We spent Friday and Saturday traveling to Springfield and Champaign, Illinois. It was a packed 38.5 hours from 11am on Friday when we left Louisville till the time we arrived home at 1:30am on Saturday night (Sunday morning for those of you who are concerned about precision). Gabe was a showing some signs of being a little bit under the weather before we even left, so I packed the Ibuprofen and Olbas Oil.
When we set out, Ladan asked for a cookie randomly. I told him he could probably have one when we got to Illinois. On the way, we stopped at Old McDonald's (that's what Ladan calls it) in Danville, Illinois and got some chicken nuggets for the boys. Danville is just inside the state, so we had just told Ladan we had entered Illinois. When we were pulling out of the parking lot, Ladan said in distress, "Oh, no! We almost forgot to eat a cookie in Illinois!" We had to explain that Illinois is a big place and that we'd be in it for another whole day. Whew! He felt so much better.
The boys didn't sleep at all on the way. Nice. We got to Springfield at about 4:30, settled into our hotel room, and met up with Chet's old youth pastor, Ed Ingram, and his family. We went to dinner at a place called the Pizza Machine. It's something like three stories, but you can see each of the levels from one side of the restaurant. There are all kinds of crazy things to watch and do in the place. They hold birthday parties on the lower level, which you can see from any spot in the place. They make a 40- or 60-inch pizza, put it on a massive pan, and lower it with a chain and pulley system from the ceiling above the third level. Crazy! Needless to say, the boys were a little bit overwhelmed to start. It really wasn't until about 20 minutes before we left that they even broke in and wanted to play with things.
Gabe had a horrible time falling asleep and even woke up in the middle of the night. Not normal for him. We had to have the boys ready by about 7:45 so they could go to Kevin Ingram's soccer game. I was not optimistic that they would do very well. They're used to having 12 hours of sleep at night and at least 2.5 hours of rest/nap time in the afternoon. They had missed their nap on Friday and only had a maximum of 9 hours of sleep that night. And Gabe was definitely getting sick.
The Ingrams kept the boys for about 6 hours, and when we met up with them again, the boys had been really good! They had eaten well, obeyed, and had a great time! The Lord provides just what we need when we need it. Gabe was in pretty bad shape at this point, though. He was hardly talking (a sure sign he's not well), had a fever, and was coughing.
We popped the boys in the car and headed off for Champaign. They each slept for about 45 minutes in the car. Hardly a full nap, but at least enough to hopefully sustain them. We met up with our new friend, Jim, in Champaign. He hopped in our car and showed us all around the city. It was awesome! Pretty much like Columbia, only a little bit more of everything. The campus is a little bit bigger. The downtown area is a little bit bigger. The city is a little bit bigger. However, it pretty much has exactly the same feel to it. I guess the only difference is that there probably weren't nearly as many wooded or road walking/bike trails in Champaign, but they had more large parks than Columbia. Nevertheless, it was just our speed... pretty much everything we love about College Town, USA. We had never been there before, so it was definitely fun to see it.
We ate dinner with Jim and his wife. Throughout dinner, I'm pretty sure that Gabe didn't say even two words and ate only his applesauce. Ladan, on the other hand, was shockingly social. He was talking and playing with the kids in the booth behind us. He laughed and joked with Jim. He even ate all his food, including some appetizers. All of this on very little sleep is really great for him!
After dinner, we got back in the car and headed for home. We stopped for some $2.23 gasoline outside of Indianapolis, but other than that, we just kept moving. We were SO TIRED! The boys slept most of the way, and Chet and I wanted to sleep most of the way. I was trying to stay awake just to keep Chet awake. Let's just say that it was a good thing he was driving, because I would have sent us off the road.
We got home at 1:30, unloaded the van, and got ready for bed. By this time, Gabe's temperature was 103.4. I gave him some Ibuprofen, put some Olbas Oil on his shirt, and Chet turned on the humidifier. He was so happy to be in his own bed. He just quietly smiled when I laid him down and went to sleep immediately. He slept until 1:30 on Sunday afternoon.
When I went in to get him, I opened the door and was surprised to see that it appeared as though he was in concert! Chet hadn't paid too much attention to the setting on the humidifier, but it turns out that it was putting out so much mist that all I could see was Gabe's head popping out over the top of all the fog. It literally looked like those fog machines people use in concerts/plays. It was hilarious! Everything was damp, but I noticed that the curtains had been pretty nicely steamed. Definitely a benefit. (Note to self--never iron curtains again... just turn the humidifier on high output and shut the door!) Gabe felt so much better that he was eating, playing and chatting like normal. We determined that Olbas Oil and the humidifier on "concert setting" can possibly cure most anything!
In reality, Gabe's still got a cough and is pretty hoarse, but he's on the mend. It's actually been kind of nice to have him want me to hold him so much. He's not overly demanding, but he comes up and wants to sit in my lap while I type on the computer... and he doesn't even feel the urge to punch all the keys and wreck what I'm doing. He's just been sitting here pointing at all the letters on the keyboard and whispering what he sees. I can handle that. Last night we were watching baseball, and he was just chillin' on my lap with his little hand on my arm. I'll take it while I can get it. In no time he'll be too big to sit on my lap, and probably even sooner than that, he won't want to.
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Monday, October 27, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Good Friends, Good Times!
Chet and I went to Atlanta over the weekend for our friend Kyle's wedding. Chet mentored Kyle when Kyle was in college, and Gabe's middle name is Kyle after this same fellow. We absolutely LOVE Kyle... seriously... intensely... like he's our brother. He's one of those people who is so close to our hearts that we agreed a long time ago we'd travel just about any distance to see him get married. WE LOVE KYLE! So we drove to Atlanta for his wedding. Kyle actually lives in Houston, so the drive to Atlanta was practically a hop, skip, and jump down the highway!
It would not have worked well for the boys to go along, so the Bloom and Murray families were so gracious to split the weekend and care for them while we were gone. What a treat! Ladan got to play in three different basements! He loves basements (and even prayed last night thanking God that his next house will have a basement... we'll see if he's right when we even think about moving). Oh, they had so much fun, and we didn't have to worry for a second about whether or not they would be okay. We are so blessed to have so many families in our church that literally feel like our own family!
Anyway, we showed up for the rehearsal a little bit late because we hit rush hour traffic coming into town. We arrived and changed at the church. I'm so thankful that I did my make-up and curled my hair in the car on the way! Yes, indeed, I did say I curled my hair in the car while we were driving. I didn't burn myself or anything else even a single time. It was great! When we were all ready, we walked into the sanctuary and saw Kyle and Amanda. I seriously had to restrain myself from running to the front of the church and giving Kyle a massive hug... but I held back.
I'll spare you all the details, but throughout the course of the rehearsal dinner, I think we all cried at least once (Chet, Kyle, and I) because we were so happy to see one another. Later that night, I was fairly emotional (Chet won't argue that one bit). Once I got through talking to Chet about all kinds of things, I just couldn't help but bawl my eyes out like a baby because I was so THANKFUL to the Lord for providing the perfect woman for Kyle. Amanda is seriously amazing! They just go together.
I think I got all my tears out on Friday night, but then Chet had to let the waterworks loose on Saturday off and on. He probably cried at least 5 or 6 times that I saw. He was so proud of Kyle and just so overwhelmed with gratitude that the Lord saw fit to put Kyle and Amanda together! Do you know how sometimes you can physically feel your heart almost like it's going to explode right out of your chest? That's how we both felt. What mercy and grace we saw this weekend! And what a joy it was to actually see our dear, dear friend in real life again. It's one thing to hear his deep broadcast-ready voice on the phone, but it's another thing to see his amazing smile and bright eyes in person. And, as if that wasn't enough, he would be a really strong contender for the "Best Hug Giver In the World" contest... if there was such a thing.
Kyle has always amazed us with his keen ability to sense how the Lord is directing him, test it against the Word, repent of sin if necessary, and move forward in faith. He was sitting in our room just a couple of hours before his wedding, and I asked him how he was doing, how the week was, etc. He told us about one of the really important lessons he had learned just that week....
Basically, he felt kind of crumby all week (physically). That on top of all the busyness of preparations and a lack of sleep resulted in him kind of checking out and basically not being mentally present on Thursday. Amanda responded so well to this, but she definitely noticed and asked him about it. After they talked about it for a while, he said he realized that when he checked out, she became paralyzed in a sense. She just didn't know what to do or how to act around him. She didn't want to start telling him what to do and getting frustrated for sure. Even though she did really well, he realized that he has no right to quit leading or being involved just because he's experiencing stress. He was so thankful to the Lord for showing this to him before he got married, even if it was just two days before.
All weekend, we heard over and over from all kinds of people about what a prayer warrior Amanda is. We heard Kyle talk about how she's supported him and prayed that the Lord would direct him in every way with regard to their relationship. We heard her family talk about how they have all been praying since Amanda was tiny that God would send her a godly husband... and about how Kyle is indeed the answer to all their prayers. I don't know about you, but that's really great motivation to be even more diligent in the same way, praying for my boys and their future wives.
Chet read scripture during the wedding and did a really awesome job! He had no microphone, but he projected his voice and read in such a way that even the people in the back of the sanctuary said that they appreciated the power with which he delivered the Word. All kinds of people kept commenting on how he did so well at making the Word come to life. They were right!
We took an extra night to stay and hang out while we could. It was our first getaway in three years (and the last one was only one night). We went to a Braves game, which was fun. We realized that we end up going to a baseball game pretty much every time we go on vacation. I guess that's a fun tradition, and I don't mind keeping it up.
We also spent some time talking about our personal and family goals for the next year. That conversation had its ups and downs for sure, but in the end, I think we're on the same page. If we decided to summarize with a theme (something that my friend, Jessica, is really good at), I think we'd arrive at "teamwork". Because of Chet's school and work schedule, it's really easy for us to get into a groove but end up doing "my thing" or "your thing". The idea is that we will work hard to do the things that we need to do and then make sure that we're asking how everyone else is doing in the quest to accomplish his/her goals. This will allow us to be even better encouragers of one another and to help one another even more. It's an elementary concept, and I'm just going to assume that we're not the only family on the planet that has to be intentional in this way if it's going to actually happen. I think I'll designate a separate post to a list of our goals.
I was kind of on fire all weekend coming up with all sorts of witty things to say (at least I thought they were). One time, I was holding a bag of coffee beans. I smacked Chet on the back with it and told him that I "beaned" him! And as we were driving to Kyle's wedding, there was a neighborhood on the left side of the road with a sign that said, "The opportunity of a lifetime" or something like that. I told Chet that we should tell Kyle we passed by the opportunity of a lifetime to come to his wedding! I forgot about it, and it's probably just as well. Enough of my shenanigans!
I also went to the doctor today and had my follow-up appointment after the lab work I had done about 6 weeks ago. It was very helpful, but I'll write more on that later.
Finally, if you remember, please pray for my brother. He just got back from Sudan again on Saturday, and he's pretty sick. It seems to get worse every time, and they're not exactly sure what the problem is... except that his leg pain is related to his sensory neuropathy and that he is very nauseous for a very long time after he gets home almost every time. Thanks!
It would not have worked well for the boys to go along, so the Bloom and Murray families were so gracious to split the weekend and care for them while we were gone. What a treat! Ladan got to play in three different basements! He loves basements (and even prayed last night thanking God that his next house will have a basement... we'll see if he's right when we even think about moving). Oh, they had so much fun, and we didn't have to worry for a second about whether or not they would be okay. We are so blessed to have so many families in our church that literally feel like our own family!
Anyway, we showed up for the rehearsal a little bit late because we hit rush hour traffic coming into town. We arrived and changed at the church. I'm so thankful that I did my make-up and curled my hair in the car on the way! Yes, indeed, I did say I curled my hair in the car while we were driving. I didn't burn myself or anything else even a single time. It was great! When we were all ready, we walked into the sanctuary and saw Kyle and Amanda. I seriously had to restrain myself from running to the front of the church and giving Kyle a massive hug... but I held back.
I'll spare you all the details, but throughout the course of the rehearsal dinner, I think we all cried at least once (Chet, Kyle, and I) because we were so happy to see one another. Later that night, I was fairly emotional (Chet won't argue that one bit). Once I got through talking to Chet about all kinds of things, I just couldn't help but bawl my eyes out like a baby because I was so THANKFUL to the Lord for providing the perfect woman for Kyle. Amanda is seriously amazing! They just go together.
I think I got all my tears out on Friday night, but then Chet had to let the waterworks loose on Saturday off and on. He probably cried at least 5 or 6 times that I saw. He was so proud of Kyle and just so overwhelmed with gratitude that the Lord saw fit to put Kyle and Amanda together! Do you know how sometimes you can physically feel your heart almost like it's going to explode right out of your chest? That's how we both felt. What mercy and grace we saw this weekend! And what a joy it was to actually see our dear, dear friend in real life again. It's one thing to hear his deep broadcast-ready voice on the phone, but it's another thing to see his amazing smile and bright eyes in person. And, as if that wasn't enough, he would be a really strong contender for the "Best Hug Giver In the World" contest... if there was such a thing.
Kyle has always amazed us with his keen ability to sense how the Lord is directing him, test it against the Word, repent of sin if necessary, and move forward in faith. He was sitting in our room just a couple of hours before his wedding, and I asked him how he was doing, how the week was, etc. He told us about one of the really important lessons he had learned just that week....
Basically, he felt kind of crumby all week (physically). That on top of all the busyness of preparations and a lack of sleep resulted in him kind of checking out and basically not being mentally present on Thursday. Amanda responded so well to this, but she definitely noticed and asked him about it. After they talked about it for a while, he said he realized that when he checked out, she became paralyzed in a sense. She just didn't know what to do or how to act around him. She didn't want to start telling him what to do and getting frustrated for sure. Even though she did really well, he realized that he has no right to quit leading or being involved just because he's experiencing stress. He was so thankful to the Lord for showing this to him before he got married, even if it was just two days before.
All weekend, we heard over and over from all kinds of people about what a prayer warrior Amanda is. We heard Kyle talk about how she's supported him and prayed that the Lord would direct him in every way with regard to their relationship. We heard her family talk about how they have all been praying since Amanda was tiny that God would send her a godly husband... and about how Kyle is indeed the answer to all their prayers. I don't know about you, but that's really great motivation to be even more diligent in the same way, praying for my boys and their future wives.
Chet read scripture during the wedding and did a really awesome job! He had no microphone, but he projected his voice and read in such a way that even the people in the back of the sanctuary said that they appreciated the power with which he delivered the Word. All kinds of people kept commenting on how he did so well at making the Word come to life. They were right!
We took an extra night to stay and hang out while we could. It was our first getaway in three years (and the last one was only one night). We went to a Braves game, which was fun. We realized that we end up going to a baseball game pretty much every time we go on vacation. I guess that's a fun tradition, and I don't mind keeping it up.
We also spent some time talking about our personal and family goals for the next year. That conversation had its ups and downs for sure, but in the end, I think we're on the same page. If we decided to summarize with a theme (something that my friend, Jessica, is really good at), I think we'd arrive at "teamwork". Because of Chet's school and work schedule, it's really easy for us to get into a groove but end up doing "my thing" or "your thing". The idea is that we will work hard to do the things that we need to do and then make sure that we're asking how everyone else is doing in the quest to accomplish his/her goals. This will allow us to be even better encouragers of one another and to help one another even more. It's an elementary concept, and I'm just going to assume that we're not the only family on the planet that has to be intentional in this way if it's going to actually happen. I think I'll designate a separate post to a list of our goals.
I was kind of on fire all weekend coming up with all sorts of witty things to say (at least I thought they were). One time, I was holding a bag of coffee beans. I smacked Chet on the back with it and told him that I "beaned" him! And as we were driving to Kyle's wedding, there was a neighborhood on the left side of the road with a sign that said, "The opportunity of a lifetime" or something like that. I told Chet that we should tell Kyle we passed by the opportunity of a lifetime to come to his wedding! I forgot about it, and it's probably just as well. Enough of my shenanigans!
I also went to the doctor today and had my follow-up appointment after the lab work I had done about 6 weeks ago. It was very helpful, but I'll write more on that later.
Finally, if you remember, please pray for my brother. He just got back from Sudan again on Saturday, and he's pretty sick. It seems to get worse every time, and they're not exactly sure what the problem is... except that his leg pain is related to his sensory neuropathy and that he is very nauseous for a very long time after he gets home almost every time. Thanks!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
A Trip to the Beach and a Near-Death Experience
Do you see that photo at the top of my blog? Well, I got to take the boys there last week, and it was SO FUN! My mom came over a couple of days early, and we all drove up to Grand Haven, MI together. Then my grandparents met us there the next day. They had never met Gabe before, and Ladan and I hadn't seen them in almost two years, so this was a special treat.
This was my first kid-on-the-beach experience, so I wasn't exactly sure what I should do with Gabe. I asked many friends, and none of them had any good advice... except be ready to fish sand out of his mouth if he gets enough that he's choking. It's a good thing I tend to be a little bit laid-back when it comes to my kids encountering germs, because the thought of seagull poop in his mouth might have prevented me from going otherwise.
So, in the interest of your time, I'll get on with the photos, and I'll include a few little stories where necessary....
In case you're a relativist who isn't sure whether or not there's truth in the statement that the earth is round, these first two photos are for you.
The boys had a blast the one day we actually got to play on the beach. It was 80 degrees, there was a calm breeze, and the water was warm enough to get in. Gabe took right to it all. Ladan needed a few minutes to get used the facts that the sand was dirty and that the water might make him wet. He was pretty funny, actually. For the first 30+ minutes, he did things a little differently than most kids. Most kids I know take wet sand up to the dry sand so they can make castles, etc. Ladan, on the other hand, took the dry sand down to the wet sand so as to make it less "muddy". After a good bit of time, however, he did what every kid does and spent about an hour throwing shovels of sand out to the water.
Our beach day was Sunday. Monday was rainy, so we decided to do some swimming in the hotel pool and celebrate our Dutch heritage with a trip to Holland, MI. Ladan promptly found the huge wooden shoes and decided they would serve better as race cars for he and Gabe.
Then Tuesday was ultra-windy. The winds were about 35-40 miles per hour... leading to the crazy-hair photos below. If Gabe had hair, it would have been blowing too! Ladan was very uncomfortable in the wind, so he stayed up closer to the car with Grandma. Gabe accompanied me all the way to the water's edge, which is where I snapped the shot of the two of us.
And these are my grandparents! My Gram will be 80 in the spring, and Ken is something like 83. They're so active and energetic, and they have a BLAST together! Ken has macular degeneration, so he can't see much at all. However, Gabe's big eyes captured his heart. It wasn't long before he was crawling around on the floor with Gabe playing peek-a-boo.
Okay, so here's my mom's favorite part... the horse-riding experience. My Uncle Bob (mom's brother) lives about 20 minutes from Grand Haven, and he invited us to come out to ride his horses. Ladan thought the idea was really great, but these were some big horses, so he decided it wasn't such a great idea anyway. I rode Buddy using the saddle normally fitted for the other horse. After walking into a tree line, nearly falling off the horse MULTIPLE times, and fearing for my life a few more than that, I figured out how to get Buddy to do what I wanted him to do.
I quickly learned from experience that horses get a little bit "fiesty" (as Bob termed it) on cool, breezy days. As soon as the breeze picked up, so did Buddy. I can't even count the number of times I had to slow the silly horse down so I didn't bounce right off the top of him. It wasn't until I dismounted, and my cousin was about to get on that we realized that Buddy's saddle was too loose. It's no wonder I felt a bit insecure! Lesson #1: if you're jumping up onto a horse, and his saddle slides down his side, get back off and tighten it... BEFORE you go for a 3-mile ride! Lesson #2: If you fail to do this, your bottom will likely hurt for a day or two. Lesson #3: It's still pretty fun even if it's a bit scary!
This was my first kid-on-the-beach experience, so I wasn't exactly sure what I should do with Gabe. I asked many friends, and none of them had any good advice... except be ready to fish sand out of his mouth if he gets enough that he's choking. It's a good thing I tend to be a little bit laid-back when it comes to my kids encountering germs, because the thought of seagull poop in his mouth might have prevented me from going otherwise.
So, in the interest of your time, I'll get on with the photos, and I'll include a few little stories where necessary....
In case you're a relativist who isn't sure whether or not there's truth in the statement that the earth is round, these first two photos are for you.
The boys had a blast the one day we actually got to play on the beach. It was 80 degrees, there was a calm breeze, and the water was warm enough to get in. Gabe took right to it all. Ladan needed a few minutes to get used the facts that the sand was dirty and that the water might make him wet. He was pretty funny, actually. For the first 30+ minutes, he did things a little differently than most kids. Most kids I know take wet sand up to the dry sand so they can make castles, etc. Ladan, on the other hand, took the dry sand down to the wet sand so as to make it less "muddy". After a good bit of time, however, he did what every kid does and spent about an hour throwing shovels of sand out to the water.
Our beach day was Sunday. Monday was rainy, so we decided to do some swimming in the hotel pool and celebrate our Dutch heritage with a trip to Holland, MI. Ladan promptly found the huge wooden shoes and decided they would serve better as race cars for he and Gabe.
Then Tuesday was ultra-windy. The winds were about 35-40 miles per hour... leading to the crazy-hair photos below. If Gabe had hair, it would have been blowing too! Ladan was very uncomfortable in the wind, so he stayed up closer to the car with Grandma. Gabe accompanied me all the way to the water's edge, which is where I snapped the shot of the two of us.
And these are my grandparents! My Gram will be 80 in the spring, and Ken is something like 83. They're so active and energetic, and they have a BLAST together! Ken has macular degeneration, so he can't see much at all. However, Gabe's big eyes captured his heart. It wasn't long before he was crawling around on the floor with Gabe playing peek-a-boo.
Okay, so here's my mom's favorite part... the horse-riding experience. My Uncle Bob (mom's brother) lives about 20 minutes from Grand Haven, and he invited us to come out to ride his horses. Ladan thought the idea was really great, but these were some big horses, so he decided it wasn't such a great idea anyway. I rode Buddy using the saddle normally fitted for the other horse. After walking into a tree line, nearly falling off the horse MULTIPLE times, and fearing for my life a few more than that, I figured out how to get Buddy to do what I wanted him to do.
I quickly learned from experience that horses get a little bit "fiesty" (as Bob termed it) on cool, breezy days. As soon as the breeze picked up, so did Buddy. I can't even count the number of times I had to slow the silly horse down so I didn't bounce right off the top of him. It wasn't until I dismounted, and my cousin was about to get on that we realized that Buddy's saddle was too loose. It's no wonder I felt a bit insecure! Lesson #1: if you're jumping up onto a horse, and his saddle slides down his side, get back off and tighten it... BEFORE you go for a 3-mile ride! Lesson #2: If you fail to do this, your bottom will likely hurt for a day or two. Lesson #3: It's still pretty fun even if it's a bit scary!
Gabe decided he would go ahead and attempt to ride with Bob. He was right at home, and Bob was having a great time! Ladan was content to pet the horses, which is just fine with me.
And here are a few photos of the lake (Lake Michigan, in case you're not sure). The wind prevented us from hanging out on the beach, but it made some really great waves! There is no doubt that the LORD is an all-powerful Creator! Just look at his handiwork!
And, finally, does anyone with loads of random knowledge happen to have figured out why seagulls stand perfectly still staring in exactly the same direction at a time of high winds and possible rain? I'm assuming it's to streamline their bodies and make it a little bit easier to stand on their tiny little feet. But if there's a better or more complete explanation, please comment.
And here are a few photos of the lake (Lake Michigan, in case you're not sure). The wind prevented us from hanging out on the beach, but it made some really great waves! There is no doubt that the LORD is an all-powerful Creator! Just look at his handiwork!
And, finally, does anyone with loads of random knowledge happen to have figured out why seagulls stand perfectly still staring in exactly the same direction at a time of high winds and possible rain? I'm assuming it's to streamline their bodies and make it a little bit easier to stand on their tiny little feet. But if there's a better or more complete explanation, please comment.
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