Jon and Sherry Rivers Update

Jon and Sherry Rivers have posted an update on K-LOVE.

You can use this link: Jon and Sherry Rivers Update to read the entire letter.

The update answers some of our questions about what has been going on, but it does not address if and when they will be back on K-LOVE. I hope to hear them back on K-LOVE very soon. My morning drive is just not the same without them.



Be sure to check out their update and KEEP PRAYING for this sweet family. Emily has been singing one of her Vacation Bible School songs lately ... "I will pray and things will change."

Prayer changes things!

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Celebrity, Music, and Water

Well today was the big day. This morning bright and early, Mike and I headed out of town for a few days of vacation. We headed east to Memphis, TN. Mike did most of the driving, but I did take a little turn later in the afternoon. I think I scared Mike a little bit so now he is the designated driver. In my own defense, I did deliver us safely to our destination! Truth be told, I am more than happy to give over the control of the vehicle to him.

After we got in to town, we went to have dinner with the Neelys. You know the Neelys, right? Hosts of "Down Home with the Neelys" on Food Network? Friends of Paula Deen? Turns out their restaurant is fairly close to our hotel. We didn't see anyone famous, but the food was very good. We shared a sampler platter and they brought out a ton of food! Mike really really really liked the potato salad. He said the BBQ sauce was not as good as Head Country.

I was more concerned about the service ... or lack thereof. I was beginning to wonder if we would EVER get our check so that we could leave. Mike quipped that they were trying to keep us inside the restaurant as long as possible so that they could take everything out of our car. I will admit that the sign out front did not give me a warm fuzzy feeling.

"Neelys Bar-B-Que is not responsible for any items left in vehicles. Customers are responsible for securing any valuables. Please lock all doors. Thank you, Management."

After dinner, we went looking around for a movie theater. We found one close to our hotel that looked pretty nice. It was a quiet night, as you would expect on a Wednesday night. One other person was in the theater with us, but he was gone by the time the movie was over. What movie? Oh, we went to see Pelham 123 (not sure of the exact title .. something similar to that). It was a pretty good movie. I would give it three stars ... mostly for star power. It had Denzel and Travolta in it. How can you go wrong with that pair?

We're not sure what we will find to do tomorrow, but we are having a good time so far. Have you ever been to Memphis? What activities and/or restaurants do you recommend?

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Since When

Since when did Blogger.com get a spell checker on the post creation box? Has that always been on there? Because if so, I just now noticed it. Please tell me it's not true!

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Twenty First Century

Over the past few months, Mike and I have been working on getting up to speed for the 21st Century. Our latest improvement is a DVR. The dish company came out today to hook it up for us. We've already paused live TV and fast forwarded through commercials.

Next step is to set it up to record the season premiere of Big Brother on Thursday night. Since we're kidless this week, we can't promise that we'll be at home to watch it. And I really don't want to miss it! I look forward to this show every summer and I'm so glad it's finally starting!

Besides all the excitement with the new DVR, we've got a lot of things going on this week as we try to get our plans for this week off the ground. We do have something special planned. We haven't been out and about as a couple in a long time so I hope our plans work out.

And I just want to say ... I am SO glad Jillian finally sent Wes home on the Bachelorette tonight. It was so painful to watch him deceiving her week after week after week. I promise you I will never ever buy one of his records. He is so crooked and deceitful. Just disgusting!

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Happy Independence Day!

I hope you all had a happy and safe Fourth of July.

We had a good one. This morning, my mom was kind enough to meet us in Paris, TX to pick up Emily for "Farm Week 2009". This is the week where all the Hughes grandkids (all three of them) meet at Grandmother and Grandaddy's house for fun in the sun and lots of hugs!

Mom told me today that she was going to try to post pictures on her blog "every night". You can go here - Our Family Connect - to see what the kids are up to this week. I can't wait to see! I didn't cry or even get teary when Grandmother and Emily drove off this afternoon, but it is always hard for me. Emily is just so sweet and I'm her mother. I want to be there for her if she needs me - at all, for anything.

When we got back home, we went over to hang out with Mike's family for a while. A line of heavy thunderstorms was headed our way so we did not stay long. Long enough to get some (err, too much) good food though!

Mike and I have some other things planned this week, but more on that later ...

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Rhyme Time

During bedtime the last few nights, Emily and I have been talking about words that rhyme. I don't recall how we got onto this subject, but I started making Dr. Seuss-type rhymes. Sorta nonsensical, but totally hilarious to Emily.

I kept trying to get her to give me a rhyme. I would say "paper" and she would make up "palinety". I would say "salt" and she would say "pepper". I would say "finger" and she would say "finkle!" And so on and so forth.

So tonight, we were making up body part rhymes. She said "eyes" and I said "surprise!" She said "hair" I said "bear!" Then I tried to turn it around ... I said "chin" and she said "win!" She's finally catching on to our little game.

Dr. Seuss is the master of the rhyme. One of my favorite Seuss books is "There's a Wocket in My Pocket!" I'm so glad I don't have a noothgrush on my toothbrush or a zillow on my pillow! The Seuss books are such classics. We have a bunch of the smaller ones and then a few of the big ones like "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish."

So I was wondering ... Which Dr. Seuss books do you have? Which ones would you recommend for small kids?

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Jon and Sherry Rivers - 3 months

It's been about three months since Jon and Sherry disappeared from KLOVE radio. It's apparent that their fans are still concerned about them and are still awaiting their return. As far as I know, they have not been spotted anywhere since they left KLOVE. I have heard that they have not updated their Facebook group page either.

There are a lot of rumors floating around that Jon and Sherry are going through a difficult divorce. I hate to think that this is true, but you just never know. Marriage is not always easy. Sometimes it's hard to live with someone that you don't always agree with. Even if you love someone, you don't always see eye to eye on things. It's even more difficult when you add children to the mix.

It's all about how you react and respond to what happens in your relationship. Will you get mad and shut down and call it quits? Will you forgive and forget and try to work things out? Marriage counseling is a great option to help you work through issues.

Having said all that, I do not know what is going on with Jon and Sherry Rivers. It certainly could be a divorce, but it could be any number of other things. I still pray for them and their family every week and I hope that they are okay and will be back on KLOVE soon.

If you have any other information, please leave a comment and let us know. There are literally hundreds of people every day who are looking for Jon and Sherry and praying for their family. If you would like to leave prayers or concerns for the Rivers family in the comments section, please feel free to do so as well.

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Slow Week, Perfect for Fishing

Nothing big going on this week for us. It's just a very busy four-day work week. At least the temperature is cooler than it was last week. I think we're in the low to mid 90's this week with some showers this evening.

We got a couple new Wii games last weekend. Our favorite is Rapala's Fishing Frenzy. It's a fishing tournament game. We spent A LOT of time trying to clear some of the levels. One big bummer is that only one person can play at a time. The other person is left to watch and offer encouragement.

Mike is good at picking lures and I'm good at moving them through the water. He gets a big kick out of how I make the frog lures hop across the water from lily pad to lily pad. Mike is good at picking hot fishing locations, but he's a dangerous boat driver. I'm a good boat driver, but I have a hard time finding the fish.

We had a good time trying to figure out how to beat the levels. We got stuck on one of them though. We're supposed to get 10,000 points in 20 minutes and we have not been able to do it yet. We're probably tried it a dozen times between the two of us. I can't wait to try it again.

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The Bank Sign

The bank sign read - 104 degrees.

Not fun.

Edited: When I was driving home from work this afternoon, the bank sign read - 112 degrees!

Ouch!

I'm glad I didn't get pulled over by the policeman this afternoon because I would have said "I was driving fast to help the A/C keep up with the sweltering HEAT!" Somehow, I don't think he would have let that one fly.

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Emily's Allergy

Poor Emily! For the last four years, she's been an itchy, red girl in the summertime. For the longest time, I didn't know what was causing her face and arms to break out every time we went swimming. Eventually, I figured out that she was having a reaction to the sunscreen.

I tried lots of different kinds of sunscreen products. Most of them said they were for sensitive skin, but she would still break out and her face would get very red and itchy.

Several weeks ago, Emily's preschool had a "Water Fun Day". The teachers asked that we put her swimsuit and sunscreen on before she got to school so that they would have an easier time getting the kids outside to the water play area later in the day. I had bought a new "sensitive skin" sunscreen and Nanny put that on her before she went to school. Emily was fine all day until they went outside to play. Then her face turned bright red and she started complaining that it was itching. By the time she got home, her face and arms were red hot and painful.

I did a little research online and found that some sunscreen allergies only react when you're out in the sun. It's not the sunscreen sitting on the skin that is the problem. It's when the ingredients in the sunscreen are activated by the sun.

Another thing I learned is that there are two general types of sunscreens - chemical blockers and physical blockers. Chemical blockers work by soaking into your skin and breaking down the sun's harmful rays. Physical blockers sit on top of the skin and reflect the sun's rays. Physical blockers are generally more gentle than chemical blockers.

So I went to sunscreen aisle at Wal-mart and read the labels on all the products that they had. I finally found one that contained only physical blockers. It's made by Neutrogena and contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

Finally! Something that worked for us! I put this on Emily the other week when we were at Tyler's birthday party. She stayed out in the sun for quite a while, but experienced no itching or redness. Now I'm looking forward to a fun summer in the sun.

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Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter Update - 2 months

It's been about two months since Emily and I planted our Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter.

We water the tomato plant every day or two now and we fertilize with Miracle Gro about every week or two. The plant is growing, but it's not as big as I thought it would be at this point. I think it looks a bit unhealthy too. Sometimes I find yellow or brown leaves on it.

My mother-in-law says that she pours coffee or coke on her plants every day. Maybe I should try this?

Day One

Day 39

Day 52

So what do you think? Have you tried anything on your tomato plants that seemed to work?

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Happy Father's Day - Dad's Great Advice

Happy Father's Day to the three fathers in my life. This year I get to celebrate with two out of the three and I will miss the third one (my dad) very much!

• To Mike, my husband - Honey, thank you for being an awesome father to Emily! She loves you so much and you are so good with her. I love to watch you reading stories to her. She really responds to your style and she learns the stories so well. You are always the first one to get down on the floor with her to play Barbies or CandyLand. Happy Father's Day from me and Emily.

• To Joe, my dad - Happy Father's Day, Dad! I can't wait until you are retired so that we will get to see you more often. We're excited about coming down to visit in a few weeks. I hope you have a great Father's Day.

• To Gary, my father-in-law - Happy Father's Day! Thank you for raising a wonderful son. You do so much for our family and for that we will always be grateful. Hope you have a nice (and restful) Father's Day.

Dad's Great Advice
It seems like dads always give such great advice. You hear everything from car repair advice to marriage advice. Here are a few of my favorite pieces of fatherly advice:

• "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey" to help us remember which way to turn a screw
• "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime."
• "Keep your eye on the ball."
• "Turn off the lights when you leave a room."
• And make sure you know how to change a flat tire. You never know when you'll need to do it.

Now it's your turn. What advice did your dad give you? Post a comment and let us all in on the great advice.

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Our New Addition

Goodbye 19 inches

Hello 57 inches

(sorry about the glare on the screen)

This week, we got this big new TV from Mike's parents. Theirs was replaced under warranty and the MFG did not want the old one back. Turns out it would cost more to fix it than to replace it. It has a tiny imperfection in the screen, but that's okay with us. We're very grateful to have it. Thank you Nanny and Pops!

Last weekend, Mike and Emily and I went to several stores looking for a TV stand/hutch for it. I really want a hutch so that I can have a place for my knick knacks, but it does not look like that is going to happen. It was very hard to find something that the TV would fit in AND that would fit in our space. I think I have finally resigned myself to picking out a stand instead of a hutch although we will probably wait a while until we go back and pick one out.

I want to re-do the decorations in my living room anyway so maybe I will incorporate some wall shelves/ledges into the room. Mike has offered to get me a cabinet or curio for my decorative pieces, but I don't know if I want to give up the floor space for something like that. I definitely need a place to put up some pictures and some of my other pretties though. My Mom and my sister Heather are my shopping buddies so I'll have to invite them up/over soon.

This weekend, we're supposed to get our HD receiver installed by our satellite provider. Mike tried to sell me on the deal by telling me that I would be able to watch Big Brother in HD this summer. Sorry, but I saw right through that little gig. ha!

I will be excited to try out the Wii on the big television. It was quite hard to see what was going on with that very small TV. Obviously, most Wii games were made for bigger screens. And I think I have said it, but I will said it again ... I would really like it if someone would make a Wii Step (Step Aerobics) game/workout. Call me crazy, but I think step aerobics is a lot of fun. Okay, and it's good for you too!

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Spectacular Summer Showing

Emily and I have been busy with our nightly gardening chores.

Emily will often go outside with me to "help".

But sometimes she prefers to hang out inside and watch "Phineas and Ferb" ...

Or "Zack and Cody".

When she comes out with me, I spend a lot of time telling her the names of all the plants ... such as these lovely "Little Grapette" daylilys.

And we talk about how some of the flowers are different than the others ..

Different colors ...

Different shapes ...

Different sizes ...

Different "visitors"

As you can see, we have LOTS of work to do in the evenings.

But it is SO worth it

To be outside enjoying the sunshine ...

Warmth ...

And God's beautiful creations.

Thank you, God, for all the beautiful flowers that You made for us to enjoy. Thank you for giving me a perfect hobby to share with my wonderful daughter. Please show me opportunities to teach her more about You.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

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Diet Coke Floats

After the birthday party last weekend, we had a big cooler of cokes (remember, I'm from Arkansas and it's always coke no matter what variety it may be) and bottled waters left over.

Did you notice anything in the picture? Well, I sure did! All the diet coke products (Diet Coke, Diet 7-up) were floating and the regular cokes (Pepsi, Dr. Pepper) were sunk to the bottom of the cooler.

Why does Diet Coke float?

Well, the answer to this question is related to density and water displacement. Density is the relationship of an object's mass to its volume. (Is it heavy or light? Big or small?) Water displacement describes how an object pushes aside a liquid when it's placed into the liquid. An object that is more dense will push aside more liquid and the object will sink. An object that is less dense will push aside less liquid and the object will float.

The regular coke contains ingredients that are more dense ... like sugar. The diet coke contains ingredients that are less dense ... like artificial sweetners. This is why regular coke sinks and diet coke floats.

Now you know.

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Berry Good

Last night when we got home, Emily and I went to check on all of our flowers. One of the "flowers" that we planted last year actually turned out to be a strawberry plant. I knew the plant looked familiar, but I couldn't place it at the time. I believe the plant tag said something about a geranium, but I knew what it was the instant I planted it.

So last night, we noticed that one of the stawberries was getting ripe and we decided to go ahead and pick it before the yard bunnies got it.

Emily was so excited. She picked it herself and we took it inside and washed it.

Then she ate it in tiny little bites.

All the way down to the stem. Nothing left but the green stem.

I don't like strawberries. At all. But I tried it anyway and I didn't think it was very sweet. Honestly, I'm not exactly sure if strawberries are supposed to be sweet or not. I can't get past all the little seeds.

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Every Day with Stephanie

Poor little Stephanie was a dirty girl. (Somehow) I convinced Emily to help me give her a bath today after lunch. Well, convincing her to help me with the bath was not hard. Convincing her to leave Stephanie in the tub while Emily went to take a nap was the hard part. In case you wanna know, I used Tide laundry detergent and Oxyclean and a lot of elbow grease.

And then after Emily got in bed for her nap, I put Stephanie in the washing machine with a load of bed sheets. And then after she was done spinning in the washer, I put her in the dryer on low. But she was making too much of a racket thumping around in there so I took her out and wrapped her in a towel.

When Emily got up from her nap, she immediately went to the sink to look for Stephanie. She was a little concerned about why I took her out of the bath and I said I took her out because she was crying. Why? Because she was not expecting her mama to take such a long nap.

Sweeter

Tonight, we were driving in the car and listening to Emily's current favorite song - Sweeter (aka Every Day with You Lord). Not familiar with that song? Here's a video.

Then after the song was over, Mike and Emily started making up their own silly verses and lauuuuuuuughing.

"Every day, every day with Stephanie ... Every day, Stephanie drinks a bottle!"

"Every day, every day with Stephanie ... Every day, Stephanie plays with Barbies!"

"Every day, every day with Stephanie ... Every day, Stephanie takes a shower!"

And on .. and on ... and on .. and on :)

Oh, to be four and imaginitive and silly!

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Did you hear about Six Flags?

Did you hear that Six Flags filed for bankruptcy?

Six Flags is such an icon in the theme park world. What does it mean that they filed for bankruptcy? Will all the Six Flags theme parks shut down?

I sure hope not. That would really be a big loss in the entertainment industry.

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Ride, Baby, Ride!

Last week for Emily's birthday, she received a bicycle from her Nanny and Pops. Pops put it together for her and she was ready to ride.

Now ... a couple years ago, she got a tricycle for her birthday but she never really got the hang of how to pedal the thing. I know that part of the problem was the tricycle itself. It was one of those with the push handle for the parents, but that made the pedals turn backward very easily.

So I was sorta expecting her to have a difficult time with the bike. But that was not to be. She hopped on and was off and going in no time.

She and Madison love to ride around the neighborhood. "Only on the sidewalk, not on the street!"

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Cruising Together

On Sunday, we went downtown to ride the Water Taxis on the Oklahoma City Bricktown Canal. We were the first customers at the water taxi stand and so we got a boat all to ourselves. Well, except for the driver/tour guide, of course.

One of a long group of bronze statues depicting the land run .. the boomers and the sooners.

Carter liked the boat ride too.

Largest waterfall in Oklahoma City ... or was it in Oklahoma? And the second largest waterfall is also on the Bricktown Canal.

The Devon Energy Mosaic .. thousands of little tiles

Emily and Grandmother checking out the sights

Heather caught me trying to take her picture

The fam

After we looked around Bricktown for a bit, we checked out Bass Pro Shop before we headed to lunch at Texas Roadhouse. I ordered a sirloin and loaded sweet potato ... caramel sauce and toasted marshmallows. Ohhh yum!

Then after a little more playing and a short nap for the littlest kid, everyone was on their way back home. And we were on our way to a nice long nap.

It was a busy weekend, but very fun. And now it's over ... at least until next year.

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