Glorious Northwest Saturday

First of all, a big thank you to all of you who managed to get through all three parts of our Hawaiian vacation story! (And especially those of you who took the time to comment!) Thank you for taking the "virtual adventure" along with us... but without the actual pain of sunburns or shaking beneath your feet! It's soooo good to be home again. And for the first time in a very long time, I am truly appreciating the vibrant Fall colors like never before!

Saturday afternoon, our family enjoyed an incredible time as we stopped by an "open house" at a small local airport, and then later at one of the local pumpkin patches...at a farm we had never been to before. I have to say that it was a near perfect day...weather-wise and enjoyment-wise. Just plain good. At the little airport, the girls got free trinkets, badges and got to sit in the cockpit of a privately owned plane. A free poloroid was snapped of them, and they later decorated a frame to put them in. Free hot cocoa and cookies and water bottles. All free! and a learning event, to boot!

Then, off to the pumpkin patch in gorgeous farmland.
I was determined to find a place that gave pony rides, since their beloved Alpenrose now closed it's rides this year. And these were even better, in that a teen led each one around the large area of pumpkins, instead of just going around in a little circle. They absolutely loved it!
Actually, there was one large pony and a donkey making the rounds of the field. Lil Cherub got the donkey and she bonded with him right away! She's a true animal lover, through and through.

There were farm animals galore...a Jersey calf to be petted, pigs, goats, chickens, rabbits, cows that bellowed back at us... Just about everything Old McDonald ever had was right there for the kids to see and sometimes touch.
They could also slide down a ripple slide and play on a big ole tire swing. Ahhh, farm livin'. It's actually been a dream of mine all of my life. Maybe we could just buy an old mobile home and ask if we can rent a piece of their farm...I'm sure they'd go for it, right? Our kids are pretty cute and all...

All four of us were enjoying it so much, we didn't even want to leave as the sun began to set. But there was a definate chill in the air and we were beginning to get hungry.
That, and we were pretty sure it was officially past closing time. We were afraid the owners might make us sleep in the barn and get up to work the farm in the morning if we stayed a minute longer. But as we were leaving, we were treated to one last "country sight"...a bunch of hens resting up in a tree, getting ready to bed down- or up- for the night.! I had read about hens doing this in the pioneer days, but this suburbs family had never actually seen it before!

One sort of sad related side-note... I remember hearing sirens and thinking, such peaceful beauty here, it's strange to hear the sirens. My Lil Cherub, who always prays faithfully at every siren, said a prayer right there, waiting for the pony ride. Later, I got an e-mail from my mom, saying she had heard on the news that the youngest little Roloff - Jacob-(Little People, Big World) had been in an accident at their farm as he tried to help with the pumpkin catapult.
The place we were at yesterday was right next to theirs! He had been rushed by ambulance and had to have surgery, but the last we heard, he's going to be OK. But our little girl was actually praying for him, we're quite sure. It was a good lesson to all of us, that we're not always praying for random strangers. (At least, to us, we feel as though we know that family, since we watch the show so often.)
And of course, to God, no person is ever "random".

But except for that news, it was a blessed time with our family this weekend. And a beautiful fall day tromping through the leaves of the countryside, getting to know the farm animals, and generally just enjoying each other's company.

Oh, and finding the perfect pumpkin along the way.

Happy Fall, Everyone!

Part 3...The Conclusion- Our Maui Vacation Story

If you have made it through part one and two, you know that our "dream vacation" wasn't exactly "dreamy". This may be the longest of the three parts yet, so pour your Kona into an extra-large mug and settle back...
To recap for you:

*earthquake
*my fear of a tsunami
*no electricity for half a day
*pouring rain with flooding streets
*witnessing a horrible motorcycle accident during hubby's birthday dinner
*hubby's seasickness
*my seasickness
*the sunburn of the century
*less than wonderful hotel with stinky marsh

And I neglected to even mention thus far, the fact that we all had runny noses the first day, the tense moments between hubby and I, and the all the times the children bickered and were whiny, in spite of the fortune we had spent on them to be there. Ahh...the relaxation...the romance....

BUT....believe it or not, there were the good times. Some I already mentioned, and as I left off in part 2, we were just starting Day 5... still perservering.

I suggested the Tropical Plantation tour, followed by a drive through Ioa Valley State Park. We arrived, found a seat on the tram, and actually enjoyed the tour through the beautiful gardens growing everything tropical. I was honestly excited to see bananas and coffee beans growing trees and bushes, being the simply Northwest gal that I am.
The humidity that day made my sunburn sting, but I tried not to think about it. Really.

Afterwards, we were heading through Wailuku, and passed an outside hula show. We quickly parked and found a place on the grass so we could just simply soak in some of the Aloha feeling. They were live on radio and and the internet, and we were treated with free punch and cookies as we caught our breath a bit and relaxed to the soothing music and beautiful swaying motions under the trees.

From there, we drove up to the State Park I had heard so much about. Hubby didn't really want to go, but once there, he labsolutely loved it. It was breathtaking, with the dramatic mountains towering on both sides. The girls and their daddy waded into a natural pool, while I simply enjoyed watching them, standing beneath a virtual jungle. It was raining, but it was a cool, refreshing feeling since the air was so heavy with warmth.

Soon, we were driving on up through Highway 30 and good ole 340. Little did I know that this was just like the road to Hana! Tiny, narrow roads where you and the other guy are heading slowly right at each other...and then you wait and see who will be the one this time to start backing up- gravel cascading off the cliff- to let the other pass. Let me just say, I didn't like this part.
And it was hard to hide my feelings as I gripped the door handle and kept murmuring with my eyes shut, "I want to go home, I want to go home..."
Meanwhile, my hubby was nearly beside himself with joy at this adventure. This is what he loves best- exploring and conquering new trails.
Men.
But I have to admit, there were some gorgeous look-out points. Absolutely breathtaking at times! Unfortunately, our digital camera died about this time...

When we finally found level ground again, we were bent on finding a good beach to play at for the last couple hours of daylight. We headed for one near a fancy hotel that hubby and I had strolled through on our first time here...the Marriot at Kaanapali Beach.
Can I just say....OOH-LA-LA (or whatever the Hawaiian word for the- um- French word is.)
So THIS was what the term "vacation in Hawaii" was all about!
People relaxed lazily on their lounge chairs reading, or chatting on their cell phones, nestled in-between the several beautiful, elegant swimming pools with cascading waterfalls. I felt like a starving gal suddenly finding a banquet.
Before we could even get over to the ocean, the girls were shown the little pirate pool and immediately climbed aboard, sliding down the tiny water slides and yelling "Eye-Eye!"
Afterwards, we played in the waves a bit...before promtly deciding to come back the next morning and spend most of our last full day lounging at the beach.

The next day found us, indeed, living out this dream. We played in the surf and built sand castles, right next to another nice little family with a daughter the same age as our oldest. They all became fast friends and had a super time playing and jumping over the waves together. Then our girls and their daddy went over to the pirate pool, while I found one of the hundreds of lounge chairs and actually was able to read, with the sound of the ocean lulling me. It was bliss.

And I can I make a confession? The girls and their daddy also swam in the big, luscious pool...it's one of those issues where I wasn't quite sure about, since we weren't paying guests.
Actually, someone did ask my husband as he approaced the big slide if they needed a wristband, and what was his name... He told them, they tried looking it up and seeing his name not on the list, simply gave him a guest wristband. No more questions asked. I loved this hotel!

The following morning, we knew we would be saying Aloha to the island, so after packing up, we stopped by the hotel that hubby and I went to on our anniversary. The parking lot was under construction, but the beach was just as I remembered it. There was a little regret mingled with my little barefoot walk in the waves that morning. It was almost painfully beautiful, and the day promised to be gorgeous after our week of grey skies...just as we were leaving.
We stopped back to Kaanapali for one last dip in their pool....This time I went in, and for about 30 minutes, I was in paradise on earth.
I did feel a little bit strange about it...should we be doing this? I certainly didn't want to be sneaky or anything. But when one of the employees stopped by to speak with me after we had first arrived that morning, asking if I needed a wristband, I simply told her that were just visiting, and were leaving to catch a plane in an hour. She paused and then started chatting with me as if nothing was wrong at all. So at least they knew and we had their permission.
So now I was free to indulge in the swim and have a few minutes of pure enjoyment on this trip. And it really was like having a rich, decadent desert after eating a charred hamburger for dinner. It was yummy.
Even my sunburn was happy.

Finally, we just had to leave for the airport. Quickly. We were running a few minutes behind schedule so my husband dropped the girls and I off to get started with the process while he ran the rental car back.
Yes, dropped off are the best words to use, since he began tossing out all of the luggage and proceeded to speed off. It would be awhile before I saw him again!
With my little girls in tow, I had to lug each piece onto the ramp of the agricultural screening. Afterwards, I looked around, trying to see if there was a cart to rent, and had pushed all the heavy pieces out of the way- or so I thought- when the lady at the screening informed me to just move it on out of there. I asked her where I'd find a cart, but she didn't apparently hear me, so just relayed that "this was a high traffic area."
Hmmm...so much for Aloha spirit.

I'll spare you all the details as I finally found a cart, paid for it, was told to go one way, then no, that was wrong, go another....then no, I had to go now to the back of the line to check in ...which for our airlines ran out the door and into the blazing sun nearly a half block away!
All the while, my little girls each towed something light with wheels, following me around like little ducklings and being quite the troopers all of a sudden.

As I chatted with a couple behind me, and no hubby had found us yet, it became evident that we were going to miss our plane. And from what I was hearing, we weren't the only ones.
Finally, hubby found us, just as our place in line moved inside. He had been told that we were probably already on the plane, and he was frantically trying to find us, all the while having major trouble since he had left his wallet and ID with me!
We said a quiet prayer, and at the front desk, we were informed that though all the Portland flights were full, we could catch one to Seattle. So, not keen on spending the night at the airport, we opted for Seattle.
And rented a car. And drove it three hours in the middle of the night.

And of course, the trip wouldn't be complete, without hubby's cell phone dying, having no way to inform anyone of this until we reached Seattle...and even then, our sister in law's number was programed into the cell....which didn't work.
So I called my dear mom, to have her relay a message to another sister in law...just hoping the information wouldn't be all lost in the translation.

When we arrived at our sister in law's home, who had our own car and keys, we saw it was not there. My husband was less than thrilled. So we went home, hoping...hoping...we could somehow get into our house since we had no key.
And though the car was not there, a set of keys were under our mat...YAY! (Thank you, brother Pete!)We carried the sleeping girls into our beloved house and I hugged my own pillow that night with tenderness.
There's no place like home...There's no place like home...

Oh, and the next morning, we found out she had parked our car somewhere and we had to go get it....oh, well. We'll always remember this trip, right?

What did I learn? Well, ever since our first perfect trip to the islands, my husband and I started dreaming of one day moving there. I wasn't quite sure if this was what God's plan for us was or not...but it was fun to dream.
I believe this trip was His way of saying...well...No.
We would not be happy living here permanently, but He had to show us that or we might not have heard His voice clearly, otherwise. We had still been stuck on the dream.

And also I learned that even an earthly paradise has it's problems. There will never be a perfect paradise on this earth...until God makes a new heaven and earth. Until then, there is only one paradise...and our minds cannot even conceive how wonderful that will be.

Aloha!

Part 2...Our Maui Vacation Story

Here is the second of three parts of our story. If you missed the first part, just scroll on down to part 1. This one's a little long, so sit back and relax with your cup of Kona...

Part 2

Well, it was Tuesday morning. Our vacation was already off to a shaky start...(OK, pun intended) but we wanted to make the best of things. That morning, we were scheduled to hop on board a dolphin watch cruise, so woke up bright and early and headed out to Lahaina.

I love Lahaina...I had been there once before on our first anniversary trip. It's a charming little town, full of history, where royalty once lived and famous missionaries once served. Amongst the museums are shops, shops and more shops...from little stores selling $3 t-shirts to expensive art galleries line the long street overlooking the beautiful shoreline.

We arrived, checked in...and then were told that there would most likely not be snorkeling due to the heavy rains from the day before, making the shore waters muddy. Half the would-be passengers groaned and opted out of the cruise, but we were unphased. I had no intention of really snorkeling off the boat anyway, especially with the little ones so we were still good to go.
And with only six other passengers now besides our family, it was more like a private cruise!

The boat was manned by a somewhat young but crusty guy, known to us simply as Captain Jake. His straightforward manner was offset by three young girls (two were former Oregonians) who were as sweet as could be and seemed to live only to serve us.

This was a good thing because almost from the get-go, my dear husband began to get a little seasick. Yes... my ex-Navy man was getting just a tad green behind the gills as the little boat tossed about on the sea. One of the girls brought him a gingerale and had him sit in the back, and later...four year old Cherub began to feel a little woozy and joined him.
Seven year old Sweetiegirl and I were fine...until... I had to take both of them to the tiny little closed-in bathroom (head) below deck. We literally had to hold onto the walls to keep our balance. By the time we were all through with our business, I had to get out of there- and fast.

For the next hour, I sat in the back...even further behind my husband, sipping gingerale and holding ice behind my left ear.
"Just sip it nice an' easy, Mom," the Captain told me. "If you have to puke, do it over the back and not on the boat."
Thanks Captain Jake. (And yes, because I had kids in tow, my name was evidently "Mom" for the entire cruise. Nothing like that to make a gal feel young and sexy in Hawaii.)

But the old sea remedies seemed to work on me, and I was soon able to scurry to the front of the boat when the captain excitedly informed us that he had spotted a huge pod of dolphins swimming our way!
The girls and I huddled with the others and marveled as the spinner dolphins came clustering all around the boat, a few of them leaping out of the water, as if to show off for us. Honestly, it was simply incredible. I was hoping- even prayed- that we would be able to see a couple dolphins, but this exceeded my expectations completely. For nearly 20 minutes, it seemed as though we were surrounded by these beautiful creatures, close enough to touch, if we had been allowed to. It was a thrilling experience and the girls were delighted.
My hubby videotaped them, standing right behind me, the trooper that he was. But soon after that, he informed me that he had gotten privately sick down below... he pretty much spent the rest of the cruise resting at the back of the boat.

However, we were surprised to find out that they did, after all, find a place to snorkel! I tried getting into the water, but something about the deep ocean makes me feel insecure swimming away from the boat. But my husband was encouraged that getting out there would help him feel better...so he did! And he took each one of the girls with him! Our seven year old completely surprised us with swimming around on her own. Of course, she had several floatation devices, but normally she's very timid in the water! My husband said he had so much fun snorkeling and spotting all the tropical fish. Then he came back to the rocking boat and commensed feeling sick again.

At last, the half day cruise was over and soon hubby was feeling a little more himself, as we strolled through the shops, stopping to eat at Cheeseburger in Paradise.
At the counter in one of the shops, a girl behind me remarked to her friend,
"Boy, she really got burned."
Hmmm. Was she referring to me? When I did finally check myself out in the restroom, my upper back and chest was an incredible shade of crimson. Yikes! Somehow, I had missed putting on enough sunblock on those areas and they were glaring back at me now.

The next couple days they would be more like "screaming" at me. By that, I mean, it was the worst sunburn I ever remember having in my entire life. The kind that demands advils and neosporin, as well as aloe vera gel. The kind that even when you are standing perfectly still, not moving a muscle, it still feels just plain terrible.

However, that first evening after the dolphin cruise I was blissfully unaware how much more it would hurt. That night, we headed for the Lahaina Cannery Mall to watch the free hula show.
The girls insisted on trying on their new hula outfits to wear for watching the show, which consisted of both adults and children from a hula school. It was so adorable! Especially, the youngest little girl who had big dark eyes, and the thickest black hair you've ever seen.
Kids in the audience could sit on the steps to the stage, and during one number, the dancers swung beads on string around and around. She loved playfully letting her beads swing percariously close to the kids right in front of her, and grinning. But then her own beads knocked her headdress off and the angry look on her little face was priceless!

The topper of the evening was when the musicians invited those who wanted to learn some hula motions to come on up. The only ones in the entire audience brave enough were...my own two little hula girls! So, in front of everyone, they followed the motions to the Huke Lua and were rewarded with lots of applause and cheers. (Even from those not related to them!)

So, in spite of the seasickness and sunburns, the day certainly had it's share of rewarding moments and we went to bed fairly happy but exhausted.

The next day, however, I was fighting a cold and my skin was not happy...not happy at all. So not keen on doing a second Road to Hana, Sweetie-girl went with Hubby and Lil Cherub stayed home with me. A somewhat boring day for she and I, though I did take her to the pool and beach a few times. But Sweetie-girl loved winding around those roads with her daddy all to herself, and they even took a dip in the Seven Pools.

Did I mention our hotel was not quite as nice as the one we stayed in 18 months ago? Not that our first one was all that luxurious, but it had a better feeling and a wonderful beach. We were doing Hawaii on an even slimmer budget this time, so I was fine with our hotel being "so-so". But though the room for the four of us was spacious enough, it had industrial-looking walls, there wasn't much of a pool, and to get to the tiny beach, you had to wade through a marsh.
Yes, and due perhaps to the rains, it was a stinky marsh. Not exactly the smell you think of when you think Hawaii. But we were trying to keep things positive and be content...yet, it wasn't until we wandered through the grounds of the Marriot at the end of the week, did we really see what we were missing. *sigh* But there's a story there, and that's for part 3.

Meanwhile, I'll leave you as we woke up the next morning and prepare to travel through Ioa Valley...
The kids are eating their cornflakes and pineapple while the highlight in romance for me that week was having hubby apply the morning ritual of neosporin to my burn.

Picture 1: Lahaina
Picture 2: Flipper
Picture 3: Sweetiegirl and her daddy in the ocean!
Picture 4: The girls and I with our new friend
Picture 5: Sweetiegirl discovers her new look
Picture 5: Hula Show
Picture 6: Our girls steal the show
Picture 7: Sweetiegirl with her daddy during Hana trip

Aloha...until Part 3's "exciting" conclusion!

Our Maui Vacation Story

Part 1

Wow. We're home. As of 3 am yesterday.

Thank you SO much for your prayers and concern about the earthquake...I was reading them just now and I was so touched!

Well...this has been such an incredible trip, both good and bad, that I am dividing it into three posts. Here goes...our Shake and Bake vacation story...(like that? I just made it up...)

We arrived in Maui at our hotel in time to unpack, walk on the beach, buy groceries, ect. The girls were anxious to take a dip in the little kiddy pool, so their daddy took them that first afternoon.
Still on Oregon time, we all woke up at the crack of dawn the next morning, hoping to to catch an early service at some nearby church before embarking on some great adventure.

We were all dressed and doing last minute things when the floor began to shake. I was with the girls in thier room and my husband was at the other side of our little suite, brushing his teeth. As it began to get a little rough, I grabbed the girls to me under a doorway and held them tightly. I'd like to say I was calm for them...but I wasn't. I was screaming for my husband, who never came until the last moment, while the three of us girls huddled together crying.

I've been in a few little earthquakes here in Oregon, and a few more little tremors, but nothing like this. And being in a strange place only added to my panic.

My husband came over as the shaking subsided, toothpaste in his mouth, and I frantically informed him that we needed to high-tail it out of there in case of a tsunomi. He didn't seem to be the least bit worried, but I had recently seen a documentary, so I insisted....well, yelled at him to come on. We were on the second floor and scrambled down the stairs amongst others, jumped in the car, and headed- literally- for the hills.

About fifteen minutes later, a radio station in Maui came back on the air and we heard that there wouldn't be a tsunomi...which was an incredible relief.
But there was no power anywhere on the island and we simply drove around for awhile. At one point, we came apon a Krispy Kreme's that was open without power, and I stood in line for donuts and my first coffee of the day. They still had some, but as I stood in the long line, they ran out right when I got to the counter.
Later, we did find a little Hawaiian church that went ahead and held service. They had a back-up generator, so they even had great music for the few of us that were there. Most of the little congregation was of Hawaiian decent, and they welcomed us with open arms. It was SO good to be in the house of the Lord during this crisis. I had been so jittery and upset, and it was a comfort to be reminded that God was still in control.

Right after the service, the power on Maui was restored to most of the island...and a few hours later, all of the island was back. That afternoon I splurged on a frappicinno at Starbucks and I was so happy I could have done the hula right there!

The following day was hubby's birthday. We woke up to....pouring rain. Oregon-worthy rain. Buckets and buckets of rain.

We decided to make the best of it and hit the Maui Ocean Center that day. There were a few open areas between building where got drenched, but all in all, it was a facinating place and the girls loved it. The huge shark swimming beside us was incredible and walking under the tunnel with stingrays a few inches from our heads was amazing! The girls seemed to fight over their daddy, though, the whole time...each wanting him all to herself. My nose was only slightly out of joint...I knew it was because he was usually at work so much and they were glad to spend so much time with him!

We stopped at my favorite Hawaiian shop, the famous Hilo Hattie's, to buy a few trinkets and gifts. (Love most of the prices, and how they greet you at the door with a shell lei!)
Later, we all changed and the girls and I donned our matching dresses in honor of thier daddy's birthday. He had some trouble picking out a restaurant, and finally settled on one in an elegant building with...ahem...elegant prices. We were all relaxing when sudden shrieks let out acrossed the restaurant. I immediately thought...OK, a tsumomi is just now coming to cover us all. (Yes, I really thought that!) I jumped up with the entire restaurant patrons, all of whom were looking out over the street. And then I saw it...a young man had been thrown off his motorcycle by a car, and a man stood over him as he lay crumpled on the road.
Although I relieved we weren't all going to die, I was heartsick to see this sight, and when I got back to the table, we all said a prayer for him. Needless to say, it was hard to enjoy the rest of the birthday dinner while a tear trickled down my cheek and sirens blared outside.

What else could go wrong on this trip, you ask? And was there any enjoyment at all?
Well...to answer the first question....a lot more could go wrong!
But to answer the second...YES, thankfully, there were some fun moments sprinkled throughout the rest of our trip.

The next installment will include a little of both...

ALOHA...

I can't believe the time has almost arrived...it just doesn't truly seem real! But we are in the midst of packing and making sure everything is ready for our family trip to Maui!

So, although I will check back here and also read a few of your blogs before I go, this will be my last post before we're off... I have to confess that I'm a bit nervous as well as excited.

And the down side is that my dear mom (grandmothersmusings) hurt her back last week and found out she has a slight fracture. If you could say a prayer for her that she heals quickly and can enjoy her own first Hawaiian trip next month, I would so appreciate it! And of course, I certainly wouldn't mind your prayers for all to go smoothly for our family. It's the girls' very first plane ride and our first BIG, weeklong family vacation.

I guess a part of my brain just can't wrap around the fact that we are about on our way...perhaps it won't truly hit me this time until I land and don my first lei on Hawaiian soil. Perhaps it's the season we're in...just having finally gotten the rhythim of autumn and homeschool lessons...

But nevertheless, I'm feeling grateful and will put on my CD of island music to help the reality sink in while I pack.

Love you guys...Mahalo for your prayers and

Aloha...until we return...

Little People, Big World

No, this isn't a description of life from my children's persective, but about a show that's on The Learning Channel.

You see, last year, I was flipping the channels late at night, when the title caught my eye. Ad I started watching, I realized that I knew the woman it was showing! I sat up in bed, and tried telling my sleeping prince next to me, but he snored on. Oh, well...

If you haven't seen it yet, this is an on-going documentary\reality show about a family dealing with dwarfism. The husband and wife are dwarfs, but three of their four children are normal size. (In fact, the one son who has dwarfism is a twin to one who has not!) How they are able to allow cameras into their homes so often, and reveal themselves with all of their faults, family squabbles, and disarray is incredible to me.

I knew her because both my daughters had attended the little preschool where she taught, and I'd see her frequently. I had no idea that they were making a world-wide TV show about her life!

It just so happened that after coming acrossed her show, I saw her the very next morning at a preschool field trip. She was walking right next to me, so I casually told her that I thought I saw her on TV last night.
"Yep, that would be me," she said, smiling very modestly.
We chatted for just a moment as we walked...and from that day on, every time the show aired, my family was right there, watching. Even hubby.

They live on a large farm, and Matt, her husband, has built a virtual playland on thier property. He's said, because he endured so many operations as a child, and spent so many years in bed growing up, he wanted to have something for his own kids where they could romp freely. He still walks with crutches, but he has overcome some incredible odds in his life.

Every October, they present thier place to the public, complete with their pumpkin patch, pirate ship, giant treehouse, and ghost town.

So guess what? Yes, as you can tell by the pictures, we finally made it over to thier farm yesterday (which is surprisingly close to where we live!) Although it rained on us the whole time, we all had a blast. There were quite a few people braving the rains with us, but after all, they are world famous!

Their fame, however, didn't keep the whole family from continuing to work the farm and waiting on the public. Except for Amy, who perfers to stay out of the public farm events. One twin (the tall one) led tours while the shorter twin drove one of the tractor rides.
A side note: When our seven year old daughter spotted the tall, cute teenage twin, she was so overcome, she hid her face in us.
Their 12 year old daughter, Molly, sat quietly with her grandma, demonstrating the spinning wheel in the ghost town. (She later posed with both girls.) Even Matt, himself, was there giving out directions to his workers while finding time to pose for pictures.

The grandparents (Matt's parents) are on almost every show, and I found them to be truly the sweetest people. "Grandpa" talked with us for awhile, and mingled with everyone. He even witnessed of God's strength to a young woman who was admiring their family and all of the odds they have overcome.

All in all, we came away drenched but happy, having met such down-to-earth "celebs" and exploring all the nooks and crannies on their incredible farm. (Hubby had has much fun going through all of the secret tunnels under the ghost town as the girls!)

Oh...and yes, there was a camera crew there that day. So, who knows, we may become TV stars too...but please, without the cameras in our livingroom filming our occasional squabbles, the dirty dishes and the toys strewn acrossed the floor. I don't think the public is quite ready for an episode of "Whiny People, Messy World"...(and I'm not just referring to the kids!)
So, I admire these folks a lot...they are a brave family, who overcome prejudices and insurmountable odds on a daily basis...and open of thier lives to the world at the same time.

Picture one: The girls with their daddy, climbing the huge treehouse (three levels)
Picture two: The Roloff grandma and granddaughter, Molly, working with the spinning wheel
Picture three: Lil' Cherub braves the rope climb (but Mommy makes her come down half-way)
Picture four: Matt posing for us

Even "Big" Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

It was a "Pajama Glama" party last night for the ladies at church!

(Actually, as you know we're looking around for a new church, but we still have strong ties with this large church we've attended for nearly three years.)

What's better than kicking back with a few girlfriends on a Friday night? Kicking back with a couple hundred!

My good friend, Missy, is now the head of what is called "The Girlfriends" committee, and this time around, the theme was pajamas! The party had a jammie fashion show, bunko, truth or dare...you could even sign up for getting your nails done or a back massage! The fashion show consisted of jammies worn by women through all the stages of life...but I have promised not to show Missy's pretend pregnant self in a nighty that I snapped of her!
She wrote some pretty funny lines for the announcer to say as each woman strutted down the runway...with appropiate songs for each one. I don't have it word for word, but the general feeling was something like this..."For the woman who has just given birth, she will be wearing the flannel touch-me-not ensemble..." as the song, "You lost that lovin' feeling" played in the background...
(Unfortunately, I missed most of it because I was downstairs playing Bunko- so I'll be seeing the video!)

There was fun just going on all over the place! And as I was down in the basement, stuffing myself with icecream, the "Girl-DJ" played some music that really took some of us back! Remember that line dance song..."Hey...Macarana!" (Or spelled something like that!)

Although I came by myself and didn't know that many who were there, it was still pretty fun. And at the end, Missy took some time off from her duties to hang out with me and have our pictures taken...looking all cozy, girly and...pink!

Although the evening was full of fluff and silliness, the purpose is to open these events to all those that might normally attend church, or who simply need to connect with other Christian women.

There were women of all ages there...from 18 to 80, letting down their pigtails and just having a wholesome but crazy good time. After all, Girls just wanna have fun! And sometimes, after a long work week or dealing with mommy-frustrations, that's just what the doctor ordered!

Gammee

Awhile back, I wrote about Nana. A spunky and warm-hearted lady whom I wish I could have known a bit better.

But my other grandmother was someone that I knew very well. And I loved so incredibly.
And though she's been gone now for 23 years, it is amazing how well I can still "hear" her voice as if it were yesterday, almost smell her scent, nearly still see her puttering around a kitchen. She was my Gammee.

Although I could write a book on her own life history, this time I am dwelling only on my own memories of her...from my own limited- but loving- perspective.

Gammee had a beautiful smile. She was tall, and had a hump to her back, and yet she still managed to somehow always seem graceful and stately. I loved her curly, red hair and the little "stars" on the ends of her glasses.

When I was very little, my parents and I would drive from Washington state, down to Salem, and visit with her and my step-grandfather, Bapa. I still remember being around age four...picking a low growing pear from her tree and sitting in the old metal rocker.
When they lived at this particular house, we spent a Christmas there one year. She gave me a musical jewelry box with a tiny ballerina that turned around and around.
I remember how she'd get down to my level, and really interact with me. Use her imagination.

"Just look at how vain that ballerina is...she keeps going around again and again so that she can see herself in that little mirror!"

Funny, how you can remember the most seemingly unimportant conversations sometimes. But it was of my first- and most treasured- memories of Gammee. I felt valued by her...as if, even at age four or five, I was her friend.

Later, their place was bought out and a big K-mart was built. But Gammee and Bapa moved just across the busy street, to a trailer park. And to my young heart, there was nothing more sweet and cozy than their little trailerhouse. I didn't think of it any negative way at all. Somehow, they always made room for us whenever we came to visit.

In fact, she'd always run out as soon as our car pulled in front of their place...a huge welcoming grin on her face. And as I openned my car door, she'd hug me and exclaim,
"My little Tammela!"
No, not my real name...it was just her special pet nickname for me. And I can still hear it as plain as day.

She didn't have a real kitchen at all...in fact, if you've ever seen the classic movie, "The Long, Long Trailer" with Lucy and Desi, than you have seen pretty much an exact replica of Gammee and Bapa's trailer.
Still, she managed to knead dough and bake bread, fry up Southern-style chicken, make cakes and fruit-filled jello. I'm even more amazed now as I look back. I have no idea how she did all that!

Gammee was also an incredibly talented seamstress. She could knit, crochet and sew just about anything and everything. To this day, I still have all of the tiny, perfect, little Barbie and doll clothes that she made for me. Little dresses with snaps and little Barbie coats with intricate buttons. To think, she would go to all of that work just for me...it still overwhelms me.

She was one of many siblings, and extremely close to all of her sisters. Every one of them had a relationship with the Lord. But goodness, how they loved to talk...I remember them getting together so many times and just talking away the afternoon on the sofa while I busied myself, the sound of their soft voices with their leftover southern twang having a strangely soothing effect on my young ears.

I also remember one special camping trip that we all took together, near a mountain lake. I must have been about five, and we pulled along our trusty Terry trailer, as always, while Gammee and Bapa hitched their own tiny camping trailer to their 1950's Cadillac.
One morning, everyone else was apparently going somewhere...perhaps fishing, but that detail is now lost to me now.
I walked over to Gammee's little abode so she could watch me for awhile. To my delight, she actually let me have my first taste of coffee! (Well, it was more like milk with some drops of coffee in it) but I never felt so grown-up in all my five years! She just always had a way of making me feel extra special.

My father, who had been married once before, and had two daughters- both grown, by this time. But I was her "baby-granddaughter"- the only small grandchild for her at the time, and looking back, I can see that she completely doted on me.
She also doted on my dad...her only child.

Unfortunately, she didn't dote so much on my mom.

I suppose that was the only fly in the ointment with my memories of Gammee. Even as a child it was not hard to detect the difference...and it did make me feel uncomfortable that my poor mom was slighted in her affections. I know it was not deserved. But years later, as Gammee's health declined, she came to live with us and mom devotedly took care of her and treated her with respect and kindness...and Gammee finally began showing more appreciation and warmth toward her. It was long overdue, but at least it had finally come.

It's still a mystery to me how someone so wonderful in every way would hold back on her warmth toward my mom- who is, herself, sensitive and tender-hearted. Perhaps prejudices that started early on as to my mom's so-called lack of domestic skills. But the important thing is that Gammee and my mom did make amends...did learn to love and appreciate each other in the end.

During these last years of her life, Gammee and I would also have long, wonderful talks. We talked about silly things like clothes and makeup...she would share special memories with me of her growing up years, way back when, in Oklahoma...and we would also have deep, meaningful talks about God. She honestly loved the Lord so very much. She may have been imperfect, but I saw a hunger in her heart for the things of God all throughout her life.

I remember that one time we quarrelled when I was a teen...and I think I made her cry. I never felt so bad...and it hurts my heart even now.
But overall, we had a very strong and loving bond...too many heart-to-heart talks to even count.

I was 20, and away, staying with a friend at college, when I got the news. Gammee has gone to be with her Lord, while she peacefully slept. And with her, went one of my dearest friends, and most treasured human beings. So many times now, I still miss her. I wish she was sitting beside me now, so that we could have one of our many special talks again.

Not only did someone I was loved very much, leave that day 23 years ago. But I suppose, also, a symbol of my childhood. Not all of my growing up days were rosy, by any means...but there were good things tucked among the years. One of those good things was having a grandmother whose eyes danced when she saw me, gave me special things made from her own hands, and called me her little Tammela.

Picture 1: Gammee and I (fortunately my legs are less knobby now)
Picture 2: A favorite pose of Gammee and Bapa, in their little trailerhouse.

More Chatter with Cherub...

I've been reading from a few other blogs that I am not the only one around here to suddenly have a slight case of Writer's Block. That does make me feel a little better somehow...I'm thinking it's the sudden overload of all of our new fall schedules that have us a little brain-dead at the moment? I know that's pretty true for me.

Hopefully, it will all clear up soon. And the rest of you that have been being brilliant...well, keep it up, please! We certainly need it! But maybe this dry spell hitting just a few of us is actually all a good thing...if only some of us have anything to say, then maybe all of us can finally get some reading done or something! In actual books! ;)

So...in the meantime, I'm posting something very short and sweet. Well, maybe not so sweet...

Lil Cherub was using the bathroom today and exclaimed,

"Mommy, my wish didn't come true. I wished that potty would go on the floor and it didn't! Not like that one time..."

I asked why she had wished for that, and she just thought it would be "cool".

I informed her it was actually kinda' icky and that Mommy would have to clean it up, adding,
"Please don't wish for that, Sweetie."

Without missing a beat, she asked, excitedly,
"OK- how about a pony outside my window?"

"Um..."

"No, wait...a unicorn."

Yep...much better than tinkles missing the potty and making a cool lake, I'd say.

Even when you're four.

But frankly, I think the whole potty wish thing was just a ploy...she just knew that I'd prefer anything over that, so the pony outside the window would be a shoe-in!

Catching Up...

I'm sorry to leave you so long with my thought-provoking post about the weather! But it seems life has just been so busy lately. And besides...as the quote goes,

"Everyone talks about the weather but no one ever does anything about it." ~Floyd the Barber, quoting (he thinks) Calvin Coolidge.

So here is a little Family Doin's update for this Monday morning:

Saturday:
Hubby was finishing the last of the roofing project. I, feeling uncharacteristly adventurous, took the girls on a 30 minute drive to a historic little farm where they were pressing apples for cider, and having many other "pioneer" type events. We had already ventured to one pioneer event a month or so ago, but this one was at a place I had never been to before. A historic farm where folks coming over on the Oregon Trail would stop over before going on to their own new piece of land.
The girls and I helped make cider with a press and bought a gallon, played with giant Lincoln Logs, observed folks in pioneer clothes spinning wheels, demonstrating the blacksmith trade, and countless other tasks. We loved it!
But our favorite part was the ride in an authentic horse and carriage. The girls sat in the front with the lady driver, and I sat in back, marveling of how much it felt as though we were back in time. Afterwards, my girls were thrilled to feed the horse grass and enjoy that tickly sensation! Such a simple thing, but it was the highlight for Lil' Cherub.

But here's the bad news of this whole event...we hurried off without our camera! AHHH! Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a million picture-perfect moments without your camera? It's agonizing, isn't it?
But we'll just have to remember this day with the use of our imagination...and you'll have to do the same!

Sunday:
Visited another church on our quest to find the right one. Then off as a family to meet with a home school group at a tree farm. It turned out that just a dad and daughter that we know were there...and it wasn't just a nice, tame little stroll through a tree farm as the info and picture we received had indicated. Oh, no.... Instead, a tour guide led us and a few cub scouts and their parents up and down steep terrain deep in the forest, as we climbed and panted... while he calmly retained his breath and explained why these various types of trees were planted and showing us pinecones. He would mercifully pause, to have us look up to the top of a certain tree and ask us a question...those not gasping for breath would be the ones to try and answer. This former aerobics queen was usually off to the side, breathing hard and trying to not to look like I was about to collapse into the poison oak.
But even four year old cherub began complaining.
"I can't find my bweath...carry me!"
Daddy and I did take turns carrying her on occasion, but after the first hour, I started asking her to carry me.
We had about an hour to rest after this torturous ordeal...er, um, learning adventure.And to top it off, hubby was very out of sorts because he had a huge list of jobs he wanted done this weekend, and we didn't get to most of them. (I know...I'll be calling Work-aholics Anonymous for him, soon...) But we were off to our home group Bible Study. We so almost didn't go! But after arriving, I was so glad that we did.
These other three families are such good friends, and it was a relaxing, refreshing time. We're doing a study right now which is facsinating...Ministry Life & Ministry of the Messiah, by Focus on the Family- complete with a video we watch of a tour of the Holy Land. It's been so incredible to see the places on film where familiar Bible passages take place and to learn some of the orgins and background.

Needless to say, we all fell into bed as soon as we came home last night. And here it is, after 9 am (when we usually start home school time) and my seven year old has just gotten up. So, enough resting from our weekend...time to start our work week! (Hmmm....what's wrong with this picture?) ;)

Oh, and the weather this morning? STILL SUNNY! After all these days! Only considerable cooler, now, and more fall-like. I think our sprinkler days are officially over.
OK...no more weather-talk. Promise. At least for awhile.

Happy Fall and have a wonderful week, everyone!