Blown Away

Another week is already done? Didn’t this one just begin? Let’s see…as I write this late Saturday afternoon, Lars is in his exersaucer on the floor, not entirely happy, but not all together ticked off yet, either. Eden is having quiet time on our bed, looking at books. Al is at church, working, and Samson is at my feet, rubbing his head up and down my leg. Out my window, a white poodle pees on my mums and “the sprinkler guy” is here, installing our underground sprinkler system.

Per usual, our week held lots of exciting adventures.

Eden decided that if the back yard is good enough for the dog to use as a potty, by golly, she’s going to take advantage of it, as well. So, as I was on the phone with my dad one day, I looked out and saw, to my horror, my beautiful daughter with her back to me, squatting 10’ from the dog, pooping. My neighbor was out dumping trash in the alley and the sprinkler guys were here installing. I’m sure everybody was impressed.

At 0630 on Tuesday morning, I awoke to people talking outside the bedroom window. The voice was familiar, and as I looked out, I saw ‘the city guys’ assessing another water main break on our street. This is the 6^th one this summer on our block. This time, it was across our whole driveway, and I ran out to move the vehicles before it was too late. A few jackhammer strokes later, and our garage was inaccessible until further notice, at least for parking cars. They got right to work on it, repaired it, and put up road blocks so that nobody falls in. Anybody remember that Pickles book where the car falls in the hole? The week after next they are going to tear up the whole street and replace the pipe. They were going to start on Tuesday after Memorial Day, but, being as I have ‘connections’, I asked that they wait till the next week when we are gone. Besides, that really would have put a crimp in my garage sale next weekend.

Our big excitement of the week, and also our largest purchase, was a 2002 Dutchmen camper. Since the old one was totaled out in the hail storm, we upgraded. You can see for yourself in the slideshow below. It is significantly cheaper to buy RVs in Michigan, so we again went that route. Found one right in Attica, so Dad went to pick it up. Since we really have no time to get it this summer, I think it will sit in my parent’s driveway until next spring. Hopefully, they or my siblings can use it this summer and enjoy it while it’s there!

Wednesday, the winds came. They started strong and got stronger as the day went on. I can’t ever remember a day here in Nebraska when the wind has been sustained that long without dying down once. A non-lover of storms, I stayed inside and paced most of the day, all afternoon, and constantly throughout the evening. Shortly after 10:00p, I made Al go outside and walk around the house, checking on ‘things’. He found a heavy piece of greenhouse in the middle of the street, checked on my little tree, looked around for the top to my garden hose box (no luck) and noticed that our back door neighbor’s 40’ pine tree was resting comfortably on his garage. I had to come outside to see this for myself, only to then panic over the thought of OUR pine tree coming to rest in the kids’ bedroom. I made Al watch the base of the tree for 5 minutes, analyzing it’s ‘trunk sway’ in a manner consistent with his physics class 10 years ago. Lars was sleeping sweetly, but Eden wasn’t. The wind was loud and she was scared, so I put her on our bed and she instantly fell asleep. I slept fitfully that night, sure the house was going to blow away. The next day, the rain came and kept us inside all day again. By evening, I had to get out for a few minutes. I took a walk and the photos are what I found in a three block radius of our house. I missed the up-side-down trampoline two houses down, but got a few other shots. The Star Herald reported Bridgeport’s wind to be 80mph that day, and both Windsor, CO and Laramie, WY reported tornados, which wiped out homes and businesses. Bridgeport had several trees that have been uprooted and tipped over, business signs blown away, and 'stuff' everywhere.

On Friday, Al wanted to go to Denver to see the twins he’d recently baptized and see how they were doing from their heart surgery. We got a sitter and headed down for the day. It was a long drive, but was a beautiful day and we had a nice chat in the car. Stopped at a favorite restaurant on our way back for a calm and quiet supper. After paying, Al left his wallet on the counter, which we didn’t realize until this morning. They assure us it will be kept safely until he can retrieve it on his next visit. Until then, he can’t run to the grocery store for me, buy beer, get gas, purchase bolts for the broken slide, or anything else that requires an ID or credit card. Part way home, Al thought the tires felt like they were going to fall off, so he stopped to check them out. Our new tires were nearly flat again in the rear. We nursed it back to Bridgeport, the nearest town, and filled them with air.

Tonight is Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals in which the Wings will, undoubtly, pummel the Penguins. We’ve even got steaks for the occasion.

Now it is Sunday. The Wings, naturally, defeated the Penguins. We enjoyed the steaks that Al grilled, and enjoyed a fairly peaceful evening. This afternoon, I finished mowing and dumped the clippings. Mark came over to measure our door, only to find out it was 6” too short for the new door we just bought. We then went to Douthit’s to help Mark install his new back door, which was also 6” too short. Eden had fun with Kyra flying a kite and chasing the wind. Samson riled up their chickens, Alexis played with Lars and Laura and I sat in the shade. When we came back, I worked hard at cleaning up the yard. I had pine branches everywhere, not to mention trash. I had two weeks worth of dog poop that needed tending, and Eden helped me every step of the way.

To Veterans and Soldiers everywhere, thank you for your services. This day is for you, even though some of you are working!

Eden helps herself to some more pears "I git it myself, mom!"

Eden cleans her outdoor toys...and herself...with the hose.

80 mph wind storm

2002 Dutchmen

May day at the park

Normalcy Returns

Well, if you can believe this (and many of you will laugh at this statement) but I don’t have much to say about this week. It was busy as usual, and otherwise normal and boring.

The ‘firsts’ of the week:

Eden tripped on my shoe and took a sprawling nose dive outside the police station one day, skinning her knee enough to bleed. That was a first for her. Lars FINALLY rolled over from back to front on Tuesday, and we all rejoiced in that milestone. Next on the agenda: sitting up by himself.

Al’s happenings of the week: Pastor had the nursing home church service on Sunday afternoon. Worked on Monday with LWML that evening. He had a winkle in Gordon on Tuesday, which is up by the S. Dakota border somewhere in ‘no phone signal’ land. The final confirmation class was on Wednesday. Thursday, he recorded in Scottsbluff. He then went to North Platte on Friday with one of the trustees to get our new front door for the parsonage. It only took us 5 weeks to go get it, wonder how long it will take to put it on??

Decision of the week: Our camper was officially totaled on the insurance, so they sent us a check for about half the cost of it and we are now keeping it, but can’t get full coverage on it under our name, so we’re thinking of selling cheap and upgrading to a bigger and better pop up that will serve us for a longer future. Which brings us to the question of the week.

Question of the week is: Is two kids for the Strawn’s plenty enough? People exempt from answering this question are Robyn and Kristen, both whom more than two kids, twins being among them!)

Disappointment of the week: The Detroit Red Wings failed to win game 4 or 5 of the Western Conf. finals. This means they play again on Monday in Dallas.

Highlight of the week: We got to watch more hockey because of it!

Funniest thing of the week: Well, it wasn’t funny at the time, but on Friday night, I went to bed by about 10:00, and Lars was up at 11:00 to eat. He was crying so much on the changing table that he woke Eden up. She has been having these midnight outbursts where she cries and screams and throws things, but we’re not convinced that she’s actually awake because she doesn’t recognize us, and won’t respond to her name, she just stares ahead and screams. Well, anyway, this was happening while I was warming a bottle for Lars. When I had it warmed, I had him in my left arm, and his bottle in my left hand. I went into Eden’s room and tried to wake her to calm her down. Lars is now screaming because his bottle is only inches from his mouth and he is trying to suck on it from afar to no avail. I, in the meantime, am yelling for Al in the baby monitor, trying to wake him to come help me. He never comes, so I sit on Eden’s floor, Eden on my lap, Lars on the other lap and the bottle teetering precariously on his lips with my thumb and forefinger. The funny part comes a half hour later, when I get both back to sleep and go downstairs to bed. I start tearing into Al for all it’s worth. “Are you awake?!” No answer. “Do you mean to tell me you slept through all that?!” No answer. “Do you honestly believe for a moment that I think you could sleep through that?!” Al rolls over, but still no answer. “NOW are you awake?” No answer. “Well, you better darn well be asleep! Because if you were awake, I would tear you up one side and down the other. I’m so mad at you for not coming up to help. Argh.” No answer, No movement. At 0700 this morning, I ask Al, “Do you have any idea how upset I am about last night?!” Al, “Huh?” In a last ditch effort to hold on to any resentment what-so-ever, I begin to recall for him the events of midnight. He is laughing to a tune of, ‘I so don’t remember anything that you’re talking about.’ Well, at least I got it off my chest.

Events of the week: We once again hosted the Confirmation Party at the parsonage for the 7^th and 8^th graders. They are so fun, and I will post the slideshow of pictures in a day or so. We played Alaskan Baseball, went on a blind run to the hospital and back, trust fell off the back of the pick-up, completed several variations of initiatives with a 2x4, devoured snacks & punch, and had an exciting rendition of Bible Trivia, to which the “Sudanese” (self named, mind you) team won. Great fun was had by all, Eden included.

This week is sure to offer us another array of love and laughter, I’m sure. Have a great week!~

Happy Birthday Sarah....the Big 3-0

Last Sunday, my plan was to go to church, come home, quickly pack the bags and the Blazer, and take off for Rock Springs at nap time. Unfortunately, we started going in the wrong direction and had to back track 30 miles to go south. Oops. But that’s not where the day went wrong. The day went sour just before communion, when I decided I needed to crack my neck. I tried to do the ‘not-too-obvious’ tilting of the head technique when, ‘rrriiipppp’ went the muscle in my neck. Down I went onto the pew, trying to keep from throwing up. It sounded like a piece of paper tearing in the back of my head. Pain shot up my skull and down to my fingertips. This was not good. I still had bags to pack at home and now I couldn’t look left or down. I faked my way through the rest of the hymns and tried to look inconspicuous. After church, 7 different people came up and asked me if my neck was stiff or something. Yeah, that’s an understatement. As soon as I walked in the door at home, I called Dr. Mike at his home, desperate for a chiro before we left. He called me right back and told me to meet him in 5 minutes at his office. I gratefully obliged. He twisted me back and forth and said, “This is going to hurt”. He was right. He then stuck a needle in my neck to spring open the muscle and pulled it out to find that the fluid build up in my neck had bent his needle into an “L” shape. Cool.

Then the fun part of our week began. The Drive. Seven hours later, we got to our hotel and checked in. I had to run to Wal-Mart to get some much needed supplies, as we realized that we’d forgotten an important bag…the toiletries bag. Since we’d left in such a hurry and I was in such pain trying to pack, we forgot undershirts for Al, T-shirts for Sarah, swimsuits and swim diapers, the camera battery charger, pajamas, and the 30# of stuff that I have in my toiletries bag. Nice.

Lars woke up about twice every hour that night. Wonderful.

Monday was better. We had the morning to get our heads on straight. After we dropped Al off at the conference, the kids and I went back to Wal-Mart for things that I didn’t realize that we didn’t have and needed, like Apple Juice for the morning. Who knew there was a hotel that existed that didn’t serve a complimentary continental breakfast? Went back to the hotel for naps. When the kids woke up, it was time to pick Al up and find a place to eat supper before evening service. We ate. Lars cried and Eden flung water all over people. For church service, Lars cried some more and Eden continued to be naughty. We came back to the hotel and, once again, put Lars to bed and listened to Eden cry and scream herself to sleep, managing to wake Lars up in the process. He slept better this night, only waking up 6 times and eating twice. We overslept, and Al missed morning Matins on Tuesday. Another winning morning had begun.

Tuesday, the kids and I hung out at the hotel, enjoying the spacious lobby outside our hotel room that overlooked the lower ‘great room’. Lars took two naps and Eden and I played games right outside the door. She colored a good many pictures and ran the length of the hall at least 12 times, stealing the newspapers that sat on the floor outside each door. At one point, I caught her dropping potting soil from a plant over the glass wall onto the people/floor below. She’s not mine today.

When Al came home after lunch, Eden met him in the hallway with her swim suit. She was all ready to go. Since Lars was again sleeping, I took Eden to the pool for an hour. She played in the kiddy pool with a lemonade pitcher, a plastic cup and spoon, and part of our in-room coffee pot. Perfect.

When the boys woke from their slumber, we loaded in the Blazer for a half hour drive around Green River, 10 miles to the west. (See "Green River", below). According to my map, there were many rocks jutting out of the earth all along the interstate. I thought it would be a nice get away and short, so the kids wouldn’t be in the car all that long. Oh, how wrong could I be? On our way out of Green River, Al took a winding road that looked fun. It was paved and didn’t look like it went very far. Well, to shorten a 3 hour tour into a few sentences, the road did not stay paved for very long, went about 40 miles out of our route and put us on the top of White Mountain with no traffic, two crying children and three shredded tires. To cut insurance costs, I had previously taken off road side assistance on the Blazer. Not that we were on a road, really. We were on the top of a mountain. Looking at a scenic route of nothing but sage brush as far as the eye could see. Oh, and the battery was dead in the camera. Naturally.

(See "White Mountain Mishap", below)

Four hundred and fifty dollars and two hours later, we were on our way down the mountain and headed to a restaurant for some food. From the moment we sat down, Lars was screaming. Eden was also being defiant and crabby, so when my food came, I scorfed down a few bites and said, “Forget it”. I took the kids back to the hotel room (upstairs of the restaurant). I threw Eden in the tub and put Lars to bed. After a bit, Al brought my food and the $46 receipt up from our spoiled supper. Perfect ending to a perfect BIRTHDAY. For night number three, Eden cried herself to sleep after many threats and spankings and bribes of toys and food. For night number three, she woke Lars up and he cried somewhat intermittently and to no end. Al went out with his Pastor buddies, something he gets to do but twice a year. I wanted a bubble bath, but that was in my forgotten bag. Instead, I used Johnson & Johnson's Baby Shampoo. When the jets started, the bubbles tumbled over the side of the tub and snaked their way all around the bathroom, nearly suffocating me in the process. I was knee deep in bubbles....outside the tub. I can’t even do a bubble bath right.

Did I mention Tuesday was my birthday? I’m thirty now. Crap. Nobody even sang me Happy Birthday.

On Wednesday, Al left for the conference on time and the kids and I hung out around the hotel. While Lars napped, Eden and I hung colored and read stories on the balcony. When Lars was awake, we went to the pool, then out for a walk in the fresh air. We packed up bags, and Al arrived back at the hotel early afternoon. We made sandwiches and headed for home. At first, the kids were sleeping and it was a great ride. Then they woke up and Lars was seriously unhappy, which is how he spends most of his life, really. We made it back to town a half hour into my fire meeting, so they dropped me off uptown and I hitched a ride home after that.

Thursday, Eden went to daycare so I could unpack and unwind. Lars fussed most of the afternoon, drooling and red-faced. Eden came home from day care a wreck. She was tired and fell asleep on the couch at 5:30p. By the grace of God, she slept all night and I was able to enjoy Game 1 of the Western Conf. finals. Detroit vs. Dallas. The good guys won, so all was not lost this day.

The weekend promised to be fun. My cousin, Lea, was traveling up from Colorado Springs to spend the weekend with us. Al and I had many graduation parties to attend, and she agreed to watch the kids and let us go on our own. What a treat! Al had to go to the hospital in Scottsbluff Friday morning, and Lea arrived early afternoon amid a downpour that turned out beautiful sunny day into a cold blast of misery. We did manage to get a tree planted (see “Lea’s visit” slideshow) in our front garden, but spent the rest of the day indoors. Saturday was much of the same. The highlight being Game 2 of the Red Wings vs. Stars.

Sunday is a beautiful, sunny day! Lea left after brunch to go bck to Colorado Springs. I managed to get part of the lawn mowed before Al had to go preach at the nursing home. And Eden is screaming herself to sleep for a nap. My parenting lesson of the week is ‘follow through’…even if it means listening to her scream all the while. More graduation parties this afternoon. Hopefully, my children will be well rested and content. I’ll even settle for just plain quiet.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you great Mothers out there…and to the not so great, keep at it. It’ll grow on ya after a while….

White Mountain Mishap

Green River, Wyoming

Lea comes to visit