FYI

I just wanted to let you all know that Lance, who has been getting on my case lately for all the time I spend on the computer and blogging, has started a blog of his own. You can find it at www.nofabrication.blogspot.com. Go check it out and welcome him to the world of bloggers!

Food Storage?

Lance and I went to the temple this morning and left the boys home together. This is what we found when we got home - Chris playing a game on the computer and Micah...

fast alseep on 100 lbs. of oat groats.

Maybe I shouldn't can this stuff. We've apparently found another use for it!

Home, Sweet Home

Earlier this week Micah, Chris and I were in town for an appointment and went to lunch afterwards. We went to Subway. Lately we haven't been eating out in an effort to save money, so this was a treat. Once inside, Micah immediately ran for a table, then yelled his order out from across the store. Chris and I got the sandwiches and drinks and joined Micah at the table. After we had situated ourselves and dug into our yummy food, Micah sets down his sandwich, heaves a big sigh and says, "Mom, I'm home." What a kid.

Wagon Wheels & Baby Dolls

What do wagon wheels have to do with baby dolls? Dayton Ohio East Stake Youth Conference, that's what. This year the Stake planned a pioneer trek for our kids, and Lance and I went along as the "parents" for our Branch. It wasn't long - arrive Thursday evening, trek on Friday, service project early Saturday & heading home by 3 PM. We camped out in tents or under the stars, and enjoyed meals provided by the stake leaders. Here are a couple of videos of the event...
Thursday evening the kids learned the Virginia Reel...

These next three are from the day of the trek. I tried to put it into one video, but it was too big to use...

As you can see, some of the trek was easy, and some of it put the kids to the test. I didn't pull the cart once, and in some of the area's I was lucky just to get myself up the incline. It got pretty steep in places, but amazingly enough, there wasn't much grumbling from the kids. They worked together quite well.

Did you notice some of them carrying baby dolls along with them? Let me tell you about that. Before we took off from the campsite, one girl from each family group was given a baby doll to care for on the trek. Toward the end, Brother Young (Stake YM Pres.) stopped the group and talked about those who had to care for young children or babies while crossing the plains in handcarts and how some of them had to leave them behind when illness or injury took them. Then, he dug a shallow grave and had one of the young women bury her baby. Talk about leaving an impression on a person. I think of all the experiences the kids had durning their eight hours with a handcart, this one left the greatest impact. That poor girl was completely broken up over the thought of what it must have been like to leave a child behind like that.

That wasn't the end of it, though. Lance and I, being the ones bringing up the rear, got to go back and get the baby and get it back to camp undetected. That night at the fireside, Brother Young had the young lady get up and tell her feelings about the experience. He then brought out the baby doll wrapped in a beautiful white blanket and gave it back to her, reminding the kids that because of the Savior's Atonement, those who made such sacrifices in their lives would be able to raise those lost children one day. It was great lesson for the whole group.

All in all, it was a great event for everyone who was able to go. We all left with tired and aching bodies, but with stronger spirits and testimonies. Here are a few more pictures...

Jori & Weston enjoying(?) a dance...

Getting ready for the trek ... will the girls be impressed with the new look?

Our pioneer family...

Jori's baby envy...

Oh sure, it's all fun on the flats...

Down a steep incline the girls really show their stuff ... Who needs men, anyway?

Pulling up another steep ridge...

Post-trek help for sore feet...

Saturday service project clearing the honeysuckle that's taking over Ohio.

Am I the Last to Know?

Don't ask me why, but somehow I never got the memo on this one... I'm probably the last person to try this. It's a 3 Muskateer bar on steroids! Yeowww. One will practically kill ya, but you'll die with a smile on your face.

Memorial Day Memory

I've been meaning to get these videos and pictures posted for over a week now. Memorial Day in small town Ohio is something else. Every little town has a parade and service at the local cemetery. The BLHS Marching band did two parades and one Memorial Service that morning. We have pictures and video from the one in Middleburg. As we were standing by the road watching the parade go by, Micah collected almost as much candy as he did on Halloween. So, here's what makes up a Memorial Day Parade in Middleburg, OH....

A marching band,
(I tried out the movie maker on the computer for the first time. In case you can't make him out, Chris is the sousaphone in the middle.)

The oldest citizen in the township, (the lady in the trailer, not the gent driving the John Deere)

An oldtime John Deere tractor (every time this green machine came chuggin' by the house, Micah was at the window or out the door like a shot. He loves it. However, he refuses to get on it, no matter how nicely Dean offers!)

A posse of 4-Wheelers,

Fred Dearduff and his miniture ponies,

The rich kids on the block with their toy Escalades,

as well as a few politicians and fire trucks that I guess weren't interesting enough to be saved for posterity. Usually there are a lot of kids on bikes decked out in red, white, and blue, but I guess the 4-wheelers outdid that.

After the parade, everyone gathered in the cemetery for the memorial service where we were reminded by a very conservative WWII veteran/reverend that this country is going to heck in a handbasket if we don't turn back to the God that created us and made possible the founding of this great nation we live in. (I liked this guy. Let's just put it out there like it is. No apologies or pussy footing around the issue.)

Chistopher and fellow sousaphone players at the cemetery

This last video is one Lance would prefer not be saved or shared, but I have to. Listen and you'll understand why :) (We obviously don't sing this song enough!)

We enjoyed the day, and I got my usual first-of-the-season sunburn in the shape of a V on my upper chest. (Gee, such a great accesory to go with the stylin' doesn't-really-fit swimsuit this season!) We ended the day at the movies, where Micah inhaled a small popcorn and large soda, and then promptly puked it all over Lance and himself. Poor Lance. He's always in the wrong spot at the wrong time when it comes to our kids and barf.

There you go. Our latest fun family memory in a nutshell. Hope you enjoyed it!