All Kinds of Stuff Here...

I've got an update on my family tree. 164 people!! I've traced the Pankratz (mom's dad) side to Germany and O'Brien (dad's dad) side to Ireland. I never knew when my Irish ancestors came over but now I know it was the mid 1800's. It was about the same time for the German part of the fam too. This is just too much fun. And man alive, everyone had about umpteen dozen kids, too. No birth control and lots of farm land that needed hands. I've actually become so intrigued by this part of the family that I haven't even finished filling in my first cousins and their families.

In other news, Shannon is ENGAGED! My best friend from high school is going to tie the knot. I love this girl so much I just don't even know what to do with myself. When she called and told me I screamed so much that Joseph started crying and I had to whisper-scream because I wasn't done yet. Jamie and her and dated for years and years...let's see, something like 9 years. They started dating right around the time Josh and I did - but we beat them to the marriage biz. Her phone call wasn't all good news though. Oh man oh man oh man - this next part of the story isn't for the faint of heart. She went on vacation to Belize with three other girls. They were staying on a little island just off the coast in the only hotel on the island. A lunatic broke into their room in the middle of the night and attempted to sexually assault one of the girls. Shannon was sharing a bed in the next bedroom and woke up when she heard screaming. This guy was on drugs or not right in the head - or both - and wouldn't leave! I would think most intruders would run away at this point but instead a big struggle ensued (four girls against one guy) and Shannon ended up getting punched in the mouth. It dislodged one of her teeth and fractured two others. Man. So this goes on for awhile (meanwhile the podunk police on the island still aren't there) NO ONE except for an American woman (30-ish, from Houston of all places!) comes to help because they are screaming. They get him out the door and he is STILL trying to get back in, pushing against them bracing the door, so he breaks through a window. Shannon pushed the couch on it's end and blocked the window and the guy finally wanders off. BUT he comes back and is now fighting with the woman who had come to help them outside the room. The girls were too scared to come out. Finally the police show up and tell them they have to go down to the station but they won't give them a ride! They girls walk down there after having just been assaulted and start to file a report - but Shannon said it was so backwards that they gave up and left. The police didn't seem to care, could hardly read or write, and were hitting on one of the girls. Yes, after she was just attacked. Of course they went back and packed up and caught the first ferry back to the main land and went to the airport to get the heck outta there. Shannon saw a dentist and will probably have to have a root canal - but is recovering. What a mess. That gal is a little fire ball, but no one wants to go through that. Hell, I didn't even like hearing it or writing it much less actually experiencing it. Thank god he didn't have a weapon.

On a lighter note...
How do I get everyone out of the funk from that story?! Joseph of course. He is our little traveling man. Rambling man. Man on a mission. The mission is to find every electrical cord, every sharp corner, every heavy object, and every bug or speck of dirt...and play with it. Just yesterday I left the baby monitor cord hanging down off the cabinet and he pulled it right down. Luckily it crashed on the floor and not his little head! Lesson learned...get it together mom. I know better but sometimes it's just too early in the morning for this mess. Any second hand cages out there for sale?! Still if anyone wants to see a little beam of sunshine straight from heaven then I've got it for you right here. That is one fun baby!

Our camera is in the shop!!! What ever will I do!? We borrowed Edie's but I don't have the cord to transfer pics to the computer. Give me a week or so and we should be operational. :)

Big post today! I hope you have a good weekend - we're getting some good cleaning done at our house today. Josh's favorite! Ha! ;)