As I said in the last post, we laughed–a lot–on this trip. Between me almost dying from inhaling my water and choking on it to Mike’s analysis of why I don’t have a boyfriend, we laughed. So my sister and I were going back through the trip recounting things that had happened and were cracking up the whole time. So I thought it would be fun to write out some of the scenarios that crack me up.

Problems: One, I have no clue why most of these things strike me as so funny. They just do. Two, these will probably make no sense to all of you reading them, but if anything just writing them is my comic relief for the day. For whatever reason, they just crack me up. So if you’re totally lost, just think of your own instances where something was incredibly funny for no reason at all or you just had to be there and laugh! because laughing is so much fun and definitely one of the best stress relievers! So laugh. Laugh through the whole post if you want. :-D

Disclaimer: Memories are always fallible and as such there may be some discussion as to the accuracy of these depictions.

~Sara, Brittany, and I are chatting about how much fun it is to just sing at the top of our lungs late at night –like we can actually sing, ha– and dance around (opera’s the best for this, by the way).
Mike (12 years old) pipes in: “No wonder you don’t have boyfriends.”
Me: “Uh! I’m sure!”
So, apparently I have to give up my late night opera shows to get a boyfriend.

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~One night we decided to watch a movie. So Rob’s in the process of hooking up two computer monitors (one facing each couch) in the living room and in the process had unhooked something on the TV in the other room. All us young-in’s are in the other room to watch a different movie and Eric’s trying to get the TV set up again (and getting more frustrated by the minute I think).
Eric: “Dad! Which of these cords is supposed to hook the TV to the player?”
Silence.
A few seconds later.
Rob, from the other room: “You’ll figure it out, son…”
The three of us girls loose it.

~A while later. Eric, behind the TV working away. Mike, halfway in the stand that holds the TV after being recruited to help Eric. A hint of slight bickering in the confusion of all the cords…
Brittany: “Oh, I wish we had brothers. They’re so much fun to watch.”
Eric and Mike both slightly rise and look at us with funniest matching expressions. (my sister described it as disgust and disdain, but I thought that was little too strong)
We crack up. Again.

~Mike and Eric are still working away, Eric somewhat crouched at the side of the TV stand.
Rob walks in: “Er…, where’s Eric?”
Sara: starts to point and then erupts in laughter–absolutely looses it. Brittany and I follow suit.

~So the movies are finally all set up and starting. It’s always interesting to watch a movie with new people since everyone has their little quirks and such that sometimes aren’t very noticeable until all is quiet… So, we were watching The Count of Monte Cristo and here is some of what happened. The beginning credits are starting; Brittany, Mike, and I are still chatting.
Eric: “Umm, the movie’s starting…be quiet.”
Brittany & me: “It’s just the credits.”
A few minutes later.
Eric’s fingers: “pop, pop, pop, pop, pop…”
Me: “Are you serious?”
Eric, innocently: “What?”
Me: Oh, my gosh…
About forty-five minutes in.
Eric’s fingers: “pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,
pop…”
Me: Just ignore it.
Eric: pop, pop, pop, pop, pop…
Me: Can’t take it any longer. I look over. Eric looks back with that innocent, I-don’t-know-why-you’re-looking-at-me expression.
Me: “Seriously! How many fingers do you have!?!”
We both crack up.

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Fifteen minutes in.
Ferdinand, the semi-evil friend of Edmond, talking to Edmond’s fiance: “Make love to me. He doesn’t have to know.”
Brittany, Sara, and me: “Wow, he’s creepy!”
Eric: “No, he’s not.”
Brittany and I: “Yes, he is! How do you think that is not creepy!?!”
Eric: “He knows her.”
Me: “Oh, and you’d just say that to a friend!?!”
A few scenes later.
Eric: “Yay, kind of creepy.”
More scenes later:
Eric: “Creepy.”
One scene from the end of the movie.
Eric: “Yeah, definitely creepy.”
Me: Gee, only took him practically the whole movie for him to grasp that concept.

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~ A different night. Brittany and I are sharing a room and each have a different assortment of posters over our beds.
Me: “How are you and the spiders?”
Brittany: “They’re not too bad, actually. And how are the Bushes?”
Me: Look of utter confusion.  Bushes? What bushes? There’s no bushes on any of the posters…
A good 30 seconds later.
Me: “Ohhhh!  They’re fine.” (There was a small picture of President Bush and his wife.)
Brittany bursts into laughter while making fun of me mercilessly.
Me: “Oh, shut up,” as I roll over trying to keep from laughing.
(Sadly–I’m ashamed to say–I fell for this almost every night!)

And now for the photos. Here’s Mike in his fort.

The Schripsema’s: Mike, Sara, Eric, Lynda, and Rob.

Rob and Lynda.

This photo never fails to make me laugh. It’s hilarious!

My mom and Lynda were behind me trying to make them laugh. I have no idea what they were doing, all I know is that all of the sudden everyone had to look away. :)

Brittany.

Mike and Brittany. I love this one and the next one.

‘Round the fire. Rob, my dad, my mom, Lynda, Sara, Brittany, and Mike.

Eric provided the music for the evening.

Mike and Brittany chatting.

Love this one of Mike.

Apparently Brittany didn’t get the memo that we were doing a normal, smiling photo.

They bailed on me in this photo and I didn’t realize it until the photo was taken.

Finally, we’re all smiling, but we made the discovery that the firelight makes our eyebrows look incredibly pointy and creepy. (FYI–they usually don’t look like this. :)