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Yesterday, I asked my second grader where and what Washington D.C. was.
Her answer- which I'll get to in a moment- was a little disheartening.
Just what are they teaching kids these days in school, anyway?
Oh wait...in our family, I am the teacher!
But hold on... before I give home schooling a negative image, let me say that last year- our first home school year- we did in fact go over all of this vital information and much, much more.
I was so very determined to do this right, it being our very first year, and all...
So ...we read biographies of George Washington, his wife, Martha... studied the colonies, the pilgrims, Columbus, Betsy Ross, Abraham Lincoln...and even more recent figures such as Martin Luther King.If it was important to American history, you can be sure we covered it. Honestly!
And geography? We did that, too. She actually enjoyed having us name a state so that she could try and find it on the big map last year.
We touched on the study of the hemispheres and continents... and even threw in all those oceans, for good measure!
And let's not forget that "talking globe" that her little sister got last Christmas. Nothing beats a little mini-world you can steer a plane around, as you learn about geography to the tune of putt-putt sounds.
And in my daughter's defense- she's actually a very smart girl. She even seemed to be enjoying hearing about pioneer kids or life with the Pilgrims, while all the time excelling in those faithful subjects, math and language arts.
Not to mention, memorizing all those Awana Bible verses!
Sometimes, I would even test her after we studied a subject, just to make sure she remembered it. And she almost always did!
Oh, where then, had I gone so terribly wrong? After thinking this through the past twenty-four hours, I've decided that maybe...just maybe...she was able to retain only some of all the wonderful knowledge we gained last year. Um...after all...she was only in 1st grade. Hello? First grade!
My husband likes to say that he was just learning his ABC's how to tie his shoes in first grade! (And he has two degrees!)Honestly, though...in my defense, it wasn't as if I completely overloaded the poor girl. Please don't envision me standing over her, tapping my ruler while I drilled those states and president facts. Our biographies were truly those kid-friendly kind.
And yes...she even had time to play with her My Little Ponies and watch mindless Disney movies on the side.
My other realization was that, just recently, her little brain was taxed this week while learning a new math concept. We're talking 2 digits multiplying with 2 digits, people...even my brain gets taxed just correcting the work!So, I'm taking all of this into consideration as last night, at the library, I calmly added a children's learning video entitled, "Learning about Washington D.C." to the top of the stack.
I'm just so creative like that.And, now that I've had time to think on all this, I am so much less flabbergasted at her answering what and where Washington D.C. is by saying,
"Isn't it that mall we went to?"But at the time, my mind reeled...Huh?
Um...I'm remembered that there is the mall with the similar name as the capitol of our great nation, but no....try again.
"You know, Honey..." I urged. "All of our 50 states have capitols. But Washington D.C. is really important...and it's the capitol of somewhere very big..."
"Texas?"
SIGH...At least her granddad, born and bred in Amarillo, would have smiled.
I hope you all (well, all of my U.S. friends, anyway!) had a nice Memorial Day weekend!
All in all, we had a truly enjoyable day.
But, as seems to be the pattern in our recent family Doin's excursions, it did start off with a few snags.
Our promise of a warm, gorgeous holiday started off overcast and freezing.
We met Hubby's brother (Uncle C) along with our sis in law, J, and new little adorable adopted niece at the family cemetery to spruce up their parents' grave sights and adorn them with flags and flowers. (J's husband- another brother- wasn't feeling that well and decided to have some alone time. With the new baby on the way, he better enjoy it while he can...)
Hubby's father served in WWII, so he received the biggest flag...
We certainly shivered, though...I felt like I was back at the wedding a few weeks ago! Look at my oldest, huddled and cold...poor thing!
(After I snapped this picture, I handed her a jacket, so don't worry too much!)
Our new little niece didn't seem to be bothered too much by the chilly morning. Instead, she seemed to be feeling quite patriotic!
After visiting and paying respects to Hubby's side of the family...most of us went over to a new state park we were hoping to try.
Uncle C had to be on his way to help one of the sisters move. See? First he drives us back to my mom's the night before the wedding...yesterday, gives up his Memorial Day and to help family in need once again. And he's single, ladies! (He's one of my lurkers...and I'm in big trouble...heehee)
The rest of us drove out quite a ways...waaaay out in the country...and finally turned in at the sigh. Hmmm...all this seemed to be was a tiny area with two picnic tables and a long bike trail. Not what website said at all! Oh, it said it had a great bike trail, alright...along with many other wonderful features...such as public bathrooms.
Of which I needed really bad.
Everyone was starving so we went ahead and picnicked there...and since someone told us that there was another state park just up ahead, I decided to tough it out and wait for restroom.
Sorry to be crude here...but I'm just not an "in the bushes" kind of gal.
Finally, we were on our way...only to see a search and rescue official blocking the gate, who explained that due to vandelism, it was closed. Sigh.
But he explained that there was another trail entrance to the park "just down the road..."
Again, we forged on....turned in at the little park sign...and saw a gravel parking lot, a port-a-potty, and...a trail.
I'll spare you the description of how that port-a-potty was...let's just say I was, indeed, desparate.
Our sister in law had to go find gas, which was 12 miles down the road...so we waited. Hubby decided to take littlest girl for a walk on the trail...sister in law came back...so she and I we waited some more. My oldest got a tummy ache.
But...there was hope. The sun was coming out!
Oh, and did I mention we brought our wild pup, Mandy with us? She did pretty well, actually...except for slipping out of her collar twice!
Anyway...finally, we decided to go into the charming little town where she got gas, and find one of their little parks for the kids to play at. And so our day began to turn around and things became fun at last.
This little town was so Mayberryish and adorable! We found a little park where the kids could play, which was right next to small river. Probably not the kind of park you could let your little ones loose without supervision, but for us, on Memorial Day, it was perfect!
Another unexpected perk was that met a really nice Christian family there...with one little girl, who became fast friends with ours. In fact, they were going to leave much earlier, but decided to stay nearly an hour longer to talk and let the children all play. It turned out that they knew someone we did, and visited the same church I use to attend as a teen during that time! They own an antique shop, so she gave us their card. So who knows... we may have all made some new friends out of strangers.
We all said good-bye...including to our sister in law and niece, who had to be on their way by this time.
So our little family drove to the other side of the town to find an incredible beautiful man-made lake with a bike trail and fishing spots around the perimeter. I thought it was breath-taking!
See the ducks in the forefront? They were everywhere...so calm and tame, in spite of all of the people and dogs strolling by.
You could take a row boat out onto the serene water for some real fishin'....
Or simply gaze at the water...
But of course, we all took turns riding our bikes around the lake...some of us, several times!
Amazingly, the day turned out wonderful after all...as well as beautiful and warm!
Everyone seemed to have a great time, when all was said and done.
Even Mandy.
So, now if you'll excuse me...it's back to the old grind this morning...dishes and school work are calling...as well as my over-tired children!
I hope to visit as many of you as I can later today...
Blessings!
Lately, my girls, five and seven (almost eight) have become the quintessential "Bobbsey Twins".
Suddenly, it is of the up most importance to wear similar, if not identical, clothing and to even do up their hair the exact same way.
Now, first of all, the fact that my five year old is suddenly asking me to do her hair is monumental for me. She is the one that if a brush so much as touches her fair tresses, she screams from the torture. Fun little do-dads and ponytails that mommies love to put in little girls' hair?
Are you kidding?
But this past week, she is not only allowing me to fix her hair....she's asking me to! Both girls will come to me with their identical do-dads and ask me to make their hair the exact same way.
One day, they will ask in unison if I can braid their hair ....and perhaps the next day, it's an identical ponytail they desire to sport.
And it doesn't stop with hair...clothes count big time, as well.
For example, it won't do if only one of them is wearing a dress- both will absolutely have to. And it helps if the colors in the dresses both have the same nuances of mauve.
What I find interesting is that it seems to be equally important to each of them!
It's not about my youngest wanting to emulate my oldest...no, it is about each of them wanting to be twins- pure and simple.
The other day, smack in the middle of "Twin Week" here at our household, we were driving somewhere while they were talking amongst themselves in the backseat. Suddenly, my youngest cried,
"Mommy, she wasn't being sweet to me- and I'm her twin!"
So it hasn't been without a few problems. Getting ready to leave somewhere on time, without the required similar clothes, has resulted in a few protests when told to hurry and put on something....anything! How could their mommy be so unjust as to do this to them?
Must.Be.Identical.
Nearly every day this week, they come downstairs dressed alike and stand before me, grinning. My oldest bends her knees and scrunches down, as they ask,
"Which one is which?"
"Um...I just don't know!" I say, looking bewildered. Well, except for the height thing, they do sometimes look an awful alike.
Once this week, my oldest got hurt outside and my youngest was hugging her in sympathy longer than usual. Too sweet...I know.
My youngest told me earnestly, "I feel so sorry for her- she is my twin, you know."
Why this sudden desire to be joined at the hip? I'm honestly not quite sure. I know last year, it was just the opposite problem...It was- Move Over, I'm sitting on Mommy's Lap. Or, the ever-popular- I Sat by Daddy First!
Followed by rude elbows and pushes.
Yep, it was every girl for herself!
All that usual asserting of the independence that occurs was certainly in full bloom last year.
But now...unity is the word of the day.
Yes, they have still had a couple spats (see above un-sweet -twin- in- the- car reference) but it's now all about being the same.
All-For-One-And-One-For-All...or, should I say Both.
I guess having my two girls traipsing around like a pair of identical twins with a slight height problem could be a lot worse. I'm enjoying it while it lasts. Because I know we will most likely see more phases of head-butting in the future...especially when one heads into puberty first.
I have a feeling that the twin thing might not be viewed with as much enthusiasm when this time comes.
Having never had a sister to grow up with, though, I cherish watching them chum around. I kind of get to live vicariously through their relationship, and it's wonderful to watch it change and grow through each stage.
My oldest still remembers when Lil Cherub was a tiny baby...but now....
now she is her best friend.
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I won't be posting again until after the weekend, but I hope to be online off and on to visit some of you...
We plan on visiting the cemetery and picnicking with extended family....and generally enjoying this incredible Memorial Day weather that we are blessed with this year!
A wonderful Memorial Day weekend to each of you!
I just realized that I may have slipped by a milestone!
This month marks a whole year since I began this adventure called blogging.
My actually blogiversary is a bit hazy, though. You see, when I first started, I was not blogging publicly...just sort of rambling about family events to a select few... not knowing that there was this whole wonderful community out there of warm, caring friends waiting to be found.
I know that I originally started back in May...and though I'm a little unsure of the exact first public post, it may have been this one.
And reading this over, I have to say, that last year's Mother's Day was certainly much more picture perfect than this year's. I had almost forgotten how wonderful it was- it was like a Hallmark commercial- truly. (No wonder I felt a little let down this year!)
Well, at least I have last year's dream Mother's Day preserved for posterity.
And that's one of the many benefits of blogging, isn't it? We record so many thoughts, memories and events worth keeping...for ourselves and our children.
I'll echo what so many others have said, but the feeling rings true for me too... The support and friendship I've gained since beginning this blogging journey completely took me by surprise. What an unexpected blessing for me this past year!
I have met so many amazing and wonderful people who either help me to grow in the Lord, give amazing advice based on experience, or simply help me to see the lighter side of life and wake me up with a laugh with my morning coffee. Thank you to each and every one of you! I have honestly grown to love and appreciate you all so much in the last twelve months.
After digging through my archives, I thought it would be fun to link up to twelve of my own personal favorite posts which I wrote over the past year.
Um...I hope this doesn't sound as though I'm showcasing myself...OK, I just read this over, and maybe it does...doesn't it? I think others have done this, but now I'm having second thoughts...hmmm...
Anyway, I just thought since some of you are newer friends and readers (and it is my bloggiversary) I'm going to go ahead, just for fun. 12 months- 12 posts.
And no...I know you all aren't going to read all twelve! Maybe pick one or two that you never read before.
Next week (On Friday the 1st), I plan on doing something I have never done before- as an extension of my blogiversary. I'll be picking out 12 favorite posts written by others over the next week, for some"linky love".
I hesitate on this, because I realize it's going to leave a lot of great posts out. But bare in mind, that those will be just twelve that I especially loved for that given week.
It may be my one and only time doing this...or not. We'll see...I just know that there are constantly so many wonderful posts that I read on a daily basis and I'd thought it would be fun to share them!
But in the meantime, here are 12 of mine I picked out from this past year...(And since I wrote about 178, consider yourself lucky to be getting links to just 12.) heehee
The first one is just...well...yucky. Sorry to start off on this lovely note!
This one had been a recent learning experience for me that I couldn't not tell.
Three on the list seemed to strike a chord with a lot of us...entitled, "No-TV Wednesday". Next is the story of my oldest child's very first experience in a wedding party at age two- oh, the embarrassment!
Then, there was this post, on how I actually met my sweetheart.
Number six was just about meeting some folks and hanging out at their farm...and they just happen to have their own show!
Number seven is actually Part 1 of 3 parts...our dream\nightmare family trip to Maui last fall! This next post were just some thoughts from my heart...on missing that special comfort which comes from our earliest years.
Number nine tells about roaming around New York City with my favorite sailor...and seeing a certain celebrity.
The next one was written when I was recovering from some pretty strange dreams...! Number eleven happened to be one of the most fun to write...and which turns out will be leading to a probable reunion this summer with one of very the friends I had mentioned! (Still reeling over this one!)
And last but not least...this little ditty called, "It's Hip to be Square".
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Now, it's past my bedtime again... but I hope to get caught up with most you tomorrow, if I can. Thank you, again, to all of you whom have been encouragements to me this past year- whether with your replies or simply by what you post on your blogs.
God bless each of you!
*Brag alert* *Brag alert*
Before we proceed to my "sort of strange meme", please indulge this mommy a little brag time. I just have to...because...well, I'm a mommy and that's what we do sometimes.
Last week, I mentioned that my youngest was graduating from "Cubbies" in the Awana program...(even though it seems it hasn't been that long at all since she was out of diapers...*sigh*)
This past Wednesday it was my oldest's turn in the spotlight as she graduated from Sparks.
For those of you who may not be familiar- from Sparks on, children go through their club books by memorizing lots of scripture and accomplishing other Bible-related projects. Those little girls and boys really work at those verses, let me tell you!
And for finishing all three books in her two years, my daughter stood up with a few others, and received this special Spark plaque up on stage:
Not everyone accomplishes this goal...so we were more than a little proud of her!
And I earned something, too...see that blue piece peeking out? My very own bumper sticker, thank you very much.
"My child earned a Sparks award and I helped."
(You might remember that at the Cubbies awards the week before, my camera batteries died...this time I did one better and completely left my camera at home!
But it didn't bother her- she just gladly posed for me when we got back!)
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Now, onto a completely different subject...
Barb recently tagged me for the 7 weird things meme...but honestly, the pressure is on. Because awhile back, I was tagged by someone else for 9 weird things and I think it was Barb who commented that I just wasn't weird enough.
And now I have to think up seven more? Oh, Barb, I just don't think I can do it!
Oh, the pressure!
Actually...how 'bout FIVE. FIVE semi-weird Facts.
I mean, when you're as perfectly normal as I am, it's all you can ask...;)
OK....here goes...
1) When I'm at home, I almost always have to have the TV on to go to sleep by.
No, I'm not that addicted to TV in general (OK, I use to be addicted, but not any more, honest!)
But this habit of falling asleep to the TV I can blame on my dear hubby, who conditioned to me to his acquired habit. We simply set the TV timer and blissfully drift off to dreamland.
If he has gone to bed first (as is often the case, since he wakes up so much earlier than I do) I simply pry the remote from his hand on entering the bedroom (amazing how firm his grip is while sleeping!) and turn it from his Fox News... to HGTV , Turner Classic Movies or maybe a little of The Learning Channel.
Ahhh...so relaxing...
2) I am completely afraid of those huge mosquito things, which I have always called "flying spiders". I remember just losing it as a child whenever one would be in the same room with me. Or am I thinking of two days ago...? Not sure.
All I know is, to this day, if one is in my bedroom when I'm trying to go to sleep, even an old Cary Grant movie isn't going to calm me down unless hubby does away with it.
3) I was the quintessential late bloomer.
I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 21. Didn't start drive until I was 20. Didn't really start to date until I was 18. And of course, didn't get married until I was 32!
Now that we have two daughters, my hubby likes all of the above age limits a lot and think they should be written into our family bi-laws.
4) I don't care for potato chips. No, I really don't. Especially those plain ones without ridges. If they are thick and ridgy, though, and there's some good dip to bury it in, then I'll eat a few at your party.
Otherwise, I'd rather eat the raw broccoli.
And 5)....drum roll, please...
I don't own an ipod!!!
There you have it. Five just-sort-of-strange facts about me. I know they aren't earth-shatteringly weird...nothing for Ripley's Believe it or not. But I'm certainly not going to post pictures of my eleven toes for all the world to see...heehee
And since I'm such a nice gal, I will tag any of you who can't think of seven or nine or 30 totally weird and wacky things -and you, too, can just do just FIVE SEMI-WEIRD FACTS, too!
Now, I'm off because it's way past my bedtime and unless there's a good old movie on, I'll be stuck floating off to dreamland with an infomercial on removing unwanted facial hair.
Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments on the wedding story. I'm glad you enjoyed sharing our event of last weekend with us... both the good, the bad, and the beautiful!
Sometimes, God whispers to us in the most unusual ways. Sometimes, He uses strangers that may never even know in this life just all the ways that they are His instruments.
My girls each have ballet this term...each on different days, with my youngest one's class actually being ballet\tap.
We parents are banned from the class, except for the first and last sessions, but we can peek through the little slitted windows on the doors to try and catch a glimpse, or hear them tap-tapping away. Whenever I try and peek in, my little one is almost never in view at that moment in time...just at the other end of the line, it seems.
I can't usually see her, but I can just imagine my little straight-haired Shirley Temple is probably dancing like a trooper, with her forward-back-forward-tap sounds blending with the the rest of the clickity-clacks.
Since I home school, my second grader tags along and we usually do some school work there. The past couple of times, we went outside to sit in the grass and enjoy the sunshine. And each time, I couldn't help but notice one particular mommy, with two young children in tow.
What struck me right away was the obvious: She held a sight-impaired cane, which she tapped ahead of her, as her two children rode their little bikes with training wheels, keeping stride with their mommy down the sidewalk in front of the recreation center.
I admit to being somewhat curious when seeing a blind or sight-impaired person, braving the outside world. More than curious....I always feel a sense of awe at their bravery.
But this was something new to me. This was more than a person braving it on their own- this was a mother. She was being more than a little courageous...
she was also being courageous for her children, as well.
I couldn't help but think how easy it would be to live in fear if I lived with her lack of sight. Especially, when I was responsible for two young children.
But here she was, venturing from her house and down the road every week, so that her children could experience real life.
And maybe, so that she could, also.
Yesterday, I watched this courageous young mother again, as my oldest daughter and I sat on the grass and she read to me quietly from a Little House book. She was reading, remarkably, a passage that mentioned how Laura felt sad for Mary, because she had been rendered blind after Scarlet Fever and could not go to school with her. As she read this part, my daughter looked over at the mother and then to me, knowingly. I wondered if the mommy had overheard.
As I stole glances at this young woman, I began to speculate that perhaps she could see shadowy images, but that her sight was so bad that she was legally blind. But beyond this practical observation, I saw quite a bit more as I watched her.
I watched her glowing smile, which seemed to never leave her face.
I listened to her warm, loving voice as she spoke to her children.
I felt the tenderness she obviously felt for them in her gestures.
And I was filled with admiration for this stranger.
I also thought about myself.
I can so easily live in fear, instead of embracing life and trusting God.
I can so easily look at the negative instead of finding something to smile about...not just smile outwardly, but to smile inside- with my heart and soul.
There were so many lessons to be learned. I am still trying to absorb them all.
But God seems to use unassuming instruments sometimes try to get through to me in His gentle way.
She is still only a stranger to me, who yesterday, simply smiled in my direction and said hello.
I have only observed her for several moments at a time.
Amazing, then, that she could have any impact or influence on me...nevertheless, she has.
I felt myself wanting to be more like her...except to be able to enjoy the physical beauty around me.
How easy for me to take this for granted!
She may never know that she is having such a positive influence on those around her. I'm not sure that I could tell her all this...my shy nature might get in the way and I'm not sure I could express it the right way in person, nor how she would take it.
But she has the kind of smile that makes me think she might be bound in the same direction as I am...and that maybe I can tell her one day in heaven how just by her simple presence, she was God's instrument in this humble stranger's life.
More food for thought: If this person whom I don't know can influence me (a Christian) so much just by her mere presense...I wonder...who am I influencing- for good or for bad- without even knowing?
*If you didn't yet read Part 1, be sure to scroll down first.
And now for the "exciting" conclusion...(Kind of reminds you of those special 2-part episodes, like the Brady Bunch camping in the Grand Canyon, doesn't it?)
So, did I leave you shivering with us long enough during the photo shoot?
Well, come along with me now...the photographer just dismissed us to the nice, warm chapel...
As we entered into the very small but cozy chapel in the woods, I decided to have the girls sit with me a bit, instead if waiting by the cold open doors in the back.After all, I knew they would be having to stand for the whole ceremony, and already stood like troopers in the chilly air for photographs.
(My husband was the designated "videographer" so he wouldn't be sitting with me. He was following the bride and groom around like paparazzi, and later would be up front throughout the ceremony.)
Slowly, the chapel began to fill, as friends and relatives began pouring in...and more and more chairs were quickly being added where ever they could fit. I figured this was my time to usher the girls to the back, give them some last minute advice, and hurry back to my seat before it was snatched away. (After all, it was real seat near the front!)
Minutes later, the ceremony began...
My two lovely teenage nieces as the candle lighters were the first to walk down. Then my nephew, the handsome ring bearer...followed by...
the stars of the wedding the two flower girls...
They did such a good job! I was truly proud of them...
Even though my little one promptly sat down upon reaching her destination.
You see, I had told them what the coordinator had said- that if they became really tired, they could sit down... but I thought I had specified "not right away." Oh well.
In typical stage mom form, I caught my oldest's eye and motioned for her to tell Lil Cherub to stand up. My oldest dutifully whispered (when she finally figured out what I was trying to pantomime) and my youngest then complied.
What good girls!
And then, OK- the true "star of the wedding" appeared...
Isn't she beautiful?
Here, in the above picture, they are taking Communion.
My husband is to the left, videotaping.
(Oh, if only we had had someone like him at our own wedding twelve years before, where the video cameras never showed up! I know, I know...time to just -deep breath- let it go...) ;)
Truly, it was a beautiful ceremony.
But the highlight came when the nervous groom kept jumping in with "I will" before it was time, followed by lots of giggles in the chapel. At least my sister in law knew he was a very willing groom!
And then...
...The Kiss!
And finally....
"May I now introduce to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs..."
The reception was back at the now beautifully decorated Dining Hall, where a feast of Egyptian dishes tantalized our taste buds. Again, we were all a little crowed in for the reception, making it a challenge move once out of our chairs, but it was fun to see all of my new brother in law's Egyptian relatives hugging and mingling with our own.
Our own version of My Big Fat Egyptian Wedding...(so you can imagine the fun when the very next evening we got to watch the original version on TV!)
A friend of the bride and groom gave a heart-warming toast, telling a story many of us didn't know at all. He happened to be patient at the hospital where both of them worked, awaiting a heart transplant. He started to get to know each of them...and then began to think, "Hey, they are each what the other person is looking for!"
So, he was used by the Lord in his huge trial to play Cupid...and the rest was history.
As for me...after the bride and groom smooshed cake at one another, it was my turn, along with a sweet young gal, to help cut and serve it.
But maul it would be the more appropriate term here...
Neither one of us had ever done this before, and the cake- being scrumptious and moist beyond words- turned out to be...well... really moist while attempting to actually cut. We might as well have took turns karate chopping it and the result would have been not all that different.
Here is a glimpse of it before, as the bride gets reading to launch her piece...
And I'll spare you all how it looked after we got done with it. It's just too sad.
Yet, in spite of getting off to a rocky start with the car fiasco, the missing shoes, and the shivering bridal party...the wedding turned out to be beautiful, after all.
Even the reception, as well.. I think everyone by then was too tired and hungry to care about how their pieces of cake actually appeared on their plates.
(Of course that rum flavor inside probably helped a lot, too.)
So, as we wave farewell to the happy couple...
I'll know you understand when I say that we all breathed a collective sigh of relief...
My beautiful single sister in law was married at long last.
And all was right with the world.
*Edited to add a different picture and to correct a few tired-brain errors.
I hope all of you had a nice Mother's Day! It's good to be back, and I'll be trying to catch up with all of your posts throughout the day.
I decided to do this past weekend justice, I would have to divide it into two parts. And even at that, this half is not exactly short.
So, grab your cup of coffee, sit back, and come along with me to the wedding...but hold onto your fancy hat! Because those prayers that a few of said on our behalf, actually helped in ways we weren't exactly expecting...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday morning found us hurrying around in a hundred different directions. My littlest one had ballet\tap class... then back home so that I could pack, do a few dishes, take care of the dog, make a few phone calls...and then make sure I had each and every thing put into the car that was on my mental list. Whew!
Oh, keeping the girls from climbing through the sunroof onto the roof of the minivan while making trips to the car was also a priority. (Insert extra minutes taken for discipline here.)
We headed straight from the house to our destination...a Christian Renewal Center across the street from Silver Falls, deep in the wooded hills. It's been a place near and dear to the bride and all of her family since they were children. We would be going there for rehearsal, and then spending the night at my mom's house, about forty minutes away. My husband, who was not in the wedding, would be arriving the next morning. Everything seemed to be falling into place...
Hitting bumper to bumper traffic on the freeway? No problem. I still had left in plenty of time. Probably....
My youngest fell asleep in the car...this was good. And finally, I was off the freeway and heading towards the renewal center.
Hmmm....according to the signs, it's a little farther than I had thought. We might be cutting it a bit close, but we should still be there close to starting time...
As I find myself zipping along curves and watching the clock, suddenly our big minivan starts acting...well...funny. As I tap on the breaks, I notice they aren't working right at all! I push down with all my might on the pedal, just so that I can slow down and pull over to the side.
OK. Staying calm....Suddenly, another vehicle pulls next to me, with a male driver. (Staying calm, here...getting ready to hit the lock button) He simply wants to know if he missed the Falls exit, and I tell him I didn't think so, and he drives on. Okay... Slowly, I start my engine and ease back onto the road, but the brakes are still not working right and the engine is shaking badly.
Again, I pull over into a clearing and take out my trusty cell phone. What would we do without our cell phones? But what was this....searching for signal...Oh. no.
Panic started to set in at this point. I was alone with my girls on the side of the road, no cell phone access, and now officially late for rehearsal. After praying, I turned on the engine once more, hoping to ease down to road to a more public place, at least. After about a mile or two, I saw the parking lot for the Falls, with the sign for the wedding party directly across the street! The gravel road led up the hill into the woods, and I didn't think the car would make it, so I parked at the lot, and told the girls we would just walk up the gravel road.
And walk...and walk...and walk.
My poor girls...I was hurrying them, because of the rehearsal and thinking it would just be a short jaunt. It turned out to be two miles, up hill and around curves.
We got there, huffing and puffing...and one of my sisters in law was there, who in turn, got someone to give us a ride up to the chapel, which turns out, was up the hill even further.
Of course, everyone was sympathetic when we explained what happened. And we made it time for a second run-through.
Afterwards, the founder of the Christian Renewal Center, who has the honor of giving away the bride, offered the girls and I a ride back to the dining hall in his little golf cart. He was such a sweetheart...and since we were exhausted, I took him up on the offer. But I held tightly to both girls on my lap as this octogenarian whizzed around the trails, hoping everyone had the sense to keep out of his way.
Safe and sound at the dining hall, I hesitantly asked one of my brothers in law if he could please drive us back to my mom's. Most everyone else was spending the night there in the cabins, but the girls had their hair appointment near my mom's house at 8:00 the next morning.
Oh, and my oldest had a cold...and by now, we were all ready for a warm bed.
He was very nice and graciously agreed. But why did it seem so much longer from the renewal center to my mom's house than I had remembered? ("Uncle C", if you're reading this, we are still indebted to you!)
I called my husband to inform him of the ordeal, whereupon, he asked me many detailed questions about how the vehicle sounded, felt, looked, smelled as well as its general overall mood, just as I knew he would.
I tucked my girls into the bed that once upon a time, was mine... And before we were anywhere near ready, it was time to wake up again and get ready for hair-dos.
I must say, that through this entire time, my girls were incredible troopers. Especially, given that my oldest was sneezing and wiping her nose, and they were both a little nervous. I was so proud of them this weekend!
We went to the little homey beauty parlor where I actually got my hair done twelve years ago for my own wedding. Two of the ladies still worked there, and remembered me, and they were very impressed at how well the girls sat still for their styles.
But as you can kind of tell by the pictures, I think it was partly due to their being still half asleep... poor babies.
Soon, their daddy arrived and we set about finishing getting ready. We were about to put on their new shoes, when I realized I must have left them in the minivan. I retrieved everything else but these, apparently....but not to fear, we'd just stop at the parking lot and ...what?
Dear husband informs that the minivan is no longer there but towed back to our house. His dear wife (me) has a tizzy fit. (Not sure where this expression comes from, but I grew up hearing this and, believe me, it fits well here.)
Suddenly, husband makes a phone call, and then tells me that the driver will leave our girls' shoes with a lady in a nearby tiny town. (A town, by chance, where my father once worked as a chief of police in his twenties- his only stint in the police force.)
I cannot tell you the relief I felt knowing the flower girls would not be in their stocking feet for the wedding! And this turned out to be even more crucial when we finally arrived, and the weather had turned to a teeth-chattering temperature... as we posed for what seemed like hours in the grassy field, with drizzly drops of rain occasionally falling on all of the wedding party and groups of relatives.
Here, you can see some of the shivering relatives, waiting for their turn in the photo shoot. (My mom is in the very center.)
And here are my sweet little flower girls...
And with the beautiful bride...
It was so cold, that we had to tell the girls to put their shoulders down and relax- which they finally did for these pictures.
Later, I heard of couple of my husband's brother and sisters joking conversation: "See that gal with that big furry coat? I'd give her fifty bucks for that coat."
"I'd give my life insurance policy."
"And if someone dares come by with a hot cup of coffee, they can have my car..."
I'm not sure why my brother in law was in on this...the men were the lucky ones, all snuggled up in their suits and ties.
Oh, and did I mention that my sister in law has married into an Egyptian family? Their family seemed so very nice...and I noticed a slight similarity between their culture and that of Greece- at least to this very American girl.
But more on that in part 2... So, I'll leave you with all of us still posing and shivering
outside, bartering for jackets in-between photos... 
Mothers and Daughters (Author Unknown)
We're daughters and mothers
Not so long ago.
We give and take And take and give
Along time's endless row.
Love is passed And love received
To be passed on again:
A precious heirloom
Twice, twice blessed, A spiritual cardigan.
I'll put it on And treasure it, The me I have received,
And when the roles Reverse again, I'll have what I most need.
So may our love Go on and on,
A hundred thousand years;
Mothers and daughters, Daughters and mothers,
Through joys and other tears.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since I leave this afternoon for the wedding tomorrow, I won't be posting for a few days. I wanted to wish all of you who are moms (and those that will be spending time with moms...or perhaps missing your own mom)...each of you...
A very Happy Mother's Day!
God bless and have a wonderful weekend.
(Say a prayer if you wouldn't mind, that all goes well. Oh, and yes...never fear...my camera batteries are charged...heehee)
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