Oh Dam

We just spent the last seven days in Las Vegas which would lead one to believe that I have a lot of things to blog about except that as you know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Just kidding...

I do have a lot to say, I also have a ton of pictures to sort through and share so I will spread this out over several post so that I have time to get other things done, like laundry...

We went to the Hoover Dam one day.

As you may, or may not know, a by-pass is being built to "decrease the potential for accidents, and to decrease the bottleneck to the interstate." As we approached the dam, I got a view of this little 234 million dollar construction project. I can safely say that I will never, and I mean never use the by-pass no matter how "safe" it's supposed to be.

Do you know how high that is? When finished, the 1,905-foot span bridge will be 890 feet over the river!
Go here to see a picture of what it's going to look like when it's completed.

Here is a statue of a high-scalers who's job was to climb down canyon walls on ropes and remove loose and weakened rocks along the canyon walls where the dam walls would join together.

There are two liberty statues that have developed a green patina. The toes, however, are very shiny and looking new. We were told that the toes are polished as a result of people rubbing the them for good luck and good fortune.

Here are a couple of pictures on the Lake Mead side of the dam. Notice the white line on the lower part of the rocks, that is the water mark, a sign of the water level changes in the reservoir, which is due to the drought.

I took this picture over the edge of the dam. I couldn't actually look at it because I was getting dizzy so I just pointed and shot.

Here is the Arizona Nevada state line. I'm sure I've stood in two states at once but this just seemed much cooler than that.

I will try and sort through more pictures soon. Look forward to seeing Red Rock Canyon and The Valley of Fire very soon.

A Spirited Child

We were so excited to be bring home this sweet little baby boy. He was perfect, ten toes, ten fingers; everything about him was just what we’d always hoped for. As a baby he had one ear infection after another which resulted in tubes and eventually speech therapy. It wasn’t that he was sick a lot or that he was a problem baby, he was just different than our daughter, besides I wasn’t supposed to compare him to his sister much less anyone else. A wise late night TV host once said, “It’s an exhibition not a competition” so I try to keep that in mind everyday.
There were so many days that I feel defeated. When he was two I’d jokingly call my husband and ask him to bring home a priest for the exorcism. We have tried a number of different discipline techniques all of which seemed to fail. He’s winning.
If it’s not one issue it’s another. Right now he has a very short temper, I’m never sure what going to cause his frustration, but the outcome will be bad. He will yell, slam doors, spitting and refuse to follow directions. He’s even disappeared before; I found him hiding under a table at church when he got upset over something small. He’s gotten into arguments with his friends, not listened to adults, like his grandparents, it’s all so overwhelming. Then he turns on the charm. He can be the sweetest most loving, affectionate child you’d ever hope to meet, who is this Dr, Jekyll Mr. Hyde living in my house?

Other small issues that stand out are his fear of thunder, his sensitivity to pain (he seems to overreact to getting a scratch), a past episode of grunt-like ticks, and problems in learning to read. He loves video games, but it is impossible to get him to get off. When he does get off, his face is flush and he’s behavior is out of control. Every other day is “…the worst day of my life” because things don’t go exactly his way. He eats constantly; He can eat as much a grown man at dinner and come back thirty minutes later ready for something else. He’s not shy one bit, once he climbed up on a stage and participated in a magic show even though he wasn’t call on stage.
We need help. I love this child with all my heart and soul. What can we do to save him from himself?

Last Night's Storm

Hello all, As you may have heard our little town was hit by a tornado last night. It touched down about 1 1/2 miles (as the crow flies) from our house. That tornado also hit a trailer park and two neighborhoods in our area. Friends from church, including our pastor, and homeschool friends have had damage to their homes. The other storms that passed through last night and the ones going through today are bringing a lot a rain that we just don't need. Part of our neighborhood is under water and one road, 1/4 mile from our house, is under water (see picture below). My favorite husband drove into work, a trip that usually takes 20 minutes, took 1 12 hours this morning. He reported back to me that an area north of here is flooded and that part of the highway is closed in Little Rock. I haven't been out, and don't intend to go at this point, but when we do venture out I will try and post pictures.

Added at 5:30 pm