Returning to Nebraksa.....

Ok, all you die hard blog-followers, I sincerely apologize for throwing you off and posting a mid-week blog last week, then not adding to it on Sunday. I do hope you’ll forgive me for keeping you on your toes!

On Thursday of last week, Al celebrated?? his 34^th Birthday. Mom bought a cake and some ice cream, but we didn’t have any matches for the candles, so we had to pretend. (We melted an entire candle on the stove trying to get it lit.) That evening, the two of us young whipper-snappers headed out to the long awaited theatre production, Noah! The Musical, playing this year only at the newly built Sights and Sounds Theatre. As you can see by the slideshow below, the theatre was quite spectacular, both inside and out. During the play, the stage opened up to become the ark. The seats were sitting on the bottom of the ark, with the walls all around you full of live & anamatronic animals, as well as the actors. There were 100 animal/food stalls, about 10’ by 10’ and the set was amazing. The model, below, gives you a glimpse of what the set was like.

After the show, we went to dinner at a steak house that was having an ‘after show’ party for another crew from a cowboy show. We were dining with people in ten gallon hats. Part of life in Branson, I imagine!

The end of our vacation was a reality on Friday morning, as we loaded up the truck for the long drive back to Nebraska, about 14 hours. We split it into two days, stopping over in Lincoln with The Wentzel’s, a fellow Pastor that graduated with Al, and his family. Mom and Dad stayed an extra night at the condo and drove home to Michigan in one shot on Saturday.

We arrived home sometime Saturday afternoon, gaining an hour as we crossed into Mountain Time. I spent the afternoon composing myself from the mess that had been left before me. Actually, I should clarify that the mess was really only in our bedroom and bathroom. The rest of the house looked untouched for 3½ weeks, including the dishwasher that I loaded before I left the 1^st of October, and the refrigerator that had a month’s worth of moldy food, expired milk and something unidentifiable stinking along the back shelf.

Mark and Laura came over on their way out of town with the girls. Eden was excited with the thought of seeing them all again, but was really too tired to care when they actually got here. Instead, they helped unload the truck.

So came the mountain of stuff that I’d acquired in Michigan, including Halloween costumes, hand-me-downs, new clothes, Lars’ new curtains, wine, sparkling wine and other wine, material for Eden’s bed quilt, ninety (90) quarts of canned goods, a bushel of apples & several bulk spices from the Amish store, a box of “Sarah’s toys” from the attic back home, suitcases, an unsafe baby walker that Lars fell in love with, Douthit’s DVD player and tractor shows, as well as the stuff we brought with us from here before we left!

Don’t even get me started on the laundry…

The rest of this week was spent catching up and trying to get ahead. Story of our lives, really. I had two EMS meetings in the evening, and one all day Trauma Board meeting in Scottsbluff. Eden went to daycare, Al had an elder’s meeting and confirmation class, as well as some overdue visits to attend to.

Eden has been up 3-4 hours every night this week, trying to wiggle into our bed or crying because she can’t find a pacifier (which she’s been off of since before Lars was born!) or she is being stalked by pretend monsters. That has made me overly tired this week and somewhat cranky that I’m apparently the only parent who hears her and can take care of her. Friday night, she slept all night and Lars was up. Go figure.

This week also was, of course, Halloween. Like last year, Lars slept through the whole thing and woke up as everybody was turning their lights off and going to bed. Eden & I went to school on Friday to pick up Lexi & Kyra, who came over to play and frost cookies. Mark & Laura came over and the guys took the kids Trick-or-treating, while the ladies passed out candy and Halloween pencils. We had a record number of kids this year, about 100.

According to Pastor, Eden was quite a mooch in the field. After she was given candy, she’d keep holding out her bag for more. Once she got more, she’d reach in the home owner’s bowl and grab what she wanted. This would explain why Eden’s bag had 3x as much as the other girls. Going to have to work on her manners next year, or at least teach her daddy how to monitor the child.

Saturday was the first day that I felt I could sit and breathe. I started the day with choir practice, then jumped on laundry when I got home, plugging away at that all day. My children were both fairly needy all week, but they know when Mommy needs a hug, too.

And just when you think you’re at your breaking point, your three year old tells you she’s going to go to church naked on Sunday morning.