Miss Mess Part 2

This morning we had oatmeal with all the toppings. Such a warm, fuzzy morning and Jac loves it. She dumped so much of it on her chair that I finally gave in and hauled it outside with the scrubber sponge and a cannister of cleanser. Cushion headed for the laundry, liner in the kitchen sink, this thing was coming clean today. I took one step off the bottom deck stairs and my favorite blue Crocks hit the wet grass on the hill and my ankle gave way. It was a loud pop. Not the thing you want to hear on a dewey morning out in the yard. I lay there crying in the grass for about 10 minutes until Andrew came out and said, "Why are you making that noise on the ground?" Good question.

I climbed up the stairs and back inside. The girls rallied. Alex got the ice bag and filled it up for me. Katie got the phones. Caroline helped with the little ones. They were terrific! What a team. Two hours later the pain took a dramatic drop from a 7 to a 4 - and I'm the one who takes no drugs after a c-section. this hurt so badly. Alex got the ice so quickly that it didn't swell until later too.

I'm supposed to drive a large contingent of investigator/missionaries/members to the mission fireside tonight in Livonia - 2 hours away. Time to get on the phone and rearrange that party. My first call was to my awesome friend/wife of my awesome chiropractor who insisted on x-rays. She came to get me and brought her daugther to stay with the children. Nothing broken, just a couple of lines in the film that could be a problem if I don't stay off of it...so he brings in the crutches. Oh joy. I am so happy.

I'm still working on the fireside problem, but I'm home with crutches and Scott will do his best to work from home for part of tomorrow. But since I change diapers on the floor, there's really nothing important I can't do! Such a great plan was in place this morning - wash the chair, do the dishes, clean the kitchen, upstairs for a day of laundry and ironing. Now we're all going to church looking like ragamuffins. Or ragamuffins on crutches.

This Must Be Said

Today I was creating a new playlist of music for this site and something along the way made me remember this song from my childhood - The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA by Donna Fargo. That song played on KCCC 930AM sometime early in my life and it has stuck with me my whole life until it actually IS my life. Somewhere between that song and my Beehive year of young women when I made that list on the index card of my future spouse's characteristics I became a woman on a mission. All I wanted was a home filled with children and the perfect man who came home at 6 o'clock sharp. I wanted to be Donna Reed on steroids. I wanted to be the happiest girl in the whole USA. Ladies and Gentlemen, with gratitude to my Father in Heaven who makes all things possible, I am the happiest girl in the whole USA. I am so blessed!

I woke up this morning next to the greatest man on earth and shortly thereafter was met by five incredible children, all of whom continue to teach me every day how to be a better person. He has a good job, we are all healthy, we have a good home, the kids have covered the house in play dough and even if those things were not the case, we would still be bound by our temple covenants.

So, as I tell my Mia Maids and Laurels, set your standards high and never loose focus. Never give up. NEVER, NEVER give up. The Lord can do great things with us and for us if we will continue faithfully in our goals. I love goals. I love my life, my husband and my children. I am the happiest girl in the whole USA.

Michigan Summer

Everyone says the same thing, "This isn't really what Summer is like in Michigan..." Yeah, you all said the same thing about Winter. You're still saying it. Scott found more people yesterday willing to add to his testimony that last Winter was the worst anyone has ever seen. You're all talk.

Here's what I love about Summer - watching the kids play in the yard. Here are a few memories.

100 swings and then we trade.

Jac is taking notes over there by the slide.

I can do this, just like he can.

(that's his new bubble gun in hand.)

See, I told you.

I loved twisting the swing when I was a girl and letting my hair drag the ground. Katie is some of me after all!

Beautiful Bride

My girls are so fun. They dress every day. They dress up just as often. Tiaras, dresses, high heels or ballet slippers, jewels, bracelets and necklaces - they love it all. Caroline is the one who came to breakfast in an earlier post with rollers in her hair. She is the sweetest, girliest girl ever.

One day in August I looked out the dining room window to the back yard and saw this...

Miss Mess

We rarely use her name. Just Miss Mess.
She has to be undressed to eat because we can't afford to buy any more clothes. Keep in mind that three other girls came before her. That's a lot of clothes.
Sometimes it's easier to feed her in the sink.

I love this girl!

Happy Birthday Andrew!

Andrew's 3rd birthday was a big deal for a long time because Scott had the greatest idea ever. Andrew would rather play in the dirt than anything else in the world. His favorite spot is under our deck. It's beautiful with a nice wood wall and he can walk in under the stairs and it's wonderful...BECAUSE IT'S THE FOUNDATION THAT'S HOLDING UP OUR HOUSE!

Scott is a genius. He wanted to make a sandbox for Andrew. He bought the lumber and hardware and made plans. Andrew's birthday was on a Friday and we finally made some time on Tuesday night to build it. The girls watched from their window and it was as much fun to hear them guess what we were doing as it was to do it. We said nothing to any of them so it was 3 days of guessing the big surprise. Love that. There's an 8'x8' box in the back yard and it drives them crazy, in a really fun way.

On Monday I had begun the search for sand. What a joke. Every stone place in Michigan is now out of business. That 19% unemployment rate is NO joke. I found a guy on Craigslist dba "Dirt Cheap Delivery." He'll do it, but we're out of his delivery area so it's a pretty hefty price for the sand because of gas prices. I do some more research and even call Home Depot. For the amount of sand we need I can drive to HD and load the bags of sand into my own SuperBurban, make another trip to get the rest of it and unload it all myself OR I can call Dirt Cheap Delivery back and schedule the dump truck. Guess what happened next?

The box is built, but we still have to line it with the black sheets of weed block and it's Thursday night. And Scott has to work late. I get out there after I put the kids to bed and work until way after dark and way after the mosquitos eat me alive. Yes, I used repellant. My blood is 90% chocolate and 10% sugar. Who wouldn't want to eat me??? At about 10:30 PM it is too dark to work so Scott comes home and turns on the outside lights. We're too far from the house for that to help, but I keep going. He cuts the rest of the weed block while I nailed down the rest. And as he cut we discovered that the roll was about 6 feet short of finishing the whole box. At 11PM I drove to WalMart, praying all the way that they would have some. Finally I found it and did some more shopping. Way too much money later I check out and drive home, getting to bed at 2AM.

At 6 o'clock the next morning Scott goes to work and I go back out to the sandbox to finish the liner. Dirt Cheap Delivery is great, but we're a pretty small order. He couldn't give me a delivery time because any bigger order that came in would obviously take precedence. I had to finish before 8 AM no matter what. Well, Wonder Woman did it.

I don't remember the rest of the day (4 hours sleep???), but I do remember that we were coming back from somewhere when we passed our dump truck delivery guy on the drive back to the house. (The only time I've ever met another vehicle on that drive and it turns out to be a dump truck! Guess who pulled over into the alfalfa?)

Dirt Cheap Delivery gave us a deal on a little bit more sand than the box required and the guy was so good to work with. This is an endorsement. He's awesome. And this is our finished product.

Big enough that all five can play and not get in each others' way. Which is more than I can say for our entire house. Kudos to my Man of Wonder for his magical idea. Alex said, "I knew it was a sandbox!" Andrew is over the moon about it and is out there every day. He got a few extra sandbox toys for his birthday and when I am missing kitchen tools I walk out and find them there. We gotta do something about that.

Here are some other photos from his big day.

really cool matchbox city streets & cars from gramma & papa

he ordered a "puppy...cake," but after those 4 hrs of sleep I managed pawprint cupcakes

Buzz & Woody pajamas and lots of play outside toys - including a bubble gun. cool.

Andrew Speak

As the children grow up I so enjoy their stages of language. It's fun to hear them begin to form sentences and then start to use grown up words. When Alex misuses a verb tense I get all happy; she is learning so much. I miss all their early conversations like this one this morning with Andrew...

background note: the four big kids slept in sleeping bags in the basement last night.

Mom said, "Where are the girls, Andrew?"
"They're gone," Andrew replied.
"They're not gone. Are they still downstairs?"
"Yes," Andrew said. "They're under your rolling ball table."

I have always wondered what the "pool" reference meant in pool table. Now I know it doesn't matter anyway. It's a rolling ball table and that makes so much more sense. I love three year old boys named Andrew who live in my house.

Taking Stock of the Harvest

Not my harvest, but somebody's. Remember my fabulous garden all grown from seed right here in the living room? Here is the good news...
awesome jalepenos. wow - they are good and so far, have just been great flavor with "enough" heat.
bell peppers are growing well. more and more every day. we had a purple one last night. yumm.
eggplants look fabulous. still waiting on actual fruit there, but the plants are doing so well.
herbs. amazing. I love fresh herbs and the basil is just powerful. cilantro is perfect. sage, wow. mint to remind you of the fresh water stream at camp. (the one good memory.)
onions. maybe my favorite food. we've eaten almost all of them. next year, they get their own acre.
beans, peas have been wonderful. we go out before dinner and pick them, come in and stir fry. so fresh. so good.
cantaloupe - three growing! I'm so happy.
jack-o-lantern pumpkins - got 2 on the vine. Boo!

Now, the bad news.
one cucumber. I pickled it, but it was yellow. on the vine too long? but it was so small. hmmm. the other three don't seem to be worth picking...or eating.
squash. three rows, all flowers, no fruit. Sister Huffaker said the same thing happened to her - and she's a master gardener.
corn. mice are eating it. I hate mice.
radish - I have no idea. they were like wood.
carrots - I'd like to believe they could grow, make it. I'd like to.
pie pumpkins. nothing. so sad. I don't like pumpkin pie, but that's the type of pumpkin we ate in Japan and it's wonderful if you just boil it up or put it in a stew.
tomatoes. one word - blight. horrific disease killed all 36 plants in the one area and I'm pretty sure it's taking over the other plot of 36. I sat in the garden and cried my heart out. The only thing I wanted was those tomatoes.

Maybe we'll have a bumper crop of eggplant.

Therapy

I'm posting this for me, so I never forget last week and the loss of a friend. This blog serves as my journal and you guys are just lurking, but I invited you so lurk on.

On Sunday afternoon the week's calendar was clear, except for a Thursday Visiting Teaching luncheon hosted in my home. That empty calendar gave me the courage to call Produce Jerry and order 5 quarts of fresh picked pickling cucumbers. Jerry has a farm fresh garden stand on the highway down the road and I got my peaches from him. He's a gem, really. I adore him. When I got to Jerry's I had $22 in cash and was ready to get my pickles going. Samantha, who introduced me to Jerry, had pickled up 52 jars of said veggies for her family. Holy Toledo! 52 jars??? Are they insane over there??? She convinced me it was easy, so I added pickles to my list.
I began putting the cucumbers from Jerry's table in my box when he interrupted me.
"Are those OK for you?" he asked.
"I think so. What do you think?" I replied.
"Well, I got that box right there held back for you. Fresh picked this morning. These things here are 2 days old. You know I keep the best stuff for you. You called and said you were canning them," he said.
"The whole box?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's just over a bushel, " he said.
"How much is it?" I ask.
"$25 for the whole box," he replied.
"Well Jerry, I'm $3 short. I'm going to run to Bryan's and get more cash and I'll be right back," I said.
"You can owe me. I know you. You know me. Don't worry about it," he said.
"No, Jerry. I'm not owing you money. I'll be right back," I said and left.

20 minutes later I'm hauling 1.9 bushels of pickling cucumbers into the back of the suburban. By Tuesday afternoon I had 61 jars of dill pickles on the shelf. Holy Toledo indeed!

Monday afternoon the missionaries called to ask if they could teach an investigator in our home on Tuesday night. You don't refuse that particular request. You just don't. And we didn't. So dinner party and lesson Tuesday night. It went beautifully.

Tuesday I wake to an email asking me to sing at a funeral on Friday. This calendar is filling up fast. I volunteer to bring a dessert to the funeral dinner as well.

Wednesday night I have to get dinner done and me ready for my temple recommend interview at 6:30. I sit at the church (hardly "ready" but I didn't find a skirt to throw on with my dirty black t-shirt) until 7 when the bishop's wife comes in from her workout at the gym. She calls him and sure enough, no one told him of our appointment. I don't mind waiting; he'll be there soon. I have my interview and go to Wal-Mart to buy fruit for tomorrow's VT luncheon. And food for the 10 kids that will be there.

House cleaned and all food prepared for the VT luncheon, it is a monster success (good food, spiritual and attended by non-member investigator who made a great connection with new friends there). I'm absolutely exhausted at this point. I crashed on the couch instead of cleaning the kitchen and Kathy calls. After a while on the phone I sit up and she gets a call on the other line. Caller ID says "Christie Hutchins." Kathy says, "Who is Christy Hutchins?" She's my friend in St. Louis. Her sister, Julie, was my bridesmaid. Kathy met Christie at a singles conference a few years ago.

Kathy's call was taking a while and I didn't want to waste her minutes so I hung up. When she called back she said, "That was Holly Hutchins. Christie is dead."

First comes the shock, then the overwhelming sadness. I cried so hard my head hurt. For three days. Then comes the anger. I don't know what the other stages of grief are, but I suppose eventually it ends. I haven't seen Christie in years, but that doesn't matter does it? I remember her still the same - her laugh is infectious. Her curly hair is the envy of everyone. I remember sitting in a booth at that diner in St. Louis. The one on the corner in Clayton with the rock walls. Older than dirt, but a great place to gather after a game or a dance or nothing at all. We all complained about being single - that's why we gathered. We all ate something atrociously unhealthy (although I remember many a salad as well...) and we laughed.

I have kept in touch with enough friends to know that since that time Christie has slid downhill and was very, very sick. Sick enough to take her own life. The loneliness and sadness that drove her to that decision (or the now successful execution of that decision) is so heart-wrenching. I am so sorry for her pain. And I am grateful for the mercy that brings her out of her mortal body and back into a joyful spirit.

Julie, who was already to the angry stage when I talked to her Thursday, said, "I hope my mom meets her at the gate and gives her a walloping spanking!" Well if I know Lynn, that's exactly what happened. Right after she gave her a great big hug.

I wanted to get in the car and drive to St. Louis, to stay until the pain ends. Moms don't do that, do we? We dry our eyes and make dinner and bathe the dirty children and go to a different funeral on Friday and sing there (with no microphone, no piano and the saddest excuse for an organ you have ever heard. also the place was dark and dingy. no place for a funeral). And then on Monday we cry a little remembering Christie again. Julie had to fly out to Colorado to pick up their father who was vacationing there when all this happened. He was alone and got a phone call telling him that his little girl was gone. My heart breaks for him. And for Christie's roommate of five whole days who opened the door Thursday morning to find two police officers there explaining things. I am so thankful for my testimony of the Atonement. Christie's suicide is a tremendous loss, but the loss, the sadness, the pain is all taken care of by the Savior. I guess that's why I can dry my eyes, make dinner and bathe the dirty children. And even sing at someone else's funeral the next day. Everything has its place. Even Christie's parting. I hope that she finds great solace and answers in her next step. I'll miss her though.

Conversation Overheard Last Week

Andrew got three sets of Matchbox cars and their street scenes from Grandma & Papa for his birthday. They city has been set up on the living room table since then and the kids love playing with it. I was sitting on the couch when Andrew began playing; Alex came up to the scene shortly after he began and this is what happened...

Alex: where are the other cars?
He ignores her.
Alex: Andrew, where are the other cars?
He ignores her.
Alex, vehemently: Andrew, where are the other cars?
Andrew: I don't care.
Alex, growing louder: where are the other cars?
Andrew: I don't care.

Then Andrew drove the yellow sports car he'd been playing with over to Alex and repeated himself: I don't care.

Alex ignores his offer and said again: where are the other cars?

Andrew: I don't care. Girls care. Boys don't care.

At three years and 4 days old he is already wiser than us all.
And Alex is still not listening.
No red flag there.

The Otter Part 2

Yes, I did indeed question whether the animal was an otter. Scott said, "Was it a badger? Did it have a big, flat tail." No; small tail. Not a badger.
Then, later the same day the kids said something about otters. They are full of animal facts that amaze me and I question every one of them. So they asked if they could watch Diego...and here they showed me a picture of an otter and proved their random fact. Diego. I'm telling you. That show drives me crazy, but my kids know so much about animals from it. Red eyed tree frog habits, what river dolphins eat...who knew there were river dolphins? So yes, it was an otter.

The Otter

We all know I'm not really into wildlife, except from afar. I'm making brownies for the missionaries' dinner and the beeper sounds on the oven. I stood up (from reading Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer) to get the oven. Outside the living room window is standing The Otter. I got the kids up to the window to see him when he took off directly for our garden. The garden I spent 3 hours weeding yesterday. The garden which finally has two tiny green balls that will someday be cantaloupes. The garden that has 72 tomato plants all laden with green tomatoes. MY GARDEN. He went right in between the tines of the front gate - the only place that is not lined with chicken wire. It was like he knew exactly where to go. Well, he's an idiot. When I got in there to chase him out (this is a big otter and I'm a little scared. but I'm a lot mad.) he ran between 2 fence posts near the cilantro...and right into the chicken wire! He ran along the fence for a couple of feet until he was good and stuck. His little heart was panting so fast and he was scared and I thought, "Crap. I'm going to have a dead otter stuck in my garden! That's gonna smell."
So I talked him out from between the garden box and the chicken wire. Then he ran to the other side of the garden to the basil corner. What animal is going to leave once he's smelled the cilantro and the basil. His next run took him back to the bell peppers and pumpkins. I figured he's won because he's actually got a couple of big bell peppers to eat back there. I hoped he'd get indigestion. I grabbed a shovel and started banging on the fence to drive him out. Finally he found the open gate.
Andrew had come out on the deck and asked, "Mama! There was an otter in your garden?" Yes. There was. "Did you put him in the shed?" he asked incredulously. No, Andrew. He ran past the shed and into the woods. He'd better run far.
And in the mean time, the brownies burned.

Summer Vacation 2009 - Day 3 (or SCOTT WAS RIGHT)

After breakfasting in suite this morning, Papa decided he was ready for Ohio again and who can blame him? So we bid Grandma & Papa farewell in the parking lot (and again at the stop light down the street) and we headed for the shoe store. Because sometimes Andrew has to have new shoes. Not to say he's a high maintenance boy, but this is his fourth pair of shoes in six months. OK, he's high maintenance. Jac is evidently worse. She just got the cutest pair of sandals and in five days took them off and put them back on so many times that she shredded the Velcro. Amazing. And since we were there, I picked up a pair of slip-on tennies for myself. Niagara Falls Recommendation #2: Don't wear leather sandals on the boat.

Shoes purchased, we head for Canada. We're blessed to all have passports. You can't live in Japan w/o them so there you have it. That means we cut about 4 hours off our trip by driving through Canada. Right after crossing the Rainbow Bridge you can take a right turn and drive down the street next to the falls. These fantastic photos were taken from the car w/o stopping...such talent!

After cruising the falls we can confirm that the Canadian side of the water is a more pleasant destination than the red, white and blue. I said, "Where do our tax dollars go???" Scott replied, "We use them to pay people in the state of New York not to work. It's called welfare." A truer thing was never said. It is really an untidy place, run down and sad. There is so much more to drink in on the Canadian side so get your passport and enjoy them both. Our next stop was the Botanical Gardens and Butterfly Conservatory. Fabulous. That's all I'll say. Completely fabulous. I'm going to post (almost) every photo!

The photography talent comes in not getting any photos of the screaming, the crying, the fighting or the tension of a family vacation. It looks like we had such a perfect time. We did enjoy it, but it was just as painful as your family vacations, I promise.

We left the Niagara area and headed west toward the US again, thinking we'd stop along the way for lunch. It was about 4:45 when someone in the back said, "Mom, I'm hungry. When's lunch?" No child abuse there. We pulled in for gas and chicken strips at a Wendy's and finally had the forever-promised vacation ice cream in the form of a Frosty for all. Yeah!

Things are rolling along fine and we pull into the border crossing at Port Huron. We wait our turn and the very nice border agent checks our passports, congratulating us on a nice trip. He gathers our documents and starts to return them when he hesitates to smirk while saying, "The computer randomly selects vehicles for inspection and I'm sorry, but you guys drew the unlucky number." Oh crap.
Please pull in here, leave your cell phones in the car and proceed inside the building with your passports. "Can I bring the diaper bag????" Yes, lady, you can bring the diapers. Trust me, we want you out of here more than you want it. It took us ten minutes to get everyone's shoes back on them and trek into the building. The stanchions inside the room that force the serpentine line were made of cheap plastic...Andrew swung on every one. This was a real treat. Passing Jac back and forth between us so she didn't lick the floor or something equally horrific. We stood there for about 15 minutes when the agent guarding the line made up a story about needing 2 lines - one for the true criminals and one for everyone randomly chosen. God bless that man. We were the randomly chosen...and then came in another random car. This girl and her blonde dread locks were travelling with her father and her dog. That's almost worse than five children, except that she got to leave her dog in the car!

It took forever. The agents were all terrific and did their best to speed things up. We're pretty sure the agent checking the car didn't even pop the trunk - and really, if two people with that many kids is on a family vacation, would you open it???

So the bottom line here is that Scott's anticipation of problems and extra time at the border crossing were valid. My calming him down and assuring him that a positive attitude would help the situation was completely naive. I'm sorry. I'm the idiot. He was right. And lucky he was or our trip would have been a complete bore!

Summer Vacation 2009 - Day 2

It was 10:55 when I jumped in the shower and ran out the door with the toiletries bag to make our 11AM checkout time this morning. OK, more like 11:15, but the housekeeper was still 3 doors down so I made it just under the wire. I was peeved about my wet hair and no make-up, but it was all just as well since our destination today is....NIAGARA FALLS, NY!

On the way to Niagara we made a stop in North Tonawanda, NY at the Herschell Carousel Factory Museum for some kid fun. I'm not sure it was as much fun as I'd hoped, but it's a sweet little museum run by a group of obvious volunteers keeping the memory alive. The children's room is filled with things that your kids would do at home - art easels, doll houses, toys, blank newsprint w/ rubbings of carousel horses, puzzles, games and crafts. In that room is a miniature carousel that can only be ridden by children who can do it alone and are still shorter than our Alex. Think 3 to 5 years old. Then we made the rounds of the museum, seeing the different carousel animals made by this company and the carving room where they are actually carved out of wood. This company also makes band organs which play the music of the carousel - that was really cool.

We ended the tour with a ride on a full size carousel while God Bless America played on the band organ. I cried. It was a totally awesome, good 'old American, wholesome thing to do. We like carousels. There is a lone picnic table outside the museum so we took advantage and had our lunch.

Now, on to Niagara Falls. We drove right downtown to the nastiest "welcome center" you've ever seen. Nothing appealing about it and I was overwhelmed by the curry stink coming from inside. I like curry. The trouble with it is, once it's made, it's felt by everyone within 75 miles. This stuff was rank and it felt dirty. We parked there for $10 and wandered around the corner looking for anything resembling the falls. We came to a guy who was looking very "unofficial" and waving a neon orange flag. He wasn't directing traffic or people or anything. Just standing on the street corner, waving the flag. Getting paid really good money, I'm sure. He told us where to go and finally we found the park setting, on the other side of which are the falls and our destination...The Maid of the Mist! (Once you find the ticket booth for this thing, you're fine. Finding anything on the American side of the falls is a little bit of a joke. Nothing is marked and if you get out of the park setting, you're just in a yucky town. Stay in the park.) We got our tickets (kids under 6 are free!) and headed out to the observation deck that juts out over the Niagara River. It's tough to see much from the American side of the Falls, but it's a pretty place. We took the elevator down to the landing and boarded the boat.

We're all in our gorgeous blue complimentary parkas and we set off. Andrew plays in the standing water around the edge of the boat. Jac was happy to stand on her own and she held on to the railing. We're all set. It's a gorgeous summer day with the sun shining and the water flowing...we come around the bend in the river to see the falls in full view and the boat forms a perfect rainbow behind us in the spray. That's when we realize that none of us remembered to bring a camera.

Mom and Dad may have gotten a cell phone shot or two, but basically this amazing ride into Niagara Falls and we've got bupkus to show for it.

Can I just say that riding the Maid of the Mist is a really amazing trip! Don't hesitate to do it when you visit Niagara. We had so much fun on that 30 minute boat ride. It was the ultimate "vacation thing" to do. Totally tourist, totally worth every dime. The boat sits in front of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls for a long time and you get completely showered with water. It was crazy fun and I'll never forget it. I'm so happy we did it and hope you get to do it too.

(Please refer to Day 3 for photos I took from the Canadian side of the Falls.)

After departing Niagara we took a country road tour of western New York toward Lockport, NY, home of the Erie Canal.

We drove toward a city park that borders the canal, hoping to see some locks or barges... after we get there and discover that this "park" isn't a place we want to be. We crossed the canal and found that this is an historic district only and there isn't much to see in the way of life on the Erie Canal. Oh, well. It's late and we're hungry. After some quick roadside research (so glad Mom picked up that NY tourism magazine!) we found another Holiday Inn and Suites and an Applebee's nearby. That's as good as it gets in Lockport, but after our very long day, it all hit the spot. We got settled down in our hotel and the girls all took a bath before bed. Alex is prancing around in her pajamas and said, "Why is there always one of these in our hotel room?"

Well, because you are a spoiled, rotten little girl who stays in suites instead of hotel rooms. I don't know how my parents travelled with eight children. There are four spots in a hotel room in which to sleep; the rest of us were on the floor - and we do the same thing with our children. Heck, you can't even register for a hotel with 5 kids. They tell you it's against fire code and send you packing. So we get a suite so there is enough floor space for the camp site. This time we literally took sleeping bags. That's why there's always one of these in your hotel room, Alex. I'm pretty sure I was an adult on an expense account before I ever saw a marble Jacuzzi tub - and I was probably previewing the executive's suite. It does make it easier to bathe all four girls at the same time.
A few minutes later prayers were said and we put the kids to bed. I was hoping for an hour of diversion on television, but Jac refused to lie down. We turned out all the lights and I was asleep before her. What a great day.

Summer Vacation 2009

We have just returned from our official 2009 Summer Vacation and are ready to report. What a great trip - if you subtract the crying, whining, and screaming of travelling with five small children. I remember being really hacked off a couple of times, but I'm letting it go and remembering only the good stuff. And since we don't have our own reality show on television, the good stuff is all you will hear about (insert smiley face here), so....here it is!

Day 1 - the kids and I left home about 2.5 hours late on Tuesday. We'd hoped to stop at the library for a magic show before starting our trip, but getting there was a little optimistic on my part. I should have never voiced the idea. Sure to disappoint. But we did meet Scott on time at the church parking lot where he parked his car and we left Michigan for Rochester, NY.

We picked the perfect destination - Western New York State. It was only a 6 hour drive and, much to Scott's amazement, we made it through the Canadian border in only minutes. He was nervous that it would take a long time as he has had that experience. Grandma and Papa were waiting for us at the hotel in Rochester (yeah Holiday Inn) and had the beds turned down for our arrival. Such service. We used headphones in the car on this trip so Scott and I wouldn't have to suffer through six solid hours of cartoon characters and peace would abide in the car. It worked. Not entirely, but it worked.

Day 2 - Up and out by noon. It take so long to do things with tired people. But really, it's a vacation so no rush. We were in Palmyra at the Hill Cummorah Visitor's Center for an early afternoon tour and viewing of The Restoration. It's been a long time since I've seen it and I really enjoyed Andrew climbing all over the seats while I watched. After the Visitor's Center we picnicked on the grounds and sat in trees...

Next we went to the Joseph Smith, Sr. farm which was interesting. Always nice to see where good old fashioned American families of 11 lived in a home the size of our Japanese place. And they had to stoke the fire all day so they could eat. So glad I wasn't born in 1805. It really gives life to their sacrifice to see where they lived and the best part was the Sacred Grove where God the Father and Jesus Christ both appeared to Joseph Smith. It's a beautiful, peaceful grove of trees with paths leading all throughout and it's just a wonderful experience to walk through it, imagining where that incredible vision occurred...this spot, or that one? It doesn't matter. I know it happened. It's not a story. It is a factual event.

This first photo wins the prize for my favorite Sacred Grove pic.

Jac and her Mama near the entrance to the GroveThe Big Girls after a walk through the Sacred GroveJac gives kisses while CareBear hugs her daddy

After our walk through the Grove we went to see the Grandin Printing Press where the first 5000 copies of the Book of Mormon were printed. Maybe it's my background in journalism, but I really like printing places. I got only 2/3 of the way through the tour when Andrew and Jac just couldn't take it anymore. Or was that me? I took them back downstairs to wait and then across the street to buy official summer vacation t-shirts.

Next was dinner on the lawn at the Hill Cummorah Pageant. The Palmyra Lion's Club sells concessions at the Pageant, which we thought was really cool. The Church puts on this free outdoor pageant for about 1000 people every night for 7 nights and make not a dime. They invite the local group to do it and the Lion's Club brings in their entire annual budget in that one week of work. The girl who tallied up our order said, "Wow, you set the record. This is my biggest order all night!" She didn't know we had to go back for one more hot dog and hamburger. We're happy to contribute to the Lion's but next time, we'll be taking our own food. For $80 I'd like a bit better value in the meal.

Before the show the cast roams around talking to the crowd. The nicest people, honestly. These two young girls approached the twins and I while we were crossing the lawn. My mom found John the Baptist and his real-life family who all appeared to be Nephites. They were excited to take the picture with us and I was so thankful for the pictorial memory!I felt like I was taking a lot of pageant photos, but it turns out I only took a few. Just as well. A pageant is so over-blown because a huge number of people are watching out of doors and everything is over-dramatized in choreography so the story flows and makes sense. When you see the show as a whole it is quite impressive; individual pictures look a little goofy. This show was really impressive. I was so surprised when Nephi's ship arose in the middle of the dancing. Here's what I mean by individuals looking goofy. But hey, this is wicked King Noah and if anyone was goofy, it was this guy. The narration was very well done; it walked the audience right through the Book of Mormon highlights. I thought for an hour show they covered it very well. The pyrotechnics were very cool and totally unexpected by me. The girls said the water was their favorite part. We were just eight rows back and could feel the spray on our faces as Laman and Lemuel tied up Nephi and the storm raged on the sea. It was terrific.

The show ended some time around 10:30 and we got out rather quickly. Back to the Holiday Inn and in bed by midnight. Not too shabby.

I will say a word to the protesters: If you disagree with someone (or the 1000 someones who have come to see the pageant) you don't have to yell at them. We walked onto the pageant grounds and passed by the really angry protesters. I've never seen someone so pathetic in all my life. He yelled directly in my face, "You are evil and you are going to hell!" All I could say is, "Dude, I'm way ahead of you on that one. You don't even need to tell me." I don't care what you believe, none of us really thinks that we have it made. I try every single day to overcome my own shortcomings. It ain't easy being me. I'm guessing that most people with a conscience feel something similar. I know that Jesus Christ is my savior and I know what he did for me. I also know that it is through his sacrifice that I am saved when and only when I repent. It's an every day thing for me and I'm not all that good at it. "Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief."

And about the psychology of yelling. No one on earth has ever changed their behavior because they were yelled at. Not me, not my kids, no one. Stop the yelling. And let it go. Really. What does it hurt if I believe something that you do not. Nothing. And trust me, anyone who yells at me that I am evil and am going to hell is not really worried about my eternal salvation.

And a word to the pageant volunteers who are tasked with standing next to the protesters the entire evening so that we, the attendees, are safe and know where to go: You are angels sent from God. I have never seen such a peaceful expression and calm composure as I saw on the face of the security attendant. I may never forget that man. I wish I had his nerves of steel. Thank you, security man. You are an example of real Christianity.

Stay tuned...Day 2 is coming soon!

Conversation Overheard Today

Katie: You're teasing!

Caroline: No, I'm not.

Katie: Don't tease me.

Caroline: Yes. Mom said I have to tease you.

(Now that is a stinker.)

Posted with this photo b/c eventually she'll be embarrassed that she's been seen in curlers outside the house. And yes, that five-year-old girl put the curlers in her hair all by herself and arrived at breakfast that way. We are never going to survive four teenaged girls.

The Boy

We used to watch "Medium." There was an episode in which the couple's middle daughter wore her bike helmet continuously for what seemed like months to her parents. She even wore it for school pictures, much to their bewilderment.

On Saturday morning Andrew found this Pooh Bear hat which stems from Japan. It was a gift when Alex was born and has become a family joke almost. It's cute. It's a baby's hat.


Thankfully, Andrew doesn't wear it continuously, but he did have breakfast in it and I think he is the funniest kid on the block. He is so determined; I hope he uses his powers for good. Scott made a comment summarizing that thought last night and all I could think was, "Yeah, he really doesn't have that Peter Priesthood attitude..."
He is funny though.

Here we go 'round the mullberry bush...

My visiting teachee and I were talking on the phone today and she said, "I thought you were coming over here to get the mulberries off my tree?" Barb is about 70 years old and a real sweetheart, but I wouldn't cross her - so we got in the car this afternoon and went to pick mulberries. Which grow on a big tree, not a bush, in Barb's back yard. She took us out there and we shook the branches and caught the berries in our big bowl. After my week of fruit last week I'm not eager to spend another week on my feet right now. A bowl of mulberries is plenty.

The branches bowed down close to the ground on this gorgeous tree so the kids had a great time picking. Funny though, not so many of their berries made it to my bowl. Katie's mouth was completely purple!

Jac is another story. She refuses to wear shoes - unless she picks them out and they are too big. I just tossed her in the car with no shoes and figured she'd be so happy to run around the yard in her bare feet. When we arrived Barb said that her husband had mowed the lawn and the ground under the tree was...purple. When we left Barb's house, all of Jac was purple.

Andrew had a great time. He loves people. He talks to everyone and it's fun to watch him operate. He is so loud so it's good when he's outside and happy.

These are Alex' socks. Hysterical. She was wearing them with sandals. All of our shoes are ruined and I figured after my "leg hug" from Jac that I'd lost my favorite shorts, but the laundry might come clean. I'm not betting any money on these socks though.