Frump Family Randoms

While cleaning out our Jamboree the day after we got 'er home, I found these:

The ones pictured at top are dated April of '09, the ones below were of unknown factory origin.



The hot dog buns were hard as a rock, but still looked exactly the same as the day they were bagged up.

I was thinking that the old 'sliced apple in the bread bag' trick might just bring those babies back to life.

Totally kidding.

But it just goes to show what a person is putting into their systems when eating starchy white, over-processed bread. Still not broken down after a year! It might as well be wallpaper paste. Ugh.

The hamburger buns...well, they, too, were hard as a rock, but covered in a greenish-black powdery mold. Yum.

Hamburgers, anyone?

:: :: :: ::

Oh, and while speaking of the Jamboree...see the lovely dent?



See the fallen roof tiles?



See the corner of our roof?



Oh, yes...I did.

However, upon inspecting the roof from a ladder, I found that no real damage had been done. Nothing to file an insurance claim over or anything. Just a small split in the facia board.

Plus I found a dead baby bird up under the roof tiles that simply must be disposed of.

So see? We wouldn't have known about the decomposing baby bird had the little snafu with the Jamboree not occurred, and we simply can't live with a decomposing animal up under our roof tiles, so I'm pretty sure it was destiny.

At least that's how I have chosen to look at the whole incident.

Well, that and reviewing some the First rule of camper ownership: NEVER back up a camper without first pulling back all curtains so that one can see where one is going.

Second rule: NEVER back up without first adjusting all mirrors for best view.

Third rule: NEVER rely on taking your (four-year-old) son's word for it (while he watches out the back window of the Jamboree) to be sure you didn't take out the heavily fruited plum tree nearby.

Yes, my bloggy peeps, whilst backing up the camper for the very first time, I took off a couple of corner tiles in our roof...and didn't feel a thing! Seriously...no bump and no scraping metal sounds or anything.

In my periphery I just suddenly saw something fall and thought, "Hmm...what was that?" and stopped to look.

My heart pretty much plummeted to the bottom of my stomach when I realized it was roof tiles.
It didn't help matters that when Judah heard my exclamation, he came running from the back to the cab of the camper to look out the nearest window and said, "You broke da house, Mama!"

**cringes**

I'm still not entirely sure what happened exactly, because I'm really a very excellent driver.

:: :: :: ::

Some of our Awana and youth group kids were showing livestock in our county fair's livestock auction this year.

We hadn't ever been to an auction before, rounded up the fam and headed down to watch.









It was a lot of fun.

Judah was thrilled to see so many people he knew there.







And of course the animals.







When it got to the poultry portion of the auction, I got a real kick out of how this farmer was holding the turkey to hand him over to his daughter who was trying to keep her pristine 4H uniform nice and clean until just before it was time to make the sale.



Later, when some friends from church showed up in the back of the arena so that their children could get a feel for what belonging to 4H or FFA was like, Jeff tossed a wave their direction.

Their son was making a goofy face at us which was why I took the following photo.



The father (seated on the straw bale in white) waved back.

And suddenly, the auctioneer shouted, "300! Do I hear 3 and a quarter? Three twenty-five? Anyone for $3.25?" along with a bunch of that whole stuttering kind of mumbo-jumbo they do in between.

My mouth dropped. Did I just see what I thought I saw happen?

Our friends eyes went wide.

There was a sudden moment of panic and confusion in which he shook his head and did a frantic (low) shake of his hands as if to say, "No, no...there's been a mistake!" His wife, too.

When I glanced at Jeff I saw that his hand had covered his own mouth in a big giant, "Oh, NO!" kind of a motion...and I knew...it was all true.

Yes, my friends, and if that wasn't bad enough, the amounts they were calling out were the price per pound one would have to pay for the animal being shown...currently a 300+ pound hog!

Um, can we say, "Ooopsie"?

Fortunately for them, just then from further back in the arena, someone held up an actual paddle and the auctioneer said, ""3.25! Do I hear 3 and a half? Three fifty? Anyone for $3.50?"

Immediately our friends rushed over to where we were standing and we all laughed in relief as he said, "You very nearly cost me a $1,000!"

Yes, we newbies learned a very important lesson at that livestock auction this year...NEVER ever wave (or even raise your hand) during an auction!

:: :: :: ::

While finishing up breakfast one morning recently, Judah called to me, "Mama...lookit! My toast looks like a animal!"



And by golly, it does! Move over Texas Toast...Buffalo Toast is in the house!

:: :: :: ::

We had our end-of-the-year Awana Carnival recently.

I was responsible for the face-painting booth. For boys, we did mostly snakes, lizards and spiders.



For girls, we did butterflies and flowers.





We also painted hands and arms, because some children opted to come back more than once.





At one point I had to put up my paintbrush for a time as I was locked into the jail.

As were several of our other Awana kids and leaders.



Jeff, too. For a very long portion of the day, I might add. Someone was totally gunning for him.

Judah, however, refused to go, cleanly evading the authorities.

He's been on the lam since, though on-site cameras did catch him at a watermelon eating contest around 1:25 that afternoon.





His brother, too, was said to have taken 2nd place in the contest with 7 large slices of watermelon.



:: :: :: ::

On his last day of school, Jeff always does some wild and crazy haircut.

He'd been growing his hair out since February, and this year decided to go with a mohawk.

He really wanted Liberty spikes, but his curly hair made that a bit of a stretch. Even with toothpaste as his styling medium.

We've since learned that Elmers glue works best.

On the teachers last day of school (the day after students are out for summer), the teachers children are allowed to come to work with them.

Judah couldn't have been more excited about going to school with daddy.

To do so, not only did we decide to cut Judah's hair to match daddy's, but he had to look all official and carry a backpack and everything.

But alas, it is hard to look appropriately tough and intimidating when one wears a "Lightneen MaKeen pack-ack".



Or later, while sitting in time-out for whining about not getting candy.



Really, if you ask me, neither one looks too terribly intimidating.





Somehow, I'm thinking that a guy who wears a GI Joe t-shirt doesn't pose a serious threat to anyone.

Did I mention that he also won Teacher-of-the-Year for his school?

AND that he's in the running for District-wide Teacher-of-the-Year.

You da man, Jeff!

**Ahem**

Now we're off for what I believe is the last thing on our list before our summer officially begins...a college graduation ceremony for our friend Lo.

Congratulations, girl! We're so proud of you!!

Oh, and lest I forget, I must give a congratulatory shoutout to her parents, our friends Steve & Chrissy as they have just celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary!