Trip to Midwest---Day Three---To Grandmother's House We Go

Today we were blessed to spend the entire day with my grandmother, Auntie S., and her hubby in beautiful Hermitage, MO, near Lake Pomme de Terre. For those who did not take french, I will translate (I think): Lake "Apple of the Earth", or as Tex had fun saying all day, "Lake Potato." No, the lake does NOT look like a potato. It is actually quite lovely and tempting, but unfortunately, the weather and our schedule did not leave room for more than an appreciative viewing of it.

Uncle P. kindly took Hubby, Firefly, Tex, and Cowboy on a tour of the area, showing them the dam, the control tower, and the island nearby. I remember last time we were here, post-Hurricane Ivan (we stayed with Auntie S. for a few days, then an absent neighbor with a lake view loaned us her house for a week...awesome!), and we quite enjoyed swimming at the lake. It is gorgeous here, and the weather is usually fairly temperate compared to other areas. We just happened to get here on a 100 degree plus day that was not conducive to appreciating outdoor activities with little children.

In spite of the fact that we didn't get to swim, we had a delightful time with my grandmother, listening to stories of the old days and making a few new memories. She seemed so happy to see us, and looked quite well for all her ninety-two well-lived years. It has been a few years since we've seen her, and she had never met Abby or Joey in person before today. I truly wish we lived closer to her, so that we could see her several times a year, at least. I have missed not growing up near my grandmothers, and I miss them not being here for my own children's sake...but we are blessed to be close to my parents once again. I am thankful for that.

Grandma and Abby seemed to "click" and they spent quite some time coloring, playing dollies, and reading books. Abby would bring a dolly to Grandma and say, "My dolly is sick, " then Grandma would give a diagnosis and treatment, which Abby would then carry out. Once when Abby said her dolly wouldn't stop crying, Grandma quipped, "I think your dolly is spoiled...you hold her too much!" Ha ha ha. It was so funny. Grandma raised five kids of her own and is from a family of eleven children. She's got lots of child-rearing smarts. In practical terms, I am sure she believes that kids shouldn't be held all the time because it just can't be done and that kids need to learn to fit into a family instead of be the center of the universe. We all need to hear practical advice from folks who have traveled the roads we are traveling. She sure loves to hold babies now, and I am glad she had the chance to hold mine for a while.

Boo had a dandy time with Grandma's walker. He is just on the edge of learning to walk. He stands for about ten seconds at a time and cruises around furniture. He even occassionally stands up from a squat, then sits back down once he realizes what he's done...it reminds me of the story of Peter walking on the water...as soon as he started to think about what he was doing, he started to sink. Well, Boo discovered that he could manipulate Grandma's walker and toddle all over the house and spent about forty-five minutes doing just that. Grandma had a huge smile on her face the whole time and I could tell she was glad to have the kids around. Even when the noise level got a bit high, they all agreed that it was nice, because it was usually so quiet...too quiet.

Kids are good for people. I think that having the opportunity to put kids and older family members together is such a treasure for everyone. You can't beat the benefits of exposure to the wisdom and stories of our older family members. Jesus taught with parables, stories, for a good reason. Anyone can understand and glean lessons from stories. Even children. Or should I more correctly say, even stubborn, prideful adults.

My grandmother is full of wit and wisdom and wonderful hugs.

In a perfect world, we would have our families living together, the way they used to in older days. The benefits of that to both the young and the old are priceless. My own great-grandmother (on my mother's side) lived to be 104 years old, and I think it was because she lived in her own home, took care of her own business (with the exception of the outdoor work, which my Great Uncle Jim did), and basically had a reason for being. I feel so badly for older people these days who get shuffled off into group homes because families are so fractured and just plain busy. Too busy to include anything that might take a bit of extra time. If you have a loved one in an assisted living home, please don't think I am preaching to you. I know there are reasons for needing that sort of facility. I just wish our families were more intact these days. I think it would not only benefit the individuals, but it would also benefit society in general. History is doomed to repeat itself if we do not learn from it, and how can we learn from it, if we do not have the opportunity to hear it?

Enough sermonizing from me, and back to our trip. The rest of the day was utterly pleasant. My Auntie S. was the perfect hostess, selflessly serving us both a filling lunch and a delicious dinner (the kids' favorite...spaghetti and salad!)

When the guys and kids got back from their tour of the town, Auntie S., Ladybug (who did not go along with the guys due to a tummy ache), and I went to a store called Tinker's Treasures. This place is special to us because five years ago, Auntie S. bought a one-year old Ladybug her best-stuffed-friend, Bobo, when we visited during our "Run Away from Hurricane Ivan Midwest Tour." Bobo is a fluffy pink dog with a poochy belly and she goes everywhere with Ladybug...still. Milo, Ladybug, and Bobo pose in front of Bobo's "birthplace" below.

I found a treasure to remember our visit for a mere twelve dollars...a white hobnail dish I plan to put on my dresser to keep my most often worn jewelry in. It is very thick and heavy, and so pretty. I also got a great handmade sunglass case for a whole two dollars.

While we were gone, the boys (Tex and Uncle P.) played a game of chess and Hubby had time to talk to Grandma J. about her years as a Sunday school teacher and how blessed she is by the memories of those times. He also talked about Creation Science with Uncle P., who is not so sure what he thinks about that. It was a good time of getting to know each other, which was wonderful because his rigorous Navy schedule has prevented Hubby from traveling with us during our summer trips over the last twelve years.

When we got back to the house, Auntie S. showed off her garden (and new homemade potting bench), while Uncle P., the kids, and Hubby helped pull some of the weeds and water it. After that, Grandma J. was eager to show me the quilt she had made with her sisters...all seven of them. One sister sent out squares with drawings on them for each of the ladies to embroider (like the tea towels you often see). When they were done, the squares were distributed equally, and seven quilts were made. Squares with a picture of the whole family and of their parents together were added, trim, binding, and then quilting was done, and each sister received a lovely quilt just full of love and memories. Here is a picture of my grandmother with her quilt, and close-ups of a few of the squares she made:

It was difficult to leave at the end of the day, but we did have an hour's drive up to Lake of the Ozarks ahead of us. Knowing that we will see her again on Friday at my Uncle D.'s made saying goodbye easier, but I can't help but wish one more time that this was an everyday sort of thing. At least I know that someday, in Heaven, it will be an everyday sort of thing. I am endlessly thankful for that.

Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

By the way, Milo decided he liked Auntie S.'s cookies so much, he would stay an extra day with them and skip Lake of the Ozarks. He will catch back up with us in Omaha, just in time to go to the Zoo.

Trip to Midwest---Day Two---Traveling Fun and Sights to See

We are still driving through the Midwest, on our way to Missouri to visit with my 92 year old grandmother before going on to a family reunion in Omaha, Nebraska.

Day one was long and started late, but went well as the kids passed the time fruitfully with drawing, watching A Shirley Temple video (Firefly says, "She looks just like me!"), and listening to Jonathan Park cds. We stopped at a nice hotel in Frankfort that Tex and his dad had picked out for the amenities of:  in-room free wifi, a pool, and complimentary breakfast. We have found that by eating a bit later in the morning, we can usually skip lunch (maybe a snack in early afternoon) and just stop for dinner around six and the kids are happy. We save a bit of money, and there are fewer needs for rest stops.

 

A "cool" waterfall and an odd, but interesting bench in the lobby.

Unfortunately, while the hotel was certainly cushy, when we woke up on the morning of Day Two of our adventure and Hubby went to find out how late breakfast was served, he was told that there were some renovations going on in that area of the hotel and all there was was a box of donuts and some coffee. Argh!!

 Thankfully, he was bold and asked to see the manager. Once he explained that the hot breakfast was something the kids had talked about for hours in the car the night before, she took pity on us and ordered the hotel restaurant to make us three huge breakfasts to go: pancakes and bacon, biscuits and sausage, eggs, and bacon, and a loaded omlette, toast, and bacon...Notice the bacon in every one? We definitely like bacon!

 Thanks go out to that wonderful manager. We enjoyed every bite!

  Hubby then took the kids to swim while I waited in the room with the baby, and repacked our gear. I thought for sure the kids would have worn themselves out in the pool and spend the first hour or two (at least) in the car snoozing...but nary a one of them slept the entire day.
Not even baby Boo.

This was unfortunate, as we took a slight detour due to a GPS miscalculation (yeah, I know, it happens all the time...where's my map?), so Day Two went long as well. During this leg of the trip we got to see another capitol building, the one in Jefferson City, MO, but at the time, Hubby was the navigator and cameraman, and as he is not used to using my camera, this is the picture we got.

 

Oh well, at least we saw it. I can look up a picture of it on the internet and print it up when we get home.

Silly pictures help pass the time...

The kids drew pictures for their great-grandmother, played cars and dolls, I read aloud some more, and we watched Fly Away Home. We also listened to more Jonathan Park as we drove, and the neatest thing about that is that both Hubby and I had the opportunity to share our new knowledge with family members who had questions about Creation Science. I am very excited about the stop at the Creation Museum on the last leg of our trip. We are definitely preparing for it!

This is what we are listening to now.

We made a few stops along the way, one in Indiana at a rest area, so the kids could stretch their legs. Here are some pictures of my happy boys and a picture of Firefly with Milo the Mouse, our backpat rat...aren't they just adorable?

We also drove through St. Louis and saw the famed Arch. It was shiny and impressively massive. Hubby was amazed by it. It was like seeing a kid watch a parade for the first time...He took about twenty pictures of the Arch as we drove around it. We hope that next time we make this trip we will have time to stop and go to the top and look out the windows over the city. We also crossed the Missouri River, and saw too many farms to count. I love the landscapes of the Midwest. Everything is so green and full of life...not too much industry (at least not visible from the interstate), and all the tiny towns look so welcoming and homey.

 

We made a quick pit stop to eat at a DQ with a playland, and the kids all enjoyed their dollar menu items and exercise break.

Milo likes DQ, too.

 Unfortunately, this is where the trip began detouring, as Hubby tried putting in the exact address of our next hotel, and the GPS unfortunately picked the wrong one. It took us a while to realize the error...some of the roads traveled were familiar to me from previous trips, so I didn't question it...however, when we drove by Jefferson City, I started wondering, and shortly after that, Hubby checked the GPS and discovered the error. Auntie S. says the detour amounted to an additional hour, but it was probably safer than the usual route anyway, since it was main roads and not windy back ones.

My motto is: We never get lost, we just go exploring.

I am glad we saw the capital city...if we'd gone the "right" way, we'd have missed it.

During the final two hours of that day's drive (about eleven hours total), Hubby and I listened to a seminar session by Gregg Harris about delight-directed studies. I have wanted him to hear it for a long time, and it was nice to have the opportunity to listen to it and discuss our opinions about it. Tex and Boo hung in there to hear it, too, but the Three Amigos finally zonked out. Thank goodness!

My Auntie S., a night-owl, met us at a crossroads and drove us to our hotel, then visited for about a half an hour. I found out the next day that she went home that night and baked us cookies at 1 am! What a sweetie!

There's not much exciting to tell yet, since we are mostly driving at this point, but the kids are definitely having fun playing with Daddy and seeing the sights out of our car windows. And who can NOT love a hotel with a pool?

Tomorrow we visit Grandma J. , Auntie S. and her hubby for the day. I am hoping they will take the kids to the local dam for a visit. Lake of the Ozarks is the day after that.

Hoping you are happy wherever you are.

Blessings,

Heather

PS. We were told today that my overdue SIL will be induced tomorrow, so are expecting a call about a new nephew sometime tomorrow afternoon. How exciting!! Say a prayer for their health and safety, please.

Trip to Midwest---Day One---And They're Off!

Talk about a looooong day. Try as I might to be completely organized and ready to leave early in the morning so we could stop in time for the kids to swim after a long day in the car, in truth we didn't wind up leaving home until almost noon. Then we made a forty-five minute detour in WV to show Tex where he was born and lived for the first two years of his life. That put us arriving at the hotel around midnight with kids who had been sleeping in the car for much of the day. Not exactly a prescription for getting to sleep quickly...

BUT, there were MANY good things about day one of the trip. For example, since we left so late, we got to give Bubba hugs one more time, which was nice. He will be staying at the house during our absence and will take good care of the farm. Thank you, Bubba. We miss you already. We said "hi" to all of your favorite places in WV, and took a picture of your old sledding hill for you. Give Molly (the kitten) hugs from Ladybug.

Another blessing was that the children were really quite good in the car, and all of the advance preparations paid off in ease of travel. In fact, they were having so much fun, that after we had finished our "sit down dinner" stop at Subway, Cowboy asked if we could get back in the car now!


Here are some of the things I did to get ready
for the trip:
  
   I bought snacks and drinks on sale to carry along and that has helped
   save money and time.

   I borrowed a bunch of dvds from a friend that the kids had not seen.
   We watched episode one of The Story Keepers set I checked out from
   church, and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm with Shirley Temple. Thank
   you, Lorraine!

   I packed all our clothes in several big trunks that we are carrying on an
   exterior cargo tray and that has given us a more roomy area inside the
   SUV.

   I packed each day's clothing items in plastic grocery sacks (recycling!),
   so once we were at the hotel, we only had to access one trunk and all the
   kids' stuff was in one place. That saved time both at night and in the
   morning. It took a while to organize all this by myself, but as the kids 
   get older and can help more, my prep time will be less, and my daily
   preparations will be so much easier.

   Friends loaned us their GPS (thank you, Walshes) and the guys used it
   to navigate around traffic and to find our old house (it has been a while
   and we forgot a few turns). We thought the GPS was awesome until it
   navigated us all the way through Frankfort, KY to our destination hotel
   instead of taking us directly there (we later discovered that there was an
   interstate exit right off the highway.)
   I packed special backpacks for the kids with new drawing and craft
   items, favorite toys, puzzle books, and some new projects to work
   on based on a few old ideas and some gleaned from the
   TOS Travel Kits e-book I reviewed a while back. Ladybug
   enjoyed the All About Me book I printed up from
   Enchanted Learning (one of my favorite sites) and
   dressing and re-dressing my childhood 18" doll, Rosie.
   Cowboy and Firefly enjoyed using their MagnaDoodle boards.
   Tex enjoyed listening to his iPod and reading a new book.

   We all LOVED listening to five episodes of Jonathan Park, a
   creationist "radio show" from Vision Forum. We have sets one
   through five and our goal is to listen to all of the episodes before we
   make it to the Creation Museum (click HERE for a virtual tour of
   the museum...it is very interesting!), and if we do, then we will hope
   they offer the newest set at their gift shop and that will be our
   "souveneir" from this trip. I think planning for what we are going
   get as a treat ahead of time will save in "can we get this or that?"
   questions during the trip.

   We read aloud from a new book for part of the ride. It is about
   Molly...not our kitten...but the American Girl. Once we finish it, we
   are going to read Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls
   Wilder. I am looking forward to reading that one again a lot.

Anyhow, that's the trip so far. We saw two capitol buildings, West Virginia's and Kentucky's, and our old house. We also drove through some beautiful mountains to get here and Ladybug was in awe of them. It is so neat to see things through fresh eyes. Our children can remind us to appreciate the things we almost take for granted, yet it is all so new and wonderful to them. I like that. I look forward to re-visiting all of the things on this trip that I have seen before, but (some of) the kids are experiencing for the first time...like the zoo, the Story City Carousel, AND their Grandma J..

Here are the picures from yesterday.

Charleston, WV...note the dome is painted gold. It's very pretty.

Frankfort, KY...the view from our hotel room.

Milo the Mouse visits our old neighborhood.

That's it for now. Today is the rest of the way to Missouri, and tomorrow we plan to visit my aunt, her hubby, and my 92 year old grandma (dad's mom).

Check back for more adventures with Milo!

Blessings to you and yours,

Heather