It's Monday and I'm finally back to blogging. It's been a long weekend and I'm finally catching up on everything.
Oklahoma was O.K. I know, bad pun. It wasn't our favorite stop on the Road Trip. There wasn't much that we could afford to do that was fun for the kids, so we just swam. Micah was not in the mood to swim, so we went to the gym at the resort. After that we went to the rec room and did a bit of pool and table tennis.
My mom and I repacked the car. We were too tired and rushed when we left Albuquerque, so we basically had shoved everything in the car covered in sand besides the things that went in the wash. Mom and I felt it necessary to redo it all where we were comfortable.
The beds were awesome.
The road to Nashville was long, but it was comfy again. We stayed at a cheap hotel there. It wasn't much, but it was a bed. The first night it was 3 to each of the 2 beds. That didn't work out so well. Micah doesn't share a bed well. I decided that we should bring up one of the air mattresses so he could have his own bed for the following night.
Friday night I had the beginning of my Clever Container conference, but during the day I had time to kick around Nashville with the kids. We ended up going to the Frist. It's an art museum that is a ton of fun for the kids. They have an area for the kids to explore and do their own art. They had a blast. If you are ever in Nashville with kids, you should go.
After the Frist, we went to a park, had lunch, then went back to the hotel so I could get ready for my conference.
My conference was at the Gaylord Opryland. That place is huge. It's pretty much an indoor city.
I got there and was totally lost. I had no idea where to go. Most of the other attendees were staying there, but I didn't want to do that with the kids...and it was incredibly out of our budget price range.
So I got to the hotel and parked in the wrong place, so it didn't matter that I was there 20 minutes early, I was still 15 minutes late. I walked and walked and asked people and walked and walked. I finally saw someone with the Clever Container WonderFull bag. Clever Container! She directed me to the place where everyone was. I finally met some of the awesome people I work with. It was so cool to see some faces in person that I only meet online. We did the meet and greet thing there then went to one of the many bars in the resort and had a drink. My virgin margarita wasn't what I expected, but it was okay. Mostly I had fun and got to know some of the ladies on my team, and that was great.
The next day was more conference. I loved being in a room with the people who started and are growing Clever Container. I got to meet the people that I only speak to on the phone when I have a problem or question. It was great to meet everyone in person.
I also got a sneak peek at the new products that are coming out July 1st, and a bunch of free stuff. Oh, and my favorite part, I found out that we are going to be going on a cruise! I'm so excited to earn my trip!
While I was at the conference, the kids and my mom went to the Adventure Science Center. Becca had a blast on their moon walk thing. My mom has a video of her all strapped in hopping around.
The drive after that was really hard. Becca had to be on Merrit Island, Florida at 8 a.m. and my conference was over at 5 p.m...and we changed time zones. The biggest problem was that Micah didn't sleep much. He woke up every time we tried to stop the car. He didn't like it that we stopped. We had somewhere to be and there was no time to rest, in his opinion. At one point he was screaming and out of control when we went to a rest stop. I took him out of the car when he started to hurt the girls. There we sat on the sidewalk in the middle of the night, waiting out a tantrum. It woke me up enough so I could drive again for a while and allowed my mom to have a nap.
The next morning we got to Teen Missions International's Boot Camp site. Becca was so excited! She ran to go get a wheel barrel to take her stuff to her tent and check in. I followed her around a bit snapping some pictures. Becca seemed a bit apprehensive with the people at first, but another little girl who was already checked in came up to her and asked her what team she was on. The minute she said "Cookie Command" she had her first friend. When it was time for me to go, Becca barely waved at me. That child had no fear.
The rest of us went to our campsite. KOA's Kissimmee Kampground is really nice. Our tent site is right by the bathrooms, the pool, the laundry room, and the fitness center. There is a big tree for shade and lovely grass all around.
Today we woke up after a peaceful night in the tent (hooray!), had some oatmeal, then went on our way. We decided to visit the Wekiwa River. It has a really great place to swim, canoe, and kayak. We ended up just swimming because they didn't have a canoe that would fit all 5 of us, and my mom and I weren't going to get in different canoes with kids.
We had a blast. There was a huge crowd, but it didn't feel overcrowded. For $6 to park, the cost of pb&j for lunch, it was a fun day well spent. We came back and had dinner, then the kids wanted to swim in the pool. It was a fun day.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Road Trip: Albuquerque to Oklahoma
The stay in Albuquerque was interesting. We were awakened at about midnight by
horrible winds trying to pick up the tent.
Micah was not happy. He was
sleeping so beautifully when the side of the tent came down on him from the
wind. He shouted “thank you God for the
wind, it can stop now!” and “turn off the windy-inator please!”
The wind was scaring the kids so bad in the tent that we
took off the top to let the wind flow through.
This worked out well for a while until the sand started flying. We all burrowed in our sleeping bags and
Micah and Zoe decided to cuddle with me.
This made the tent empty on one side, so my mom left the air mattress
and slept on the ground so the side of the tent didn’t fly up.
Ali was a trooper.
She barely woke at all through any of it. She normally puts her covers over her head
when something bothers her anyway. I
told her that she got the sleeper award that night. Becca was up several times going to the
bathroom. She drank a lot of water
because she ended up getting sunburned that day, so she just had to go a lot.
Morning came and we ended up having to go to a Laundromat just
to get all the dirt off of everything before our estimated 11.5 hour drive to
Monkey Island, Oklahoma. We were
frustrated with getting a late start, but we figured that it was worth it,
though it meant that we didn't have dirt piled up in the car the whole time.
As soon as we were on the road, we all felt better. All things considered, we still had a better night's sleep than the previous one. We drove and drove, and the kids were awesome. Micah was super. He slept, which makes anyone a better person. He quietly colored or watched videos or looked at maps for the whole ride. He ran when we stopped, and was generally just awesome. The girls put on movies and shared and the car ride went just as I had originally planned for them to go...except for the traffic.
Who knew that there would be a traffic jam in the middle of nowhere, Oklahoma? The whole highway was shut down for some reason and we were all rerouted to a road that ran alongside it. When we passed by the place where all the police cars were, we could see the whole thing...whatever it was. It looked like a bunch of guys drinking and staring at a bumper...I'm sure it was something different. No one would shut down a major highway (I 40) for a tailgate party, right?
Between all the road construction, the shut down highway, and the laundromat trip, we were running really late getting in. Monkey Island, Oklahoma is really dark at midnight. We didn't get lost, but we didn't know where to go. Fortunately, the resort had a 24 hour phone number to call just in case. We found it, got the kids in the room, and went to bed. This morning we are unpacking the car to pack it all again on Thursday morning when we leave. Today we are going to relax and have some fun.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Road Trip: Home to Albuquerque
Sunday morning we went to church as we normally do. I was so dead tired after packing the car until midnight the night before that I almost decided to skip Sunday School, but I decided against it. I knew if I stayed home I would just be going over all the lists over and over and just work myself into a frenzy instead of getting any rest.
Church was wonderful, as always. Our church had a couple of teams on the move, and Becca was excited to be a part of the send off. As we had planned, Tony went with us to dinner and then I went to pick up mom and we took off.
All was going great during the day. It was amazing to see my kids all getting along. I knew it wouldn't last forever, but we had already established ground rules for everything, so I figured it was fine.
The time came for the kids to go to sleep. We had a car routine ready to establish for bedtime, so we just got it going. Every night, the kids write in their journals about their day, then they listen to a few chapters of an audio book when it gets dark, then it's quiet time and everyone has to rest.
The whole thing worked for about 20 minutes. Micah just didn't really ever settle down. It was so frustrating because we just kept trying to stop and rest for a bit and then Micah would tantrum and tell us that we weren't in Albuquerque yet, so we had to get going. My mom and I got more rest just keeping the car going and listening to him chatter in his sleep than we did when we actually stopped the car. Every time we got gas he was confused and angry because the gas light wasn't on yet (that's about when I normally get gas) and according to him we had somewhere to be.
It was an awful night. The girls were all frustrated because he kept waking them up (except Becca, who could sleep through ANYTHING). We got in to Albuquerque at about 6 am...we were planning on getting in by noon. We went to breakfast while waiting for the KOA to open so we could check in. We were early, but since we weren't picky, we got a spot. We all worked together to set up the tent, then I got the grumpy kids out of my mom's hair by taking them swimming while she took a nap.
I'm so tired. It's been a rotten day because I want a nap. I want to sleep, but I need to relax in quiet first. The kids are all sleeping soundly in the tent. Micah almost fell asleep in his dinner because I kept him up all day so he would sleep tonight for sure. It's going to be an interesting drive tomorrow, all the way to Grand Lake, OK. There we will spend a couple of nights at the Worldmark resort, so we will have a chance to really relax.
This was our rough start for our trip, but I will not be discouraged! God is in control! My plans don't always work out, but everything always works out well.
If you are praying for us (thank you!) please pray for rest tonight and peace in the car tomorrow. Also pray that my power outlet in the back didn't go out all the way (it was being temperamental today) because it's the only source of power for the DVD players to get charged for us during travel. I don't want to have to go buy a converter for another outlet, but I will if it gets crazy.
I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds!
Church was wonderful, as always. Our church had a couple of teams on the move, and Becca was excited to be a part of the send off. As we had planned, Tony went with us to dinner and then I went to pick up mom and we took off.
All was going great during the day. It was amazing to see my kids all getting along. I knew it wouldn't last forever, but we had already established ground rules for everything, so I figured it was fine.
The time came for the kids to go to sleep. We had a car routine ready to establish for bedtime, so we just got it going. Every night, the kids write in their journals about their day, then they listen to a few chapters of an audio book when it gets dark, then it's quiet time and everyone has to rest.
The whole thing worked for about 20 minutes. Micah just didn't really ever settle down. It was so frustrating because we just kept trying to stop and rest for a bit and then Micah would tantrum and tell us that we weren't in Albuquerque yet, so we had to get going. My mom and I got more rest just keeping the car going and listening to him chatter in his sleep than we did when we actually stopped the car. Every time we got gas he was confused and angry because the gas light wasn't on yet (that's about when I normally get gas) and according to him we had somewhere to be.
It was an awful night. The girls were all frustrated because he kept waking them up (except Becca, who could sleep through ANYTHING). We got in to Albuquerque at about 6 am...we were planning on getting in by noon. We went to breakfast while waiting for the KOA to open so we could check in. We were early, but since we weren't picky, we got a spot. We all worked together to set up the tent, then I got the grumpy kids out of my mom's hair by taking them swimming while she took a nap.
I'm so tired. It's been a rotten day because I want a nap. I want to sleep, but I need to relax in quiet first. The kids are all sleeping soundly in the tent. Micah almost fell asleep in his dinner because I kept him up all day so he would sleep tonight for sure. It's going to be an interesting drive tomorrow, all the way to Grand Lake, OK. There we will spend a couple of nights at the Worldmark resort, so we will have a chance to really relax.
This was our rough start for our trip, but I will not be discouraged! God is in control! My plans don't always work out, but everything always works out well.
If you are praying for us (thank you!) please pray for rest tonight and peace in the car tomorrow. Also pray that my power outlet in the back didn't go out all the way (it was being temperamental today) because it's the only source of power for the DVD players to get charged for us during travel. I don't want to have to go buy a converter for another outlet, but I will if it gets crazy.
I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Road Trip: Am I Crazy?
When I explain to people that I'm taking off on a journey across the country with all four of my kids, they ask when the plane leaves. Nobody assumes that I'm going to actually attempt this journey in a car. Their reaction when I tell them that we are driving is usually to look at me like I've completely lost my mind.
When I think back on my childhood, some of my fondest memories were of the trips where my mom shoved all 4 of us in the little white car and took off. We tent camped because it was cheap and easy. I don't remember ever staying in a hotel. We would hike and play in parks. Since we were homeschooled, we never had to wait for summer to come, and we often took these trips while other kids were in school because it was cheaper and less crowded. I shopped at every gift shop in state and national parks in the clearance section to appease the shopping bug that bit me as I got older. Ah, memories.
Why wouldn't I want that for my kids? Just because spending time in a car may be a little difficult doesn't mean that we shouldn't do it!
I must say, my mom didn't have autism and a special diet to cater to, so it was a little easier. Still, I'm stopping in hotels and time shares sometimes to make my life a bit easier. It's give and take. I'm also taking her with me. This is mostly because MS doesn't allow me to travel great distances without a backup plan. I just don't think it would be responsible of me to take off by myself with 4 kids driving across the country in June when it's hot.
I have everything planned. I am all packed. I have all the reservations and I'm feeling good about all of it. We are flexible enough to handle things that change plans and we are prepared for disasters that we pray don't happen. I'm thinking we can handle this.
I still feel kinda crazy. It's a confident crazy, but still pretty crazy.
We'll see how it works out!
When I think back on my childhood, some of my fondest memories were of the trips where my mom shoved all 4 of us in the little white car and took off. We tent camped because it was cheap and easy. I don't remember ever staying in a hotel. We would hike and play in parks. Since we were homeschooled, we never had to wait for summer to come, and we often took these trips while other kids were in school because it was cheaper and less crowded. I shopped at every gift shop in state and national parks in the clearance section to appease the shopping bug that bit me as I got older. Ah, memories.
Why wouldn't I want that for my kids? Just because spending time in a car may be a little difficult doesn't mean that we shouldn't do it!
I must say, my mom didn't have autism and a special diet to cater to, so it was a little easier. Still, I'm stopping in hotels and time shares sometimes to make my life a bit easier. It's give and take. I'm also taking her with me. This is mostly because MS doesn't allow me to travel great distances without a backup plan. I just don't think it would be responsible of me to take off by myself with 4 kids driving across the country in June when it's hot.
I have everything planned. I am all packed. I have all the reservations and I'm feeling good about all of it. We are flexible enough to handle things that change plans and we are prepared for disasters that we pray don't happen. I'm thinking we can handle this.
I still feel kinda crazy. It's a confident crazy, but still pretty crazy.
We'll see how it works out!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Road Trip: The Story of Becca and Why Florida
I have several thoughts going through my head right now and I figured I'd share.
If you haven't read the story of how this whole trip started you can read it here. Anyway, the story I want to tell is about the little girl who started this whole thing. My Becca.
Becca and I have had a roller coaster of a relationship. She has been independent since birth, and I'm pretty sure she wanted to be before that, which is why I was so sick while pregnant with her. Becca and I had a bond that I had to force on her. I breastfed her for a year while she did her best not to touch me more than absolutely necessary.
My oldest daughter was not a defiant baby or toddler. She would obey anyone but challenged her mom. Daddy held the key to her heart and I heard all about it. Mommy was a disaster and couldn't do anything right.
One of my first clues that she was going to be a challenge came at 6 months when she wouldn't calm down until I changed her socks to ones that matched her outfit. I'm dead serious.
Becca was talking quite young. Micah's speech therapy at our house twice a week worked on someone...just not Micah. For her first birthday she explained to us that she would like to have her party at the Ontario Mills Mall and have lunch at the Rainforest Cafe and that everyone was to give her gift cards so she could pick out her own clothes.
If you know Tony and I, you know that we are pretty flexible people. I'm rigid when I feel I have to be, but Tony is the most flexible guy I know. I know that the stubborn stuff from Becca has to come from me. She is determined about absolutely everything. She is also incredibly intelligent. Before Becca came to know Christ personally at 5, her struggle was not with understanding what her decision was, it was with accepting that she couldn't be her own boss anymore. She knew that she had to give up living for herself and live for Christ and she just wasn't sure that she wanted to do that. When I asked her to obey she would say things like, "I don't like God right now, He wants me to obey you." She had to give up control, and that just wasn't something that she liked to do (I know, that sounds rather familiar...she does get control issues from her mom). When she finally let go, the change in her attitude was miraculous. She didn't become the perfect child, but she struggles and tries to persevere when control is the issue. That struggle gives me hope. I watch the Holy Spirit work in her life and I know He is there. It's amazing what God can do with a kid like her.
As Becca began her school career, she saw it as a mission field. She wanted to share Jesus with her friends. It was awesome to see her talk to the other 5 year olds about Christ. Most of the time they didn't understand what she was saying, but she was awfully smart and hadn't figured out that the other kids didn't know some things yet.
Let me back up just a bit...okay, a lot. Tony was 9 years old when he felt that God called him to full time ministry. He didn't know what that looked like at the time, but he knew that God called him. When Tony was a teenager, he did a few mission trips with Teen Missions International. They are an interdenominational, Christ-centered group that takes groups of teens (and really all ages) around the world to spread the Gospel. Since Tony has done the trips before, Teen Missions sends him a brochure every year that tells about the different groups and where they will be going the following year. Becca saw one of these brochures and knew that she had to go...at 6.
Okay, you can read my response in my previous blog about this, but seriously, I'm kind of freaking out. I think the thing that freaked me out the most was that I knew that God wanted me to say yes and let her go. I didn't like that idea.
When the brochure came the next year, Becca asked again. She knew it was something that God wanted her to do. I had to cave. I talked to Tony about it. I told him that I didn't like it that we are sending her so young and his response was "I'm surprised it took us this long to let her go."
So fast forward to Christmas. I sent in the packet and got her registered. She was set to go, but she had to raise some money. This turned out to be a breeze for her. Becca has no problems with fundraising. She took the determination and the ideas that she got from selling Girl Scout Cookies the year before and took off with it. She did cleaning, made cookies to sell, did a Goodwill drive, and just plain asked people for money. When it started to add up she figured that it would be easy for her to come up with the $3000 that it would take to go on the Preteen trips that actually take her out of the country when she is old enough to go (at 10!). Mommy wasn't ready to hear that yet!
So here we are. We leave Sunday on our epic road trip. We drop her off for a week the following Sunday. Am I ready yet? Nope. I'm driving myself nuts with the magnitude of all of this.
Our pastor asked if Becca would share about her mission trip on Sunday in front of the church. This would freak out most kids, but Becca is excited.
See how blessed I am with this girl? I knew from the start with her that she was special...and a handful, but I had no idea what I was really getting into. I'm just glad that God has her in His hands because I can't seem to keep her in mine.
If you haven't read the story of how this whole trip started you can read it here. Anyway, the story I want to tell is about the little girl who started this whole thing. My Becca.
Becca and I have had a roller coaster of a relationship. She has been independent since birth, and I'm pretty sure she wanted to be before that, which is why I was so sick while pregnant with her. Becca and I had a bond that I had to force on her. I breastfed her for a year while she did her best not to touch me more than absolutely necessary.
My oldest daughter was not a defiant baby or toddler. She would obey anyone but challenged her mom. Daddy held the key to her heart and I heard all about it. Mommy was a disaster and couldn't do anything right.
One of my first clues that she was going to be a challenge came at 6 months when she wouldn't calm down until I changed her socks to ones that matched her outfit. I'm dead serious.
Becca was talking quite young. Micah's speech therapy at our house twice a week worked on someone...just not Micah. For her first birthday she explained to us that she would like to have her party at the Ontario Mills Mall and have lunch at the Rainforest Cafe and that everyone was to give her gift cards so she could pick out her own clothes.
If you know Tony and I, you know that we are pretty flexible people. I'm rigid when I feel I have to be, but Tony is the most flexible guy I know. I know that the stubborn stuff from Becca has to come from me. She is determined about absolutely everything. She is also incredibly intelligent. Before Becca came to know Christ personally at 5, her struggle was not with understanding what her decision was, it was with accepting that she couldn't be her own boss anymore. She knew that she had to give up living for herself and live for Christ and she just wasn't sure that she wanted to do that. When I asked her to obey she would say things like, "I don't like God right now, He wants me to obey you." She had to give up control, and that just wasn't something that she liked to do (I know, that sounds rather familiar...she does get control issues from her mom). When she finally let go, the change in her attitude was miraculous. She didn't become the perfect child, but she struggles and tries to persevere when control is the issue. That struggle gives me hope. I watch the Holy Spirit work in her life and I know He is there. It's amazing what God can do with a kid like her.
As Becca began her school career, she saw it as a mission field. She wanted to share Jesus with her friends. It was awesome to see her talk to the other 5 year olds about Christ. Most of the time they didn't understand what she was saying, but she was awfully smart and hadn't figured out that the other kids didn't know some things yet.
Let me back up just a bit...okay, a lot. Tony was 9 years old when he felt that God called him to full time ministry. He didn't know what that looked like at the time, but he knew that God called him. When Tony was a teenager, he did a few mission trips with Teen Missions International. They are an interdenominational, Christ-centered group that takes groups of teens (and really all ages) around the world to spread the Gospel. Since Tony has done the trips before, Teen Missions sends him a brochure every year that tells about the different groups and where they will be going the following year. Becca saw one of these brochures and knew that she had to go...at 6.
Okay, you can read my response in my previous blog about this, but seriously, I'm kind of freaking out. I think the thing that freaked me out the most was that I knew that God wanted me to say yes and let her go. I didn't like that idea.
When the brochure came the next year, Becca asked again. She knew it was something that God wanted her to do. I had to cave. I talked to Tony about it. I told him that I didn't like it that we are sending her so young and his response was "I'm surprised it took us this long to let her go."
So fast forward to Christmas. I sent in the packet and got her registered. She was set to go, but she had to raise some money. This turned out to be a breeze for her. Becca has no problems with fundraising. She took the determination and the ideas that she got from selling Girl Scout Cookies the year before and took off with it. She did cleaning, made cookies to sell, did a Goodwill drive, and just plain asked people for money. When it started to add up she figured that it would be easy for her to come up with the $3000 that it would take to go on the Preteen trips that actually take her out of the country when she is old enough to go (at 10!). Mommy wasn't ready to hear that yet!
So here we are. We leave Sunday on our epic road trip. We drop her off for a week the following Sunday. Am I ready yet? Nope. I'm driving myself nuts with the magnitude of all of this.
Our pastor asked if Becca would share about her mission trip on Sunday in front of the church. This would freak out most kids, but Becca is excited.
See how blessed I am with this girl? I knew from the start with her that she was special...and a handful, but I had no idea what I was really getting into. I'm just glad that God has her in His hands because I can't seem to keep her in mine.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Road Trip Planning: Packing!
I know it's my nerves, but I'm not feeling so hot right now. I really needed to relax, so yesterday that is all the kids and I did. I know, I don't have a whole lot of time for anything like that with my trip beginning in just a few days, but we had to or I just wouldn't survive the week.
Today I'm starting slow, but it's coming. My kids feel the beginning of "crazy mom" coming and are hiding. Micah is in his room relaxing with his DS and the girls are playing in their room.
At this point I'm just doing laundry. Getting things ready to pack all the way is an adventure. The next step will be to do some house cleaning so when everything explodes in my living room so that I can put it all in the right bags I can see everything I need and nothing else. Plus when I'm done packing I'll have a clean house to leave my husband while we are gone...at least it will start clean that way.
My checklists are done, I just have to put everything in the correct bags. It should be a snap if I have everything I need...but it won't be good if I don't. I'm pretty sure I have everything.
Saturday is so busy that I basically need to have everything ready to put in the car. Saturday evening we pack up the car with everything, Sunday morning we go to church then take off on our adventure.
I'm so excited! I'm so scared! I have so much energy that I'm sure that I'm going to be worse than the kids in the car...or I will be so wiped that my mom will have to drive the first leg because I have crashed.
Today I'm starting slow, but it's coming. My kids feel the beginning of "crazy mom" coming and are hiding. Micah is in his room relaxing with his DS and the girls are playing in their room.
At this point I'm just doing laundry. Getting things ready to pack all the way is an adventure. The next step will be to do some house cleaning so when everything explodes in my living room so that I can put it all in the right bags I can see everything I need and nothing else. Plus when I'm done packing I'll have a clean house to leave my husband while we are gone...at least it will start clean that way.
My checklists are done, I just have to put everything in the correct bags. It should be a snap if I have everything I need...but it won't be good if I don't. I'm pretty sure I have everything.
Saturday is so busy that I basically need to have everything ready to put in the car. Saturday evening we pack up the car with everything, Sunday morning we go to church then take off on our adventure.
I'm so excited! I'm so scared! I have so much energy that I'm sure that I'm going to be worse than the kids in the car...or I will be so wiped that my mom will have to drive the first leg because I have crashed.
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