R & R

Kirby doesn't travel for work too often, but we are just on the heels of him having been gone for 13 days straight. That makes for a long solo parenting stint, so we (and by we, I mean HE) worked it out so that I could join him for a few days in the middle of this trip. I flew from chilly MSP in Minnesota to Phoenix, Arizona (a treat for any Minnesotan by the time late-February rolls around) where we stayed for 1 day before settling in to our rental car for the drive to the Palm Springs area of California. We stayed with a UNW donor in her home (where we have been before -- me once and Kirb a few more times than that). We spent much of our time with her, but had some time alone as well.

We got to experience (again) a walk through the life of Jesus. It is a garden walk with beautiful sculptures depicting important scenes from Jesus' life. The experience was made even more meaningful by the fact that it was Lent. More about the experience can be found here.

The first night of my part of the trip I fell asleep at 7:14 pm (according to my Fitbit) and slept for more than 10 hours. I guess parenting 6 kids without your partner for 6 days through 5 play performances, 2 sporting events, 2 doctor appointment, kindergarten round-up and 3 musical concerts (yup, all that in 6 days) will wear you out. The extra sleep was exactly what I needed to enjoy the rest of my time (and I continued to bank nearly 9 hours of sleep each night for the remainder of my trip. Sleep is one of my favorite love languages!)

We had a wonderful time of rest, relaxation, sunshine, hikes, runs, palm trees, mountains, coffee and reading. I headed back home on Wednesday (after having arrived on Sunday) where I picked up where I had left off with the kiddos until we were ALL home together again a few days later. The kids were all so happy to have their dad back home. He is a very major part of their day to day lives (putting them to bed, praying with them, reading to them, cooking dinner, being their rock), so he was greatly missed. They missed me too, but I wasn't gone as long as he was, so his homecoming was highly anticipated!

I am so thankful for my parents and their willingness to take care of the kids so that I could get away for a few days. I am also thankful for our "village" that helped me out while Kirb was gone and were waiting in the wings in case anything came up, while my parents were staying here, that required a bit of reinforcement (thankfully they managed just fine without needing any reinforcements!).

The sunshine and warmth we banked will help us make it through the last cold stretch of winter until spring is here to stay!

Even though I am not much of a traveller, I had a great time away and enjoyed the time with my favorite person in the world (and away from 6 of my other favorite -- shorter -- people!). Even this non-traveller can benefit from a bit of away-from-home R&R from time to time!

Wonderful Experience

I am currently tagging along on a work trip with Kirb. In California. Where it is currently about 70 and sunny! What a huge blessing. It's been more than 4 years since the last time we got away together (although my parents graciously swap houses -- and our kids stay with our house! -- with us each fall for a night or two around our anniversary). Plus, it's been a horrendous, cold, snowy, LONG winter and so some California sunshine is so very wonderful. While here, I have spent a little time "working" with Kirbs (meeting with donors), some time in the car, a little time by myself while he works and a little time together with him enjoying the MUCH nicer weather than what we've had at home this winter. Tomorrow starts our roughly 48 hours of pure vacation with no work commitments at all. Whoo hoo!

While in the Palm Springs area, we stayed with a wonderful lady that Kirby knows from work. We spent about 36 hours enjoying her hospitality and spending time with her and in her town. She took us to breakfast at this lovely restaurant on Saturday morning (not too early -- plenty of time for a mountain-view, outdoor (without layers of clothing), 7+ mile run to build up a good appetite!). There was outdoor seating in a fabulous setting (any good Minnesotan who has the chance to eat breakfast outside in the month of March in a place where the sun is shining and the food doesn't instantly freeze, better take the opportunity whenever they can!). We ate our delicious breakfast, looked around in the gift shop attached to the restaurant, which is mainly based around dates -- of all things -- since the restaurant is located in the middle of a date farm. I got quite the education on dates. SO very interesting! (really!). We noticed, while enjoying our breakfast, that there was a large fenced in area, labeled as "The Walk", behind the outside dining area. Nancy said she didn't know too much about it, as she'd never been back there. She didn't want to go after breakfast, because she had not brought along her sun hat. But we were intrigued.

We had a little down time in the afternoon and decided to go back and check it out.

I should really back up a bit . . . I was asked a few weeks ago to be a part of a collaboration surrounding Holy Week. Visual artists and authors from our area were asked to be a part of a "Stations of the Cross" exhibit to go along with our church's annual art show that we host each spring. I was honored (with a HUGE dose of intimidated and filled with anxiety!) to have been asked to be one of the visual artists! Yikes! I was collaborating on a significant, deeply meaningful project with some SERIOUSLY talented (and did I mentional, professional?) artists that I have major respect for and in whose artistic company I would never put myself in a million years! Yikes! (did I say that already?)

Anyway, I got the feeling this "Walk" was along the same lines as the stations of the cross and was hoping I might find a little inspiration for my part in the project (my piece is due at the end of this month. That's just over a week from now . . . cue mild -- or not so mild! -- panic!) It was, in it's most basic description, a visual walk through the life of Jesus. There were 15 stops along the way, each containing a sculpture and a verse of Scripture. Each "station" had a beautiful, meaningful natural backdrop that mirrored the life event in the life of Jesus. There was also a brochure that they gave you when you entered that showed a photo of each sculpture with a longer passage of scripture to go with each, as well as a commentary on the scene. 

It was such a meaningful experience and I'm so thankful we had (and took) the time to do it. I am thankful that the Lord lead me to this experience to help me gain confidence (a little, anyway) for this lofty project I have been asked to do. If Nancy had suggested a different place for breakfast, I never would have had this particular experience (woudn't have even known it existed). If I hadn't had the blessing (HUGE blessing) of tagging along on this trip with Kirby, I never would have had this particular experience. If we would have not had some down time in our day while we were there, I never would have had this particular experience. I love how everything worked together to give me the opportunity for this extra insight and chance to be freshly reminded, in a new way, of the life and death of Christ. That's so like God to bring all those circumstances together! I am thankful.

Check out the website (linked above) and if you are ever in the Palms Springs area of California, check it out in person. You will be glad that you did! Also, if you're local to the Twin Cities, come check out our church's art show and Stations of the Cross exhibit this April.(and don't be too critical a certain, timid "artist" that will try her best to represent visually, in a meaningful way, what her Lord and Savior went through in the Garden of Gethsemane.)

Now I'm off to enjoy the last couple days of vacation! I think I will read a book while enjoying the poolside sunshine! (My apologies if you are somewhere where it is cold and snowy today . . . I feel your pain. Just not actually right at this very moment!)

On a related note, I could never, ever live in the Palm Springs area, where we spent the first two days of our trip (my trip anyway, Kirb spent a few days working in Phoenix before I arrived). I thoroughly enjoyed it and am so thankful for my time there. Truth is, although I find the mountains glorious, full of spendor and beauty, they kind of freak me out. (Maybe more than 'kind of'). If I did a 360 degree circle and looked toward the horizon, I could probably have seen mountians on the horizon (and often pretty much RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME) about 300 of those 360 degrees. I don't know about you, but that makes me feel a bit panicy and claustrophobic. I felt a bit trapped. "What if we needed to leave?" I asked Kirb. "That doesn't make you feel panicky that we're surrounded by mountians on pretty much every side?" He assured me it didn't and we shouldn't have to flee quickly in the next 48 hours and I should just enjoy the beauty. Easy for him to say! Mr. Matthew-6-who-never-ever-worries-about-anything! Therein lies the beauty of marriage. It's my job to worry and it's his job to not. At all. Ever. (I'm not even kidding about this one.). Man, do I love that guy!

multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer and an inspiration!

"One Thousand Gifts"::

2522. family camp HERE WE COME!

 2523. arriving at our favorite place on earth for our very favorite week of the year

2524. the sound of the rain
2525. our kids walking across camp together
2526. unexpectedly bumping {almost literally} into an old friend that I haven't seen in years :: 1 minute earlier or later and we would have missed a fun little reunion
2527. a loon call breaking through the early morning quiet
2528. chipmunks on the path
2529. live praise music coming out of the chapel at various hours of the day :: brushing my teeth one morning to "Jesus, awesome in power forever, awesome and great is your name. You overcame!"
2530. my selfless, sacrificially giving parents
2531. delicious kettle corn, still warm from being popped over the open fire
2532. family chapel
2533. Joe's smile
2534. sun glistening off the water
2535. seeing to the bottom of the lake :: crystal clear water

2536. canoeing Hidden River with Kirb :: so much natural beauty
2537. sunrise over the water
2538. eagles flying overhead :: 3 of them at once! so majestic.
2539. spotting 4 deers {uncomfortable close and not a bit intimidated by me, I might add} on my morning run
2540. men taking off their hats to read the Word and pray
2541. progressive snack date night with Kirb & my parents
2542. being brave ::

 2543. our family camp babysitters :: Marie & Shannah

2544. a exceptionally peaceful drive and being home again
2545. meet the teacher :: Knutson for Joe, Hausman for Lydia and Simonson for Bekah. All teachers we've had before and really, truly love!
2546. the annual back to school parade :: so fun!

 2547. the state fair {we love it SO!} ::

watching the mini donuts fry

2548. a family walk
2549. donuts with Joe at the park
2550. how Sara announces "My lucky poopy!" when she needs a new diaper {she can't say "yucky", so it comes out "lucky"} :: we just LOVE it . . . and it makes changing her kinda fun!
2551. morning runs with the older kiddos
2552. fresh school supplies ready for a new year
2553. hanging shelves and pictures up in the basement :: I just keep loving our new space more and more
2554. enjoying the last day of "summer"


Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

thankful Thursday

I'm so thankful for this week where we can relax and re-group before the new year. We've had some fun, stayed long in our pj's, played games, read books, watched movies, played with all our new "toys", had a fun dinner with friends, sang Christmas carols gathered around the player piano, upgraded our cell phones to ones that actually work, purchased Santa-looking diapers for half price on the day after Christmas (plus I had a coupon, which made them nearly free!) and slept in. It's been just what we needed! To cap off the break, we're going to spend nearly 48 hours together with our bestie family ringing in 2012.

numbers

We're home! It feels so good to be home again. There really is "no place like home"!

I now present you with our road trip 2011 in numbers ::

• gallons of gas used :: 247.8 gallons {at an average of $3.49/gallon that equals about $865 in gas -- WAY cheaper than flying 8 people to Florida and then renting a monster-sized van once we got there!}
• time logged in the van since we left :: 81 hours 39 minutes
• number of days away from home :: 15 days
• number of nights spent sleeping in a hotel :: 4 nights
• number of nights spent sleeping {or NOT sleeping} in the van :: 2 nights {while driving through the night}
  
• number of nights spent sleeping in our rental house in Florida :: 7 nights
• number of nights spent in a house en-route :: 1 night {with Kirby's grandma at her daughter's house in Indiana}
• number of different state license plates spotted along the way :: 44 states {we never saw Colorado, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, Hawaii, Washington DC or New Hampshire -- we did, however, see a few Canadian plates, but we didn't have a handy dandy game thing to keep track of those}
• audio books listened to as a family :: 3 books
• days spent at a Walt Disney World theme park :: 6 days
• number of fireworks shows watched in Florida :: 2
• pairs of mouse ears purchased :: 6 pair
• number of fights between kids during the van trip involving hitting, kicking, pinching, yelling or hair-pulling :: too many to count
  
• loads of laundry done since returning home 12 hours ago :: 3 loads {with more to come and quite a few done in Florida as well}
• miles logged since we left home on June 14th :: 4,016.1 miles
• length of time our trip will stay alive through stories, pictures, jars of sand, thoughts and memories :: forever {at least that is the hope}
  

After nearly 2 years of saving, dreaming and planning, our big summer Disney vacation is already over. It really was a great trip and I'm so thankful that we could do it. {Many, many, many people helped to make it possible for us to go in one way or another.} I really do think the kids {most of them anyway} will remember it forever. But, it's so very good to be back home!