Epic Newton Vacation

We realized a long-time dream this summer by renting an RV and taking the family on a fun-filled trip around the West. We mapped out the trip and reserved our rig and campsites early and then had to spend nearly the whole summer waiting for the time to arrive. The preparations included baking up some recipes from my childhood. Camping for me, come to find out, is quite nostalgic. It wasn't until the planning of this trip that I remembered all the summers spent at Moose Meadow with my family growing up. Mini golf, reading books, eating blueberry buckle and of course, chocolate camp cake.

Every good memory should include food.


Day One

We hit the road by 5am so as to make it to "the Dakotas largest indoor water park" by early afternoon. We made great time and logged over 450 miles by 1pm. The water park was a tad smaller than anticipated but turned out to be the perfect way to shake off the long day of driving.





Jake was the master.

Ben's back took quite a beating.


Dave earns Ben's respect here.


Rachel is fearless.


Everyone LOVED RVing on Day 1. Especially Rachel. Rounds of Monopoly, Life and Candy Land were had in earnest. No TV or movies for us on Day 1. We ate at Outback (which our kids insisted was a first) and hit the local WalMart for some supplies. Boy did we feel welcome there. Those were our people for the next week...


Day Two



A rental car from the campsite was in order to see Mt Rushmore and Bear Country, USA. We loved the Palmer Gulch KOA and would like to go back for a full week.


Here we are loaded in the car, but wait where's Dave?

Oh, there he is. While we're all ready to go he's got his own agenda...can I say, "like father, like son"?



Mt. Rushmore was Jake's favorite part of the trip. Very impressive and majestic.




At this point in the trip, Dave spent a lot of time carrying Rachel around. Note for what happens later.


Bear Country, USA has more than just bears!



For obvious reasons you are not allowed to open car windows or doors in the park. Unfortunately, our rental car had the air conditioner break and started to overheat while we were trapped in a HUGE line of cars. It reached scorching temperatures in the car while the bears got up close and personal. I think they could smell us cooking. It was a bit scary because it was so hot. Rachel looked like she might pass out. All's well that ends well, so I'll say it was neat and worth doing.



Dinner was cooked over a wood fire and finished with s'mores. A trip back to Mt. Rushmore for the lighting ceremony was well worth it.

This man is not afraid to get messy. You should see him eat ribs! (Or maybe you shouldn't.)


Day Three

By now we were feeling in the swing of things as RVers so we joined our "friends" for pancake breakfast at the chuck wagon. (I actually did make a couple friends the night before at the laundry hut. RV tip: Don't wait to do laundry too late in the evening, it gets cRaZY.)



Here Rachel is combing her hair with a "dinglehopper". Of course she used the one with syrup on it...good times without a bathtub in sight. Luckily they all hit the pool before we pulled out of town.

We spent the day driving nearly 400 miles to Cody, WY. It took longer than expected so we didn't make the gunslingers show. Bummer. We hit some fierce storms along the way with torrential rain and violent wind gusts. Dave managed it all beautifully but was exhausted by the time we arrived. The kids only watched one movie the whole day! We watch more in my van driving around town than we did in the RV. Ben rode his bike around the campground a bit until he busted his rear derailleur. Dave thought he might be able to fix it but ended up needing to go to a bike store the next morning. Maybe we should have left it broken...


Day Four

We enjoyed FREE pancakes at the Cody KOA and then took an early morning tour to see the wild mustangs. Dave has wanted to do this every time he drives through Wyoming. Very cool. A band of "bachelors" approached our group once we exited the bus and looked like they might charge, but decided we were too weak to worry about after getting a closer look at us. Intense.




The smallest horse in the picture (a black one) is only three days old.




After so many hours of driving in Wyoming it's a surprise to see this landscape. You'd never know it was here without taking a tour.


Ben made a friend and found a lizard. Again, like father, like son.



The kids caught a nap on the way to Yellowstone which was less than 80 miles away. So sweet.
You don't see moments like this at home....the day before, all three were in bed asleep briefly. The memories are piling up and making all the planning and cleaning worth it.


Finally in Yellowstone, we start with some bison.


Followed by some "stinky parts", as Ben likes to call the thermal features.


And even more stink.


Here's where things deviate from the plan in a big way...


Ben gets hurt riding his bike with Jake and Dave near our campsite. He slides out on some loose gravel and his chain ring shoves into his calf. It's deep and there is fat tissue hanging from the bike. They flag down strangers to take them to the nearest clinic (one hour away but still in Yellowstone. That place is BIG!) and send Jake back to the campsite to tell me...I'm totally helpless to do anything really because Dave has the keys to the RV in his pocket. My friendly camp neighbors (who happen to be from Colorado Springs) take me down to the ranger's station to at least call about Ben. I finally get to talk to Dave as they are starting on Ben. Four hours after the whole ordeal began and 10 stitches later, Dave and Ben are delivered back to our RV by exceptionally kind campers who patiently waited the whole time so that they could drive Dave and Ben back "home" when they were done. It restores hope in humankind when there are SO many people who are concerned and generous.

Day Five

Yellowstone Tour: "Circle of Fire" with tour guide, Jared from Massachusetts. Awesome.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone


The tour was amazing but since we had one of these(a lame guy)...Dave had to carry him a whole bunch, which left us with one of these...


Rachel felt incredibly displaced with all the attention Ben was getting and we were lucky to get even one of these...



Old Faithful performed admirably for us and we had a great day seeing nearly every "highlight." We were all exhausted, especially Ben.


Days Six and Seven

Needless to say, I was anxious to head home. It was worrisome and tiring having Ben with some pain and swelling along with the disgruntled "baby princess" (as labeled by Kevin Leman in The Birth Order Book).


We stopped to see the World's Largest Mineral Hot Springs but did not stay to "enjoy" them since it was scorching hot out and Ben was forbidden from such things.

All in all, we only had one terrible campground in Casper, WY and by then we were too tired to care much anyway.

We logged 1723 miles on the RV and a little over 100 on the rental car. The tours we took had to be at least 150 more miles. We spent a LOT of time traveling. Rachel's favorite days were the "RV days"--the endless snacks, board games, and time with her brothers. I would like to rent one again and spend more time in one place. The coast of California or Oregon, maybe? How about Moose Meadow? We'll see. For now I'm thrilled to be home.

Our New Yard

This has been in the works in Dave's mind since we moved in (five years ago) but it was good to sit on it awhile and wait to make sure it all came together, including the vegetable gardens in the backyard.

BEFORE:










AFTER:







So while a landscaping company came to clear out the scrub oak, lay automated sprinklers on both sides of the driveway and down to the gardens, and lay sod, Dave did all the other improvements. He spent one of his weeks off this summer gardening and landscaping every waking moment it seemed. I felt like I had a full-time gardener. He's awesome and now our yard is too. (Don't mention the deer or the bears to him unless you want an earful...He's feeling a bit put out with their presence in his territory.)

Snowy Village

"What's this?" you ask.

It's the memory of April 23, 2010 when I awakened to find snow on the ground and a delay start scheduled by dear D20. No problemo. Let's send it out with a bang...some cakelets and hot chocolate for what is likely our last "late start" of the year.

That is until D20 decided to update with a full blown snow day. My celebratory disposition changed and I had to try hard to keep from crying. Why, oh why, a canceled day?!

The snow was completely melted by 11am. That's springtime in the Rockies for you...June 2nd here we come. Ready or not.

911 Fail

So, 17 More Years?

Dave had to be at seminary today at 5:30am to cook breakfast. The school year is finally winding up (though only the seniors will be done May 14th and everyone else will go until June 2nd, including Dave and his remaining seminary students) and so they are doing some celebrating. Too bad it had to be on our anniversary...but we've been married long enough to realize that life just marches on regardless of the milestones that come along the way.

I got up to talk to Dave before he left (about mundane "housekeeping" stuff that has to be discussed to keep everything running smoothly) and as he was leaving he said, "So, 17 more years?" What a guy! We're supposed to be in this for eternity but I think another 17 year commitment will do for now.

He also reminded me that in 13 years all the kids will be out of the house. That wasn't such a nice thing to tell me. It's freaking me out a little how fast things go. But that's a post for another day...

For now, let me celebrate the fact that I married the perfect guy for me. He's not my perfect match on paper. Or maybe the professionals take into account that opposites do attract, I don't know for sure. All I know is that we are like opposite sides of the same coin. Completely different is so many ways--like heads and tails--and yet perfect together because we hold the same value.

How else could we manage the good cop/bad cop gig all the time or family vacations (and life for that matter) filled with spontaneity and a schedule? There are so many ways we compliment each other that it thrills me that we both committed to the LONG haul with three terrific kids and nothing but eternity ahead (and a LOT of negotiations).

Love you, David. Looking forward to the next 17 years... ;)

A Trendsetter?

Ben likes to think of himself as a trendsetter. What better way to make that true than to cut your hair really short just as spring is coming into its own? Now everyone who is getting a long overdue haircut can be considered "following" the leader. Funny guy.



The funniest thing is that he has been contemplating and planning this change for quite some time, with only the prospect of a super-white forehead holding him back. He found the sunless tanner and decided there was nothing stopping him. He applied it for a few days before the hair appointment and is quite happy with the results.

Like I said, funny guy.

Ben's Big Day

Last Friday Ben finally bought his iPod Touch. He's been saving and earning the privilege for nearly eight months!

He saved up ALL the money for it and then had to read to Rachel, read by himself, and keep his room clean for 50 days. That's a lot to ask of one excruciatingly active 10 year old, but he did it.

We're so happy and proud.

To add to our pleasure is the fact that Jake walked home from school one day in March as the proud owner of one (he won the grand prize from his school) and Ben was thrilled for him. No temper tantrum or sulking about that life is not fair (which clearly it is not) but simply JOY for Jake's good fortune. What a guy.

We love you, Ben.

(Now if he can just love it and appreciate it as much as he hoped to...it could be tough to live up to the expectations...)

This House Has Soul

"A home without books is a body without soul." --Cicero

I have a 2010 calendar book by Mary Engelbreit that includes a quote each week, mostly about homes and family life. I really like this quote because I love books so much and imagine I will always collect children's books.

Here are some pictures of our new library (which is only six months or so in the making and more than four years in the planning)...



If I were choosing everything myself, we would have the smaller iMac. But alas it's all about compromises. And apparently feeling like I could run the world from my very own desk.



This is the wall that used to have Rachel's bed against it.



This is the nook where Rachel's makeshift closet lived. We're waiting for a giant chalkboard to arrive for the wall.



After the quartz countertop was installed in the corner we decided we needed the same for our inexpensive (aka: ugly) desk from AFW. It's perfect for the desk and really ties everything together. Jake's handy work in woods class brings us this beautiful pen holder. Thanks, Jake!

It's thrilling to have it done and to feel like this house really reflects some of me now.


We had wood floors put in here too and the rest of the wood refinished to match. I love them. Much less shiny and yellow. Did I mention that it's great to be done?!

It's obvious we have books! Come on over and borrow one.

P.S. -- The "cabinet lady" coined it the "library" instead of office. I like it even though it's a bit pretentious. I don't think I'm very pretentious otherwise so I'm going to chance it and call it my library. So there.

P.P.S. -- Don't comment if you disagree and think I am pretentious. I don't want to hear it.