Knock, Knock....Housekeeping!

Once upon a time, a long long time ago... okay, okay... the summer of 1999 (yikes! 14 years ago!) I worked in our nation's first national park, Yellowstone.  It was nothing as exciting as being a park ranger but rather I was there to clean rooms at Old Faithful Inn as part of a summer project with Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru.)  It was a summer that impacted my life in various ways and apparently is still bearing fruit in other areas still today.

You see, one becomes very familiar with the details and rigors of housekeeping when work is done in one of the busiest hotels in the nation over the summer months.  While I was not the fastest room cleaner in the est I found an appreciation for those who do it day in and day out for years on end.  Not just for the summer, you see.  The solitary work about drove me mad and so management had mercy on me and when they could they moved me into a position of picking up buffalo poop grounds keeping and cleaning public spaces.  I was thankful to be around more people and I LOVED that job.  No, really.

Today I find myself nearing the end of a two month stay at a hotel.  I am always reminded that it is well worth knowing the names of the people around you.  Especially in the service arena.  I'm pretty sure I know everyone who works here from management, to housekeeping, to food service.  They work hard.

However, I will say that our relationships with those in housekeeping are by far the most significant.  We see them just about everyday.  My kids run down the halls in little-girl-screeching-delight when they see Mrs I and Mrs E, the women who run the housekeeping department.  The day that I told Mrs. I  that I had worked in housekeeping for a time she was surprised and asked all sorts of questions.  We talked about the hard work of it all and the difference in how things work here versus what I experienced.  It seemed like that sealed our relationship.  Well, that and the fact that my girls easily endear themselves to almost anyone. HA!  We have had conversations about family, life, church, and other things. We have made great friends here and while we are excited to go home we are sad to leave the people that we have met here.

My girls have this notion that the housekeeping crew will just come home with us.  Yes, I wish.  HA!  We'll take food service with us as well.  My girls even pretend clean after housekeeping leaves and when we come back to the room they do the famous "knock, knock! Housekeeping!" at the the door and then burst into quiet giggles.  If anything it has been a social education for my girls and I think they are doing fabulously.

Fourteen years ago I wondered how on earth my being a housekeeper would have any sort of impact or be of any sort of significance.  I merely thought it was a vehicle to do ministry at that time.  Nope, apparently there would be another reason that would not be fully realized until 14 years later.  I wonder what that summer still has in store for me?

Minivan Musings

I always wanted a minivan.  Okay, maybe not while I was in college.  However, when I first drove a minivan for a conference in Florida I was hooked.  Although, I knew that I needed more of a reason to actually have one other than a couple of conferences a year.

Fast-forward a few years and I am married with kids.  I figured someday we would have a minivan but I thought that day would be when we were expecting child #3 as we had a SUV that worked well at the time.  Not too long after we had Miss A we got our van.  A gem of a find on Craigslist.  Needless to say, I was thrilled!  Only two kiddos and we had our van.  It would be a few months later we would find out that Miss S was on her way.  HA!

Anyway, the story of how we got our van and why is not the reason for this post.  One thing I noticed on the road is that minivan drivers sometimes were going super fast. (Or sometimes super slow)  But I would notice them fly by me at times (and I was going a bit over the limit...ahem).  I would get so uppity because they had their kids in there and they were flying by like a bat out of... well.. you know.  Compromising safety, blah, blah... like those in minivans were held to some other standard.

Well, I think I know why minivans go speeding by....

...the kids are screaming and they are just trying to get home as fast as they can because whining and crying in a car sounds about 10 decibels louder than it actually is.

...there is a preschool aged child that has frantically notified her mother that she needs to go to the bathroom and WILL NOT use a public bathroom.  She will, however, relieve herself in her car seat should you not get home fast enough.

...there is a woman in the back about to give birth.

Now, I may or may not know about one or all of these things.  Ha!  I am sure some are just driving like crazy because...well... they are.  However, these have been my musings as of late as I drove back and forth to the hospital to see Miss S.

It made me laugh.

Do you have minivan musings??

Still Here

I'm still here!  Promise!  Things have been rolling around in my head.  However, we have been on a whirlwind of trips the last several weeks.  I didn't have my computer with me and typing much of anything on my smart phone...well...just does not appeal to me.  I am not sure how people write lengthy e-mails on them but maybe it's a personal preference.

In the last couple of weeks we have driven to California once and to Colorado twice.  A couple of glimpses into those trips will come in future posts.  We are definitely in recovery mode.  Thankfully, all the laundry is done except for one load of towels.  However, there are a lot of clothes that need to be packed away as Miss A has out grown them.  Or there are clothes we had to pull out from winter as it was a bit chilly (read: snow) on one trip to Colorado.  I am feeling the need to get some things together in anticipation of the next baby.  Oh my.

Husband started a new job yesterday.  It was a great and sad at the same time as he has been home with us for the last month.  I am probably having the harder time adjusting to it than the girls.  Although, that's not to say that they don't miss him that's for sure.  The time he had off was such a blessing to us all and came at a very opportune time as I needed extra help in managing the girls while dealing with morning sickness (which on many scales is very mild, but enough to throw me off.)  So, we are thankful for the provision of time and now thankful for the provision on employment.  Our cups overflow!

So, as I feel better, you will hear more from me.... hang in there!

Looking Back: May

Why does the beginning of May seem like forever ago?  Wow.  At the beginning of May I had hoped to add some additional goals to the making of the bed, Scripture reading, etc.  I am glad I didn't commit to it because I would be feeling the pressure of not achieving those things right now.  I think I had enough foresight into what was coming my way to maybe hold off.  I did, however, commit to the Homemaker's Challenge from Joyful Mothering in correspondence with the book 31 Days to Clean.  About half way through the month that went right out the window.  I am okay with that and will probably resume this at some point as I thought that the heart challenges were good for me.  The task challenges we good and I have heard through the rumor mill that there are a new set of task challenges.  As I return to that I will probably blog more about it here.

As mentioned in a previous post I have a hard time recovering from trips.  We had a whim of a trip mid-May to San Diego.  Then about a week or so later we were on our way to Colorado deep in the San Juan Mountains.  We will be heading to Denver soon to celebrate with family a major milestone (will share about that later) and I think that will be all for travelling for a time.  I hope to recover before then but we will see.

Unfortunately, as of late, my bed making and Scripture reading have been...well...lacking.  I need to adjust back to a normal schedule and muster up motivation.  It's a challenge but I need to get there.  I guess, in a sense, those are my goals for this month.

Travelling with Littles

This is what we have been doing lately.  Travelling with little people.  We have two little girls two and nine months.  We strapped them in the van and drove 12 hours.  We realize this could have been further complicated if I was still nursing or if one was potty training, etc.  But our longest trip yet recorded went down as a success.  When we stopped we made sure that they both were able to get their wiggles out.  Even the wee one needed a break so she climbed around in the van while I changed her big sister.  Big sister got to "hop, hop," as she would say, while Daddy pumped gas.  It worked out well.  Here are some other things that I learned...

• Don't cramp your kids.  Put what you need near them or what they will want.  The rest needs to go in the back.  They need to feel like they have room to breathe as well.  If you wouldn't like sitting back there with all the stuff then I am pretty sure your kids won't either.
• Snack foods are a must.  Miss L was into cheese sticks this trip so I need to make sure we have plenty for the next trip.  Healthy and higher protein are a huge win.
• Plan on at least one parent in the back with "little" littles from time to time.  There is no way they can go the WHOLE day without seeing you.  They need to play, too!
• Try to keep their schedule in the car.  This was a blessing for us.  I was in the back and would feed Miss A (people have different opinions on how to do this, etc - we didn't break the laws FYI) and we would play with a ball or be silly with Miss L.  Then around nap time I would have moved to the front and given Miss L something to do while Miss A took her morning nap.  Same basic principle for afternoon nap but both of them would sleep.  I just told Miss L it was time to rest and close her eyes and that was good enough for her.  The schedule made for happier kids when we arrived at out destination.
• Naps will not be as long as they are at home.  Be flexible and if they need a little extra sleep later, that's fine.  Roll with it.
• Elmo on DVD is Miss L's best friend.  When she was getting restless she would zone in with Elmo and interact with him and have a grand time.  Portable DVD player we love you.

I am sure there is more that I am trying to remember.  What are some of your road trip tips?

Water Ice

We made a super fast trip to Texas over the July 4th weekend.  We were there to see a dear friend installed as pastor of a blossoming mission church.  It was a lovely time rich with fellowship and new relationships.  While I cannot go into all of that here there was this one random blip in the weekend that took me back to the summer of 2004 when I spent 6 weeks in Ocean City, NJ.

You know those special things that take you back to a special time and they seem like the most amazing thing?  Then you know how sometimes you can partake in said special thing outside of the context of said special time and it's really not so amazing anymore?  Well, this was NOT the case with Rita's Italian Ice... or more fondly called water ice.  It's like a sno-cone but not that rigid.  It's smooth... like a slushie but... still not quite.  A spoon is generally required. 

Let's just say that I may have given Husband a slight fright as I gasped when I saw the sign on a building as we pulled into the hotel circle.  OH. MY.  I told Husband that we MUST go there at least once this weekend.  After Miss L went to bed we got the hankering for something cool and sweet.  Husband was going to go get it and bring it back.  I told him whatever flavor was fine as long as it was red.  ha!  He came back with Tropical Punch for me and Cookies and Cream for himself.  I thought his sounded strange for water ice but it was pretty yummy!!  A regular size is plenty! On the plus side it is super affordable... I think we paid $4.00 for the two of them.

Ahhhh... Delightful!

We wanted to go again but our schedule kept us running and eating at other venues.  However, there is rumor that Rita's could be coming to the Valley of the Sun in the next year or so!  YAY!  Husband and I thought it would be a good investment and half thought about the possibility of doing a franchise.  I will say that it was a fleeting idea...  fun in the moment but probably not for us.  So, we will wait until places open here and join my Ocean City buddy, Stephanie, at a grand opening.   

In all of this reminiscing... I had to look up the Polish water ice place that I also liked and found that it is pretty much just in three states on the east coast.  But if you are looking for another fun place try out TLC's Polish Water Ice.  If you happen to find yourself on the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ you will find these places fairly close to each other... partake... in both!

When Your Baby Cries

We have been traveling quite a bit over the last couple of weeks.  We were in California with some friends for a weekend getaway, home for two days, and then we flew to Denver to celebrate Husband's grandmother's 90th birthday.  We just got home this last Tuesday.

Needless to say, it took a toll on us all on some level.

When Miss L has had enough she doesn't have the concept of self-control to just stick it out with a happy heart.  No, she will sometimes melt down, cry, and throw up her arms in frustration.  What she needs is some down time, cuddles with Mommy and Daddy, and ultimately a return to routine.

Well, I hate to admit it but I had a similar melt down during our trip.  I chose not to stick it out and have a happy heart.  Unfortunately, I did not exhibit a spirit of self-control and responded to a series of situations like my 18-month-old.  Sigh. 

It's not until I was able to reflect back on the trip that I really saw what maybe the Lord was trying to teach me. 

First, and foremost was my lack of self-control.  As if that isn't enough.  My feelings cannot control me but so often I let them.  I just needed to push through, accept help, and also communicate how I am feeling in a rational, non-emotion fueled manner.  Sometimes this is much easier said than done when one is six months pregnant and hormones are all over the place!

Second, the Lord was gently reminding me that I am not the same person that I was in college or the few years after graduating. (Thank you, Jesus!)  I could go, go, go, go, go... and then go some more.  I didn't spend a lot of time at home and the majority of the time I lived out of a suitcase.  No problem.

Well, life changes and so do we...

I am a creature of habit.  I love being at home.  I am growing more into the role that God has given to me.  I am a wife and a mom with different demands of my time than 5 or 6 years ago.  I cringe when people say, "I am just a wife and mom."  I think there is great value in being just a wife and mom (there are many things that fall under these very broad titles).  It's an identity that God created for me as a woman.  It is good godly work that God will see me through until the end.  It is a good work that He has started in me.

Like my daughter, I needed some extra time with my Heavenly Father (and cuddles with Husband), some down time, and a return to my routine.

My life is not boring by any means because it has routine.  It's good for me and for my household.  There is room for spontaneous things and we have fun.  Our household may not be the same as yours but that's okay.  We all reflect differect aspects of God's character and image.

There is more that I am thinking through and this isn't all that profound in the grand scheme of things but it's where I am at in life right now.  Husband is right, I need to give myself more grace in the things that I am growing in and learning about.  I will probably have more on other things that stem from this at a later time.

Until then...

Claim Jumper

I told you about a restaurant from our California adventure.  So, now I will tell you about one from our Colorado excursion.  However, this one I tell you about for a very different reason.  While the atmosphere is fun and the food is pretty yummy, you can visit this restaurant just about anywhere.  Actually, there is one less than three miles from our home.  For me there is some sentimental value in this place as some of our premarital counseling actually happened here. But I digress...

While in Colorado we found ourselves at this restaurant twice.  The first time because we just needed a place to eat when we got to town.  The second was because our extended family really wanted to go when plans to White Fence Farm fell through. (FYI:  I have never been to WFF)  This was the first time that we had been to CJ with Miss L.  We were promptly informed of a "baby plate" that was of no charge.  No charge?  As in free?  What?  It consists of a slice of turkey (I think it's a thin slice of what they have on hand for their turkey meal) two different kinds of cheese sticks, a lovely helping of their homemade applesauce and milk.  Because Miss L tends to have a slightly bigger appetite we just shared the rest with her from our meals because...well... the servings at CJ are substantial!  We ordered some veggies for Miss L one time but we found they were not quite tender enough for her and her lack of certain teeth.  But if someone else were to have them we can find some that were suited for her without the charge.

We had the same waitress both times we were there.  She was as great with our group of 20 as she was a few nights before with our group of five.  She was great with the kiddos, too!

Apparently, CJ is ranked one of the top 10 family restaurants by Parents magazine.  Not that I put a lot of stock in many things that come from Parents, but like anything, some good things can come from it, too.

Their other options for older kids meals were pretty good, too!  We will be filing this place as places to go when Miss A arrives and is ready to eat solid food, too.

The Cottage

This last weekend we went on a little excursion with the "N" Family to San Diego/Coronado Island.  One of my and Husband's favorite places to eat breakfast is The Cottage in La Jolla.  OH. MY.  Seriously, you cannot beat the atmosphere or the food.  Breakfast is probably my favorite meal-type genre.  I think I could have breakfast for each meal of the day.  For real.  We have never had lunch or dinner at The Cottage but I am sure that they don't disappoint in that area either.  My favorite thing, besides the many varieties of eggs benedict, is the Southern California Special -- an omelet with bacon, guacamole, and some other yummy stuff.  It was fun to share this place with our dear friends the "N's."  Plus, we are not really souvenir people on vacation.  We like to find yummy places to eat and create memories that way and not accumulate "stuff."  Although, pounds may count for "stuff" someday.  HA!

However, we got an extra special treat this time around.  Our friend's, the "M" Family were the ones to introduce us to The Cottage.  They moved from the Valley of the Sun a couple of years ago and we have not seen them since.  I saw something about them possibly being in La Jolla the same weekend we would be there via her F.acebo.ok account.  I thought, "Wouldn't it be funny if we ran into them at The Cottage?"  I said as much to Husband just minutes before we arrived for breakfast.  Sure enough!  Just moments after we arrived and were waiting for our table we saw M & C with their three little ones -- two of which we had not yet met!  They were there for a wedding and visiting friends.  (We would run into his parents at church the next morning!)

Well, with all that said... fond memories are made at The Cottage and so are full tummies.  If you find yourself even remotely in the area of La Jolla, CA this is a must stop.  It's totally worth the drive.

Ahhhh....

While the rest of the country is enjoying the onset of autumn and bracing for winter -- those of us here in Phoenix are still dealing very much with summer.  As I write this, it is 99 degrees.  They say it feels like 94 -- but what does that mean really?  It's still just hot.  We are supposed to get back up in the triple digits this weekend.  Sigh.  Then maybe a cooling trend?  Low 90's and finally down into the 70's over night.  That sounds like bliss right now.

Anyway.  I digress...

No doubt about it, it gets hot here.  When one is taking a "little" along for the ride not only does mama get a bit hotter in the process but the baby has no fun being placed in a usually warm car seat/carrier.  Poor Little Flower will go from a nice cool building to a HOT car where her seat has been as well.  When I look back at her, shock (and worry) fills me.  Her face is flush and when I pull her out of the seat she's all sweaty.  Yes, the AC is on full blast.  Those rear facing seats don't allow the air to flow that's for sure.

I have been eyeing this Cold Seat for quite some time.  I have friends that have made their own versions of it.  However, I am not quite that talented at the sewing machine.  I tried just tossing some ice packs in the seat and it was just messy and cumbersome.  So, when GoGo Natural offered 40% off of the Cold Seat I couldn't resist.  Yes, I do realize the hottest temperatures are behind us and we are using a different car seat now.  However, it was delightful to put Little Flower in her seat and not have it be super hot or worry about the buckles burning her.  I feel like it was well worth the buy.  Plus, there is always next summer and we hope more kiddos to come. 

Who knows, we may have to buy another?  I'd be okay with that.  :)

Something New

I am ready for the fall season to begin.  I long for the changing of the leaves.  Although, that doesn't happen here.  I long for cooler weather... which may be, in part, due to the fact that our AC is out and it's about 83 degrees in the house.  On the up side, the repair man is here as I type.  There will be dancing when he is finished.

In a nutshell, here's what has been going on here...

July could not go by fast enough.  My grandmother died on the 1st which was quite expected.  We had her funeral on the 4th in Nebraska.  Soon after that Husband and I headed to New Mexico to help finish packing my dad's house.  While there I found out that my cousin passed away.  Her funeral was on the 25th and I was off to Nebraska yet again.  It was just a hard month and I was glad to see it end.

August then went by entirely too fast!  My dad moved in with us as he searched for a new house here in the Valley.  Oh yes, did I mention that my dad is moving out here?  Yes, we never thought it would happen but here he is adjusting to the heat quite well.  He purchased a house in Surprise and closed on it yesterday.  Let me just say, September is moving as fast as August!

Soon it will be Christmas...

...okay, so I have a new post up and I am going to work on some other things that I thought have been interesting over the last few weeks.  Hopefully, you will find them equally as interesting.

Generations

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We recently went to Nebraska to visit my grandmother.  We wanted her to be able to meet Miss L.  My grandmother recently turned 100.  She didn't fully comprehend that we were there or that Miss L was her great-granddaughter but there were some sweet moments.  My grandmother cannot see much at all but she was able to recognize that there was a baby in the room and was willing to try and hold her.  She felt for Miss L's features and Miss L thought it was pretty fun.  Our little girl laughed and smiled and found her great-grandmother to be quite fun.  Even the nurses were surprised at how well Baby Girl did in her lap.

It was fun to see and heartbreaking all at the same time.  It was sweet to see Little Flower love on her great-grandmother, smile, laugh, and feel safe with her.  I wished that my mom was alive to see this and there would be four generations.  I think this was the last time that I will see my grandmother.  So, there is the sweet and the bitterness of the time spent with my grandmother.

More on our trip to Nebraska in the next few days.

Coffee Memories

It's a strange thing wanting coffee each morning.  I used to only drink it on the weekends.  Now it seems like an essential to start the day.  Such is life.  Needless to say, I was bummed when the bottom of my coffee mug peeked through.  I was tempted for a second cup!

This morning I was faced with the desire for a good cup of coffee.  Husband was already gone for the morning, he makes the best cup of coffee for me, so I thought about my options.  I didn't want to brew a whole pot because I usually only drink one cup anyway.  So, I remembered my handy little french press.  Glory!  I boiled the water, ground some coffee, and made the rest of my breakfast.  The end result was a nice cup of strong coffee sweetened to my liking with some half & half.  Lovely.

Whenever I bring out my little french press coffee pot I cannot help but reminisce on the summer of 2004.  I made my way across the country to Ocean City, NJ on a summer mission assignment.  My roommate, Shanda, always made coffee in a french press.  I don't remember when it happened but she then started making me a cup of coffee each morning on the way to staff meetings.  How it ministered to my heart!  There were a few mornings when I had coffee ready for her after she taught me the art of french press.  Ahh... sweet times.  I love that simple things bring back such lovely and fond memories of times spent with a sister in Christ and remembering how even simple things can mean so very much and stay with a person for a lifetime.

Polly Want a Cracker?

Anyone who reads this blog or knows me knows that A) I am an avid people watcher B) sometimes I see really random things C) I am fairly observant and D) (how appropriate that it came to the letter D) that I still love Dunkin' Donuts even though they don't carry my favorite donut here in Arizona anymore.  Well, all of these things met in perfect harmony on Sunday while making our way to church.  As you probably know, Husband likes to treat me to DD from time to time.  We left the house early, a little tired because we had yet to have some coffee, and made our way to the newly renovated DD on 19th Ave and Northern just off the 17.  We tried one of their new bagel sandwiches (delightful) and of course had a donut and ICED coffee.  An interesting mix of people always frequent DD's no matter the locale.  As we were leaving I had to stop dead in my tracks and call Husband's attention to my latest encounter...

...there sat a man in his car with his little dog and the window rolled down.  No big deal, right?  Well, on the window ledge was a Senegal Parrot walking back and forth and observing himself in the side mirror!  Of course we paused to talk to the friendly gentleman.  He told us how he takes his dog and parrot on a walk.  The dog on a leash and the parrot perched on his shoulder.  He made sure to tell us that his wings were clipped and he would not fly away.  The parrot's name is "Gunny" and just as I was getting ready to ask if the gentleman had been in the Marine Corps he said, "He reminds me of a drill sergeant I had in the Marine Corps, bossy, bossy, bossy!"  We laughed.

Oh how I wanted to take their picture and place it here!  But I didn't know how I would get the photo from my phone to the computer.  Even if I did, I don't think the resolution would have been very good.  Such is life... you will have to use your imagination.  Darn it for not having the camera with me this ONE time!  Ugh.

I guess the man's wife was in the store picking up their Sunday treats, too.  I hope I see these folks again.

In case you were wondering, I have now adjusted my top places for people watching...

1.  University Campus
2.  Airport/Train Station/Bus Station
3.  Dunkin' Donuts
4.  People driving (but one should only do this if you are the passenger!)

157,489

That's how many miles my little trusty 2000 Plymouth Neon had on it when I said good-bye on Sunday.  Sigh.  We were tired of the "three car shuffle" in our drive way and God certainly ordained the timing and the sale of the car.  It was a good time to say good-bye.

I bought this car (well, it was purchased for me) in May of 2000 with a mere 17 miles on the odometer.  We've come a long way baby!  All those glorious miles are mine and boy I have been a few places in this car.

It made a few trips from New Mexico to Nebraska while I was in my senior year of college.  I put on a few hundred miles to cover a soccer game and then go see my cousin get married.  Then there was that trek out to Yellowstone the day after I graduated from college (I got stopped in Cheyenne, WY for going 80 in a 75 - drove away with a warning well taken).  I explored the national park for six weeks, encountered a buffalo, and drove back to NM.  Of course there are the commuter treks back and forth from Los Lunas to Albuquerque to work, visit friends and family, and more over the years as I lived and worked in the Albuquerque area.  Of course, there were a few trips to Lake City, CO where a Neon has ventured into places no Neon should probably ever venture.  I think it had a SUV complex.  No worries - there were no scratches or mud where there shouldn't be any.  There were many a random trip around the state of New Mexico for this or that and to visit a campus here and there.  The summer of 2004 had to be one of my favorites - I drove from Albuquerque, NM to Ocean City, NJ and back, with side trips from New York on up into New Hampshire (and a slight detour into Maine because I missed my turn.  It turned out for the best because I then got to explore some exquisite NH back roads).  All in all that summer I tacked on 7,000 miles by myself.  It was fun...no, it was grand!  In 2006, it was a luggage hauler for the college students that I took down to New Orleans for hurricane relief work.  Of course there was a trip to Arizona (the rest of the time I flew) and now there have been a couple of trips back to New Mexico in the little Neon.  It's been a great car, I tell you what.  Never did it get below 30 miles to the gallon... the best ever was when it got 37 miles to gallon.  WOW.  My fun little stick shift.

So, now I drive the 4-Runner.  It's not bad by any means.  It will be better to get in and out of with a prego belly that will in a matter of months be a baby in a little car seat.  It will be easier to maneuver the automatic with kids in the back, too, as well as deal with traffic during rush hour.  Even today at the doctor I was told my hips and back may do better without having to twist and turn out of the little car that is much lower to the ground than the 4-Runner.  I am not bummed about the 4-Runner, it was more the saying good-bye to what the Neon represented in my life.  It was like the perpetual souvenir of all the places I have been over the last 8 1/2 years.  Now, it is with a family that needs it more than I do now.  It will be trucking across the Valley of the Sun and tacking on more faithful miles.  On the up side, I know the family so maybe I will see glimpses of the Neon from time to time.

The 4-Runner and I will make new adventures... on to my third car in life.

For some reason, the song "Saying Good-bye" from the movie, The Muppets Take Manhattan, keeps running through my head.  Well, only a certain part...

Wanna laugh, wanna cry... it's time for saying good-bye... la la la... la la la... it's time for saying good-bye.

I wasn't around for the final transaction of the sale, which was probably for the best.  I had some things to take care of and then he came to tell me that the Neon was gone and he watched it drive away.  I'm not going lie... I teared up a bit.  I think I will chalk some of it up to being a little more sensitive these days... umm... yeah, that's it. 

Thanks for the memories, little Neon!

A Post 9/11 World

While this is a day late... and maybe even a dollar short I couldn't help but ponder our history.  It's interesting how much has changed since September 11, 2001.  Then again, it's interesting to think on how things may be the same or never changed at all.  It's somewhat odd to me to be in an era that has been so duly named, "A post 9/11 world" and everyone knows what that means.  There's no need to figure out if you belong to that title or not -- we all do.

Through all the memorials and radio clips yesterday that brought a lump to my throat, and the words "Let's Roll" from United 93 gave me goosebumps as I drove across the 202 on my way to dinner -- what came to mind was what I was doing that day.  I am sure if you ask anyone they can tell you what they were doing when they heard about the attacks on American soil.  Other generations remember what they were doing when JFK was shot in Texas, others when Americans landed on the moon, and now this present generation is marked with 9/11.

I remember I was working at Applebee's before going on staff with Campus Crusade.  I had worked the late shift the night before so I slept in rather late.  When I did wake up, my normal routine was to go to the computer and check e-mail.  The news page popped up, as usual, and as I saw the first photos of the towers burning just before they fell, I thought this was some hoax.  You know, where people play with Photoshop a little too much and a little too well.  As I clicked through some other pages I realized there was more to this than a hoax.  I went to the TV and was taken by what was happening to our country.  I realized then that I should call my dad as he was working at the air force base.  He was fine but said the base was on lock-down and they would probably be sending non-essential personnel (him) home soon.  However, on the lighter side of things he mentioned that they (the powers that be) had given him a firearm "just in case."  Seems appropriate enough, right?  Until you realize that they gave him the firearm but wouldn't give him ammunition.  HA!  I don't think they realized who they were dealing with there.  My dad used to shoot competitively for the air force back in the day AND he's an avid hunter (who teaches hunter safety).  He knows how to wield a gun, folks.  Like the rest of the country, I was fixed to the TV until it was time to go to work.  I thought they would close the restaurant but they stayed open.  I think we had five people come in that day.  One of my co-workers was frantically trying to get in touch with his family who were supposed to tour the World Trade Center that morning.  Like many other folks, they were providentially delayed and were safe.   We basically watched the news until the store closed.

I remember flying to Mexico about a month after 9/11 for a mission trip only to have many ask if I was afraid to fly and many were quite the "nervous nellies" about the whole thing.  I told them we had to move on with life and get back to normal - whatever normal looked like now - and also assured them that the Lord has our days numbered and we do not know when He might call us home.  It's true.  However, it can be harder to live those word on some days more than others.

Hummm... it's interesting to ponder our thoughts and feelings of that day.

Where were you?

To the 505 and Back

This last weekend Husband and I went back to my hometown to visit my Papa.  It was a good time and we were glad that we went... as always.

The adventure really began when we left on Thursday afternoon.  I opted to drive the first half so that Husband would not be so drained when he has the more difficult second half in the dark.  Let me just say that the last 30 miles on US 6 are BA-RU-TAL... oh yeah.  Anyway, it was an adventure as this was our first long road trip with me being pregnant and not really sure what to expect.  So, there were pit stops in Payson and Holbrook.  There should have been another one somewhere between Holbrook and Los Lunas - but I toughed it out.  I knew better for the trip home.  Needless to say, I was rather uncomfortable and my ankles were swollen by the time we pulled into my Dad's place.  It's amazing what simply standing up will do for a gal.

Somewhere along the second half of the trip Husband noticed something wrong with our tires and we were still about 150 miles from my hometown.  I prayed through the trip and knew that Husband would be able to handle whatever came our way.  We just prayed that we would make it in okay and that we could deal with the problem on Friday morning.  After a quick inspection at the tire shop we learned just how great the Lord's mercies were for us the night before.  One tire was cracking... no big deal.  But on the front left tire the tread was starting to separate.  Wow... disaster averted.  Husband takes good care of our cars.  We just acquired the one we were driving and all was well.  We knew that replacing these particular tires was in the future.  However, we figure that the length of the trip and other factors pushed them over the edge much before their time.  The other tires were perfectly fine.  Go figure.  As you can imagine, we now have four new tires.  :)

Friday was filled with some fun of the truest sense.  We purchased some green chile to replenish the supply here at home.  It was a delight to smell it roasting.  Then came the daunting task of peeling and packing over three bushels of the stuff.  We worked on it for some time and then put the rest in the fridge to do on Saturday.  Friday evening held dinner from Saggio's (oh for the best calzones EVER) and fellowship with Mark and Renee.  Such sweet friends.  It was fun to see how their oldest, Samuel, is growing and developing his own little personality.  Then to finally meet "miracle" baby, Noah.  Good times.  We even managed a partial game of "Hand and Foot."  One of the funniest moments of the evening was the fact that Mark went to check on something in Sammy's room only to discover a large, wooden wall hanging that we brought for Noah was being cuddled in bed with Sammy.  HA HA HA!!

Saturday morning we thought we would be seeing many a friend at a coffee shop.  Many thought that they would be able to come.  Rather we had one sweet friend show up.  That was perfectly fine because it was fun to just catch up with her.  We will have to catch up with others another time.  Then back to the house to finish off the green chile peeling fest.  The day was capped off with dinner at Powdrell's BBQ... bliss.

Sunday, we headed to church in Albuquerque where we sat under the preaching of the Pastor who first pastored my Dad and me.  We even got some down time with him and his wife between services.  Then off to Mark and Renee's to pick up a sweet gift for Little Flower (more on that in another post).  We rushed home, ate some brunch, packed the car, and finally left around 2:00 PM - a bit later than expected.  However, we made it home at a fairly decent time.

It was a good time.  My dad spent a lot of time with us in the chile peeling department and just hanging out.  He had a few things going on during the weekend as well.  We will see him again in October when he is out here for a bit.  The weather was delightful... amazing to be out at 10:00 AM and not be sweating in the shade... or the sun for that matter!

However, home is home, and we are always glad to be back.  I may have to post a pucture later of our very stuffed-with-chile freezer.  AND there is more still at my Dad's place!  Score.

Half Way

Today, I am 20-weeks along in this pregnancy.  It's the "official" half-way mark.

It's hard to believe that Little Flower will be here sooner than we think.  In some respects it seems so very far away and that we have been waiting forever.  On the other hand, it's gone by incredibly fast.  There have been some entertaining...well...maybe more along the lines of interesting things that have happened here an there along the way.  I will admit that they are really only entertaining now -- in the midst of the situation, not so much.

Little Flower is moving around quite a bit now.  I say quite a bit because something is more than the previous nothing and I know her movements will only become more intense as the weeks pass.  It's been fun to feel her and yet it is quite an odd first experience, too.  Husband has been able to get her to press back on his hand a few times.  I love to watch his face when he feels for her and when she makes her presence known to him.  Such sweet moments I will for sure treasure in my heart.  I have noticed that she moves the most when I am driving in the car.  Hopefully, that is a sign that she likes the car and not that she has a high disdain for the car.  Goodness, we are commuters...she will just have to get used to it.

Illinois

Well, vacation would explain my recent hiatus from the blog world.  Husband and I made a quick trip out while his parents were in Elgin, Illinois to spend time with his dad's side of the family.  I must admit that I had prepared myself for the all to familiar 90-degree weather with 90% humidity that lingers over the heartland of America this time of year.  However, we were delightfully surprised by the weather ordered up for us this last weekend.  I am not sure that it got much over 80-degrees and the humidity, for the most part, was held at bay.  We experienced some crazy storms, but we loved every minute of it.  The funny thing was that we came back to Phoenix just after an intense storm that ripped a roof off a local school building.  We left a cool and not so humid place only to return to a fairly warm (80-degrees) and quite humid atmosphere.  We laughed at the irony.

Besides the weather, the trip was great, too.  Husband had not been back there since he was about seven.  My father-in-law was back a couple of years ago for a wedding that was just a couple of weeks before ours.  So, it was a good time for all to catch up and I think we may get some of them to come out and visit.  I am guessing that it would happen in the winter when they need a break from the snow and it will be to them like autumn -- or after the baby comes.  We went to a historical museum and had a private showing of some things that were from Husband's side of the family.  It was really quite fascinating as we learned where in Ireland they all originated from and the heritage that was revealed.  Husband's Great-great grandfather fought in the Spanish-American war and we were able to see his saddle from that war.  We also found others who fought in the Civil War as well.  It was a really neat time.

We just spent a lot of time hanging out and visiting one little place after another in Elgin (one of the MANY suburbs of Chicago) and the surrounding areas.  Elgin still has a small town feel, although when I think about it, it really is quite large.  We had to partake in the famous Burn's malt at Al's Cafe - which is made with six scoops of ice cream and no added milk.  Needless to say, I had a half malt because I needed real food for lunch, too.  Others, well, they just had the malt for lunch!

Surrounding the good food and fun family, we learned a new card game called Hand and Foot.  It is really fun and can get a little carried away when there are so many people.  It's similar to Canasta, I think.  We had a good time and played it almost every chance we got!  So, some of you out there may be learning a new card game from us sometime in the near future.  Although, we may need a little detox time from the game first.

I am sure that I am forgetting some other fun little adventure but I think that the highlights will do for now.  Additional photos are up on our Flickr site. If you need an invite to see them, let me know and I'll be happy to do that for you!

3:30 AM to 10:30 PM

Friday was a LOOOOOOOONNNNNNG day.

Here's the run down...

Alarm starts talking at 3:30 AM - we both need to get up and get moving!

Husband cleans up because he's actually going somewhere.  Me, I throw on whatever is available and toss a couple of bagels in the toaster for breakfast.

Drop Husband off at the airport.  He flew to Albuquerque for a car auction.  (We were hoping to purchase a Natural Gas car.  Unfortunately, we were seriously outbid.  Such is life.  What the other guy paid would almost buy a new one!  YIKES!)

From the airport I miss my exit.  Shucks.  Get turned around and head to my in-laws to grab a few more zzzzz's before heading to the church office to work for the day.

Church office craziness until 3:00 PM.

Head to airport to pick up sweet Husband.

Wait in a ridiculous line at Cos.tco for gas.

Head to a fun Italian restaurant to surprise my mother-in-law for her retirement with some other friends.

Partake in some seriously yummy food and then over to their house for MORE yummy food in the dessert-type fashion.

Head home.

Walk through the door wiped out at 10:30 PM!!

To bed, I said, with your head!