The Oregon Trail

With a lack of babysitting services last weekend (Jordan's Mom had the week off and my Mom was out of town), Jordan and I decided that it would be the perfect time to visit some friends in Oregon.  We packed our bags, cleaned the house, got rid of food in the fridge and got as much stuffed into the car as we possibly could Wednesday night, in anticipation of an early start Thursday.  All was running smoothly - perhaps just a bit too smoothly...  Sure enough, Jordan woke up around 2:30am with a nasty stomach virus.  After several hours of misery, he finally passed out on the couch, and I started unpacking, all while trying to figure out what I was going to make for dinner the next few nights.  Being a die hard Lentz, however, Jordan woke up and rallied himself long enough to finish packing the car and slump into the front seat for the rest of the day.  Which meant that I was driving - a whole lotta fun for me and a whole lotta additional queasiness for Jordan. 

I love road trips, but I especially love road trips out west.  First of all, the scenery is stunning.  Second (and even more amazing) is the utter lack of traffic, which means that it's generally OK to notice the surrounding countryside without worrying about running someone off the road.  (And no, this woman driver has never even come close!)  While south central Washington was a bit monotonous in it's seemingly endless wheat fields, the views got beautiful fast once we hit the Columbia River, and then headed south into Oregon.  And, yes, that's Or-i-gen (not Or-e-gone). 

The kids did great, a marked improvement from the last road trip we took to Wyoming 18 months ago.  Of course, the portable DVD player certainly didn't hurt.  (The BEST $80 we ever spent!)  Thane actually smiled until the last hour of the trip, a major victory for the kid who hates being in his car seat even on our short jaunts into town.

Once in Prineville, OR, we had the most lovely visit with our dear friends, Bob & Judy Blair.  Bob & Judy were neighbors in Colville, and we have missed them terribly since they moved last year.  It's hard to believe that we fit in as many activities as we did in just two short days (fishing, hiking, sightseeing, antiquing, etc., etc.), and that, even more remarkably, we felt so refreshed and relaxed when we left.  (Anyone who knows the Blairs knows that wine time probably helped on that front!)

Overall, the kids were very well behaved, and they enjoyed both the Blairs and their dog Bingo.  The kids were loathe to leave, but I'm pretty sure that poor Bingo breathed a huge sigh of relief when we rolled out of the driveway!

We're Floored

The downstairs floors at our house are made of concrete.  First we scored the concrete to look like tiles, then we subsequently hand-stained and sealed them.  We really like the look, but we've become increasingly dissatisfied as dirt and food have collected in the deep grooves around each "tile," and our floor now looks habitually dirty.  While we fully intended to fill the grooves with grout shortly after we moved in (over 3 years ago), time has gotten the best of us.  The rather dismal state of our floors has become all too apparent in the spring sunlight, so fixing them has become our latest project.

Before:


During:

 After:

We also took this opportunity to re-seal and then poly the floor to give it a nice sheen.  I LOVE it, and it sure is easier to clean.  I might just want to vacuum and mop a little more...  Or not.

Easter Wishes

Being true blue (or is that green?) country kids, Easter is probably the one day that my kids get dressed up and stay so for the day.  (Note that I did NOT say that they stay clean...)  Annabel, who very much enjoys wearing dresses, is delighted with this arrangement.  And Thane?  Not so much.

Annabel started the holiday at church with her grandparents.  She just loves Sunday School, not to mention her special time with Grandma!

After church, we drove to Jordan's folks for his family's annual Easter egg hunt and dinner.  These eggs are filled with candy AND cold, hard cash, so competition at this particular event can be fierce.  Thane rose to the occasion, and he walked away with the most eggs and the lucky egg with the $5 bill.  I believe that officially makes him the richest member of our household! 

Another highlight of the day was an opportunity for the kids to play with the lambs in the barnyard.  Gunnar and Annabel were especially  enamored with these playful little guys, while Thane chose to stand back at a safe distance.  Interacting with live lambs made for some interesting conversation with Annabel about the true meaning of Easter, too.

Bailey, of course, is a bit too young to enjoy the festivities this year.  No matter, as she seemed perfectly content (and cute as can be!) in her Mamma's arms.  Happy Easter!

Passing the Time

The kids continue to grow like weeds, and they are anxiously awaiting fairer weather so they can get a hefty dose of vitamin D.  In the meantime, one of the kids' favorite indoor activities  is to play dress up.  Below is an outfit that Annabel concocted one recent morning.  When asked where she was going, Annabel informed us that she was going to work for her Daddy at his business (Heirloom Construction).  When asked if she really wanted to work with her Dad, her reply was an enthusiastic "Yes, Mommy, I want to work at Heirloom Destruction."  Don't worry sweetheart, you already do.  And guess what?  You've been nominated for Employee of the Month!

 

We did enjoy a brief respite from the frigid weather late last week, and Annabel spent part of her time outside playing with Angus, who seemed equally as happy to be in the warm sunshine for a change.

Thane, especially, takes advantage of any opportunity to be in the fresh air (cold or warm), usually because that's where we most often find Jordan.  From working with tools to feeding animals, from cleaning up messes to smoking a pipe - if Daddy is doing it, Thane wants in!

As with most toddlers, Thane also has an intense desire to help out whenever he can.  "Helpo?" is a word that we hear a lot when Thane is around.  Here is a picture of him rolling out pasta dough for the homemade ravioli we made with Jordan's mom last week:  

 For once, Thane was actually a big help!

Don't Miss Out

Jordan and I took the kids for a walk after dinner several nights ago.  There was a storm brewing, and the comfortable weather we enjoyed on the first part of our journey quickly turned cold as frigid, moist air moved our way.  The kids were definitely not excited about braving the elements, and we turned back toward the house sooner than we would have liked.  Suddenly, there was a break in the clouds to the west of us, and the sun peaked through for the first time in days.  The sun's golden rays graced the bottom of nearby Mt. Dominion, while the top of its peaks remained obscured by thick snowfall.  Even the kids realized that this was a special sight, and it was almost like God was sending us a little extra blessing as the slightest of rainbows began to appear on the horizon.  We all stood transfixed for several moments before it occurred to me that this was a sight that needed to be captured on film.  So off I ran to the house, over 1/4 mile away, racing the setting sun, the shifting clouds and the imminent snowfall - all in an attempt TO DO something with this perfect moment.  Sensibly, Jordan and the kids stayed where they were and thoroughly enjoyed this majestic sight as it unfolded before them.  I, on the other hand, missed my proverbial window of opportunity, as the sky grew dull and gray shortly before I was able to fetch my camera.

A thought popped into my head as I disappointedly walked back to my family:  How often in my quest to not miss out in life have I actually, well, missed out?  I've been reading a great book about how kids in these schedule-driven times are so busy DOING that they lack sufficient opportunity TO BE.  While it is crucial for children to have unstructured time to play and BE, I'm beginning to realize how important it is for us, too, to step back and savor the moments as they come.  It's so easy in our modern age to become preoccupied with the pursuit of the next best thing, while, in reality, some of the most gratifying and special moments of our lives are right in front of us in the form of those early flowers popping through the last of winter's snow, a comforting hug or the infectious joy in a child's smile.  How often have I robbed myself of the very things that bring real joy in an effort to experience or have something "better"?  After all, isn't it the accumulation of these ordinary, but precious, moments that make a truly satisfying life?  I suppose this is just another aspect of learning to be content in all things, a tough lesson in our market-driven, trend-following world.

The photo above was taken a half hour after we returned home from our walk.  No, it isn't a stellar, award worthy shot, but seeing the moon through a break in our seemingly ever-present clouds was a view that I was beginning to understand was too good to pass up.

Hiking with Friends

Our friends Tom and Becky came to town for a brief visit, and we all decided to run up to the cabin for the day.  The weather cooperated, and it even warmed up to the high 50's by late afternoon.  While Tom & Jordan checked out the cabin from across the pond... 

 ...Becky took a few minutes with the kids to explore life under the icy pond.  They were enthralled!

Later, Thane did his best to enjoy a somewhat limited view from the porch, where piles of snow are stubbornly refusing to melt in the high altitude chill.

Thankfully, the snow has melted down by the river, and the views on our hike back down were amazing:

 

The last part of our perilous journey down the steep hillside was spent in an ATV, where Annabel would only let go of the sides long enough to fold her white knuckled hands and say a quick prayer for our safe return!