A Few More Days

These are pictures from Sioux Falls, SD. It was very pretty, and a nice atmosphere, but really the falls are not not much.

The collage of kids are the grandkids in Indiana with our boys and the grandparents. The flowers are from the roadside stop in IL, and the boys drinking their sodas at the biergarten in Amana, Iowa.

We had a wonderful time at Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, Wall Drug, Cody Wyoming, and now in Yellowstone. I will post pictures and more details later. I am pooped and time is late, but there are lots of stories about the crazy buffalo in the road and an elk outside Hubby's window.

We lost contact with the outside world there for a while. We are in Cooke City, Montana now and have wi-fi service, but no cell phones. We are 3 miles from Yellowstone NP, and we have had a fabulous time. I will tell you more about that in another post. Tomorrow we head to Old Faithful and then the Grand Tetons.

The First Few Days

Greetings from Iowa! We made it to Hubby's brother's house in Indy on Thursday. Friday I watched the kids in the morning while the sister-in-law went to work. In the afternoon we took the kids to the local pool, and then we all went out for dinner. I was terrible about taking pictures with all of them. I guess I was just happy to see them and didn't think about pictures. Anyway, I got a group shot of grandkids and grandparents early this morning, and then we headed out for Iowa. We stopped at a rest area in IL for a packed lunch. There was a wildflower restoration area with a path through wildflowers. It was a great place for a picnic lunch. I got this shot of #1 and his Daddy. It is hard to get them together in a photo, so now I have one for the church father's Day slideshow. We made an afternoon stop in Amana, IA to take a break. Amana was a colony of pietists who were trying to form a Utopia of sorts. It ceased to exist in 1932. We had a good time walking around the shops. Hubby found this lighthouse wall hanging in the woolen mill factory. They are NC Lighthouses that we have been to see! The guy working in there even said he used to live in Hatteras. Cool.

We enjoyed sitting in the biergarten drinking our creme sodas and cherry sodas. Then we walked around some more. Grandma and #1 took a break with me on a swing. The weather was just perfect for this sort of stopover. Our tummies are still on Eastern Time, so we were ready for dinner. We went to the Ronneberg Restaurant for a German meal. we had Weiner Schnitzel, Jugar Schnitzel, Bratz, and more. F-I-L even had rhubarb pie.

We stopped for the night in Newton, Iowa where we found an old hotel that had a good rate. It also had a nice indoor pool in which the water was actually warm enough for me to enjoy swimming! Then we headed back to the room for milk and cookies, and now we are turning in for the night. Tomorrow we hit Sioux City, Iowa and Sioux Falls, SD. I don't know if we will have internet, so see you when we see you!

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I also heard that #1 won gold for his movie that he made about 4-H! Our club won silver for our group project, and the silver and bronze individual projects were also won by members of our club! Good Job 4-Hers!!

Road Trip

#1 came back from 4-H Congress this morning. He did not win a medal at the presentations competition, but I am very proud of him just the same. He had practiced and reworked the speech so much that by the night before he left he could nearly say it from memory. AND he showed emotion when he spoke. That was probably the biggest accomplishment. Anyway, he had a good time, though I haven't gotten much information out of him yet, and he wants to go again next year. He wasn't home 10 minutes when I sent him outside to start raking grass. We have to get everything done today before we head out on our "Road Trip" tomorrow. I am excited about it. The kids are interested, but excitement is missing since their friends aren't going with us. Hubby is looking forward to it, but excited isn't a common emotion for him either. We will spend a day and two nights with Hubby's brother in Indy. We don't get to their house very often, maybe once every few years, if that. It will be a long ride to get there, but then we can take the rest of the trip slower. I checked out books on tape, borrowed movies from a friend, borrowed a GameBoy from another friend, and there is schoolwork and books to read. I think the kids will be just fine. #1 was complaining about coming back from WV last week with no movies. I said, "You know that trip we're getting ready to take? When I was younger than you I went ALL the way to California, and we didn't have a video player." "Yeah, but you didn't know any better," he answered. Touche. I think it will be great though. We are starting the real site-seeing with the Badlands in SD. They are similar to the Grand Canyon. We may take the scenic route through it to also see the National Grasslands. We will be reading Battle of the Little Bighorn as we go through that area. (Colonel Custer) Then we get to Mount Rushmore. We are thinking creative photographs there. The next big stop is Cody, WY. That was the home of Buffalo Bill. #1 dressed as Buffalo Bill and gave a presentation on him when he was in first grade. The boys (and their grandfather) love cowboys, so it should be a great stop. Besides that, #2 and I will get to sleep in a teepee in Cody! Touristy I know, but he is happy with it. Then we will finally get to Yellowstone. I looked at the weather and it is to be lows in the 37-39 degree range. Packing sweatshirts and planning on wearing layers. After that there is not much planned. We may see the Grand Tetons, Cheyenne, burial site of Sacajawea, a Pony Express station, a railroad museum with sod house, lots of options. Toward the end of the trip we will go to Hannibal, Missouri to tour the land of Mark Twain. We have books on tape and regular books for that adventure as well. Then we head to St. Louis for the tour of the Arch. I have a lot done so far, but still more to do. A friend is keeping the boys for a few hours while I try to do the last minute packing. This was a rest period for me. I will try to blog off and on through the trip to let you know how it is going, and of course to post pictures of the bison that we are definitely going to see. Thinking positive.

Prayer

Sunday's sermon was about prayer, specifically does God answer every prayer. That is a tough question. I have heard it said that God does answer every prayer, but the answer is either "yes," "no," or "maybe later." I don't often wonder if my prayer has been answered, but how it has been answered. I don't think I always have the ears to hear and understand what God says. Sometimes, though, it is clear. My mother tells a story about a Sunday evening that she was headed home after church. She felt like she should call a particular person and ask him to consider the preaching position at her church. When she called, the man was stunned. He had asked God to give him a sign about what to do by Sunday night. He felt that God answered through my mother's call. When we lived in Abilene, TX I once had God speak to me. Whether it was God or an angel messenger, I don't know for sure, but it was very disconcerting and scary. The message wasn't that scary, but to receive it that way was. In fact, I asked God never to speak to me that way again. Sometimes I regret that prayer! So now God speaks to me in quieter ways. A couple of months ago, on a trip to WV, I had lunch with some old friends. Before I left them, the man adamantly said that he felt like I should write. He reads my blog, and he felt like I needed to do something with my writings. I put it down to a sweet friend being encouraging. But the longer I thought about it, the more unsure I was about the intention. You see, on the way to WV I had been praying that God would "give me a sign" about what to do. I was starting to feel that WVU wasn't the right place for me, and I wanted to know what to do. Of course, I was thinking more along the lines of "Is there a better school?" Then when I got back to NC, I found NC State's program in Policy Analysis and was sure that that was for me. As I researched the program, I was frustrated to find out that I can't enter until next school year- 2010. So what do I do with this year left "empty"? Then I remembered that I had originally thought- over a year ago- that perhaps I should try writing for a year and see where it leads me. And suddenly my friend's encouraging words came to mind. Was that God's answer? I emailed my friend and asked him if he thought that perhaps he could be an unsuspecting mouhtpiece for God, or was he just being a very kind friend. Here is his response: I do not pretend to know if I was “an unsuspecting mouthpiece for God” but it was more than “just a remark of good will.” Although it certainly was “friendly encouragement” it was more than “just” that. I read your blog sometimes and sincerely think that it is worthy of publication. I am not much of a critic of writing from an academic viewpoint but your writing is thought provoking and connects with me so I think that others would enjoy it also. Your writing reminds me of Annie Dillard; it has nature, spirituality, and human interest all contemplated with sympathy and humor. God knows me well, and He knew this statement alone would not be enough to convince me, so He had my friend use the name Annie Dillard. You see, Hubby had purchased a book for me for our vacation. The author? Annie Dillard. I had never read anything by her, nor even heard of her before. And if that wasn't enough, while I was working at Give 2 the Troops yesterday, I came upon her again in some donated books. Also while I was in WV last week, I had a meeting with my advisor. We were able to really discuss my passions and intentions, and she was so sweet and kind. She told me that she didn't feel like I should be at WVU. It wasn't that she didn't think I was Good Enough, but just that it would be better for me in the long run to try a different program. So Hubby and I feel like God has made known to us that I need to write this year. The plan is that I will schedule 3 evenings a week to spend 2-3 hours writing. I will start with Hubby's sermon series on the Holy Spirit from last year. It will be a collaboration. The thought here being that Hubby needs to work on getting some things published, and I need some practice writing. I will also start writing some short articles of my own and see what happens there. This new "work schedule" will start for me when we get back from vacation in early August. So does God answer prayers? Yes, no, maybe, but sometimes it is "Hey! You! Pay attention here!"

Twelve

#1 is twelve years old. Some of you know exactly what that means. I have a friend who is a middle school librarian, and just the word twelve says a lot to her. So what does twelve mean? Twelve means that you forget how to comb your hair, aren't sure which drawer you keep socks in, how much to feed the animals that you have fed for 4 years, and to use shampoo every time you shower. Twelve means that you don't want anyone to see you with your mother, but in private you want hugs and kisses as much as a toddler. Twelve means you can forget to watch your attitude when speaking to elders, that you think you are old enough to be on your own, and that you don't know how to sweep the floor. Twelve means it is ALL about you. For example, we were contemplating going to a conference in the fall. The conference sponsors are going to have a community service evangelism program for middle and high school. I asked #1 if he would like to go. No. Why? It doesn't sound like fun. Ok. Not everything you do should be done for fun. Sometimes you do things just because people need you and it is important. No. It still doesn't sound like fun. So we decided twelve wasn't ready for such a project and dismissed the idea. Then we went to a friend's father's funeral in WV, and I commented that maybe we would see them next year. #1 asked why would we see them next year. Because they live in Nashville where the conference is. Oh the attitude changed! Maybe he should go help with this project after all. You see the friend has a 12 year old very pretty daughter. Hmm. I guess twelve understands more than we give it credit. ----------- Twelve left this morning for his first Big Boy/ Almost a Man Conference. He is attending 4-H Congress this week. He will stay at NC State in the dorms, get himself where he needs to be, give a presentation on basketball, and attend his first dance. He has slacks and ties for these events. We have tried to prepare him for this time, but you know twelve; forgetful. I'm hoping the best for him. He has been very excited, as well as anxious about it, for a couple of weeks.

Treasures on Earth

Grandma passed along her diningroom suite to us. I rented a truck to bring back all of the things from WV. Besides the diningroom suite, we got two wingback chairs, a desk for #1, and trunks for both boys. There was a third trunk that will be passed to my nephew. They are the old travelling trunks, and the boys think they are really cool. My mother also gave us a bedroom suite that was loaded onto the truck. I was especially interested in the diningroom suite because it was where I had my first meal after Hubby proposed. I still remember walking up the stairs from the garage and being accosted by everyone. Grandma grabbed my hand and about yanked my arm out of me as she looked at the ring. It was Easter weekend, and everyone had gathered at Grandma's for dinner. I remember which chair place I sat in, the passing of food, pies, and lots of talking. It's funny what things mean something to me. I have a tin cup from my grandmother. A cooking book from my grandfather. My great-grandmother's sewing machine. A trunk and a donkey made by a grandfather. Each has a story that makes it special to my heart. Others may look at some of my treasures and call them old junk, but to me they are priceless. I guess I'm sentimental. Lucky for Hubby, huh?

No More Cookies

I have often said that if I die before the kids are grown, Hubby must marry someone else. Otherwise, he will only feed the kids meat and cookies. He loves cookies. Chocolate chip are his favorite kind, but really most will do. He gets this from his mother. She also ends the day with milk and cookies before bed, though she does eat her veggies during the day. I suppose she gets this cookie habit from her mother. I just returned from WV where we were cleaning Grandma's house. She has moved to assisted living and 60 some years of living had to be sorted. Among the items were these coupons (cupons). She had saved coupons with no expiration date. However, these weren't just any coupons. These were cookie ingredient coupons. Nestle, Reeses, Hershey's...I think Grandma liked chocolate, another family favorite.

Every Christmas for over 25 years Grandma made cookies. She would start mid-autumn, and freeze them as she went. There were common cookies like chocolate chip and pecan sandies. There were fancy thumbprint cookies with jelliies and nuts. Chocolate cookies with surprise candy bars or marshmallows in the middle were popular. She made decorated, cut-out sugar cookies, Russian teacakes, even cookies that went unnamed. Sometimes she would make 60 types of cookies!

Then in early December, she would gather with daughters and nieces to pack the cookies. They would cut out waxed paper circles the size of butter cookie tins, and begin layering the cookies around the tins. Cookies were layed out on tables, and an assembly line would form.

Cookies would be given to friends, church members, neighbors, co-workers, and especially family. For the grandsons and their families, there would be special cookie tins filled only with "devil dogs," chocolate cake cookies layered with frosting.

The hilarious part of this cookie baking frenzy was that Grandma didn't eat very many of them. Every year for Christmas she would receive Danish butter cookies in tins. Those are her favorite. The tins would be saved, returned by appreciative cookie eaters, and refilled next year.

But last Christmas there were no cookies. Grandma, now aged 93, could no longer bake cookies. Christmas just wasn't the same. I don't think we were disturbed as much by the absense of cookies as we were by the knowledge that a tradition had ended.

In our home we have a placard that reads, "Home Is Where the Story Begins". The home that began this cookie story has been sold, but that won't be where the story ends. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren alike will surely continue the story of sharing what you have in love and generosity. And those are some very sweet cookies.

Bible Reader Beware

We are reading through Kings in the Bible. 1 Kings starts with the story of Solomon, and I was able to employ all my Solomonic wisdom yesterday. I walked into the kitchen at 8:16 a.m. to tears by #2. "Why are we crying at quarter after 8, already?" It seems that there were three pieces of ham left. #2 had come and asked me if he could have ham and cheese rolls for breakfast, and I had said yes. While he was off asking me #1 decided to have ham and egg sandwich for breakfast. He tore up two pieces of ham and started frying them, leaving one piece for his brother. Thus the tears. "Do you think that is fair," I asked #1. Yes, he did. "Then trade with your brother." Next was the look I wrote about yesterday...surprise and astonishment. "No," he answered. "Why not? If it is fair then you ought to be happy to trade with your brother." His reply? "It's fair to me, but not to him." --------- 1 Kings gives some other conversation topics. "What is a virgin?" King David couldn't keep warm, so they found a beautiful virgin to sleep with him to help warm him. The question came from #1 and #2 answered that it is a woman who devotes her life to God. So I said it outright, for the first time ever, "It can be a man or woman, and perhaps they devote themselves to God, but it is someone who has never had sex." Whew. That was difficult. #2 got a little grin on his face and said, "So #1 and I are virgins?" Yes. Then he grinned really big and looked at his brother. I'm glad he thinks it is a good thing. May he always think that! ----------- Yet another 1 Kings conversation. "Do you know how many wives Solomon had?" #1 asked in an astounded voice. "1000!! 700 from royal birth and 300 from not." (Personally I was glad he didn't ask at this point what is a concubine.) "Why do you suppose he wanted 1000 wives?" I asked. He replied, "I don't have any idea. Maybe in a few more years I will understand it." I'm guessing in a few more years he will be even more baffled.

What!?

I am getting used to seeing looks of astonishment and sadness. I have told the boys that school gets harder every year, but I think it is only just clicking with #1. Yesterday he had to go to a day camp about presentations. They were learning about Power Point and other parts of "presenting" yourself, i.e. table manners, speaking in public, meeting people. He wanted to know why he had to go, and I received those looks again. The kicker was when his brother and I walked out of the house to go to the free movie, and #1 was left looking out the glass door. 7th grade will be different. Just now I yelled that it is 8:00. That means the tv and computer go off, the beds get made, breakfast eaten, hair combed, dressed, etc. The day begins at 8:00 and school at 8:30. Actually, I think the routine is good for all of us. There is much less fighting going on these days. There was to be a day camp on soil today, but it has been cancelled. Tomorrow is the camp I am helping with about entrepreneurship. Guess what I will be doing today.

The Music Woman

I have never been much of a popular music listener. I remember my choir teacher in high school asking me what singer I enjoy. I answered Cindy Lauper. He was surprised. The truth was that she was the only singer I could think of at the time. As I have stated before, I just don't understand a lot of what they are saying, so it really doesn't do me much good to listen to the music. My boys have mp3 players and record music off the computer. Actually, they don't download from sites, but instead they get everyone to be quiet and they record the songs that play on YouTube. That probably isn't legal. Hm. Anyway, I went upstairs the other day to listen to what they were recording. I couldn't understand a word of what they were saying (it wasn't singing). #1 told me he didn't know what they were saying either, but it had a good beat. True. Anyway, I suggested that they only record songs that they understand. #2 was listening to something the other day with his headphones. I asked to listen and he got defensive. "It isn't bad." I didn't say it was bad. "Well, why do you want to listen? It's just the Jonas Brothers." Now, first of all, I don't know who the Jonas Brothers are, and second of all, I likely won't understand what they are saying. But the main point is that I am the parent and I should know what my kids are listening to. Right? I listened and I still can't tell you what he was listening to. So all of this plays into the following conversation. We have started receiving the Wall Street Journal and the boys are required to read it half an hour a day. Yesterday, #1 says, "I didn't know Michael Jackson died. Was he a singer?" Yes. "What did he sing?" So I sang a few bars of ABC-123. "Oh, that's from the 70's isn't it?" asked #2. I said I wasn't sure but yes somewhere around there. He also sang Thriller. No, they hadn't heard of that. Well that pretty much used up my musical repertoire, so I said he also was the one to invent the "moon walk" dance. "Wow. He must have been a great musician if he invented that," responded #1 incredulously. I don't think my kids know any more about popular music than I do. ---------- In a few weeks #1 will go to State Congress with 4-H. One of the nights there will be a dance. He dances about like he knows songs and what they say. His favorite song right now is "Yoda" by Weird Al. (I just had to ask Hubby who sings that.) I hope everyone is gentle when he breaks into song and dance at the party.

Talented Men

We had a nice holiday. We had 29 people here for a cookout and visiting. Then I took the boys downtown to watch the fireworks. It was a long day, but very pleasant. During lunch, #2 asked me if I thought standing on a pole with one foot would be a talent. I asked him why, was he planning on entering a talent show? He replied that he just thought that would be a talent and was wondering. To which his dad jumped in and said he had told him not to stand on the pole like that. So later in the day, #2 comes in and says," Mom, would it be all right if I go use my talent?" Tricky little bugger, ain't he? I went to see My Sister's Keeper yesterday with some friends. It is a good movie, great story, excellent acting, and lots of tears. There were only women in the theater. #1 said that is because men will watch it at home. They don't want to be seen crying in public like a bunch of babies. I guess he has figured out "masculinity." The boys had a friend over to play yesterday evening, and then his mother came to pick him up. She stayed to visit a little while, and she told me about a little friend that has been staying with them for a few days. He asked her if her husband had ever asked for a paternity test on her son. How very sad that this little boy- 11 years old- thinks that it is normal for your parents to be unsure if they are your parents. And on top of that, to care so little for the feelings of the child to put him through that. This is a crazy world. The boys were asking yesterday why mothers try to get away from their children. (My movie time.) I said that people who go to work get to leave their job, but mothers whose job is their kids never get to leave work. So they need a break sometimes. #1 made a comment about how I never get to leave because my job is them and their education. I assured him that I am VERY blessed to be able to spend my time with them. I guess they are blessed to have a mother that wants to be with them. -------- My Little Men won places in a photography Contest they entered several months ago. #1 entered two pictures and he won second and third places. #2 entered one photo and he won third place. The photos were to be patriotic in theme and will be hung in the airports of NC and the Governor's Office to be seen by returning soldiers. What an honor!

Happy Birthday, America!

Here is the All-American Holiday, Independence Day. It's the holiday that we made all by ourselves. Our history isn't long in the scheme of the world, but we did make our mark with this one. Today crowds will gather freely all over our nation. They will play games, eat, visit, pray, and shoot off illegal fireworks, all in the name of freedom. Now for my soapbox. You are not as free as you might think, and your freedoms are decreasing. I want everyone who reads this to know about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). You may not have heard of this little ditty, but it is attempting to change our life in America, Land of the Free. It is a UN Amendment that all but two UN nations have ratified, the USA and Somalia. It would give rights to the UN to overturn any government decision our courts might make about a child. Children would have the right to fight in court with their parents, and if our courts agreed with the parents, then it could be overturned by the UN court. Already this amendment has affected lives in other countries. Discipline, education, religious instruction have all been undermined by this amendment. The people who are trying to pass it here in the USA are expecting it to pass within the next two years. It is VERY important that you contact your Senators and Representatives and make sure that they are in support of the Parental Rights Amendment that would disallow the UNCRC. As you remember your freedoms' birthday today, email your representatives and tell them that you are in support of the Parental Rights Amendment, or the demise of freedom may be the next holiday we celebrate.

Tyrrany

It had been a pleasant day in the countryside. The friends called out to one another as they wandered back to their homes. A couple noticed their Queen approaching and bowed to pay homage. But one of the citizens noticed a change in the air. Something was not right. Their beloved Queen ordered the citizens to disperse. They were loaded into cattle cars and told that they were being sent to a detention center. It was for their own good. In confusion one of the inmates tried to understand. What had he done? Why was he singled out? But the Queen would not relent. The citizen was told that he had not met all of the requirements of citizenry. His period of self-compliance was over, and now he would be forced to obey. Separated from the rest of the crowd, he was confined in a small cell. Waiting the unknown, apprehensive and anxious, he wondered if he would live to see his family again. He had heard of strange tortures, even been subjected to some painful "remedies" in the past. But now, this was different. A dark cloud of despair covered his life and darkened his mind. A guard entered the room with various paraphernalia. Some looked innocuous, but one syringe caught his eye. Was this the drug he had heard of? Was this the way it was to end? The guard grabbed him and tied him to the table. The Queen stood by watching, assuring that the citizen was compliant. He was painfully stabbed, and then, almost as if it had never happened, released. Papers were signed; quietly he returned to his home. But mistrust had been bred. He would lead an uprising, and soon... --------- That's the way it was in my son's mind anyway. Actually, the boys had a nice time at the Exchange Camp. They enjoyed meeting other kids and trying out GPS equipment in the park. After camp, I took #1 over to the Health Dept. for his Meningitis shot. The poor boy was beside himself with apprehension and worry. I know how he felt; I get the same way. I tried to get his mind off of it, but you have to wait so long that there is only so much you can talk about. But like the tyrranical Marie Antoinette, who suggested cake to her populace, I made an offer of ice cream. We had to wait until evening to get it, as he didn't feel up to it right away, but I think the damage is over... There aren't any more shots in the very near future anyway.

You Just Never Know

You know the verse about being careful of what you do because you just might be entertaining angels? Well it works in other facets of life as well. Be careful of your opinions of others, because you just never know what they have gone through. I read Julie Andrews' autobiography, Home, last week. You know Julie Andrews. The very sweet, polite, proper lady. You know. Maria. Mary Poppins. Yes, that's the one. Did you know her parents split when she was very young? Her mother and stepfather were alcoholics? Her father wasn't her father? She was made to sit on the roof of the house as a young girl and listen for German planes? She watched her brothers get beaten, she lived with rats, and she was the sole support of the family when she was all of 17? Yeah, I didn't either. Who would know, huh? I was at the Farmer's Market last week and saw a friend of mine. We aren't close friends, more than aquaintances though. We started visiting, and one thing led to another, and we started talking about the shelter where I help once a month. I told her how odd and unfathomable some of it is to me. I had such a normal childhood, and have such a great marriage, that I just don't understand a lot of the behavior at the shelter. My friend told me she envies me. She grew up in a family with functioning alcoholics who were the first in the neighborhood to divorce. Her parents grew marijuana, bongs were all over the house, she was beaten, religion was shunned, "normal" for her was not normal for me. But, again, who knew? Yes, she is a bit different, but mostly she is normal, sweet and kind. You definitely wouldn't look at her and say, "Now there is a woman who was abused as a kid." I guess that says two things to me. One: I should not assume that everyone who seems ok is ok. Two: My children have a chance of being "normal." May God bless them with the spirit to look past my mistakes and grow to be Great Men. ======= The boys attended a day camp today that covered different topics and programs. One of the classes was on making your own household products. They came home with "Edible Dust Destroyer." It is furniture polish made with oil and lemon juice. I made #2 stop sucking on it. I don't care if it is edible.