my first rodeo

 Yes, it was my very first.  I don't know how I had lived this long without ever attending a rodeo before, but there it is.  Last week we loaded up the family and headed for the Pendleton Round-Up, a well-known annual event held in eastern Oregon.

We hauled my in-laws' travel trailer along for a place to stay, and they joined us the next day.  My husband's grandparents also came along.

And how was it?  It was exciting!  There were cowboys, cowgirls, Indians, horses...

...bulls, steers, and much more.

 I prefer him to any cowboy, thankyouverymuch.

Our gang (or most of it).

It was a long afternoon for some of the younger kids, but our older boys absolutely loved it!  I'm thankful for the chance to have had this adventure.

I'll leave you with this image of an Indian (they called them Indians at the rodeo, not Native Americans...don't blame me!) bearing the beautiful American flag.  I found it a touching sight.

God bless America!

Things are about to get weird.

A few days ago my brave and amazing in-laws made a proposal.  They were taking a road trip to Canada (my mother-in-law grew up in Alberta), and they wanted to take their four oldest grandchildren along.

Those would be my kids.  

Oh, and guess what?  Said trip would be for a week and a half.  That's right, 10 days.  And they were leaving on Sunday.  

It took a while for my brain to stop reeling, but once it did my husband and I talked it over and decided to grant our permission.  This was an incredible opportunity, and adventure in the making...how could we deny them the chance?  So we made lists.  We did laundry, we went to the store, and we packed and packed and packed.  

And then, this morning, they left.  Four big chunks of my heart climbed into a Honda and headed for the border.  

I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a bit wrenching.  I trust Jeff's parents completely, but this is a long distance and a long time.  I drove home feeling rather bereft.  

But then I started to clean.  

I vacuumed the downstairs.  I mopped the kitchen and dining room floor, loving the shine.  I cleaned one bathroom and tidied another.  I picked up Dora accessories off of my daughter's bedroom floor.  

You should know, cleaning is not a natural reaction for me.  It is by no means a default.  But with the four oldest of my brood away, I jumped at the chance to clean and...well, and to have my home stay clean for a while.  At least for it to have a fighting chance.

Isn't my floor pretty?

For the record, I still have this fellow to keep me company.  So there is good reason to doubt that the house will stay tidy for long, really.  Remember THIS POST?

But his sparkling personality, blossoming verbal skills, and toddler tendencies are certain to keep my life interesting for the next 10 days.  It'll be like 2004 all over again, just me and my 19-month-old.  We'll go on walks, attend story time at the library, and have our own kind of adventures together.  It'll be different - it'll definitely be weird (for both of us, I'd wager), but it will be fun.

Still, four huge pieces of my heart are far, far away tonight...dreaming of adventure.

to Oz and back

‎"Home, the spot on earth supremely blest, 

A dear, sweeter spot than the rest." 

~Robert Montgomery

I have been to "Oz" and back.   It has been wonderful and taxing, fulfilling and stretching. It has been a blast.

I loved going back. Seeing how things have changed and what's stayed the same.  Hugging people dear to me and introducing my kids to them.  I  thoroughly enjoyed visiting the old haunts.  There is so much more I would have liked to see and do, but there just wasn't time for everything.  Even so, we packed a lot into those three weeks. For the most part I think we made good choices with our time.  We certainly did our best.

This trip was empowering.  After accomplishing (and enjoying!) this feat, nothing seems impossible to me now.  Outings which used to intimidate me, taking the kids out, seem like nothing now.  If we survived, even thrived, during three weeks of living like a nomad family, we can deal with much more than I thought.

I will always treasure this time with my husband and children: the memories made. What we did, where we went.  I am so glad that we did it.

And I am so glad to get home.  

Bringing this traveling series to a close, I leave you with this thought: 

the heart & soul of this operation

We would never have done this thing apart from my husband. His enthusiasm, his excitement, and his faith that it could in fact be done...they have been the driving force behind our Big Trip from the very beginning.

When Jeff suggested this venture last summer, I told him it was crazy.  I put him off, saying "Let's wait and make sure that the baby is born healthy, and isn't too colicky..." Part of me thought he would forget about it. I mostly hoped he would.  The very idea made my stomach churn.

A family of seven? On the road for three weeks? With a baby in tow?

Insanity.

I joked that we would need to budget a massage or two into our financial planning. Probably a few sessions with a therapist. I told my friends that I expected to come home with a new twitch. Time after time, he told me,"Think positive! Focus on the exciting things about all this." And I tried, I really did.  But my heart quailed within me, and my knees were like Jell-O.

He was right. With a lot of prayer and the grace of God, it has been a phenomenal trip.

My husband excels at the practical things as well.  It was his idea to pack "hotel suitcases." Genius.  And when it comes to loading our vehicle, he has an amazing gift.  Spatial organization it not my strong suit; it is most definitely his.

He brings bags into our lodgings each night. He hauls the cooler full of lunch goods to our rest stop picnic table.  His servant heart blesses me each and every day.

He is the brains and the brawn; he is the heart and soul of this adventure. We never, ever could have done this without his self-sacrifice and vision.

I am blessed to call this man my husband!  Even with the cow-tipping t-shirt.

travel: how to drink filtered water on the road

Brita water bottle (left)

Remember when I mentioned filtering water bottles in this post?  We bought this green Brita bottle while we were in Texas. In fact, we bought two of them!  You can check them out here.  They have been so handy while traveling.  You just never know what you're getting with tap water around the country, and in some of the places we've stayed, it's tasted downright nasty.  I'm so very glad we made the investment.

Just so you know, I'm not affiliated with Brita in any way.  I am just really enjoying these bottles. We put water in them and then fill our regular water bottles through the filter.  Easy peasy!

Happy Trails!

the longest haul

Today we begin the most dreaded part of our trek.  It's the longest haul.  As we leave the loved ones we've visited behind, we set our eyes and hearts toward home.

The place we've created a nest for ourselves.  The land of berries and pleasant summers.  The location where we've put down roots over the last eleven years, and made memories.

Our destination.

The longest haul.  Five days of pushing, pushing, pushing.  Trying to balance rest with efficiency.  Meals on the go, a different bed every night.   And in the end...home.  Home.

We covet your prayers during this time.  This is likely the most difficult part of our journey.  We are tired, we have passed the climax of our trip, we're a little frayed and fairly homesick.  Please pray for happy hearts, safe travel, and a very patient baby.

Thanks for reading about our adventures.  Happy Trails!

say uncle

friends, dear friends.

travel: what worked & what I'd do differently

As I look back over this great undertaking, there are some things I have learned about traveling with our family.  There are things which worked really well as well as things I'll do differently next time (gulp...next time?!).  Curious? I suspected as much.  Don't worry, I've got you covered.

What Has Worked

Hotel Suitcases. My husband had the idea of packing "hotel suitcases" for the days we're on the move.  He is a genius.  Here's how it worked: when we planned to spend only one night in a particular location (such as a hotel), we had prepared a single suitcase (a carry-on, 21" size) with enough clothes and sleepwear for the entire family for one night. (We have actually managed to squeeze two days-worth of clothing for our seven-person family, assuming that pajamas would work two nights in a row.)   I do have a separate bag for toiletries, but as far as clothing went, that one suitcase was it.  It cut down drastically on the number of things we had to haul in each night.  Sleeping bags, pillows, portable crib, toiletries bag, and one suitcase.  Not too shabby for a crew this size.

Sleeping Bags.  With five kids?  It was a no-brainer.  We only brought two though, and have generally taken them in to both hotels as well as the homes we have stayed in.  Two of the younger children using sleeping bags, two older ones on beds or air mattresses.   It works.

Cold Breakfast & Lunch Foods. In spite of our foray into continental breakfasts, it's been lovely to have prepared breakfast and lunch foods along.  Hard-boiled eggs come in very handy for either meal, as does bread and nut butter.  We have found it very restful to find a rest area at lunchtime.  The kids can run, we can serve nourishing finger foods, refill our water bottles and use the restrooms.  Considerably nicer, a least in warm weather, than occupying squirmy kids at a restaurant. 

Bag O' Snacks.  I have a shopping bag where I keep an assortment of snacks, divided into bags with individual servings.  Although we have had to replenish supplies along the way, it's been a great resource.  Raisins, crackers, popcorn, cereal bars and more.  Handy!

Disposable Goods.  Although at home I try to reuse items as much as I reasonably can, I purchased a fair amount of disposable goods for the trip.  Sandwich bags for snacks, gallon bags for restaurant leftovers, paper napkins, paper towels, paper plates, cups, plastic knives and yes, disposable diapers.  For a trip, especially one of this magnitude, I much prefer disposable items.  They make things infinitely easier. 

Soap nuts.  At home I use soap nuts for laundry as well as general cleaning.  They're natural, easy and even compostable.  When considering washing clothes on the road, I decided to bring two small bags of soap nut berries.  Each set of soap nut berries will do at least 4-5 loads of laundry.  The bags and their contents can go through the dryer just fine, so I don't have to worry about wet items or powdered laundry detergent spilling in our suitcases.  It has been beautifully easy.

What I'll Do Differently

Filtering Water Bottle(s).  As a rule, my family uses stainless steel water bottles.  We have also purchased glass water bottles like these to use for kombucha.  But over the weeks, I have wished more and more for filtered drinking water.  I hate buying bottled water, however.  Instead I would like to get a couple of filtering water bottles just for the road.  They may be plastic (which we prefer to avoid), but bottled water is in plastic anyway, and if given a choice, I would rather drink filtered water in plastic than unfiltered water in stainless steel.  I'm not sure which option is truly healthier, but I do know that some tap water I've experienced has a truly horrible taste.  And when I consider what can be lurking in that tap water, it's an easy choice for me.

Purchased Deodorant.  I don't buy deodorant as a rule.  Most over-the-counter stuff contains aluminum, and my experiences with purchasing the "natural stuff" have generally not had great results.  I've been making my own homemade deodorant using this recipe for several years now, and I like it.  However.  It is largely made with coconut oil, which becomes very liquid when warm.  Traveling and liquid deodorant are not a good fit, to say the least.  Next time I will find an option in the store before I go.  Or maybe order some Funk Butter by Oyin Handmade, the one natural deodorant I liked.

Less Chocolate (in warm weather).  I included some chocolatey treats in our food stash.  Not the best idea in warm, even hot, weather.  Of course, we could always make a point to keep it in the cooler...  

No Backpack Carrier.  At least not unless we have a planned outing for which we might need it.  For example, the zoo or a hike.  But for a driving-around-and-visiting-people kind of trip, it's not really necessary.  And it takes up a fair amount of space.

Favorite Shoes in the Suitcase.  We have shoe bags along with extra shoes.  However, I kept finding myself without access to the shoes I'd want to wear the next day.  Next time, I'll put more shoes in my suitcase and leave the shoe bag for the things I rarely wear.

Travel Picnic Blanket.  No picnic tables?  No problem.  At home we have a special quilted blanket we like to use for picnicking purposes, but it's far too bulky for a trip such as this.  I think a picnic blanket like this could be incredibly handy for use on the road.  Waterproof, compact and easy to carry.  

More Vegetables.  I included a few sugar snap peas in our stash of real food, and they've been terrific.  Next time though, I'd like to bring along more carrot sticks and other hardy raw vegetables.  Ideally, I'll include some fermented vegetables as well.  Seeking out local farmers' markets around the country can be a great way to replenish supplies and try new things.  Hardy vegetables which can be eaten raw are sure winners.

More Organic Raisins.  We ran out of raisins way too fast.  Granted, you can always buy more.  But it's not always easy to find organic raisins.  And when it comes to raisins, buying organic is kind of important.  Besides, raisins are pretty compact, don't squish too badly, and keep extremely well.  Raisins make a great candidate for packing in larger amounts than, say, bananas.

There you have it: what worked well and what I'll do differently next time.   Happy Trails!

not in kansas anymore

We're not in Kansas anymore.

I was surprised by how emotional we were about our return to the sunflower state.  Jeff and I were practically giddy as we approached the state line last week.  We took photos of the landscape, the  familiar signs, some of our favorite locations.  We drove by the spot where my husband proposed to me, took the children to the church where we were wed.    We went to the park where I played as a young girl; Jeff's elementary school.  I strolled down the sidewalk of my hometown, marveling at how much it still felt so familiar even though much had changed.

As my husband said, that's kind of been the theme of this trip.  So much (including the two of us) has changed, yet so much is the same.  

We marveled at the faces we know so well.  Friends dear to us for many years now.  We have driven by sunflowers and lifted our faces with them to wide blue skies.

There's no sky like a Kansas sky.

When we began the journey toward the southern boundary of our home state, I felt a great sadness sweep over me. In so many ways, this place feels like home.  It is so familiar, known. Here we feel the almost-palpable love of those we said goodbye to when we pulled up our roots nearly twelve years ago.   The plains just feel right to me in so many ways.  They suit me; they fit me.

But we're not in Kansas anymore.

We've moved on, crossed the border. We're headed to different places, to see new sights and have new experiences.  So I'm choosing to keep my eyes ahead.   After all... if I keep looking behind me, I might miss something amazing yet to come.

summer

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it." ~Russel Baker

and back again

They say you can't go home again.

But really, I kind of did.

dear little country church

The place where family history was made.

travel: real food at a continental breakfast?

It's a curious thing, being a real foodie at a continental breakfast.  In spite of my preparation for us to eat many breakfasts out of our cooler, we have found ourselves with the option of a complimentary meal at the start of our first three mornings of different hotel stays.   We opted not to "look a gift horse in a mouth" and took advantage of the free food at the start of each day. 

I'm thankful, truly. But to be honest, the foods offered at these meals sometimes makes me a little 

uncomfortable. 

Bagels. Muffins. Biscuits.  Pastries... white flour galore.  Lowfat, flavored yogurt: laden with  all kinds of fillers and added sweeteners.  Dry, dead cereals and pasteurized milk.  And "maple-flavored" syrup, which simply makes me shudder.  I saw one label which read "2% maple syrup."  You know what the rest of it is, right?  Artificial flavorings and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

This is not real food.

What's a mama to do? Is it possible to find a nourishment at a continental breakfast?  If so, how?

Look for Protein-Rich Options
These have been incredibly scarce at such meals, I am sad to say.  In my opinion, commercially flavored yogurt and regular milk are poor choices.   If possible, choose eggs.  Twice now, I've been happy to them hard-boiled, pre-peeled. These are probably the best way to assure you're eating the real thing, as opposed to powdered eggs!  I've seen scrambled eggs and pre-made omelettes as option, as well.  Eggs seem to go like hot cakes at buffet lines, so be be aware and act fast.

Fresh Fruit
Each of these spreads has included fresh fruit.  Bananas, oranges, apples.  Even a mixed fruit offering with melon, grapes, and strawberries.  Fresh fruit is far better for you than canned, and it's a safer bet than dried fruits (which often contain sulphur) as well.

Healthy Spreads
Sometimes, but not always, continental breakfasts will offer real butter alongside the margarine.  Butter is a healthy part of a real food diet, and people often don't eat enough healthy fats.  Also, I was pleased to find little packages of honey.   Real cream cheese might also make a good option.  In the area of spreads, there is so much that we avoid: nut butters and jams laden with HFCS, margarine.  It's such a pleasure to find a few options I can feel better about serving my family.

Focus on the Positive
One of the best steps we can take in our approach toward continental breakfasts is to ask for real food.  Write a note to tell the service manager that you'd love to see more eggs, cheese, and real juice (instead of something which is clearly an orange-flavored beverage!). I imagine that the positive reinforcement of hearing how happy you were to find butter, honey, etc. can only have favorable results.   And l tried to let the women in charge of these meals know that I appreciated their efforts.


Facing situations such as this can seem discouraging, no doubt about it.  But seeking out the gems, searching for the best possible choices, as well as focusing on the positive can really help.  There's always a chance that we might make a difference this way!

Choose real food, ask for real food, and above all enjoy real food.  Happy trails!

pausing ~ friends, fellowship, & food

After five days of travel, we have come to an oasis in a friend's home.   And get this: our stay here is a total of three nights.  Three nights.  Although our traveling days went quite smoothly, it was an unspeakable relief to be able to take a deep breath...and stop.

Since arriving here two nights ago, we've enjoyed reminiscing with old friends, a jaunt around Kansas City (we went by many of our old haunts: the church we attended when we lived here, the two homes where we lived, and the places we worked), a big dinner with our adopted family, watching our kids frolic with "cousins" they had never met before - such a blessing!

Oh, and some seriously awesome barbecue.

People, I kid you not.  I have been dreaming about this barbecue for 11 1/2 years now.  Jeff and I chose it for our last big meal before we moved away to Oregon from Kansas City, and stopping there was definitely a priority once we knew we were coming back for a visit. So yesterday we took the kids there for lunch.

It was every bit as delicious as I'd remembered.

And in case you're wondering, I chose not to read the ingredient list for the barbecue sauce.  This is a time for exceptions.   From where I'm sitting, it was totally worth it.

Today we're resting. Puttering.  Catching up on laundry and sleep. Possibly taking the boys to a local water park. Tonight we're invited to dinner at my husband's best friend from his boyhood - it's going to be fantastic.  That is a huge reason why we made this trip: fellowship with dear ones that time and distance had separated.

Not to mention the fact that I hear we're in for more outstanding barbecue.