Back from Mesa

I am home, and I had a good time in Mesa this weekend! I love going to Mesa and seeing my AZ friends. I got there Wednesday night and Katherine and I stayed up chatting half the night. Thanks for having me as a houseguest this weekend, Katherine!! We went to Matt's BMX race on Friday night, and that was fun. Matt came in first in his 2nd qualifying moto, and it was great to be there to cheer him on.


Thursday morning was set-up, and since the floor doesn't open until 10, Wendi came by to get me and we headed to Ikea for me to buy the beds and get them shipped off. She brought her husband's truck, which is a behomoth. We stopped at Sonic on the way back to the show for some diet cherry coke, and I snapped this shot when she had to climb out of the truck to place her order. To get this picture she had to stand on her very tippy toes... LOL...


I took this shot of Meghan and I Saturday night after set-up... she is such a sweet kid! She came and TA's for Katherine all day on Saturday, and then helped us tear down afterwards.


Gayle drove down for the show, and we had to go get some change Saturday morning. She decided she didn't want to have to look for parking when we got back, so she stole a parking cone and reserved her space before we left. It didn't work, though. When we got back somebody had just moved the cone out of the way and parked in her spot. It was worth a shot, though... LOL



Okay, if you know anything about me at all, you know I will do just about anything to help out a cause to benefit kids who are in the children's hospitals across the country. (Let's not talk about what a blubbering mess I become when I listen to the St. Jude's radiothons to raise money for their hospital.) Lil
Davis brought their summer road tour to the show, and they were giving boxes of new stuff for anybody who donated products for the kids in the Orange County Children's Hospital to use. If you have some great products you aren't using, and you are going to be at any of the conventions or stores where Lil Davis will be teaching at, please drop them off so the kids can use them to scrapbook with. Yes, you will get a cool box of Lil Davis products, but for me that isn't the point. I have seen what it does for the kids who are cooped up in the hospitals for treatments to be able to sit and create some pages or cards with the supplies that are provided for them, and it is incredible to see how happy it makes them!



I had to get my history fix in while I was there... :0) The Mesa convention center is actually located in a historic district, and right across the street is the Sirrine House. It is only open from October to March, to I didn't get to see the tour, but I did enjoy admiring the brickwork and construction of the house!

Okay, Kara.... this one is for you! When I saw Margie on Friday I told her about the new stalker working for us, and asked her to take a picture with me before the end of the show so I could send it to you... LOL. She saw me at lunch on Saturday, and we snapped a couple of quick shots.

I have known Diana for almost ten years in our email loop, and she stopped by the show to say hi. It is amazing how long our little group of "loopies" had been together!


Yesterday, Katherine's hubby John took me back to the airport to come home. The airport was packed, but I got through the security points in time and caught my plane home. I felt like a complete idiot as I was walking out to meet Jack and the kids at the truck. I was on one of those moving sidewalks outside, and my shoe got caught in the end of it, which caused me to trip. Since my shoe was stuck, and my hands were full of my suitcases, I found myself falling straight forward face first. I managed to land on my knees instead, but it was a hard fall and I ended up hobbling back to the truck. I just wanted the earth to swallow me whole then and there as the guys who materialized out of nowhere kept asking if I was okay or needed help. Real graceful on my part, let me tell ya!

The kids were part of a musical play about Jesus yesterday, but Chet, Todd, Kyle, and Beth were all sick. Somebody filled in for Chet's role (one of the disciples), and I got to the church in time to snap a shot of Faith (who was one of the children Jesus talked to) and Matt (who was Jesus) in their costumes. I hate that I missed it, but my mom videotaped it so I at least get to see it. I am hoping the kids all feel better today and get over this bug quickly.

The older kids have a Sign Design performance tonight, and I am taking pictures of the whole team afterwards. I don't have the best set-up to take the pictures, so hopefully they turn out nice!