Blankety blank

Once upon a time it seems I had a lot to talk about, then I got a blog and I can't think of a thing! Go figure. Not much going on here. I measured over a foot of snow on the deck. Thankfully my parents made it safely here and back home. It was fun having them here for the holiday. We had a somewhat Norwegian Christmas again this year. I love some of the foods, but it turns out lutefisk isn't one of them. At least I tried! Dad made some really cool, space-themed window coverings for Joshua's room. I'll post some photos of them sometime soon. That's about all, folks. I'm off to my bed, which is in the middle of the floor while the room is painted a lovely shade of blue. I'm eager to have it done tomorrow so we can start putting it back together. G'night!

Loved North Carolina!

In October, we spent a week in Charlotte, NC. I'd heard only good things about the area, and as a result had very high expectations. They were not only met, but exceeded! What a great place!

The people are incredibly friendly. We weren't off airport property when we first encountered their Southern hospitality. Shuttle drivers, restaurant employees, hotel staff, people standing in line with us, were warm, friendly, and often quite talkative. My favorite was an older pastor at the Billy Graham Library. He was so kind, and had such a wonderful, heart-warming smile, he brought tears to my eyes.

The Billy Graham Library was neat. We had very little time there, but were able to see everything, albeit it briefly. A lot of time and thought went into putting it together, and it's worth going if you get the chance.

At the Museum of York County in Rock Hill, SC, which was bigger than I expected, we learned about the Carolina Piedmont and Catawba River. We saw hundreds of African mounted animals in naturalistic settings, as well as African artifacts. Africa in South Carolina. Who knew? Our boy liked the kids room with all its hands-on activities. He spent a great deal of time playing with the mini river, building roads and bridges, and causing floods. He really enjoyed when his floods washed everything down the river! I liked the nature trail behind the museum There sure are A LOT of trees out there.

We spent a day at the Discovery Place. There was so much to do there, most of it hands-on. Junior lifted a four-wheeler, launched a Roman catapult, made an origami bug, built a tower with Kapla blocks, and much more. We even watched rats play basketball. Yes, rat basketball.

We visited two other museums. The Schiele Museum in Gastonia had a Swamp Things exhibit with live animals. The opossum was fun, as was the bobcat that attacked the display window. Okay, really, the best part of that was seeing all the school kids scatter! They have a nature trail with a farmyard, Indian village, and grist mill. The Rock House on the grounds of the Charlotte Museum of History was great. Built in 1774, it has only authentic period furnishings inside. Unlike most old houses where the rooms are roped off, we were allowed all the way into each room.

King's Mountain National Military Park, a Revolutionary War battlefield, was cool, and a bit of work! The battle was fought on top of a mountain, which means you can't get the full experience just going through the visitor's center. No sir, you've got to walk the 1.5 mile battlefield loop, up and down the mountain. It was a lot of up. I'm sure it was easier meandering the trail than it was climbing straight up while carrying a weapon, trying to surprise your enemy. I'd say we had it alright.

I tried to avoid it, but we ended up at Concord Mills Mall. It's massive, really nice and North Carolina's #1 attraction (a mall, really?), so it's also crowded. We stayed long enough to hit the important spots: play area, toy store, and candy store. Bass Pro Shops, on the other hand... who knew sporting goods stores could be fun? The decor is incredible, including a huge aquarium with native fish, and a shooting arcade. We spent a piece shootin' up the place and eatin' a Moon Pie. We're halfway to redneck now!

Ahem, speaking of redneck...there's a whole lot of NASCAR in those parts, and, well, I happen to think loud, fast cars are really cool. So cool, in fact, that I rode in one. Oh! My! Gosh! It was fantastic!! Best birthday present ever. Period. Lowe's Motor Speedway, three laps at 160 mph--incredible! We got so close to the walls on the straightaways, I could have touched them. In the turns, it seemed we might drive into the grass. Those turns were awesome! Even strapped in, I became quite familiar with the side of the car! I was sooo hoping we'd scrape the wall, or maybe even spin around, but, alas, the Petty Driving Experience guys know what they're doing. It was fast. It was loud. It was awesome! I can't wait to get in one again. Next time, I'm driving! Yeeee haaw!

Michael Waltrip's, Race World USA is great. If you want to see a race shop, this is the one to see. Everything is open so you can see ALL the inner workings of a race team: fab shop, engineering, suspension, assembly area. Everything. We watched a pit crew practice. When they took a break, one of the crew called our boy over and gave him a couple of the lug nuts from the car. Josh's eyes really lit up! We also met Michael Waltrip, driver and owner. He's a friendly guy, and tall! In fact, when Junior heard that he was big, he was scared to meet him. He was picturing a giant! Once he saw Mr. Waltrip talking to us, he changed his mind. They had a really cute conversation and Junior decided that he was pretty cool after all.

Charlotte was a fantastic place, with awesome people, and I could go on and on about it. We really look forward to going back again someday.

I'll close with our son's prayer from the day we met Michael Waltrip.

"Dear God, thank you for our day. Thank you for making Michael Waltrip, and my hands strong so I can lift everything. I love you. Amen."

Super speedy update

Fall is here, or was. Tomorrow looks more like winter.

Husband finished the lower deck, mostly. We still need stairs between the lower and upper decks. Maybe they'll get done this fall, maybe not. It's still great to have a nice deck that doesn't shake when we walk on it!

Our kiddo is doing great at school. He likes it, for the most part. Recess and snack time are still his favorites!

We fly to Charlotte on Wednesday, October 15 for one week! Yay!! It has been incredibly hard waiting for this. If you haven't heard by now (not sure how that's possible!), I'll be riding around Lowe's Motor Speedway for three laps while we're there! I'm already grinning from ear to ear! Thanks, Honey!!

A recent prayer from our son, "Dear God, thank you for my day, and for everything you made. Thank you for food that I like, like macaroni and cheese. I love you. Amen."

Summer, part 3. Oh yes, there's a part 3!

First of all, for all two of you who took my poll, I think I should let you know that I made a decision and will be posting pics of my new mohawk shortly.

Now, onto the final summer update. We celebrated Hubby's birthday with friends, pizza and laser tag - always a good time.

August started with us back in Nampa. The boys had planned to go, leaving me with some me time. As the time drew near, I realized that I didn't care to miss out on the trip. There would be plenty of time to myself with Junior starting kindergarten.

Once in Nampa, we set off to a fantastic water park for kids. Most of the water is less than two feet. Junior had a ton of fun blasting Mommy and Daddy with water from the various toys any chance he got. It is definitely a place we will be returning to again in the future.

The next day, we met up with "Uncle G and Aunt T", and two of the LaChappelle's at Lucky Peak Reservoir for a day in a pontoon boat. Most of you know that I grew up boating. I've never been a fan of water, though, even less so as the years have passed. The boating death of a friend a few years ago did nothing to help. Facing my fear and going out on a boat is a very big deal. After debating for days, I decided to give it a go. While I did enjoy myself (wearing a life jacket always helps), I confess that my favorite times were while the boat was docked. More importantly, everyone else had a great time. Junior especially enjoyed exploring the beaches, collecting rocks, and trying to catch minnows.

A week later, Junior and I drove to my Grandma's in Montana. Husband stayed behind to work, and to build a deck. Fun! My parents took us to Montana Fair one of our few nights in Billings. It was Junior's first real experience at a fair. He did go in some fun houses, but we spent most of our time walking around, enjoying the sights. The best part of the night was watching Junior's expression as he had his first taste of cotton candy. As he held it in his hand, he wasn't convinced it was actually candy. He lit up when he finally took a bite! I wish I could have captured the moment on camera.

We spent a few days in Plentywood. This is always my favorite vacation of the year. We stayed in town most of the time. It's a fantastic town for walking, which I tried to do every chance I got. My family gave me some strange looks when I opted out of rides. I did convince them to walk at times, though. We had our first experience with a Wii. It was fun, but I'm not convinced we'll get one. It would be far too easy to spend time doing that rather than enjoying real activities. Time will tell...

I went to the Sheridan County Museum for the first time. My great-grandfather donated an old wash heater (a small tub) in 1969. The man at the museum actually let me crawl around in the exhibits so I could find it. He was a great resource. He told me I was welcome to scan some of the old photos and documents I found there. None of them are backed up or archived. They're just sitting out on shelves, collecting dust! Oh, to have the time.

We weren't able to stay at the farm this time, but did take a couple of day trips out there. It was different, between the land being leased out, and not staying there. Still great though. It will always be my favorite place. Junior likes it too. If he can't drive a tractor, then riding a four-wheeler is his next favorite thing. We did a lot of that. His favorite activities were riding around to the various oil wells in the area, checking on the barn cats, and playing golf with an adult-size club! Did I mention digging in the dirt and collecting rocks? Those are a given anywhere we go!

A week after we returned home, our boy started kindergarten. He was excited, but anxious, and really didn't want us to leave that first day. He enjoyed it, of course. The first couple weeks, we had some rough mornings when he didn't want to go, but he has adjusted quite well, and really likes it. I am able to help in his class every Monday. He loves having me there, and I love being there. I enjoy spending one-on-one time with the children. They are adorable! Along with his regular lessons, he has a bible lesson every day, and a memory verse each week.
So, there it is - our summer in a rather large, three-part nutshell!

Grrr

I own the worst cat ever. He attacked the vet assistant's face today. Yes, her face. At one point he had both paws and his teeth dug into her face. Not good--plenty of blood. They were all cool about it, saying it goes with the job. Little comfort to me. Probably not the poor girl either. Apparently she's alright, just broke out the ol' first aid box. She hurts, of course.

The vet sedated him for the rest of the exam. I was so upset that he's lucky he came out of there alive. Next time someone else gets to take him. If he makes it until the next time.

Summer, part 2: Lessons Learned

Washington trip: Junior rode with Grandpa and Grandma (all the way to Moses Lake!), so Grant and Tiffany rode with us. Grant did all the driving, which was a nice change for Hubby.

Stayed in Pendleton, OR. Interesting town. Of all things, there was a Weiner Dog race the night we arrived. I didn't see it, but I'm told it was amusing. In the morn' we visited the Hamley & Co. saddle shop and store (pretty cool, even if you're not into Western things), then got out of Dodge.

Family reunion, Blue Heron State Park, Moses Lake. Thank God for Blue Heron Lake! It was 100+, so the water was refreshing. It was exciting meeting more of my husband's family and learning of his family history. Somebody made an extensive family tree. When it was printed, they needed a wall to hang it on. Wow! I'd love to get a copy of it. Junior had a blast shooting water guns, playing in the lake, and playing baseball with his cousin, Dane.

Seattle: Our boy thought the hotel, The Bellevue Hilton was fantastic. The lobby was very large and had glass elevators. He liked riding those about as much as anything else we did on the trip! That and playing in the pool.

We hit the major tourist spots. Space Needle/Children's Museum (97 deg downtown!). Afterwards, Junior met his great-grandpa (hubby's side) for the first time. It was pretty neat. Then we went to Uncle Dan's, and later had dinner with friends, Yuchol and Jen, at their house. A busy day, but a great one.

**Woodland Park Zoo: At the African village, Junior wanted to make a beaded bracelet. We assumed he was making it for himself, but as he was beading it, he told the lady there that he was making it for his mommy! It was so sweet! Now I have a wonderful keepsake, and he loves to see me wear it.**

Waterfront/Seattle Aquarium/Seattle Center: Rode the monorail downtown and walked to the Waterfront. I'm not a fan of sea creatures, but I thought the Aquarium was incredible. Junior really liked it! How wonderful it was to see his face light up with excitement. "Wow" was the word of the day!

We watched ferryboats, went to the candy store, and watched sea gulls catch food in mid-air, and eat right out of people's hands! The walk back up the hill to the monorail seemed like it would never end! Though we were exhausted, we weren't done yet. We had just enough energy left for some rides at Seattle Center's amusement park, including our boy's first time on a bumper car.

Roslyn, WA: I loved Northern Exposure, so on the drive home, we stopped in Roslyn, where parts of the show were filmed. We had lunch at the famous Roslyn Cafe! Yay!! The museum next door had a section about the filming of the show, complete with photos, articles and props. I was stoked!

We had planned to explore Kennewick the night we stayed, but were too wiped out to do more than use the pool. Did I mention the heat? Over 100 again!

Back in ID, we stayed a couple days with the in-laws. It was a relaxing transition back to real life, not that we sat around doing nothing, mind you! We had a blast at the Discovery Center of Idaho. Everything is hands-on, fun, and educational. We went to Pojo's, similar to Chuck E. Cheese, but with bumper cars! Then the four males in the family had some water fights in at the neighborhood pool. Good times!

After ten days on the road, we headed for home.

Lessons from the trip:
-Why drive when we can fly? While it was fun seeing some new places on the way, we would much rather have had the extra time at our destination.
-No need spending money to ride the glass elevator up the Space Needle when you can ride one for free in Bellevue!

Discovery Center of Idaho: http://www.scidaho.org/index.htm

Summer, part 1

This page is mostly going to be family updates, etc. I probably won't share many deep thoughts, but you never know!

It was a busy summer. In June we had new sod installed. The old grass was pretty bad when my husband bought the house 13 years ago, and nothing we did improved it. It was time for something new. We also had a sprinkler system installed. It's wonderful, though I sometimes miss time spent outside setting up the water.

Junior and I went to lunch at the park weekly with friends during June. We also made trips to the zoo and library. He participated in a summer reading program. We wrote down all the books we read to him then turned in the list. He earned coupons for free meals at area restaurants, a bug jar, and a ticket to the reading carnival. The carnival had snacks, an inflatable jumper, and other activities.

We had friends over to play, spent time outside, and went disc golfing a few times. Junior made a new friend in our neighborhood. Caleb has popped in numerous times to play.

My parents visited in July. During that time, Hubby had a business trip in American Fork, UT, so we went, too! In Lehi we found a place called Thanksgiving Point. It had much to offer. We spent the better part of two days enjoying it. The Museum of Ancient Life was probably M'boy's and my favorite. It had fantastic, hands-on exhibits. We also explored the gardens and Children's Discovery Garden. It had caves to explore, mazes to run through, and a Noah's Ark water area. It was perfect in the 100+ degree weather.

On the way home, we stopped at the Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake. Wow!! It was incredible! We could easily have spent more time there. Fantastic exhibits. Junior loves anything space, so this was perfect for him. I highly recommend it!http://www.thanksgivingpoint.com/http://www.clarkplanetarium.org/