~Keeping It Real~

Followers

2008-08-29T15:05:00.004-06:00

**Edited

Do you follow my blog? I'd sure like to know! I was changing a couple of pictures today at blogger and noticed they had a new feature that shows who is following your blog. I know many of you stop by and don't comment (shame, shame). :) But if you have a blog and follow mine - it would encourage me to know that. So, scroll down over on the right side of my page and look for the box that says "followers." (Hint: it's right under Sponsor a Compassion child) Click on "follow this blog."

Don't be shy....I know you're out there.

**Okay, I guess you have to have a blogger account to be added as a follower. This is a new feature and I'm still trying to figure it out so if anyone knows differently or I find out differently, I'll let you know. Sorry for the confusion!

Pure Genius

2008-08-27T16:42:00.004-06:00

I love my cat. I am very lucky to have one. I say "lucky" because my husband is not animal crazy and I made a deal with him in a moment of weakness (on his part) to let us get a kitty. He got a screen TV - I got a kitten. It was superb. :)

Well, about 4 years ago we moved into our current home. My husband decided that if we were going to have a cat, he didn't want to have to deal with smelling its litter box all the time when he came in and out of the garage. So, expert that he is on problem-solving; he came up with a great idea. He decided to cut a cat door in our mud room cabinet.

The reason this is so great, is that we put my cat's litter box inside of the cabinet. When he needs to use it, he goes in and out of the cat door on the side.

No one has to deal with seeing the unsightly box and it helps keep bad odors at a minimum, as well. The only downside to the odors is that it can keep them locked up so when it's time to clean the litter box, it can be a bit potent at times. But it's worth it in the long run.

We also did have to train my cat to use the door at first. He'd try to pop open the cupboard doors with his head so we'd put something in front of them so that he couldn't do that in order to train him to use the cat door - and whaalah! It worked.

When people come to my home and I'm showing them around, everyone thinks that this idea is pure genius. And I have to agree. It is so nice to have his box tucked away so that the room looks nicer and cleaner. Kudos to my husband for thinking of this!

Firestorm

2008-08-23T11:29:00.001-06:00

In the world of email, our words are like fire. We don’t always realize how someone else can interpret what we say. And it can be dangerous.

There have been many times where I’ve received “fiery” emails from people whom I’m sure typed them without letting their thoughts sit for awhile. I’ve done it too. You get an email from someone and it invokes passionate feelings in you so you reply while those feelings are fresh. But I’ve learned through my own past mistakes that this is not only harmful to me, but to the person receiving the email as well. It can damage relationships and cause a lot of stress as you try for the next few days to “undo” or explain what was said in a rash moment.

When we used to sit down and write a letter, I think we had to think things through as we wrote. It takes a lot longer to pen something down and as we did, we’d reread what we’d written and kind of construct our thoughts along the way. The same is not true of email. We can type something quickly and hit “send” within minutes.

I’m trying to rework how I reply to emails that invoke strong sentiments in my heart. I’m trying to either let them sit for awhile before I reply so that I can think things over in my head before I type it out and regret it later; or I’m trying to draft something up and then let that sit for a few hours or even a day before I revisit it. Reading it when my heart and head are calmer often cause me to delete comments that can be misconstrued or said in anger instead of love. I also am trying to learn how to pray over my responses first. This often changes my heart before I can say something to someone that damages my integrity or our relationship.

I think we need to be so careful about blatantly expressing our feelings in emails without first thinking through what we type. There are too many misunderstandings and hurtful things said – things that we’d never say in person because we can gage one another’s heart and intent.

I’ve made some doozy mistakes in emails and I’ve gotten some from others as well. They’ve taught me a lot and caused a lot of pain. As our world adapts to new technology and ways of communicating, so must we. We must always remember to sit in someone else’s shoes and see how they might interpret what we’ve said and give it some thought before blindly hitting that “send” button and causing a firestorm afterwards.

Take some time before you send someone your most personal and deep thoughts. Think about it, pray about it, and remember that some things are better left unsaid – especially when they are a reflection on you.

Real

2008-08-20T09:18:00.002-06:00

I want to be real. I want to be genuine and authentic. I always have.

I don’t like phony’s. I don’t admire people who put a smile on their face and then go yell at their kids because they feel miserable inside. But hey, they looked good in the face of a social gathering didn’t they?

I’m just me. Flaws, imperfections and all. I have two yellow teeth. Not sure why – I brush. But they are just yellower than the rest. I slouch. I’m constantly working on that – trying to stand up straight. I sometimes slur my “s’s” when I talk. Went to a speech therapist when I was a kid. I just have a lot of saliva in my mouth that gets in the way I guess. But I also have great hair. And people say they like my smile and my eyes. I’m a great friend and I think I’m pretty good at encouraging others. I also like my feet. They always have toe polish on and some cute little toe rings.

This is me.

I’ve never tried to pretend I’m someone I’m not. It wouldn’t do me any good. I’d get found out anyways. People can taste how good or bad of a cook I am, so why try to embellish? They can see how my children act.

I think being real extends to everything in our lives. It means being real about how we keep our houses, how our marriage and family relationships are going, and I think it extends even to littler things like our photographs.

Almost everyone has a digital camera these days. Most of us love it because our photos look more professional. They are better. But it bothers me when people are constantly apologizing for the quality of their photos. “I haven’t touched these up yet” or “I’ll get them posted soon after I edit them.” Just like with our lives, it’s like we can’t put our pictures out there unless they look perfect.

I love a beautiful photograph just like the next person. I get so excited when I “catch” a good pose or moment that I know will turn out beautiful in a photo. But I’m also not afraid to be plain or boring. I’m not afraid to show a photo that would have looked better with a zoom lens or the red eye edited out. But it’s okay if it’s not perfect. Because I’m not perfect and my family is not perfect.

To me, life is about learning and growing. It’s about embracing, loving, encouraging, and finding joy. It’s not about perfection. And if I can take twenty photographs that aren’t perfect but had fun in the process, then that makes perfection in my heart. The same is true of my parenting and my writing. I will always do my best and try to improve and be a good example for Christ, but be real at the same time.I long for more authenticity and “realness” in my life. I think others long for it too. But it starts with each one of us. We can put our best foot forward but when it comes down to it, we just need to own up to how it is – perfect, imperfect, or somewhere inbetween. At least we can trust others, ourselves, or the results…. Knowing that we are looking at something that is real.

Faith and Our Political Future

2008-08-17T16:45:00.004-06:00

In case you missed it (as I did) and were watching the Olympics - anyone who professes to believe in God should watch this faith forum where Rick Warren interviews Barack Obama and John McCain--

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/08/16/obama.forum.pt1.saddleback?iref=videosearch

It's loooong - so you might want to watch it in increments or chunks of time. But if you care about how these men will let their faith, their core values and beliefs play a part in the future of our country - you need to make the time to watch this. And don't just watch one. I encourage you to watch at least the first installment of both men and listen to the differences in their answers.

Faith needs to be very real in our leadership. How real is it in these men? Do they say they believe in one thing and yet their actions show something differently? Or are they authentic and real?

You decide. But decide with great thought, prayer, and wisdom.

The Least of These

2008-08-13T19:54:00.002-06:00

On Wednesday July 16, 2008 a homeless man approached my family on the streets of Memphis.

We’ve all been there. You want to avoid the person but sometimes you get “caught.” This man wanted some money for food. He said he was starving. I asked him how long he’d been homeless and he said a long time. I asked him about family. He said he had no one. I asked him about shelters and he said he had to pay $6 to get in the mission. We were in a quandary. As most people, we didn’t want him to waste our money on alcohol or drugs. We were unsure as to whether or not to trust him. He continued to talk to us and started to cry asking if we’d just pray for him. I told him that sure, I would pray for him. He stepped forward, reached out his hand and instinctively I took it. We all stood there and prayed. Me, my family, and this homeless man.

We ended up giving him a couple of dollars and left.

I couldn’t get it out of my head. That moment spent grasping his hand and praying with him. No stranger has ever asked me to pray for them before. But how would I, could I possibly refuse a request when it’s the very thing I profess to believe?? And how could I teach my children to be compassionate to those less fortunate than us if I turned my head and walked away or cringed at the thought of touching someone who was homeless? They were there – my kids. They witnessed everything.

God tells us that whatever we do to “the least of these” so also, we do to Him. But who really, was the least of these? Was it the homeless man or maybe – was it me and my family? In hindsight, I didn’t handle the situation very well. In hindsight, as soon as he asked me to pray for him I should have asked Him about his salvation. I could have witnessed to him. Yes, I prayed for him but I could have done more. I should have done more. And the money? What is a couple of dollars to us? We spend more than that on a fast food meal or some candy and soda pop. A couple of dollars. It’s really not up to me what someone else does with it. It’s only up to me to have compassion and give. Then, the choice is up to the needy individual. If they don’t use what I’ve given them wisely – they will have to account for that to God.

No, I think the “least of these” is sometimes me. Giving of so little when I have so much more to give. Giving so little of my money, my time, and my compassion.

I don’t think I will ever forget that moment I spent on the streets of Memphis with that homeless man. I won’t ever forget holding his hand. I just won’t. And I will think of him and I will pray for him many more times. Hoping that somehow, some way he will catch a break.

I have so much. If I’m ever given the chance to redo something like that over again, I hope I can do it right and not waste an opportunity or a moment to share God’s love and salvation. I hope that I won’t think about the value of a dollar – and I’ll just give all I have in the hopes of bettering someone else. Even if they make the wrong choice, I think I WILL have bettered someone else through the process. Doing something like that is bound to change a heart.

Mine.

Finding My Way Back

2008-08-10T12:35:00.004-06:00

We are back home safe and sound. It's been a very busy week. After being gone for a month I have a lot of catching up to do! Housework, ministry work, yardwork, and getting the girls ready for school to start. Getting reorganized and somewhat "centered" again.

I'm not sure if our bodies were "crashing" from going into so many states and environments, but all of us have been fighting off a small cold or sinus infection too. Then I went and slipped on our hardwood floors where my daughter had left some water after running in from the pool. Hurt my toe badly. Man, did that thing hurt! It's swollen but I can almost walk on it today. :)

Found out this morning that an arch at Arches National Park collapsed this week! Wow. Amazing! That was the first place we visited on our road trip. What a beautiful park, it is. Those arches are so stunning to look at. But you can see cracks in some of them and know that it's only a matter of time before gravity collapses some of them.

Yes, that's me and my daughters standing under one of the huge arches. Unfortunately, we didn't see the one that just collapsed. It was on one of the last walks we took and my girls were getting heat exhaustion so we called it a day. I guess it was just around the corner though. Would have loved to have seen it and taken pics - now knowing that it's gone forever!

So - I am sloooowly but surely making my way back to normal life around here. I promise to try and visit all your blogs soon - it's been so long. I miss you!

Road Trip 2008

2008-08-06T18:02:00.003-06:00

More Misc Memories

2008-08-06T16:06:00.002-06:00

*The fireworks stores that we saw throughout our trip. They sell them all the time and these stores aren’t tiny either! We constantly saw billboards advertising them. In Idaho we only have fireworks near the 4^th of July.

*The “Flower” loop on the freeway the GPS lady (Whom I’ve dubbed “Trixie) made us go on at least 4 times. I was laughing so hard I was crying as we kept making circles trying to figure out what the heck she was trying to have us do.

*Trying to find each other in the food court at Mall of America. They have 2 and it’s a bit confusing following the directions from one to another.

*Kayla’s many “I need this buddy” moments.

*Construction zones everywhere..

*Not being able to get in parking or our room with our code cards in Nashville because they had accidentally checked us out early. (But our stuff was fine still in our room.)

*The Minneapolis motel trying to charge us more for our room – luckily we had our confirmation email and they changed it back.

*Going down in Minneapolis to eat the continental breakfast and finding not one free seat plus people eating in the lobby. So we had to balance our food and take it the 18 floors up to our room.

*Waiting 15 minutes for the “Will Call” booth at the Twins game to print out our free hot dog and soda coupons.

*My husband not being able to find Red Vine licorice anywhere. All they had was Twizzlers and that just doesn’t pass with him.

*All the trash and how dirty Memphis was.

*Rest stops. The one that said, “this is a storm shelter.” The one that had no toilet paper in the women’s restroom in any of the stalls so we sent Eliseo in to get some from the men’s which also had NO toilet paper in any stalls. And the cute quaint rest stops in Arkansas?? That we didn’t get a chance to stop at. Also the visitor information centers that most states have at their rest stops (that ours doesn’t have.)

*The dead raccoon by the Nebraska state sign that is the first dead animal Kayla has seen. She was so sad that it died that she cried in the car on the way back.

*The deer that Kayla and I got to walk up pretty close to and I took pictures of only to realize later that I’d not zoomed in with the lens.

*The food in Keystone, South Dakota. Maybe we picked bad places but it wasn’t the best and it was overpriced.

*The 6 bags of licorice that Eliseo had Kamica buy at Shopko because he couldn’t find Red Vine anywhere else. Each bag was 1 lb totaling 6 lbs of licorice.

*Trying to pronounce city names and Eliseo and I always having a different spin on the pronunciation.

*Gas prices! They were better than Idaho and we thought they’d be worse.

*Eliseo talking to GPS lady when the directional tone bell went off – “What do you mean – duh duh?” (Imitating the sound of the tone)

*The motorcycle guy yelling at us in Cody, Wyoming – “Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? GO! GO!

*Kamica’s pajama top that she finally found to go with her pants and it had a hole in it so she had to return it.

*The beautiful antler wreaths with lights at Jackson Hole, WY.
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Misc. Memories

2008-08-06T11:13:00.003-06:00

*Kayla changing behind motel curtains.

*The girls’ doing hurdles and the “run and walk” in the motel swimming pools.

*The word of the trip – “stop.” So I started singing everytime after someone said it…. “in the name of love.. before you break my heart. Think it o-o-ver.”

*Traffic. Some scary moments in the big cities. Why do trucks get in front of you to pass another truck and take 10 minutes to do so??

*Our license plate hunt. We found far more than I expected! Coloring off each state as we saw the plate.

*The Old Spaghetti Factory.

*The homeless people and peddlers. Hard for me to get used to getting asked or hit up for money.

*Trying to find somewhere to eat with the Daltons. It was an adventure.

*Trying to find parking spots. And observing a guy hit and run into the back of another car as he was trying to parallel park.

*Kamica’s sweatshirt that she really wanted and we went back to buy.

*Motel 6!!! It scared all of us.

*The electricity going out on us in our motel in Colorado.

*The “A” girls – “” annoying” who kept following us everywhere at Arches National Park.

*Eliseo putting Kamica’s head in the ice machine.

*The mattress “diapers” at Best Western. Are you kidding me?

*The lady with the hammer coming up to fix the washer and just whaling on the thing to get the change to go in.

*Getting my finger in the photos of the St. Louis Arch after I bragged to Eliseo pridefully that I could get a good photo. (So I subsequently had to take more later in the day.)

*The GPS navigation lady. Sometimes she didn’t know what she was doing. And trying to name her.

*Not finding a Mississippi state sign to get a picture of. Whaah!

*Realizing we were an hour behind heading into Kentucky because we switched to “Eastern Time.”

*Not getting to go to the GM Corvette museum because of the change in time.

*Not getting to see my old friend Kelly in Bowling Green, Kentucky because she’d hurt her back badly.

*Walking through St. Louis to find lunch and realizing someone gave us bad directions.

*Kayla getting a gutter ball over the top and other side of the gutter protectors at the Bowling Hall of Fame. And Kamica getting 0’s at least 7 frames in a row.

*Slimy eggs at Continental breakfasts. Yuck.

*Losing our peanut butter and chip bags. Where did they go????

*Circling the block 4 times to figure out where parking was at our motel in Memphis.

*The rooftop pool at the Comfort Inn. Cool.

*All the city names in Kentucky. They all end in “ville” or “burg.”

The city name – “Bucksnort.”

*Kayla’s saying – “no worries!”

*My daughter-in-law calling us around midnight because the electricity had gone out in our neighborhood and she couldn’t get into our house via the garage door opener.

*Narrating to my husband about traffic in Chicago (“okay – car coming in from the right,” “Brake lights,” etc) partly to help him and partly so I wouldn’t gasp and scream all the time.

*The mousse Tarah gave me because I’d asked her about how to take care of my hair in the humidity.

*The mango strawberry freezee at Taco Bell.

Admiring The View

2008-08-05T08:58:00.005-06:00

We left Mt. Rushmore and headed to Cody, Wyoming to spend the night. We arrived at our motel and were pretty wiped out. A motorcycle rider had yelled at us too – so I was not liking them as much as I had previously stated.

We left early in the morning and headed the short distance into Yellowstone National Park. We got to the gate and paid our entrance fee and were just driving through it when lo and behold – a moose crossed the road in front of us! We were all so excited as we didn’t even know if we were going to get to see one much less on the lower loop. And there he appeared – right at the entrance gate! I had the camera at my feet and I quickly grabbed it, took off the cap, turned it on and aimed – and still barely caught him.

The moose wet our appetites to see animals. We were on the hunt.

We stopped at some neat things. We saw Old Faithful, some hot springs, geysers, mud pots, waterfall and more. It really is amazing to see (and sometimes smell) in person. Yellowstone is beautiful. You have forest one minute then meadows and creeks or rivers. You have a huge lake and steep canyons. It’s breathtaking. But my favorite thing of all was the animals.

We saw a bison or two. Up close. One so close my husband and daughter could have reached out their windows and touched him as he walked by snorting. Except for the fact that we were all so nervous. Ha Ha Then we saw a meadow FULL of bison. Hundreds of them. It was so cool. They are big and they are really neat to watch.

We saw coyote, a mountain goat, lots of elk in the distance and a couple finally up a little closer. And we saw a grizzly. Barely. A lot of cars were pulled over with cameras and binoculars so it was our habit to pull over and see what they were watching and looking at. We had to ask because we couldn’t see anything. The grizzly was way out in this meadow – so far that he was really tiny on binoculars. He was grazing on berries. He’d sit and only when he’d move could you make out his shape and what he was.After we all finally could spot him (which took at least 20 minutes) we were happy. Would loved to have seen him closer. At least close enough to get a picture – but we still were aware of his presence out there and it was fun.

I didn’t think that I would enjoy Yellowstone as much as I did but the animals made the experience for me. Seeing all those bison out there and the moose and grizzly – well it was just an awe-inspiring time.

We stayed out late and got to our motel just as dark was setting in. At this point the girls and I were starting to get excited about going home. One more stop – Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

We hit Jackson Hole on Saturday. It sits down by the Grand Tetons Mountains and it is very beautiful. I loved it. The town is so cute and touristy with lots of antlers for sale. We went to eat lunch at Billy’s Hamburgers which I had heard was good. There was a line and it was a small little place with only about 20 stools. We stood in line for about 45 minutes before our turn to wait for seats. Two were open on one side and two on the other. My youngest was about to collapse she was so hungry. We’d gone to eat lunch a little on the later side as it was. So we split up and my husband and oldest daughter took two seats on one side of the counter and my youngest daughter and I took two stools on the other side. She was bummed we weren’t all together but at least we had seats. We ordered and got our drinks. The guys in the kitchen were swamped. They were serving burgers to people in the bordering restaurant as well and people were getting upset that their food was taking so long. The people next to me finally left after each eating two orders of burgers and my daughter and husband were able to reunite with us and come sit with us.

After over an hour and a huge to-go order of 10 burgers went out (that ordered after us) my husband checked on our order which hadn’t even started yet. Something got messed up. To make a long story short it took us an hour and a half to get our food. But they gave us one of the burgers free. And it was the best burger I’d had on the whole trip. I think the day was out of the ordinary for them. I would give them a second chance because I really did like my burger.

We went in some stores and checked into our motel – Buckrail Lodge. Cute little loggy place just outside of town. It was refreshing after all of the stark motel rooms we’d been in.

We are now on our way home. We should be home in about 5 hours or so – we do have to stop for lunch.

I’m tired. I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed and not get woken up by loud neighbors, ice machines or cars driving by. I can’t wait to have clean clothes that aren’t in a suitcase. And a home cooked meal. My girls and I LOVE to eat out but we are really ready for some home cooked food. We can’t wait to see and hug our kitty. And to have internet service – daily – that I can count on.

I’ve got to get the girls ready for school in just a few weeks so I will have to do mounds of laundry and get some school supplies. I will have to get caught up on my ministry work.

But what a trip. What an experience. I can’t believe all that I saw or experienced. I’m so thankful we got to do this. I’m thankful no one got food poisoning or other sickness. I’m thankful we had no car accidents (except the rock that broke our windshield and we’ll have to take care of that soon.) I’m thankful for all of it. And barring a few adjustments, I’d do it again. There is so much to see out there!

But for now, I’m looking forward to being home. Getting some much-needed sleep.

Thank you for covering me and my family in your prayers the last month. Who knows what you protected us from. Maybe an angry motorcycle driver and a rock that could have come through and nailed one of us in the head. Maybe many car accidents or forgetting a laptop, camera, or MP3 player somewhere.

Thank you.

It will feel so good to be home. Home IS where the heart is.

The Adventure Continues

2008-08-03T17:35:00.006-06:00

The drive from Minneapolis to South Dakota was loooonngg! We did take a couple of side trips though. We went into North Dakota (just to say we had) and got our picture by the sign. We also ventured into Iowa. Iowa was pretty (what 10 minutes I saw of it) and two sweet little country kids waved at us in their driveway as we turned around.

We stopped in Mitchell, South Dakota to see the great Corn Palace. Have you heard of it?? It’s a building decorated in corn. It’s actually kind of cool and it has been a tradition to do this since 1892, I think it was? That’s a long time to keep up a tradition! And I just love to see traditions upheld. Just fun ways to celebrate and enjoy life.

We didn’t get into our motel in South Dakota until late. We were all tired. It had been a long day.

On Wednesday morning we headed up to Mt. Rushmore. It’s one of those surreal experiences to realize you are finally staring at something that you’ve heard all your life about. It was cool. The weather – on the other hand – was not. It was a hot day. Luckily, there were some trees to give brief periods of shade and the walk was far easier than what we’d experienced at Arches National Park. You can stay as long or as little as you like at Mt. Rushmore. I think it depends on what kind of experience you want to have there. We stayed for awhile, got some photos, and went in the gift shop. There was an older gentleman in there who helped work on Mt.Rushmore. We spoke to him, got our pictures taken with him, and bought his book; which he signed for us. I think he was in his 90’s and I asked him if he still kept in touch with the other workers to which he told me that there had been only about 3 left and the other 2 died last year. So he is the last remaining worker alive. Wow. He was very sweet and Eliseo and I enjoyed meeting him for a minute or two.

We left and ventured to things nearby. I had no idea that there were so many other attractions near Mt. Rushmore! We drove through Custer National Park and saw wild Bison! I was so excited. It actually got pretty close to our car and we were able to snap a few pics. We drove to Hot Springs where we stopped at Mammoth Site which is where they have uncovered bones in the ground. It is a live dig and you are able to see some of the bones sitting uncovered right where they found them. They still have a lot of work to do and figure it will take 20 more years to uncover all that exists in that spot. It was interesting.

Eliseo wanted to drive into Nebraska as it was so close and get another road sign picture. So we were heading that way. Two cars were in front of us and just as I saw something bouncing on the road between them – SMACK – it came up fast and hit our front windshield. It was so loud that it not only startled me but my ears hurt from the noise for a few minutes. It was a rock. Not a pebble. Not a stone. A ROCK. And it hit our brand new Tahoe windshield and didn’t chip it – it broke it so hard that a few shreds of glass were laying on the inside of our dash. NICE. We were so close to being home – accident free!! I’m thankful it didn’t hit in any other spot than it did. It hit low and in the middle of the windshield. It could have been much worse. In fact, the rock sat on our hood just below our windshield wiper until we stopped in Nebraska and I got out and took a photo of it. I think our hood is okay – no dents, which we are thankful for. But our windshield cracks are quickly spreading and we only hope that they hold out until we get home. I don’t think Yellowstone has windshield repair! So – yes – big bummer. But we aren’t hurt.

We returned to Mt. Rushmore Wednesday evening to watch the lighting show at 9pm. We found a good seat in the ampitheater. A ranger was going around and greeting people asking where they were from. He came out later and did some announcements telling what the program would be like, etc. He mentioned that a ranger would come out at exactly 9pm and speak for about 10 minutes. So imagine our surprise when he went behind the stage only to come back out and begin speaking! The ranger was him. We thought it was pretty funny.

There was a touching film that just reinforced my staunch patriotism and as tears were welling up in my eyes, Mt. Rushmore slowly started lighting up. It was cool. Neat to be there and experience that. And I learned a few interesting things about those presidents that I either didn’t know or time had caused me to forget along the way, as well.

Only a few days and we will be home. We’re heading today to our last stop. Yellowstone National Park. We won’t get there until Friday via a stop along the way. We’ve enjoyed seeing all the motorcycle riders heading to Sturguss, South Dakota for the annual bike rally this weekend. I’ve enjoyed mile after mile of rolled hay bales. I’ve seen deer and even a wild turkey somewhere along the way (a few states ago). And as I type this we’ve entered Wyoming. I’ve wanted to visit Wyoming since we moved to Idaho 10 years ago.

So much to see out there.

I love America. It’s beautiful.

A Birthday in Minneapolis

2008-07-30T08:41:00.001-06:00

**No time for pictures this morning. Sorry. I rewrote this post on the road yesterday.

We left the fast-paced frenzy of Chicago and headed to Minneapolis. We passed through Wisconsin. Who would have thought I would love Wisconsin? I had no prior thoughts or feelings about Wisconsin but I have to say that I found it to be a gorgeous state. It was so green and I could see rivers and lakes. I loved it and would love to go back some day and spend some time there instead of just passing through.

We arrived in Minneapolis though and were set to go to the Mall of America on the 27th which just happened to be my 37th birthday. We got to our motel on the 26th and it was the tallest one we’ve had on this trip. We got put on the top floor which was 18 stories up and were in the furthest corner of the motel. My husband and I tried to forget how high up we were!! I avoided looking out the window for the first day and then started adjusting to the height a little better after that.

We got to the mall Sunday the 27th. It was huge. For those of you who have already been there you know it also has an amusement park in the middle of it. So we got wristbands to do that, as well. I don’t think my husband and children would have survived the day just shopping!

I have to say that I was disappointed in the mall. I guess I was hoping for a lot more different and unique stores. But it had a lot of stores that I am familiar with and I really didn’t want to shop somewhere that I could shop at home! Plus, some of the other stores that I DIDN’T have were a little spendy. I was hoping for more variety and more “gifty” type stores. It also takes a LOT of time to walk. If you have a store in mind it will take you forever to get there! Walking the mall eats up a lot of your time! Maybe I have too high of standards – but I was a little fried by lunchtime. My husband had given me some birthday money to spend and I wasn’t doing very well. That would make anyone bummed – to have money you can’t buy stuff with – right?? So I took a lunch break with my family. I went back to shopping for an hour or so and found a cute ring which made me happy. Then I went to ride some rides with my family for a few hours.

My oldest daughter had been wanting to ride some rides that do quite a bit of turning or flipping. I’d been watching this one skateboarding ride where you are on top of a huge skateboard that takes you up one side and then up another. The twist is that you also go around in circles while you are on it! I finally told her I’d go on it with her and she was so delighted with me. We waited over 20 minutes in line and finally were set to go. You had to take flip flops off to ride and so I was prepared to rush over and put mine in the box and then sit next to her. When they lifted the gate I rushed over and did just that only to return and find the seats completely full on the side we wanted! I couldn’t find her. I walked around and there she was sitting next to other people so I had to go on a completely different side and sit by strangers. We looked around at each other and stuck our bottom lips out pouting that we’d waited that long and couldn’t sit by each other. I had told her to save me a seat so was a little distressed not sure at what had happened. Come to find out after the ride, she had TRIED to save me a seat! She had told a lady that my seat was saved and the woman had rudely said, “No, it isn’t!” and sat down! I was so mad. It was obvious that we’d waited in line over 20 minutes together. It was obvious that she was a young girl. It was obvious that they had had to count the exact number of people needed for that ride to go in the gated area so if my daughter was saving a seat I had already been counted. Why are people so rude??? That was the only ride we rode on together that day and we didn’t even get to ride together. I was so proud of my daughter though. She handled it so well even though she was a little upset. I just don’t understand why people have to be so selfish and rude.

Anyways, it took us a few minutes to stop fuming after the ride. Which WAS fun and not as bad as I thought it would be. The two sections spun around so my daughter and I did get to see each other’s faces a few times on the ride even though it still wasn’t the same sitting by strangers and not together.

I finished up my shopping buying my family a few surprises which was fun for me.
We went across the street to Chevy’s for dinner where I hadn’t been in years. I got a Mexican hat since it was my birthday even though they don’t sing to you anymore. I’m going to put it up in my kitchen.
We called it a day.

The next day was a “chillax” kind of day for us that we all needed. We’re starting to wear down a little (maybe except my husband who is like the Everready battery) and so we didn’t do too much during the day. We did go to IKEA which I’ve been wanting to go to since it seems like everyone has been but me. It was an interesting store. Their whole style isn’t me but I found a few things I liked. Some of which are still in the store. HA!

Then on Monday night we went to a Minnesota Twins baseball game which was fun. I haven’t been to a pro game in years and my daughters’ have never been. They liked it and the Twins won which made it better.
Now we are starting to slowly make our way home. We have a couple more stops to make on the way but our trip is winding down. Today is a long drive – 10 hours. We’ll see what God delights in showing me today….

Chicago

2008-07-27T21:06:00.006-06:00

On our way from Kentucky to Chicago, my husband and I talked about how many trucks we have seen on the road this trip. We just were in awe of how many trucks inhabited the highways!! I guess it’s because the states are closer together and there are more people than where we live in the North. Because they were just everywhere.

But dealing with all of the trucks didn’t come close to preparing me for the traffic in Chicago. We had a couple of very near-miss accidents where we had to honk our horn. I was literally reminding myself to breathe.

We wanted to eat some real Chicago pizza and had been told about two places that would aim to please and give us the genuine thing. We programmed some addresses in our GPS and found most of them far away from us so we were nervous with all the traffic. We went to the one closest to us and just didn’t feel comfortable with the neighborhood. So tried another one. Which now meant 5 o’ clock traffic. I have to give “props” to my husband who had to drive and deal with all of this in a big strange city. I couldn’t have done it – that’s for sure! Anyways, the next one only was carry out. So it ended up taking us an hour and a half to find one of these pizza places. Thankfully, they had several locations! It was very good. I think I had the best breadsticks I’ve ever had. We got a large pizza that only had 8 slices. I asked the girl if that would be enough for our family and she said yes. Which might have been a funny question once we saw the pizza and how thick the pizza was. Because we each only could eat one piece and had half the pizza left! And we thought we got pan pizza at Papa Murphy’s! It didn’t touch the thickness of this Chicago pizza – plus they put the sauce on top! It was fun to try.

The big city of Chicago wowed me. It was so fun and exciting. I guess everyone else thought so too and that’s why there is so much traffic! I loved the “Magnificent Mile” although I didn’t venture into any of the really big name stores. I’m too poor for that. HA HA We only went into a couple more down-to-earth stores nearby and then we had an appointment at “American Girl.” My girls had been waiting the whole trip for this. They worked really hard at home before we left to earn some money to buy a doll. That store is huge! Bigger than I imagined. The girls wandered around until they found directions to the room they wanted with the “Bitty Twins” inside. They each decided to get one of these dolls and save a little money by getting a set. So their dolls are twins with each other and they think that is fun.

We had an appointment to eat at the American Girl Café at 11 am. We got a window seat that looked out onto the street of downtown Chicago and that was so great. The café is done all in style. Lots of pink, black, and white. They give you a little highchair that hooks onto your table for your new doll to sit in and eat lunch with you. Then they come by and give your dolls little plates and cups. My girls wished they could have kept these! But they did get to keep some scunchies that were around the napkins and a daisy that was in the chocolate mousse at the end of the meal. It’s a great meal with lots of courses yet very kid and family friendly food (like tic tac toe pizza, chicken fingers, hot dog, etc.)

After lunch we worked our way down to Navy Pier. We’d had to park down there earlier because we had a pack-a-sport on our rig and most lots in Chicago seem to be parkades. We were so thankful to find a small outdoor public lot because we were too tall for most of these parkades. So we dropped our stuff off at the car and proceeded on to Navy Pier. What a fun place. It is off of LakeMichigan which is so huge that it looks like the ocean. And all of the seagulls add to that atmosphere. There is a ferris wheel, a swinger ride, miniature golf, and a ferrris wheel. They have shops, an IMAX theater (that was sold out until Tuesday), restaurants and boats.

Just as we were entering the pier we decided to take a boat ride on the river through Chicago. It was an architectural ride which meant they pointed out buildngs to us and told us interesting tidbits about how they were made, why, etc. It was interesting but there was no shade and we literally melted in the hot afternoon sun. My poor daughter looked miserable. If we could do it again we’d go in the evening when it’s cooler. But it was interesting.

We walked around the pier for awhile. Looked at a few shops, saw an interesting contortionist show (he fit himself in an empty tennis racket hoop and a box) and called it a day.

On our way back to our motel we had to pass Chicago Midway Airport. We were very close to it. We were sitting in traffic looking at how low the Southwest planes come over the cars to land at the airport right next to the road. As we inched up, we all looked at one come in and we all yelled at the same time. It feels like they will land right on top of you! We were definitely “holy cowing” it. :

All in all – Chicago was an eye opening adventure for me. There were areas we just didn’t have time to go that I would have liked to have ventured into. Like down by the lake. They had tons of volleyball nets and people playing everywhere. Also what looked to be like a small beach. It was cool. It’s an exciting place with people walking everywhere, cars racing to and fro (literally r-a-c-I-n-g) and eye popping buildings and cool restaurants and stores. Yet the traffic and big cityness of it was the same thing that overwhelmed us northwesterners. Ambulances were whailing all the time and going by you. Homeless people were very prominent and it broke my heart. And toll roads drained us of our spare change.

I’m glad we visited even if it was a brief stint. I won’t soon forget this big city or it’s personality.

Kentucky

2008-07-24T14:36:00.010-06:00

We left Nashville and drove to Kentucky. We were headed to Louisville but made a small detour into Lexington so we could get a feel for horse country. I am SO glad we did! Lexington truly captured my heart. I fell in love with it! They had beautiful tree-lined roads, and mile after mile of fence-lined horse pastures with stately barns and homes in the background. It was just so peaceful, pretty, and to me – stunning. I loved it. Lexington isn’t too big either which just added to its “perfectness” in my book.

After driving around a bit we headed into Georgetown where we visited a horse farm that had some retired race horses. You never really think about it, but horses have to go somewhere when they can’t race or breed anymore!! It was a very pretty farm and fun to tour and hear the stories. We were all disappointed though that only one horse didn’t have a “fly mask” on. I guess because of the heat they wear these things to protect their eyes, etc. But it didn’t make for good pictures!! So we were bummed. But we did have fun and in addition to seeing some legends like “Creator” we got to see the horse that played Sea Biscuit in the movie.

Louisville. We went to Churchill Downs and the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. Both were fun. We got to see a few horses training on the track at Churchill Downs although I guess if we would have gone a little earlier we would have seen tons more horses because they try to get their training done early before the heat sets in. But we were thankful to at least see a few since the afternoon tours don’t get to see any. The track is huge and so cool to look at. We had fun at the museum where we got to pretend we were racing and I realized how hard it is to sit up off the horse for that long. It kills the thighs!

The Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory was also fun. We got to tour the factory where they make the bats and see some of the pro bats they are currently making for the players. The museum itself was small. It was pretty much one big room which disappointed me. But they have a section where you can stand behind this thing as a pitching machine throws a pitch to you at the pro speed of 90mph. Talk about scary! Those things are fast! We also got to see a room of balls signed by Presidents. That was cool too. I took a picture of quite a few balls in there. And we got a small bat free for touring the factory. We all love our little bats. J

We spent our last evening in Louisville dining out at the Hard Rock Café. We ate out on the patio which was nice. The weather in Kentucky has been milder than what we’ve experienced in Tennessee or St. Louis. Still warm but no real humidity and only in the upper 80’s. Such a nice break from the 90 – 100 degree heat plus humidity we felt in Nashville!!

We almost lost Kamica’s camera in the Churchill Downs shop and it got dropped in St. Louis by accident. And other than hunting for glasses one day, I think we are managing to keep track of all of our stuff. Let’s hope that keeps up!

Hot Days in Tennessee

2008-07-21T16:09:00.007-06:00

I had to reread my last post to see where I'd actually left off on our trip.

We moved on from Memphis and we've been in Nashville the last couple of days. We arrived on let's - see - I think it was Saturday afternoon? (I'm sometimes losing track of the days!) After checking into our motel we drove around and ended up in "the District." Cool area. Lots of restaurants, shops, etc - very touristy. We ate dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory which was a hit with my kids. I'd eaten at one a long time ago in Portland with my family and so wanted to go again knowing that one just opened up in my town. It was a good meal and my girls and I have a new favorite restaurant, I think. :)

I bought a cool cross for my walls in one of the shops. I love it. And again - similiar to Beale Street (but maybe a little bit more upscale and safer feeling) the sounds and music permeating both on the street and out of the clubs gave the District a great atmosphere. After returning to our motel we decided it just wasn't what we'd hoped for and we made reservations for a different place the next two nights which meant we had to pack everything up again in the morning. But it's been worth it and we're glad we made a switch.

Yesterday - we had plans to meet up with some "new" friends. Friends that I'd made online a few years ago. Lisa also writes for my website on occasion. They drove 3 hours from Georgia to Nashville just so we could meet in person. I was so nervous. But our families clicked right away and we all had a great day together - in spite of the humidity! Holy cow! I admire you Tennesseans! I have NEVER felt humidity like I've felt the last few days! Every part of me is just dripping. It's been pretty intense! Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed spending the day with them. We stopped by the Parthenon for a few minutes, finally found a place to eat lunch after the one we'd planned on eating at was closed, and then went to the Opryland Gaylord center. It was air conditioned which we all loved. HA HA -- Besides that - it was very beautiful inside.

No one can quite understand this strange new phenomenon of "online friendships." But God blessed me with meeting this dear family years ago. I never thought I would get to meet them in person! But I am so thankful He brought them into our lives. And I am grateful to know them. If only Georgia and Idaho were a little bit closer together! I just knew I'd adore them - and they were everything I thought they would be. Our men even got along!! Now I don't have to call them "online" friends anymore for they are truly my "real life" friends and I hold them all the more closer in my heart.

God gave me the perfect ending to a wonderful day yesterday. Thanks to a tip from my new friend (Maegan) we headed out at dusk and knew where to look for fireflies - or I guess you southerners call them "lightening bugs." And we found some! I was so excited. My girls thought it was pretty cool too. We went to a park and saw the yellow flash of them and we'd see one fly nearby and run after it only to lose it when the light went out. Then we'd find it again as the light went back on and run after it again! It was such a kick! I don't see how any of you blessed with fireflies (lightening bugs) can get tired of them. They are so fun.

We ended up in the middle of a little excitement this morning. We headed down to "Music Row" to drive through. After going down one street we headed to the next one and saw some fire trucks and that we couldn't get through. So we go to turn around and leave but there is a fire truck behind us and then another one. Trying to turn a policeman comes in. We can see smoke coming out of a building. We barely got out of that street and if we hadn't we figured we would have been trapped by emergency vehicles for a good couple of hours. But, now curious, we drove around the block, parked and walked down. I counted at least 10 fire trucks and 6 ambulances!! I guess it was an apartment building with over 30 units but everyone got out safely. We were all amazed at the amount of emergency response they'd gotten. Even the TV crews showed up as we were leaving!

After our adventure there - we headed in to Franklin, TN. I have to say that this has been my favorite city to see in Tennessee. It's a little historic town and so green and beautiful out there. I know a lot of country and Christian musicians live out there and I can see why. The pace is slower, it's more quaint and peaceful and I really liked it.

So here we are - our last night in Nashville. We'll probably head out to dinner soon. We had to take a break back in the air conditioning of our motel because we were all dwindling in the humidity. But tomorrow we head into Kentucky. I'm so excited! Horse country. Aaahh - I can hardly wait.

Walking In Memphis

2008-07-18T19:51:00.008-06:00

First, here are some pics of us up in the St. Louis Arch as promised. I did enjoy doing that more than I thought I would. It's an amazing view from up there!

The fam up in the St. Louis Arch

We left St. Louis and headed to Memphis. I have always wanted to go to Tennessee. A long time ago I used to write lyrics and thought I would go into the music industry. (God knew better!) So I could hardly keep from smirking to realize that I was finally going to see this state.

The drive wasn't that bad. We arrived Wednesday and since we got here earlier than expected we headed down to Beale Street. Great atmosphere there. I loved the soul music and live bands playing. I loved watching an old black gentlemen dance his way up and down the street. It was great. Up to a point. I can see why it's "party central" and we did smell a lot of unsavory smells. We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe and went in a few shops that were still open since it was after 5.

My girls felt a little uncomfortable as it was getting more crowded and more partiers were showing up so we skedaddled. But Beale Street was fun to visit. On the way back to our motel we were approached by a homeless man. Of course he wanted money but he started to cry and asked us if we'd pray for him. I will never forget holding his hand and praying with him in downtown Memphis. (I've already written another article on this experience and my thoughts and feelings - so look for it in the future.)

On Thursday we went to Graceland and Sun Studios. I was initially disappointed that there weren't more rooms to see at Graceland. And they say to stay as long as you want but it's mighty crowded so you feel a little pressured to move along and let someone else catch a view. I regret not getting a good photo of the front of the house. There just wasn't time as they shuttled us in and out!

I have always liked Elvis. My daughter really likes Elvis. But I have to say it was so fascinating to see how he liked things in his house and to envision him there feeling, thinking, and experiencing things in those spots. If there was one thing I took with me it was the fact that I admire Elvis more than ever. He was a really good person. He gave to charities, paid off people's debts, gave away material things etc all without wanting fanfare about it. I actually bought a book of quotes by him and am excited to read it.

Daughter at Graceland!

Thursday night we were all pretty tired so we ordered in pizza. It was nice. My husband switched sleeping spots with me because I slept horribly the night before. We are on the first floor of this motel and we have a pretty nice room. The largest one we've had the whole trip. Unfortunately we are downtown and traffic is an issue which disrupts sleep! It was the first night I've ever taken a sleeping pill. And hopefully the last.

Today we dinked around. We went to the Peabody Motel. They have this famous ceremony where a procession of ducks (yes-ducks) come down in the elevator at 11 am everyday. They walk the red carpet and go into the hotel lobby fountain. At 5pm they repeat it where the ducks leave. We saw the 11am procession and it was such a kick. The Peabody is a VERY nice motel and watching the ducks was so fun. I bought a duck in the gift shop to remind me to enjoy the little things.

Then we took off and drove the short distance into Mississippi (so we could say we'd been there.) We were bummed to not find ANY state sign to take a picture in front of. We'd gotten one in front of Arkansas on the way into Memphis. By the way... I had NO idea that Memphis was so close to both Arkansas and Mississippi! It sits like right in the corner.

Anyways, we did that and came back and went to Mud Island Park. There is a miniature scale of the Mississippi River that is like 1/2 mile long. It's really cool and my youngest daughter waded through the whole thing. We got really hot down there but it was pretty in the park looking out over the vast river.

We're now gearing up to move on again. It's been nice to be in one locale for a few days. We've done a lot of walking. :)

Hard to believe we've been gone a week from today. I'm so blessed for this opportunity and having a great experience.

Kansas and Missouri

2008-07-15T19:39:00.006-06:00

Well, the drive through Colorado was just beautiful. It was my first time through the "Rocky Mountains." The road was a little scarey - with a steep canyon on one side and a rushing river on the other but it was very scenic. We passed through Vail which was fun to get a glimpse of.

We made it to Kansas to spend the night. Not a great motel on this night, but that was my fault. I picked it. None of us slept well and were up and out of there ahead of schedule the next morning.

We stopped in Riley, Kansas. A small little town where my husband lived for two years as a boy. He recognized some things and as we were looking at his old school a teacher came up to us and started talking to us. She let us inside which thrilled my husband. Some things had changed but he was enjoying the walk down memory lane.

I didn't get to see a firefly in Kansas as I'd hoped. :( (For those of you who don't know - I've a-l-w-a-y-s wanted to see a firefly!) I'm hoping that I still have a shot. Fireflies... do you live in Tennessee too? On our way out of town we stopped in Topeka to eat at another diner that we saw on "Diners, Dives, and Drive-Ins." It was called "Bobo's." They had great chocolate malts and some pretty tasty onion rings.

Oh yah - and I was expecting Kansas to be flat and ugly but I liked what I saw. I thought it was pretty. It was flat in parts but not dry at all - pretty farmland which I absolutely love anyways. And in other parts there are rolling hills. So you Kansas people - don't let anyone make fun of you for where you live! I liked what little I saw.

We've been in St. Louis the past day and a half. Big city for me. We came in with 5 o clock traffic which was kind of stressful but we survived. We went up the St. Louis arch today. It's kind of funny. I am not big on heights and I was pretty nervous to do this but was game. I wanted to try it and say I did it. I actually enjoyed it and had fun! My husband and one daughter ended up a little nervous and got flip flops in their stomachs while I got a kick out of it. It's amazing. I do have some pictures of us inside at the top but don't have those loaded on the computer yet.

Then we walked downtown to the Bowling Hall of Fame. Did you know there was one of those? My husband's Aunt is in there so we wanted to see her. We did find her and got some pictures next to her portrait which was fun. Then they let us bowl a few free frames downstairs which was fun. I actually didn't do as bad as I usually do!

Tonight we ate at "Blueberry Hill." Had heard that it was a good restaurant. It did definitely have personality. Passed by a beautiful neighborhood on our way back to our motel. The homes were big and brick and we loved the atmosphere of the neighborhood. I think the neighborhood was called "Parkway?" Stunning, scenic, and cool.

We're all still having fun and tomorrow we move on. Please continue to pray for our safety as we drive and that we don't forget anything as we move from place to place.

Road Trip Day 2

2008-07-14T18:15:00.003-06:00

Note: We are now on day 4 of our trip. Didn't have access to internet till now. Enjoy my last recap!

As I type this, we are driving through a deep beautiful canyon in Colorado. I made a playlist on my MP3 player of “road trip” songs. It was fun to have “Rocky Mountain High” by John Denver come on a little while ago. A song about Colorado while we’re driving through Colorado. Cool.

We finished up Arches National Park yesterday. I told my husband it was hotter than Hades there. But so beautiful and fun. We tried a strenuous hike yesterday morning to see the “Delicate Arch.” I wasn’t sure the girls could do it but I was so proud of them. We scaled “slick rock” (which is beautiful, cool rock by the way), we hiked up trails, we rounded a treacherous rim – and there it was. This cool natural rock arch on the top of the mountain. We’d been up there maybe 10 minutes when my husband handed me my cell phone. My mom had called! And we got it on the top of this mountain – isn’t that amazing? When I hung up with her I made the comment that I was amazed the service came in up there to which about 5 people sitting nearby me echoed “Yah,” “Uh-huh”, “me too!” I laughed inwardly to think that they’d all been listening to my conversation. Someone asked me if I had Verizon to which I replied yes. So there’s your plug – Verizon!

We also saw the Landscape Arch yesterday. We couldn’t hike right up to it as a big slab of it fell away in 1991. But it was vast to look at. The girls were so wiped out by then and the intensity of the sun was only growing. They aren’t kidding when they say there isn’t much shade out there!! We estimated that we hiked over 5 miles yesterday. I was so proud of my girls. They were real troopers and had such great attitudes in the heat and tough climbs.

We spent the night in Grand Junction, CO. Had a little time to go to the pool which held about 15 of the most rude kids I’ve come across in awhile. The supervision of them was lackadaisical and the kids pretty much ruled the pool. I was saddened and amazed that parents would let their kids disrespect others so greatly.

Which brings me back to where I sit in my car – driving through Colorado. We’ve seen some fun signs like “No name next exit” And “Eagles on Highway.” To which we saw none but found humorous.

I’ve seen some beautiful scenery already and find myself wondering at all the small towns we pass through. Who lives there? What kind of lives do they lead? Are they happy?

Today is another long car day. But we’re having fun. We’re yelling “tunnel” as long as we are in one and we just ran out of breath in the last one. Time together as a family. So far – it’s a blast.

The Great State of Utah

2008-07-11T20:39:00.007-06:00

My family has been looking forward to this summer's vacation for months now. Months. It's a big one for us. A 3 week cross country trek.

As we undertake this adventure, I'm going to try to record it when I can for my own memory-making purposes. I don't mind if you peek in on me as I do. :)

Today we took a loooong drive to Utah. About a 10 hour drive. We stopped in Roy, Utah at the Burger Bar for an early lunch. We saw the Burger Bar on "Diners, Dive's and Drive-Ins" a week or so ago. (I may be getting the show's name wrong as I usually do). It had some decent burgers.

We were going to stop at the sign as we entered Utah and take a picture. Our goal was to have our picture taken by every state sign on this trip. Of course right as we were nearing the state line, my daughter started talking to us and distracting us. My husband said, "Uh - the sign should be right here." I looked up and saw nothing but a big semi and then as "whoosh" we drive by the semi, realize that he had been parked RIGHT in front of the state sign blocking it from view. Couldn't he park somewhere else?? Sheesh. So there goes that plan. We'll still try to get pictures by as many as we can - but Utah won't be in the mix, I guess.

Our navigation system was a blessing. Except in Parker, UT where it took us left, left, and right. Right back to the same road we had just been on! I think it was confused. We all laughed except my husband who took a few minutes to unstressify himself.

So, tonight we are in Moab, Utah. We arrived at Arches National Park late afternoon. When I opened our car door I was just s-m-a-c-k-e-d with the heat. I think it was 100 but man - it felt like 115. It was HOT. I haven't been smacked by heat that hot in a long time. Luckily, some clouds came rolling in and the winds blew cooling things off so we could go on a few trails this evening. Can I just say that Arches is STUNNING?? Simply stunning. I told my husband that only God could astound like that. Nothing man makes even comes close. Just wait until you see some pictures.

So, now we're all about ready to turn in for the night. It was a long drive and a long day. I got up at 4am and I'm tired.

No Limit

2008-07-08T09:24:00.007-06:00

As a writer, there are times when I feel blocked or stumped as to what to write about. It happens with every writer, I suppose. Luckily for me, these times are usually very short-lived.

My husband once asked me, “How can you come up with so many different topics to write about?” And my answer is this; “Because God is constantly showing me new things.”

I think sometimes we go through life thinking we’ve seen it all and we’ve heard it all. We know all there is to know about God. We know the “rules” and we grow stagnant in our lives and walk with Him because we’ve lost our excitement over living for Him and over loving Him.

Well, I’ve come to learn that I will never learn enough. God amazes and astounds me. He is so creative, so surprising, and so endearing to my heart. He knows far better than me what should and should not be done in my life. He knows when I need to be humbled and brought to my knees. He knows when to encourage me lest I be too lost and discouraged. He knows when to prod me to dig deeper and when to gently urge me to be still. You’d think I’d know when to do these things on my own – but I don’t. I’m so human and I get caught up in life just like everyone else.

I think life is far more intricate than any of us could possibly comprehend. And I think it’s more exciting than most of us have experienced. We let those times of feeling blocked and stumped completely stop us in our tracks. We let the challenges halt us and we lose the adventure because of our fear of failing – our fear of falling.

Just as my words on paper have no limit in what they can say, God has no limit of what He can do in our lives. Sometimes all He’s waiting for is for us to look up and acknowledge Him. Will you let Him teach you? Will you let Him take you on the adventure of a lifetime? Or will you sit back and say, “I wish I could have done what they did.”

Don’t let the “blocks” in your life hold you back. I promise you, God can use them and He can still use you. Just be open to letting Him show you what great creative surprise He has in mind. I just bet you will never have thought of it. But you will love it just the same.

Keeping It Real

2008-07-04T11:15:00.004-06:00

I decided to change my blog name from "Using My Voice" to "Keeping It Real." Why? Well - I liked "Using My Voice" because that's what I've always felt I was doing here on this blog. Using my voice to inspire and impact others in some way from what I learn along the way. I've never been one to feel like I could remain silent about right or wrong and I certainly have always had a heart to want to encourage others.

But....

over time, it has just felt a little odd to have the title of "Using My Voice" when you can't hear me - I'm writing. And "Using My Pen" didn't feel right either since it really is "Using My Keyboard."

Anyways - "Keeping It Real" is the title to my column at MomWriters Literary Mag and I like it because that's who I am. I try to always be authentic and honest yet loving from a heart that knows I am far from perfect and have many flaws and make mistakes daily. So I do try to "Keep It Real" in every word I write.

So there you have it. My name change. I hope you like it. And if you link to my blog from yours - please do update your links. :) Thanks so much!

Contemplating

2008-07-01T19:50:00.007-06:00

It's a nice summer evening and my family seems to - each one - be taking a "time out" to waste away an hour or two. And we deserve it. Life has been so busy for us lately. We each could use some time to "veg" out. As I type, my husband is watching a "man" movie full of action, yelling, and war. :) My two daughters are upstairs playing Barbies and they haven't even argued for at least the last 45 minutes!! Whoohoo! I am here on the computer.

Our family is having a very busy but exciting summer. Just a little over a week ago we said goodbye to my husband's family members after about 25 of them came to our humble abode for a family reunion. It was chaotic, it was loud, it was full, and it was fun.

Now, we are gearing up for our first ever jaunt across the U.S. We leave in just about a week and a half. Never mind that gas prices are at record highs - that food prices are high - we are going.

It was so hard to narrow down what states we could go to. We just wanted to go everywhere. But I will be visiting some states that I have always wanted to see-- Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, South Dakota, Wyoming, Minnesota, etc. So if you live in any of these states - maybe you could send me a tip or two or three? How's the weather right now? What kind of humidity will a dry- weather-Idaho-girl have to face?

I think things are finally starting to come together for this trip. We still have a few loose ends that need to be taken care of but I'm hoping that all will go well with those. And if not, well, they won't go well I guess, and somehow we'll deal with that.

As I take a little "breather" for myself tonight, I wanted to share one observation I've noticed lately. It seems to me that life used to slow down when school got out. Everyone looked forward to summertime and the relaxing days in the sunshine, down time in the yard, and simpler lifestyle. Yet all I've been reading about lately is how busy people are. Busier than during the school year, I think.

So, I pose this question to you - are you busier because of your own choices?? I think we need to be so careful about filling up our time with stuff just to act like we are all successful and wanted and soooo busy. What are we teaching our kids? That in order to be happy they have to live life at mock 2 and about kill themselves from all of the stress?? Hmmm -- just something to think about.

I, for one, am constantly fighting against a busy lifestyle. Sometimes it's because of my own choices, sometimes it's just a season of life as a parent, and sometimes it's just unavoidable life stuff. But I'm constantly fighting against it. And in just under two weeks, I hope to take a huge time out from daily life with my family and go explore. We plan to make memories, laugh, see God's hand in all He has made around us, learn, love, and live. Maybe forget about clocks and schedules and demands for once. Maybe we'll simply eat when we get hungry and walk where where the wind takes us. Maybe we'll lay our heads back, close our eyes, and dream a little. We'll see what we want to see and stop when we want to stop for the day. Maybe - just maybe - we'll soak up each moment instead of rushing through it. We'll let it impact us and change us.

I simply can't wait.