Fall 2010

It's already December 18th and I am wondering where the time has gone?!!! We are leaving in 2 days for the land down under! This amazing trip has been in the making for a year now and at first it seemed like it would never get here and now we are running around trying to get all the last minute stuff done and get packed! I will have lots of pictures to post when we get back. Until then, have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Well - Ian started high school about 1 month ago and already has a girlfriend. I am now completely sure that I won't get through this high school thing without loosing sleep, hair, mental agility and my sanity. However I did find some rules for any girl that wants to date my boy and here they are!! Girls - PAY ATTENTION!

Rule One: If you talk with foul words and dress like a floosy in shirts that are too small and pants low with thong showing, I will treat you like one. You are only allowed to wear granny panties super glued to your hind quarters.

Rule Two: If you date my son you date only him. He has a kind heart and I will not have you make my son cry; if he does, I will make you cry. You may only date one of my sons. Ever.

Rule Three: You must know how to cook as well as I have taught my son to cook. He is a big eater. Frozen dinners do not count.

Rule Four: Do not be hurt when my son chooses sports over time with you. Join in and learn the game. Shopping is not a sport.

Rule Five: Do not date my son for his money because I am his bank. Do not expect expensive gifts, he has been taught to be a savvy shopper.

Rule Six: Don't sleep with my son; the only rubber he should be concerned about is out in the driveway and has Goodyear stamped on it.

Rule Seven: Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a pudgy, baggy-eyed, last-season, has-been. But on issues relating to my son, I am the queen of his universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth. If you do not I will ask him. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Eight: My son has been raised not to hit a lady, so act like one and I will not have to hit you for him.

Rule Nine: If you need more than 30 minutes to dress for a date with my son, be prepared to talk with him only during halftime and commercial breaks for identification from the local station.

Rule Ten: My son is not a toy. He does not have Hasbro, Mattel or any other toy company tatooed on his person. Hence, he is not an object for you to play with, manipulate, and discard at your leisure. I suffered through 42 hours of labor to have him, and will unleash an unimaginable amount of anger such that the movie 300 will look like an episode of the Little House on the Prairie should you cross me.

Ian update

Ian's 8th grade graduation! Way to go Ian!!

Ian finally got his braces off and he looks great!!

More Hiking

No this is not a mirage, the Colorado River flows through here.

Can you see the kids??? They are there!

Jeep Safari rock crawl

The week we were in Moab was Jeep Safari week. I don't think I have ever seen so many Jeeps in one place at one time in my life!! Some of them were totally tricked out. We went to watch some of them do some rock crawling, but not everyone was driving a Jeep.

Erin showing off the beauty around us!

Climbing, hiking and chasing lizards!

The kids had a blast climbing on all the rocks. There were lizards running all over the place and Ian finally caught one.

Arches National Park

Arches was so fun to explore, but the 2 days we were there it was SO windy!!

Spring Break in Moab, UT

We went camping in Moab for spring break and had a wonderful time. The first few days the weather was great, but the end of the week was super windy, cold and even some snow! But it wouldn't be a Ludeman camping trip without some nasty weather to contend with.

Right across the road from our campground was the back side of Arches National Park. We hiked around there a lot and found some really cool pictographs.