Joanne Heim

We're home from Alaska!

Just taking a quick break from laundry and housecleaning to say we're home. We flew out of Anchorage at 11 p.m. on Tuesday night, landing in Denver at 5:54 a.m. yesterday. A long, uncomfortable, and bumpy flight.

We came home, dumped suitcases, and went to sleep until almost noon. Then spent the rest of the day lounging and letting our souls catch up with our bodies.

I waaay overslept this morning and Audrey and I rushed out the door to get her to her first tutoring appointment at school (while I went to the grocery) and then rushed to get to her vision therapy five minutes late. By the time we came home it was lunch time and time for laundry and unpacking and vacuuming and such.

We had a great last day in Alyeska on Tuesday before flying home--more about that and pictures as soon as I catch my breath a little.

Portage Glacier and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

This is just a taste of the scenery around here:

We took a boat tour on the Portage Lake this morning--to see the Portage Glacier:

The sign on the door of the boat place said this:

But the only bear we saw was this one at the Chugach Visitor's Center:

Until we stopped at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center:

Yes, it's behind a fence, but there's no way I'd see one that close in the wild--though I'm still hopeful. We got close to animals here--l mean CLOSE. Take a look at this moose just inches from my face!

We're headed out in a bit to Bird Point to try to see the bore tide--a wall of water up to six feet tall that can roar up Turnagain Arm when the tide changes. Here's hoping today's one of those days!

Wildlife count

Yesterday we drove down from Fairbanks to Anchorage past Denali. And saw a bald eagle and a Dall sheep. We're at Mount Alyeska outside of Girdwood on the Turnagain Arm. Wow! Is it beautiful!

The kids at Denali Visitor Center where we stopped for a runaround and lunch break (see Tyson run?!).

Audrey and Emma at Beluga Point--we didn't see any beluga whales--yet!

Along the Turnagain Arm...there are no navigational charts for these waters. The tides change 41 feet and there's quicksand. So when the tide is out, the guide books say DON'T walk out there!

More later...

Goin' on a moose hunt...

 

We were totally determined to see a moose today. So on the way out to the camp for the wedding, we followed every side road with river access to search out moose. As you can see, we have a pretty good technique.

The first thing we found was a frog, or is it a toad? Anyway, he's hiding in there--can you see him?

No moose. But the river was beautiful!

We drove on a for a while, calling moose out the window. And then...

TWO MOOSE! 

And the call must have lasted, because on the way back down the same road hours later...

ANOTHER MOOSE!

It's kind of hard to tell just how big they are--but they are HUGE!

Three moose! Hooray and yea God! (Because I was really about to give up hope, and was telling God just how cool it would be to see a moose--and then we did. So we all yelled "Thank you, Jesus!" along with our moose calls!)

Riverboat Discovery

We spent the morning on the Riverboat Discovery--a must if you're ever in Fairbanks. We saw bush pilots take off and land on the Chena River and on sandbars, saw sled dogs in action (pulling at ATV rather than a sled!), and visited the Chena Village where we saw trapper cabins, native beadwork and sewing, reindeer, and got to pet sled dogs up close.

It totally looks like a place where there should have been bear fishing for salmon--but no luck! Mom and Dad saw another moose this morning on their way into town to meet us...I'm still hoping...

Audrey and Emma aren't quite ready to move in for the winter!

Look at this amazing shelter--I had to take a picture to use as an example the next time we need to build shelters at Girl Scout camp!

Hanging out at Twin Bears Camp

We drove out to Twin Bears Camp this morning and hung out for the day. It was great to see Mom and Dad after almost a month and see their trailer set up (I had only seen pictures so far), to meet some family I'd not met before, to watch the girls do their best to catch a fish, and to kayak across the lake (something I've never done before--I went in a lot of circles!).

 

Emma and I walked down this nature trail for about two minutes--and found ourselves deep in the middle of nowhere. So we turned around--figured before we went further we should tell someone where we were headed! We'll explore the rest of the trail with a larger group another day...

We also visited the Large Animal Research Station--Allison's fiance Jesse works there and gave us a private tour. So we got to see musk ox and baby musk ox and caribou and reindeer up close and personal. Very cool.

We had dinner with Mom and Dad and are back at the house. (The camp is just as rustic as the website said--we're feeling especially good about the decision to rent this house! Especially after our long, hot showers tonight.)

We're headed down the Chena River in the morning on a riverboat--should be fun!

Made it to Alaska!

Landing in Anchorage at 9:45 p.m. we found that it really is The Land of the Midnight Sun...

It was bright enough to need sunglasses!

We were all so tired, and made it to a hotel just a few minutes from the airport for a quick and short night of sleep before heading up to Fairbanks yesterday.

We drove the Park Highway 3 from Anchorage to Fairbanks--about 350 miles and 6 hours. We watched for animals out the window, but this is the most moose we saw:

The scenery was amazing--deciduous forests, pine forests, huge mountains. We drove past the entrance to Denali and I hope we'll make it to the visitor's center on the way back to Anchorage next week. 

Here's a bit of the scenery we say--taken out the window as we sped along:

 

We made it to Knoll House by mid-afternoon, got unpacked, and went looking for a grocery store. Toben made chicken spaghetti while the girls and I worked on our trip journals and the house smelled delicious by the time Wade, Kristen, and their kids arrived about 6:30 p.m.

We bathed the kids, tacked some towels and blankets over the windows to make it dark as possible, and slept great.

This morning, we're headed out to the camp along the Chena Hot Springs Road where the rest of the family is staying and my cousin Allison's wedding will be held on Saturday. We'll stop by Walmart on the way for some heavy duty bug spray and a few random supplies. More later...

First trip to the last frontier

We are headed to Alaska on Tuesday. 

My cousin, Allison, is getting married on the Summer Solstice at a camp outside of Fairbanks and my whole family is headed to the wedding. Mom and Dad have been on their way for the past three weeks or so (you can keep up with them here) and we're flying out on Tuesday with Kristen and her family.

Toben is so darned excited and has been packing in his head for something like the past three weeks. Part of the reason he's so excited is that we're not staying at the camp with everyone else. He does not rough it--and the camp is rustic! Here's one of their "primitive" cabins:

We're staying here and sharing the house with Wade and Kristen and their kids. It's not "primitive"--given that there's lots of hot running water and internet and satellite television.

Pretty, huh?! I'm getting more excited as I think about running along that road in the mornings--maybe running away from a bear will help me pick up the pace some...

I haven't given packing much thought. Somehow packing for me plus two girls feels like something I just haven't wanted to think about much. Plus, I have to do laundry first. I can't pack unless ALL the clothes are clean and I have a comprehensive list to pack from!

But I have started gathering the important stuff--like stickers and books and paints and pencils. 

When we went to Washington, D.C. two years ago, I took along blank books, stickers, glue, scissors, markers, and the girls and I made travel scrapbooks. They loved it! Each day we took our books with us wherever we went and took time to sit and copy our favorite paintings or cut up magazines and museum brochures. We wrote about our favorite part of each day and glued in lots of postcards, pictures, and anything else we thought was fun.

Here's a peek at those books. (I did all the journaling for the girls--writing down their words for them--since they were younger at the time and Emma, especially, couldn't do it herself. They did all their own pictures and cutting and gluing though.)

This was a great way for the girls (and me!) to record our trip and they still love looking at their books two years later.

So we're going to do the same thing again for this trip. We stocked up on fun stickers and stuff at Jo-Ann's the other day, and are off to Michael's later today for the blank books that we like best.

I'm also thinking about what other projects and such to pack--card games for certain, a knitting project or two for me, and maybe some more embroidery for the girls. I think I'll also pack some embroidery floss so they can work on friendship bracelets. And movies are a must too.

What are your must-haves for your kids for vacation? Other than clothes and sunscreen and other necessities... I'm sure I'm forgetting something!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig...

Somehow that little phrase gets said a lot around here...but only by me. Seems like it must be something my mom said a lot and I picked it up from her. 

Anyway, we're home...and it was totally worth the money to change our flight. Audrey was pale and ache-y yesterday morning, but so much better than she'd been the day before. I think she felt really special that we'd go to the trouble to change our plans to accommodate her.

Of course, I still think that United should have changed everything for free. Somehow I think that if the manager Toben worked his way up to had had children, I think they'd have been all too glad to help us out more.

Thank you for all of your prayers... I read all of your comments to her and they definitely helped lift her spirits.

Don't know what it is about stomach flu and my kids. I wish I could be so much more nurturing and gentle, but instead I tend to freak out a little and treat them like they have the plague. Maybe it's because I hate throwing up so much and don't want to catch it myself. I do much better when they have a cold or a fever or a cough. But I'm more aware of it and am working hard to fight against it. So thanks for your prayers for me too! Ya'll are wonderful.

I'm waaaay behind on responding to email and such, so I'm going to catch up today. And the girls are going to finish up a cute crafty project they started before we left for Arizona...pictures coming later. Toben's going to mow the lawn. Oh, and I need to get some Girl Scout paperwork wrapped up for the year.

Happy Friday!

Stuck in Phoenix

Poor Audrey came down with stomach flu in the middle of the night, so we've changed our flights home until tomorrow. Toben spent a bunch of time on the phone with United, explaining the situation and talking them down from the $600 change fee they originally quoted. It's still not free, but better than having a sick, freaking out kid of the plane.

She's not a good sick person. No laying in bed and just resting. She cries and totally freaks out a lot, surprised by the fact that her tummy hurts. I don't do great with sick kids, so I'd appreciate any prayers shot our way. 

Toben's sending Emma and me out for a shopping adventure to get out of the house while he hangs with Audrey for a while...

It's hot in Arizona

The plane went up and down and side to side a little too much for my liking, but Audrey held my hand and assured me that the people flying the plane were professionals and "they're not gonna let you get hurt, Mom." We arrived safely just like she promised and headed over to Michael and Allison's house. 

The kids all hit it off immediately and swam for a while, and then we headed to dinner here. 

Joe's Farm Grill is such a great place--one of those places I think we'd eat at all the time if we lived here. Toben and I both had barbecue--yum, yum, yum. Audrey and Emma thought it was pretty neat that the kids' meals came with lollipops (and free replacements for when your sister drops yours into the grass and gets it all yucky).

We hung out some more and the girls are getting the chlorine rinsed out of their hair before bed. We're staying at a house down the street from Michael and Allison--so nice to have more than just a hotel room! 

Tomorrow, we (the grown-ups) will be in meetings all day, while they (the kids) hang out and swim together--and make cookies with the babysitter. Toben's doing some consulting, and his fee for these meetings was for the whole family to come. He'll finish up meetings on Tuesday morning and then we'll all just hang out some more until we head home on Wednesday.

Seattle morning

Left the hotel this morning at 7 with our friends John and Stacey to head down for coffee at the original Starbucks and to wander through Pike Place Market for an hour or so...

Can you believe that sunny Seattle sky?!

Headed to Seattle (and breath prayers)...

...just as soon as the girls get off to school and I get showered and dressed and take Daisy and Joey to the dog and cat hotel.

Flying is not my favorite thing. I used to love it, but since having kids, I pretty much hate it. As I told the group of moms I met the other morning at MOPS, my dad is an engineer and has explained to me how the plane stays in the air. Still, I just don't get it.

I can totally relate to that song by the Indigo Girls about being up in an airplane, but preferring to be in my home on the ground!

As we talked about praying through your house the other morning at MOPS, I mentioned the idea of "breath prayers" that I first learned from Jan Johnson in her book, Enjoying the Presence of God. They are short phrases, often based on Scripture, that we can pray quickly and easily. They're those kinds of prayers that help me see it really is possible to pray without ceasing, because it's just lifting someone up with a phrase when you think about them. Or a situation. Or just a moment to praise God with a short prayer like, "Glory and honor and praise."

Anyway...

I totally have a breath prayer for when I fly--especially if there's lots of bumpy air. (How can air be bumpy? See it's just not natural!) It's from Deuteronomy 33:27, and goes like this, "Underneath are the everlasting arms."

Lift and drag? Aerodynamics? Wing shape? Whatever. It's God's hands keeping that plane in the air!

So if you're on my flight today and if it's bumpy and if you see some crazy woman with white knuckles muttering under her breath, that'll be me repeating over and over again: "Underneath are the everlasting arms."

One last vacation thing...

On Saturday night, our friends John and Stacey had an incredible dinner party and we got to meet so many of their friends. Toben and John have been working together a ton on a book that John is writing, and Toben usually has dinner at their house on Wednesday nights when he's in Phoenix.

Among the friends I got to meet was my blogging friend, Linda. Linda and I have emailed back and forth and commented on each other's blogs quite a bit. It was so fun to meet her in person! Yet another blog friend I've now met face to face. See? Think it won't happen? It will. It's just a matter of time.

Anyway, Linda has the most amazing craft room ever--I have total craft room envy. Go check her blog to see the pictures.

Next time I'm in Phoenix, we're going to go shopping together and she can teach me how to thrift. She gets amazing things--and the best I can find is sewing patterns. I think I must be doing something wrong. As I told her, "Teach me!" (You can see the amazing apothecary jar she got recently for only $12. Yes, $12!)

I also had another small world experience. Before we left, I got an email from Stephanie, who lives in Denver but moved here from Phoenix. Turns out she's friends with Stacey. And Angie, another blogger I sat with at dinner on Saturday. Hey Stephanie, Angie says hi!

Libby Lu on Saturday

On Saturday morning we went to Libby Lu for makeovers. Well, Audrey and Emma had makeovers and I took notes so I could recreate their "Libby Dus." It's quite the girly place and the girls LOVED it. Glitter, glitter, everywhere!

It took me three "shampoo, rinse, and repeats" to get all the hairspray out this morning. Then a whole bottle of hotel conditioner to get it soft again. And then I did my best to recreate their dos. Not quite the same, but pretty good for my first try--considering all the compliments they got at the airport today!

Phoenix zoo on Friday

We went to the Phoenix Zoo on Friday--one of the top five zoos in the country for families and kids. And if it had been sunny and warm, and if I'd had shoes other than flip flops, it would have been.

(Note to self, no matter what the forecast says, pack some warm clothes just in case! Phoenix has 360 days of sun each year, someone told me. We just happened to get two of the cold, rainy days.)

Gorilla kiss:

Lion roar:

Anteater tongues:

Jeep wreck:

A frog and two princesses:

Despite of being cold, we had fun. And saw the zoo in record time!

Hello from Phoenix!

While Toben played golf yesterday (and shot a 79--his lowest round ever!) the girls and I headed to the Arizona Science Center to see the Titanic exhibit.

Yes, it's the same one that just left Denver. But though Audrey saw it on a field trip with her class, I never managed to get there. So I was excited to have a second chance. The exhibit is wonderful--if it comes to a town close to you, go see it!

As you enter, you're handed a boarding pass for an actual Titanic passenger and it's fun to look for anything that mentions your identity as you go through the exhibit. I loved reading the stories about various passengers and seeing the artifacts collected. Clothes, dishes, even papers that are still legible. It's incredible. They have staterooms set up, menus of meals served aboard, an even an iceberg you can touch.

The rest of the museum was fun too--though a little sparse. Seems like much of the museum was empty. It was fun to see how a house is built and play with design software, plumbing pipes, and circuits. And they did have some fun and very hands-on stuff related to the human body.

And while it's not as warm as we'd like here, it is warm enough for flip flops. So considering there's snow in Denver, we're pretty content!

Lunch at the Biltmore

After going to Open Door church this morning, Toben and I headed over to the Biltmore for a poolside lunch. Perfectly lovely--except for the girl who had a butterfly tatooed across her tush. No joke--from what I could see of it (and that was more than I really wanted to see!) it must have covered her entire derriere. That had to have hurt.

Nope, no picture. There are some things people just don't need to see.

We're now sitting at the Phoenix airport, waiting for our flight to Denver. I love going home from a trip. No matter where I've been and how wonderful it was, coming home is my favorite part. I'm anxious to see the girls, to sleep in my own bed, to give Mom and Dad the treats I found at Trader Joes. (Yes, there's a TJs here in Phoenix--I made a special trip just for my favorite popsicles yesterday afternoon. Yum.)

Weekend away

Toben and I flew to Phoenix this morning for the weekend. He's working with a company here and they asked me to come along so we could all meet. So here I am.

I survived the flight (you may not know this about me, but I HATE to fly--it makes me feel all hot and prickly and totally panic-y) by finishing Anne's House of Dreams. After leaving Anne and Gilbert on the bridge at the end of watching Anne of Avonlea the other day I needed to read once more what happens next. There are so many great quotes in this book. Here are some of my favorites:

Diana to Anne: "Married life has its up and downs, of course. You mustn't expect that everything will always go smoothly. But I can assure you, Anne, that it's a happy life, when you're married to the right man."

Anne to Gilbert: "I couldn't live where there were no trees--something vital in me would starve."

The schoolmater's bride to Captain Jim: "I felt dreadful when John and I quarrelled, but underneath it all I was very happy because I had such a nice husband to quarrel with and make it up with."

Captian Jim to Anne: "It won't take long to stay an hour."

Anne on books: "Our library isn't very extensive, but every book in it is a friend."

Captain Jim to Anne about Leslie's pain: "You know if we've got anything about us that hurts we shrink from anyone's touch on or near it. It holds good with our souls as well as our bodies, I reckon."

Captain Jim on a free afternoon: "I took a little trip today to the Land-of-nothing-to-do."

Captain Jim on Martin Strong: "He's lonesome. He hasn't many friends--been too busy all his life to make any."

Captain Jim on marriage and happiness: "Happiness for you all--though, mind you, I reckon, you'll have your troubles and worries and sorrows, too. They're bound to come--and no house, whether it's a palace or a little house of dreams, can bar 'em out. But they won't get the better of you if you face 'em together with love and trust. You can weather any storm with them two for compass and pilot."

And so many others too! If you've never read the whole series, do--you will love them.

Today...

Today we spent the day in Breckenridge--this morning at Peak 8 doing the Apline Slide and riding the superchair to the top of the mountain for a little hike, this afternoon wandering through the shops. Plus dinner at Rasta Pasta (also worth the drive up!).

It is so unbelievably beautiful up here--wildflowers in high mountain meadows and gorgeous flowers in town. Think this is going to become a yearly summer tradition.

And finally, Toben bought me a bicycle today--my first since about age 13 (a brown/tan 10-speed). After we went to pick it up, he dropped me off in town and I rode back to the condo. It's so cool! I just need a basket and a bell...

(It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but it's GREEN and PINK with FLOWERS. How cool is that?!)

Yesterday

We drove up to Vail to have lunch at Sweet Basil (so very good--worth the trip up just for lunch!) before heading over to Breckenridge.

Audrey conquered the river:

And then the river conquered her!

Audrey was NOT happy. That's snow run-off in the river and it's COLD!

We also visited the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens (after Audrey got on some dry clothes). We'd never been before and have decided we'll definitely go again.

It's good to be home!

As much fun as it is to go visit friends and hang out at the beach, there's nothing quite like coming home. It really is my all-time favorite place to be.

My interview on Tuesday with Homeword went great--as soon as I find out when it will air, I'll let you know. We ended up doing two programs for the show. I so prefer doing interviews in studio to on the phone--it's nice to sit across from the person you're talking to and I love wearing those ESPN kind of headphone/microphone things. You can hear really well, you can move around without worrying about getting too far from the mic and it's just kind of fun!

Homeword is a cool ministry--go check out their resources if you have some time.

Audrey and I headed up to Irvine Spectrum Mall after the interview for some lunch and a ride on the carousel and ferris wheel. The flight home was uneventful and Toben washed the sheets, so I came home to my own bed with fresh-smelling sheets.

I thought I'd get all unpacked yesterday and sort of back into the routine of things, but we got up and played tennis, dropped the girls off at Mom's house to play with Ava, and then went to the golf course to hit balls and play a few practice holes. Then we picked the girls up and headed to the pool before coming home to baths and hair washing and scrambled eggs for dinner. (Well, scrambled for me; everyone else had tummy eggs.)

I am not good at golf. Toben says I have a good swing and I can hit the ball, but no matter which club I hit, the ball always goes the exact same distance (and usually in all kinds of random directions). The ball should really go different distances based on the club you use. Oh well, it was good for me to walk away from it and know I don't have to be good at everything! (And to walk away without getting horribly frustrated--something I've tended to get in the past. Growing up and getting older has some good points, I guess!)

Back in San Diego

Audrey and I flew to California on Saturday morning. I have a radio interview tomorrow with Homeword in San Juan Capistrano, so I brought Audrey along and came a few days early. (The interview will be taped in their studio and then aired later this summer or early this fall...I'll post details when I know more!)

Anyway, Audrey and I flew into Orange County with lots of families going to Disneyland and then drove down to San Diego to stay with Terri and her family for a few days. It's fun to be back and see those things that we've missed--friends, the ocean, yummy Mexican food, palm trees. And it's nice and cool here compared to the almost 100-degree highs we've been having in Denver.

We've spent some time with Jim and Susan (Toben's aunt and uncle), been swimming, and had a barbecue with our friends, the Corsis, last night. Their daughter is one of Audrey's best friends and they've really missed each other. As Audrey told me on the plane, "Mom, you need to plug your ears when I see Alexandria because we're going to scream--a lot!" They did and it's so fun to see them pick up right where they left off.

Jennifer and Lauren and Audrey have been sleeping in a huge pile on the floor each night and having so much fun playing games and American Girls. This morning, they started tennis and golf camp, so Audrey, Terri, and I are going to hang out before picking them up at noon and heading to the beach for the rest of the day.

Friday night on Bagnell Dam

Plus batting cages and lots of hand sanitizer when we were done!

Prettiest put-put anywhere

We played mini-golf last night at Sugar Creek--the prettiest put-put anywhere.

During the day Mom, Kristen, and I went treasure hunting, but were sad that our favorite antique place has gone out of business. Found some old strawberry baskets and a vintage Trixie Belden for my collection, though.

Then we floated around the pool for much of the afternoon.

Spent today on the water again...this is the life!

We skied and floated around and then came back to spend more time floating around the pool with a book on the big green raft. Ahh...

A day on the lake

We headed to Fort Leonard Wood Recreation Area this morning to rent a deck boat and spent the day on the water. Such fun!

Skiing, floating, fishing, swimming, feeding friendly ducks...all in all, a pretty terrific day!

Ozarkland

Today our big outing was to Ozarkland. This is the place to go for souvenirs. They have silver charms for our charm bracelets--something we always want to find.

But they also have cowboy outfits, mocassins, coonskin hats, and everything imaginable with your name on it. Not to mention a whole line of John Deere, Elvis, and Betty Boop home decorating stuff. Lots and lots of things for the girls to say "PLEEEASE!" and for me to say "NO" about.

We also played tennis and spent time at the pool. Emma's swimming like a little fish--all within the past two weeks. Two weeks ago there's no way she'd put her face in the water; today she was jumping in and swimming halfway across the pool.

Welcome to Missouri

After 12 hours in the car we made it to Lake of the Ozarks yesterday afternoon, in time to send the kids and guys to the pool and for Mom and I to head to Wal-Mart--our traditional first outing at the lake. We bought food for the week and piled our cart insanely full.

The woman at the checkout wasn't too friendly or talkative, until the end. "How do you know what everyone will want to eat?" she asked. "Well," we answered. "If they're hungry, they'll eat what we cook!" And really, it's not like anyone usually complains to have Mom and I cook for them. :)

We woke up to pouring rain this morning, so it was a great first day of vacation--stay in your pjs and read Dirk Pitt novels until dinnertime! Wade and Kristen and Ty are on their way here and should get here sometime after dark. I'm guessing that tomorrow will be another lazy day since they'll be tired from driving all day and Ty will need some good naps. The weather's supposed to be better so we'll hang out at the pool and play tennis and such.

Popsicle time...

Back from Seattle

I had a great trip, but there's nothing quite like coming home again. The wedding was beautiful; I spent some time with my aunt and uncle in Lake Forest Park; I drank lots of champagne. But coming around the corner in the airport to my girls running toward me with huge bouquets of flowers and yelling, "Happy Mother's Day!" was the best part of the whole weekend...

The wedding was at the Molly Ward Gardens in Poulsbo--beautiful and lush and green. The weather was nice for the afternoon and the flowers were incredible.

Sarah and me

My friend Emily and I are making Sarah and Josh a quilt to snuggle under for their wedding gift, and I made a card to look like a quilt and added all kinds of movie candy and popcorn for their at-home movie nights since we haven't actually started the quilt yet and wanted to be able to give them something for a gift!

I took along a tote bag filled with wedding/plane/honeymoon goodies and necessities--toothbrush, decks of cards, mints, a mending kit, snacks, Shout wipes, and such. Isn't this fun fabric? I also made a big zippy pouch out of it and lined it with a fun pink and green stripe. My favorite part of the fabric is the part that says, "Because I'm the bride that's why"!

Off to Seattle...

The suitcase is mostly packed--except for stuff I'll need in the morning.
The house is mostly clean--and what's not is only noticeable to me.
The garden is planted.
I've checked in online.
The wedding gift is ready to go.
Little surprises are wrapped and ready.
The ipod is charged.
I've entered the numbers I'll need into my phone.
Clothes are sitting out for the morning.
My camera's charged and pakced.

Think I'm about ready to go...

I leave first thing in the morning and will be back Sunday night. I'm not taking my computer on this trip--can't remember the last trip without my laptop!--so I'll talk to ya'll then!

I love coming home...

We made it home tonight, with only a one-hour flight delay out of Orange County. The girls were great, Ava napped, and all the luggage arrived.

I love coming home; I think it's just about the best part of taking a trip. And it's especially nice to come home after this trip. The cruise was fun, but being quarantined and then needing a day or two after that before we really felt well enough to eat more than something bland meant that we really didn't have the best cruise experience. (Toben managed to escape the bug entirely and loved the whole trip. He's ready to cruise again any time; I think I need a while before attempting it again!)

The sea was totally rough yesterday and last night--force 8 gale winds. And even though we're not on board, the floor keeps moving on me. Mom and Kristen felt it all day too, but none of the guys are having trouble getting their land legs back. Must be a girl thing...

December 17-19 and Q is for Quarantine

Here are the past few days of Advent goodies.

**PHOTOS TO COME WHEN WE'RE BACK. IT TAKES FOREVER TO LOAD AND COSTS 50 CENTS A MINUTE ON BOARD**

**Okay, here you go!**

***

And now, for the quaratine story…

We made it up to LA on Saturday with Audrey throwing up the whole way up I-5. (Toben’s beyond brilliant idea was Double Gulp cups from 7-11. They are perfect throw up cups!) We returned the car to the airport, met the limo and sprawled out on the way to the dock. Audrey and Emma were both so excited about the limo, but didn’t appreciate it at all in their sick state. Oh well. It was nice for them to be able to lie down and rest so I guess it was worth it.

We finally made it on board and went to the emergency drill. Toben and Emma went to dinner that night with everyone (Mom and Dad; Wade, Kristen, and Ava), but Audrey and I stayed in our cabin. Emma fell asleep five minutes after they were seated and slept through the entire meal.

And I got sick. So sick. In fact, I don’t remember ever being that sick before—except maybe for some food poisoning that landed me in the hospital when Audrey was a baby. You don’t want to hear all the gross details, but I was sure that dying or passing out would be a better alternative.

We called the doctor the next morning; she and a nurse came to check on the three of us. (Because, by now, Emma was throwing up again.) She was NOT happy that we were on board. We filled out the vomiting/diarrhea questionnaire honestly, and the person who checked us in was NOT supposed to let us on the ship. Apparently phone calls have been made and someone may not have a job anymore. Oops.

She gave us medicine and lots of electrolytes and orders not to leave the room.

We’ve had a special crew to clean our room—full body suits, gloves, face masks. And everything that leaves our room—dishes, trash, linens—has gone out in red bio-hazard bags. I’m not sure the next door neighbors think!

The girls and I have been eating chicken broth, poached chicken, saltines, and ginger ale. Mmmm… love that cruise ship food!

We got the clearance to leave this morning and had breakfast with the whole family. Dry toast, hot tea, dry cereal. We’ll see how we do and maybe try something more adventurous for lunch.

I do know that the girls are feeling better, because they are driving each other (and me) completely crazy. I’m feeling a little shaky still. And Toben has somehow managed to stay totally healthy. Thank goodness.

And we’re all totally skinny.

We’re in Puerta Villarta today, but hanging out on the ship to explore. Next time we’ll have much more exciting things to report…and maybe some pictures too!

So, wash your hands and then wash them again. You don’t want to catch this, trust me.

December 13

The girls came running in to sing "Away in a Manger" to me after opening this morning's advent envelope. And they even sang nicely together...without arguing. Hallelujah!

***

The girls and I made it safely to San Diego...after I realized we were actually flying to Orange County and got to the right gate. Somehow the flight number seemed off to me for the San Diego flight even though the time was right. Thank goodness I remembered which airport we were headed to!

Terri picked us up at the airport and it was great to have an hour's drive in the car to catch up--just the two of us. We stopped at Noble Knits on the way and got some yarn for a project (and some needles and yarn for the girls--just in case of rain on the cruise!). It was fun to see Heather, though I'm sad I missed Tess.

We headed to Terri's house and just hung out until her girls came home from school. Audrey and Emma hid behind the sofa and jumped out to greet Jennifer and Lauren. There was lots of happy screaming!

Toben finished his meetings in El Cajon and we had dinner with Aunt Susan (Uncle Jim's at a dinner meeting tonight) and are all tucked into the house next door. (Susan's neighbors are only here on the weekends and are letting us stay.) Audrey and Emma decided to spend the night with Susan and we're looking forward to Susan's french toast in the morning.

It's a little strange to be back here, but so good too. I'm really looking forward to dinner tomorrow night with family friends.

December 7

***

Let's just say that a private jet would be nice. Very nice. Just showing up and leaving as soon as you sit down, instead of waiting around, waiting some more, having your flight delayed, showing up in Chicago only to discover your next flight has been cancelled, and that there's only one seat available on the last flight for the day.

Toben did some wheeling and dealing and we managed to find one of the last cars available at O'Hare. So we had a lovely drive from Chicago to South Bend--mostly in the dark.

My one thought before bed--it's cold here.

Coming home

Is there anything more wonderful than coming home from being away? No matter where I've been, I'm always glad to come home, sleep in my own bed, and renew my acquaintance with all things familiar. I've been really lucky to have traveled to some incredible places, but there really is no place like home.

It's been a pick up kind of a day. Pick up donuts for breakfast (thanks, Leucadia Donuts!), pick up the mail at the post office, pick up some milk at the grocery, pick up the cat from the kennel, pick up the dog from Aunt Susan's, pick up some cherries at the Saxony Road produce stand, pick up some odds and ends at Target.

Let's see...this may be random, sorry!

I was happy to get the mail, because some treasures from ebay were in it. Look at my almost complete set of Happy Hollister books! These are wonderful, if you've not read them. Very vintage, full of family fun, and kids solving mysteries together. There's a few other fun books in the stacks too.

Speaking of reading, I'm still working on reading Newberry Award winners...It's Like This, Cat (can't remember the author off the top of my head) about a boy growing up in New York City, Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer also takes place in NYC, and The Bronze Bow by Speare (can't remember her first name...Elizabeth George?...she also wrote--and won a Newberry for--The Witch of Blackbird Pond). All wonderful!

Joey did really well at the kennel. I was worried about our poor cat being in a kennel for almost two weeks, but the gal at the vet said he did great. He was definitely happy to be home like the rest of us, and hasn't freaked out from the experience. I think he missed us, though; we've had a bunch of big purry snuggles today.

Why does it take no time at all to unpack in a hotel room and forever to unpack at home? Toben and I are unpacked, but I still haven't managed to get the kids resettled. Maybe tomorrow.

We did sell our house--it went into escrow the day we left for DC. I took down all the feature cards and am ready to allow some chaos while I get busy with the packing...maybe some tomorrow, definitely some the day after.

The jam made it home safely. We visited Toben's grandfather (Paps) and aunt and uncle (Roger and Shay) in Pennsylvania. Roger makes amazing, wonderful, delicious, incredible jam. I hoard this jam, refuse to share with others, and mostly eat it with a spoon. Look at all the jam I scored! Thank you, Roger! (Okay, the strawberry is really Audrey's...) I also got the scoop on making jam, so I'll be making some jam later this fall once we get settled in Colorado.

Despite fighting a yucky stomach bug, I had a wonderful time in Pennsylvania. I've only been once before--when Audrey was six months old (I got food poisoning that trip and ended up in the hospital! I'm sure Toben's family must think I'm allergic to them or something!)--and I love it. They live in a tiny town one valley over from the Big Valley. There's a big Amish settlement there and it's breathtaking.

We visited the Big Valley on Friday--which is wash day--and there were long lines of laundry hanging outside each farmhouse. I don't have a picture, because I forgot to charge my camera and the battery died shortly after this picture. Argh.

Double argh since we stopped to buy cherries at a farm and there were such beautiful children. One little girl was about Audrey's age and they just stared and stared at each other. I would have loved a photograph (though I'm not sure her mother would have allowed it since many Amish do not have their pictures taken--ever). I just can't get this little girl (or her mother) out of my head; I wonder so much about their lives. I did buy another copy of Rosanna of the Amish by Joseph Yoder--a great book that gives detailed insight into the Amish way of life. I read it the last time I was in PA, and it's time to read it again.

At the end of each farm lane there was a sign letting you know what was for sale: "Cherries, tomatoes"; "Beans, puppies, cucumbers"'. Again, no pictures. Argh.

But here are some photos I do have.

Big Valley traffic

Emma eating catfish--her third helping

Audrey learning to spit cherry pits

What fun! We'll have to head back there again way before another 7 1/2 years go by!

Hello from Dulles

After my little coming unglued, I spent the night awake with some sort of stomach bug that lasted almost four days, rather than just 24 hours. I definitely got some alone time. Not what I was planning, but my head feels clearer--and I've lost about 10 pounds.

We've made it back to DC and are sitting in the Red Carpet Club at Dulles, waiting to board our flight home. I figure we should be all tucked in our own beds by about 10 o'clock tonight. Heavenly thought!

We spent the last four days in rural Pennsylvania visiting Toben's family. It was wonderful and there's lots more to say about all of that tomorrow. Toben needs the internet connection, but I wanted to let ya'll know I'm still here and in one piece and even relatively sane.

Thanks for all the nice comments...it's so nice to know that other people understand how you're feeling.

Much, much more tomorrow!

A walk in the rain

It poured rain today and we stomped through every puddle we could find before buying funny rain ponchos!

We visited the Library of Congress today, which was amazing. Definitely one of the best things we've seen here. How could I not love it when Thomas Jefferson (for whom the building is named) said, "I cannot live without books." How true!

The building is filled with paintings, statues, stonework, mosaic, and inspiring quotes everywhere. Here are some of my favorites:

The true university of these days is a collection of books.

One God, one law, one element, and one faroff divine event to which the whole creation moves.

The chief glory of every people arises from its authors.

We stopped for lunch to get out of the rain and when it slowed down, we walked the whole way to the Lincoln Memorial.

We're headed to PA tomorrow to visit Toben's extended family--not sure if they'll be internet connection or not. We'll see...

Fancy drinks

We had dinner in Chinatown tonight and Tony Cheng's. Don't you love it when waiters pay special attention to your kids and bring them fancy drinks with little swords and straws and fans?

We spent some time today at the Air and Space Museum with thousands of other people. After going through the interactive "How Things Fly" exhibit, I still don't understand, but I guess some things just have to be taken in faith...

On a totally other note, today is my niece's first birthday. Happy birthday, Ava! Being close to her is one of the things that makes me excited to move to Denver. I just love being her Aunt Jo.

National Museum of American History

We made it to the museum just in time for a docent tour of the First Ladies exhibit. It was fantastic. Inagural gowns, campaign posters, china, toys, photographs, paintings...it totally made these women and their families come alive. If you ever have the chance to go, go! And make sure you take the docent's tour.

We also saw the Star-Spangled Banner--the actual flag that flew in 1814 that inspired the National Anthem. Wow. Wow. Wow. It's worn and tattered and looks like it made it through a battle. Just seeing it made me feel teary and so proud of our country. Then Audrey sang "O say, can you see?" the whole way to the Metro station.

We spent time this afternoon working on our travel books and we're all caught up and ready for tomorrow. I haven't made it to get photos printed each day like I planned, but I've downloaded them and marked space in our books for them. I love seeing what the girls remember from the day and what they think is important to include.

I had hoped that Audrey would want to write more in her book--and work on writing neatly to boot--but she doesn't. So she writes some, and dictates a lot. Her favorite thing so far is the autographs from Toby Mac and David Crowder, plus the guitar pick the guitarist gave her from the concert last night. Emma is a big fan of the giant glue stick and decided that just about every gown in the postcard she glued in her book is her favorite.

Room service just arrived--tiramisu and cappucino ice cream. Mmm...

American Art Museum

Today was the grand opening of the American Art Museum; it's been closed for remodeling, I guess. Anyway, it was packed full of people, artists, free ice cream and popsicles from the Good Humor man, and more than we could possibly see.

We did see "Funney/Strange"--a special exhibition featuring William Wegman (for those of you who watch "Sesame Street" he's the guy with the Weimaraners who dresses them up and takes pictures of them). The girls loved seeing all the dog photographs, and we purchased a copy of his Mother Goose. A dog dressed in a curly wig as Little Miss Muffet never fails to amuse me!

We ate our free popsicles on the steps of the museum before heading over to the convention center so we could see Toben today. We stayed for the opening session of DCLA. Five thousand people singing "O Praise Him!" with David Crowder never fails to give me goosebumps. Wow.

Oh, almost forgot. The museum didn't open at 11 as promised, so we headed across the street to read books in the Washington DC Public Library. We went with a Dr. Suess theme and read two I'd not read before: Bartholomew and the Oobleck and The Lorax. I especially liked Bartholomew.

Did you know...

...the Hope Diamond is 45.52 carats?
...Napolean gave his Empress a beautiful diamond necklace upon the birth of their first child? (Um, hello? Audrey took 36 hours to be born! My friend Ann told her husband she was expected a little blue box in the bassinet when they got home from the hospital. Smart girl.)
...that this is made of quartz?

...diamonds come in yellow, blue, pink, and even red?
...the Washington Monument is 555 feet tall and made of marble?
...it took us 26 paces to walk each side of the Washington Monument--104 to go the whole way round?
...it gets really hot in Washington, D.C., in the summer?

We went to the Natural History Museum today and then walked down to the Washington Monument and then here, where, and everywhere to get back to the hotel.

Washington, DC

We are in Washington, DC for the next little while. Toben has been working with DCLA, an evangelism training event for students. This weekend is the DC part, so we all came along for fun. Toben's mostly working, but did take a walk with us to the White House earlier this afternoon. And we all had dinner together (more in a minute).

I love being in a big city. It always reminds me of living in Paris after we graduated from college. I get a crick in my neck from looking up at the buildings so much! I love that all of the old buildings are engraved with their names, so you can say, "Look! It's the Treasury" or "Hey! There's the Department of the Interior."

Toben left us at the White House and the girls and I found a shady spot at the Ellipse (a circle-shaped grass park) in front of the White House. The kids ran around (so much for being soooo tired and unable to walk any further!) and then we sat and worked on our travel journals. I love seeing the kinds of things the girls want to include. Audrey made a list of all the things she'd do if she were president, and Emma drew a wonderful picture of a cherry tree in bloom.

Tonight we met my Aunt Judy for dinner near the National Cathedral. My dad just happened to be in town so he came too. I've not spent much time with Aunt Judy in my lifetime, but I really like her and think we could be great friends. Her schedule is kind of packed while we're here, but I'm hoping we can get together again to hang out. She's part of this great artists' co-op called The Torpedo Factory. I'm excited to go check it out--online for sure, and maybe even in person.

After dinner, we went to the National Cathedral. Judy sings in the Cathedral Choral Society and they were rehearsing for a concert on Saturday. So we wandered around and listened for a while. I would love to go to a big church like this; we may have to see about going to a service on Sunday.

Tomorrow I think we're off to the American History Museum to see Dorothy's ruby slippers...