You may remember I'm an editor by trade, so I tend to notice errors. I don't usually notice them in my own writing though so don't look too closely! 

This week, I'm guessing someone has been fired from the White House communications team. In just 24 hours, these press releases were sent to reporters:

"Recvoery.gov Version 2.0 $18 Million Contract Awarded" --That was the subject line of the email press release. I do think it is important to note that the word "recovery" was spelled right in the body of the email. So, they do know how to spell it!

In another press release:

"The Prime Minister wlecomed the President's plans for a nuclear security conference in 2010."

Another press release was signed, "Barak Obama" -- Oops, let's make sure his team knows how to spell his name, ok?

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they don't have a spell-checker installed yet.

One other thing to note... Did you notice in that press release above that our government spent 18 million dollars on a website redesign. Yes, $18 million on a website redesign contract. Hmm... What exactly does an $18 million website redesign look like? That must be some pretty advanced code work. I wish I was the webmaster and programmer for that one! Maybe I should have bid $10 million!

We put almost 3000 miles on our new car this last week. We drove and drove and drove. Here are some things I observed:

·         Eastern Colorado still needs to be gifted to Nebraska and Kansas.

·         Nebraska is still long and smelly, but I got through 2 great books!

·         Iowa rest stops are amazing -- free wi-fi, nice buildings, very clean facilities, friendly staff (yes, at a rest stop), helpful information!

·         Illinois is a disaster area. Every single inch of Illinois that we travelled on was under construction. The interstate was even closed at one point and we had to back-track back 20 miles to find a detour. The traffic was terrible, the tolls were expensive through Chicago, and some drivers were mentally disturbed! The whole state reeked of corruption. Sorry to my Illinois readers... I'm sure we didn't hit the nicer sections of your state.

·         Based on the billboards, people in Chicago like fireworks, strip clubs, and eating.

·         Wisconsin and northern Iowa were incredibly beautiful. They were a shade of green I'd never seen before! It was breath-taking.

·         Michigan was very nice. The people were friendly. Our hotel had a really nice fitness center. At that altitude (or lack of it), I felt like I could work out forever!

·         Lake Michigan off Racine was also amazing! Walking on the sand and sticking my feet in the really cold water was a highlight for me. We had a great time with our friends there.

·         Iowa still has a lot of bugs... way too many of them.

I'm happy to be home in the thin dry air. 

Bugs don't seem to like it here.

My skin is dry, but that's what lotion is for. It a compromise we make for being able to walk outside and not feel humidity.

Sure water takes longer to boil here, but we don't mind. We just put the water pot on earlier.

It's pretty hard to bake a nice loaf of bread too. That's what the grocery store is for!

Then there is the high altitude pressure change. A bunch of moisturizer squirted out of the bottle when I opened it this morning. (Those of you who live in high altitude know what I mean... the pressure that results from driving from sea-level to 6400 ft. causes everything to squirt out of bottles!) It is quite annoying when a whole tube of expensive make-up makes its escape and ends up all over the bathroom!

Being able to look out my window and see Pikes Peak makes it all worth it. It's good to be home!

Growing up, I had the “meanest dad in the whole wide world.” While other kids were out riding their bikes, counting toads, and enjoying summer vacation, I was cleaning toilets and making kool-aid for hundreds of campers. He didn’t believe the child-labor law was valid… I began “volunteering” at our campground at an early age. I wasn’t alone in my suffering. My sister had the same mean dad as me.

Every week in the summer, my dad made me mow around every tree on the campground (24 acres worth) with a push mower and then do the detail work with grass clippers. He thought it important that I learn discipline.

While other kids were eating at the Dairy Mart for lunch, my dad thought it wise to teach frugality by making me eat hot lunches in the school cafeteria.

My dad insisted in knowing where I was at all times. You’d think we were in a chain gang. He had to know who our friends were and where we were going. If he said to be home at 10:00 pm, I was to be home at 9:55. If I wasn’t home until 10:01 (which I never dared), my curfew would become 9:00 until I went to college. I had no doubt he meant it.

My dad bought my sister and me a yellow hatch back that was previously used to haul sick calves to the vet. It was littered with dirty hay and smelled horrible. He said we could either drive that to school or ride the bus.

I had to get up in the mornings… no sleeping in like the other kids. Someone needed to make hundreds of pancakes for the campers. Apparently that had to be me.

My dad always insisted on me telling the truth—the whole truth—every time, even if it killed me.

He made my sister and I share everything—our room, a can of grape soda, one hairdryer, one bathroom!

He embarrassed me to no end by interrogating (with a shotgun) my boyfriends, once he let me have one. While my friends were dating at the young ages of 12, I had to wait until 18 to go on a date.

Each spring, we painted and painted and painted – the camp pool, cabins, benches, walls, fences. Everything must look clean and we must learn to respect and take good care of our property.

He made us invest some of our money and give some to missionaries. We picked up pop cans and redeemed them for 5 cents each, then invested that money into CDs at the bank to help pay for college.

I couldn’t lie in bed “sick” like my friends and miss school. My dad’s motto, “No blood. No sympathy.”

He told me if I worked too slow a turkey buzzard would eat my eyes! He expected no "dilly-dallying" and he expected the job to be completed correctly. I’m still a bit terrified of buzzards.

He made me skin the rabbits after we went hunting and know how to correctly hook a worm for fishing. He thought it important to know how to live off the land.

When other girls were wearing make-up and getting their ears pierced at 8 years old, he thought it was essential for me to “realize my natural beauty.”

My grades had to be kept up to par. I was not allowed to be a slacker or drop-out.

If I wanted to play sports, I had to attend every practice and be early to get in extra practice. He believed in improvement. One time he made me learn to pace my running speed by driving behind me in the car and keeping the car going a certain speed.

He embarrassed me by showing up at my track meets in full camouflage hunting gear. He attended every sporting event… no matter how cold or miserable it was.

I didn’t get an allowance, but had to earn every penny.

My dad demanded respect. He didn’t allow us to back-talk, cuss, or be rude to people.

I had to be home in time for supper because the family always ate a home-cooked meal together.

We had to monitor bluebird houses and frog populations and report them to the Department of Natural Resources. He thought we needed an appreciation of wildlife.

We had to be ultra quiet whenever he was in "his chair." That is where he prayed for us each morning and read the Bible.

I had to dress modestly at all times and dress nicely for church. The family had to be 15 minutes early for church, never later. The pastor might need help getting things ready. And it wasn’t about religion; it was understanding God’s gracious gift to us.

Out of his 2 children, both of us graduated with bachelor’s degrees, played collegiate sports, selected great husbands, and are now in ministry.

Neither of us have ever been arrested, drunk, or homeless.

He raised us to be responsible, honest, educated adults. We both can mow a lawn to look superb, we make fabulous pancakes, know how to eat very frugally, can skin a rabbit with our eyes closed, and we have incredible work ethics.

We value our property, can share a can of pop, and spot a tree frog in the dark. We value hospitality, volunteering our time, and giving to God’s work. We love our Heavenly Father.

Oh… and we’re never late!

I thank God I had the meanest dad in the whole wide world. I love you daddy!

Happy Father's Day!