Ah… the days immediately following Christmas. The darkest of days for me when that dreaded question “what did you get for Christmas?” comes up over and over, and over, again. I’ve always hated that question. Always. As a kid, I never got the “big haul” of super-cool presents. I come from a big family, and so there usually wasn’t a lot of extra money. We always had a big family Christmas, but we didn’t do big presents. And for all I know, everyone else in the family may have hated it – but I loved it. All six of us kids, along with spouses, and the grand kids, all came together for dinner and to exchange relatively small gifts on Christmas. We all sat at one HUGE table for dinner. And then we’d all sit around the living room together, in chairs and on the floor and on each others’ laps, and open gifts. We laughed, and talked, and played together all afternoon and into the evening. Those were good afternoons full of love.
But then the 26th came every year. Bleh. When I was a kid, that meant the phone calls from friends, anxious to tell me about the Atari console they got, and the cassette tape player, the new bike, the clothes, the candy, and all of the other stuff. And every year, with every one of those calls, I cringed. Because I knew it meant the question was coming. “what did YOU get?”
I hated it. I grew up on the edge of a cultural change in America. I was stuck right in the middle of a time when families were transitioning from being very minimal and very focused on family to being very gluttonous and focused on things. My parents were a little older, and lived most of their lives with a June & Ward Cleaver sort of thing going on, with just 3 television stations to watch, one car for the family, and a stay-at-home mom. My friends had parents who were a little younger, who were growing up very differently, with two working parents, and less kids, and bigger houses, and with more disposable income to spend on things like cable television and electronic “gadgets”. Their families all gave each other tons and tons of “stuff” every year. My family didn’t do that. We didn’t go crazy about “stuff”. I always got a few things that I really wanted and a few things that I really needed. I never got a big pile of “stuff”. It wasn’t about that.
As a kid, especially a kid in a changing society focused more and more on excess, it was easy to get caught up into thinking that getting more “stuff” meant you were somehow better than those who got less “stuff”. So a part of me never felt like I measured up to those other kids who got those big piles of “stuff”. I never felt like I was one of the cool kids.
“What did you get for Christmas?” I learned to effectively evade the question, not wanting to sound less cool than everyone else. I learned how to focus on maybe just one or two things about my Christmas, and then turn the conversation back to them. It was usually pretty easy to do – most people, especially kids, don’t have trouble talking about themselves. Thankfully, the school break provided a slight buffer. By the time we all went back to class in January, the excitement over all that “stuff” was usually waning, and evading got easier.
As an adult, you’d think it wouldn’t even be an issue. After all, as adults we’re all more in control of our emotions, right? We’re all more mature, and less materialistic, and able to focus on the real reason for the season, right?
Not.
In the dark days immediately following Christmas, we’re still all like a bunch of kids – excited about getting gifts, and anxious to share that excitement. It hasn’t changed. I still hate the question. “What did you get for Christmas?” I still don’t ever feel like I measure up. I still have friends who’s families go overboard. And even when I receive gifts that I LOVE, and that are very thoughtfully given, and that are REALLY cool, and sometimes even really expensive, it seems there’s always someone who gets a more “perfect” gift, and it just gets to me when they tell me about it. And while I am now a grownup who can rationally understand that the number of presents you get does not represent the measure of someone’s love for you, and I am now a grownup parent who truly wants to impart that wisdom to her kids, a part of me still wishes that I could be the one who has all the coolest stuff in a really huge pile of presents.
This all makes me sounds just awful, I know. Trust me, if I could get back just one of those family Christmases with all 25 or 30-ish of us crammed into my parents house, passing bowls of mashed potatoes around that huge table, I’d be the happiest girl on earth. I wish like crazy that I could somehow take Charlie and the kids to just one of those Matthews family Christmases so they could understand how great it was. And I dearly love the Christmases I have now! It’s wonderful to be able to give my family a fun Christmas full of love, albeit a different kind of Christmas than I had a kid. And I’m the first one to mean it when I say that all I really want for Christmas every year is to be with the people I love. I’m just sayin’… no matter how grown up I get, I still can’t get beyond that selfish, childish, silliness – part of me still wants a mountain of toys.
But I’m working on it.
I’m working on getting better. Bear with me.
(and, yes, I DO know that this is not what you’d expect from me after my long blogging absence this fall… I’m working on getting better at this, too!)
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Such a Slacker!
I really AM such a slacker about blogging sometimes. I think I could find more time, but... it never seems to really materialize. ANYway, I HAVE been thankful this week, even if I haven't kept up on my posts.
On Sunday the 6th, I said on fb that I was thankful for the friends I've made since I met and married the HH, moved to Sherman, and joined the church here. And I really and truly am. On Sunday night, the church youth group, and their families, were invited to the Henrickson's house for a cookout. I am so often humbled by the generosity of the people I know! The Henricksons welcomed a small crowd to their home, where kids of all ages ran around like crazy, playing football and games, singing, eating, worshipping (it IS youth group!), and having a great time. While the kids played, the adults talked and laughed. Nights like that make me realize how very fortunate I am.
Monday the 7th was a slightly different sort of thankful. I overslept. While I DID set my alarm on Sunday night before going to bed, I did NOT set it correctly. Somehow, I managed to set it for PM instead of AM. UGH! As usual, I didn't wake when the HH got up at 4:30 for the paper route, but thankfully, at 5:35 (ish) when he returned, I did hear the garage door opening. Thankfully, that was still early enough that I could manage to rush and get out the door on time!
On Tuesday the 8th, I didn't manage to get anything posted, but I most certainly was thankful. Around 3:00 that afternoon, I started to get feeling back in my nail bed! I haven't had ANY feeling in my fingertip or nail bed since the surgery last month to remove a cyst. I was typing, and as I hit the keyboard, I FELT IT! I was so excited! I still don't have full feeling in that fingertip, but at least I know that it's coming back, albeit slowly. I finally managed to post about that on Wednesday. (talk about getting behind!)
Wednesday and Thursday, well... I was slackin'. Wednesday, I THOUGHT about what I was thankful for. Really, I did. I just never quite made it to the computer to post anything. And that was due to one the very things I was thankful for. I had choir practice at church, followed by a committee meeting, and so I was away from home for most of the night. I am thankful that I can be involved at our church. We have an active, growing church, and I'm glad to be a part of it. On Wednesday, I was also very thankful to know a GREAT mechanic who takes care of us. The clutch on the car is going out, and our go-to guy, Steve, checked it out, tried to apply an interim fix, gave us some advice and options, and did not charge us for his time. What a guy! I say it all time, and I'll say it again... we know some of THE BEST people!
I could probably have come up with a hundred ways to be Thankful for Thursday being my Friday yesterday. But more than that, I was consciously aware of being thankful that I am not miserable. It seems like there are way too many people in our world who are unhappy, and express it in a myriad of ways. I'm SO thankful to not be so unhappy that I have to end up "sharing" it with the world.
And now it's Friday the 11th. 11/11/11. Veteran's Day. I am thankful for everyone who is braver than I, for those who selfLESSly defend me and my fellow Americans and our way of life. I am especially thankful for my favorite veteran, my dad. He raised me and my brothers and sister to be appreciative, loving, hard-working, and humble. He taught us by example to be good citizens. He's a great guy who served his country to his best ability as a soldier in the Philippines in WWII, and then came home to serve all of us to his best ability as a man. I love him and respect him, and am thankful to have him in my life.
And now it's time to get off my slacker butt, and get something done! It's a beautiful fall day, and I've got about a thousand beautiful fall projects to work on around this house!
On Sunday the 6th, I said on fb that I was thankful for the friends I've made since I met and married the HH, moved to Sherman, and joined the church here. And I really and truly am. On Sunday night, the church youth group, and their families, were invited to the Henrickson's house for a cookout. I am so often humbled by the generosity of the people I know! The Henricksons welcomed a small crowd to their home, where kids of all ages ran around like crazy, playing football and games, singing, eating, worshipping (it IS youth group!), and having a great time. While the kids played, the adults talked and laughed. Nights like that make me realize how very fortunate I am.
Monday the 7th was a slightly different sort of thankful. I overslept. While I DID set my alarm on Sunday night before going to bed, I did NOT set it correctly. Somehow, I managed to set it for PM instead of AM. UGH! As usual, I didn't wake when the HH got up at 4:30 for the paper route, but thankfully, at 5:35 (ish) when he returned, I did hear the garage door opening. Thankfully, that was still early enough that I could manage to rush and get out the door on time!
On Tuesday the 8th, I didn't manage to get anything posted, but I most certainly was thankful. Around 3:00 that afternoon, I started to get feeling back in my nail bed! I haven't had ANY feeling in my fingertip or nail bed since the surgery last month to remove a cyst. I was typing, and as I hit the keyboard, I FELT IT! I was so excited! I still don't have full feeling in that fingertip, but at least I know that it's coming back, albeit slowly. I finally managed to post about that on Wednesday. (talk about getting behind!)
Wednesday and Thursday, well... I was slackin'. Wednesday, I THOUGHT about what I was thankful for. Really, I did. I just never quite made it to the computer to post anything. And that was due to one the very things I was thankful for. I had choir practice at church, followed by a committee meeting, and so I was away from home for most of the night. I am thankful that I can be involved at our church. We have an active, growing church, and I'm glad to be a part of it. On Wednesday, I was also very thankful to know a GREAT mechanic who takes care of us. The clutch on the car is going out, and our go-to guy, Steve, checked it out, tried to apply an interim fix, gave us some advice and options, and did not charge us for his time. What a guy! I say it all time, and I'll say it again... we know some of THE BEST people!
I could probably have come up with a hundred ways to be Thankful for Thursday being my Friday yesterday. But more than that, I was consciously aware of being thankful that I am not miserable. It seems like there are way too many people in our world who are unhappy, and express it in a myriad of ways. I'm SO thankful to not be so unhappy that I have to end up "sharing" it with the world.
And now it's Friday the 11th. 11/11/11. Veteran's Day. I am thankful for everyone who is braver than I, for those who selfLESSly defend me and my fellow Americans and our way of life. I am especially thankful for my favorite veteran, my dad. He raised me and my brothers and sister to be appreciative, loving, hard-working, and humble. He taught us by example to be good citizens. He's a great guy who served his country to his best ability as a soldier in the Philippines in WWII, and then came home to serve all of us to his best ability as a man. I love him and respect him, and am thankful to have him in my life.
And now it's time to get off my slacker butt, and get something done! It's a beautiful fall day, and I've got about a thousand beautiful fall projects to work on around this house!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Festival Of Trees
Today, I spent the day on the Illinois State Fairgrounds, in the Orr Building, at the Memorial Medical Foundation's Festival of Trees super set up day. This is (I think) the 9th time I've done something at the Festival of Trees. I am so very thankful that I am able to do this again this year. My family has always used Memorial, and they've always gone above and beyond - from the time I was born, to when my dad and brother had their open heart surgeries, to many other life events, and doing a tree for the Festival of Trees is a way I feel I can give something back. They take my tree, make it part of a great week-long event, and raise a large amount of money that they use to do a large amount of good.
Here's a picture of me and my tree. I'm not at my best in this one, but... by this time, I'd been on my feet all day, wiring ornaments one-by-one to the tree, and was covered in glitter, hot, thirsty, and ready for a break.
If it hadn't been for my very good friend, Jennifer, I'd probably STILL be there. She came out and helped me all day - with attaching wires, and hot gluing, and pretty much whatever I needed. She was a life-saver! Some people hot glue every ornament onto the trees they decorate, and I supposed that is probably a simple solution to the requirement that everything be firmly attached. I just can't do it, though. It takes longer to wire each ornament onto the branches, but taking that extra time means that the tree and the ornaments can all be disassembled and re-used. I know some businesses that sponsor the Festival, and get to take a tree at the Festival's end, do just that... they disassemble and re-use everything to raise additional funds for charity through sale and/or auction of the items.
I just have to go back tomorrow and put a few finishing touches on my tree, like place the tree skirt, and then I'll be done. The only thing left to do after that will be to enjoy the Festival of Trees Gala next weekend, and then the Festival itself the following week.
I can't wait!
Here's a picture of me and my tree. I'm not at my best in this one, but... by this time, I'd been on my feet all day, wiring ornaments one-by-one to the tree, and was covered in glitter, hot, thirsty, and ready for a break.
If it hadn't been for my very good friend, Jennifer, I'd probably STILL be there. She came out and helped me all day - with attaching wires, and hot gluing, and pretty much whatever I needed. She was a life-saver! Some people hot glue every ornament onto the trees they decorate, and I supposed that is probably a simple solution to the requirement that everything be firmly attached. I just can't do it, though. It takes longer to wire each ornament onto the branches, but taking that extra time means that the tree and the ornaments can all be disassembled and re-used. I know some businesses that sponsor the Festival, and get to take a tree at the Festival's end, do just that... they disassemble and re-use everything to raise additional funds for charity through sale and/or auction of the items.
I just have to go back tomorrow and put a few finishing touches on my tree, like place the tree skirt, and then I'll be done. The only thing left to do after that will be to enjoy the Festival of Trees Gala next weekend, and then the Festival itself the following week.
I can't wait!
Friday, November 4, 2011
A Little Off Track
I got a little off track this morning, and ended up running late. Granted, I got off track because I was getting something accomplished (dinner is prepped, in the fridge, and ready to pop in the oven!), but I ended up running late nonetheless.
It’s OK.
The kids get themselves ready for school now. Once they’re awake, they’re pretty self-sufficient these days. So I was able to run around like crazy, haul some serious ass, and get out the door on time. Once I was in the van and on the road, I realized what a HUGE deal this is. It means they’re growing up, and behaving responsibly. It means they can take care of themselves just a little more than they used to be able to. It means (yikes!) that I have a house full of young… adults.
I posted to facebook today that I am thankful the kids are old enough to get themselves ready, but now that I've thought about it a little more, I think I have to alter that statement a little. I'm thankful today that the kids are becoming wonderful, and mostly responsible, young adults.
:)
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Thankful
It’s November. An month of giving thanks in America. Since November is right smack dab in the middle of autumn, it’s also a month of giving thanks in a lot of other places, too – thanks for things like a bountiful harvest after a prosperous growing season. Last year, a friend of mine on facebook started November off by making a commitment to post daily one thing she was thankful for, and challenging her friends to do the same. I loved, Loved, LOVED the idea, and took the challenge. This year, I’m doing it again. And this morning, I decided I should do more than just a simple, few-word facebook post. I decided I should expand on each day’s post here on my blog. So…. Here goes nothin’.
Today, I posted that “I’m so thankful for music in my life… In all its forms.”
This little bit o’ thankful popped into my head when I got into the car, and my current favorite song was on the radio. Funny thing was, I had been consciously humming it as I was getting ready to head out the door just moments before. When I heard it on the radio, it put a smile on my face. And then I started to consider songs from throughout my life, and how they’ve offered a backdrop to events along the way – ranging from “Pomp and Circumstance” played during graduation ceremonies, to “Hey, Wife” played by my friend, Victor’s, band at my wedding celebration. Music plays a huge role in our lives. Songs can bring back memories, change our mood, calm our fears. Music can make or break a movie. It can nudge us to make a purchase. It can set the tone for a season (just think “Jingle Bells”).
Music does so much more, too. It gives kids an edge – it gets their minds working in a different, and creative, way that helps them become better learners. It lets all of us express ourselves in very personal and unique ways – whether through music we make ourselves, or through music we choose to listen to. Sometimes it unites us, and connects us to one another (think “Star Spangled Banner”, and tell me THAT doesn’t make you feel connected to your neighbor).
I have known amazing people, and made lifelong friends because of music. Friends made during the days of Shekina tours, friends made at church choir rehearsals, friends made during high school musical performances, and friends found listening to folks play their instruments (and sometimes playing along with them!).
So, today, I acknowledge that music – in all its forms – is something to be immensely thankful for.
Music rocks! ;)
Today, I posted that “I’m so thankful for music in my life… In all its forms.”
This little bit o’ thankful popped into my head when I got into the car, and my current favorite song was on the radio. Funny thing was, I had been consciously humming it as I was getting ready to head out the door just moments before. When I heard it on the radio, it put a smile on my face. And then I started to consider songs from throughout my life, and how they’ve offered a backdrop to events along the way – ranging from “Pomp and Circumstance” played during graduation ceremonies, to “Hey, Wife” played by my friend, Victor’s, band at my wedding celebration. Music plays a huge role in our lives. Songs can bring back memories, change our mood, calm our fears. Music can make or break a movie. It can nudge us to make a purchase. It can set the tone for a season (just think “Jingle Bells”).
Music does so much more, too. It gives kids an edge – it gets their minds working in a different, and creative, way that helps them become better learners. It lets all of us express ourselves in very personal and unique ways – whether through music we make ourselves, or through music we choose to listen to. Sometimes it unites us, and connects us to one another (think “Star Spangled Banner”, and tell me THAT doesn’t make you feel connected to your neighbor).
I have known amazing people, and made lifelong friends because of music. Friends made during the days of Shekina tours, friends made at church choir rehearsals, friends made during high school musical performances, and friends found listening to folks play their instruments (and sometimes playing along with them!).
So, today, I acknowledge that music – in all its forms – is something to be immensely thankful for.
Music rocks! ;)
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
A Sad Night
It's a sad night in our house tonight. Our Auggie Doggie is gone. When Charlie went to feed him dinner, and he didn't respond, Charlie found him laying in his dog house. He must have died in his sleep. He was a good little basset hound, and we loved him. We'll all miss him alot.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Patience
I actually forgot all about taking this picture, even though I was really excited about it at the time. I guess I've been preoccupied with my surgery last Friday, and then a busy weekend full of activities that I muddled through with my bandaged hands.
I've been trying to take a picture of this little guy for weeks. Literally. OK, well... I've been trying to take a picture of this little guy, or one of the other 200 of his buddies that look just like him, for weeks. They live in the beautiful, massive knockout rose bushes at Grab-A-Java on Hedley Street. Every day, I pull in and take my place in line, patiently waiting for my turn to order coffee (which I never actually have to order because someone always has it ready for me when I pull up to the window because they are THAT good there). I usually sit next to the rose bushes for at least one car's order time ahead of me. And every day, I try to take a picture of the little birds. I roll down my window about half a block before I turn in. I even started holding my camera up so the little guys wouldn't be scared by the movement of me lifting it. All to no avail. Half a second before every shot, they always fly away.
Until last Thursday. Last Thursday morning, after I had my coffee in hand, and was about to pull out onto the street, I looked over and saw this little guy perched so nicely, as if he was patiently waiting for me. I rolled down my window. He didn't move. I lifted my camera. He didn't fly away. I took a picture. And another. And another. He stayed. Granted, it's not the best picture ever taken, but... it's a start.
If you know me much at all, you know I've taken hundreds of pictures of birds. And if you know me much at all, you know that only 3 or 4 of said pictures are any good. I guess I keep taking more (and more) pictures because maybe I'm just not ready to give up. Maybe I just need to be more patient.
I'll work on that this week.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Post-Op Day 2
I had a little ganglion cyst removed from my wrist, and also a tiny little cyst removed from the tip of my middle finger, early yesterday morning. Of course, as would be my luck, both hands were involved, so I was mostly useless yesterday, laying around with both hands iced, and propped on pillows. But today is a totally different story. I'm really surprised at how good I feel. I know the doctor told me it wouldn't be bad, and that I would be back to work on Monday with just band-aids, but I expected at least a little more pain than I've had. I'm thrilled at how I'm doing. Just a little tylenol, and I'm mostly fine. Granted, I can't lift anything very heavy, and I don't have full dexterity right now, but overall, I'm having a "normal" day. Especially with a little (OK, alot of) help from the H.H. and from Jack.
Tonight is our church's major fall fundraiser - a chicken dinner, and I didn't get any desserts made for it "pre-op" on Thursday night. I was feeling bad that I wasn't contributing this time, so Jack helped me out by whipping up some brownies. I love the fact that he likes to cook. And the fact that he's getting good at doing alot of it on his own.
With my "semi-down" time, I have been able to get a little bit caught up on my Picture Of The Day page. I may not be able to type very fast, but I can type, and thanks to spell check, it ends up alright. Hopefully, I can get completely caught up, and then keep up on it. I've had to manipulate the dates a little to keep the pictures in order, and I hope I'm keeping that all straight. Lots more updates until I'm finished, but I'm at least finally making headway!
Tonight is our church's major fall fundraiser - a chicken dinner, and I didn't get any desserts made for it "pre-op" on Thursday night. I was feeling bad that I wasn't contributing this time, so Jack helped me out by whipping up some brownies. I love the fact that he likes to cook. And the fact that he's getting good at doing alot of it on his own.
With my "semi-down" time, I have been able to get a little bit caught up on my Picture Of The Day page. I may not be able to type very fast, but I can type, and thanks to spell check, it ends up alright. Hopefully, I can get completely caught up, and then keep up on it. I've had to manipulate the dates a little to keep the pictures in order, and I hope I'm keeping that all straight. Lots more updates until I'm finished, but I'm at least finally making headway!
Friday, October 14, 2011
The Pictures
Bear with me over the next few days... I'm going to make a concerted effort to catch up my pictures of the day blog.
I use Project Life, and the kids seem to like being able to check it out as it progresses. (even though I'm always behind on updating that, too...) But there are so many others at a distance who are interested, so.... I think I'm going to take the approach of using the same pictures, and basically copying my journal card comments to the blog entry for the day.
Hopefully, I'll get myself in order in the coming days... stay tuned.
I use Project Life, and the kids seem to like being able to check it out as it progresses. (even though I'm always behind on updating that, too...) But there are so many others at a distance who are interested, so.... I think I'm going to take the approach of using the same pictures, and basically copying my journal card comments to the blog entry for the day.
Hopefully, I'll get myself in order in the coming days... stay tuned.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
About That Card...
Well, I wish I could add my little endorsement into the post WITH the card image, but that's not working out, so... I'll just tack on another post.
I gotta say "Hooray for Shutterfly"! If you aren't signed up to get their special offers, you really must sign up... I received an offer via email today for 10 free (yes, I said free) cards, so... I decided to take advantage of it.
I used my current fav flower pic - the sunflower on the Mustang preserve outside Eagle Butte, SD. I can't wait until they come! There's no replacing a real, live, hand-written note, and I've been slackin' about sending those. What timing! Shutterfly offer came just in time for me to turn over a new card-sending leaf.
Yay!
I gotta say "Hooray for Shutterfly"! If you aren't signed up to get their special offers, you really must sign up... I received an offer via email today for 10 free (yes, I said free) cards, so... I decided to take advantage of it.
I used my current fav flower pic - the sunflower on the Mustang preserve outside Eagle Butte, SD. I can't wait until they come! There's no replacing a real, live, hand-written note, and I've been slackin' about sending those. What timing! Shutterfly offer came just in time for me to turn over a new card-sending leaf.
Yay!
5x7 Folded Card
Picture In Landscape 5x7 folded card
Click here to browse Shutterfly's modern graduation invitations.
View the entire collection of cards.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Homecoming Success!
The girls both had a fabulous time at homecoming! I'll admit, I was a little worried for a while - what with all the fuss about fixing hair, and finding shoes, and all that junk. I was, indeed, a little worried that they wouldn't have a good time.
But they did.
They really did.
And they looked so beautiful! And so grown up.
But they did.
They really did.
And they looked so beautiful! And so grown up.
I didn't get to take the pictures of Kathryn and her friends before they left for dinner. I was frantically curling Sarah's hair. It took longer than I'd anticipated to get her lovely locks transformed into loose, tousled, flowing curls. So... I sent the handsome husband, armed with the Canon, to snap some shots. And he did a fine job!
Both girls went with a group of friends - Kathryn with a smallish group...
And Sarah with a rather large one...
Sarah's group of friends met at one house for pictures and dinner. The girls, in particular, had fun with the pictures.
After lots and lots - and lots - of picture taking, the kids all had dinner together (served to them by us parental-type folks) and then rode together to the dance in one big RV. It was a great send off!
And Sunday was spent retelling story after story about what a great time they both had at the dance, which is EXACTLY how homecoming is supposed to go. Guess my little bit of worrying was for naught. :)
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Homecoming!
I should be slogging, not blogging... but here I am. Unable to motive to put on those running shoes, worried more about my zillion loads of laundry and pile of dishes that need done. (OK, well, not THAT worried, obviously, since I'm sitting at my little desk blogging away... but you know what I mean!)
It's homecoming weekend for us, and I'm SO excited about it. Yes, I do realize that it's silly for me to be excited. After all, I'm not going to get dressed up and go to a dance. It's a different kind of excited. It's a parent kind of excited...
Kathryn's a Junior this year, so it's a whole different kind of homecoming for her. She's almost all grown up. She's an upperclassman. Ah.... upperclassman. I remember those two years.... you're the "big kids", the ones who set the tone for just about everything in the high school. Juniors really do rule. Seniors are mostly coasting - just about over high school, ready to get out and start living life. And the underclassmen are still trying to find their niche, figure out the pecking order, and settle into high school. Yup. Juniors rule. So it's GREAT year for Kathryn. She's going to homecoming tonight knowing she'll make it a fun night with friends.
Sarah, on the other hand, is a Freshman. Everything's new to her this year. It's her first big "dress up" dance. She'll walk in there tonight, and be so excited just to be experiencing it all. I remember that feeling, too, and I remember it's such a great feeling! It's sort of a "I'm really in high school" feeling. She's finding her niche, and figuring things out. She's going to have such a great time at her first homecoming dance, learning so much about the fun part of high school life.
And they are both going to look fabulous! It's so fun for me to see them all dressed up, with hair and nails done, wearing heels, and beautiful dresses. I can't wait!
But, now, in the meantime, I really do have to get busy on the laundry and cleaning. I've procrastinated slogging completely out of my morning, but the chores just won't go away.
It's homecoming weekend for us, and I'm SO excited about it. Yes, I do realize that it's silly for me to be excited. After all, I'm not going to get dressed up and go to a dance. It's a different kind of excited. It's a parent kind of excited...
Kathryn's a Junior this year, so it's a whole different kind of homecoming for her. She's almost all grown up. She's an upperclassman. Ah.... upperclassman. I remember those two years.... you're the "big kids", the ones who set the tone for just about everything in the high school. Juniors really do rule. Seniors are mostly coasting - just about over high school, ready to get out and start living life. And the underclassmen are still trying to find their niche, figure out the pecking order, and settle into high school. Yup. Juniors rule. So it's GREAT year for Kathryn. She's going to homecoming tonight knowing she'll make it a fun night with friends.
Sarah, on the other hand, is a Freshman. Everything's new to her this year. It's her first big "dress up" dance. She'll walk in there tonight, and be so excited just to be experiencing it all. I remember that feeling, too, and I remember it's such a great feeling! It's sort of a "I'm really in high school" feeling. She's finding her niche, and figuring things out. She's going to have such a great time at her first homecoming dance, learning so much about the fun part of high school life.
And they are both going to look fabulous! It's so fun for me to see them all dressed up, with hair and nails done, wearing heels, and beautiful dresses. I can't wait!
But, now, in the meantime, I really do have to get busy on the laundry and cleaning. I've procrastinated slogging completely out of my morning, but the chores just won't go away.
Friday, October 7, 2011
The REAL Rest of the Story
I had no idea what to expect at the youth center, so when we pulled up the front door, and were greeted by volunteers coming out to help us, it was a very pleasant surprise. As with every task, having lots of helpers made unloading the shoes an easy task. We got everything moved from a piled high van to a nicely organized gymnasium in just a very short time.
With so much excellent help, and everything in place for the shoe drive in record time, we took a few minutes to take a tour of the youth center, talk to the director and to some of the volunteers, and learn a little about what they do there. And let me tell you... what they do there is great!
They give the community, especially the kids, a place to go where they can create opportunity for themselves. To me, one of the coolest things they do there is art. I grew up learning that art touches every part of society, and every part of life - through the radio, architecture, storefronts, photography, magazines, newspapers, television... EVERYwhere. Art is ingrained in us. So to see a place where kids can learn that, and express themselves, was a huge thing for me. I especially loved one project in particular that had been done. They'd used ceiling tiles as canvases, and so there was art above us. LOVE that idea!
That weird feeling that I had coming into Saturday kept going strong while we were at the shoe drive. I met a woman there who was volunteering who seemed particularly familiar. Turned out she was from a neighboring town, and had worked in Springfield for years before retirement. We even knew people in common. And being inside the youth center, meeting and talking with the volunteers and staff, I had that weird feeling that I belonged there. I was very much at ease there all day.
The families we met during the event were simply fantastic. The kids were all fun and full of energy and life, and the parents were some of the friendliest, most genuine people you could hope to talk to. One family, in particular, made a special impression on me. They are a blended family, with 10 kids. The mom works part time, takes classes, and manages that household. (And I think it's rough sometimes with just the 5 of us!) They, like all the families we met, were a joy to share time with.
At home, at too many of the charitable events I've been at, people are not grateful. In fact, all too often, those receiving help don't just not say "thanks", they sometimes say they are entitled to more, or that what they are receiving is not "good enough" (as in hamburger isn't as "good" as steak). It wasn't like that at this event. Every family, every adult, every child was grateful and appreciative. One grandmother talked to us about how her grandson had gone through "another" recent growth spurt, and didn't currently have any shoes that fit. It made me think of the weekend a couple of years ago when Jack grew seemingly overnight... He came to me on a Monday morning, as he was getting ready for school, and was very concerned about his pants and shoes. I couldn't do anything but gape in amazement at him. His new pants were suddenly two inches too short, and he couldn't even get his foot into his shoe! At the time, our budget was extremely tight, and I remember standing there, wondering how I was ever going to juggle things to buy new clothes. I knew exactly what the grandmother was talking about, and it broke my heart to hear her talk about struggling. I think she said "thank you" at least 30 times. Naturally, being in middle of my peri-menopausal hormonal mess, I cried.
I cried lots of times that day. I suppose I cried because it was all just overwhelming for me at the moment. I really had no business driving half way across the United States, even if it was for a good cause. My house needed a roof, my kids were about to start a new school year, my husband needed a new car, just to name a few of the reasons. But there I was, 100% confident that I belonged there, and 100% confident that everything would be OK, and that God would provide for us exactly as we need. And He has. My house still needs a roof. And the Handsome Husband still needs a car. But the kids got back to school with everything they needed plus some, we've taken care of several other unexpected "emergencies", and we're doing OK.
I also cried that day because I was so very, very grateful to be able to help people who truly needed it.
The day wasn't all seriousness and emotional breakdowns, though. It was alot of fun, too. The girls had a great time hanging out together, and a great time working with the young children that came in.
And at the end of the shoe drive, one of the student volunteers at the center gave us each either a streak of color in our hair, or a painted faux feather in our hair. It was a blast!
I think meeting the student volunteers hit a soft spot in my heart. I remember way back when, there was a time when I was much less reserved, and much more free-spirited, and would have signed up in a heartbeat to do what those kids were doing. I remember having a royal blue wash over my dark hair, and putting together some crazy outfits - all in the name of creative expression.
Then I "grew up".
Or did I really just "give up"? I read a post earlier this week about conformity versus conviction. It struck that same nerve... Tugged at that same spot in my heart... Made me stop and think. I think all too often, we equate "growing up" with conforming. We leave the comfort of high school or college, get a "real" job, and suddenly we become zombies in khaki pants, leaving our "wild ideas" of youth behind for the perceived security a new found conformity will bring to our future. Or we make new friends. and in our effort to fit in, we discount the importance of our convictions and go along with the crowd, thinking folks will be more likely to like us if we are more like them.
Phooey. I've been doing all that conforming stuff for a long, long time, and (thankfully!) I'm realizing that it's not really helping me out so much. So I'm going to make a concerted effort to stop conforming for the sake of, well... for the sake of blending in, I guess. A new, more expressive, true to her convictions, Mary is coming BACK around.
I guess maybe the North Dakota trip was the beginning of that. Like I've said, I really had no business going, if you look at it from the conservative, conforming vantage point. But look at it from another viewpoint, and it looks quite different. It looks like the action of someone with great faith, who knew that if she did what she felt was the right thing - the sort of thing that God was leading her to do so that she could learn and grow - that everything would fall into place. And, indeed, it is doing just that.
Even during the last day of that trip, I had more reminders that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Twice more as we drove across South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois, I met individuals whom I am certain I've met before, though rationally I know that's not probable. And the feeling of familiarity stayed with me. Every stop we made, every road we travelled along, every sight I saw, felt "right", and felt reassuring. It's the weirdest thing, and I know I can't fully explain it. All I can say about it is that I was comforted and energized by those signs of reassurance that were placed along the way.
And that brings me to the close of that story. I have a feeling, though, that it's really just the prelude to a much longer, terrifically epic story in my life. I can't wait to find out about that one! :)
With so much excellent help, and everything in place for the shoe drive in record time, we took a few minutes to take a tour of the youth center, talk to the director and to some of the volunteers, and learn a little about what they do there. And let me tell you... what they do there is great!
They give the community, especially the kids, a place to go where they can create opportunity for themselves. To me, one of the coolest things they do there is art. I grew up learning that art touches every part of society, and every part of life - through the radio, architecture, storefronts, photography, magazines, newspapers, television... EVERYwhere. Art is ingrained in us. So to see a place where kids can learn that, and express themselves, was a huge thing for me. I especially loved one project in particular that had been done. They'd used ceiling tiles as canvases, and so there was art above us. LOVE that idea!
That weird feeling that I had coming into Saturday kept going strong while we were at the shoe drive. I met a woman there who was volunteering who seemed particularly familiar. Turned out she was from a neighboring town, and had worked in Springfield for years before retirement. We even knew people in common. And being inside the youth center, meeting and talking with the volunteers and staff, I had that weird feeling that I belonged there. I was very much at ease there all day.
The families we met during the event were simply fantastic. The kids were all fun and full of energy and life, and the parents were some of the friendliest, most genuine people you could hope to talk to. One family, in particular, made a special impression on me. They are a blended family, with 10 kids. The mom works part time, takes classes, and manages that household. (And I think it's rough sometimes with just the 5 of us!) They, like all the families we met, were a joy to share time with.
At home, at too many of the charitable events I've been at, people are not grateful. In fact, all too often, those receiving help don't just not say "thanks", they sometimes say they are entitled to more, or that what they are receiving is not "good enough" (as in hamburger isn't as "good" as steak). It wasn't like that at this event. Every family, every adult, every child was grateful and appreciative. One grandmother talked to us about how her grandson had gone through "another" recent growth spurt, and didn't currently have any shoes that fit. It made me think of the weekend a couple of years ago when Jack grew seemingly overnight... He came to me on a Monday morning, as he was getting ready for school, and was very concerned about his pants and shoes. I couldn't do anything but gape in amazement at him. His new pants were suddenly two inches too short, and he couldn't even get his foot into his shoe! At the time, our budget was extremely tight, and I remember standing there, wondering how I was ever going to juggle things to buy new clothes. I knew exactly what the grandmother was talking about, and it broke my heart to hear her talk about struggling. I think she said "thank you" at least 30 times. Naturally, being in middle of my peri-menopausal hormonal mess, I cried.
I cried lots of times that day. I suppose I cried because it was all just overwhelming for me at the moment. I really had no business driving half way across the United States, even if it was for a good cause. My house needed a roof, my kids were about to start a new school year, my husband needed a new car, just to name a few of the reasons. But there I was, 100% confident that I belonged there, and 100% confident that everything would be OK, and that God would provide for us exactly as we need. And He has. My house still needs a roof. And the Handsome Husband still needs a car. But the kids got back to school with everything they needed plus some, we've taken care of several other unexpected "emergencies", and we're doing OK.
I also cried that day because I was so very, very grateful to be able to help people who truly needed it.
The day wasn't all seriousness and emotional breakdowns, though. It was alot of fun, too. The girls had a great time hanging out together, and a great time working with the young children that came in.
And at the end of the shoe drive, one of the student volunteers at the center gave us each either a streak of color in our hair, or a painted faux feather in our hair. It was a blast!
I think meeting the student volunteers hit a soft spot in my heart. I remember way back when, there was a time when I was much less reserved, and much more free-spirited, and would have signed up in a heartbeat to do what those kids were doing. I remember having a royal blue wash over my dark hair, and putting together some crazy outfits - all in the name of creative expression.
Then I "grew up".
Or did I really just "give up"? I read a post earlier this week about conformity versus conviction. It struck that same nerve... Tugged at that same spot in my heart... Made me stop and think. I think all too often, we equate "growing up" with conforming. We leave the comfort of high school or college, get a "real" job, and suddenly we become zombies in khaki pants, leaving our "wild ideas" of youth behind for the perceived security a new found conformity will bring to our future. Or we make new friends. and in our effort to fit in, we discount the importance of our convictions and go along with the crowd, thinking folks will be more likely to like us if we are more like them.
Phooey. I've been doing all that conforming stuff for a long, long time, and (thankfully!) I'm realizing that it's not really helping me out so much. So I'm going to make a concerted effort to stop conforming for the sake of, well... for the sake of blending in, I guess. A new, more expressive, true to her convictions, Mary is coming BACK around.
I guess maybe the North Dakota trip was the beginning of that. Like I've said, I really had no business going, if you look at it from the conservative, conforming vantage point. But look at it from another viewpoint, and it looks quite different. It looks like the action of someone with great faith, who knew that if she did what she felt was the right thing - the sort of thing that God was leading her to do so that she could learn and grow - that everything would fall into place. And, indeed, it is doing just that.
Even during the last day of that trip, I had more reminders that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Twice more as we drove across South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois, I met individuals whom I am certain I've met before, though rationally I know that's not probable. And the feeling of familiarity stayed with me. Every stop we made, every road we travelled along, every sight I saw, felt "right", and felt reassuring. It's the weirdest thing, and I know I can't fully explain it. All I can say about it is that I was comforted and energized by those signs of reassurance that were placed along the way.
And that brings me to the close of that story. I have a feeling, though, that it's really just the prelude to a much longer, terrifically epic story in my life. I can't wait to find out about that one! :)
Saturday, September 17, 2011
The Rest of My Story
Really and truly, I do not know why this is so hard for me to write about... But, it seems it is, so here I am, finally finishing the story of South Dakota.
Friday the 5th of August, we didn't have to rush, so everyone slept in a bit. When we did get up and get ready, we had to laugh at ourselves. Some of us had put on our "blingy" sort of biker t-shirts, knowing we were headed to Sturgis. We loaded up after a late breakfast and got on the road well rested and ready to go. This part of the trip was on a two-lane highway instead of interstate, and I think it was a more scenic, pleasant drive.
I don't think the girls knew exactly what to expect from Sturgis. They knew it was the place where a huge bike rally was going to happen, and that's about it. Keep in mind, we were going there the morning before things got started, so it was totally calm. The first bike we saw, though, was a good one - pink, and decked out with pink feather boas!
We paused, of course, at the edge of town for a couple of pictures...
Still at the edge of town, it seemed like any other small town, but once we go a few blocks in, it was obviously not just any other place. We were literally in the middle of an ocean of motorcycles!
We went into the Harley-Davidson store, looked around, and bought t-shirts to take back home with us, and then we started talking to people. This is where the day got really strange for me...
We talked to a really nice guy named Gary, I think. He was from a town near Atlanta. Around our age, maybe a little older. He helped us find someone willing to let us sit on their Harley for a photo op. the weird part is that I swear - I mean I SWEAR - I know this guy. I can't tell you from where or how, but I will forever believe that I'd met him before. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind about it. From the way he looked to the sound of his voice, to the way he shook my hand. I know that I've met that guy before.
Anyway, moving on from the weird stuff... We each took a turn posing on a bike, which was sort of fun. Tonya even took a ride around the block with the bike's owner.
After spending a little bit of time in Sturgis, meeting and talking to some really nice people, and seeing lots and lots of really nice bikes, we got back on the road and headed for Eagle Butte.
Eagle Butte is, very literally, in the middle of nowhere. For real. It's a couple of hours from everywhere. The closest (and I think maybe only) town we went through was faith, which looked as though it consisted of the post office, the gas station, and little else. Well, little else besides a really cool sign.
I'm sure the name of the place had to have just about everything to do with the fact that it must have taken ALOT of faith to keep going across the countryside to get there safely, and to decide to stay there in the middle of nowhere and make a life.
Not far from Faith was our final destination, Eagle Butte. I'm pretty sure our girls were left speechless when they saw the town, and motel we'd be staying at. Not that we're spoiled, but, well... ok ok, ok... we're spoiled. And we probably spoil our kids a little. They've never seen lots of the things that we adults have, and we've worked pretty hard to achieve that. So staying at an older motel was not what the girls were used to.
We made the best of it, though. We brought a couple of chair outside, and sat around and talked for while until it was time to go to the wild mustang preserve.
Now, strangely, this mustang preserve was simply AMAZING to me. I've never really been "into" horses, and in fact, the last time I was on a horse was in 6th grade, with my friend, Stacey, and I ended up on the ground more than on the horse. But this was somehow different. I said earlier that everywhere we went on this trip felt like I belonged there. This was like that. When we were on the country road to the place, it seemed almost like I knew where we were going. And when we arrived, I was very comfortable there. (which is weird for me, if you know me and animals...) The horses there were some of the most beautiful creatures I've ever seen.
We tried to drive out into the pasture land, so we could see more of the horses, but it started to rain, and we had to turn back. The ground in that area is so full of clay, that it gets extraordinarily slick when it rains, and we were afraid we'd get stuck out in the middle of a pasture. By the time we got back to the main house, the rain stopped (for a while) so we took advantage of the break before the coming storm, and spent time with the horses that were in that area. Because the short bit of rain had really cooled things off, the horses were very playful, and were showing off for us a little. We got to see some great interactions between them!
The rain did start up again, and it forced us all back onto the road to the motel, where we were able to sit outside again for while and watch the storm come in. It was a doozy.
Stuck in the motel for the night, with the wind and rain pounding at the door, we made the best of it, and I thank GOD for Tonya's sister, Karen. She kept the girls talking and sharing, and really got conversations going. And she brought facial masks to give the girls a little silly fun. (I'll spare them from posting THOSE pictures...) Even though we made it through the night, it wasn't one of our easiest - it seemed like it was a long one. None of us slept very well, and we were all thrilled to awake to a fresh, sunny day.
Thankfully, there was a gas station just across an empty lot next to the motel, and they had a plentiful supply of fresh, hot coffee, and convenience breakfast stuff. With super-sized coffee in hand, I was good to go. We packed up and traveled the few blocks to the youth center, where the shoe drive was going to be held.
I think the shoe drive itself deserves a post of it's own, and for that unknown crazy reason, I'm STILL feeling a challenge writing about this trip, so.... I'll continue with part 3 later.
Friday the 5th of August, we didn't have to rush, so everyone slept in a bit. When we did get up and get ready, we had to laugh at ourselves. Some of us had put on our "blingy" sort of biker t-shirts, knowing we were headed to Sturgis. We loaded up after a late breakfast and got on the road well rested and ready to go. This part of the trip was on a two-lane highway instead of interstate, and I think it was a more scenic, pleasant drive.
I don't think the girls knew exactly what to expect from Sturgis. They knew it was the place where a huge bike rally was going to happen, and that's about it. Keep in mind, we were going there the morning before things got started, so it was totally calm. The first bike we saw, though, was a good one - pink, and decked out with pink feather boas!
We paused, of course, at the edge of town for a couple of pictures...
Still at the edge of town, it seemed like any other small town, but once we go a few blocks in, it was obviously not just any other place. We were literally in the middle of an ocean of motorcycles!
We went into the Harley-Davidson store, looked around, and bought t-shirts to take back home with us, and then we started talking to people. This is where the day got really strange for me...
We talked to a really nice guy named Gary, I think. He was from a town near Atlanta. Around our age, maybe a little older. He helped us find someone willing to let us sit on their Harley for a photo op. the weird part is that I swear - I mean I SWEAR - I know this guy. I can't tell you from where or how, but I will forever believe that I'd met him before. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind about it. From the way he looked to the sound of his voice, to the way he shook my hand. I know that I've met that guy before.
Anyway, moving on from the weird stuff... We each took a turn posing on a bike, which was sort of fun. Tonya even took a ride around the block with the bike's owner.
After spending a little bit of time in Sturgis, meeting and talking to some really nice people, and seeing lots and lots of really nice bikes, we got back on the road and headed for Eagle Butte.
Eagle Butte is, very literally, in the middle of nowhere. For real. It's a couple of hours from everywhere. The closest (and I think maybe only) town we went through was faith, which looked as though it consisted of the post office, the gas station, and little else. Well, little else besides a really cool sign.
I'm sure the name of the place had to have just about everything to do with the fact that it must have taken ALOT of faith to keep going across the countryside to get there safely, and to decide to stay there in the middle of nowhere and make a life.
Not far from Faith was our final destination, Eagle Butte. I'm pretty sure our girls were left speechless when they saw the town, and motel we'd be staying at. Not that we're spoiled, but, well... ok ok, ok... we're spoiled. And we probably spoil our kids a little. They've never seen lots of the things that we adults have, and we've worked pretty hard to achieve that. So staying at an older motel was not what the girls were used to.
We made the best of it, though. We brought a couple of chair outside, and sat around and talked for while until it was time to go to the wild mustang preserve.
Now, strangely, this mustang preserve was simply AMAZING to me. I've never really been "into" horses, and in fact, the last time I was on a horse was in 6th grade, with my friend, Stacey, and I ended up on the ground more than on the horse. But this was somehow different. I said earlier that everywhere we went on this trip felt like I belonged there. This was like that. When we were on the country road to the place, it seemed almost like I knew where we were going. And when we arrived, I was very comfortable there. (which is weird for me, if you know me and animals...) The horses there were some of the most beautiful creatures I've ever seen.
We learned quite a bit about how they live, and form families, and get along with each other. The best part was how we were able to interact with them.
We tried to drive out into the pasture land, so we could see more of the horses, but it started to rain, and we had to turn back. The ground in that area is so full of clay, that it gets extraordinarily slick when it rains, and we were afraid we'd get stuck out in the middle of a pasture. By the time we got back to the main house, the rain stopped (for a while) so we took advantage of the break before the coming storm, and spent time with the horses that were in that area. Because the short bit of rain had really cooled things off, the horses were very playful, and were showing off for us a little. We got to see some great interactions between them!
The rain did start up again, and it forced us all back onto the road to the motel, where we were able to sit outside again for while and watch the storm come in. It was a doozy.
Stuck in the motel for the night, with the wind and rain pounding at the door, we made the best of it, and I thank GOD for Tonya's sister, Karen. She kept the girls talking and sharing, and really got conversations going. And she brought facial masks to give the girls a little silly fun. (I'll spare them from posting THOSE pictures...) Even though we made it through the night, it wasn't one of our easiest - it seemed like it was a long one. None of us slept very well, and we were all thrilled to awake to a fresh, sunny day.
Thankfully, there was a gas station just across an empty lot next to the motel, and they had a plentiful supply of fresh, hot coffee, and convenience breakfast stuff. With super-sized coffee in hand, I was good to go. We packed up and traveled the few blocks to the youth center, where the shoe drive was going to be held.
I think the shoe drive itself deserves a post of it's own, and for that unknown crazy reason, I'm STILL feeling a challenge writing about this trip, so.... I'll continue with part 3 later.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
We Headed Out For A Little Trip
Wow. Talk about an experience. I'm not even sure where to begin, or how to convey everything that I experienced. It's taken me a month to collect my thoughts and start writing this, so I guess I'll just start at the beginning...
Tuesday night, the night before we left for South Dakota, I drove to Tonya's and we loaded shoes into my van. Boxes and boxes and boxes - and boxes - of shoes. The Caravan is CAVERNOUS, and the majority of the shoes fit into the back with no trouble. And rather than put down the back row of seats, we used the stow-n-go compartments, and had plenty of room in my vehicle, and left plenty of room in Tonya's vehicle.
Seeing my van FULL of shoes intended for kids really made everything about our trip seem more real - that we were going, why we were going, what it could mean to lots of families... For me it was energizing. Like I felt as though I had a purpose in going on this trip.
This trip.
I'm not sure how I really even ended up on this trip. I just sort of jumped right into it back in the spring. Sarah and I were helping with a shoe drive here in town, and Tonya told us she was working with her sister-in-law, Karen, to plan a shoe drive in Eagle Butte, SD, right in the middle of the poorest county in the U.S. And before I knew it, I was saying that I'd go. Right there, right then, I said "definitely, Sarah and I will go". Thank God, Charlie was cool with the idea when I told him. (Yes, thank God... Because I'm sure God did set me on this path.)
What amazes me most about this trip coming together with me going along is that I'd never spent any real time with Tonya or Heidi when I enthusiastically agreed to travel 2,000 miles with them. And even as hotel arrangements were being made, and we discussed who would be driving and riding with whom, it still never really occurred to me that I had no idea what I had gotten into. It didn't really start to hit me until we were well on our way.
Wednesday morning we were supposed to meet at 5:45 am. Sarah and I were late. (OK, OK, OK... I was late.) But we were all ready to hit the road, so we didn't really lose any time. By 6:00 we were on the highway, and headed for adventure. Because it was so early, we missed alot of commuter traffic and made great time, not really stopping except for quick bathroom breaks until the edge of Des Moines, where we hit up McDonald's for a quick lunch. Nine-ish hours of driving does make for a long day, but the first day of a trip is a good day for a long drive... You're always excited to be going somewhere, and the drive is somehow easier because of that fact..
And, besides, something I can't explain happened that first day. About half way through the afternoon, I saw a sage brush. Of all the things along the side of the road, I spotted the sage brush. And the second I did, I felt relief. At first, I wasn't sure that was the feeling, but after LOTS AND LOTS of thinking, that's what it was. I felt comfortable, and relaxed, and almost like I was in a familiar place. I still can't explain why, but that is how I felt the entire time I was in South Dakota.
Our first real stop along the way was in Sioux Falls, SD. We got there early enough that we had time to check into our hotel, get a little bit 'settled in' and drive around town to find the falls of Sioux Falls.
After our short trek to what I think was downtown Sioux Falls and the Falls (which were beautiful!), the girls wanted to go and walk around at the mall next to our hotel, so we sent them on their way to shopping glee, and we grabbed some cheese, crackers and wine for us to have back at the hotel. I think that is when the magnitude of the situation occurred to me.
I was 9 hours from home, traveling with two women I really only sort of know, and 5 of our combined daughters (well, "ours" plus one). I had nearly 100 pairs of shoes in my van, and we were headed to an Indian Reservation to distribute them in a community we'd never seen, and knew little about. The traveling with people part was remarkable in and of itself, considering how particular I am about what and where I eat and drink, and how often I like to stop when I'm driving, and all that sort of thing. But I was also rooming with those two women I really only sort of know, and that's even more remarkable for me. I'm weird about my "space", and usually do everything in my power to room alone. But there I was, realizing that I was right in the middle of it. And there was nothing to do about it but go with the flow, because I knowingly put myself there. So Tonya, Heidi, and I sat around talking for hours while the girls shopped at the mall, and by the time we we ready for bed, I had realized that the "magnitude" of things didn't really matter. I have no idea why, but I felt like I belonged there. Like I was somehow, for some reason, supposed to be exactly where I was.
And when I awoke the next day to a beautiful sunrise, I felt even more that way.
We got an early start to the day on Thursday, knowing that we had a long drive to get across South Dakota by evening. We had reservations in Rapid City, and wanted to get there in time to get our bearings,relax a little, have a decent meal, and make it to Mt. Rushmore in time to see the lighting ceremony that takes place at dusk. And, of course, we had to make a stop at the world-famous Wall Drug along the way, so we could find out for ourselves that it's really just a very, very, very large tourist gift shop.
When we got to the hotel in Rapid City, the girls were thrilled to learn there was a small water park attached to the hotel. They got their suits on, and played for a short while in there, while we three adults decompressed after a day of driving. We got an early dinner at the hotel restaurant, and then went to Mt. Rushmore.
I'm the only one who'd been to Mt. Rushmore in the past, and so it was kind of fun to see everyone's reaction when they saw the monument for the first time. As we walked onto the viewing terrace, everyone stopped to get their phones and cameras out to take pictures.
We didn't "have" to go to Mt. Rushmore. We could probably have shortened our trip by a day and skipped it, but I'm glad we didn't. I'm glad we took the time to give that experience to the girls. Our nation has some AMAZING monuments, parks, and attractions, and Mt. Rushmore is one of the cooler ones, in my opinion.
We were there with enough time to look around the gift shop, grab some ice cream, and take a few group pictures before the lighting ceremony started at dusk.
I wish I'd known about the lighting ceremony when I was at the monument a few years ago with my dad. I'm sure he would have enjoyed it. While it was much less eventful than I'd expected, it was still pretty awesome. Someone from the National Park staff came onto the stage at the base of the viewing terrace and told about the history of the monument, and gave some interesting facts. Then he invited any current and past members of the military who were present in the audience to come to the stage and be recognized, and a few of them helped with a flag folding presentation. It was a rather solemn presentation, and I was amazed that an audience of so many was so quiet throughout it. At the end of the presentation, when the skies were completely dark, the stage and viewing terrace lights dimmed, and the faces of stone were illuminated. It was beautiful!
While the lighting ceremony had been solemn and quiet, the trip from Mt. Rushmore back to the hotel in Rapid City was an adventure. We missed our turn to skirt around town to the highway, and ended up about 10 minutes into the middle of the town. Naturally, we turned back. And... you guessed it. We missed the turn again. Thanks to Google Maps and Mapquest, we finally made it back to the highway and back to the hotel, where we had a quick meeting of the minds to figure out the next day's schedule.
Rapid City is just about 30 minutes from Sturgis, and we just happened to be there on the weekend that kicked off the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. It didn't take much convincing for us to decide that we HAD to stop off in Sturgis on the way to Eagle Butte. We'd seen hundreds of motorcycles on the highway, and heard countless stories of the legendary Sturgis, and wanted to see it for ourselves. Plus, we figured the girls would get a kick out of it. With that decided, day two was done, and we hit the hay.
I'll stop part 1 of this story there. Friday and Saturday were emotional days for me, and it's hard to explain how and why. Besides, I'm sure I'm rambling and should probably collect my thoughts before I go on. Sooooo.... look for part 2 soon.
Tuesday night, the night before we left for South Dakota, I drove to Tonya's and we loaded shoes into my van. Boxes and boxes and boxes - and boxes - of shoes. The Caravan is CAVERNOUS, and the majority of the shoes fit into the back with no trouble. And rather than put down the back row of seats, we used the stow-n-go compartments, and had plenty of room in my vehicle, and left plenty of room in Tonya's vehicle.
Seeing my van FULL of shoes intended for kids really made everything about our trip seem more real - that we were going, why we were going, what it could mean to lots of families... For me it was energizing. Like I felt as though I had a purpose in going on this trip.
This trip.
I'm not sure how I really even ended up on this trip. I just sort of jumped right into it back in the spring. Sarah and I were helping with a shoe drive here in town, and Tonya told us she was working with her sister-in-law, Karen, to plan a shoe drive in Eagle Butte, SD, right in the middle of the poorest county in the U.S. And before I knew it, I was saying that I'd go. Right there, right then, I said "definitely, Sarah and I will go". Thank God, Charlie was cool with the idea when I told him. (Yes, thank God... Because I'm sure God did set me on this path.)
What amazes me most about this trip coming together with me going along is that I'd never spent any real time with Tonya or Heidi when I enthusiastically agreed to travel 2,000 miles with them. And even as hotel arrangements were being made, and we discussed who would be driving and riding with whom, it still never really occurred to me that I had no idea what I had gotten into. It didn't really start to hit me until we were well on our way.
Wednesday morning we were supposed to meet at 5:45 am. Sarah and I were late. (OK, OK, OK... I was late.) But we were all ready to hit the road, so we didn't really lose any time. By 6:00 we were on the highway, and headed for adventure. Because it was so early, we missed alot of commuter traffic and made great time, not really stopping except for quick bathroom breaks until the edge of Des Moines, where we hit up McDonald's for a quick lunch. Nine-ish hours of driving does make for a long day, but the first day of a trip is a good day for a long drive... You're always excited to be going somewhere, and the drive is somehow easier because of that fact..
And, besides, something I can't explain happened that first day. About half way through the afternoon, I saw a sage brush. Of all the things along the side of the road, I spotted the sage brush. And the second I did, I felt relief. At first, I wasn't sure that was the feeling, but after LOTS AND LOTS of thinking, that's what it was. I felt comfortable, and relaxed, and almost like I was in a familiar place. I still can't explain why, but that is how I felt the entire time I was in South Dakota.
Our first real stop along the way was in Sioux Falls, SD. We got there early enough that we had time to check into our hotel, get a little bit 'settled in' and drive around town to find the falls of Sioux Falls.
After our short trek to what I think was downtown Sioux Falls and the Falls (which were beautiful!), the girls wanted to go and walk around at the mall next to our hotel, so we sent them on their way to shopping glee, and we grabbed some cheese, crackers and wine for us to have back at the hotel. I think that is when the magnitude of the situation occurred to me.
I was 9 hours from home, traveling with two women I really only sort of know, and 5 of our combined daughters (well, "ours" plus one). I had nearly 100 pairs of shoes in my van, and we were headed to an Indian Reservation to distribute them in a community we'd never seen, and knew little about. The traveling with people part was remarkable in and of itself, considering how particular I am about what and where I eat and drink, and how often I like to stop when I'm driving, and all that sort of thing. But I was also rooming with those two women I really only sort of know, and that's even more remarkable for me. I'm weird about my "space", and usually do everything in my power to room alone. But there I was, realizing that I was right in the middle of it. And there was nothing to do about it but go with the flow, because I knowingly put myself there. So Tonya, Heidi, and I sat around talking for hours while the girls shopped at the mall, and by the time we we ready for bed, I had realized that the "magnitude" of things didn't really matter. I have no idea why, but I felt like I belonged there. Like I was somehow, for some reason, supposed to be exactly where I was.
And when I awoke the next day to a beautiful sunrise, I felt even more that way.
We got an early start to the day on Thursday, knowing that we had a long drive to get across South Dakota by evening. We had reservations in Rapid City, and wanted to get there in time to get our bearings,relax a little, have a decent meal, and make it to Mt. Rushmore in time to see the lighting ceremony that takes place at dusk. And, of course, we had to make a stop at the world-famous Wall Drug along the way, so we could find out for ourselves that it's really just a very, very, very large tourist gift shop.
When we got to the hotel in Rapid City, the girls were thrilled to learn there was a small water park attached to the hotel. They got their suits on, and played for a short while in there, while we three adults decompressed after a day of driving. We got an early dinner at the hotel restaurant, and then went to Mt. Rushmore.
I'm the only one who'd been to Mt. Rushmore in the past, and so it was kind of fun to see everyone's reaction when they saw the monument for the first time. As we walked onto the viewing terrace, everyone stopped to get their phones and cameras out to take pictures.
We didn't "have" to go to Mt. Rushmore. We could probably have shortened our trip by a day and skipped it, but I'm glad we didn't. I'm glad we took the time to give that experience to the girls. Our nation has some AMAZING monuments, parks, and attractions, and Mt. Rushmore is one of the cooler ones, in my opinion.
We were there with enough time to look around the gift shop, grab some ice cream, and take a few group pictures before the lighting ceremony started at dusk.
I wish I'd known about the lighting ceremony when I was at the monument a few years ago with my dad. I'm sure he would have enjoyed it. While it was much less eventful than I'd expected, it was still pretty awesome. Someone from the National Park staff came onto the stage at the base of the viewing terrace and told about the history of the monument, and gave some interesting facts. Then he invited any current and past members of the military who were present in the audience to come to the stage and be recognized, and a few of them helped with a flag folding presentation. It was a rather solemn presentation, and I was amazed that an audience of so many was so quiet throughout it. At the end of the presentation, when the skies were completely dark, the stage and viewing terrace lights dimmed, and the faces of stone were illuminated. It was beautiful!
While the lighting ceremony had been solemn and quiet, the trip from Mt. Rushmore back to the hotel in Rapid City was an adventure. We missed our turn to skirt around town to the highway, and ended up about 10 minutes into the middle of the town. Naturally, we turned back. And... you guessed it. We missed the turn again. Thanks to Google Maps and Mapquest, we finally made it back to the highway and back to the hotel, where we had a quick meeting of the minds to figure out the next day's schedule.
Rapid City is just about 30 minutes from Sturgis, and we just happened to be there on the weekend that kicked off the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. It didn't take much convincing for us to decide that we HAD to stop off in Sturgis on the way to Eagle Butte. We'd seen hundreds of motorcycles on the highway, and heard countless stories of the legendary Sturgis, and wanted to see it for ourselves. Plus, we figured the girls would get a kick out of it. With that decided, day two was done, and we hit the hay.
I'll stop part 1 of this story there. Friday and Saturday were emotional days for me, and it's hard to explain how and why. Besides, I'm sure I'm rambling and should probably collect my thoughts before I go on. Sooooo.... look for part 2 soon.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!
Sarah and I met Tonya, Heidi, and several of the Jr. High/High School girls at Payless shoes tonight, and the girls picked out the shoes we will be taking with us for the South Dakota shoes drive.
It's starting to seem so much more "real" now that we have the shoes! I'm excited about going. I'm looking forward to meeting the families at the shoe drive, and to having some good times along the way.
Matt is in town this week. His great grandmother died, so he is here for the funeral. He's also setting up a new laptop for the H.H. and spending a little time with the fam. He called to invite Sarah and me to have lunch on Sunday, which was a pleasant surprise. We picked him up and went to the Corner Pub, and then brought him back to the house with us so he could work some computer geek "magic". Sunday night, we got another pleasant surprise when Doug Hefflin and his wife and mother-in-law came over and we all trekked to Riverton for dinner at France's.
I said a couple of days ago that this would be a busy week, and it is! Tomorrow night, Sarah and Charlie are going to St. Louis to see Journey. Then there are still dentist appointments, school physicals, piano lessons, karate, band, and much more to get through in the next few days. I'll be ready for a day off by the end of this week!
It's starting to seem so much more "real" now that we have the shoes! I'm excited about going. I'm looking forward to meeting the families at the shoe drive, and to having some good times along the way.
Matt is in town this week. His great grandmother died, so he is here for the funeral. He's also setting up a new laptop for the H.H. and spending a little time with the fam. He called to invite Sarah and me to have lunch on Sunday, which was a pleasant surprise. We picked him up and went to the Corner Pub, and then brought him back to the house with us so he could work some computer geek "magic". Sunday night, we got another pleasant surprise when Doug Hefflin and his wife and mother-in-law came over and we all trekked to Riverton for dinner at France's.
I said a couple of days ago that this would be a busy week, and it is! Tomorrow night, Sarah and Charlie are going to St. Louis to see Journey. Then there are still dentist appointments, school physicals, piano lessons, karate, band, and much more to get through in the next few days. I'll be ready for a day off by the end of this week!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
What a Week!
We returned from vacation on Saturday, but it's still been a whirlwind of activity around here! On Sunday, the H.H. and I went to the Brewhaus to see our friend, Jan's, brother and his wife play a little bluegrass. While Jan couldn't make it there, her hubby, Mark, did, and we had some nice conversation while we listened to the band.
After a week of sleeping in and lounging, it was more than just a little rough to get up and get back into the routine on Monday morning. But, I survived. I think Jack was happy to get back to camp, so he got up without much complaining.
The H.H. and I met my friends, Kimmi and Russ at one of the lake clubs on Saturday night to see my high school friend, Rich's, band The Cherry Stoners play at one of the lake clubs. At the end of the night, we went to Lake Pointe Grille for a late dinner. Neither of us had ever been there, and I'm so glad we went! It was VERY good. I'll definitely be going back there. I wish we could go out with them more often. It's always fun!
Now that we're back home and getting into the swing of things, it's time for me to think about... the next trip! Sarah and I will be headed to South Dakota very soon with Tonya, Heidi, and their girls for a Share the Spirit shoe drive. We're going this week to buy the shoes that we'll be taking to Eagle Butte, SD. I'm really looking forward to that trip - I think it will be an amazing experience. First we just have to get through the next very busy week!
After a week of sleeping in and lounging, it was more than just a little rough to get up and get back into the routine on Monday morning. But, I survived. I think Jack was happy to get back to camp, so he got up without much complaining.
The H.H. and I met my friends, Kimmi and Russ at one of the lake clubs on Saturday night to see my high school friend, Rich's, band The Cherry Stoners play at one of the lake clubs. At the end of the night, we went to Lake Pointe Grille for a late dinner. Neither of us had ever been there, and I'm so glad we went! It was VERY good. I'll definitely be going back there. I wish we could go out with them more often. It's always fun!
Now that we're back home and getting into the swing of things, it's time for me to think about... the next trip! Sarah and I will be headed to South Dakota very soon with Tonya, Heidi, and their girls for a Share the Spirit shoe drive. We're going this week to buy the shoes that we'll be taking to Eagle Butte, SD. I'm really looking forward to that trip - I think it will be an amazing experience. First we just have to get through the next very busy week!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Home, Sweet, Home?
Why does the drive home after vacation always seem soooooooo long? I'm sure it's because we're so tired. Of course, in our car, we're also still silly, and tend to get a little slap-happy on long drives.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Last Night
Vacation always FLIES by, and this year's week of vaca has been no exception to that. On our last night in Branson, we went to a place called the "Rowdy Beaver". It was sort of a compromise - it looked more "chain-esque" so the kids were pretty sure they'd find something good on the menu, but it also looked independent enough that Charlie and I would find something more unique.
And it did offer both. It was a fun sort of pub/restaurant sort of place. The food was good, and plentiful, and everyone left there happy. (and I didn't get sick!)
Naturally, you can guess what we did for our last vacation hoorah... GO-KARTS. (yes, we are probably just a bunch of goofballs, but we have fun....)
And it did offer both. It was a fun sort of pub/restaurant sort of place. The food was good, and plentiful, and everyone left there happy. (and I didn't get sick!)
Naturally, you can guess what we did for our last vacation hoorah... GO-KARTS. (yes, we are probably just a bunch of goofballs, but we have fun....)
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Scuba Gear and a Fish Fry
For me, vacation week with lots and lots of poolside time was perfect! The kids and I bought "scuba gear" (swim masks) so we could really play in the water, and I could swim around with my contacts in. We had a BLAST. We each had "scuba" names like Scuba Stan and Scuba Jim, and when the masks were on, we took on our scuba identity.
Some of Kathryn's pool time got cut short because of the sunburn she got when they all went fishing, and that was sad. Her arms ended up itchy and covered with an annoying sun poison rash if she was out in the sun too much. So her pool adventures had to come in shifts - pool for a while, then shade for a while. Still fun, but a little bit of a bummer for her.
After the scuba adventures of the day, we threw together our version of a fish fry.
When all was said and done, it was a pretty yummy dinner. Charlie made several pieces of fish and some potatoes for me without using wheat flour before he fried up the rest of the fish. So we all got to enjoy a great dinner.
And after dinner... more go-karts!
This time, we went to the four-story metal track.
It was MUCH faster than the wooden track! Everyone made fun of me because I used the break on the big ramp. Even using the break didn't really slow me down, though! In fact, on one pass around the track, Jack ended up sideways coming down two of the ramps!
It was definitely a good way to wrap up day 6 of vacation!
Some of Kathryn's pool time got cut short because of the sunburn she got when they all went fishing, and that was sad. Her arms ended up itchy and covered with an annoying sun poison rash if she was out in the sun too much. So her pool adventures had to come in shifts - pool for a while, then shade for a while. Still fun, but a little bit of a bummer for her.
After the scuba adventures of the day, we threw together our version of a fish fry.
When all was said and done, it was a pretty yummy dinner. Charlie made several pieces of fish and some potatoes for me without using wheat flour before he fried up the rest of the fish. So we all got to enjoy a great dinner.
And after dinner... more go-karts!
This time, we went to the four-story metal track.
It was definitely a good way to wrap up day 6 of vacation!
About Last Night...
In addition to my go-kart initiation last night, we spent a little time away from the Branson strip. We went to the Bass Pro Shop, and did some window shopping. I popped into the Brighton store (of course) and got a Missouri charm. We also went on the hunt for a 100% local place to have dinner. The H.H. and I both believe that the chain restaurants are good, and you know what to expect, but they don't always have the charm that a local place can have.
We ended up at an Italian place called Rocky's. We had a good meal, and enjoyed some lively conversation with the host. During that conversation, we discovered that our waitress was part of one of the local shows, and talked for a little while about Branson, and what life there was like. It was a good time. And you know the go-karts were fun. But then...
I got sick in the middle of the night. Ugh. I'm the only one who had chicken, and that's the only thing I ate last night,so I'm reasonably sure it was the thing that didn't "agree" with me. I don't know if I had a bug of some sort, or if it was just about the food, or what... but it was NOT the way to spend one of the nights on vacation. :( Thankfully, it didn't last long, and I'm feeling OK now.
We ended up at an Italian place called Rocky's. We had a good meal, and enjoyed some lively conversation with the host. During that conversation, we discovered that our waitress was part of one of the local shows, and talked for a little while about Branson, and what life there was like. It was a good time. And you know the go-karts were fun. But then...
I got sick in the middle of the night. Ugh. I'm the only one who had chicken, and that's the only thing I ate last night,so I'm reasonably sure it was the thing that didn't "agree" with me. I don't know if I had a bug of some sort, or if it was just about the food, or what... but it was NOT the way to spend one of the nights on vacation. :( Thankfully, it didn't last long, and I'm feeling OK now.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Go-Karts!!!
Until this day, I had never been on a go-kart. Never. It's just never been one of those things that my friends and I did. The family found this to be ridiculously unacceptable, and since Branson is some sort of go-kart mecca with lots and lots of tracks, we headed out before dinner to find a good place to initiate me.
There is a chain of "family fun" places called "The Track" in Branson with several locations, and a couple of mulit-level go-kart tracks. That's where we ended up. We took our first ride on the basic, plain old, one level with a few turns, go-kart track. It was fun!
From there, we moved across the parking lot to a wooden multi-story track. It was LOTS of fun. Because it was a wooden track, it had a more "rickety" feeling to the ride. More bumps and such. Fun, fun fun! I can't' believe I was 44 before my first go-kart ride... why'd I wait so long?
There is a chain of "family fun" places called "The Track" in Branson with several locations, and a couple of mulit-level go-kart tracks. That's where we ended up. We took our first ride on the basic, plain old, one level with a few turns, go-kart track. It was fun!
From there, we moved across the parking lot to a wooden multi-story track. It was LOTS of fun. Because it was a wooden track, it had a more "rickety" feeling to the ride. More bumps and such. Fun, fun fun! I can't' believe I was 44 before my first go-kart ride... why'd I wait so long?
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
More from Tuesday the 12th
Charlie took the kids fishing somplace just over the border into Arkansas all day on Tuesday, and I lounged by my lonesome at the resort. I had time to kill, and I loved it1 I went to the work out facility at the resort, and logged a sweet 5k on the good ol' treadmill. And then I spent nearly the rest of the day poolside.
When the crew returned after a very long, hot day, they tried to tell me that they hadn't caught anything. I might have fallen for it, if Jack weren't such a terrible liar, and such an excited and anxious to share kind of kid. They opened the cooler, and pulled out a decent haul of fish. While the rest of us showered, and tried to sooth a nasty sunburn on Kathryn's back, Charlie cleaned and prepped 'em for a meal later in the week.
20110712-010, a photo by Mary Sunshyn on Flickr.
When the crew returned after a very long, hot day, they tried to tell me that they hadn't caught anything. I might have fallen for it, if Jack weren't such a terrible liar, and such an excited and anxious to share kind of kid. They opened the cooler, and pulled out a decent haul of fish. While the rest of us showered, and tried to sooth a nasty sunburn on Kathryn's back, Charlie cleaned and prepped 'em for a meal later in the week.
20110712-010, a photo by Mary Sunshyn on Flickr.
Resort Life
Aaaaaaah.... Resort life pretty much rocks. This is the view from our balcony.
![]()
You can see the pool, and the fire pit, and the picnic area, the other villas, and the main activity building. All within just a minute's walk. And all at our leisure... and when I say leisure, I mean it. I didn't get out of bed until 11:00 am yesterday! Granted, I couldn't really sleep well the night before, but still - 11:00 am on a Monday morning!
The H.H. had to do some work yesterday, so the kids and I took in a couple of the local attractions. The girls anxiously took in the Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum.
![]()
And Jack and I checked out the Titanic museum.
![]()
Both were very interesting, and entertaining. We all had a good time, and afterward Jack went back to the resort for some pool time, while the girls and I hit up the outlet mall to find some bargains.
Overall, day 3 of vacation was pretty laid back. We just hung out, and enjoyed the "resort life".
The H.H. had to do some work yesterday, so the kids and I took in a couple of the local attractions. The girls anxiously took in the Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum.
And Jack and I checked out the Titanic museum.
Both were very interesting, and entertaining. We all had a good time, and afterward Jack went back to the resort for some pool time, while the girls and I hit up the outlet mall to find some bargains.
Overall, day 3 of vacation was pretty laid back. We just hung out, and enjoyed the "resort life".
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Day Two
There is nothin' like hanging out at the pool during vacation.
![]()
I spent part of the day on my own at the pool, soaking in some sun, lounging around, enjoying a lazy day, while the H.H. and the kids went fishing. Then later in the day, Sarah, Jack, and I checked out some of what the resort had to offer, while the H.H. and Kathryn went back out for fishing round two.
![]()
In the main building, there is a game room with lots to do... We played a couple of games of pool, tried out the Foosball, honed our ping pong skills, and even played a couple of rounds of connect four. The staff here host activities every day, and today was no exception. They built a fire, and we all made s'mores. Even though it was a little hot outside to be sitting around a fire, it was fun.
![]()
And, of course, we ended the day back in the pool!
I spent part of the day on my own at the pool, soaking in some sun, lounging around, enjoying a lazy day, while the H.H. and the kids went fishing. Then later in the day, Sarah, Jack, and I checked out some of what the resort had to offer, while the H.H. and Kathryn went back out for fishing round two.
In the main building, there is a game room with lots to do... We played a couple of games of pool, tried out the Foosball, honed our ping pong skills, and even played a couple of rounds of connect four. The staff here host activities every day, and today was no exception. They built a fire, and we all made s'mores. Even though it was a little hot outside to be sitting around a fire, it was fun.
And, of course, we ended the day back in the pool!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)