Summer Vacay - The National Parks - Park 1

So on our summer vacation - this past summer - we drove from Texas to California. And on the way back home to Texas, we camped in five national parks over the course of five days.

The purpose for this camp-a-thon was two-fold …

1. We spent an exorbitant amount of money on hotels and adventure parks while on the first part of our trip in southern California, so in an effort to offset the expense on the second part of our vacation, we camped because camping is virtually free.

2.  More importantly: camping is our absolute favorite past-time and I know of no better way to connect with nature, your family, and your own soul than by spending time - and sleeping - in the great outdoors.

(Moreover, Charlie and I splurged for the National Park Annual pass and passport book, and I love to justify an expense by getting my money's worth - and then some.)

Our first stop was Yosemite, National Park because we are on a quest to take our children to as many National Parks as possible.
.



It's been 25 years since Charlie and I have visited this park, and we never recall it being quite so crowded.



It stunned us that the crowds to get in to this park actually surpassed the crowds at Legoland and SeaWorld.  There were cars lined up along the roads and people everywhere.

As an interesting aside - the vast majority of the lovely people that we met in each of the National Parks were from countries other than the US.  Which begs the observation / question, visitors travel in from around the globe to see these magnificent attractions - why aren't more Americans out enjoying these parks in our own country?!

(Thus begins my public service announcement:  PLEASE MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO GO VISIT A NATIONAL PARK!  OR TEN! These parks are absolute treasures!)   

It was so crowded that we discovered, unless you made camping reservations a year in advance, or got lucky in a raffle - your chance of securing a campsite were slim to non. So we didn't actually camp in Yosemite National Park, but we enjoyed an amazing day there.

We found a nice spot in the Merced River where the kids got completely soaked and had a fun time moving rocks - pushing tree limbs and splashing…

They begged to stay here, all day.

Even at 12 and 9-years old … kids + water = guaranteed fun.



We hiked all over the smooth granitic faces that were worn down by glacial events.



And contemplated the people who were brave (crazy?) enough to climb Half Dome and El Capitan.



We trekked through picturesque meadows.



Where, according to the kids, I took way too many pictures. But it was breathtakingly beautiful everywhere I looked.



The view from our sunroof.  (Oh my gosh … THIS IS AMAZING! Charlie! Don't LOOK!)  



BUT LOOK AT THIS!



We gazed at the waterfalls and quivered at the idea of taking a misstep on a slippery rock.



And pondered the meaning of life - and how many fish lived here - while sitting alongside kettle lakes.



We marveled at the engineering feats that allowed for the construction of tunnels carved through the solid mountains of granite.



And before we left the park, we placed a small message - written on a biodegradable material (a leaf!) beneath a volcanic rock in the middle of a field by a downed tree limb.



A rock that looks like it has no business being here…name that movie!



We made a note of it's exact location and sent it to some of our Virginia friends, who would be visiting Yosemite precisely one week later.



Their quest, should they chose to accept it, was to FIND the rock and the message.  (A week later, they sent us a picture - holding the rock and the message!)



It was an epic day, and as we left the park at sunset and began our descent out of the Sierra Mountains, down the steep Tioga Pass …



We discussed where we would sleep that night.  We had absolutely no plans nor any concrete idea where we would end up … so as we often do, we just started driving.

Oddly enough, no one was worried - least of all the kids.  Whether they're learning to embrace a sense of adventure - or have simply succumbed to the reality that their mother will never be an extraordinary vacation planner - they certainly have seen firsthand that when you just take off and go - things always tend to come together, just so.



Perhaps the more you just go for it - the more confidence you have that everything will be all right.

(At least, that's what we keep telling ourselves!)

must.stop.blinking

This picture of Henry with his chubby baby knuckles was taken yesterday.

Or so it seems.  I certainly remember it like it was yesterday.  Henry was camped out at a Pinewood Derby race - dressed up like a Tiger Cub, while William, his bona fide Cub Scout brother, was competing.  I just looked at the date of this post. It was four years ago … I am not sure how that is possible, since it feels like it was just written last week.



This was a picture taken on Monday night, when Henry - who wasn't even yet a CUB SCOUT, in the above picture and was just wearing his brother's attire because he was so excited to join the ranks … is now a first year Webelo.  Let that sink in …. my baby is a Web 1.   



Webelo is short for: We Be Loyal Scouts … and the appearance of this plaid kerchief and hat means that Cub Scouts will very soon be in the rear view mirror and Boy Scouts are just 'round the bend.

HOLD ME. 

Meanwhile, William participated this past weekend in his Boy Scout Troop's Camporee.

Effectively ALL of the Boy Scout troops in the Sam Houston district showed up and flaunted their skills in lighting fires, pitching tents, shooting targets, and a host of other activities.  In the end, William's troop outperformed all of the other troops and won the Honor Troop, which is a HUGE accomplishment.  Add to that, William's Patrol - of which, he is the elected Patrol Leader - won best 2nd year Patrol out of all the second year patrols that were gathered (~20).

He even has the ribbon to prove it!



I am so incredibly proud of him.

But as he was explaining ALL that he had to do to WIN these huge awards, I told him, "Little Dude, I am so proud of you it hurts.  But I've got to tell you, THE GIG IS UP."

He gave me a confused look and said, "What do you mean, Mom?"

I pointed to the pile of camping gear that he had dumped by the door several hours earlier and said, "If you can tie a knot 20 different ways until Sunday, light a fire in the wind and rain, and throw a tomahawk so it hits a bullseye square three out of three times … you can most certainly unpack your duffel bag, put your tent away, and wash your own laundry.  So giddiup ... get to it, cowboy!" 

Hallelujah.  Amen.

And thank you, Boy Scouts of America!

musings on my 46th lap

Today is my 46th birthday, and I am taking the day off from work. Bear with me, please, as I now wax poetic because at this exact moment, I'm watching the sun rise, listening to the Beatles Pandora station, updating my blog, and sipping green tea (and honey) in a cup that Elizabeth received for Christmas during a mug exchange.  I love this little mug, it reads, "Cup of Happy" and at the bottom is an awesome little sunshine, smiling at me.

At 46-years old, I know that the simplest pleasures are often the greatest - and my perception of my circumstances dictates my attitude.  As such, I have tried to rigorously see God's Fingerprint on every situation, good - or bad - and embrace a grateful attitude.  Without question, my cup of happiness runneth over!

Earlier this week, I'd been traveling for business to Michigan, where I was fortunate enough to see my sister, Eileen.



Yesterday, we spent almost four hours together at the Detroit airport eating lunch and walking at least 7,000 steps while waiting for our flights. I was flying home to Houston, she was flying to Nashville - so she could drive to Fort Campbell and see her son, Tommy - who was just recruited and accepted in to West Point Military Academy. (!!!!!!)

Last year at this time, Tommy, a combat medic - won Soldier of the Year for the 101st Airborne, and this year, because of his outstanding Army accomplishments - he's going to West Point.  When Eileen showed me the packet of material he had received from this prestigious school welcoming her son for the Fall of 2017, I cried.  We are so proud of him - and Eileen - and I am so incredibly grateful for his service to our country.

At 46-years old, I am amazed that I am doing life with such an incredible family ... that I was so fortunate to be born to my parents - and have the siblings and cousins that I do.  We are a product of our environments and while we're not perfect nor idyllic by a long shot - my family has taught me an immeasurable amount, and have shaped and inspired me for four and a half decades. I couldn't be prouder of our next generation.



Over the past few months, Charlie and I - and the children - have been working with local shelters and homeless organizations, and it rocks me every time I talk to people who have made it their life mission to serve.   One of my quests is to surround myself - and our children - with people who are cut from this dedicated and compassionate cloth because, they truly are the lights in what may sometimes seem like a very dark world.



At 46-years old, despite the negative news, violence, pain and suffering that is happening around the world,  I am incredibly grateful for the brave, courageous, and loving people who step forward and are committed to serving and doing as much good as they can - where they can - when they can - at all the times they possibly can.

Last week, I was in a meetings with my colleagues from all over the world.  On one of the days, the new president of our company dropped in to talk with us.  Before I headed in to work, I was telling Elizabeth that I would be meeting the president later that morning and she said, and I quote, "I hope you like him."  What a surprise to my pre-teen that our new president is a woman.

After I listened to this vibrant woman speak and hear how she was offered the position of president from our former CEO, I had the opportunity to tell her - before an audience of my peers - of the exchange I'd had earlier that morning with my 12-year old daughter.   As I explained that my daughter's automatic assumption was that our new leader was a man - she threw her head back and laughed.  Continuing, I told her that I was so excited to see the inclusion and diversity of women in to senior management roles within our corporation.  Since she is only the second company president in the history of our 147-year old corporation, this is a huge step for women in the science and engineering industry.  She agreed and added, "I want you to tell your daughter that I said 'Hi.'  I also want for you to tell your daughter that in 30 years, she will be the President of Exxon Mobil."  



When I look at Elizabeth, I see so much of myself as a 12-year old.  Like Elizabeth, I struggled with a learning disability, and often felt like the dumbest kid in school who just didn't GET it.  Eventually - I did get it and I'll forever be grateful to people like my 8th grade teacher, Mrs. Parsons, who told me (and I believed), "Jenny, you have so much potential to be tapped." I worked harder and cultivated the work ethic I have because school didn't come as easily to me.  Over my life, I've seen time and again how our disabilities or challenges usually lead to our greatest strengths.

This past Saturday, I took Elizabeth shopping for an Easter dress and as she stood in the middle of a bustling store - she confidently held up two dresses, and tucking one, then the other, beneath her chin boldly asked me, "Mom, which of these do you think would look better on the President of Exxon Mobil?"

At 46-years old, I am incredibly grateful for my education, career, and the power of positive messaging that was instrumental in getting me to this place in my life. My hope is that my experiences - in conjunction with their own - will allow our children to see that they can accomplish anything they put their minds to.  Although, on the road of life - it helps if you know which direction to aim.

************

Updated at 11:35 PM:  I logged off this morning before I published this post to get the kids off to school - and then volunteer in Henry's classroom.  Charlie took the day off from work with me, because he knows that my love language is Quality Time, and he is a Good Man.

After we helped the third grade teachers for an hour, we checked Henry out of school and picked up lunch for the triplets, which we brought to them at their school.  Charlie and I smothered our sixth graders with attention: hugs and kisses and some cool dance moves in the middle of their crowded cafeteria, while their little brother jumped around.  We're trying to help them get over this phase of remarkably easy preteen embarrassment …. as in - I just have to look at them and they turn bright red. So I think Charlie and I doing Yo Gangnam Style in front of their peers really helped.  But we may not find out for another 20-years when they're in counseling.

We then checked the triplets out of school and the lot of us went to the 1:00 showing of Beauty and The Beast.  The teachers were surprised we were taking the children out of school because they have a math test on statistics tomorrow, but as I explained to them: not to be mean (get it?) birthdays only come once a year, and the probability is significantly greater we will remember this day spent together for the rest of our lives.  Also, the greatest gift I could give to myself is to break our normal busy schedule and spend a fun mid-week day with the ones I love more than oxygen.



After the movie - which was very good; we went out for dinner … and it just so happened that moments after we sat down - to our complete surprise, a Beatles tribute band started to play on the lawn in front of the patio where we were seated. Over the next hour, a crowd of at least 1,000 descended upon the park to hear them play; including all of the amazing triathletes who are in town for the Iron Man, this weekend.   The band was fantastic, and at intermission, I had the chance to meet John and Paul.  SQUEE!!! I was just rocking out with those guys this morning when I started this post!

What are the odds?!?!



We came home and I was smothered with cards and presents, including this outstanding apron from my husband.  Wonder Woman.  William took one look and said, "Wow, Mom! That's what you'd look like if you weighed 90 pounds!"



Yes ….  I'm Wonder Woman alright.



At 46-years old, I'm in absolute wonder that I have a life so blessed!

Summer Vacay - Stop 4 - Part 1: The Happy Campers

Of course it happens that every time we set off on a road trip, we are motivated to sell off everything and travel the country.  Permanently.  This trip was no different.

While on our amazing road trip this past summer, Charlie and I did what we do best:  We questioned everything about life - what we were doing - where we should be - and if any course adjustments were necessary.   Seven months later: the jury is still out. 

There is something so incredibly freeing about just taking off with everything you need to survive in the vehicle you are driving.  You have no responsibilities, except arriving safely - and enjoying the journey.  We listen to books on tape, read stories, sing songs, listen to music and talk radio, play games like, "I'm thinking of an animal…" and "This is the game of concentration - no repeats or hesitation … category is: sedimentary rocks!"  And the kids all get frustrated with Charlie and I because they don't appreciate geology categories as much as their parents do.

Sandstone!

Siltstone!

Limestone!

After spending an amazing time with Charlie's family - we loaded up our trusty 11-year old minivan which was absolutely packed to the brim, with all of the supplies and camping gear we would need for our three week vacation.  And in that space between the driver and passenger seats, Kathy gave us an abundance of fresh vegetables from her garden.  And then - just as we were pulling out of the driveway, Steve eyed a minuscule patch of space on Henry's lap and quickly darted in to the house returning with - of all things - a baritone.   Yep.  Let that soak in.

A BARITONE.

I'm not sure what we ever did to hurt Steve … but there you have it.

"No, really, I insist.  It is because of my affection for you, the children must take this horn to play on the nearly 2,000-mile drive from northern California to southern Texas. Isn't that right, children?!" 

HOONKHOOHEEEWHAAAAASQUEEEEAHAWOMPSQUEEAH.



Once we departed Santa Rosa, we continued on - partially deaf - to the southeast for Calaveras County; the gateway to Yosemite National Park.  It was in Angels Camp, that we tread in the footsteps of Mark Twain … and learned all about the jumping frogs.  They really exist!



We toured the historic town, ate peppermint stick ice cream (our favorite)…



And Charlie and I had a Ms. Pac-Man showdown wherein I impressed the socks off our children by landing the HIGHEST score on this arcade game (NOTE: my video game ability rises and sets on this game, only.  With two quarters and a Ms. Pac-Man table game … it's on like Donkey Kong.)



After touring the town, the kids, not me because I'm not totally cra-cra, swam in a ridiculously cold campground swimming pool; and then we settled down with a game of cards around our campfire - before climbing in to our newly pitched, 8-man tent that had been set up in a picturesque location.  Thankfully, there wasn't any inclement weather or wind, because after we set it up, we realized that we had TWO remaining poles.  Oops.  Instructions would have been useful.



The next day, we woke up at the crack of dawn - ate fresh vegetables from Kathy's garden for breakfast - and continued southeast to Yosemite National Park, the first of what would be five national parks that we would visit over the next five days on our beautiful drive back to Texas.

Hop on back soon for more to this story.

Get it? Hop? Like a frog?

Ha!

Summer Vacay - Stop 3 - Part 3: The Russian River

Yes.  I know.

It's nearing the end of March, and I'm still writing about our summer 2016 vacation.  Seeing as summer 2017 vacation starts in approximately ten weeks … I better hurry up and finish this series, or my blogging backlog will be seriously out of control.  Especially since I also need to write about Charlie's 50th birthday surprise, and 2017 Spring Break - which concluded, today. 



So, the day after our amazing anniversary celebration, Charlie's brother - Steve, and his incredible wife, Kathy … and Charlie's sister - Susan, and her brilliant husband, Jeff … and their awesome daughter, Jessie - all took off for a day of paddling on the Russian River.



We had so much fun, together.

Even though Charlie and I - and our children - are a big group in and of ourselves … we are part of a much larger family, and when even a portion of us all get together - it really is an awesome sight.  Being together on the river in our canoes and kayak - gave me that feeling that we were WITH our tribe, and it was spectacular.  

Jessie, our wildlife biologist - who actually works in remote places like Alaska, tagging owls and tracking wolves, was in the kayak - while the rest of us were in canoes.

Kathy and Steve, with Elizabeth and William. 

Susan and Jeff, with Carolyn. 

Charlie and I with Henry.   

Our "assigned" boats didn't stay as such for long … after less than 30 minutes, people started moving vessels.  Henry made his transition while underway.

Elizabeth abandoned ship, when Uncle Steve took a nap.

She rendezvoused with Jessie on the kayak.



Then Jessie migrated to a canoe, and Elizabeth and Henry took off on the kayak.

Then Charlie was in the kayak.

Then Jeff.



Then all the kids … and the kayak partially sank.



Then our very own Chief Smaka, suggested that we stop for a picnic lunch.



Kathy is Julia Childs, Martha Stewart and Paula Deen all rolled in to one … so you might imagine that her idea of a picnic lunch was a big step up from my typical PB&J, Cheez-Its and apple slices.  Since she had planned this event weeks in advance, every detail was meticulously executed.  From the coolers that had been stored at a specific take-out location; to the linen blankets that we sat upon.  To the humongous focaccia sandwiches that she had prepared with vegetables grown in her own garden. To the chocolate chip cookies, pita chips, and ice cold drinks.



And, to make it all the sweeter, our picnic stop just so happened to be in an area that was overrun with wild blackberries.



It was a beautifully perfect day.



Made all the better because of the fantastic family members we were so fortunate to spend it with.

a spot of roundhouse kick tea

I've developed an addiction to green tea and honey.  I'll have at least two cups of it, every day, and am convinced that concoction has healing powers.  I can definitively say that whenever I feel myself coming down with a cold - or general fatigue - a cup of green tea and honey will soon make me right as rain.   It's remarkable! 

For my entire life, I've always been prone to respiratory infections and would catch everything that the children brought home. But since my green tea and honey ritual, my immune system is as strong as Chuck Norris.

Why Chuck Norris?

Because Charlie and one of his colleagues have this ongoing discourse of jokes about Chuck Norris. Each day they try to out-Chuck-Norris each other.  It's totally juvenile and hilarious.  I've learned that there are entire website (s) devoted to Chuck Norris jokes and Charlie now has most of them committed to memory.   Here are a few that I can remember:

Chuck Norris can ride a motor. Without the cycle. 

When Chuck Norris does push-ups, he doesn't push himself up - he pushes the earth down.  

Chuck Norris will never have a heart attack, because his heart isn't fool enough to attack him. 

When Chuck Norris was born, the doctor cried. Never - ever - slap Chuck Norris.  

All this to say, green tea and honey is tough stuff.  And best of all, a few of my children enjoy drinking it, too … it's truly a highlight of our day sitting down with each other over a cup of tea.

Moments after I took this picture, William said to me, "Mom, did you know that Chuck Norris was born in a log cabin … that he built with his bare hands?" 



So not only are my habits rubbing off on the children, it would appear Charlie's are, too!

our wittle ones

Elizabeth was home sick from school yesterday, and while she was recuperating on the couch, she decided to start writing a blog, which she has entitled "The Amazing Trips Jr."  For her first post, which she is publishing on her school account, she pulled these pictures of herself, and siblings, when they were babies.  I can't stop looking at them and their beautiful eyes.   The sight of them and memory of this time, actually makes me lose my breath a little.









While not every day is perfect, and we all face our own challenges with the rapid growth and changes that are happening at this stage in life (myself included; patience continues to be my greatest shortcoming), I am so proud of the kind and gentle people that these precious babies are growing in to ... Charlie and I really have been, and continue to be, blessed beyond measure.

Wow, oh wow, wow, wow.  Thank you, Universe!