Bulleted for your pleasure

* Didn't work Thursday because of the puking and various other things I was afflicted with the previous night.

* In the midst of the puking and various other things, I was awakened from a rare moment of nauseated sleep early Thursday morning to the sound of water hitting a hard surface. In my bedroom. It was raining so hard that water was pouring in the windows over the window seat in my bedroom. Not only was I exhausted, nauseated and just generally icky feeling I had to clean up the flood in the window seat. Good times.

* I slept most of Thursday, but was still queasy and blechy feeling. However, I wasn't going to let a stomach virus ruin our impending plans of over 24 hours of Bransony goodness and willed myself to suck it up.

* Friday morning we left the house at 7am to head to Joplin to meet the rest of our merry band of travelers at Cracker Barrel for breakfast. It was after we were already on the turnpike, about halfway between Fairland and Miami, that I remembered I had left my camera batteries on the charger at home. Can you imagine just how unhappy my family was when I declared that we had to turn around and go home? It wasn't pretty. Apparently, they were all near death they were so hungry and no one had ever been as hungry as my family was that morning. I kept telling them I was sorry and that going back to unplug the charger was better than going home to find our house burnt to the ground, but since I didn't present my apology with a plate of pancakes or a case of chocolate fudge pop tarts, it wasn't accepted.

* We got to Silver Dollar City at 12:30pm. The original plan was to be there around 10:30 or 11. My bad.

* It was COLD. And windy. And did I mention COLD?

* Roller coasters the day after a stomach virus - not advisable.

* Going on a showboat the day after a stomach virus when you're already scared of water makes one realize that one can do anything for the sake of their children. I fought back the urge to vomit a few times and more than once found myself scoping out the nearest corner so I could curl up in the fetal position, suck my thumb and find my happy place and pretend I wasn't on a gigantic boat in hurricane force winds. Also found myself humming the theme song from Titanic and saying, "I'll never let go, Jack. I'll never let go." Fortunately, the Captain decreed that the wind was too high to leave shore (yesssss!), but it still rocked. And not in the "Woah, that RAWKED!" kind of way, but more of how the people on the S.S. Minnow felt on that three hour tour kind of way. Paul swore he didn't feel the boat moving, but I didn't leave my chair once I staggered to it because every time I stood up I nearly fell over. Mom said the funniest sight she'd seen in a long time was watching me attempt walking up the ramp to the boat. Apparently, it looked like I'd been hitting the rum with Cap'n Jack beforehand. I didn't find it so amusing at the time.

* Showboat Branson Belle - talking dogs make me laugh. Out loud. Obnoxiously. And nearly forget I was on a boat and fearing for my life and the lives of my children.

* I have video from Silver Dollar City and of the souveniers two of my kids brought home. However, I'm tired from the events of the last few days and I'm heading to bed pretty quick. Plus, I need to go over my Sunday School lesson once more since I'm teaching the Youth class tomorrow. If you pray, would you please pray for me tomorrow morning? I am doing this because I think God is testing my endurance, committment and ability to convey wisdom to teenagers. Or He has a sense of humor. Either way, it's freaking me out.

* Sam's Baptism is in the morning. I don't think there has ever been a person look so forward to a Baptism. That makes me happy.