Chicago blows New York Away

(except for max Brenner's chocolate drink)

that's dad in the middle

can you find us?  

Where Mom will have her lunch tomorrow

WE LOVE YOU SARAH!!!

What a night!

The finale of Big Brother and the premiere of Survivor all in one night!!!

 The winner:   DERRICK, of course!

Made history by never going on the block. This

year there was 55 opportunities to go up since the early part of show

when four people went on the block.

Cody was runner up.  

I am especially pumped for this season.  Sounds corny, but I almost assimilate what your

doing with a survivor-like experience.  I mean really--- bungee jumping off of the Bloukrans bridge, dealing with hard personalities, living in less-than-great facilities, no cell phone, weird food........

So the question is....Can you outwit, outplay and outlast?

My vote is on you!

I hope you have had time to journal because I can imagine there is so much to put on paper and it could be hard to remember it all.  I see pictures now and then if someone has posted somewhere.  How is the camera?  I just love the post that Anna has of you and the humping turtles.

Love you to the moon,

Mom

Today is Heritage Day in South Africa

You alerted us to the fact you were off today because of the holiday and you did a bungee jump off the worlds highest bridge that does jumps...holy cow!  Hopefully we will get pics, but in the meantime...

http://www.faceadrenalin.com/index.asp

Related articles

• 10 Scariest Places to Bungee Jump (Video)

I was thinking of your situation last night and I went to Pinterest 

to see if I could find a good "saying" to send to you.  It was weird, but these were all 

in a row almost.  I know you'll probably throw up by the time you read all of them, and some I'm sure you've seen, but even if one strikes a chord then sending them was worth it. 

so true, so true!

Might be hard to see right now

  I will use this koine for sure

doesn't come naturally for most people...but a fact.

Easy to say...hard to do.  You're Dad is good at this

I hate this one because it's so true.  I'm a wallower, but want not to be.

  I know what's happening is hard so try to focus on why you are really there.  To grow, to learn, to get to really know yourself, to experience nature's awesomeness, to open your eyes to the world's beauty and horror, and to learn to live with the best and worst of people. 

 Both kinds of people will be present your whole life.  It's a true talent to be able to embrace and surround yourself with one and to tolerate the other without letting them under your skin.

P.S.  The fact that I sent these in no way means I've mastered any of them.  Don't need to tell you, right?  HA HA.  I want to though and will never give up working towards that goal.

Love you to the moon,

Mom

P.P.S

If you get really down just keep saying to yourself.....

UPDATE ON YOUR BROTHER!

Matthew, Park U Homecoming.  Went with dance coordinators.  Talk about diversity!

oops

Matthew gets a tattoo!

(It's henna, of course) 

Fall Begins Tonight

Bear & Smora enjoying the last sun of the summer today at noon.  Fall officially begins tonight.

Fall Is Coming

It will be a late fall with the rain and cool weather we have, but in the meantime the wild sunflowers are out...taken during a quick Honda 750 run.

NewsWeek Article About Poachers

Very good piece on the continued poaching/killing of elephants and rhinos for tusks and horns.

Congratulations!
This came in the mail today.  Only 16% of 1.6 million students received this distinction.  Worth adding to your resume I'd say!

Tell Me About That Bracelet...

It is always a conversation starter, explaining the meaning and then transitioning to you and your TBB journey...which always ends in "wow" from the person I am talking to.  Very glad to hear how well things are going, the pics on Facebook are fab.  I am in San Diego for meetings this week, very close to the USD campus, actually hot here, 88 degrees yesterday.

It's been one week since you've left.  Hard to believe.  I often wonder how you are feeling.

My guess is you're feeling a little bit:

 And maybe even a little bit:

Don't worry, it's normal!

P.S.  In your medicine bag is a tiny plastic bag marked Motion sickness pills.  If you are going on a long, possible bumpy bus ride or a boat ride, chew one about an hour prior to leaving and it will prevent motion sickness.  Package says it might make you a wee bit tired, but may not.

Love you to the moon, 

Mom

Make Each Day Count

The deck is all too quiet.   It misses you.

 Sarah,
Tonight, as every night, I say goodnight to you and thank the moon for watching over you as you sleep.  It's bedtime here at home, but for you, dawn is approaching and a new day will soon begin.

You'd be proud of me.  I'm OK.  I seem to take shorter breaths and my stomach is a bit tied in knots, but I'm OK.  I hope you're OK, too. I think being OK is pretty good for right now.

I LOVE my CD's.  

Big Brother final 5-  The Bombsquad, including, Derrick ( the mastermind and possibly the best player ever to play the game),  Cody (Had to wear a dinosaur suit for a week and is just the guys' best bud), Caleb ( still weird, but getting famous for his Beastmode persona.  He believes he is the mastermind, but he's not) and, of course, Frankie (the squad has been trying to get rid of him for two weeks but he won both veto competitions) and, finally, the 5th, and possibly the biggest floater  in Big Brother history....Victoria!  This week is the finale.  I will keep you posted.

Smora is getting attention from each of us. She's been staying close.

I have decided to wear Angel perfume again.  It reminds me of you.

Project Runway:

This week's challenge was to create a gown for a gala using the Charles James, Draping gowns exhibition at the New York Met of Art.  Remember that?  I appreciated the gowns much more after watching the episode.

Ready or Not, Here Comes Change, is my all time favorite piece i've ever read of yours.  It's  beautifully written, and i felt you invited me in into your heart and soul for a moment.  Thank you so much for leaving that to us.

Love, Mom

*make each day matter*

Beach Buzz

http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/music-news-reviews/article1875679.html

San Diego Weather In KC

Great weather, but the Chiefs lose badly to TN, first game of the season...but the Royals win, beating the Yankees...Yea!

Today, Day 1 of Your Incredible Journey

You left yesterday for NYC and HoJo's but today is the day you depart for South Africa.  We are going to try to keep this up on a daily basis, news from KC or whatever is in the news in general, just a piece of Home while you are Away From Home.