BAA: Day 2: Our Two Year Old Hikes Giant Mountain

It rained, and it rained and it rained . . . At least until after lunch!

We ate breakfast, lazed around reading (or in my case writing) and making sure the kids didn’t injury someone with the pool balls. By the time the rain stopped after lunch, we all had cases of Cabin Fever. Mom had spent the morning looking up various, children (aka—easy) friendly hikes. My sister and her family opted out of hiking, they arrived late the night before and needed to buy some groceries.

We left Grandma to hold down the fort and headed off. Our destination: Owl Head, listed as a children friendly hike. We piled into the van and my parent’s car. After several cell calls and many turns, we decided the map was not very accurate. Owl Head was not to be found and conquered this day.

Dad stopped at a random trail – Rooster Comb. It looked promising. The trail map showed various length hikes. Bug spray applied, we headed off. Only to be thwarted by 4 inches of walk covering the first 500 feet or so.

Back to the car we went to tackle the next trail, Giant Mountain. Again, the map showed various levels of difficulty. The simplest trail led down along the river, very flat. Overly confident, I pointed everyone up the waterfall view trail, about a mile long. The three older kids ran ahead with Mom and Dad. The littlest chugged along on her short legs, but was unable to keep up. Matt walked with her, while I tried to keep the rest of the group in sight.

Alas, we lost them about half-way up. Knowing my parents are experienced hikers (and it’s rare for Dad to get lost anywhere), we trusted we would find them waiting at the waterfall. Our 2yo chugged her way up over rocks, stream beds and squelched through mud. All the while, the waterfall roared louder and louder. A flat, tree filled, area greeted us near the top of the waterfall. No sign, or sound, of my parents and three older children.

Various paths lead from the flat area to views of the waterfall. Matt looked down a couple until he found the one that lead to the very top of the falls. No sign of the rest of our little group. Only one trail branched off from where we were -- a 2.6 mile hike to the top of the mountain. We doubted my parents would take the kids up there, but we weren’t sure where they could be. With the 2yo gamely tagging along, we started up and we started praying. And up it was, straight up.

Fortunately the mud consistency led it to be wet enough for footprints, but firm enough to leave a good imprint. Unfortunately, neither Matt nor I can read tracks. In full fledged panic, my prayers turned into a chant of ‘Help, help, help.’

After 15 minutes we stopped. Pushing my anxiety into the back of my mind, Matt and I discussed it logically. We did not believe my parents would ever take the kids on a trail so steep. So, off we set, back down Giant Mountain, with the 2yo now being carried by her Daddy.

Unknown to us, my parents were going through a similar experience. They also thought we should have met up near the waterfall. When we did not appear, they assumed the Little One had grown tired and we took her down. No cell service equaled no communications. (Note to self – Bring walkie-talkie’s next time!) The set off back down the trail and walked the path along the river to the base of the falls. Not finding us there they headed back to the cars to see if we were there.

After what seemed like days, Matt, I and our sleepy 2yo emerged from the wilderness. The three older kids very excited and Mom and Dad relieved we were not lost. Still unable to to think in complete sentences, never the less I praised and thank God for keeping my family safe.

Meanwhile, Grandma spent and uneventful, quiet day at the house. My sister and her husband also had a nice afternoon shopping and looking at where my brother-in-law used to live.

The Good, The Bad and The GPS - Day 1 of the Benson Adirondack Adventures!

This year's family vacation fell to my family. While vacations with Matt's family are peaceful and uneventful, the same cannot be said of going on vacation with mine. Benson Adventures are the norm for us. We've camped through hurricane landfalls, found the literal end of the highway and visited many emergency rooms across the country. One thing that always happens on vacation with my family (actually my parents, since this doesn't happen to my siblings or I on vacations without my parents!) - rain. Not just a little rain, but often raining more than half of the vacation. We've been to places in the midst of droughts. People praying for rain. We show up for vacation and it rains and rains. We leave and their drought conditions return. My parents should sell their services!

Despite the threat of rain, we headed off to the Benson Adirondack Adventure (or BAA)! The drive out was disarmingly uneventful, including the expected rain. Our four little ones rode happily and uncomplaining the whole way. The mountains beautiful, the road wending its way between them, awed our children who had only ever seen hills.

Our GPS, set for the fastest route, provided some amusement as it directed us off the main road at one point and onto ever decreasing sizes of roads. When we hit a one lane road, we joked that the next road would be a deer path. After a few miles though, we turned onto a new main road and continued on our merry way.

We arrived and settled in, the rented “lodge” a little more worn than the pictures on the website. Everyone else loved it. Not so much myself, my gross meter went off due to the fact that the air freshener used in the “lodge” was the same scent the hospital uses to mask unpleasant smells.

The real adventures started the next day.

Preventative Medicine

This past year my four-year-old was finally diagnosed with asthma. Now that asthma is an official diagnosis we can treat her before she contracts pneumonia or bronchitis.

From her first cold at a month old until now, she coughed and wheezed through the winters. Her energy would be low and she spent most of her time lying around. It was hard to watch her go through all the effects of having asthma, especially the pneumonia and subsequent hospitalization.

This past winter she took a preventative medication, twice a day. It works wonderfully! She’s only had 2 colds so far, instead of a constant one, no bronchitis or pneumonia. We’ve only had to use other medication for wheezing a handful of times.

Some people question our use of steroids on such a young child. I simply tell them that the amount of medication she received in the hospital for pneumonia equals a full two years of the home medication. I’d much rather give her mild steroids for 6 months a year than strong ones.

Just like my daughter, we all have a chronic illness – “My Way” (as Frank Sinatra put it). “My Way” takes me through difficult, sometimes horrific times, as I step farther and farther from God’s Way. God then needs to give me serious and powerful medication in order to bring me back to His Way, medication that ranges from a guilty conscious to being broken and sobbing. Treatment s are hard, often painful. It’s not a lot of fun. But God knows it needs to be done - better to remove the cancer, endure a painful recovery and be done with it.

Just like my daughter needs preventative medication for her asthma, I need preventative medication for my own way. Preventative medication such as: reading a verse a day, praying (even short prayers count), spending time worshiping with other Christians, and actively seeking those things that make God happy.

Preventative medicine isn't perfect, not yet. We still live in a sin cursed world. Just like my daughter, from time to time, comes down with the colds, coughs and wheezes, I catch a case of "My Ways." Just like my daughters illnesses no longer escalate into bronchitis or pneumonia, "My Ways" are shorter and I often don't stray as far. As long as I'm keeping up my preventative medications "My Ways" are few and far between (aiming to have them never occur again!).

Not all writing is equal

I recently headed back to college on my way to a master's degree and a nurse practitioner's license. The next couple of years will consist mostly of nursing theory. Fascinating to learn, extremely boring to write about.

Creative writing is a pleasure and a delightful journey, even when it's grueling. Designing a finely tuned phrase, building a new world and questing towards a great ending with your characters make me happy.

Technical writing is the very opposite, at least with one of the classes I had this semester. Read a few research papers and write up my own, not too hard. Excitement abounded, at first, I have read many research papers and technical books that are not boring. Many of them take creative ways of writing and apply them as far as they can to their technical writing. Upon reading through the directions for the papers in this class I found that not only was I to write concisely, but creative phrases were frowned upon. This is not a work of fiction, but non-fiction and styles of fiction would not be tolerated.

Writing became a chore. Just another task to check off my list before fun times could commence. No wonder no one wants to voluntarily read technical material. Yes it needs to be informative in a short period of time, but it can be creative and interesting. Now that spring break is approaching I'm looking forward to more time for creative writing, and being able to use contractions again. On the other side of spring break looms another technical theory course: "Nursing Research."

I would sigh, but I've fooled them. I did use creative techniques in my technical writing. Just a little sprinkled here and there. Wonder if they'll notice?

My Heavenly Bucket List

My heavenly bucket list, those things I want to do when I leave this world to spend eternity with God, my Abba Father. Not a very long list (yet), but I think I’ve covered about a million years. Some items on the list are down right silly and ostentatious, while others are of a more serious nature. While talking with others about this list I’ve been met with both amusement and horror. Inevitably the comment is made, “God doesn’t need you to tell him what you want to do or what you’d like him to do.” Almost as if I was stepping out of line asking God for seemingly frivolous things. Come on, this is Heaven, “won’t it just be one long worship service of songs and sermons?”

I believe God does want us to request things from him, from the frivolous to the humungous. I’m not sure of who told me, but this image has always stuck with me: God waiting expectantly in front of a huge warehouse of magnificent gifts for each of his children. All they have to do is to ask for something so he can bestow gifts upon those he loves. God also commands us to talk to him; we call it prayer here on planet Earth. Besides, what would be the point to creating human beings to interact with if we didn’t communicate back? God wants, craves our attention, and not just about the horrible, big things.

You can agree that when things are horrible or spectacularly good God wants to know about them. Do you believe he also wants to hear the little things, the silly and frivolous things (sometimes they turn out not so small and silly.)? How wonderful it will be to spend eternity with God. I can’t wait to explore everything, met everyone (including all the angels!) and spend my time doing whatever God asks of me.

What’s on My Heavenly Bucket List?

1. Forget flying, I want to instantaneously transport myself everywhere. (I never got the idea of the journey being the fun part.)

2. I want my house to change daily based on my needs of the day. If I’m having a ton of people over – give me a huge ballroom, if I’m entertaining a few people – a cozy tea room, if I’m reading or writing – a quiet library, and if I’m having a backyard BBQ – the biggest backyard ever!

3. I also want to change location often (how else will I meet everyone if I stay in one place!).

4. I’d like to be able to breath underwater and withstand great pressure so I can dive with the wales.

5. I want to sing in the heavenly choir.

6. I want to learn to do and know everything possible (this might take a few million years!).

7. I want to talk with John and understand his special relationship with Jesus.

8. I want to have a time each day to sit and talk with Jesus and God.

9. I’d like to be able to SEE the Holy Spirit.

And the list goes on and on…Forever is a lot of time to fill up.

I don’t know if God will ever fulfill any of these requests. He might ignore each and everyone. That’s ok. He knows me better than I know myself and whatever he chooses will be breathtaking and extravagant! But, some how I think he will.

What’s on your Heavenly Bucket List?

Function Vs. Fashion

Winter blew in, all at once, a few weeks before Christmas this year. Snowing for 8 days in a row. (I think the weatherman should tell us when it won't be snowing.)

All this snow means lots of shoveling, and walking where people haven't bothered to shovel. Boots are extremely helpful this time of year. Although, I've been able to sneak by without them for the past 4-5 years.

This winter, though, I'm not pregnant, breastfeeding, or have an infant in the house. I am free to help shovel and play with the kids outside. (insert sigh here) Needless to say, the sneakers I've been wearing will not do for long periods in the snow.

I finally broke down and purchased a pair of boots. Tall enough for wading through at least a foot of snow, waterproof, and good for temperatures down to minus 5. (I hope not to be out at temperatures colder than that!) They're not exactly the kind of boots I'd normally wear, but by this time in the continuing snow I did not have much choice.

My husband saw me wearing them to go out to shovel. His response, "Going out to cut down some trees? 'I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay.'" (Insert more sarcastic comments on the "fashion" of my boots.)

That's when it hit me. I had purchased a pair of boots without regard to fashion. When did that start? I started thinking...I prefer my mini-van over my husband's sports car. I wear flannel pj's to bed instead of a negligee. (although not a flannel nightie) I like the electric blanket, so I can crawl into a warm bed. The list goes on.

When did I grew so old that I sacrificed function and comfort for fashion? and Does these mean I now have to buy from the woman's clothing section?

I don't feel old. I still think of myself as being in my mid-twenties. (Although it's been a long time since I was mistaken for a high school-er most people I meet think I'm closer to 25 than 40) Now I need to decide, do I continue the downward slid into fashion-less function or do I fight to remain fashionable?

Only time will tell...

The End of An Era

It's finally happening. The thing I have looked forward to for the past seven years! In a few more weeks I will no longer be dropping off or picking up a child from the nursery at church!

A little less than seven years ago, I started dropping my eldest off in the nursery. An exciting rite of passage. It seemed unreal to me. But now, after dropping off one, sometimes two, babies every Sunday morning and evening, I will be done. Yes!

My youngest turned two recently. The age when they are kicked out of the nursery and dropped into the unstableness that is the toddler room. I'm very excited, but it's bittersweet.

No longer do I have to feel trapped by lugging around an infant, one who needs so much time and attention. The cleaning up, the breastfeeding, the explosive diapers, little sleep, introducing solids. But I no longer have that warm little bundle to snuggle with. No one who looks at me and thinks everything I do is wonderful and perfect. No one who looks at me with completely trusting eyes. No one who needs me so completely and wants me so completely.

I will miss the baby stage, it was fun and frustrating. I'm glad it's over, very glad I don't have to go back, but I will always cherish the memories.