The Valley Of Gold

The kids had a long weekend this week.  Add to that a gorgeous fall day and you know what's coming next...yup, a hike.  We trekked out to our favorite local park, Schaar's Bluff.  But this was no ordinary hike.  We knew the leaves would be in full color.  We would all come armed with iPads, cameras and camera phones in hand to capture as much beauty as possible.  My peeps don't like to simply walk through nature, they prefer to have a task such as a scavenger hunt or an end goal.  So in the spirit of not being bored on a hike I gave the kids the assignment of taking photos of any and everything they wanted to and editing it to be as creative as possible.  The name of the game was creativity and thinking outside the box.  They had a full 24 hours to work on their creations and turn them in.  I would in turn put them on my blog.  I just LOVE what they each came up with!  I treasure the chance of seeing the world through their eyes.

Bennett's collage.  

I love that he added text and font.

My favorite photo of Chloe's

Chloe's personal favorite

My second favorite of Chloe's.

I think she's inherited her Daddy's eye for design.

Even though I told the kids to edit their photos,

I didn't.  I don't have as cool of apps.  But I like 

them just the way they are.  This one is looking 

out onto the Mississippi River.

In this photo, the sun rays were shining through 

so beautifully making the yellow glow under the

tree canopy even more brilliant.

This doesn't quite capture the Valley Of Gold but it

comes close.  You walk into this little valley off the 

trail and voila....it's entirely gold above, around,

and beneath you.  It's breath-taking.  Too bad you

can't capture the other beauties of fall like the crunch

of the leaves beneath your feet and the smell of dried 

leaves all around you.  Exhilarating!

The following is Gavin's collection of pictures.   He chose to put them in a video.  The music that so adequately expresses the occasion, was created by him in GarageBand.  This reflects his personality perfectly!

Encompassed By Autumn

What if trees refused to let go of their dying leaves?

Letting go let's us grow.

-Laurie Wallin

How beautifully the leaves grow old,

how full of light and color are their last days.

- John Burroughs

A single sunbeam is enough

to drive away many shadows.

- St. Francis of Assisi

On Being Loved

Chuck was out of town most of last week.   As any single parent already knows, parenting is ten times harder on your own.  Not only do I love Chuck as my husband but we make a great team when it comes to parenting.  He is an awesome Dad!  I couldn't do what I do without him.  Needless to say, when he's out of town, I'm not at my best.  I get tired ten times easier.  I'm not good at carrying all the burdens he normally carries.  I miss him dreadfully.  So do the kids.  We're just not whole.  A noticeable piece is missing.  We all function without that piece, just not optimally.

In steps Bennett to fills Daddy's very big, loving shoes.  By the end of the week he could tell my love tank was on the verge of empty.  So he took it upon himself to fill it.  As he was walking out the door to school one morning he said in passing, "Uh Mom, I left something for you." And then bestowed upon me his cheesy "I'm Up To Something" grin.

He left me the sweetest love notes all around the house.  My heart filled instantly with encouragement and joy.  This is exactly something Chuck would do if he saw I was down - he would find a way to fill me up with love.  I think Victor Hugo sums up my feelings the best:

"The supreme happiness of life

is the conviction that we are loved."

Native American Prayer

A few years ago we went to a festival where we got to meet some Native Americans from the Lakota Tribe.  They drove to Minnesota from a Reservation in South Dakota to share some of their heritage with us.  First of all, this is huge because white Minnesotans drove them out of here over 150 years ago during the US-Dakota War of 1862.  That they would come back with kindness, not bitterness, forgiveness, not anger and educate us....that just blew me away.  

I was so touched by the gentleness and humbleness of these men.  I was almost in tears when they taught us to pray the Lakota Prayer.  I wanted to know more and more, so I did some research.  I found this site that helped me better understand what many of the Native tribes meant when they speak of The Great Spirit.  

After reading this prayer titled, "Great Spirit", I wrote it down in my journal to keep so that I could meditate on the simplicity of the words and pureness of the heart behind the prayer.  I'm not very good at praying, my words often get jumbled, I loose my thought process, my mind wanders.  But when I pray this prayer, my heart cries, "YES!  Me too!" 

One day I believe God will redeem all things; relationships between people groups, the land, the animals and all of humanity.  Until that time, this will be my prayer.

Great Spirit

Great Spirit,

Give us hearts to understand;

Never to take from creation's beauty more than we give;

Never to destroy wantonly for the furtherance of greed;

Never to deny to give our hands for the building of earth's beauty;

Never to take from her what we cannot use.

Give us hearts to understand

That to destroy earth's music is to create confusion;

That to wreck her appearance is to blind us to beauty;

That to callously pollute her fragrance is to make a house of stench;

That as we care for her, she will care for us.

We have forgotten who we are.

We have sought only our own security.

We have exploited simply for our own ends.

We have distorted our knowledge.

We have abused our power.

Great Spirit whose dry lands thirst, help us find a way to refresh your lands.

Great Spirit whose waters are chocked with debris and pollution, help us find a way to cleanse your waters

Great Spirit whose beautiful earth grows ugly with mis-use, help us find a way to restore beauty to your handiwork.

Great Spirit whose creatures are being destroyed, help us find a way to replenish them.

Great Spirit whose gifts are being lost in selfishness and corruption, help us find the way to restore our humanity. 

Great Spirit Prayer By Big Thunder - Late 19th Century Algonquin

Yes, I Lost The Rice

A few nights ago I cooked some rice to go with dinner.  One of my absolute favorite small appliances is the rice cooker my sister-in-law gave me for Christmas years ago.  It has literally saved my life.  I used to be a horrible rice cooker, now I look like a genius.  It makes me look good, plain and simple. I use it multiple times a week.  That's how much we love rice.  The two types of rice I generally cook are Basmati and Jasmine.  Now that you are intimately familiar with our rice habits, let me tell you a little story.

Like I said, I was making rice the other night.  I may or may not have been a tad bit scatter-brained. That time of the day is the craziest around our household.  Everyone has places to be, all normally at the same time, and I am trying to cook dinner at warp speed so we can all sit down and eat together before we all disperse.  I refuse to sacrifice sitting down at the table together each night.  This is the core of our family time.  This is where we have our best conversations, share our hearts and enjoy a few minutes together each day.  It would be much easier to let everyone help themselves to whatever they find and we all eat on the go.  But I don't always like the easy path....even if it sometimes costs me my sanity.

So....back to the rice.  As I was adding the rice into the rice cooker I was admiring the container I keep  my rice in.  Odd, I know.  I never said I was normal.  I remember thinking to myself,  I really like this kind of rice.  I think we should only by this kind from now on.  Why do I even bother buying two different types.  Yes, I think this will be the only one from hence forth.  Or something to that effect.  I was consciously making an executive decision about the type of rice I would be buying the next time I went to the grocery store.  A mental list if you will.

And because my brain was so busy processing everything I was doing and thinking, it somehow forgot to tell me what to do with the rice container.   Apparently I did something with it, but I have zero recollection.  It escaped into a black hole that I only thought happened to lost emails.  Oh well...dinner must go on.

The night progressed as normally as possible for us.  The next day came and went.  Finally, yesterday morning, at the crack of dawn, when I was making the kids' school lunches I noticed I was missing my now favorite, cherished brand of rice.  I only noticed because the peanut butter container was sitting right next to the spot I keep the rice containers.  However, there was only one rice container there, not two.  I do not have the mental capacity to deal with such mysteries at 6am.  I was baffled by it.  I asked around, "Hey, has anyone seen my rice container?"  No one responded.  No one cared.

But I refused to let the issue drop.  Nobody just looses rice.  It has to be here somewhere!  Then I remembered my propensity to throw things away without thinking about it.  Yes, I've even thrown away a $50 bill before.  Not one of my better moments.  So Chuck concluded that I probably threw my beloved rice container away.  But I just couldn't buy his hypothesis.  I wouldn't do that...would I? I like this rice.  I'm sure I just lost the rice.

I shall keep you in suspense no longer.  Everyone can take a collective deep breath (because I know you've been holding your breath during this whole Sherlock Holmes adventure).  I found my rice this morning.  And it wasn't in the trash.  Apparently, my brain thought that putting it in the farthest reaches of the bottom, back shelf behind all my other small appliances was in some fashion helpful. This is apparently where you put treasured items to save them.

I skipped joyfully up to our bedroom to tell my barely awake husband in a not at all irritatingly sing-songy voice, "I found the rice, I found the rice!"  We are all happy now.  It is proof I am not crazy....only during the dinner making process (maybe), but not completely crazy.  Nobody looses rice - not even me.

My Prayer Today

Words from the heart of Mother Teresa:

Dearest Lord,

May I see you today and everyday

in the person of your sick whilst nursing

them, minister unto you.

Though you hide yourself behind

the unattractive disguise of the irritable,

the exacting, the unreasonable,

may I still recognize you and say:

Jesus, how sweet it is to serve you.

10 Year Old Camping Trip

We decided very early on during the process of raising our kids that when they reached 10 years old they would have a special camping trip with Daddy to go off and have fun adventures in nature.  We also figured this would be the most opportune time to discuss the facts of life with them.  Ten years old is on the cusp of teenage-hood.  They still adore, admire and think the world of their parents. They're not too super cool yet.  They still listen to us.  So, the plan was, Daddy would take the boys and I would take Chloe to a Bed and Breakfast.  However, Chloe would have none of that - she wanted the camping trip with Daddy....afterall, the boys did.  She won - but so did we.  She got her special camping time with Daddy, but she also gets a special time at a fancy hotel with Mommy for us to have our special talk.

Gavin and Daddy went to Tyler State Park since we still lived in Texas when Gavin was 10.  See that necklace Gavin is wearing?  Chuck made it for him and gave it to him on their trip.  He wanted him to always remember the most important things they talked about.  The most important things were character traits.  Chuck also made a beautiful poster highlighting 3 character traits he felt were the most important for Gavin to remember throughout his upcoming adolescence.   Each green bead represents that character trait.  You couldn't pry that necklace off him for weeks after that special time with Dad.  I think each of the kids remember more about their awesome adventures with Dad than they do about the facts of life.  But at least we were the ones to teach them not leave it up to whoever they happen to hear around them.

Bennett and Daddy went to William O'Brien State Park in Marine on St. Croix in Minnesota. Another awesome time with another awesome kid.  However, they did survive the attack of the hairy caterpillars the entire weekend and even slept in the car one night because the storms were so severe. In this picture, Bennett is showing us where he and Daddy carved their name into a soft stone on the river's edge.  I'm so very thankful Chuck takes the time to show the kids how important each of them are.  Not just that, but he lives those special character traits he wants them to emulate.  Bennett also got his very own necklace and poster completely different from Gavin's.

Last but definitely not least is Chloe.  Her and Daddy went to Nerstrand State Park in Northfield, Minnesota.  Unbelievably, it did not rain on them.  They had wonderful adventures hiking and whittling.  She, too, got a beautiful necklace, made with love by Daddy.  It also represents the character traits that he wants her to hold on to while meandering the path of adolescence.   I'm so looking forward to my special time with Chloe.  Obviously, I don't make necklaces like Daddy, but I'm a good listener and I'm sure we'll have hours of talking and eating chocolate - not outside in nature but in a lovely little hotel somewhere. With warmth.  Running water.  A real bathroom, not a porta-potty.  Food cooked in a restaurant, not over an open flame in a pit.  And best of all, a mattress for a bed, not the cold, hard ground.  I think I win.

Ten years old seems so little looking back now.  But oh, how big we thought they were.  They thought they were practically grown ups too.  How thankful I am for this tradition.  It's the memory of the time together that they will always hold on to - not our words.  The gift of time is the greatest gift we can give our children.

A New Recipe

I made this delicious new recipe tonight called, "Chicken with Creamy Mustard Sauce".  The picture looked delicious even though I hate mustard.  Proof that we eat with our eyes first.  I even received many accolades among my toughest critics over the scrumptious quality of said recipe.  I might have even started feeling a tad bit proud of myself.  Not to worry...it all came crashing down rather quickly.

Chloe kept sitting at the table holding her head in her hands.  I thought maybe she had a headache.  I finally asked her what was wrong and she said, "It's strange, but I'm dizzy."

Hmmm....we all said aloud.

Then it dawned on me.  "Um, it might be my fault. The reason you're dizzy is because you're drunk."

WHAT???...the collective group said aloud.

"Let me explain.  See, I was supposed to put the white wine in at the beginning and let it deglaze over high heat (meaning cook out all the alcohol).  And I did that.  But....I thought it needed a little more later on in the cooking process.  So....there might be some wine in there that never deglazed, meaning it's full of alcohol.  Meaning, I got Chloe drunk.  I'm sorry Chloe."

"I think I'm drunk too" adds Bennett.

Great.  I just unwittingly inebriated my family. This should be a fun night.

I think I'll start working on my Mother Of The Year Award acceptance speech now.

Just In Case

After 'getting ready for the day' at 6:45am (meaning I put clothes on), I went back out to the kitchen to make some tea and spend some time with Gavin before he left for school.  I am attired in the typical fall fashion of a t-shirt and jeans.  As I'm making my way around the kitchen something just feels 'off' with my jeans but I can't figure out what it is.  I finally reach behind me, because the 'off' feeling was being generated from the back of my right side,  and pat my butt.  What do you know there is a wad of something inside my jeans.  How could I not know this?  I have been walking around for 30 minutes already with additional material stuck in my jeans.  My booty does NOT need any extra enhancement.  I do very well in that department all by my self.  So I do what any normal person would do next, I shove my hand down my pants and feel for the wad.  It's too late to back out now, I'm committed.  Gavin is watching and is curious.  Out comes my hand and.....an extra pair of panties. If Gavin was embarrassed, he didn't show it.   He even had the remarkable ability to make a snarky comment on my behalf, "Never know when you need an extra pair, huh Mom!".

This scenario would have been completely feasible and not at all surprising when my children were small and I barely had time to put make up on and brush my teeth all day.  I get it when it happens to moms of littles.  But me?  I pulled underwear out of my butt in front of my 15 year old!  Who does that?   And worst of all, I'm the one who does the laundry and puts everything away so I can't even blame Chuck for pulling a prank on me. It's my own clueless fault.  The only silver lining in this whole escapade is that I had not yet left the house.  Had I been walking around town with an extra pair of underwear shoved down my pants all day .... that definitely would have been worse.  

This brings back memories of the time I wore a dress backwards to work - all day long.  And I didn't even have kids yet.  Obviously it wasn't a nice fitted dress...rather the kind that were popular back in the late 90's that were long sundresses.  The only way to tell the front from the back was that the tag was in the back and the back came up a little higher while the front of the dress scooped down. Apparently I didn't bother to look for the tag that day.  I had many appointments with many clients that day plus an after work dinner party.  Talk about a confidence booster!  Fashionista - I am not.

Willfully Stupid

Last night we were reading the Bible together.  We were reading in Matthew 15 from "The Message" version of the Bible. Apparently, Peter didn't understand something Jesus said to the Pharisees and asked Jesus to "put it in plain language?"  Jesus responded, "You too?  Don't be willfully stupid....".

We thought this was HILARIOUS!!

If Jesus can tell his people not to be willfully stupid....so can I.  And oh, are there so many opportunities to quote this precious phrase.  It will never get old.

De Ja Vu

Seventh grade must be the year of Creative Hygiene Techniques.  At least all my experience with seventh grade boys points to this conclusion.  And even weirder is the fact that both of my boys at the same age have done the exact same thing - with deodorant (and I'm not talking about it's 'normal' usage).  This is weird.

As soon as Bennett told me his predicament, I was instantly transported back in time to Gavin's deodorant story.  I do not understand our family's fascination with deodorant.   Really I don't.  I personally have a fetish that requires I re-apply a few times a day so as not to come anywhere close to smelling anything less than "fresh" and "mommy-like".  Trust me, my kids do not share that fetish.  If they did, I would be thrilled.  I also tend to brush my teeth 10 times a day.  Another odd habit I would be happy to see emulated in this household.  But no, there are definitely no brushing teeth fetishes at all.  Sometimes there is no brushing teeth at all.  But that's a whole nother blog.  Back to deodorant....

So, while we were out of town this past weekend, the kids stayed at Grandma and Grandpa's.  Bennett came back from Basketball tryouts and immediately took a shower.  That by itself is impressive people.  That he would walk into a bathroom on his own accord to shower without any adult suggestion or manipulation is miraculous.  I was very proud to hear of this account.  We are definitely showing progress in the Maturing To Adulthood Phase.

As the story goes, Grandma meant to put some soap in the shower earlier that day but had forgotten. She asked Chloe that night if there was any soap and Chloe told her "no" so she immediately went to get her some.  But this caused a little consternation for Grandma who remembered her 12 year old grandson showering in that same bathroom earlier in the day.  "Hmmmm", Grandma thought to herself, "I wonder how Bennett got clean if there was no soap in there?"  A very good question in deed.

The only way solve the mystery of how Bennett got 'clean' would be to ask him since he was the sole participant.  He proudly announced that since he didn't see any soap and didn't feel the need to ask for any, he was looking around for something to make him 'smell clean'.  And lo-and-behold what did his eyes fall upon but....his deodorant.  He thus commenced 'cleaning' his body with deodorant, rubbing it upon every service where the lost bar of soap should have gone.  This was after he was out of the water.  Water does wonders, but it does not always help you smell good, especially after playing basketball for 2 hours.  In steps "Sport Smelling Deodorant" and voila.  You now have an awesome smelling kid who may also be a genius for coming up with such a creative plan.  Oddly enough, he was complaining to me this morning about a mysterious "rash" that is popping up all over his body.  Hmmmm....I wonder why?

This may just be a good case-study for geneticists.  We still have one more kid to make it to 7th grade, so we'll get back to you in two years to find out if we're 3 for 3.  Then it would definitely be genetic.  If not, I conclude it is just a 12 year old 'boy thing'.  Just for the record, my hypothesis is it's a 'boy thing'.  Chloe wouldn't be caught dead now at 10 years old doing that. She would use her hair shampoo as soap instead of go without it.  So, gut reaction is...boys do weird things.  Especially with deodorant.  End of story.

All Of Me Loves All Of You

This weekend we celebrated our 18th anniversary.  Every year I'm amazed at how it just keeps getting better and better.  This year Chuck put so much thought and planning into a weekend get-a-way for just the two of us.  The kids stayed with Grandma and Grandpa while we stayed at the W Hotel in the Foshay tower in downtown Minneapolis.  We explored the city and all it had to offer. The time together was priceless.  I can't believe I'm this lucky and this loved.

We always have a song each year.   This year's song was "All Of Me".  The part of the lyrics I love the best say, "All of me loves all of you, all your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections."  Isn't that what love does best...takes the good with the bad and loves you anyways.

The kids had so much fun that they announced upon our return, "We could do this every other weekend!"  I'm seeing many more boutique hotels in my future.