We leave for Kansas in less than two weeks and I have a handfull of things I still want to do, see, or experience here in Louisiana before we say goodbye to one of my favorite states.
I have been SOOOO busy with home school, keeping our house show ready and also finding a home for belongings I don't want to move again that I haven't had time to blog. I still have plenty of awesome pictures and stories from visits with friends and my parents and nephews this summer, as well as just fun things we've done around here. I will get to that when I get to that, I guess. Until then, however, I will trying to be "Gettin'" the following things on my "Get 'er Done List" done:
1. Take the kids and Travis to get a Snoball
2. Visit the Laura Plantation
3. Go on an airboat ride through the swamps
4. Ride the New Orleans trolley through the garden district
5. Go to the beach
6. Go to Grand Isle, the southernmost Louisiana town on the Gulf of Mexico
7. See fiddle-player Amanda Shaw (probably not going to happen in two weeks)
8. Visit the Audubon Insectarium
9. Have Travis take the kids to show us what the barge operation looks like UP CLOSE (hint, hint)
10. Enjoy the wonderful weather every day (which I can do without leaving my yard)
Don't worry, I'll take my camera on our adventures and post about them later. I WILL get all of those fun summer things posted about sometime (and I can't wait to)...but right now I've got to take advantage of the present and write about the past later!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Miss Smarty-Pants!
I am posting this blog for Travis, who is on the road for business at a hotel room in St. Louis tonight. We're missing him, and he's missing us. Jillian did a shockingly good job when presented with some number and shape cards yesterday, and I didn't want Travis to miss the fun. I videoed her doing them for him to see.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Celebrating with Mr. & Mrs. Perry!
We were touched that my good friend Alicia and her new husband Joel invited us to come witness their intimate wedding in Norwood, Colorado on Friday, July 3.
God strategically placed Alicia in my life in Spring 1999, when we met at K-State and participated in K-State's Community Service Program. We were both assigned to a 4-student Community Service team that worked in Halstead, KS, that summer. Alicia first knew me when I was an overly-OCD-type architecture student, and somehow put up with me a whole summer!
Alicia's happy, encouraging attitude was one of the motivators for the most important decision I've made in life, which happened that fall. I asked Jesus to "take the wheel" in my life and realized (among other things) that nurturing relationships with my friends and family were more important than architecture projects! Her sincere heart for a friendship with me and ability to challenge me when I'm wrong spoke volumes to me that summer before. She never preached to me or made me feel silly when I acted silly. She was just a friend who was always there, who happened to already know Jesus. Actually, God planned it that way. God knew He would use her in His plan for my life. Neither of us knew of His plan then, but not even eternity will separate our friendship now!
Alicia and I remained friends through the end of college and through me starting a family and marriage with Travis, while she worked for the K-State recruiting team for a while and then spent several years in traveling ministry. Travis and my kids enjoy Alicia's humor, heart and sincerity just as much as I do, as she always made the effort to visit us when she was back in Kansas for visits when we lived there, too. She has been a part of all of our lives since college! Alicia is one of the few friends I have that I can always identify with, look to for advice, share a laugh, or share a cry...and now she has an awesome husband we will get to know, too!
Joel and Alicia met through mutual friends, and it didn't take them long to know God predestined the two of them for marriage. They had the wedding in Norwood, because that's where Joel grew up with his family. He's an architect in the Kansas City area, where they now live, and he is just as kind and sincere at heart as Alicia. They are totally in love with each other, and just witnessing their vows was such a blessing. God has some major plans for their lives!
I am not going to attempt to describe the beauty of Joel and Alicia's wedding in words. My pictures don't even begin to do that beauty justice, either. There was not a dry eye among Joel and Alicia's friends and family during the touching wedding, but there wasn't a smile missing from any one's face during the fun-filled reception!
We are looking forward to many years-an eternity really-getting to know Joel even more and enjoying he and Alicia's friendship. We love you guys!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Fishing with Friends
Me & Travis with Vince & Julie at the wedding reception.
(Back) Madalynn (8), Alex (10)
(Front) Dawson (4), ???, Justis (7), Haley (7), Lila (5)
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Lila and Dawson (same age) and Alex checking out the lake.
Vince patiently helped Jillian cast her pole (which she had NEVER done before). Thanks, Vince!
It's a small world!
Travis and I have been friends with Vince and Julie since college. We were introduced through mutual friends and we ended up getting to see each other this summer through our other mutual friends' wedding! Travis and I, however, did not know Vince and Julie knew the bride and groom, and vice-verse!
A few months before the wedding, I noticed Julie's e-mail address in an e-mail the bride sent out. I, of course, jotted and e-mail to Julie, excited we both knew the bride and sharing in the joy of the fact that we all knew each other. Of course, missing the wedding of our friends was not an option for either Travis and I or Vince and Julie, so we got to see each other at the wedding. What a wonderful time we had visiting with them.
We know God divinely placed Vince and Julie in our lives in fall of 2000, when we were expecting Madalynn. Our friends, Justin and Gi, knew Vince and Julie and introduced us to them. Not only are Vince and Julie just awesome individuals who love the Lord, God has also taken our two very similar situations and ministered to us through them. Vince and Julie, like Travis and I, met at K-State and expected their first child before they were married. Vince and Julie had been married two years when we met them, and the fact that they visibly loved each other and were lovingly parenting their then two-year-old daughter Alex was, in itself, visible hope that God could make the most of Travis and my unorthodox situation.
God has continued to parallel our families' lives in many ways since we met Vince and Julie. They have four kids, we do too. Julie is a home schooling, stay-at-home mom and wife, and so am I. Vince and Travis are both managers and leaders in their jobs. We found out Vince and Travis were even regional FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) officers together in high school! They didn't know it at the time, but Travis and I realized Vince was one of about 15 students pictured with Travis in their regional FCA high school pic when we ran across the picture in Travis's memory book!
You know how it is with good friends. No matter how long you've been apart, when you meet up again it's just like you pick up right where you left off! For Vince and Julie and Travis and I, it was no exception.
Our children even seemed to know each other, even though none of them (except maybe Alex) are so young they would have no recollection of each other since we've last seen their family. Alex is 10 years old, and she and 8-year-old Madalynn chummed around together. Justis and Haley, both the adventurous types, are both 7 years old. Julie and I remembered Haley being tiny when I saw her at Gi's wedding. It was July 6 and I had Justis July 23...so the two are not too far apart in age, at all! Little Dawson and Lila are both just a few months apart, as well.
Julie and I had a BLAST sitting chatting and having fun at the bride's "personal shower," and the day of the wedding, our two families took a picnic up to a mountain lake and enjoyed some talking and fishing. We chatted so long we were almost late for the wedding, but we got their just in time to get to all share in our friends' wedding TOGETHER, which was so special and fun. Travis and I and Vince and Julie had a blast chatting and watching our kids play together during the reception. We then went back to the hotel, put the kids down, and (I'm sure) annoyed our hotel "neighbors" by sitting in the hallway talking until about 1:30 a.m.!
Sharing about parenting, joys, struggles, hobbies and just what has been going on in our lives was so much fun, refreshing, and encouraging. We are so blessed by them, and hope they are ALWAYS part of ours lives!
Oh, and HAPPY 10TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY this month, Vince and Julie. God has many more years of passion and fun for both of you!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
The 11-Mile Canyon
We picnicked in the beautiful 11-Mile Canyon one day during our Colorado vacation in June.
The 11-mile Canyon is a canyon that is, you guessed it, 11-miles long! The canyon is literally adjacent to the 11-mile Ranch, the development my grandparent's cabin is located in. The 11-mile drive along the washboard dirt road to the end of the canyon is beautiful. A roaring stream runs either side of the road to the canyon's end, where the Eleven mile reservoir dam rises high into the sky. Several crude tunnels (that I'm pretty sure used to be railroad tunnels) are carved over the road along the way. The river that runs alongside the road at the canyon's bottom is rocky and whitewater in most places, but the water is shallow and calm enough in a few places for wading. And wade, we did!
Travis took the oldest three out in the ice-cold water. I wasn't in the mood for having numb feet, so I played lifeguard from the edge and kept a VERY close eye on the kids. More water than usual was being let out of the dam, and the current was more swift than usual. Jillian was unsure about the roaring river at first. She is very cautious anyway, but the huge walls of the canyon and rushing water were very awe-striking and ominous to Jillian until she got warmed up. THEN she cooled her piggies off in the water!
Madalynn fed the chipmunks out of her hand. The rest of the kids tried to hand-feed the chipmunks, but were too fidgety and kept scaring the chipmunks away. I am convinced that someone re-named them chipmunks because they are always looking for potato chips that campers leave behind! So cute, though.
Travis and the kids spent nearly a whole hour wading in the water between the time we were waiting for the charcoals to get hot and then again after lunch. Travis is a mean rock-skipper. The kids were mimicking Travis while he taught them how to find the right skipping rock and the proper throwing technique. Travis skipped several rocks clean across to the other side of the bank before we called it an afternoon.
We left the canyon exhausted, but filled with the joy only nature brings...and sporting suntans!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Pickin' and Sawin': Some SERIOUS Talent!
These two guys, who are part of the Flying W Wranglers old-school cowboy band, thoroughly impressed me with their skills!
They're performing the song, "Orange Blossom Special," which is a classic cowboy song that is sometimes performed as instrumental-only, but also has lyrics. People and groups such as Johnny Cash, The Ghost Riders and Hank Williams, among others, have made the song their own. Their versions are great, but I'd say this fiddler pretty much blows those versions out of the water!
The fiddler is Tony Ludiker, a 5-time National Fiddle Champion. He began playing when he was 10, has been an orchestra maestro, and has won numerous fiddle championships in Washington state (where he grew up) and in the Northwest.
Ron Cook, the guy picking his guitar, is the Flying W Wranglers band leader and CD producer. He began playing instruments when he was 4 years old and has learned many instruments without any formal lessons. Out of the current group of Wranglers, he is the Wrangler who has been a Flying W Wrangler the longest...9 years.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The Flyin' W Ranch
This blog is dedicated to my little romantic cowboy, Dawson. He dreams of the Old West, even though it is long gone. He “knows” the Old West mostly from old cowboy songs and Chris LeDoux and from his favorite western book, Cowboy Charlie.
Dawson, you were all dressed up in your western shirt (complete with cowboy-snap front), your wranglers and cowboy boots when you told me you didn’t think “real cowboys” can sing. You couldn’t stop smiling once you heard the first note. I love hearing the Flyin’ W Wranglers sing year after year, but this year, I had more fun watching you smile more than everything else about our trip there.
Spending a night eating a chuck wagon-style supper and listening to the magical music of the Flying W Wranglers at the Flying W Ranch in Colorado Springs is an activity I look forward to each time I visit the cabin. If I had money to spend on only one activity outside of the cabin each time I visit Colorado, I would choose the Flying W Ranch!
We browsed the fun cowboy and ranch-themed shops, watched a 43-year-old Indian woman do an amazing ring dance, and checked out some western history before eating the HUGE chuck wagon dinner this year. The Ranch serves barbecued beef or chicken, beans, biscuits, applesauce, spice cake a baked potato and coffee or lemonade, all of which is homemade! Yum.
The old-school western music presented by the Flying W Wranglers after supper is what makes the Flyin’ W so special, though. I’ve been going to the Flying W since I was a child, and I recognized the some of the same guys performing year after year. This year, though, there was some new blood, and I only recognized one of the Wranglers. Then again we hadn't been to Colorado since moving to Louisiana. The music was just as great, though. The new fiddle player can FIDDLE!
I can’t help but smile, sing and tap my foot along to the great music. I can't wait to visit again.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Happy 30th Birthday, Baby!
Travis spent his 30th birthday, ironically, preparing for what his heart has desired since we moved to Louisiana...the move back to Kansas!
We literally spent ALL DAY working on getting the house ready for the listing pictures our realtor came and took tonight to post on the Stirling Properties realty website. Seriously. We were down to the wire (which is nothing new for us), so we worked HARD from sun-up to around 6:30 p.m., when the realtor came and took pictures!
How do I know Travis had a good birthday, despite the fact that he didn't even get a piece of his favorite "hairy cake?" I know because, after the realtor left and we were all pretty much speechless and trying to de-stress, Travis had this crazy smile on his face. I was thinking, "What in the world is wrong with my husband? We worked all day, he fielded "happy birthday" phone calls while continuing to work while he talked with his friends and family, and he merely got verbal birthday wishes and homemade cards from all of us this morning. How can he be smiling?"
I couldn't help but ask why in the world he was smiling under such stress.
"Don't get me wrong, he said. This moving stuff is a pain. I am just so glad we get to go back to Kansas, though. It's all worth it."
Perseverance and persistence are only two of the things that make Travis wonderful. I can go on and on about my children and how special they are and how they bring joy to me, but it's no wonder they're so special. Look at their daddy! His humor, diligence, joy, youth and smarts are all evident in the personalities of his own children. My favorite part about Travis, (beyond the fact that he is a blast and is so stinkin' sexy...again, I can say that 'cause I'm his wife) is the fact that he wears his heart on his sleeve and calls it like he sees it. He's genuine. I live with Travis, so I can testify that he genuinely cares about each of you reading this blog. He loyally prays for his friends, family and even his enemies to be blessed! He wonders how people are doing and when he says he's going to do something, he does whatever he can do to sincerely see his commitment through.
I thank God he gave Travis what I couldn't for his birthday...his ticket back to Kansas via a promotion! Now, what I CAN give him is steak, mashed potatoes and gravy and HAIRY CAKE. Travis will be getting his proper birthday party tomorrow!
Madalynn gave Travis a compliment tonight that I thought would be a good note to end this blog on.
Travis was telling me how his college roommate and good friend Aaron called to wish him happy birthday and remind Travis he's looking a little old and decrepit in the recent pictures he's seen of him. I was laughing and Madalynn asked, "What does that, 'decrepit,' mean, anyway?" Travis explained it meant worn out, etc.
"What?!" Madalynn said. "Well, Dad. I think you actually look YOUNGER than you actually are." Travis just smiled a huge smile.
I guess Travis's 30th birthday is a reminder to me that "big" days don't always have to come and go with a lot of fanfare to be special. Travis was able to look past the stress of preparing our house to be on the market and being called old (hehe) to find joy in his 30th birthday. To 30+++++ more years of joy, Travis. We love you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
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