Home at last!

Monday, 23 April 2007
25 days and 7,800 miles (well, really only 7,799 but it’s my blog and I can take literary license if I want to). What a trip! I have more pictures to post, but the hour is late, and I’ll leave it to another day.

In the meantime, I’ll share some final reflections. One thing this trip has given me is a greater appreciation of home. We traveled through 18 states, all 4 time zones, crossed nearly all major waterways in the United States, crossed the Continental Divide twice, explored and experienced firsthand the major climate zones in the US…all in all, we’ve definitely seen a lot in the last 4 weeks.

But when it comes right down to it, there’s no place like home. I know we are so blessed to live where we do, and I’m thankful that we have the means to remain here. Oh, I think I could go on and on about the beauty of the place we call home, but I think it is mostly because it is just that…the place we call home. Thanks for joining me on our adventure, and taking the time to read and enjoy! Until next time!

T E X A S is a big state!

Sunday, 22 April 2007
Um, so Texas? Is a really, REALLY big state. Really. We drove, and drove, had lunch and drove some more, had dinner, more driving, a potty break and more driving. We drove for 12 hours and didn’t even make it out of the state! We spent the night in El Paso, Texas, and were glad for a place to sleep.

I will tell you one thing though. Texas is beautiful and quite varied in its landscape. We started the day in the hills of eastern Texas, drove through the “flat as a pancake as far as the eye can see” central portion, and ended in the mesas of western Texas. Eastern Texas is more lush and green. The grass along the side of the road was tall, and was rippling in the wind. Central Texas boasted some fantastic wildflower displays along the way. The endless periwinkle blue blankets of the Texas bluebonnets was really something to see.

As for western Texas, well, about the only notable thing was all of the windmill farms. I guess if you get a lot of wind, you can make a lot of electricity. Honestly, it was really reassuring to see a state with dozens of oil derricks over shadowed by hundreds of monolithic windmills. I guess I really like to see us (humans and society in general) making good use of the free resources we are given (like wind and solar). Not trying to pontificate here, just saying that it was indeed a sight to see.

And, if all goes well, we should be home tomorrow! Hurray!

Heading home...one state at a time

Saturday, 21 April 2007
Today was a day for travel and more travel. Starting on the edge of the Smokey Mountains, we traveled through the woods and up and down various ridges and valleys. As we got lower in elevation, the trees went from just starting to bud to being in full foliage. Even some of the cottonwoods were putting forth their characteristic fluff. One thing I noticed, however, was the size of the bugs. Holy moly, having critters the size of small aircraft going splat on the windshield was somewhat disconcerting. It was quite the technicolor display…ick!

Since there were no family quarters available at the Little Rock Air Force Base, we pressed on to the Texas side of Texarkana for the night. It made for a long day, but it wasn’t a terribly hard drive. At this point we are ready to be home, so we are pressing on a little farther each day. We should be home by Tuesday!

First day heading west...day 22

Today is the day we head west again! I may have more to add later, but for now, I’ll share some random thoughts and reflections from the trip.

Something that the kids commented on, was the frequency and proximity of small cemeteries that we’ve seen along the way, starting in Oklahoma and continuing through our journey east. Our oldest boy calls them “Simba-terries” which I find incredibly cute. Out west, especially in the more densely populated areas, cemeteries are well away from the roads, and they do not typically bear prominent headstones. The incredibly tiny and frequent pioneer cemeteries were something of a novelty to the kids, and not really something I had considered before.

Another observation is all my own. Since we have been out here on the east coast for a couple of weeks, we have been witness to the leafing out of the deciduous trees. What is remarkable to me, is that as they leaf out, they have as many shades of green as they do of autumn colors in the fall. Looking at a hillside in the Shenandoah National Park was almost like looking at fall colors, since there were variations of red, orange, amber and green. I’d never really noticed this before, and likely wouldn’t have noticed were it not for the amount of time I spent driving from place to place as the trees were budding.

I never really appreciated the beauty of the dogwoods and red buds, until I noticed that they bloom so much earlier than the rest of the trees. So driving down the freeway, I would see the abundant bright white flowers of the dogwood breaking up the monotony of the earth tones of trees yet to leaf out. Then a few days later, the red bud became much more apparent. While it wasn’t nearly as bright and vibrant as the dogwood, it was certainly a slash of color in the muted and empty tree branches.

Then, ever so gradually, the trees began their journey into spring. First came the tiniest hint of green, really subtle flashes of color in among the highest branches. As the buds became more prominent, I could begin to see the variations of color I mentioned before. Finally, the last two days have been an incredible explosion of green as they all seem to have hit the magic point in the season and have a bountiful supply of bright green leaves. It really has been an amazing transformation to witness.

This trip has really been a blessing for me. I’ve truly enjoyed the relaxed pace and the opportunity to explore and discover new things. It was wonderful to spend some time with my parents, with friends and with my family. I think of how mundane it would have been to stay at home, and I’m so thankful I have a healthy sense of adventure. God has blessed us in so many ways, and this trip has been one enormous blessing.

So today, the final chapter of the adventure begins. We are heading west, off to see more of the world, but certainly not at the same pace. We are stepping it up and making our way home without much in the way of sight seeing. We crossed the Eastern Continental Divide today in North Carolina and then we made it to Newport, Tennessee for the night. We hope to make it to at least Little Rock, Arkansas tomorrow.

Heading south to Norfolk, Virginia

Thursday, 19 April 2007
Today I began the day at my sponsors’ house, which was really nice. Their youngest just turned 3, so he was having a blast with our boys (5, 3 and 1). It was so sad to leave, because he cried and didn’t want his new friends to leave. They really did have a good time together, and it was nice to catch up with my second “family.” We plan to come back in 2 years for Jaime’s graduation. It’s amazing how fast time flies when you aren’t there!

What is up with the grocery store names around here? IGA? Wawa? Giant? Seriously? “Hey, honey, I’m heading out to the Wawa, need me to pick up anything?” What happened to the normal named stores, like Safeway and Albertsons? Oh, and why is my Carl’s Jr. a “Hardee’s” out here? Huh? Why? I recognize the star, but why change the name? Was that to confuse the poor California girl? That’s not nice, you know.

The drive down to Norfolk was long. Honestly, I don’t remember it taking that long ever before. Everything has moved along quickly and smoothly until that drive. It was just a painfully slow evolution for me, but I’m glad it’s over and I can relax again. It was really nice to see Mike again, and share parenting again. He put the kids in bed while I reorganized the car and repacked a bit. He also did laundry for me. I love my husband!

Off to Annapolis, Maryland

After several exciting days our in the boonies well away from civilization, we decided to head back into society buy visiting my sponsors (my assigned family while at USNA). I swear I packed 10 times more stuff than I removed from my car on Sunday, but hey, at least it all fit back in!

Then I headed out to my sponsors house in Annapolis. It was wonderful to see my sponsor family again, to watch Jaime play in a lacrosse game and to just hang out. The kids had a blast, and that right there is half of the battle!

All in all, today was a good day at a slow pace. Tomorrow begins the end of our journey. It’s been a good trip and I hope to have fond memories of this for years to come!

Monticello

Well, if yesterday was winter, today was definitely spring. As we left this morning, while it was still chilly, it wasn’t cold. We had a breakfast of cereal and yogurt and then headed out to warm up in the car and search for some fresh brewed coffee for my dad. We were all pretty cold, having spent the night without heat. We didn’t know where we were going, but we hoped wherever we ended up, they would have electricity!

As we drove out of the Basye valley, we saw reason after reason after reason why we didn’t have electricity. Apparently the wind storm was just getting underway yesterday, and last night was the peak of the winds. We drove by the golf course and observed evergreens at least a foot in diameter completely snapped in half. Some weren’t even near their roots, but lay several yards down wind. The sheer power of the storm became even more apparent as we drove out and saw how many trees had come down on power lines and across the road after we drove in last night. The clean up was only just beginning. No wonder we didn’t have power all night.

We started out the day at the Meem’s Bottom Covered Bridge, which is the only covered bridge in Virginia open to vehicular traffic. It stretches 200 feet in a single span, and is quite the sight to see! The kids were impressed, and definitely enjoyed the “history” they could walk on and touch. As we got back in the car, we decided to spend the remainder of the day at Monticello, near Charlottesville, VA.

Monticello was the home of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States. Let me just say that it was a gorgeous day to be out and about. Unlike yesterday, which hovered in the low 30’s, today was in the low to mid 60’s. What a difference a day makes! The kids and I wandered the grounds, took the Plantation Tour and then toured the house itself. The little guy wasn’t terribly impressed, so I took him and #3 out while the oldest two finished up the tour of the house and yakked the ear off the tour guide.

May I just say that Monticello in the spring is just breath-takingly beautiful? The tulips, dogwood trees, red bud, Virginia Bluebells and cherry blossoms in addition to the trees budding out…simply stunning! I can see why so many would settle here…so long as all you saw was spring or fall. Because winter is frigid and the summer is so awfully sticky and hot. I’d prefer not to be sticky or frozen if I can help it!

As a precaution, we ate dinner out before returning to the resort. We had no idea whether or not the power would be restored, but we weren’t holding our breath. Not after all of the destruction we saw in the morning. We got back and put the kids directly to bed and learned that the power had been restored a little more than 40 minutes prior to our arrival. The heater was still struggling to keep up and the refrigerator was still cranking away. I’m happy to have electricity again, because that means there is hot water again. Hurray for a hot shower!

Luray Caverns

Monday, 16 April 2007
Ok, what is the deal with this weather? I have seen more snowy days in the last 2.5 weeks than I have in the last 12 years. Honestly people, what’s the deal with spring around here??? Do you really need to make me experience winter day after day after day? I already regret even bothering to pack shorts and short sleeves. Obviously we had no need for those or our sandals. But I get it already, ok? Call off winter! Geez!

So yes, we woke up to snow. Again. And wind. Holy cow…gusting to 60 mph. I flew out of bed twice last night to check to see if my car was still there. I’m not joking even a little bit. The wind is crazy here. After a wonderful hot breakfast of oatmeal, we packed up and headed out to the Luray Caverns.

The drive out was a little dicey, but not too bad (you know, due to the snow and wind). The wind was enough to cut you in half the moment you stepped out of the protection of the car, but we made it inside and had a great tour! The formations were simply amazing, huge and bountiful. And my favorite part was the organ that played tuned stalactites. Amazing that someone would think of doing it, but it was beautiful to listen to.

After our cave tour, we drove on to the Shenandoah National Park to experience the Skyline Drive. What can I say other than it was beautiful? It really was. We saw ice waterfalls, deer, and lots and lots of broken trees. Remember that wind? Well, we couldn’t drive far along the Skyline Drive because a bunch of it was closed due to fallen trees. I’m not exaggerating when I say that nearly 100 percent of the trees had broken branches. The wind was really extreme, and the resulting damage was severe.

We tried our hand at a hike to Dark Hollow Falls, but just a bit into it and our middle son bit a chunk out of the trail. He had his hands in his pockets and went face first. Definitely not the worst I’ve seen, but I’m wondering if he didn’t break his nose. His nose is definitely the worst I’ve seen on one of my kids. Nothing much I could do about it except wipe away the blood, clean out the rocks and put ice on it. Thankfully, I always carry icepacks in the car, so he was able to ice it right away.

After that we finished up the last bit of the drive, then went to Wally World to replenish my emergency ice supply. Can’t have too many of those things hanging around with my boys! I had a wild hair and got the kids Burger King on the way home so I could put them in bed sooner rather than later. Thank goodness I did, because when we got back to the resort, we found we have no electricity. So I am blogging by candle light and fighting off the cold as it settles in. I’m equally glad that I bought two candles at the Yankee Candle store. It’s quite a trek into town from here, so no runs out for candles or warm food.

All in all, I’m doing well. I am really enjoying our trip and how much we are able to see. Things may get crazy on me, but it just adds spice to my life. I really enjoy reading your comments, and I am glad you are enjoying my log. I’m happy to share, and happy that I can record what we are doing for someone other than posterity. It really is gratifying to know that you all are out there following along. Until tomorrow, or when I have good internet again…

Cousin's wedding

Sunday, 15 April 2007

Today began way too early. We needed to leave extra early to make the two hour dive to DC for my cousin’s wedding. It was an easy drive once we got on the road, even though it was raining cats and dogs. It was 63* when we left Williamsburg, but by the time we got to the Potomac River, it was only 47*. Both my daughter and I had sleeveless spring dresses with sandals to wear to the wedding. Probably not the best choice of clothes for the weather.

We boarded the vessel and watched the wedding ceremony. The little guy screamed the first 45 minutes. That didn’t help a whole lot. In fact, it was rather trying. Dinner was served while the boat cruised up and down the Potomac River near the Washington Monument and Rolling Air Force Base (I think that is the name of the AFB there). It poured the entire time, even inside…there were towels everywhere soaking up where the rain was running in. It was definitely an adventure.

After the ceremony, we said good bye to Mike and the kids and I headed out to do a quick driving tour of the city. We drove passed the Washington Monument, the White House, the Capitol Building, Union Station, Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonian’s near the Mall and Arlington National Cemetery. It was still fairly rainy, but fun to point out various things to the kids as we passed. It was the perfect speed for them: “hey look, it’s the (fill in the blank).” I think they are growing weary of anything historical that they can’t put their hands on.

Following our whirlwind city tour, we headed out to the country side…to Basye, VA in the Shenandoah National Forest area. It’s beautiful, and quite secluded out here. And I had to laugh at what they call a “ski area” here. It’s more of a bunny hill or a tubing hill than an actual ski area, but hey, who am I to say?

Today was a terribly long day of behaving for the kids. They spent 2+ hours in the car on the way to the wedding, were cooped up on a boat and expected to behave (which they did) for 4 hours for the wedding, then spent another 3 hours in the car for the DC tour and getting out to Basye. When we got there, I sent them to run the stairs since it was raining cats and dogs outside and there is a creek bursting out of its banks 20 yards from the condo. Really, I don’t need to lose a kid that way, you know? I’ll take my chances on the stairs, thank you very much.

May Mom BBQ

Saturday, 14 April 2007

Today didn’t unfold anything like I had planned. Our little guy woke up a bit early, but sounded pretty bad. He was having a rough time breathing, something that has been brewing for a few days. But it wasn’t bad enough that I thought I should take him in until today. Today he just sounded miserable.

I was so afraid I would go through all of the effort to find an urgent care and take him in, only to have them tell me he had a cold and that was that. I called our insurance and the advice nurse told me to take him in to the ER. There was only 30 minutes until an urgent care opened, so I opted for the urgent care instead. I really liked the facility we went to. They were very fast, very friendly, and quite good.

We got checked in and the first thing we discovered was that the little guy had an ear infection in addition to the wheezing he was doing. So I felt better about taking him in. At least I wasn’t over reacting! After two back to back albuterol treatments, he still wasn’t sounding too great. So off we went to get some chest x-rays. I’ve seen pneumonia before, but never this bad. The whole bottom third of his left lung was completely white. You couldn’t even begin to see the lung in all of the junk in there. Five prescriptions later, he’s starting to perk up a bit. They gave him a horse sized shot of antibiotics in the clinic, then put him on azithromyicin. He’s also on several other drugs to help kick the pneumonia. Poor little guy!

So after taking him in and spending several hours getting his prescriptions, we headed off for the May Mommy BBQ, woohoo! That’s what I was looking forward to, and sick kid or not, I was going to a BBQ! Here’s who was there: it was lovingly hosted by Katie (and Jonathan did the cooking, yum!), Martha, Paula, Lyn, Carie, Andrea, Emily, Kiela and I were all there. Most had the whole family, so it was quite the get together!

The kids had a wonderful time playing hide-and-go-seek, ball, playing on the swings, tag, and riding in the car. Fortunately, the rain held off until later in the evening after everything had been wrapped up. It was so much fun to see everyone, to hang out and to just talk. We had a great time, but it was certainly tough to say goodbye.

Despite the rough start to the day, it was a great day with wonderful friends and fabulous food!

Colonial Williamsburg

Today was our day to tour Colonial Williamsburg. We headed out to the visitor’s center fairly early and walked from one end of town to the other and back again. We visited the church, the Governor’s Palace, the court house, the Public Gaol (jail), and the state house. There was much to see, but after a couple of hours, the kids tired of seeing one old house after another.

Around noon, my parent’s left to head out to Bayse, VA to check into our lodging for next week. Shortly thereafter, I met up with my friend Katie and her two kids. We wandered for a bit, but then left for cheaper food. McDonald’s proved to be a much cheaper option than the $9 for a sandwich, chips and a cookie (no drink) that Williamsburg offered.

While we were out for food, my husband and brother joined us. My brother is in town for work, rather unexpectedly. He’s spending the night here before joining my parents in Bayse tomorrow. Then we all headed out to the Yankee Candle store. Wow! What a neat store! It wasn’t crowded, the kids could explore but not get lost, we didn’t have to walk far, and it snowed every 15 minutes! Best of all, it was free! After exploring and much candle sniffing, we said goodbye to Katie and kids and headed back to the resort.

All in all, it was a good day with beautiful weather, but I think the kids are ready for a break. I hope to get them all in bed rather early tonight, since tomorrow will be a full day!

Spent the day in Jamestown, VA

Today started off with heavy rain. It looked awful. I turned on the news and saw that we were under a tornado watch until noon and then the rest of the day was supposed to be beautiful. So we hunkered down and had a very relaxed morning. Nothing to do, no where to go, no schedules to keep. It was a wonderful morning. My mom made scrambled eggs, bacon and toast and life was good.

With all of the long days, short nights and napless days, the little guy was a little worn out. By 9am he was fussy, so I decided to try to get him down for a nap. I was definitely successful! We woke up at 11:45 just as my parents were leaving with the three oldest to go for a walk. I hadn’t intended to sleep, but boy did I ever feel better after my nap! With my parents and the oldest three gone, I showered and then mucked out the car. It definitely needed it. It’s like we’ve been living in it for the last two weeks or something!

After lunch, we decided to head out to Jamestown and do some exploring. That was really neat. The first thing we stopped to do was look at the Glass House. It isn’t really a literal glass house, but it is the remains of the glass kilns from the early Jamestown settlement. And lest that sound too boring, fear not, as there were skilled artisans onsite blowing glass while we watched. That was fascinating! We watched as they took molten glass from the furnace, blew it into a vase, tapped it from the blowing tube, fired it again to shape the mouth, then added a handle. Did you know that the natural color of glass is green and that they have to add cobalt and other things to get the different colors? I had no idea, so the entire visit was certainly educational!

Then we moved on to the original settlement and fort. They have several of the foundations excavated and a museum set up above some of the original Statehouse foundations. When I say over, I mean that the museum is up on pillars and you walk over a glass floor and look down to the foundation. Pretty neat if you ask me! They have recovered over 1 million artifacts from the Jamestown site, and have more than 1 thousand on display, including a skeleton, where they explain how they came to the conclusion as to the identity of the remains.

Anyhow, we saw a lot today, even though the day didn’t start out planned per se. Oh, and the weather? Was perfect…even by my lofty San Diego standards. It was a gorgeous day, 77* with passing fluffy white clouds. Simply amazing, given the rocky start!

Mount Vernon

Wednesday, 11 April 2007

Wow, what can I say about today, other than it went in a direction that was totally unexpected. We were doing so well, and on the track to get out of the hotel room early in order to make it to Mount Vernon by noon. And that’s when our best laid plans derailed. First, one of the kids slept in, a lot. I had the curtains open to let in light, the TV on to provide out side stimulus, and sibling talking and playing on the same bed. Nothing got through. He simply continued to sleep!

With that bit of the morning thrown off, breakfast was scattered, showering and getting dressed didn’t go as planned, and we certainly didn’t get out the door very early. To top that off, when we got on the freeway, my GPS told me to go south, while the Google map told me to go north. So we went south. And hit snow, sleet, obnoxious drivers, and one heck of an accident. So instead of arriving at Mt. Vernon between 11am and noon, we got there around 4pm. What a drive. I’ll be ok if I never experience another drive like that!

Despite the tedious drive from the stand point of time, the rest of the drive was fairly rewarding. Once we got off the interstate, we were treated to some pretty amazing views. The colonial styles homes and farms were incredible to see. There is just such a different feel about them. The stately tall columns, the brick architecture, the arching windows, the sweeping velvety green grass. It was definitely worth the extra effort to get there.

Even though we arrived at Mt. Vernon terribly late, we still got to meet up with Kiela and her two oldest, and Paula and her two boys. It was a blast! We bought tickets and then headed out for a tour of George Washington’s house and the grounds. It was a wonderful experience, and I certainly wish we had more time there. At this point we headed back out to our cars, gave hugs all around, and headed out to our separate destinations.

It has been 13 days since we left home, and so far, it has been one incredible journey!

The Kentucky Horse Park

Tuesday, 10 April 2007

Today was simply an amazing day. First off, after driving through Ohio in the snow yesterday, today was perfect weather wise. It was sunny, in the low 60’s, very little wind and only a few passing high clouds. After breakfast, our first and only sight seeing stop of the day was the Kentucky Horse Park. Boy, this was the stop of a lifetime for our horse loving daughter!

After seeing ponies, miniature horses and a couple of saddle bred horses, we headed off to let her try her first ever trail ride. The minimum requirements were 7 years old and at least 4 feet tall. Well, she’s 7 ½ and just barely 4 feet tall…just right for going all by herself on the trail horses instead of just a pony ride in a corral.

Because she was the smallest rider, she was first in line behind the lead horse. I don’t think I will ever forget the eager anticipation and the light in her eyes as I told her she could go on a trail ride. To someone with horses, or little interest in equines, this may not be an activity of interest. But to my little girl, this was the world. This was something very special to her, and I’m glad we had the chance to do this.

While she rode, the other kids played on the playground. In no time, they were all either thirsty or hungry, so I headed out to the car to bring back refreshments. Well, I didn’t go straight to the car. I snuck off to the gift shop on my way out to the car. If you promise not to tell, I’ll tell you what I got for her birthday. Promise? I got her a Kentucky Horse Park t-shirt, a Clydesdale foal figurine, and a bracelet with her name. Her birthday isn’t until this summer, but I bet she will be surprised!

Other things we saw while we were at the horse park: the Breed Barn (over 40 different breeds in stalls on display), the Mare/Foal paddocks (they had a 1 week old foal, but mom and baby were in the barn and we didn’t get to see them), the Big Barn (170 stalls in one barn), and the Draft Horse Barn (pairs of different breeds of draft horses for pulling the carriages for rides around the park). By that time, the kids were exhausted, so we left. There was much more to see, and if we lived closer, I’m sure we would go again and again. It was just beautiful.

The drive through Kentucky was gorgeous. Imagine the rolling hills covered with Kentucky bluegrass and sectioned off with miles of white fencing, dotted with horses and punctuated by the bright white spires of country churches. It really was a sight to see.

As we continued our drive, we entered the Daniel Boone National Forest. There is such a stark difference between this forest and the evergreen forests I’m used to on the west coast. Instead of the deep forest green of various pines, I saw the earthy tones of deciduous trees on the verge of bursting into their spring finery. While the primary color was the darker browns, grays and whites of tree branches, it was softly colored with the ever so tiny buds of spring.

As we continued east, more and more trees were either in bloom or about to bud. The vibrant white of the dogwood tree was the first thing I noticed, followed by the fresh purple of the redbud trees. What an awesome sight to see!

We decided to go for the long haul tonight to make tomorrow a shorter day. Mile after mile of twisty mountain highway greeted us as we pushed to make it to our destination. We finally made it to Staunton, Virginia near midnight. We were all glad to be there and to climb into bed.

On the road again...

Today was a driving day. We started the day getting packed up and ready to go. After a quick stop for gas, we headed off through the countryside of Michigan. I really enjoyed the drive. We passed numerous frozen patches of standing water, creating silvery white blankets underneath the trees. We passed countless old farmhouses, standing stately on ridgelines, watching over their land. The roads were mostly straight, but curved to go around farms and over rivers and creeks.

We passed through townships and corporations, villages and just single farmhouses paired with grain silos and barns. The roads were dry, but covered in a dusty grey coating of salt, left over from the winter battle against the ice. I was really struck by the difference in the pace of life when I saw a little boy and his father standing by a fire, poking and prodding, but mostly just standing by and passing time. It was really unrushed and serene. Maybe someday we will realize that ideal, but not today.

As we crossed the border from Michigan into Ohio, the landscape changed. No longer were we surrounded by farms divided by trees. Now the landscape was rolling and had and added dimension: so much more human influence. More people, more houses, more developments. It just had a whole new feel about it.

Our first stop was for a potty break, and Emily mentioned that one of my brake lights wasn’t working. I consulted my handy GPS and located an auto store less than a mile away. I purchased two new bulbs and turned to go. The salesman asked if I intended to change the bulb myself, and I told him I certainly did. Good grief, it’s a light bulb! So how many moms does it take to change a light bulb? Two. One to pull the tail light assembly and one to push the brake pedal to check the finished product. Easy peasy.

Our trip today seemed super short and quite easy. I’m so glad to have Emily along with me, and we can’t wait for tomorrow. And to find out what we have in store for tomorrow…well, you’ll just have to come back and read again! Here’s a hint…we are in Kentucky. Until then…good night!

Still in Michigan

Saturday, 7 April 2007 and Sunday, 8 April 2007

Wow, how time flies when you are having fun! We woke up Saturday to a light dusting of snow. The kids were thrilled! The oldest and youngest two went outside and played for a good bit, but there was no convincing #2 that the snow and biting wind would be fun. Not even a bribe of hot chocolate could change his mind. It wasn’t long before the other three were back in the house, shivering and laughing. It continued to snow off and on all day, leaving behind about an inch of the white stuff.

Saturday was quite relaxed. Our little horse lover got to help with feeding the horses, giving the horses vaccinations and other “horsey” chores. She has been thrilled with the chance to learn and experience all she can while we are here. At one point we ran errands and I took the opportunity to purchase a few more long sleeve shirts for the kids. Funny how I don’t feel like we need the shorts and short sleeve shirts I packed. Or the sandals. Not when the high during the day doesn’t reach freezing.

Sunday, we woke up to more snow, but less excitement from the kids. I think the novelty is wearing off. My poor car, though. It was wearing a blanket of frozen fluff this morning. It may be a first, as well as a last. Remind me not to vacation in Michigan in April. It’s just cold up here!

Most of the kids were up early to see what the Easter Bunny brought them. They were very excited to look though their baskets. Well, actually, we do sand buckets and shovels stuffed with stickers, balls, and other novelties. Really, when you live in southern California, sand buckets are much more useful than baskets, so that’s what we go with. There was much eager anticipation as they waited for the magical moment of hunting Easter eggs. Unfortunately, our oldest boy decided to get as much beauty rest as he could, so the hunt didn’t start until he woke up after 10am.

Are you ready for this? We hunted Easter eggs in the snow! Oh, the kids had a blast! It was so much fun, and so neat to hear them helping each other out in finding their eggs. The little guy was a bit frustrated at his inability to pick up the eggs with his tiny mitten hands. And he didn’t quite grasp the idea that he could use two hands, so I followed him around corralling his discoveries. After trying unsuccessfully several times, he would approach an egg and simply yell at it until I picked it up. It was definitely amusing to watch the antics of them all!

The best part of the day for me was learning how to roll egg rolls. Emily is an amazing cook and does a wonderful fried rice, egg rolls, stir fry, pork chops…we’ve definitely been eating well! There is definitely a learning curve to rolling egg rolls, but the end result was well worth it. Who knows, I may get brave and try these on my own someday!

We had dinner with Emily’s family at her parents’ house. It was a wonderful time, and the kids definitely enjoyed themselves. We’ve had such a fantastic time here, and we’ll be sad to leave in the morning. The good news is that Emily and her kids are coming with us on the next leg of our journey. So after 3 nights in the same bed, we will bid farewell to the cold Michigan spring and the warm Michigan farmhouse, and begin our trip south.

catching up...5-6 April

Thursday, 5 April 2007 and Friday, 6 April 2007

Thursday morning I was to meet my friend Carie and her four kids at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis at 10am. Well, life being what it is, at 10am I was still waiting for kids to wake up (we changed time zones the night before) and completely missed breakfast at the hotel. I loaded the kids up into the car, handed out some frozen granola bars and we were off to the museum in 28*F weather with a brutal biting wind. Now, the temperature in itself isn’t that impressive, unless you were recently in 90*F weather, shorts and short sleeves and are from southern California. Then it’s significant. Brrr!

We spent the day at the museum, with most of the rest of Indianapolis. I guess it was just too cold for anyone on Spring Break to play outside, so they all headed to the warmest, best kid place in town. The kids had a wonderful time! Our oldest decided she liked the mummies the best. Number 2 thought the dinosaurs were pretty cool. Number 3 thought the whole thing was his favorite, especially lunch and the mirrors (silly boy!). The little guy was pretty impressed with playing musical instruments in the Clifford the Big Red Dog area. All in all, it was a great day at the museum.

Then we headed north to Carie’s house for a giant slumber party! All 8 kids crashed in the living room and woke up to the wonderful smell of pancakes. We were definitely in heaven…a warm breakfast and we didn’t even have to leave the house! Carie also provided some real winter coats for the kids so that we wouldn’t freeze to death the rest of the trip. Thank you, Carie! You’re awesome!

After lots of hugs and saying goodbye to Carie and her crew, we packed up and headed north once again…in the snow. And it was 24* when we got up Friday morning. My poor car probably didn’t know what to think! I wonder if my engine oil is of the right viscosity and rated for such cold weather? Something I surely didn’t consider when I left our spring weather and headed north to Michigan spring weather!

After a short but snowy 2.5 hour drive, we arrived at Emily’s house, to a warm welcome and another winter jacket from Andrea for me. Thank you, Andrea! You have no idea how much I appreciate having a warm jacket and gloves! You’re the best!

We hung out with Emily & kids and Andrea & kids and had a great time. The kids loved having other kids and new toys to play with and I welcomed the chance to really relax. We will be here in Michigan until Monday, so it is a chance to do laundry, reorganize, repack, rest and enjoy the warm house, wonderful friendship and great experiences of being on a farm.

Our oldest is in horse lover heaven, since Emily has two horses and boards another. We got to join Emily as she fed the horses in the afternoon. It took nearly as long to bundle everyone up as it did to feed the horses, but it was definitely worth it! Hot chocolate with marshmallows was definitely in order when we came back inside.

After the kids were in bed, Emily and I stayed up until midnight talking about everything and nothing. We are definitely enjoying ourselves, and enjoying each other’s company.

Day 7!

Today was awesome. I learned a lot, saw a lot and really took it easy. We stated off freezing our cans off trying to get the car loaded. Holy moly it was cold, a mere 38*F when we headed out to see the gateway to the west…the St. Louis Arch.

Today was a day for standing patiently in lines. A line to get in the door and through security. A line to buy tickets for the tram to the top. A line to get in line to wait for the tram to get to the top. If I had known that you could simply buy tickets online ahead of time, we certainly would have saved a lot of headaches. So lesson learned, buy online and pick up in the “will call” line, not the regular line. It was like doing Disneyland but not getting rewarded at the end of each line. Not so much fun with one parent and 4 kids!

But it was definitely worth it. The kids were excited the whole time. They loved the views. Then enjoyed the tram ride and they had fun exploring the museum. However, want to know what the hit of the day was? The free thing in the park…a train gong by! After we got through the arch, we were walking back to the car when a train happened by. The way the grounds are set up, you can get within about 5 feet of the train. So the kids spent the next 5 minutes watching the train go by. It was definitely a lot of fun!

We had big plans for today, but scrapped them all in favor of getting to our hotel early and spending less time in the car today. Can I just say that it is definitely winter here??? As we pulled into Indianapolis, the kids were beyond thrilled to see snow coming down! And then I made them get out of the car…ha! Yes, it is freezing and frigid, and definitely not at all spring like!

I have more to write, but I’m exhausted, so I’m going to call it a night! Until next time!

Day 6 ~ better late than never!

Tuesday, 3 April 2007

First off, my apologies to those who missed my post yesterday. I opted to do laundry instead of write my blog. I learn my lesson, however. I’m finding that my thoughts of yesterday have faded and have been replaced by my thoughts of today. So I’ll give it my best shot!

Tuesday was a day for driving. We drove and drove, and finally made it out of Kansas in one piece. It was terrifically windy, which made it a challenge to stay in one lane. Some people on the road opted to drive between the solid yellow and the solid white. Some chose to just try to aim for the cement, no matter where the lines were. I decided to take the high road and hold myself to a much more challenging standard…staying between the solid white and the dotted white. In all honesty, it’s a miracle we all weren’t playing bumper cars on the freeway. I was a pretty happy camper when I turned to the east and was rewarded with a tail wind instead of a cross wind.

Our one stop of the day was at Arrow Rock State Park in Missouri. I wanted to see the Missouri River, and I’m so glad I got off the beaten track. The countryside and the road I took to get to the park were incredibly serene and lush. Every mile or so I would see another white farm house, complete with out buildings, white fences and wrap around verandas. The grass was thriving and was a bright spring green. It really was a sight to behold.

When we arrived in historic Arrow Rock, we found the Visitor’s Center had just closed, but we went for a drive around the park anyway. The town itself is a cluster of houses built in the early to mid 1800’s. Just fascinating, and so pristine. It’s definitely off the may thorough fare, so it’s well preserved, and certainly not tainted by rampant commercialism. I would love to go back some day when things are open.

We continued on our way, and spent the night just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. Instead of posting pictures and writing my blog, I did two loads of laundry and talked to my hubby. It was a welcome break, but all too short.

Oklahoma, then caves, then Kansas

Today was different. We all slept in after a terribly late night. Somehow, we are changing time zones, but our bodies aren’t. It’s kind of weird. I’m so used to getting the kids in bed at 7pm, but now we aren’t hitting the hay until 11pm local, which is 9pm Pacific. We’re all sorts of messed up. And it’s really hard to get on the road at a decent hour when you don’t get to bed until super late. So hitting that 11am check out time is a challenge! Maybe we’ll do better tomorrow morning. What I really need to do is get brave and stop really early and get the kids in bed at a reasonable hour. Easier said then done.

We started out this morning by back tracking a few miles on I-40. Then we took off on little country roads and saw some of the most beautiful Oklahoma country. Lush, green fields, growing wild from spring rains, brilliant red-orange soil, gently rolling hills and never a dull moment. It really was astounding. I saw my first tumble weed of the trip. I saw more oil derricks than I could count. I saw lilacs in full bloom, iris, tulips, and other spring flowers painting the sides of the road with their heavenly colors.

The purpose of getting off the beaten path was two fold. First, I wanted to see the area where my father’s family homesteaded in the late 1800s and the early 1900s. I can certainly see why this area would have drawn settlers, especially in the spring months. Second, there was a cave to be seen. Alabaster Caverns State Park is a gypsum cave containing the only black gypsum in the United States. I’ll just encourage you to look up gypsum, because to describe in adequately would take a bit. Rest assured, this was an interesting cave! We had a private tour and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Our daughter’s favorite part was the bats you could see hanging from the ceiling. We even got to see a couple fly past!

Aside from being terribly windy, today was a beautiful day. I saw 3 puffy white clouds this morning and not another wisp in the sky the rest of the day. One arm is more sore than the other from trying to keep the van in one lane, but hey, I guess that comes with the territory of a cross wind!

I’m not so sure I like Kansas. “Welcome to Kansas, now give us your money” was the greeting I got, as the freeway suddenly turned into a toll road near the border. Odd, but, well, whatever floats your boat or paves your roads, right? And I wouldn’t miss Wichita for the world! First of all, I now know how to spell Wichita. It’s not easy. Kind of like Albuquerque, it takes a bit to get used to. Second, I finally got to meet Krista! The mighty Miss A had already hit the hay by the time we arrived, but we did get to have dinner and play with Mr. L and the happy little Miss M. What a crew! Krista and I picked up in mid conversation and I really enjoyed a chance to relax while the kids played.

We stayed way too late, and I was sad to leave, but we headed out to the AF Base to stay the night. No wireless internet. Bummer. So I’ll try to McGuiver this up later. hehe! Now I am rethinking tomorrow. I know I have way too much driving planned. I think Louisville may drop off the trip, in favor of a more relaxed Tuesday and Wednesday. We’ll see. I definitely want take the kids up in the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. I guess I’ll just play it by ear and see how things go!

Say good bye to Daddy...

I just want to say, wow, what a day! We started the day in Albuquerque, NM, by dropping Mike off at the airport. As sad as that was, I really felt blessed to have had him begin the trip with me. It was wonderful to have the few days together, and now I feel ready to tackle the rest on my own.

We traveled through 3 states today, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. May I just say that New Mexico wasn’t my favorite? Don’t get me wrong. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with New Mexico, but after seeing what we saw in Arizona, New Mexico just couldn’t keep up. New Mexico is fairly drab (at least the I-40 corridor is). It is mile after mile of squat little mesas, dotted with scrub brush and short cedar trees; nothing like the stark, eye catching geological features of Arizona.

The one redeeming quality of New Mexico was the scattered houses along the side of the road. No, I don’t mean modern houses. I mean rock and mud houses from times gone by. I was amazed to see so many old structures, in various states of ruin and totally abandoned along the freeway. Obviously a lot of settlers gave this area a try. Who knows what happened or where they went, but they were definitely here at some point. I wish I could hear the story of each little home. Who lived there? Where did they come from? How long did they stay? Why did they leave? Where did they go?

Despite my interest in the history of the land, I thought perhaps I was falling asleep, or maybe my eyes were just drooping a bit. After my mind was numb from seeing so many cookie cutter mesas, suddenly the landscape started to flatten out into gently rolling hills. Then quietly, without fanfare, we slipped into Texas. Now Texas…well, Texas is just a whole other part of the world. First of all, it’s flat. Pancake flat. Run over on the highway flat. Second, they advertise some really weird things.

For instance, take food. Burger King, next exit. McDonald’s with indoor playland, 2 miles. Paco’s Fried Chicken. Fried rattlesnake. Try our 72 ounce steak. Hold the phone. Did you say fried rattlesnake? Do you have any idea just how many bones and how little flesh those little buggers have? Any at all? Really, I wouldn’t bother with the fried rattlesnake. The steak, on the other hand…ok, I know Texans do things BIG, but 4.5 pounds of steak? That’s enough for a small army! Good grief!

Anyway, as I continued to drive, making our way deeper into Texas, occasionally we’d see cattle and other grazing animals making use of the grassy land with rock outcroppings. Then gradually the rocky median gave way to vegetation. It was a mixture of golden grasses, dry from last season and a velvety undergrowth of new grass, which made the whole area a soft sea foam green. From there we rolled into the flatlands of Texas. Want to know how flat? Very flat. The “big” things you can see miles in the distance are grain silos, over passes and water towers.

Things of note that we saw today…buried cars, a huge cross, and no welcome to Oklahoma sign. The buried cars…hmm. Let me see if I can describe this. Driving along, see a whole bunch of cars pulled off to the side of the road and people walking into a random field. But wait…the field has a dozen cars or so buried, nose first, in the dirt. All you can see is the windshield to the tail lights. The hood is buried. Why? Who knows.

The second thing we saw was pretty interesting. An enormous cross surrounded by the 14 Stations of the Cross, done in life size bronze statues. Simply amazing. I didn’t get out because we were short on time and there was no way I was letting the little guy out of his seat. He was to the point of me having to fold him up and unceremoniously stuffing him into his seat. I wasn’t about to play that game again. A mama has to have priorities, you know?

And the last thing I didn’t see…was the welcome to Oklahoma sign. I have no idea when I hit Oklahoma, but here I am. No sign, no fanfare…maybe I just wasn’t paying attention. You know, one grassy plain looks just like the next! All right, for not seeing much today, you sure got an eyeful here. It’s time for me to join the kids in some sleep! Until tomorrow~