Sometimes It Just Takes A Little...

....kick in the pants.

I am in a new Bible Study this summer.

It is hittin' me right where it hurts.

When I heard about this Bible study, I was torn.  I knew the leaders would be good.  I knew several friends who were going to do it.  I knew I probably SHOULD be there.  My brain kept saying, "I cannot do one more thing." 

I went anyway. 

I should have known by the title that this was going to be ugly.

"EXTREME SPIRITUAL MAKEOVER: HEART EDITION."

That part sounded okay.  It was the sub-title that made me cringe.

"Reflecting the Heart of Christ in My Priorities."

Ugh.

I always have good intentions.  I know in my mind what my priorities are.  However, sometimes (often) I get way too caught up in things I love to do -- both on and off the job -- and I over-commit.  They are not bad things, most are even areas of ministry, but it's often too much.

So the Bible Study started something like this:

Priority #1 - A Heart Consumed with God

This sounded like a good place to start.  I honestly thought this section might be somewhat of a "review".

And then I started hearing things like...
*We assume too easily that we know God or love God.
*Do you love God more than you want your next breath?
*What does God see when He looks at my heart?
*Life is not all about me; it is about HIM. 
*Do I live like I know Him personally or like I know about Him distantly?
*Do I enjoy God, or do I do things just out of duty?

And that was just the first week. 

Next we ventured into Priority #2 - A Heart Prepared to Serve

Let's just say this one hurt a little bit, too.  I can sum it up pretty well with this quote from the study, "We plan our lives around the world and not around God, and wonder why our lives are mediocre."

I thought Priority #3 would give me a little reprieve.  It was "A Heart Devoted to My Husband".  I have no idea why I received such a blessing in this area, but my husband is amazing.  I was ready to coast for awhile...

...and then the subject of self-denial was presented.  Human beings as a whole (or at least Americans) struggle with this concept, and I am no exception.  John McArthur wrote a great piece on self-denial, but this sentence pretty much sums it up...."When you are content with any food, any offering, any clothes, any climate, any solitude, any society, any interruption by the will of God---That is dying to self."

O.K.A.Y.

And then there was today.

Priority #4:  A Heart Devoted to My Children.

I have pages of notes about the important role we play in the spiritual nurturing in our children's lives. 

It was all good stuff to think about.

More than "think about", it was all good stuff to be intentional about doing.

I left overwhelmed.

And rethinking my priorities.

Again.

I Will Never Let Him Forget This

Every now and then my kids say something that just makes me LAUGH. 

Today's conversation had to be put into writing.

Not because it is funny, but because I need it documented so I can remind my son of this next month.

And next year.

And when he is 8, 11, 12, 15, 18....

I pulled into the gas station and got out to put fuel in the car.  I was almost done when my oldest son opened his door and said, "It's getting really hot in here."  He did not realized I was finishing right when he said that.

I got right into the car and turned the car on.

He started screaming, "Don't do that! You can't do that!  There is gas pumping into the car!"

I was thankful that he knew this little fact of life, and quickly explained that I was done filling up and that I did not start the car while putting in fuel. 

Then I heard the little guy in the back seat.  "That would have been a dumb decision."

I did not disagree.  "Yes," I said, "that would have been a dumb decision."

Then I heard him whisper (I do not know why he was whispering...), "Parents don't make dumb decisions."

I laughed (to myself, of course), and replied, "You don't think parents make dumb decisions, huh?"

To which  my 6 year old proclaimed, "For a parent to make a dumb decision would be highly unlikely."

Can we just FREEZE TIME??

Brainwashing is a beautiful thing.

Still More Evidence That We Are Not Pet People

Three years ago we got a dog.

Or more like, the dog showed up on our porch and wouldn't leave.

If you need the full version of the story, click here.

The short version is this:

We adopted the dog.

The kids begged and begged to have her.

We decided it would be a good idea for them to have a pet and learn some responsibility.

We fed her every day. 

The kids played with her.  The adults tried.

She tolerated me.  She hated my husband.

The responsibility thing went out of the window.  My husband did everything for her to try to teach her that he was not going to hurt her.

It did not work.

This summer she started acting weird.  She started nipping at my kids and just wasn't acting "normal" (well, for her anyway). 

Taking her to the vet wasn't an option because she wouldn't let any adult close enough to her to actually get her into a vehicle.  We tried a couple of times.  It would have made a very comical video.

She used to allow this.

Not anymore.  She was even strange with the kids. 

We called the vet to ask for some advice.  All things considered -- acting weird, not current on shots, etc., etc. -- they said we were probably going to have to put her down as a safety factor for the kids.  We had a feeling this is what they would say.

This was right before vacation. 

This may be terrible, horrible parenting, but we decided to go ahead and let my FIL put her down while we were gone.  We didn't tell the kids.  We honestly did not even think about letting them tell her "goodbye". 

I may have mentioned once or twice that we are not really "pet people". 

On vacation, we discussed what the best way would be to tell the kids.  After thinking about it, my husband said, "Actually, I want to wait and see how long it takes them to notice that she is gone."

I am sure this advice can not be found in any sane parenting book. 

Here's the deal.

We have been home for a week.

168 hours.

They have not said ONE WORD.

How is it possible that they do not notice that the dog is gone? 

Granted, she didn't live inside or anything, but really?? 

I am in awe of this mystery.  Every day I want to shout out, "have you noticed anything missing around here?!" 

Maybe tomorrow.

"40" Revisited

Once I returned from our vacation, I realized that I let my birthday come and go this year without revisiting my "40 before 40" list. 

I am two years into this little project, and NOT.EVEN.CLOSE to 2/5 of the way complete.  I am going to blame this on the fact that last summer I went back to work full time and I started my master's degree.  Every time I say those words out loud (or type them on the computer) I realize how incredibly dumb that decision sounds. 

I won't deny it....it probably wasn't the best choice I have ever made to do both of those big changes at the same time.  However, I am now over half-way through, and I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.  I am hoping that soon I will look back and be able to say "that wasn't so bad".  No guarantees on that one.

Time to see where I am at on the infamous list....

1. Catch up on my kids' scrapbooks. {Last year I said I made progress.  This year that same comment would make me a liar.  Funny how every time I think I am catching up, those crazy kids just seem to keep getting older.}

2. Exercise faithfully. No more four weeks on, three weeks off. There is a reason no one markets that routine. {Yeah....nope.  Remember that 'working full time and getting my master's' thing?}

3. Go on vacation for an entire week with just my immediate family, and not because work sent us. {Ah hah - DONE!}

4. Read 5 classics recommended by my classic literature fanatic friend. {Shoot, now I have to read more than one per year.}

5. Go snow skiing for the 2nd time. The first time was okay, but everyone says you have to go a second time to really enjoy it. {Negative.}

6. Take my children to a professional football or baseball game. {DONE. Colorado Rockies vs. Chicago Cubs - July 2010.}

7. Visit at least half of the States. So far I think I've only been to 15. {I really, really thought our trip would knock this one out.  Turns out now I have been to 24 states, and that is only if you include Georgia since we landed in Atlanta on our way to England a few years ago.  I knew I should have made my husband take the long route and drive through the corner of Nevada last week....}

8. Develop and keep up a habit of drinking 6-8 glasses of water each day. {Not even close.}

9. Landscape - or better yet, hire someone - to landscape our front yard. {Instead, last summer's heat pretty much killed the whole thing off.  This summer isn't helping either.}

10. Begin and maintain a well-tended garden. {DONE!! Well-tended is relative.  We've had a garden for 2 years now, so I'm gonna call this one good.}

11. Go through the entire house, basement included, room by room, throw out junk, and organize everything. {Ha ha ha ha ha....}

12. Go to the Mall of America. {On the way home from Oregon, my boys were planning our next big vacation.  They want to go northeast next time and see what is the other direction.  We may have to venture to the mall on the way!}

13. Complete a family scrapbook - One that my husband and I actually appear in. {See note on #1.}

14. Read the Bible through in a year. I started this year, but at the rate I am going, I may hit the New Testament in 5 years.  {Did not even make this a goal this year, but at least I am in a great Bible study right now!}

15. See the Grand Canyon. {I am a little nervous that this one won't happen in the next three years considering the direction the rest of the family wants to travel next time.}

16. Get my Master's Degree. {Three classes and field experience left.}

17. Repaint all the walls in my house. {See post in near future about this little issue.}

18. Remember my friends' and family members' birthdays by sending cards, calling, or at least sending emails. {Not bad this year. If I'm desperate, I could say DONE!....That was last year, so I am just going to pretend that I did as well this year.}

19. Get new living room furniture.  {I have brought this up a few times to my dear hubby.  So far, no answer.  I'm thinking he thinks the little guy has not out-grown his destructo phase...which has pretty much been his whole life.}

20. Teach, by example, my kids to volunteer and think of others more. {This has not been a banner year for this one.}

21. Eat less sugar. {Or this one.}

22. Begin recycling and keep it up faithfully. {Still DONE!}

23. Relearn to play the piano well. {I have decided the easiest way to do this is to keep playing the songs my son plays as he progresses through each level. I have successfully mastered Level 2 (that was 2011)...... Unfortunate update on this one -- son has taken a 4 month break and thinks he wants to quit.  I have been showering him with articles about music lessons increasing your academic success and raising test scores.  He's pondering his next move.}

24. See Niagara Falls. {Planning for the future.}

25. Make a family recipe book. I come from a family, and married into a family, with slews of amazing cooks. It would be sad not to pretend that I like to cook and document all of their fabulous recipes.  {Haven't even thought about starting this one.}

26. Still be taking girls' weekends. {So far, so good.}

27. Lay on a beach. Since we love going to the lake, let me qualify this by saying a beach at the local reservoir does not count. I should not be able to see land on the other side of the water.  {CHECK!}

28. Write an adoption book for my son.  {Still trying to figure out the best way to do this.}

29. Have my entire wardrobe be in a single digit size for the first time since I was twelve years old.  {How many of these can I possibly blame on working on a degree??}

30. Go on a mission trip, preferably a family mission trip.  {Waiting til the boys are a bit older.}

31. Tell my kids everyday that I love them. {Unless I don't see or talk to them....}

32. Spend more time putting others before myself. {Uhhhh....ouch.}

33. Consistently do family devotions.  {I can honestly say we have done better this year.  We may not have reached "consistent", but we have improved.}

34. Visit my brother in Oregon.  {YEP!  Don't worry big brother, this list isn't the only reason we came to see you!} :-)

35. Lead a workshop at a Teacher Convention.  {Somebody please tell me why I put this one on here.}

36. Be able to run a 5K. {Not without dying.}

37. Try more food that ends with -ese....Chinese....Japanese..... {I've been to PF Changs twice, does that count?}

38. Spend an entire weekend at home without kids.  {Mom and dad....I'm gonna need your help here!}

39. Water ski for more than a minute without screaming. {First that nasty lake is going to have to clean up its blue-green algae issue.}

40. Practice saying "forty" so I don't pass out when the day arrives. {No, no, and NO!}


I'm doing pretty well!

If I were only 36.

Hmmmmph.

Friday Nights After 15 Years

After being married for 15 years, Friday nights aren't quite what they used to be.

I am looking around and finding it almost comical.

I am sitting in the recliner staring at my laptop.

My husband is sitting on the coach staring at his work laptop.  He is also texting and clearing contacts out of his phone.  We are laughing about the fact that he doesn't remember some of the people he has saved in his phone.

Small disclaimer here on the patheticness of this evening -- I am not feeling well.  I have a sore throat/cold that is hanging in the balance.  I could wake up feeling nearly perfectly normal tomorrow....or I will wake up SICK.  I am hoping for the former. 

That sad part is, I am not completely sure that this evening would look much different if I was feeling 100%.

The boys' twin cousins are over for the night tonight, and the boys are all entertaining themselves downstairs with basketball, air hockey, and wii games. 

We are sitting upstairs catching up budgets and working.

They are downstairs hollering and laughing.

We are upstairs yawning and going through the mail.

They are begging for more time to stay up and play.

We are counting the minutes until everyone goes to bed. 

They are fun and energetic.

We are....not.

Wanna come hang out??

A Big Dose of Reality

We arrived back home at 8:30 on Tuesday night.
The husband and I discussed whether or not to go back to work on Wednesday.  This was a bit of a point of contention for us.  We both had technically taken Wednesday off just in case we needed one more day for the long trip home.   He wanted to stay home to get some things done so he wouldn't feel so overwhelmed with all that there is to do.  I wanted to go to work to get some things done so I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed with all that there is to do. 

We ended up going back to work.  We both came home wondering why. 

It really was a good decision for me to go in and wade through what needed to be done.  However, it is  discouraging to come home with a longer to-do list than I went with. 

The laundry has overtaken what was once a wonderfully clean house.  The piles of clean laundry are lining up for battle with the piles of dirty laundry, but currently I have no idea which side is winning.

Speaking of a clean house, I am convinced that the only way to keep the house clean is to not live in it.

The kids are fighting unmercifully.  I really should be thankful that they were amazing on the entire trip, but at this moment, they are doing a great job of blotting out those memories.

By the end of our trip, we had eaten at so many restaurants that I put a "ban" on eating out and junk food.  This seemed like a great idea while watching my kids eat their last vacation meal of unhealthy food.  Now this means grocery shopping, menu planning, and cooking.  As much as I got tired of eating out, I never got tired of not cooking!  It has taken me most of the morning just to figure out how to restock this house.

Now that I have spent half my day mourning the fact that reality has hit, it is time to embrace it.  I am thankful for a great vacation, for safety on our trip, and for family time.  Now it is my turn to be thankful for a cool house to come home to, a job which surrounds me with great colleagues and an avenue for ministry, and the ability and desire to care for my family. 

Here's to looking forward to the rest of the summer.

Day 12

After a final long day of travel, we are home. 

The suitcases are unpacked, and the laundry is piled high.

It really is true, it is much easier to come home when the house is clean.

Here are a few random "Trip Wrap-Up" facts and thoughts....

1.  It is illegal to pump your own fuel in Oregon.  This took awhile to get used to.  Actually, I am not sure my husband ever got used to it.  I could see some huge advantages to this (snow, rain, wind....), but it is not fantastic when you are in a big hurry.

2. Speaking of hurry, we may be able to learn a thing or two from the people in Oregon.  The fuel thing might work there because it honestly does not seem like people in Oregon are in near as huge of a hurry as the rest of the world, especially when it comes to driving.  Although not perfect, they are in general more cautious than anywhere else we went.  The 55 mph speed limits on highways were definitely new and different.

3.  If I hear "Can we go to a gift shop?" or "Can we buy something here?" from my little guy one more time, I may just explode.  The boy is obsessed.  I will say, however, that when he gets something new, it does typically entertain him quite well -- at least for 12 hours.

4.  The funniest quote from the whole trip is still up for debate.  For awhile it was the "Are these guys all dead?" comment at Mount Rushmore.  However, yesterday afternoon, after driving a collective 58ish hours, we crossed back over the KS state line.  After I said, "We're back in Kansas, boys.", the little guy piped up, "We're not in Oregon anymore?!? Shoot."

5.  Finally, this trip was definitely a lesson in geography for all of us.  Not traveling much as a kid, I had no idea (beyond textbooks and virtual pictures) what we would see past Colorado.  Needless to say, God must like variety, and He did a pretty good job of sharing it with us.  Imagine that.

Day 11

I think we have plumb wore these kids out.

Day 11 found us in Salt Lake City, and we discovered that the place we thought we were going to go was not near as appealing as it was 4 months ago during our online searches.  So, we chatted with the kids, and the conversation went something like this...

Me: Here are some different places listed as good things to do here....Antelope Island State Park - how does that sound?

Them:  How does that compare to Yellowstone?

Me:  Uhhh.....moving on.  They have a Children's Museum, do you want to go there?

Them:  We did that in Portland.

Me:  OK, they have a dinosaur museum.

Them:  I don't know....maybe.

Me:  There is the Great Salt Lake.

Them:  Will it be like our day at the ocean?

Me:  Well....no.  What do you want to do?

Them:  Do they have a movie theater?  Can we just swim and then go to the mall and see a movie?

I am sure everybody drives clear to Salt Lake City to go to the mall and see a movie.  But, that is what we did.  We were shaking our heads about the fact that we could see Brave 12 miles from where we live, but honestly, the odds weren't good that we were going to take them to a movie any time soon upon returning from vacation.  We took this as a sign that it was a good thing we were officially on our way home.

The oldest child did agree that we should go see some things that could only be found in Salt Lake City.  So we headed out to the Great Salt Lake. 

I am sure there had to be better spots than where we went, but it was incredibly hazy and very hard to see much of the lake.

Our first mistake was to roll down the window to take some pictures.  This lake STINKS.  Literally. It smells BAD.

I may be in error to judge so quickly.  We went to one area and did not stay long.  We really didn't give it much of a chance.

But in the words of my 9 year old, "At least we can say that we've seen the Great Salt Lake." 

The mall was only a few blocks from the famous Mormon temple, so we had to check that out as well.

My oldest has been tracking the states and state capitals he has been to, so he was thrilled to actually see a capitol building.  I think this is the first one he's actually been near.

That about wraps up Salt Lake City.  A little bit of tourism, a little bit of shopping, and a whole lot of fun family bonding time. 

Fourteen hours to go til Kansas!

Day 10

Observations from our 13 hour day of travel:

1.  Not one person asked "Are we there yet?" at any point in the day.  I am still reeling in shock over that one.

2.  We drove 3 1/2 hours before anyone asked to use technology.  Yet another surprise.

3.  Idaho and Utah are terrible places to play the alphabet game with signs.  Snoozeville U.S.A.

4.  If fact, upon entering Idaho, we saw 6 signs within a 3 mile range about pulling over to prevent fatigued driving.  I'm thinking western KS needs to invest in some of these signs.

5.  We saw a couple of road signs we have never seen before -- "Severe Storm Area" and "Occasional Blinding Dust Storms Possible".  These were in the same 20 miles and left us feeling very safe and secure.

6.  Experimenting with all of the different language options on the GPS can provide significant entertainment when you've ridden in the car as much as we have.

7. I have no idea how 2 boys can get so "hungry" sitting in the car and doing nothing, but the secret to happy travel must be packing enough snacks.


8. Two pens in the hands of each son creates hours of Rock Band performances.  Unfortunately, we realized much too late that these same pens also create scratches on the windows.

9.  In the hands of a very emphatic drummer, these pens also have a tendency to explode and shoot purple ink onto the pants of the parent sitting in front of the little drummer.  It is possible that I have purple hair as well.

10.  Finally, I am happy to report that the prized clay swan creation survived leg one of the trip home, thus avoiding crying fits for the time being.

Day 9

I'm not sure how the days flew by so quickly, but today was our last day in Oregon.  We set out on one last sight-seeing adventure.  Wow, this state is beautiful.  I wish I had a dollar for every time someone said, "You sure don't see this in Kansas...."

We started with a quick stop at the Vista House to check out the scenery.  Again....amazing.

This is what it looks like from the very top.

And this (below) is what it looks like from the highway below.

See that little tiny rock-looking formation in the middle of the picture?  That is where we were.  That "rock" at the top is the Vista House.  Yet again another example of why it is good that I don't see ahead of time where we are actually going. I may have made them leave me at the bottom.

Next stop - Wahkeena Falls and Multnomah Falls. 

The ranger at Wahkeena Falls told us that it was bumper to bumper traffic for the 1/4 mile to Multnomah Falls, and it would be quicker for us to hike the 1/2 mile trail than to drive there.  We contemplated this for awhile and then decided to listen to his advice. 

The trail was not far from the road (just a lot higher up), and we could see that we were in fact moving at a faster pace than the traffic on the road down below us.  We were pretty proud of our ingenious decision to hike the trail and get to the falls quicker.  It  wasn't until the hike back that we realized that we had to drive on that EXACT SAME ROAD to get back on the highway to head for home. 

So much for being ingenious, but we did get some exercise.

And the kids got to see this great little cave on the trail.

The theme of the day...climb to high places.

Needless to say, it was gorgeous up there.

My brother and I ran down from the bridge to get a picture of the boys.  They look annoyed because this is about the 15th time we had them wave to the camera.

 And that's it.

No more Oregon.

Tomorrow we set out for an incredibly long day of driving to Salt Lake City.

I am guessing tomorrow's post (if there is one), will look something like this:

     We drove for hours and hours today.

     And we still weren't even close to our destination.

     Then we drove some more.

     All we heard was "Are we there yet???"

     And then we drove some more.

Can you tell I am looking forward to tomorrow?

Days 7 and 8

This post may need several disclaimers.

Such as...

*PICTURE OVERLOAD*

*EXTREME EXHAUSTION*

and....*I'M NOT EVEN SURE WHAT DAY IT IS ANYMORE*

Yesterday we headed to the coast.

Gorgeous.

A video of this little guy's reaction would have been even better.  He kinda, sorta liked the ocean.

He would walk in as far as we would let him (translation: until someone would grab him and steady his balance to keep him from being pulled under), and then he would run away from the waves to avoid getting wet. 

This was an interesting concept due to the fact that he was wet up to his chest about 2 minutes after this picture was taken.

I am pretty sure he would have done this all day if we would have let him.

The big guy preferred rock climbing.  It is quite possible that it is a good thing that I was not present for this event.  I got the privilege of laying on the beach to "guard" our stuff while the boys went exploring.  I was none to sad about that responsibility.

After beach #1, we headed to a 1/2 mile hike to beach #2 - Smuggler's Cove.  It was amazing as well, but I am limiting uploading more pictures for the sake of sanity for everyone involved.

And then to beach #3 - Cape Kiwanda - a gorgeous beach with huge sand dunes.  We stopped for dinner across the road from the beach.  Some guy in the restaurant saw my oldest son looking across at this ginormous sand dune.  He said, "Betcha can't make it to the top."

That's all it took.  My son could not wait to finish eating to make his dad climb this sand dune with him.

There they are about 2/3 of the way to the top (husband is standing with a black jacket; son is sitting for a quick rest).

My brother and I set off to fulfill my little guy's lifelong dream of seeing a real starfish. 

We managed that pretty easily....about 4 times over.

After the starfish were found, the little one wanted to go to the top of the sand dune.  That, of course, made me all kinds of nervous.  I kept picturing a roly poly child careening down the dune at lightening speed.

Thankfully, he didn't.  They watched the sun set from the very top of the dune.

They were so enthralled with the beach that they begged to bring home some Oregon sand.  This ziploc bag idea worked great until we discovered this morning that there was a stick in the bag.  Ziploc really should have a disclaimer on the box about putting sticks inside the bags.  Turns out sticks will poke holes.  I have a trunkful of sand to prove it.

 

Today we headed to downtown Portland once again.  We had a fabulous lunch with my brother's mom and step-dad, took in some great glow-in-the-dark mini golf, and then headed to VooDoo Doughnuts.  The sign was a bit creepy.

Apparently this place has been featured in all kinds of magazines and on the Food Network.

Looks like people pay attention to the media.  This is the line of people waiting to get doughnuts! 

Seriously, I have never seen such crazy doughnut creations.  Oreo cookie doughnuts, bubble gum doughnuts, doughnuts with cereal on top.  You name it, they have it, even a Maple Bacon Doughnut.  It literally had 2 slices of bacon on the top.  I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of that one.

Yes, some unnamed person in our group actually ate that.

And LIKED it.

Ick.

The boys loved theirs as well.

After that...Children's Museum.

The little guy spent a great deal of time in the Clay Workshop making this creation.  He was so proud of it, we had to take it with us.  It is currently sitting a few feet away from me in the hotel room.  I am having visions of extreme crying fits and tantrums as we unsuccessfully attempt to travel thousands of miles back home with this.

And finally today...dinner on the water.  My folks told my brother that they would pay for a meal out for all of us sometime during the trip.  This floating restaurant was a special treat! 

Beautiful weather, an amazing view, and wonderful food made this a perfect end to the evening.  Having our parents cover the bill was icing on the cake!

Day 6

We made it!

Short of throwing the children into the middle of the Columbia River (which is the Washington/Oregon state line), there was no spot to get a fabulous "Welcome to Oregon" picture.  We had big plans and high expectations for an arrival photo, but this is as good as it gets.

If you can't tell, they are jumping up and down for joy. 

I am kind of wishing we would have opted for throwing them in the river.

But what was even funnier was their uncle trying to get a picture of them and the amazing statue way up on the top of the building.  I am sure the people around us were wondering what in the world we were doing, but trust me, we saw stranger things than this during our time downtown.

A few days ago, this is where we were planning to watch fireworks.  It is down by the river and is beautiful.  People, people, everywhere!

However, due to some amazing family connections, we were BLESSED to have a 5th floor condo private balcony right over the river with this view. 

Let's just say this is how the other half lives.

It was F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.

And a bit chilly!  I cannot remember the last time I watched fireworks in sweatshirts, but we weren't complaining.

As much as I love my home state, I have to say, Kansas fireworks may just never be the same after this.

Hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th of July!

Day 5

Here's pretty much what we accomplished today.

When crossing into Idaho, it was windy, raining, and 49 degrees.  We opted to have the kids stay in the car for the picture.

At the Washington state line, there were 6 lanes of interstate traffic and the sign was in the middle of a very skinny median.  We opted to take advantage of Google Images for this little snapshot. 

We drove for about 8 hours today, which was the final long driving day before we reach Portland.  Tomorrow we have just a few hours and should be there by lunch. 

So far I have developed a few "loves" and "don't love so much" experiences.

I love:

1. that the kids have traveled amazingly well. I hate to say that too soon since we have lots and LOTS of hours left in this trip to make it back home.

2. that we have seen mile after mile of God's amazing creation.  The countryside really has been beautiful.

3. that we decided to drive the extra miles to add Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone to the agenda. 

4. that every hotel has had a pool.  This is what the kids look forward to every day.  I honestly think we could have driven 30 minutes from home and booked a hotel with a pool and our kids would have thought it was a pretty good vacation.

5. that we have had so much time together as a family.  We run so many different directions that this aspect of the trip has been priceless.

On the other hand...

I don't love driving in the mountains.

I don't love driving in the mountains for hours and hours.

I don't love driving in the mountains for hours and hours at 6% grade.

I don't love driving in the mountains for hours and hours at 6% grade right beside semis.

I don't love driving in the mountains for hours and hours at 6% grade right beside semis when it is pouring down rain.

I'm not sure my blood pressure is quite down yet.

For those of you who know us well, my oldest son and I are not huge fans of large hills and twists and turns.  Honestly, if I would have known how many DAYS and HOURS of mountain and curvy driving this trip would entail, I am not sure I would have gotten in the car.  Thankfully, I have been pleasantly surprised (shocked, really) at how well we have all done.  There were moments today when I felt like we were never going to drive on a straight road ever again, but we all came out unscathed 6 hours later.  The last 2 glorious hours were relatively flat and straight.  In fact, I think we said, "This is Washington??"

Looks a bit like home to me!

Day 4

Day 4 finds us moving farther west. 

We still screamed tourist, but so did every single person in the park, so all was well.

The scenery was amazing. I have 40 more pictures I didn't post.  You can thank me later.

Funny little story here. 

There are wildfires all over the place right now.  Not specifically in Yellowstone, but several places in Colorado and Wyoming.  We have seen some smoke, but nothing major at this point.  However, there are "Very High Fire Danger" signs everywhere, especially with the 4th of July this week.  It is what everyone is talking about.

As we are leaving our first stop in the park, the gorgeous Yellowstone Lake, my oldest son says, "Dad, there is smoke!"  My husband spots it too and flips the car back around.  Being the firefighter he is, he ran up to see what he could do. 

Keep in mind that we have never been to Yellowstone before.

Keep in mind that we haven't been there long at this point.

Keep in mind that we haven't read any of the literature yet.

Keep in mind that we have no clue what all we will see on this visit. 

What does this picture look like to you?

Fire, right?  It's what any firefighting Kansan (and family) would think.

My husband came running back down to the car, which freaked us out a bit, and said, "Give me the camera."

Huh???

Not a fire.  Hot spring.  Oops.

So he grabs my 6 year old for a piggy back ride and my 9 year old follows closely behind.  They run up to take a picture.

I grabbed a water bottle, so I was a bit behind them.  As I crossed the road and approached the area where they were all standing, I saw the sign: "DANGER.  THERMAL AREA. KEEP OFF."

In their defense, the sign was tiny.  Seriously, it could not have been more than 4 in. X 4 in. on a little post in the ground.

I hollared at them to get off and get back to the car, and they felt really bad that they looked as if they were ignoring the park rules.  However, my husband was still thankful he got a picture before he knew he wasn't supposed to be up there.  I was just thankful they didn't fall in.

Moving on...

The wildlife were out in full force. 

And when I say "full force"....

 I mean full force.  This entire herd was parading up the road like they owned the place.

Well, I guess technically, they do.

This is what you call up close wildlife.   My husband finally rolled the window up because my oldest was panicking in the backseat, "he is coming at the car, he is coming at the car!"  My youngest, however, wanted to get out and see them.

Call us crazy, but we really, really wanted to see a bear today.  Not too close, of course; we are not stupid.  The information paper they give you really does not help an already skiddish child.  First thing the paper said -- two people were killed in Yellowstone last year by bears.  Nice.  I'm pretty sure he now wants Bear Spray for Christmas.  Just in case.  I didn't even know Bear Spray existed. 

At the very end of the trip, we saw this cute little guy. 

I'm not actually sure how little he was.  Or how cute for that matter.

He was a good distance away, and  my hubby teetered on the top of hill to try to get a picture.  This  is full zoom, so don't worry mom and dad, he was not in any danger.  Well, except for the teetering part.  That was making me a tad nervous.

And finally, a Yellowstone blog just wouldn't be complete without Old Faithful.

And on a completely unrelated note....this is most likely what this child will look like next time you see him.  He didn't wear the hat in the swimming pool, but that's about the only time it has come off of his head since lunch time today.