Blessing of, uh, Two Weeks Ago

Remember two weeks ago when I mentioned I was struggling with sadness, in a heavy heart-place?

Well, something completely unexpected happened, that made me feel like God was whispering hope and love in my ear:

When have I ever seen a Calla lilly bloom in my backyard in the Fall?

Never, that's when.

I mean, they're called Easter lillies for a reason!  And while this year I had the most gorgeous proliferation of blooms in the Spring, and enjoyed them immensely, they died over the course of a couple of months, just like always.

Why would one start to bloom right then, at just when my heart would so appreciate it? 

The view from my bathroom window

Ah, I know the rain we had a few weeks ago must have had something to do with it, and we have had a gorgeous Indian summer the past two months (I keep telling you all, Fall is the time to visit the Bay!) which I am sure the plants loved, and clearly they must sometimes bloom in the Fall. . .

Doesn't matter.  God knows what beauty would minister to my crushed spirit.

I'm fine now.  My heart is good.  And now there are two stalks in bloom.  And I am making a point of looking at them out the window whenever I'm washing my hands at the bathroom sink, to keep the gratitude for blooms and heart healing fresh in my mind.

Blessing of the Week: Best Friends FOREVER

Once again, I have gone way longer than I intended to without blogging, once again for the best of reasons:

My dear Susan came for a girlfriend visit!  It was truly a lovely time--tea and treats and chatting and walking around seeing things and eating delicious food (we had opportunity to eat out several times during her stay, and we chose well).  DH's parents' motorhome is still here from the summer, so Susan and I had a three-day slumber party out there--even just the pleasure of a good book and good companionship while you are settling down to sleep is so wonderful. 

(And Susan was such a trooper, even though she froze all night long the first night in the motorhome because neither of us would have imagined that all the vents in the motorhome were OPEN, and the little space heater's efforts were pretty much being sucked out to the cold night, and I had given her the "nice" blankets and taken the "old and funky" afghans for myself, and so she was an icicle all night and I was close to warm and toasty--she has forgiven me, I think, because that's what Best Friends do.)

(Oh, and Susan, I realize I kept introducing you to people as "my best friend," which is true, even if several amazing women share the title, and I hope that was not awkward for you, but I could not resist letting people know that this was a *special* visit.  Oh, and every time I did, I thought about how my MIL once lectured me for telling someone in her hearing that you were my best friend--because she thought it was rude to the person I was speaking to, implying that woman was not my best friend, even thought I had only known that woman a few months and she would never have assumed best friendedness--so I also felt a little rebellious every time. ; ) I'm claiming you, woman, for what you are!)

One of the best parts of Susan's visit was how I had opportunities to mix her up with other dear friends in ideal girlfriend situations!  First there was a mending party, and Susan and I got to hang out with my dear Rosa at the home of another lovely woman, sipping tea, sewing buttons and chatting like old biddies, and every time one of us completed a mend, she would hold up her victory and the rest of us would admire it and applaud her accomplishment.  And then one evening my dear Becky came by and the three of us lounged in the motorhome and snacked and laughed.  Doing such pure girlfriend things with these lovely friends was like the beauty of tea and dark chocolate together--the combination just brings out the tastiest things about each, making the experience of them even more enjoyable.  In other words, I was in girlfriend heaven.

(Oh, and just so you all know, when I was growing up my earliest best friends were boys, and I valued my boy friend relationships more than my girl friend relationships, probably because I had sisters and no brothers, so somehow the boy friends seemed more special.  And I thought girls were meaner than boys, and often less interesting in the things they wanted to play.  I always did have at least one female BF, though, and then all of a sudden in high school I ended up with three BFF's--Susan, Mina and another Susan.   And then in college I was in a co-ed dorm that arranged the rooms in "suites" and my suitemates became my great friends, so much that we managed to live together in some fashion all four years.  And then as a young married in CO I met a fabulous group of other young married women, and then when we moved to CA God gave me a smaller but even more fabulous group of women. . . . And somewhere along the way, I went from not valuing girlfriends much to being a huge champion of them!  And somewhat of a connoisseur.  ; )

The long weekend with Susan ended with a day and overnight in San Francisco--which took the feelings of girlfriendhood and being a grownup and freedom to a whole new level.  And it has been amazing this week to notice how much I am rejuvinated in spirit, being a patient, purposeful mommy and a much more content wife.  When I spoke with Becky for a few minutes by phone yesterday, and said how great my spirit/mommying/wifery was this week, she pointed out that the time away was obviously good for all those things.

DH, take warning note.

My fellow moms, you all have a special place in my heart, and I am praying for you all this week, that you would find peace and contentment and refreshment this week however you can; that the Good Lord would surround you with life-giving relationships; and that you would be encouraged in your mommying and wifery as I have been.  I am so, so blessed, ladies, and I pray for your own blessing and renewal.  Much love to you all!

shopping for Steampunk--and succeeding!

Two weekends ago I had a fantastic day with one of my favorite women in the world, my dear Becky.   With the gift of a child-free day, we went shopping up in a part of San Jose (anytime we go "over the hill" to SJ it automatically feels special*) with upscale stores and charming (i.e. expensive and really good) restaurants.  In fact, the first thing we did was eat--we knew we would need all our strength for shopping. ; )  Becky knew of a little Mexican-ish place on the main street, and it was sooooooo goooooood.  We ordered only two things and split them:  carnitas, and guacamole.  The guacamole was made from a tray of fresh ingredients by a handsome Mexican waiter right there at our table.  It was served with little flour wraps, which were perfect for the carnitas too--and that dish was also so tasty.  Even though pork is my meat of choice, as a mostly vegetarian any flesh flavor still grosses me out just a tad, so I prefer my pork with some kind of sauce, or cooked in combination with other things.  This was just a bowl of seasoned and cooked shredded pork, without any sauce, and was so good on its own!  Really delicious--paired with the fresh guacamole, it was seriously a bit of heaven.

No, really, that simple meal was the first of many perfect things that made the day so fun and memorable.  And afterwards we were well fortified and ready to do some serious clothes hunting.

The last time I bought clothes (which I blogged about here and here) I was getting new winterish things; this year I needed some new short-sleeved things (and yes, I needed them all summer, but what's a girl to do if she doesn't have time to shop?).   And I figured, hey, if I am going to buy some new clothes, why not see if I can hunt down neo-Victorian/Steampunk pieces?! 

So I was thrilled to see that this year the trends in coats and jackets and blouses work really well with Steampunk! 

For example, in the Free People store, I found the most amazing coat EVER:

heritage wool coat, by free people

These pics cannot do the coat justice.  It had a beautiful, antique woven texture, and little black cloth buttons not only down the front but also on the sleeves, and it fit me like it was made for me, and looked fabulous on me, and it is neo-Victorian, which is the foundation of Steampunk clothing--and it was also something around $300, so I just modelled it wistfully for Becky.

(And look at the adorable skirts the model is wearing with it above! Also totally Steampunk in potential!)

I did, however, find some really cute and practical things that were a wee Steampunk and affordable too!

origami stretch shirt, by The Limited

I bought this top, in this color--looks so good with black jeans and these earrings that I bought this past summer at the Trade As One store!  And while I did need a little color in my wardrobe (black and grey and chocolate brown still being my wardrobe staples, by happy choice), I still don't feel myself in colors that are too bright or saturated.  This blue is perfect, and I wore it to church on Sunday and felt just right, and prettily me.

Raw Edge Ruffle 3/4 Sleeve Jacket, by Ann Taylor Loft (follow the link to see the back--sooooo cute!)

This jacket I immediately fell in love with, and it looked so good on me that while I was trying it on in front of a mirror at the store, two different women stopped to ask me where it was located in the store. : )  Ok, maybe that's a stretch, maybe it was the jacket and not me, but either way, I decided it was going to be my splurge for the day--luckily at an additional 40% off!  But I have a feeling I will get a lot of use out of it--it is compatible with almost all of my tops, short or 3/4 sleeve, it is my favorite color, it is casual but can dress up nicely for church, it makes me feel pretty, and here on the Bay I usually need to grab a jacket when I am leaving the house, so this will be a good to-go staple.  AND it too is a wee-bit Steampunky!  (The shape, the color, the distressed texture around the lapels.)

Seamed Denim Jacket also by Ann Taylor/LOFT (this store really needs help naming their clothing)

There was also a more tailored denim version at the store, pictured above, but I did not have use for more than one jacket, and the first one was just so much more "me."  It is very similar in style, though--click on the link to see the back. 

(Oh, and anyone interested, the sale at Ann Taylor/LOFT is still going on)

Then I also got an adorable black short sleeve top with white swiss dots and a drapey neckline--but strangely, even this was the only non-sale item I bought that day, it is not pictured anywhere on the Banana Republic website.  So, I can't show you, but you will just have to believe me that while this top was not the least Steampunk, it is cute and flattering and practical and looks great with bluejeans and is perfect under a black Steampunky jacket I already owned. 

So, a very fun day, and very rewarding, in so many ways!

I don't want a lot of clothes, and now with the addition of two short sleeved tops and the grey jacket I am pretty much set.  The fact that I can make these pieces subtly Steampunk is the icing on the cake! 



*insert church lady voice here

the love nazi?

One of the blogger moms I read daily is Dorothy, who just wrote today a post that I needed to read, because it directly addresses an aspect of mommyhood that I have been aware of, but which I am still learning to recognize and change. . . .

There are not many authors out there who are sharing the message that our relationships should not be based on the success of behavior modification and a punishment/reward system. I'm all for consistency - my kids with FASD's thrive under it - but I need to be super careful I am not taking the same punitive system we use for housework into my relationships with the kids. Which sounds horrible to write here but I was doing it far more than I want to admit.

Some of it was subtle - just an emotional distancing. Some of it was not subtle - letting them know that they had disappointed me and now there was a cost. Remember the Soup Nazi's famous phrase "No Soup For YOU!" I had the same heart attitude as that character and it wasn't pretty. Nope. It was all about setting up some weird sort of conditional-love based on behaviors and me as the controller of the standards. It was wrong and I am sorry that I manipulated my kids in that way.

Thank you, Lord, for brave and honest and introspective mothers who blog!   

I feel like I need to state--in light of my post about a rough time last week--that my kids are really great kids.  Seriously great.  They are overall obedient, even compliant.  They are creative and enthusiastic and overall positive.  They are so great that their friends' moms tell me how wonderful they are to invite over, and one friend even borrows one of my daughters when she needs to get work done, because she knows that daughter will be an engaging and trouble-free playmate for her daughter.  My kids are overall easy-going, and content with life. 

Well, until they are not.  And for some reason, we seem to go in phases, and the past two weeks have been just downright hard, and while my kids would never let anyone outside the family see this behaviour, with me they have been slow to obey, sassy and argumentative, downright rebellious and throwing little temper tantrums, not choosing well and then not accepting the natural consequences. . . .

In other words, my sweet children are currently really testing my parenting skills, and while at the beginning of last week I was just too wounded and weary of spirit myself to handle it well (due to conflict with someone close to me), by the end of the week I was feeling strong and determined to enforce our household standards of acceptable behavior and ways we treat one another. 

Which means I have been really firm and yet trying to walk alongside them.  So, sometimes lecturing, sometimes offering hugs, always reminding us all of what is right.  And it is kinda, sorta working--and also not.  The behavior is not changing, even though I am being really consistent and making consequences that are fair and as frequent as the offending behavior.  For example, letting the kids know I expect them to comply the first time I give them a directive, and then being sure to help them turn it around immediately if they don't comply, or doling out an appropriate consequence--which is essentially the familiar behavior-modification form of parenting with which we are all familiar. 

But I have to admit, I struggle in my heart with fully loving the kids on hard days, and not withdrawing from them emotionally.  I love Dorothy's analogy of the Soup Nazi (which is a Seinfield character, based upon a real-life New Yorker who some people say is the meanest person in New York, even if he makes the best soup and people line up our the door to be served), and hope I will think of that when I am feeling hard-hearted myself towards my kids on their rough days--since humor goes a loooooong way towards helping me see my flaws and then tempering them with greater honesty and humility. 

My love for them should not be based upon how they act--and isn't, really. But how often do I let myself slip into the subtle lie of acting towards them as if my love for them must be earned by good behavior, and maybe even subtly withholding love because their behavior displeases me?  (shudder) 

Ok, that's enough about the kids and tough times for one week.  Next up on the menu--Steampunk and new clothes!  Oh, yeah. 

i'm following

And following Him doesn't make me a "twit," which is a bonus.

the song that I can't stop listening to this week

one more for the fridge

one problem at a time--ok, at the most, two

I had a weekend of super fun highs and the most awful lows, neither of which I feel like writing about.  This morning, I started the day with a bunch of heart-hard, cantankerous children (who were great all weekend, but two of whom were also really sick, now recovered).  I was trying to get one child to start her morning routine in the bedroom (some days asking them to do it at the same time is just asking too much), trying to get another child to start her school independently in the living room, trying to feed myself and Smiley while helping the last child with her school, and no one was cooperating nicely and there was a lot of rebellion--and I am myself in a super sad heart place today, and had already prayed before getting out of bed, "Lord, please help me!"  Standing there in the bedroom, with a defiant child in front of me, I knew I had 4 problems before me:
1) getting to our bi-weekly morning martial arts class on time
2) getting children through their routines, fed, and started on their day quickly and efficiently
3) getting schoolwork done for the day
4) getting our hearts back into good places, esp. being loving and gentle with one another

And I really feel like God honored my plea for help, by giving me wisdom.  Because standing in front of a defiant child first thing in the morning when we have to be somewhere soon and I am not in a good heart-place myself does not usually lead to my better mommying moments.  But this morning I was completely able to stay calm, and think through the situation quickly and with what sure seemed like wisdom, and realize that I could only successfully handle at most two of those problems--there was no way I was going to gracefully be able to solve all four.  I chose the two that were the most important to focus on, to succeed in:
1) getting schoolwork done for the day
2) getting our hearts back into good places, esp. being loving and gentle with one another

And so, with that realization and choice, I could move forward with calm surety.  Without a looming deadline to meet, I could let each child take as much time as she needed in the bedroom alone doing her routine.  And they needed it--two of my girls gave me a lot of trouble, and rebelled and pushed buttons, and got consequences, but the time allowed them to work through it, and allowed me to be patient and gentle and firm.  And now they are still both having a slightly rough day, but they are also recovering fairly well, and we have not all escalated down into a horrible day.

And so, while the day is not over yet,
1) they are right on track with getting their schoolwork done for the day (and are doing it with pretty good attitudes too)
2) they are overall working those hearts back into good shape, and have had some really good moments of love and gentleness with one another.

And I am still calm, still being firm but gentle, and still while still completely forlorn, am also striving forward with hope.

Of course, it's only 2:52, my negative side says.  Still PLENTY of time for things to spiral back down.

And we DID miss martial arts, which is a waste of opportunity and against my principles. Normally I would have rushed us all, to make it to class, yelling and scolding the entire time.  But is martial arts really the most important thing we could accomplish this morning?

Since I knew I was not able to achieve all those goals at once, fix all those problems in the same morning, I chose to focus on what was really important to me today, and what seems to be the most important in the Grand Scheme of Things.  It might look different another day--but today is what I have, and so today I chose to let go of my ideals and focus on accomplishing less, but succeeding more. 

Not a bad morning's work.

Lord, please keep up your good work in me--still approximately  4.5 hours left to go!

life after Disney

So, I accounted for the first of the past almost 3 weeks without blogging--let's see if I can sum up the rest of my justification for negligence in one post!

Actually, I can sum it up in one sentence:

I have not been blogging because of homeschooling, cleaning, sorting stuff, and the occassional fun diversion.

Now, you can stop reading if you have better things to do.  Or if you are bored or want to procrastinate your own home projects a little longer, you are welcome to read on!

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I have mentioned before that last year our homeschool, and much of our homelife, kinda de-railed;  the things that had worked so swimmingly for years suddenly were not effective, and everything suddenly became a struggle.  I still want to write about this in depth, because it might be useful to other homeschool moms--I see some of the mistakes I made and what I would have done differently.  And this all really helped me re-think more than just homeschool, but my approaches to parenting, loving my kids with purposefulness, what our family values are and how we could better live them out--all kinds of good things.  But really, the productive thinking has not come until this Fall.  Last year was just hard for so many reasons, and this year as I have wanted to get things to be less hard, I have had to really think long and hard about things, and as I mentioned in my Saturday posts, God has been really showing me so much good stuff. 

So, school this Fall has taken much more of my daily time and effort than it ever has--so, there's reason #1 for much less blogging. 

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Then too, I had other life things happen that were unexpected and took some time away from my usual pasttimes. One was a very unexpected, very fun thing, best relayed via selections from the facebook conversation that started it all:

Stacy's* status update: Someone just reminded me that I have a $100 certificate for Picaboo that expires on the 27th. So now I will be making $100 worth of photobooks. Guess that means I should start by finding my card reader and taking those 500 or so pictures off my camera. *sigh* I hate making photobooks. (Sept. 25, 9:15 pm)

me:  OR, Ms grumpy, you can pass on that gift cert. to someone who would LOVE to make a free photo book! hint, hint. (Sept. 25, 11:34 pm)

Stacy: Blessed, consider it yours! I'll email you the code for it! It was a groupon buy that I procrastinated myself out of. *whew* So happy to have that pressure off of me! (Sept. 26, 4:26 am)**

me: ARE YOU SERIOUS?????!!!!! I was SO just giving you a hard time. Wow, cyber-bullying seems to have its advantages. That's so sweet of you! I got the email just fine--and you have until this afternoon to change your mind, so I don't feel guilty about accepting it. : ) Thank you friend! (Sept. 26, 10:25 am)

Stacy: No guilt at all - I would hate it to go to waste and I have absolutely no time or desire to do it. I would have worked all night on it just to justify it..and if I haven't used it in a year, I'm certainly not doing it in one day. Use and enjoy :)  (Sept. 26, 11:52 am)

me:  Stacy, just letting you know I got my sister-in-law in on it, and we are making photo books of my little preemie niece for their family and the grandparents! Thought you would enjoy knowing what I was up to with your gift. : ) Thank you again!!!!!  (Sept. 26, 9:34 pm)

I stayed up until 2 in the morning finishing the project, only to find that I did not have the right coupon code.  I emailed Stacy, she was right on it and contacted the company and got the correct code for me, so by dinnertime the 27th, I bought the books I had made, using that amazing gift of $100!  (Just a few hours before the deadline, whew!)  My sister-in-law has already received the books, and my in-laws were visiting her at the time in CO, so she could give them their copy.  (The other copy will be sent to the other set of grandparents in India).  She said they turned out so cute. 

So, there went an evening and part of a day--unexpectedly receiving blessing, and blessing others through it! 

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So, the photobook making was one highlight of the week after Disney. 

Less so, in fact more like a definite low, was the beginning of another thing that has been taking up a lot of my time: cleaning.  I tell you all stories sometimes about the gross things that happen in my house due to the very high levels of moisture year-round--partly to elicit sympathy, partly because I love telling tales that make you all so much more satisfied with your own houses. : )  There are other factors too, that lead to my house being so much harder to keep clean than most people's, like the daily wood fire (think ash = house always needing a good dusting), the cob webs that spring up overnight up in the rafters (living in the woods = spiders, and spiderwebs + ash dust = instant haunted-house cobwebs), but the high moisture level seems to cause the most mischief.  Esp. when combined with our lack of good storage inside the house.

Hmmm, I feel an updated catalogue of abominations in the works.

Anyway,  in the past two weeks we went straight from Indian summer to "winter," i.e. RAIN.  As in pouring buckets for days on end.  So, the house has been really damp, and I have realized that it is time for another massive clean. 

But that urge has been hampered by two other things I have going on at the moment--purging and freecycling!  So, unfortunately, the house is a mess of piles at the moment, some rooms clean, some in the process, and it seems like I can't ever get it all orderly and clean at once.  And I have such a rinky-dink house, you would think it would be so easy and take no time at all to have a clean house!  If my house was like most of yours, but just smaller, I think that would be true.  Cleaning house was never hard in our home in Colorado, and the house just always looked pretty clean, even if I had not actually cleaned that hard very recently.  I have learned that carpet hides a lot of dirt.  Dirt has no where to hide in my house on the hardwood, but is so much harder to get to when you are working around so much clutter!  So, clearly the purging and cleaning must go hand in hand.  I am on my way again!

Ok, I have bored you enough for one post.  I honestly do have much more fun and meaningful things to share with you all--I promise, cross-my-heart-hope-to-die-stick-my-finger-in-my-eye, that I will blog some of the fun stuff this week.  I noticed I have lost a follower in the past three weeks.  And I know for fact that most of my IRL friends don't come by here anymore.  I would feel badly about that except a) I don't know why most of you are here anyway (but thanks, readers!), and b) I started this blog for Susan, my mom, and my sisters.  So, as long as some of them still are interested, I'll still share, even the mundane stuff, because they love me and are interested.  Or pretend to be (thanks, Mom!).  And mainly I blog because I love writing, and sharing life with women all over the country (and occassionally the world), and in that regard it does not matter how many people read regularly--it is worth doing even if only one person reads a post and gets something out of it. : )

(But when friends IRL stop by and say hi in the comments, it makes my day!  Thanks, Mina, I am SO calling you!)

I hope you all have a great week.  : )




*Formerly of the blog Moderate Means, now of Life in the Orchard, and a friend IRL even if just from afar!

**Stacy, I sure hope that was CA time and not Midwest time!!!

AWOB

That's Away With Out Blogging.

Wow, I think I just reached a new high of non-Lenten non-blogging.  I feel guilty, like I'm being a poor hostess with quests waiting to be served--but I had good reason.  Well, at least for the first week of it. . . .

Funny, 'cause when I last posted, I had just told you all my goal would be to write one positive post a day for a whole week.  Then my husband reminded me that we were going to Disneyland.  Oh.  Right.

We had wanted to do this trip last Fall, but ended up going to Colorado to see our newborn preemie niece instead, and having a really good time staying with really good friends.  So when my cousin down in the LA area announced she was getting married this Fall, I was so excited that now we had the excuse to make the trip.  The best part about homeschooling is getting to travel whenever you feel like it.  Disneyland has got to be one of the best places to go when you have such flexibility--off-season, in the middle of the work-week, in the middle of the school-day, the lines to ANY ride in the park are at most 15 minutes.  Some you wait only 5 minutes. The temperatures are so much more pleasant (mild and often overcast but not rainy) too.  And Disneyland also re-decorates according to the seasons; while I am not crazy about all the Halloween decorations, the more harvest/Fall decorations were simply gorgeous, and the park has set up really beautiful displays all over the park for impromptu photo backdrops (we're talking huge, real carved pumpkins displaying Disney scenes, for example--really unique). 

Did I get any pics of such things?  Of course not.  We were too busy running ALL over Disneyland (and a little at the California Adventure too) having a great time.   In fact, I don't have that many great pics at all--but I have enough to bring back the pleasurable memories:

The new Nemo submarine ride.  DH and I loved the "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" ride when we were kids, so it was fun to see it reincarnated.  Some parts were done really well--oh, to be able to see it through my kids' eyes, and really imagine being deep in the sea!

(Those red T-shirts left over from this past summer's vacation Bible school came in handy.  Two days in a row.) 

While we did a lot of rides, we also really made the most of the hands-on, interactive areas.  The Tarzan treehouse play area is really fun--the Disney "Imagineers" did a great job on it.  You can bang on pots and pans to make music, pump bellows to stoke the "fire" and make pots rattle on the "stove," crank a wheel to run a slideshow, pull on a rope to make wild animal sounds, and more things to spur the imagination. What is so fascinating are how many kids and parents just walk on through, not thinking to touch or try things--and so missing out on all the fun.

The Mark Twain Riverboat.  I can never get tired of watching its giant paddle.

For some reason, I love Disney's two ships, and we were fortunate enough to ride both.  Here is the Columbia, which had so much fun things to see on and below deck.  Historical replicas?  Yes, please!  (School for the day, check. ; ) 

 

Complete with working cannon!

And nobody came to scold when the kids all wanted a turn ringing the bell as we were coming back into port. . . .

(Seriously, I had never analyzed quite how kid-friendly Disney is until this trip.  There are so many ways for kids to get to let off steam in safe and fun ways, esp. when they have been good about walking for miles and patiently standing around all day.  Even when ride operators had to warn kids of safety behavior, they usually did it with patience and humor appropriate to that particular ride.)

The big ball fountain.  Another feature most people never notice that kept me and Smiley entertained for at least 20 minutes while DH took the girls on Space Mountain.

Actually, Smiley and I hung out a lot together this trip, as this was the first time the three girls were old enough to do the "big kid" rides, and so I sent DH and them off to enjoy.  (The older I get the more sensitive I am to motion sickness--at this exact moment I am getting dizzy just trying to type as Smiley is excitedly waving his fingers in front of the screen while reliving the carousel ride. ; )  I did go on a few fast, such as the Matterhorn, which was my own first roller coaster, as I recall.  That one was the first we took the girls on too, and it did boast a classic moment:  I had been instructing them on how to sit and what to expect from the movement of the ride, etc., when just as we were entering the "cave," I remembered to warn them, "Oh, and there might be snow monsters, so look out!"  Thus they began their first roller-coaster ride shrieking in anticipation, which is as it should be.

DH with some kids blasting things on the Buzz Lightyear ride.  This is actually one of my favorite rides, just because it is so cleverly done and engages the kids so completely.  And you get to email photos to yourself at the end, for free!  Too cool.

Smiley got to drive. (Really!  The cars even turn from side to side with a switch.)

 My favorite part of the park this time:  Tom Sawyer's Island.  I do not remember visiting this when I was a kid--probably because when I was old enough to remember I was to busy trying to fit in as many roller-coasters and "cool" rides as possible.  But this island is so fun, with so much "scope for the imagination," as Anne of Green Gables would say.  Such a great place to let kids be kids!

.    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .   

We drove to LA Tuesday, arrived in time to stop by and get our passes and do a couple of things at the California Adventure, went to the home of my Aunt Sharyn (one of my dad's sisters) and Uncle Don, who were so gracious to host us for the week (and who are only about 20 minutes from Disney too!), and crashed.  Weds and Thurs we did Disney again, staying until it closed at 8:00 p.m.  Friday DH hung out at the house with all the kids and our cousin Joey while I helped my aunt and uncle and others prepare the church gym for the following day's reception, and Fri. evening we got to hang out with my Aunt Lisa (another of my dad's sisters) and Uncle Rob, who had come to town for the festivities.  Saturday was the wedding, and a lovely one it was.

My lovely cousin Stacia and her new husband, Adam. 

Seeing some of my extended family again was one of the best parts of the trip, and definitely worth the drive.  But a week of family fun, esp. at a place so nostalgic for DH and me--the icing on the cake. 

So much so that we could not resist stopping by Disneyland again Sunday, on our way home. . .

and arriving back home very late at night, contentedly exhausted.


(And the VERY best part?  That we get to go back in the Spring!  Yes, homeschooling + living a half day's drive from Disneyland + hospitable relations close by = annual passes for the year!  Whoo-hoo!)