jennifer
The first time I ever bowled, my score was seven.  SEVEN.   That's seven pins knocked down the entire set of ten frames.  I was only seven years old and I obviously didn't have gutter guards.  It was a long game. 
Somehow, I still think bowling is fun.  I'm still not very good, but I can usually knock down seven pins per frame now, instead of seven per game. 
Cliff, my brother Jacob, and I went bowling for our birthdays in March.  (Jacob and I share a birthday and Cliff's is a week later.)  Of course, we had to turn it into more than a regular night of bowling. 
The first game was a regular round.  I actually took the win in the tenth frame.

*Jake is player 1, I am player 2, and Cliff is player 3.


In the second round, we bowled with our dominant hand on even frames and our non-dominant hand on odd frames.  This was my idea and I wasn't even sure I could do it when it was my turn.  It turned out that we were all three better with our non-dominant hands.  And Cliff was much better with his right hand.  He blew us out of the water and beat his score in the first round by 42 points.


For the third game, we created different challenges for every other frame.  For frame two we had to walk like a chicken (bocking included) up to the lane.  For frame four we had to scissor step up to the lane.  For another frame we had to spin in a 360 degree circle up to the lane.  And for another we had to do the running man (which I don't think any of us can do regularly anyway) up to the lane.  Clearly, we were mostly laughing.  And so was everyone else in the bowling alley.  Cliff pulled ahead and won by one point.


In the last game, we played another regular round.  Jacob got the win and we all went home happy.

Oh, and if you read my post Giddy Up!, then you already know that even though I bowled a 117 in the fourth game, I left the alley wanting to join a league.
jennifer
A couple of months ago my husband and brother (unfortunately) put in the highest bids for two firetrucks that the local fire department was selling.  That's right, TWO firetrucks.  They didn't buy one together; they EACH bought one.  Cliff was thrilled.  Jacob was thrilled.  Finley was thrilled, because really, how many toddlers that are obsessed with fire trucks actually have a real one of their own?  I was basically the only one that wasn't thrilled, since it sat in our yard for several weeks before Cliff finally moved it to the back of the pasture.  So, be sure to look for us this summer and fall in all the local parades!  Anyway, when the real firetrucks showed up in my parents' tiny town over the weekend, it was the perfect opportunity for Cliff and Jacob to take Jake's truck out for a spin.  I almost peed my pants laughing when I heard the old beast roaring up the driveway  and saw it crest the hill at a speed of less than 1mph, and then again when they took off down the street and everyone at the fire turned their head practically 180 degrees trying to figure out what the h-e-double hockey sticks was going on. 





If you read the blog Cliff wrote about our wedding, you already know that he should be the one with a blog, not me.  I didn't even have to twist his arm to write for me again about their firetruck drive-by.  You're in for a treat.  Here's Cliff's news report on the event:
NEWSFLASH:

CLIFTON HILL, MO.  Fire threatened a tree that might already be dead in Clifton Hill, Missouri yesterday near Lucy’s Snack Shack.  Several fire crews were dispatched to the fire, which originated from a yard leaf fire, that ravaged the cottonwood.  Councilman Jacob Grotewiel noticed the blaze and rushed to assist.  Always answering the call of civic duty, Councilman Grotewiel now keeps his own fire truck in tip-top operating condition should emergencies arise. 

                Former Clifton Hill resident Doug Jacques remarked about Grotewiel’s tireless dedication to natural disasters, “Jacob has long been interested in watching fires and offering helpful tips through his megaphone while real firefighters are on duty, and this just allows him to insert himself into the action in a more meaningful way.”   

Almost none of the town’s 108 residents were aware of the fire, but those that were could not help but notice the helpful rogue firetruck which roared to the scene at approximately 7 miles per hour.   His 1964 Chevrolet truck had a calming effect that appeared to border on therapeutic.

                Grotewiel drove a route around the blaze and realized that the blaze was at least 100% contained to the one tree,  and after noting that the weather conditions did not make another fire likely, returned his truck to the Milam Street Fire Barn.   

                Watch for the follow up article concerning a damage assessment about the burned cottonwood from a leading area horticulturist. 
jennifer
I've been clicking along with my 52 small changes, and here's how it's going:

Week Three--Keep Off the Couch
     The Change: Apart from exercise, incorporate regular and routine activity into your lifestyle.
I pretty much had this one whipped already.  Since Cliff got me a Garmin Vivofit a couple years ago, I make a real effort to get at least 10,000 steps in each day.  And with the Vivofit, that little red line pops up to tell me to move.  I don't always pay attention to it, but I try to.  (Anyone else using the Vivofit?  If so, let's connect!)  I've also been getting back into my yoga routine.  With the weather warming up, we've been outside pretty much every free second we have.  Seriously, we will spend like ten hours a day outside if we have a free Saturday, for example.  We all three love to be outdoors, and there is always plenty to do around the yard and pasture, so we stay pretty active.  We literally haven't watched tv since mid-March (which really makes me question why we pay an arm and a leg for satellite), but that will change with the Royals home opener this evening (which is why we pay an arm and a leg for satellite.)

Week Four--Keep a Food Journal
     The Change:  Keep a food journal, and track everything you eat and drink each day.
Okay, I didn't even attempt this one.  Yet.  This is one of our busiest times of the year.  Seems like every day we're supposed to be in six different places, sometimes all at the same time.  And, I've never had much success when I've tried a food journal before.  I really do want to attempt this, at least for a week (although I really don't need a food journal to tell me that I eat way too much Casey's pizza or that I shouldn't be eating this candy bar as I type), but I know the only way I'll do it is if I have an easy app to use on my phone.  Any good suggestions?

Week Five--See the Glass as Half Full
     The Change:  Develop an optimistic outlook.
I feel like I've mostly got this one in the bag, too.  I can remember back in high school people describing me as optimistic and patient.  I've lost a little of that since then, but overall I'm a pretty optimistic person.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I can complain about something until I'm blue in the face, but in the end, I usually look at the bright side of things.  Working in the school, it was easy to get bogged down in the negativity of the system and the politics of it all, but it was easy to be positive with the students, which kept me in good practice.  Luckily, Cliff is a really positive and optimistic person, too.  And if we don't stay optimistic in dealing with the law office, we'd just be so jaded and bitter that we'd have to hole up in a cave somewhere and live off the grid!

Week Six--Take a Multivitamin
     The Change:  Take a multivitamin every day.
We all three take our multivitamins pretty regularly.  Cliff and I are both really good about making sure Finley gets his every morning, but I often forget to take my own.  (Which is really ridiculous considering ours sit right next to Finley's on the diaper changing station.)  I even have a reminder set in my phone, and often ignore it.  I am now making an effort to take mine when I give Finley his, and it's working great.

As far as Weeks One and Two, I'm hanging in there fairly well.  I've been using Lemon essential oil in my water and am drinking more than I used to, but not as much as I should.  Sleep depends on Finley.  Overall, it's going really well!

How's it going for you?