Before I keep my storyline going (get it - reminiscing...stories....storyline...it's kind of late), we have had a busy sunny weekend. Boo had a soccer jamboree Saturday and we had to be there at 8:30AM. It was lovely weather in the morning and got a little hot for us Washintonians in the afternoon (80 or so.) Her team played 5 games and were undefeated! I was so proud of her and her team. They played one team with a particularly physical player. She had 20 lbs on Boo and so when they collided, Boo went flying. She came out of the game and was frustrated and mad and upset. I told her she couldn't out-manhandle her, but I suspected she could out-dribble her. Boo got a big smile on her face and went back in the game. Sure enough, this physical player came up to defend Boo and instead of taking her on, Boo did some fancy footwork and left this player in the dust. Can you tell I am a proud mama?
We hosted a neighborhood BBQ last night. We had about 40 people bring their plastic or folding camp chairs and a dessert or a side dish and join us for the evening. We live in an older neighborhood, which we love. Julia down the street has lived here for over 50 years. The Ackermans and Sullivans have lived here over 40 years. Back when the area was farmland and dairy cows and full of giant fir and cedar trees.
As the hostess, I am usually busy running around making sure there is a knife in the mayonnaise jar or a serving utensil for the German chocolate cake. Last night as I was taking care of things, I noticed all of our senior neighbors gathered together, hugging and smiling and reminiscing. I wanted to drop what I was doing and plop myself in the middle of their conversation and absorb their history, their stories. There is the retired junior high counselor, the retired high school band teacher, the man from somewhere in Eastern Europe. There is so much I don't know about our neighborhood. About them. About life.
By the time I got to the point where everything was mostly taken care of as far as the BBQ goes, it was getting late and they were all saying their goodbyes. I'm a hugger and made sure I got many as our neighbors left.
Next year I will remember the average age of our guests and start dinner a little earlier than 5:30 so I can enjoy more of their stories.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Reminiscing
Rereading some posts today and looking through the pictures - what a special time we had! My eyes were quite misty looking back.
I love to reminisce. I think this is a trait passed down from my Dad. He LOVES to tell stories in the same vein as Mark Twain (just watched a documentary about him last night) and Garrison Keillor. His stories are funny or just a little bit dangerous or recount a struggle or hardship. I think of him as a modern day storyteller.
Gaston knows that a great date night for me includes remembering how we met, our first date, watching home movies of our babies.
I love reminiscing because I love reliving. The best memories are the ones with the full body experience. Remembering how I felt emotionally and physically, what the moment sounded like, smelled like. I am hoping in heaven there will be a time machine of some sort where I can go back and hold my babies again and enjoy them. I'm kind of counting on that.
I think I also love reminiscing because I hate change. I cried when I turned thirteen, then sixteen. I cried when I got married because the man in my life was changing. I cried when Boo and Bud turned 5 because five years old isn't little anymore. I cried for weeks and months when we stopped homeschooling and the kids went to school. I think I am just afraid of what's next. Will it be as good as what I've got now?
I love to live in the world of the past. Is that bad? I think sometimes it is, because I can be tempted to resist moving forward, change, risk. Can anyone relate? Or give advice on balancing remembering vs. making the memories?
A friend of mine was telling me how she lives in the future. This was a very strange thought to me. She imagines what her family will be doing in 5 years. I don't think it's imagining in a "I want this to be my future so I will force it to happen" kind of way. I think she just kind of imagines it in an attempt to prepare herself for change.
On Monday a very life giving friend and I went to the park. We talked and talked and talked while our kids had a great time playing. We hiked down to the lake and all of our kids jumped into the water fully clothed. As the sunshine sparkled off the water, the boys bobbed out in the lake and her 3 year old daughter sang multiple versions of "Call me maybe" in an impossibly high, lispy, gravelly voice. Great memory. All senses engaged.
I love to reminisce. I think this is a trait passed down from my Dad. He LOVES to tell stories in the same vein as Mark Twain (just watched a documentary about him last night) and Garrison Keillor. His stories are funny or just a little bit dangerous or recount a struggle or hardship. I think of him as a modern day storyteller.
Gaston knows that a great date night for me includes remembering how we met, our first date, watching home movies of our babies.
I love reminiscing because I love reliving. The best memories are the ones with the full body experience. Remembering how I felt emotionally and physically, what the moment sounded like, smelled like. I am hoping in heaven there will be a time machine of some sort where I can go back and hold my babies again and enjoy them. I'm kind of counting on that.
I think I also love reminiscing because I hate change. I cried when I turned thirteen, then sixteen. I cried when I got married because the man in my life was changing. I cried when Boo and Bud turned 5 because five years old isn't little anymore. I cried for weeks and months when we stopped homeschooling and the kids went to school. I think I am just afraid of what's next. Will it be as good as what I've got now?
I love to live in the world of the past. Is that bad? I think sometimes it is, because I can be tempted to resist moving forward, change, risk. Can anyone relate? Or give advice on balancing remembering vs. making the memories?
A friend of mine was telling me how she lives in the future. This was a very strange thought to me. She imagines what her family will be doing in 5 years. I don't think it's imagining in a "I want this to be my future so I will force it to happen" kind of way. I think she just kind of imagines it in an attempt to prepare herself for change.
On Monday a very life giving friend and I went to the park. We talked and talked and talked while our kids had a great time playing. We hiked down to the lake and all of our kids jumped into the water fully clothed. As the sunshine sparkled off the water, the boys bobbed out in the lake and her 3 year old daughter sang multiple versions of "Call me maybe" in an impossibly high, lispy, gravelly voice. Great memory. All senses engaged.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Pictures and final day!
I'm really sorry I dropped off the face of the earth. We were all so happy to be home and then we had all of the unpacking and laundry and the next day it was my birthday! I was so glad to be home on my birthday that I didn't care about getting older!
The last day we drove from Richland to the cabin in Plain, WA where the kids took Ellie to the river and I unpacked and tried to help clean up the Four Winds a little. (I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't look like a nuclear bomb had gone off in it.) We left there around 5PM and got home around 7. It was so lovely to be home in reasonable weather (i.e. 70 degrees) and sleep in our own beds and best of all - see Gaston!!
We had such a wonderful memorable time! I loved how we all had moments of grumpiness but those moments were seasoned with grace and support and I think strengthened our family. The last night I was tired and my mattress had a big lump in it and I was determined that no one was sleeping until momma was sleeping. As my children softly cried as I am sure they were thinking to themselves, "My mom is so harsh and I'm just so tired and what is the big deal," Grandma Bernie came and saved all of our skins by getting it straightened out. Just one example of many of extending that grace.
Surprisingly I didn't feel extra cramped in the motorhome, except when the kids left their stuff out all over. And in the bathroom, of course.
And most importantly, we saw and experienced things we will never forget. Spacious skies, amber waves of grain, purple mountains majesty....
If you are contemplating a trip like this, here are some tips:
1. Have a loose schedule. I had the kids journal every morning and then play games or with toys until lunch. After lunch we could watch movies or do electronics. They enjoyed using white boards and playing car bingo or the license plate game.
2. Have something to look forward to. On the way there we stopped every couple of days, didn't drive anywhere, and did something fun but on the way back we didn't.
3. Don't go when it is super hot. OK, I know this is not necessarily something you can plan around but it was SO hot (did I mention it was pretty much over 95 the whole time) that it was hard not to let it bother you.
4. Bring your camera cable so you can download pictures as you go (LOL!) I actually had my cable the whole time but did not know my new camera had a cable and battery pack in one.
Here are some pictures...
Thanks for sharing this journey with us. Not sure if I will keep this blog going or not. It is more work than I expected to post on a regular basis.
P.S. A funny: Near Ft. Laramie, we were looking for a campground online and one of the comments about a campground stated, "If you like trains, this is the place for you." We weren't sure what that meant until we were at some train tracks waiting for a huge train to go by and looked across to see a sign for that same campground. I imagine a train goes by that campground every 3.7 minutes so you really do have to love trains to stay there. It became a slogan for the rest of our trip.
The last day we drove from Richland to the cabin in Plain, WA where the kids took Ellie to the river and I unpacked and tried to help clean up the Four Winds a little. (I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't look like a nuclear bomb had gone off in it.) We left there around 5PM and got home around 7. It was so lovely to be home in reasonable weather (i.e. 70 degrees) and sleep in our own beds and best of all - see Gaston!!
We had such a wonderful memorable time! I loved how we all had moments of grumpiness but those moments were seasoned with grace and support and I think strengthened our family. The last night I was tired and my mattress had a big lump in it and I was determined that no one was sleeping until momma was sleeping. As my children softly cried as I am sure they were thinking to themselves, "My mom is so harsh and I'm just so tired and what is the big deal," Grandma Bernie came and saved all of our skins by getting it straightened out. Just one example of many of extending that grace.
Surprisingly I didn't feel extra cramped in the motorhome, except when the kids left their stuff out all over. And in the bathroom, of course.
And most importantly, we saw and experienced things we will never forget. Spacious skies, amber waves of grain, purple mountains majesty....
If you are contemplating a trip like this, here are some tips:
1. Have a loose schedule. I had the kids journal every morning and then play games or with toys until lunch. After lunch we could watch movies or do electronics. They enjoyed using white boards and playing car bingo or the license plate game.
2. Have something to look forward to. On the way there we stopped every couple of days, didn't drive anywhere, and did something fun but on the way back we didn't.
3. Don't go when it is super hot. OK, I know this is not necessarily something you can plan around but it was SO hot (did I mention it was pretty much over 95 the whole time) that it was hard not to let it bother you.
4. Bring your camera cable so you can download pictures as you go (LOL!) I actually had my cable the whole time but did not know my new camera had a cable and battery pack in one.
Here are some pictures...
Custer's last stand (ignore the exploded gogurt in Legoguy's hair)
Fun on the waterslide at Mt. Rushmore KOA
Priming the pump
Washing clothes the old fashioned way
Boo Ingalls
Country bumpkins at school
Making corn cob dolls and superheroes
Our little covered wagon - yes all six of us slept in there!
From the Westward Expansion Museum under the Arch
Cousins!
Say "Arch!"
St. Louis City Museum with our cute niece!
Seven story slide!!!
Saying "see y'all later" to Gaston's brother's family
Learning how to load, but not overload, a wagon
We're not sure we would like to meet a real one
Boo demonstrating girls clothing on the Oregon Trail
Following the trail
Mustache gang
Thanks for sharing this journey with us. Not sure if I will keep this blog going or not. It is more work than I expected to post on a regular basis.
P.S. A funny: Near Ft. Laramie, we were looking for a campground online and one of the comments about a campground stated, "If you like trains, this is the place for you." We weren't sure what that meant until we were at some train tracks waiting for a huge train to go by and looked across to see a sign for that same campground. I imagine a train goes by that campground every 3.7 minutes so you really do have to love trains to stay there. It became a slogan for the rest of our trip.
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