America claimed its independence over Britain, and Democracy was born.  The most famous line from the Declaration of Independence reads...

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

And, I have to admit, that when I read that line I feel a little sad.  Because even though we live in the country that promotes Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness, when I turn on the TV or read through the headlines I see nothing but people complaining about their rights, freedom, and life being controlled and dominated by either government or religion.  

Complaint after complaint after complaint is all I ever seem to read about.  And if it's not complaints, it's one side versus the other side about which rights and freedoms should be or are being corrupted.

"Take away all guns"

"Don't take away our constitutional right to own guns"

"Gay people shouldn't be allowed to marry, it's against the Bible"

"Gay people should be allowed to marry, because this decision shouldn't be based on religion"

"Companies and their owners should be free to run their businesses as they see fit"

"Companies and their owners should not be allowed to include religious beliefs in their company practices"

"Government should not be allowed to impose healthcare on its citizens"

"The government is providing affordable healthcare so that all people have access to medical care."

And on, and on, and on it goes.

It's very depressing, really. Yet, all these complaints and whining and non-stop bombardment of opinions proves to us one thing:

We have the RIGHT to complain.  

Regardless of what side of the table you sit, each and every person has the right to agree and disagree with whatever the hot topic of discussion is that particular day, and broadcast said opinions to the whole world via social media.  And it's one right that SO MANY people choose to publicize.

Is our country perfect?  Absolutely not.  But, it sure would be nice if everyone, at least today, stepped back and realized how good they actually have it.

My story is one that's as old as this country itself.  

Twenty years ago, my parents loaded me up on a plane and took me away from my home, my extended family, and my friends to pursue "The American Dream".  

No, life wasn't horrible for us back in England, but moving to America was a new start.  A fresh start.  One that would grant us more freedoms, a better life.

Now, I was one of the lucky ones.  Having a mother that was already an American citizen helped.  I didn't come to this country as an illegal, I came with the full rights bestowed on citizens, thanks to my mother's birth.  Some of my extended family are not so lucky, and have been waiting 15+ years to have the opportunity to move here.  But, that's a different story for a different time.  

I don't have some horrible back story to share about how I lived the life of poverty, and moving to America was away to live the American dream of a fresh start and new horizons.  But, in my twenty years here there are a lot of points I can make... points that make me 110% sure that I'd never move back to England or to any other country, if given the chance. 

I am, now, a 32 year old woman.  A mother to three children.  I am not married.  (In some countries, those points, alone, would be enough to get me locked up.)  I went to college and I'm a teacher.  I am buying my own house.  I am paying for a car, two actually.  All of those things are now possible because I spent several years getting government assistance until I was finished with college, and employed with a pay that could support my family.  

I am over $175,000 in debt thanks to a mortgage, car payments, and student loans, yet I am living comfortably, and that debt is not lingering over my head.  It is apart of the American Dream.  All my bills are paid, on time, and I even pay more than what is owed each month to help carve it away faster.

All three of my children are free to go to school each and every day.  They have the right to a good education.  They have the choice to continue that education and pursue a career of their choosing.  

My family is free to attend any church, mosque, temple, or place of worship we want to.  We also have the right to attend none of them.  

I have the right to spend money with whatever companies I want, and avoid those I don't like.

I have the right to get up each morning and spend the day wearing whatever clothes I deem to be appropriate, even if others disagree.  I have the right to cut my hair, color my hair, apply make-up, and trim and wax any hair that I don't find to be "attractive".  

If I am sick or injured, I can walk in to any hospital and receive medical treatment.  Will I walk away with a bill?  Sure.  But, my insurance also provides me the piece of mind that the bill will only be about 30% of what it could be.

Now, am I allowed to do all these things if I lived in England?  Yep.  But, I could list off several countries that don't give those same freedoms.  Take a second and think about it, I bet you could come up with a few.

Now, again, this country isn't perfect.  There are far too many people in this country that are unemployed.  There are far too many homeless people.  There are far too many kids being abused, adults, too, for that matter.  There are far too many people living off of government assistance and reaping benefits that they shouldn't be reaping.  

But, if you are sitting at home, on your computer or smartphone or tablet, reading this blog post, I'm sure you can come up with some positive things to say about the country you live in.  The good you have in your life.  The freedoms that you are allowed to pursue.

Especially if you are one of those people that make post after post after post on Facebook about the injustices that are forced on to the people of this country.  

Let me enlighten you with my opinions on those stories you so love to share with the world...

Guns kill people.  But, they need a person pulling the trigger to make it happen.  Outlawing guns will only take guns away from those legal to carry, and put more power in to those that aren't legal to carry.

Women's rights are not being continuously taken away.  Women, like myself, are working, making their own decisions, having as many children as they deem fit, have access to drugs that can prevent pregnancy, are voting, and are spending WAY too much time on Facebook complaining about their rights being taken away.

America is a melting pot of cultures and religions.  If you don't like the color of the skin of your neighbor or co-worker, then you're in the wrong place.  Same thing if you don't agree with the religious beliefs of your neighbor.  But, don't worry, you still have the right to make those points known... even though it's ridiculous.

Religion has no place in the laws that control this country.  If a man chooses to marry a man, or a woman chooses to marry a woman, a Christian principle should NOT control that right.  There is not a non religious argument out there that can't stand toe to toe with heterosexual couples to prevent this right.  Heterosexuals cheat, divorce, and many can't produce children.  Heterosexuals can't explain how or why they fell in love with their partner.  It just happened.  They felt a connection.  And no amount of brainwashing or "cures" are out there to help heterosexuals from loving people of the opposite sex, so why would there be one to stop homosexuals from loving the same sex?

But, again, my opinions.  My right to express those opinions.  On THIS day, Independence Day.  The day that I'm free to do so.... oh wait, I'm free to do so any day.

So, instead of continuing the constant bickering over rights, religion, and freedoms, how about we celebrate this day thanking our lucky stars we have them?  Any of them.  All of them.

Because, at the end of the day, you should be thankful for everything you have in your life.  You could live in a country that offers you none of those things.  

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, EVERYONE!!

I Have Some Serious Thrill Seekers on My Hands

                                      

The day finally arrived.  Our first ever family trip to Silver Dollar City was upon us, and the kids couldn't have been more excited.  We were up at 6AM and out the door a little after 7AM for our two hour drive to Branson.  We made a quick pit stop at McDonald's for some breakfast and another for some drinks, and then it was time to face the open road.  

Silly me made a wrong turn in Cassville, so we ended up taking the "scenic route" to get to Branson, with roads that resembled the roller-coasters we were going to face once arriving, but we made it there safe and sound...and ready for FUN!!

We arrived a little before 10AM and I was shocked at the line of cars waiting to get in to the park, as well as the amount of cars that were already parked.  Droves of people were walking up the hill to get inside, which made me think that it was going to be quite the busy day.  We got through the ticket line, took a bathroom break, and then it was on to find our first ride for the day.

The first ride we came to was Thunderation.  A mine-train style roller-coaster that soars up to 81 feet and rumbles along over 50MPH.  What a way to get the day started!!

Now, had it just been Butter and Peanut with me, this type of start wouldn't have bothered me that much.  But, Jelly was also with us.  She has NEVER been on any form of theme park ride.  She's been to fairs and rode the kiddie rides, but a theme park? No.  A rollar-coaster?  Definitely not.  Yet, as she ran up to the height checker, and let out her glee of excitement that she was tall enough to ride, I realized I had to swallow my own fears and let her try out what she was capable of handling on her own.  The worst and best part about Thunderation is that you can't see the ride from anywhere but ON the ride.  It's hidden behind a wall of trees and disappears out away from view.  And there was no line waiting to get on, so I didn't even have a chance to try and convince her that maybe she try something a little smaller and work her way up.

I sat down next to her on the seat and tried to swallow my panic as she looked at me with pure excitement and nervous energy in her eyes.  Then, we were off.  We zipped and zagged on the CRAZY fast tracks, up and over 81ft high drops, and twirled and twisted for what felt like an eternity.  But, the whole time, I would have paid money to capture the laughs on video that were escaping from my 6 year old's mouth.  I've NEVER seen or heard her laugh so hard in her whole life.  She loved EVERY.  SINGLE. SECOND.  She even asked to pose with her sister outside the ride entrance to document that she'd faced her first ever roller-coaster which also happened to be her first ever ride.

                                

After that, I was ready for something a little less fast, but the girls were in control.  I quickly realized that I was the proud mother of two thrill seeking girls, and they wanted FAST.  Butter is also somewhat of a thrill seeker. He likes the roller-coasters, but not too big a fan of anything that spins at a great speed.  So, when the girls saw their next destination, both Butter and I opted out to let the girls have at it.

This crazy thing...

                                            

                                 

                                  

It spins while hurling them up and down across a curved track that goes over 40 feet in the air.  There's no way of seeing how fast it spins from the pictures, but that thing was FAST.  And, as I stood there having a minor panic attack about my 6 year old doing something so crazy, I couldn't help but nervously laugh at the fact I could hear her laughing over all the screams coming from the much bigger people on the ride.

Later in the day, Jelly finally managed to talk me into getting on it.  I had to close my eyes several times because it felt like I was going to crash in to the trees and the spectators, and the height made me a little queasy, but Jelly just laughed at me.  

But, that ride was NOTHING compared to the next big ride Jelly and Peanut decided to try out.  The Great Barn Swing.  When I saw it, I'm pretty sure I puked a little.  If not literally, the urge was definitely there.  A monstrous swing that flies up to where you almost go upside down, and hurls you back down in a swinging motion.  Concoctions of saying "No" came out of my mouth.  That may or may not have contained a few expletives.  But Peanut and Jelly were already in line before I could press the absolute TERROR the ride gave me just watching it.

As the ride started to swing, out came Jelly's sounds of glee and excitement.  But, as the ride started swinging higher and higher, I started to see some fear move across her face.  I watched as Peanut held Jelly's hands, and talk to her even though I have no idea what she was saying.    

Here they are on the crazy swing...

                             

I was able to see Jelly's face long enough to know that she was not having a good time, and that she didn't like it, yet there was nothing I could do.  I just had to watch, my insides pounding me with guilt and frustration that told me my child was scared, yet being totally helpless to comfort her.  Finally, the ride stopped.  And I thought Jelly would come flying out so that I could wrap her in my arms and assure her that she was safe, and how I would never allow her sister to talk me in to something so stupid again.

That's not what happened.

Instead, out walked a perfectly fine Jelly with a smile on her face.  What the WHAT?

She fessed up that she hadn't liked it, but Peanut had comforted her and talked to her the whole time making her feel better.   She admitted that she'd been scared, but Peanut had reminded her that it would soon be over.  And, Jelly got off that ride able to weigh the thrill she'd just experienced and was perfectly OK with it.  She'd tried it, didn't like it, and was ready to move on to the next...whatever that maybe.

And so our journey continued to more rides, more thrills, and more of me panicking and watching as ALL of my children tested their theme park legs out on the crazy rides that awaited them.  

We got soaking wet on the water rides, we rode Thunderation several times, we rode many of the rides several times.  The lines were short, the weather was beautiful, and we just had an absolute blast.  

Peanut, Butter, and myself did get on WildFire.  A roller-coaster that climbs up over 15 stories and plummets you down at 66MPH through loops and rolls...all of which are built on the edge of a giant hillside that gives MILES of view.  A view I didn't take one second to look at, because you know... scared of heights.  But, the coaster was AWESOME, and we did ride it a few times.  Thank goodness Jelly wasn't tall enough to ride it, because I would have had a serious panic attack letting her on that thing.

My niece had come along with us, and she wasn't up to the same thrills and chills my own children were up for.  But, she seemed to enjoy the rides she did get on, and she was great in helping out with staying with Jelly when the other two kids and myself gave WildFire a try...all three times.  

We didn't end up leaving until 7PM, which is when the park closed.  Eight hours of rides, fears, and pure exhilaration.

We got home around 10PM, and all the kids were asleep before their heads hit the pillows.  They were exhausted, as was I.  I also slept like a rock, and woke up this morning feeling the MILES of walking we did yesterday.

Jelly woke up and rushed in to my room to announce how many days it was until we go back.  Three.  Yes, we're going back on Sunday, but this time we're going to get to stay in Branson for a few days.  Hubby won't be going with us, he's much more excited about a few days to himself at home, but the kids and I will be theme parking, water parking, and show watching for a few days without him.

And, now that the initial fear and shock has passed about how much my kids are in to thrill seeking, I should be a lot more calm and ready to enjoy all of it with them again.

Now, on to July 4th festivities....YAY FOR SUMMER!!!

Here's Why I Support the Hobby Lobby Ruling...

A few days ago, a ruling was made by the Supreme Court that has sent the country to (once again) be divided over the representation of "rights" and "freedoms".  The ruling that allowed Hobby Lobby to NOT cover the morning after pill in their insurance plans, as well as the IUD implant.  All because the company's founders are Christian people that believe it is against their religious beliefs to support a pill that, they believe, could result in a termination of pregnancy after fertilization.  And, many Christian people believe that life begins at that point.  

At first, I was like "How dare they! Who are they to decide what a woman does?" Blah, blah, blah.  Not because I'm pro-choice or anti-choice, but because I thought it was interfering with women's rights based on a religion that some women may not agree with.

But, then, I started to really read the stories, listen to the debates, and started to waiver on my feelings.

Why?

Well, because when I read my NEW insurance documents that came in the mail just a few days ago, I learned that there are a LOT of services that aren't covered under my insurance plan that nobody was raising a stink over. 

I can get an obesity screening under my plan, but can receive NO obesity drugs or surgeries to help with obesity.  I can get ANY form of birth control I choose, but NO fertility drugs are covered for those that need them.  Women are completely covered for breast cancer surgery and complete reconstruction of a breast if a mastectomy is needed, yet men can NOT get penile prothesis done for injury or disease to that area.  And it got me thinking...

Why is that OK?  Who makes those decisions?  Who sits at the insurance companies writing this stuff up and gets away with it without any causing an upscale riot?

And the answer became very simple to me... None of those decisions contain the words"religious beliefs".  Blue Cross doesn't publish their covered/non-covered services with a little asterisk that reads that they don't cover the services because of "religious beliefs", they just don't cover them.  Simple.  

Then, there are those people that look beyond the "religious" part of the suit, and state that private companies should NOT be given the FREEDOM to make decisions based on individual beliefs.

OK.  So, that reminded me of another situation that happened a few years ago.

A few years back, it was legal to smoke in restaurants in the state of Arkansas.  You'd walk in and be asked "Smoking or non-smoking?"  But, those days are gone.  Why?  Because the government stepped in and told restaurant owners that they were no longer allowed to let customers smoke in their restaurants, and any bars that happen to serve food.  

That started a huge uproar as people protested that the government had NO RIGHT to tell local business owners HOW to run their businesses.  

Smokers and non-smokers alike joined forces on Facebook and agreed that even though many of them didn't like smoking in restaurants, it should be up to the business owners to decide if THEY want to allow it or not.  

Many of those the same people that are now all up in arms about this decision with Hobby Lobby.

First off, this isn't about women's rights.

Women that work for Hobby Lobby are still allowed to buy the Plan B pill.  It's available to them over the counter, without a prescription.  Their insurance company just won't pay for it.  If those women aren't able to pay the $20-$50 price for the pill, they can opt to use any other form of birth control that IS offered by the company at ABSOLUTELY NO CHARGE...some without even a co-pay.  Birth control pills, patches, shots, diaphragms, etc, are all still covered under the plan.

Not only that, but there are TONS of preventative services that are offered to women with this and most insurance plans that men are not included on.  

So, no... not really a women's rights issue.

This isn't about corporations acting as an individual.

Hobby Lobby is a private company founded and owned by a family.  They are not publicly traded, and no GIANT corporate investors are holding on to the puppet strings.  They started out with Christian values, and still maintain them by being closed on Sundays to allow their employees " a day of rest and worship".

Which leads us to... this being ALL about the fact that they used their religious beliefs to get this ruling.

As I mentioned earlier, I have found no headlines about the uproar of fertility drugs not being covered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield.  I have found no boycotts or uprising against the same insurance company for other services that they don't provide.  Which leads us to the actual root of this entire problem..

It's all about a company's religious beliefs that has caused the problem.

Had the company said "We do not wish to be forced to cover the morning after pill because it's an over the counter drug that requires no prescription, and other birth controls are readily available under the plan" I doubt there would be anywhere NEAR the attention that's being raised.

But they didn't.

They used their religious beliefs to run the entire suit.

And that was their mistake.  

There are many companies out there that use religious beliefs to run their companies.  Many companies owned by Christians, Hobby Lobby and Chick-Fil-A for example, are closed on Sundays due to their religious beliefs.  McKee Foods (owners of Little Debbie) are not open on Saturdays, because that company owner is Seventh Day Adventist.  Mrs. Smith's Pies brings in a rabbi to bless the lard that they use in the pies, because it interferes with the founder's Jewish faith.

I don't see any headlines about that.  

Yeah, but those situations don't "force" the companies' beliefs on to their employees thought, right?

Well, what if there are people that work at Chik-Fil-A and Hobby Lobby that are Seventh Day Adventists?  Their day of worship is Saturday, so how does getting Sunday off help with that?  What about all the Sunday Christians that work for McKee?  How does having Saturday off help with their day to worship on Sunday?

Companies have and will continue to use their religion when making business decisions.  Companies have and will continue to have other freedoms taken away from them by the government, such as what they can and can't do with their own companies.  Insurance companies have and will continue to create the lists of services and drugs that are and are not covered on their plans without anyone batting an eye.  

This is not going to lead to a Pandora's Box of companies filing suits about what they want and don't want their employees to have access to.  Sure, other companies may follow with not wanting to offer Plan B - but again, MANY other birth control options are offered.  Companies are not going to be allowed to demand that NO form of birth control be covered because it's against their religious beliefs.  

And you know what? Even if they do, and even succeed... every WOMAN, MAN, EMPLOYEE has the RIGHT to walk up to their boss, tell him/her to stuff the controlling job up his/her rear end, and find a job somewhere else.  

There's a thin line here, I know that.  What will companies be allowed to impose next?  What will the government enforce companies to do?  What rights of employees will be altered?  

But, this situation still gives freedoms.  Freedom of choice on whether you believe in it or not.  Freedom to shop there or not.  Freedom to work there or not.  

Yet, at the end of the day, I believe that anyone that wishes to start a company in this country...and keeps as their OWN company...should be able to run that company with their religion and beliefs in mind.

Random Tuesday

I'm sitting on my patio, coffee in hand, staring at my screen, wondering what on earth to write about.  Yep, it's one of THOSE days.  There's so much going on, yet nothing.  That make much sense?  Probably not.  But, there's stuff I will be writing about that's going on or in the preparations to be going on, yet it's not the right time to write about those things.

We're going to Silver Dollar City tomorrow.  Yet, I'll write about that on Thursday AFTER we've gone.  Friday is Independence Day, and we have some stuff planned, but I'll write about that AFTER that's happened.  We've got our trip to Branson coming up..again, something I'll write about AFTER it's happened.  Cause, it's really hard to write about stuff before I've got to do it.

Today?  Well, today I'm getting stuff ready to go to SDC and I'm going to pick up my niece who's going with us, but that's about it.  Just prep stuff.  Cleaning out the car, making sure the clothes needed are washed, packing up small bags of essentials, you know...the normal "day before a theme park visit" kind of activities.

I just took a break to go and put on some more laundry, and I was horrified to find another basket FULL of towels.  And why was I horrified, you ask?  Because not even three days ago, I washed a load of towels that were piled up in the laundry room.  My kids have this stupid weird habit of using a clean towel EACH and EVERY time they take a shower (which is every day).  Which is ridiculous!  When you get out of the shower, you're clean, right?   So, why on earth do you need a clean towel EVERY time.  Sure, after a couple of showers, I get a new towel.  But NOT EVERY STINKIN' DAY!!

And it's not just shower towels, but pool towels.  My kids haven't figured out that after they're done swimming, they can pop their swimming stuff in the dryer and dry it.  The swimming suits and towels won't magically dry themselves sitting on TOP of the dryer... it doesn't work that way!!  Then the swimming stuff gets that nasty musty smell, cause the stuff sits there for two days, and I'm back to rinsing and repeating washing ALL of the swimming stuff again.

Well NOT ANYMORE!!!!!

I just laid the law down in my house.

They may be on summer break, but this is NOT a hotel.  I'm not going to go running around after them picking up their wet towels, and washing their stuff every single day.  

This is my break, too, and I didn't sign up for a summer of playing housemaid to three kids that are old enough to pitch in and help.  

I will happily and gladly take them to SDC, Branson for a few days, water parks, firework shows, shopping, movies, etc. etc, but ONLY if they pitch in and help out a little around this house.  I don't know when they thought they arrived at the Kid Heaven Resort, but check-out time is NOW.  

And the sad thing is, they know better.  They know how much those trips cost.  They know how hard I work and how I tightly budget in order to do those things.  They know that I give up the first four weeks of my summer break to have money to do those things.  And, usually, they are really good about being grateful and pulling their weight to show their appreciation.  It just happens to be the fact that I've let them slide on stuff over the past few days, and when a parent starts letting the kids push out the boundaries... they'll keep seeing what they can get away with.

While I'm whining and complaining, I will say that Peanut cleaned their bathroom yesterday.  One chore that I will absolutely REFUSE to do.  And when I say cleaned, I mean that bathroom is so sparkling clean you could eat dinner off of it.  Butter cleaned his room to the same standards.  They do stuff around the house, don't get me wrong.  It's just little things that rub me the wrong way sometimes that I just have to remind them of in my best "horns will grow out of my head if you do this one more time" voice.  

When I picked this house to buy, I thought about the summers that we'll get to spend lounging by the pool, watching movies in our amazing living room, hanging out on the patio having a barbecue.  And, it's stuff I talked about ALL of the time while we were moving in.  So, I know that when summer comes around they are thinking about that stuff, and how much nicer and more fun their summers will be.  I just failed to reiterate how important it would be for EVERYONE to do their part on keeping the place clean in order for it to be comfortable.  

But, I know how they feel.  I don't like spending every day cleaning.  However, what I'm slowly trying to teach them is that if we all pitch in with some kind of simple task each day - that lasts maybe 15-20 minutes - the place will stay clean.  And for the most part, they are catching on.  It's just days like today when something like cleaning another whole load of towels just a couple of days after I washed all of the towels in the house sets me off on my "stop being so lazy" tirade.  They're not lazy.  They help out.  They just need a bit of direction every now and then.

And, it at least gave me something to write about today.

Have a great Tuesday, everyone!!