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So much has happened since I last blogged that I am not sure I can even catch you up.

My last blog was on my dad and how grouchy he was on Father’s Day.  The very day that I wrote that he was admitted to Roanoke Memorial Hospital and immediately put on a ventilator.  Now we know why he was so grouchy.  He had pneumonia and his oxygen level was down to 58% when they put him on the ventilator.  It was the 2nd time in a week that he was put in the hospital but this time was the scariest.  To see your dad, that you love so much, breathing through a tube going down his throat and tied to the bed and knocked out like he was in a coma was terrifying.  We all were crying like babies.

I asked all my friends on Facebook to pray for him and I had so many responses that I truly believe all the prayers saved him.  God answers prayers and he definitely answered all the ones that were sent his way that week.  He has COPD, even though he has never really smoked, it is from his weight and it is all pressing down on his chest and he can’t breath good.  The mass of fat is so bad on his chest that it is literally killing him.  The Doctors looked at me at the hospital and said it would eventually do the same thing to me.  I don’t have that big mass of fat on my chest though.  My fat sags.    But, I do smoke and that has caused me to not be able to breath and every time they take my oxygen level it is always lower than it is supposed to be.  So I have COPD too.  I just can’t quit smoking.  I wish I could.  My house would smell better, my breathing would be better, it would be a better atmosphere for my daughter, but I know I would gain more weight and I don’t need to do that.  They did tell me when I had pneumonia and found out I had COPD that my weight was worse on me than my smoking and maybe I have used that as a crutch.  Anyway, my dad pulled through it and came off the ventilator like it was a breeze and sounds better now than he has in a long time.  Thanks to all of my friends for praying for him!!!

Once we knew that daddy was going to be alright, we went to Salt House Branch at Philpott Lake in Virginia.  I am not sure but I think Philpott is in 3 counties–Henry, Franklin and Patrick.  I would have to look that up but I know it is an awesome place and we always have a great time when we go there.  Kayla, Josh, Kim, Kevin, KyleeAnn and I went there at like 8am in the morning and stayed until 6 or so that night.  We had lunch there and cooked out for dinner.  KyleeAnn got to go swimming in the “big water” for her first time and she loved it.  Here are a couple pictures of her and her with Kim and Kevin.

KyleeAnn's first time in the "big water" at Philpott Lake

KyleeAnn with Kim and Kevin at Salt House Branch

She had such a good time and so did Kim and Kevin and Kayla and Josh.  Here are a couple photos of Kayla and Josh.

Kayla and Josh swimming at Salt House Branch

Kayla and Josh swimming with KyleeAnn at Philpott Lake

We cooked out that night and had hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans and chips.

When we first got to the picnic area that we always use there was a terrible smell there and we couldn’t figure out what it was.  We had the Park Ranger check and there was a dead snapping turtle at the edge of the water over near the woods.  Of course I had to take pictures of it because I had never seen a snapping turtle and sure didn’t want to miss out on it.  It was filled with flies and smelled terrible but I did get a good shot of it.  It was so different from anything I had seen before.  You can’t tell how big it is but it was really pretty big and its head and neck were huge.  Glad we didn’t encounter that while we were in the water.  I would have had a heart attack for sure.   The Park Ranger said that more than likely someone had caught it while fishing and couldn’t get the hook out of it and it died from that.  If you have a weak stomach, you shouldn’t look at this.  It isn’t pretty, it is just unique and different.

A dead snapping turtle at Salt House Branch.

All in all it was a great day and they all got a little bit sun burned but me and I had enough sense to not stay out there in the sun all day.  So a lot of the time I stayed in the shade with KyleeAnn.

This takes care of June and I will close this blog session out and go on to another one and tell you all the things that have happened in July and I have lots of photos to show you.  Coming up in next blogs—Salem Fair, Myrtle Beach, SC and my birthday.