More outgoing than incoming :)

     Came home from vacation to find 2 things in my box. I guess this is the result of not responding to my letters for ages. I'm still catching up- dear friends, I have not forgotten about you. 

Incoming...

 From 12 year old Postcrosser, Alexandra, from Minsk, Belarus. Thanks!

 From Julia in the Netherlands.  Very cute.

  
These were the stamps on the back of Julia's cards. Any of my Dutch friends want to tell me what these pictures are from? Is it a children's book illustrator? (Timmy and I were discussing this.. inquiring minds want to know!)

Outgoing..

     Lots of outgoing:

 Sent to a Postcrosser. Hyannis, MA is a wonderful place to visit in the summer (if you don't mind crowds).

 Sent to another Postcrosser- Motif #1 in Rockport.This is about 30 minutes north of where I live.

This is sent to an 11 year old Postcrosser from Russia. Boston Museum of Science. Good stuff!

 I've always liked this postcard and was just waiting for someone who likes old photographs. This shows a football game between cops and prisoners taken at Sing Sing (they think) between 1930 and 1935. Cool. If I remember correctly, this card is headed for Germany.

 This is sent to a unit on active duty that I connected with through AnySoldier.com.

 Sent to a Postcrosser in Canada that is somehow related to a library.

 I've rotated through a few soldiers on Adopt a US Soldier. Thomas, Lauren and Jason have come home. I have 1 returning home on Sunday. I have one woman I e-mail since mail is not easily delivered to her base. Then I have these 3 soldiers- 1 whom I've had for a while and 2 new ones who, ironically, are serving at the same base.


    I have more to send out tomorrow. I'm determined to catch up. 

The 366 Project:

Received: 43
Sent: 113
   

Other...

    1)  Here are my kids, just because I like them and think they're cute.. lol.

 The most smiley, sweetest kid.

     In his first official baseball tournament. They're playing kids a year older than them but having a great time.

     2) I've determined I'm not going to say "I'm going to put this on the blog tomorrow" or "If I have my act together, I will..." because then I feel horribly guilty. This also goes for penpalling. I need to give myself flexibility to write when I have something to say and most of my friends would totally understand that and be fine with it. Penpal guilt is pretty awful and it's worse if you're dealing with any other issues with it.
      3) Vacation was good. We played a lot in the water- at the beach, pools, waterparks, etc. We went to an amusement park. We had a lot of family time and a LOT of driving in the car. Although it doesn't sound really exciting, it was a nice trip. Timmy and Matt got stung by jellyfish. That wasn't fun. For those who are wondering: Yes, apparently if you pee on a jellyfish sting it will stop the pain. However, vinegar works better- which is what we used. They had some at the lifeguard station. Who knew? I also learned that if you rinse the area with fresh water first, the things that are making the sting will continue to fire and it will hurt worse. You learn something new every day. 
     Timmy also had a little adventure. He was swimming in the ocean about 10 feet offshore when he felt something in the sand under him. He reached down and picked this up! We had him go to the front desk to ask if anyone had said that they lost a watch. Nobody had. Since we had no way of knowing how long the watch had been there and who had lost it, the hotel manager thought "there must be SOME reason it came to you!"  So, when we checked out, we went down to see if the watch was claimed and now it is Timmy's.  Boy, is he excited! Maybe I'll have him write a letter to Casio.   I was impressed the watch was still working. They asked the people around them but it wasn't anybody's. I'm sure if you see Timmy, except at baseball, he will have the watch on and gladly tell you his story. :)

     I hope you're having a blessed day.
^"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."- 1 John 4:9-11
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