I did it

I started packing!  After repeatedly calling John yesterday complaining about how much I had to do, yet I had no boxes to put anything in, he came home with boxes and tape and markers.  And then my friend Brandi came over and picked up my kids so I could have time to pack.  And then later that night, my friend Robyn showed up with boxes (thank you sweet friends!). Drat!  Looks like I actually have to do this!  So I did!  And it feels good!

We have decided to make our last few days here all about our favorite things to do in this town.  Today?  Possibly a thrift store (my favorite) and then most definitely onto the ice cream factory for some fresh deliciousness (their favorite)!  We are still going to be living very close to this place, but I really wanted some fun things for us to do in the midst of all of the things we have to do.  Some time to fill love tanks while most of our time is spent side by side working away.  So this seems to fit well.

I am thankful that we had the foresight to take a little mini road trip last week!  We had so much fun just living in a pile on top of each other for the week.  Really, I treasured every minute of it!  We started at my brother and sister in law's place to finally (finally!) meet my sweet baby niece.  She is full of cuddles and smiles- I just love her!  We also got to go trick-or-treating with my nephew.  That was so much fun!

 Our destination after we left there was to a drive through safari.  We had so much fun!  The highlight of the day was when the ostrich stuck his head through our sunroof!  We were all squealing and ducking away from certain pecking.

before the pecking began- typing this my brain is screaming "run for your life!!!"

the zebras were crazy friendly!

Thinking about it makes me smile.  It was one of those perfect days when you are totally making your kid's dreams come true.

Off to pack up some books.
Who do I think I am with all of these books?!?!

Howdy from Lubbock!

(I'm posting for the first time from the iPad. Please excuse any weirdness.)

We are back in Lubbock this week. We are partnering with Calvary Church offering a morning skate camp and working in their evening VBS. John promises that he will take to me to various VBS around the state to celebrate our anniversary every year. He really knows how to keep the magic alive!

The kids opted not to do skate camp this time around (once they realized that they'd have to share daddy with 27 other kids!). They decided they'd rather have some private sessions when we get home. So while John is doing most of the ministry this week, I'm trying not to overlook the fact that pouring into my little ones and making sure my husband has what he needs are just as important ministry opportunities.

Here's what I'm really enjoying this week:
-access to a pool
-the glorious proportions of a 4 year olds body (and the mane of hair that adds even more diameter to that sweet head)
- the creativity birthed out of living in a hotel room for week
- maid service!
- time to just play, play, play
- the company of sweet, old friends (and their remarkable children)

road trips with children

last summer's road trip to Baltimore

We are a family that loves to travel the open road!  After our last trip up to Canyon, TX, the question came up about what we do to keep the kids entertained in the car on long trips.  We have some real experience in this department.  We have driven all of the way up to Pennsylvania!  

Traveling with kids takes some forethought.  I never just hop into the car and hope for the best.  Even for shorter trips- like driving the 1 1/2 hours to the see the grandparents, I like to have some sort of plan.

All of the supplies that I gather before the trip for them are kept up front with me and I pass back one at a time.  This is key to success!

Here are my 10 tips to traveling with children:

1) The travel notebook

Before the trip I print out crossword puzzles, coloring sheets, number games, mazes, etc. and place them into a 3-ring binder.  I also put blank paper, graphing paper (because it's fun!), notebook paper and a zipper pouch.  Inside the zipper pouch are scissors, pencils, pencil sharpener,  and colored pencils (because crayons tend to melt).   

One other thing the kids love is when I make a travel bingo game.  I usually make about four different sheets.  On each sheet I'll do a 3x4 grid of clip art of road side things we may see.  Like a stop sign, a motorcycle, or an airplane.  If we are going to be in the city I may put a bus or a city train.  As we drive along and they find an object on their page they will cross that item out. 

The travel notebook is usually the first thing to get busted out on a trip.  

2)  Bag o' goodies

A month or so prior to the trip I start collecting little trinkets for the kids.  Maybe a new hot wheel for Buddy, or friendship bracelet making stuff for Moonpie.  My most favorite thing to stock the goodie bag with is Dover stickers.  I usually buy several of these sticker books to keep on hand.  These are also easy to find on the road.  Mainly because of my husband's obsession with the Cracker Barrel.  As the trip progresses I'll pass back a new item.  We can get about one hour out of each new thing.  I actually time this.  Even if they tire of the item, I won't pass back a new one until the hour is up.  Sometimes I swap with the kids and sometimes I let them keep the whole enchilada back there.  

None of the items in the bag usually cost over a dollar.  See that picture of Moonpie up there working in her notebook while wearing a shower cap?   That shower cap was from our hotel room!  I knew that she would love it, so I swiped it before she could see it and tucked into my bag.  The next leg of the trip I whipped it out and she was thrilled!  Until her head started getting sweaty.

3)  Window crayons

I felt like a real genius when I came up with this idea.  We used these on our recent trip to Palo Duro Canyon.  We got some real mileage out of these!  The kids loved them and played with them for hours off and on.  However, they were pretty messy.  My poor mister almost had an aneurism from all the window mess.  He is a fan of clean windows.  I was pretty impressed that he allowed the kids to gunk up the windows at all.  My recommendation with these is to keep wipes in the back seat and be ok with some mess.  Or I'd advise the window markers over the window crayons.  That's probably what I'll do next time.

4) Wikki Stix (with an "x" because they are so "x-treme")

This is one of those classic travel items for us.  My kids love them and get lots of play time out of them.  However, we have had them melt in the car- so some caution there.  Another cheaper, non-melty option is pipe cleaners.

5)  Book basket

We always keep a basket of book in between the kid's seats.  For a trip I like to surprise the kids with new books that I've squirreled away from the thrift store (our thrift store sells children's books for 35 cents a copy).  I'll also put one coloring book for each in there.

6) Snacks

I am the snack master.  We always have snacks in the car.  I usually pack carrot sticks, grapes, O's cereal, Annie's cheddar bunnies, Yummy Earth suckers and water.  These also periodically get passed back.  Sometimes when the trip feels really long, like driving across west Texas for example, we stop at the DQ for a mini blizzard.  That always lifts spirits and lets little legs get some energy out.

photo credit:  buddy

7) "Look out of the window!"

All of this planning doesn't result in problem free traveling.  I still find myself responding to "I'm bored" with "well, look out the window!".  Because that's what a road trip is about to me.  It's not all about arriving.  Some of it is about the getting there.  One thing (besides the road trip bingo) I have found to encourage the children to look out of the window is to give them a camera and let them take pictures of what they see.  Buddy's pictures are usually of trucks and giant tires, while Moonpie's are of trees and birds.  It's lovely to view the trip from their perspective.

8) Audio books

We love audio books!  I usually check a few out from the library or download some episodes of Adventures in Odyssey.

9)  Movies

We are pretty strict when it comes to movies in the car- just like at home.  On long travel days (8-10 hour legs), we usually get up early- around 5am- and hit the road.  We don't allow movies until after lunch time.  Then we usually only do one a day.  Sometimes two if the kids are having a hard time finding a rhythm.  

10) Silly travel games

We like to play silly games on the road that we have made up.  The kids created a verbal version of "Guess Who" ("I'm thinking of someone with a mustache, who wears blue overalls and red hat").  Or the game of sketchy situational responses called "appropriate or inappropriate" (ex-"Buddy- appropriate or inappropriate- wearing shoes on your head and underwear for a shirt).  And there's always "what animal is this?" ("it has long legs, a long neck and a sharp beak).

There you go!  10 things that work well for our family.  As they continue to grow I know I'll need to change up my arsenal.  My hope is that no matter the age, we can enjoy the car time as a family.  And that when my children look back on their childhood road trips they will remember mama making hats out of pipe cleaners just as fondly as seeing waterfalls and canyons.

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What about you?  Any travel tips you can recommend?

meanwhile, back at the ranch

As a child we spent a week every summer in the mountains of New Mexico.  Our half-way stop for the night was Amarillo.  

Texas is endless.

Or at least it seems endless when you start in Houston and make your way all the way up to the pan-handle plains.  Technically, it's about 12 hours.

Once you hit the pan-handle, the horizon goes on forever over the flat landscape.  That's why it's called "big sky country".  Really, you've never seen a sky this big.  And the sunsets- the best I've ever seen.  Anyway, back to the endless road trips of my youth.  The most welcome sight I had ever seen was the Cadillac Ranch welcoming us into Amarillo.

Cadillac Ranch is cool.  It's one of those things you just have to see to appreciate.  Imagine, if you can, seeing nothing for miles, and then all of a dither, 10 Cadillacs buried half way in the ground.

(I love the phrase "all of a dither" and I like to throw it in any time I can)

This was our kid's first trip to Cadillac Ranch.  I was so excited to share it with them!  We didn't just drive by- oh no- we got out and did some good ol' fashioned family fun.  You know- graffiti!  

Graffiti is highly encouraged at the ranch.  People leave behind their half full cans of spray paint for the next defacer.   Anything you paint will knowingly be painted over by the next passer by.  It's part of the circle of life.  

When you're here you feel like you are a part of something bigger.  An iconic, American road side exhibit.  A piece of history.  It's really cool.

John left behind our Middleman logo!

Remember the German tourists we saw at The Big Texan?  Well, they were here too.  It's too good to pass up.  

Too tempting to leave your mark.

a little bit country

Ok. A LOT a-bit country.

Our early departure from Palo Duro led us straight into the arms of all things kitsch.

The place where men are made and boys leave in tears (and with indigestion).

The Big Texan Steak Ranch!  (that's right- I said "ranch".  Not house!)

I remember eating here as a kid/teenager on our way to New Mexico.  This restaurant/theme park is located right on route 66.  It is a mecca for international tourist wanting to live the American road trip dream.  I would cringe thinking that is what the world thinks Texas is.  People eating 72 ounce steaks on a stage in under a hour.  Music on a six song loop featuring the Oak Ridge Boys and any song mentioning Amarillo.  Which oddly, are a lot.

But there was no cringing this time.  Oh no!  I reveled in introducing my children to this one of a kind place.  

And they fell right into place with no prodding from me whatsoever!  Miss Moonpie declared that she was going to have a steak.  Umm...ok.  All food rules out the window.  We're in West Texas dangit!

We ate, and laughed, and sang along to "Elvira" (ok, maybe that was just me), and all around had a great time.  I didn't even feel the need to go tell the table of German tourists next to us that this isn't really what Texas is like.  That there are cities here.  That there is incredible culture and music and art here.  But that's not the Texas they wanted to see.  They wanted this.  The Texas that's in the movies.  Big sky.  Cowboy hats.  Meat.  

Lots and lots of meat.

big sky country

Our West Texas road trip was more adventurous than we had planned!  Palo Duro Canyon is amazing.  It is described as the second largest canyon after the Grand Canyon.  The wonderful thing about Palo Duro is the accessibility of it.  You can go all over and marvel at the beauty of it all.  This fact seems to be known by more people outside of Texas than in it.  Hardly anyone we spoke to about our trip had ever heard of it.  And we were the only Texans at the camp!  There were two groups from Germany, two from Canada, West Virginians, Washingtonians (is that right???), and so on.

This little stream was right behind our campground.  The kids found it immediately and kept drawing us back to it.  We found evidence of a beaver that had done some major work.  

But sadly, there was no beaver spotting.

We found the canyon to be highly unpredictable.  What we had planned for weather wise, turned out not to be the case.  At all.

It became very clear as to why we were the only ones there in a tent.  Everyone else was in the comfort of a camper, and if I could give one piece of advice it would be this:  Palo Duro is extremely unpredictable and can be best experienced in a RV!  When we arrived the day was sunny and hot.  By 7pm it was still in the 90's!  But that night, a cold front blew through and it about took us out!  I had never experienced the fierceness of that kind of wind.  And it lasted.  All.  Night.  Long.  Can I say it?  We were miserable.  I have never been so happy to the sun!  The temperature had dropped to the low 30's.  I was so thankful for the kid's mummy bags!

Once the temps hit about 40, we bundled up and ventured out of the tent.  Our hope was to complete a six mile hike that day.  The sky was beautiful.  So, so blue up against all of that red.  We were truly in awe.  And when sun would hit the ground, it seemed like the canyon was paved in diamonds.  

But the wind.  Oh, the wind!  We made it about one mile in before we admitted that we were once again, miserable.  I looked at John and asked "what's the point if we aren't having any fun?".  We made it back to the car and made a new game plan.  We were all disappointed to pack up camp, but we knew that a camping trip spent inside of a tent is no fun at all.

This decision led to a new adventure of a completely different kind!

this moment

an early introduction to graffiti- Cadillac Ranch style!

as inspired by SouleMama

back from the canyon

We are back from our trip up to Palo Duro Canyon.  We are a bit wind and road weary, but we had a blast!  More to come after I tackle the laundry!

louisville, ky

all i can say about louisville is H.O.T.

it was over 100' that day. on an asphalt skate park it was about 107'- melt your face kind of heat. but the skatepark was awesome!

we didn't stay too long because of the heat and no trees for shade. but we enjoyed it while it lasted!

there is this awesome feed store behind the skatepark. look at this 'silo'!

this is a full pipe.

i love how hard core buddy looks in this picture! in his little spit fire shirt and helmet. john helped him drop in a couple of times. brave boy!

have you fallen off the face of the earth?

This is the question I've been getting. And the answer is no. Sort of. We got home last week from our major road trip and we began our homeschool year on Monday. So, while I'm here, I definitely have been very busy trying to get things straightened out and children schooled and straightened out.

Our trip was great. It was fast and felt like forever all at the same time. There were wonderful moments- like the whole family playing UNO, and Buddy beating us fair and square! And not so wonderful moments like being stuck without electricity and a broken slide-out in inner city Pittsburgh. At night.

We met some wonderful people and heard their wonderful stories. I was humbled by the sweet hearted family planting a church in the middle of the city and by the hard life of a woman I met in the bathroom at an Arkansas truck stop. These stories open you up, revealing the hurt and beauty of humanity. And how we are all the same in our hurts, but all so very different at the same time.

We gave away lots of boards and t-shirts and magazines. All that 'stuff' opened up some pretty great doors for conversation.

We saw the beauty of the earth over and over. Just when I thought I was in the most beautiful place ever, we would turn the corner and be delighted by even more beauty.

The kids were road warriors. I was impressed by their flexibility and patience.

And by Moonpie's eagerness to share who we are and what we were doing with everyone. I'll never forget the look on the waitress's face in Little Italy Baltimore when Moonpie told her that we were there to share God's love with her. And that "God loves you very much". She was very quiet for a second and then softly told Moonpie, "well, that's just beautiful".

And it was.

sending out a S.O.S

Remember our God. Family. Skateboarding. tour I told you about last week? Well, we have our itinerary set, skateparks found, churches lined up, the stage at the purple door fest set, now we just need...a RV!

If you have a friend of a cousin of a grandma that has a RV, please, hook us up! We need to either borrow one for the three weeks of August 8-23, or rent one (for hopefully a lower rate than commercial rental places). Or, if there's someone out there that just wants to unload one that may need a little work, we are a non-profit. You can get a tax write-off for your donation! We need a true RV, not a trailer- we don't have a truck to tow it behind.

Thank you for helping us think on this!

nashville

our trip home was the perfect excuse to stop and visit family that we hadn't seen in a while. our first destination was nashville to visit my cousin katie and her sweet family.

on 'the strip' moonpie found the hat that was made for her. princess cowgirl!

this was john's only request- to stop in gruhn guitars to play a little. we gladly obliged. a girl came over to me and said "your husband is very talented". aw shucks.

we stumbled upon this restaurant. we found out that it is a nashville institution.

i think moonpie can tell you why. not only do those pancakes have chocolate chips sprinkled on them, but they are also dusted in powdered sugar. for anyone keeping track, that's 2 powdered sugar encounters on the trip. i love this picture of her because it shows how serious she is about those pancakes (they were shaped like bears).

we really enjoyed nashville. natural beauty and music- what's not to love?

oh, and did i mention a dukes of hazard museum?