day two of our drive

We decided to make day two a rather long one.  We got up early - 7:00, had yogurt and donuts in the room (breakfast not included in this fine establishment), and were packed up and ready to roll at 7:30.  Oh, scratch that..... Lucy didn’t clean her ears (the piercing) or brush her teeth.  Back in the hotel room, rake through her hair, clean her ears (aka: inflict as much pain as possible upon my last-born) while she brushes her teeth (in between fits of wailing due to knots in her hair and hair in her earrings - both her and, especially, Mia, have had a lot of hair caught in their earrings.  I’ve had to take the earrings out, remove all of the hair wrapped around the posts, clean them up and replace the earring.)  7:40 and we are off.

We headed into Idaho - can’t you see the sign?  I was a little late on the draw....   

And from Idaho into Montana - missed that sign all together.

One of the highlights of today’s drive was listening to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.  At first we were rather pleased with the version, until the main and focal character, Aslan, came on the scene.  Oh the over-dramatics!  Yikes.  They could really have taken it down a few notches.  At least we now have some more fodder for quoting.  Our current favorite: “You had better put your fingers in your ears!”  And we may just start yelling “Silence!” (in extreme dramatics) to each other from now on.

The highlight for me, however, is just simply the drive.  We drove through my favorite part of North America - at least from what I have seen and experienced.  Western Montana - pine covered mountains/hills, crystal clear rippling rivers and creeks with fly-fishermen, rocks and wild grass, Log cabins with their dark green roofs, whole branch triangular fences and little bridges.  The piece de resistance (I’d write it in proper French, but I don’t remember how....) was hearing most of the family singing along to “We will bow, we lay our crowns, at the feet of Jesus....” along with the VBS CD playing while driving through this amazing creation.  

 (above photo contribution from Lucy)

 Apparently we were driving too fast for our little instamatic to handle!

Some day I hope to kayak down one of these rivers.  We stopped at the Corral Bar/Cafe/Hotel for a bathroom break which is apparently the coolest place ever (I never went inside).  Cade suggested that this is where we come and move to after our semester in Steinbach.  We were all a little baffled as we were pretty sure we were all on the same page about staying in Steinbach.  He claims ignorance to that fact - of which I say “pish posh”. 

Yesterday I was commenting about “home”.  I’ve realized that I am doing a lot of grieving right now.  First it was just over Ecuador, but now I realized that it is also over Fairfield.  It really hit this last Sunday at Parkway - our church.  While certainly not perfect, it is a blessed place.... incredible, biblical messages, staff that obviously love and are passionate about Christ, friends/family who are passionate - the youth group as well.... it is overwhelming.  I completely broken down in church.  It was Youth Sunday.  It is an annual event when the youth put on the service.  I was overwhelmed by how amazing the young people are (and have been) from Parkway.  Truly passionate, Christ-seeking people who spur each other on to great things.  So first I was lamenting the fact that we were once again leaving this blessing.  Then they showed a highlight video from the year which included bits of their trip to Ecuador.  I completely lost it at that point.  Double grieving.  I was sobbing.  

Later Maddy and I were talking about it.  It is overwhelming being called away from two places where there has been great influence and growth for our family.  And I don’t feel strong or equipped enough to do this.  But we realized that perhaps God is calling us to be the initiators of some passion (not that Steinbach is passionless....) for Christ and for service.  Perhaps that is our new call to action.  Not to jump on the bandwagon, but to get the wagon going.  That vision could change once we get there and see for ourselves what is happening, but it certainly is food for though.  In the meantime, I am allowing myself the time to grieve about our losses.  There is much in our past to be thankful for.

After a long drive, we are settled in at the Ramada Inn in Bozeman, Montana.  The kids are happily enjoying the 90 ft water slide (somehow Cade managed to remember that they boasted not just a water slide, but a 90 ft  water slide from 2 years ago when we stayed here).  There isn't much of a pool, but the slide is enough and the fact that no one else is here is a bonus!  And they have the best internet of any hotel I've stayed at for a while!

so long party

The night (Monday) before we left, we had a few people over at Chris and Val's: The Wurzbachs, Thomas, Polks, Fishers and Nunes.  Bring your own meat to grill, a side to share and we provided some sodas and ice cream novelties for dessert.  Simple, fun.

During the whole time we have been in Fairfield, Cade has been in his glory.  Very few times of melt-down or bad-behavior.  This last day, however, he officially lost it.  He was done.  He kept up with his two cousins most of the time - had a few times of needing to sleep a little extra, get a little space for himself, etc. - but it was time to get back to some normalcy for him (which isn't going to happen for several more weeks, unfortunately).  He was not himself at the party and spent a good deal of the time crashed on dad's lap.

Val did a little routine trim on Jake's hair  - you know, normal party activity....

There was one point where I needed to have a little "one-on-one" time with Lucy; a little chat, shall we say.  I just had to capture her enthusiasm for these times we get to have together.  That one needs to be shown extra-large!

Many of the kids adore Maddy as she usually spends some time playing with them.  While crappy pictures, it does show some of the fun that was had!

Lucy and Hailey (Best Friends and Worst Enemies Forever!..... they are more like sisters at times.....) decided to put on a lovely little show for us after the pool excitement wore off.  Hailey has been taking piano lessons and Lucy seems to be a natural with the recorder.  Rachel and I were amazing at how she could retain the same note and tone regardless of which holes she closed and opened.  That's some skill.

Then it was time to say good bye to everyone.  Not so much a fun time.  Did a little crying of course.... Some goodbyes were a little more fun - like Lucy and Hailey's attack-and-roll-good-bye-hug.

Can I just tell you, yet again, how tired I am of saying goodbyes.  So many incredible people in our lives.  Ah, when we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be.

Amen.

heading home?

Once again - the definition of the word is up in question.  What is home, where is home?  They say home is where your heart is.  Hmmm.  Well, it sounds pretty dumb and corny but I'm thinking it is true. So then, if that is the case, I have several homes.

Today was leaving day - leaving one home to possibly, hopefully, establish another.  So we loaded up the truck and moved away from Beverly.... Hills that is.

 Good old Eggar Asanté, our friend the Albisio, bid us farewell.  Some might recognize Eggar to be Carson Ackermann.  That may or may not be true, but Eggar spent just as much time with us as Carson did this summer.

 Token hugs, mostly because they have to.

 And some hugs happened because they really wanted to.

 Cade and Eric thought they'd get into the action....

 No one cried (hahahahaha)

 After drying our eyes, blowing our noses and pretending we didn't do any of that.... we hit the road.  A little while later, we hit Nevada.

 Time for our last In-N-Out opportunity.

I can't honestly say that I enjoyed it that much.  I'm rather ill - a pretty bad cold.  Sore throat, coughing, running nose, sinus pressure, whiny attitude, pouty face, feel-sorry-for-myself and sleep most of the drive type of cold.  The good news is, it is the first time I've been sick since leaving Ecuador.  That is a record - and it is really and truly an I-can-put-my-finger-on-it sickness.  How refreshing.
On our drive we sighted a funnel cloud.  Well, it was more of a dust-funnel, than a tornado.... actually seen somewhat often on the barren lands of Nevada, but it was a thrill for us!

We stopped in Elko, Nevada at the High Desert Inn.  We splurged and upgraded for our anniversary.  Yes - 19 years today.  Crazy.  This is how most people like to celebrate - driving several hours pulling a trailer, with your four kids, mouth-breathing, in a smokey hotel, with your husband doing everything because you are a pathetic mess of snot.  

Smooches, darling husband.  You are a dreamboat and I love you.
As tribute to Eggar, Mia, Cade and Lucy jumped in the water as Albisios.  Although the picture doesn't show it, the pool was very loud and very crowded, so we didn't last too long.  The kids were kind of going crazy and so was I!

 Of course, the game made it out, as usual, although I think Eric made most of the sightings.

you got holes in your ears!

Oh, I have so much catching up to do!  I really need to get in the mood and get 'er done!  Here's a little bitty start....

One of Mia and Lucy’s goals for our furlough time (this was before furlough became a little more extended.... as in moving back) was to get their ears pierced.  It didn’t come up while we were in Steinbach, but they wasted no time once we hit California.  We arrived Sunday and Tuesday was set as the day.  Thankfully Maddy had her i-whatever with her so she documented.

Lucy was having second thoughts and for a while decided that she might just put it off for a while.  After she saw her brave older sister, however, she went right back at it.  They both did fabulously.  And they even spoke a little Spanish to the lady who did their piercing.

Maddy had thought for a while that she would get her nose pierced (for real).  We told her that she could (her expense, of course) but the place we went to only did ears, so that never happened.

 This is telling:  Mia picked little gold crosses for earrings. 

 Lucy chose peace signs.  Mmmmm.....

 In other appearance changing news, Lucy also lost two teeth (eye teeth) in three days.  Now for the anticipation to see if she gets Giesbrecht or Ackermann permanent teeth.  I got money on Giebrecht but am hoping for the latter.

Being reunited with family is always good and one reunion that was much anticipated was with Uncle Michael.  Uncles don’t get much better than Uncle Michael.  Aside from normal uncle-awesomeness, he happens to make up his own recipes.  Like what he made for lunch when we were at his house the next day: blackened grilled cheese.  Some might have thought he just got caught up in the story he was telling and forgot about the grilled cheese on the stove, but we knew better.  We knew he was showing off his culinary delights and treating us with his latest invention.  The kids’ taste buds were not quite advanced enough, however, so he relegated to remaking regular sandwiches for them.

Aside from a delicious lunch (it truly was), he schooled us in all things fishy.  Michael has three fish tanks and knows an awful lot about the whole deal.  He has always known an awful lot of stuff about an awful lot of stuff, but now he knows even more about fish than before being that is a volunteer docent at the California Academy of Sciences, fish-type division.  Cade is quite set on getting his own tank and some guppies now.

We also took the usual trip to the cement slide, but it just wasn’t quite as fun without a neighbor lady yelling at us (yes, this has happened two previous times).  Maybe we can look forward to her another year.....