Don’tcha just love…. February 24, 2007

GREAT friends?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Friends like the kind where you can go to their house and do really goofy things with, things that other people just wouldn’t understand and then not even get home until 2 in the morning????? Yeah, love those kinds of friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tonight we went to the Humphreys and the parents once again gathered at our house. I think they just leave because we’re too noisey…maybe…..who knows!!!!! *smile*

So, the night started out very normal and fairly quiet and tame believe it or not. We sat and visited about everything under the sun….and the moon…….and the stars too!!!! Hey, why not cover ALL the bases???????? Exactly….so, we did. Then came dinner. For the first time I think in Humphrey/Wychopen history we didn’t have frito pie for dinner. Ever since we were little bitty that’s been the tradition. We’ve never eaten anything but frito pie every time we get together. Tonight we grilled. BUT we still had the chili…..just on our hot dogs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At least the tradition wasn’t fully broken. How tragical and sad that would be….indeed. So, yes, dinner and then…………….oh I remember, and then this delightful conversation took place in the kitchen….the messy kitchen:

Katie: Erin, do the dishes!!!!

Me: Katie, I’m so tired. I didn’t sleep hardly at all last night AND THEN I cleaned house all day!!!!!!!!!!

Rachel: Katie, you do the dishes.

Katie: No, I’m exhausted!!!

Rachel: What?? You played soft ball while I cleaned today!!!!!!!!!

Katie: Yeah I know……..that’s why I’m exhausted.

BOTHERATION!!!!!!!! You guessed it, Rachel and I cleaned the kitchen and Katie popped me with towels……and then tried to teach me how. Yep, I can’t do it, I’ve tried. It’s all in the wrist and I just don’t have it. Oh well……at least Katie seemed to have a lovely time making me scream and beg for mercy!!!!!!!!!! *smile*

After dinner……….hmmmmm…………ahh yes, volleyball. Volleyball for most….Kristi and I enjoyed our time curled up to watch. Then we decided to go hiking. We always go hiking. Another tradition I suppose. There has to be at least one hike in the woods while we’re there……so, we got the younger ones settled in to watch a movie and listen for the sleeping baby and off we went. Then it happened. I’m not quite sure why or what possessed us to do this but nevertheless, it did happen.

I think it was David……….as we were walking toward the trail into the woods he said something like “Wouldn’t it be fun to get ourselves completely creeped out???? (I know creeped isn’t a real word, but just go with it!!!!) Like try to scare ourselves really bad out in the woods???” For some strange reason, it did sound fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We’d done it before, to each other. Ok, let me re-phrase that. The guys had scared us to death……ok fine, I’ll try again. The guys had scared ME to death numerous times out in those woods…..hiding in the brush when it was dark and we were just far enough away from the house not to be heard. I’m just too easily terrified. There were also times we would dramatize different things to get ourselves worked up into a completely scared mess. And no, I wasn’t the only one being dramatic. *smile*

Ok, so off we go. Into the terrifyingly dangerous, dark and creepy woods that held anything our imaginations could create. I was already scared just thinking about thinking about scary things. YES, it was THAT bad!!!!!!!!! *shiver* I believe someone started the process by reminding all of us of some different Alfred Hitchcock movies. That got the ball rolling. From there we kept on and on until story after story happened and right at the most opportune moment when I was at the peak of telling about a scary movie Niki (the German Shepherd) growled into the woods. Seriously, a very frightening growl. Don’t ask us why, we don’t know. But she did and we jumped and screamed. I mean screamed. It couldn’t have been more perfect timing. Ever heard grown guys scream??? Pretty funny except we were too scared to laugh.

It was time to decide. Do we turn and head back or keep going deeper in to the black night to find unseen danger lurking around every corner???? HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What would you do in a situation like that???????????? Exactly. We kept going deeper in to the black night to find the unseen danger lurking around every corner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I believe I said something about not believing we’d left the kids at home and was that even safe???? Although we’d done it before, now that we were all scared we began to wonder IF indeed they were really ok back at the house….all allonnnnnnnnnnnneee.

I think at this point David told us about finding beer cans in the woods….fresh ones. Of course, that would mean SOMEONE was back in those woods drinking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Which meant, it was highly possible that we were NOT alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! By this time there were a couple of us close to tears and I’m dead serious. I realized that IF there were people leaving beer cans back in those woods and we’d been talking about leaving the kids at home alone and those people were STILL in the woods and happened to hear us talking about leaving kids home alone, it would be an open invitation for our siblings to be…………………..KIDNAPPED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Horrors!!!!!!!!! When I brought this to the attention of my comrades and fellow frightened friends, they too realized the potential danger we had just caused for our helpless siblings, innocently watching Winnie the Pooh, completely oblivious to the possibility of a not so great way to end the night.

This new thought brought on all the fear and terror we could take for one night and we quickly headed back to the house, not knowing what might await our return. At this point one member of our group DID burst into tears and cried the whole way back, with David and I trying to console the poor dear. Thank goodness, I am happy report that when we did finally make it out of the terrifyingly dangerous, dark and creepy woods that held anything our imaginations could create, we found Neal fast asleep, and Sarah Beth and Austin happily watching Winnie the Pooh, safe and unharmed. Whew……..it was over. Well, besides the fact that one member was STILL crying. I won’t give her name…….if she wants reveal her identity, she may do so by posting, otherwise we’ll leave it at that. Poor, poor terrified soul. I tried to tell her she could stop crying because after all, we’d done all of this to ourselves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, after our big scare we choose nicer activities to participate in. Such as piano, violin and singing. It was a delightful change of pace. *smile* We turned out all the lights in the house and finished the night with a great game of “Murder”. Now when I got home and told my Mom all the things that went on she just laughed at us and said we were complete morons and absolutely insane!!!!!!!!!!! How do ya like that???? Ok, ok, even if it is true, it’s not the kindest thing to say!!!! *smile*

Over all it was a blast and just the kind of relaxing evening I needed after being sick all week. Oh, thank you by the way for your emails, phone calls and cards!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have such sweet friends!!!!!!!!!!! I am feeling MUCH better and hopefully that was my last cold for the winter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bring on the summer, we’re ready!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *smile*

Ok, here are some pictures from the night’s calmer activities………enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *smile*