1 Tick, 2 Run for the Roses, and 1530 miles

Joaquin, Zeke and I took a trip to Kentucky this summer. One of the most beautiful of our 50 states. Joaquin was very excited because I told him all about the horses that were bred and raised in Kentucky for racing. While th

ere my Mom treated him and Nolan to a day at t

he Kentucky Horse Park. He got to take his first pony ride and thought he was an expert(even though his feet didn't even reach the stirrups).

Grandmommie Jacqi got them both t-shirts with pictures of them on their pony. Nolan was so excited that he put his on right away.

Just a few days later we took a quick trip to Cannelton, Indiana. My Aunt Gerry and Uncle Sam live there in the most beautiful log house set up on a hill in a canopy of trees. Grandmommie Jacqi took Joaquin on a tour of the prope

rty beginning with the front porch which is frequented by a large variety of beautiful birds. It was a wonderful day! I love every moment I spend with them. Aunt Gerry made corn bread for us and a nice afternoon meal. She is a wonderful cook. I

think the thing I enjoy most about being with them is watching the way they care for and look out after one another. Coming from 2 generations of divorces I haven't had too many examples of strong, loving, long-lasting marriages so I am grateful for their example. They are my standard of what I want my marr

iage to be like when I am 80 years old. We finished up the day in "E" town with Kimmy Joe and Kya (sp?) This was my first time meeting Kya. She is my cousin, Terra's little girl. They live far away from us in Texas so we don't get together as often as we would like. She is a sweet girl like her mama! Then it was vroom back on the plane to Utah.

No time to unpack because we were off to northern Ca

lifornia for Karina and Mike's wedding. Karina is Rodrigo's first cousin. She and mike were married in the Oakland temple. It was a very short trip...try 30 hours of traveling for one glorious day with family. Although Rodrigo and I have vowed to never take that trip again via car, this trip was oh so worth the fussy kids, hours and hours of driving down a highway of nothingness and a zombie like state from a lack

of sleep. At one point during the trip Rodrigo looked over at me and said, "Nevada is nothing...just Reno and Las Vegas...other than that it is nothing." Driving through the miles and miles of barren land I had to agree.

(more pics of the wedding at photjames.com/blog)

The sealing was a sacred experience and I left with an understanding of the covenant of marriage that I had never had before. Th

e sealer was wonderful and his instruction was powerful and inspiring. It was wonderful

to be with Rodrigo's family. I am so happy to know that families are forever.

The highlight of our trip home was Joaquin telling us that there was something on his head. I was driving so I asked Rodrigo to take a look at it. Rodrigo said it was round and I asked if it was a tick...praying inside please don't let it be!

Rodrigo couldn't tell so I pulled off at the next exit. I have to tell you that I was terrified I was going to find an engorged tick on my sons head. For those of you who live where there are lots of ticks you'll understand my fear. Those of you who don't well, I hope you never have to experience it. I stopped ran around and started feeling through his hair trying to find what Rodrigo had described to me and sure enough....IT WAS A TICK! But not engorged. Strange as that is. I called my Mom and with the help of my Aunt Kathi was instructed how to remove it. I couldn't do it. I looked at Rodrigo and told him as much. He wasn't very happy and began to lecture me about the duties of being a Mom...one of them being to suck it up and remove ticks. I looked at him and responded with a but Rodrigo "That is what marriage is all about...somethings I just can't do but you can so you do the

m and some things you just can't do and I can so I do them." I don't think he was convinced see-

ing how he demanded I do a thorough tick check of Joaquin once he had removed the tick. He was shaking his head a lot and mumbling. I am sure it had something to do with me. Having checked Joaquin, and luckily there were no more, we headed on our way. I wish I could say that was the end of it but I am all too aware of Lyme disease and Rocky mountain spotted fever. I felt confident Joaquin would be OK but Rodrigo was a bit more concerned. The tick kept coming up over and over and over again during the next 300 miles. By the time we got home I was sick with worry and even though it was nearly 2am I got immediately on the CDC website to research the symptoms and what we should be looking for if he had it. Long story short...after two trips to the doctor and three weeks of being symptom free Joaquin has little to show for his tick bite but a bump and a swollen lymph node(which when we first found we thought it may be cancer...didn't know it was related to the tick bite) Can you say "OVER ACTIVE IMAGINATION?!"

We still have our friend the tick he is in our cryogenics lab - better known as the freezer. Just in case he has to be tested at some future date for disease.

Wish I had taken more pictures of my trips...I have a camera but am the worst about remembering to use it! Here are a few more I did get!

I just fell in love with this house in Lebanon, KY. We were on our way to Lexington to see Mariah when we passed this jewel. I turned right around to get a few shots.

We are having a super summer!