Well, I have a long title for this post, but it's been a long time since I've posted. I don't have a good excuse for the previous couple of months, but for the past few weeks, we've been on a huge family adventure.
It all started when we found out that my cousin Kaleb, the youngest of the Baker K's, was getting married. We wanted to be able to go, but knew that we couldn't afford to fly. So, we decided to make a family vacation out of it. We thought we'd go to a National Park or two, go to a Laura Ingalls site or two (we DO have a ten year old daughter, you know) and then see what else we could fit in.
Not long after we started planning, we found out that a good friend in Michigan was also getting married. How exciting! And even more exciting, he asked us to help them celebrate by inviting Matt to be in the wedding. When Matt asked when it was, we found out that it was six days before Kaleb's wedding in California and five days before we wanted to be in Santa Maria. Well, that would change our plans a bit, but we thought we could make it work.
We were further along in our planning (and already had some reservations made) when we found out that Matt's cousin Josh was getting married in Iowa and that they would like Garrett to be the ring bearer. The wedding would be eight days after Kaleb's. But, we really wanted to make it work. So, we re-worked our plans once again. And we are glad that we did!
This has been our first "significant" family vacation and it was a great time together!
We spent June 12 packing up the pop-up trailer that we were borrowing from friends at church. Then, June 13, we left for Michigan (minus the pop-up). Matt and I quickly dropped the kids off to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma and then left for the wedding rehearsal. It was fun to see some people that we hadn't spent much time with in years. The next day, of course, was the wedding. The ceremony was beautiful, the reception was nice and we are so happy for Heath and Lisa! I was so busy with the kids while Matt was in the wedding that I didn't get ANY pictures! When things were winding down, we left straight from the reception to go back to Illinois to finish preparing for the longer portion of our journey.
On Sunday June 15, which also was Father's Day, we went to church at our own church and then headed home to eat a quick lunch, finish the last minute packing and head out. Matt's goal was to leave by noon. We left a little before 2:00. (That would make getting to the Grand Canyon in time to set up camp on Monday night a little more difficult!) Our family affectionately called June 15-16 "Smonday" since we planned to drive through the night until we reached our destination.
On the way we experienced rainstorms, but otherwise the trip went pretty smoothly. The kids liked seeing the Saint Louis Arch (and Busch stadium) in Saint Louis.
We stopped for breakfast at rest area in the morning and EVERYONE was ready to get out of the car for a bit.
Several hours before we arrived at our destination, the landscape was noticeably different.
After about 30 hours, we made it! However, as we neared the Grand Canyon, I had called about the availability of camping sites where we hoped to stay and things didn't look good. They referred us to a Kaibab National Forest campground, not far from the Grand Canyon, called Ten-X. There were no showers and there were only pit toilets! I wasn't too sure, but it sounded like our best option. We arrived just before 8:00 MST and were ready to crash! The campground hosts recommended a great site. It was somewhat "private" and was right across the street from the "bathroom." By the time we got camp set up, it was almost dark. Matt also had trouble getting the grill going. Two of our kids were asleep before "dinner" was ready and the other two ate very little. But, it was good to rest!
The next morning, I went to the car to get something and looked across our yard and saw a large animal. I went to the trailer and mistakenly said, "There's a moose in our yard." Everyone came out to look at what was really an elk.
After exploring our campsite...
...we set off to hike around the Grand Canyon.
Along the way, we saw a sign regarding hiking to the bottom and back up in one day that reminded Matt of his family trip to the Grand Canyon (this is something that he and his Dad did). Thankfully on their trip they escaped serious injury.
The evidence of God's creation and Noah's flood that can be seen at the Grand Canyon are amazing! The sights are breathtaking and are difficult to capture on camera.
Our budding geologist, Micah, enjoyed looking at all of the "rocks" at the Grand Canyon.
Garrett was often our "hike leader."
Karissa just couldn't believe how BIG it was.
Rachel enjoyed the ride...
... but did some hiking too!
We also liked seeing the blooming prickly pear cacti. I didn't have a good spot to stick in a picture. So, here it is.
Back at the campsite, the kids enjoyed some catch and some playing in the dirt. We all enjoyed a steak dinner and then a campfire.
The next morning, we left Arizona and headed for California. As we passed into California, it was HOT! We ate lunch at a rest area in the Mojave Desert and it was REALLY hot and dry! (It was so hot that we didn't take time for pictures.) Let's just say that by the time we had made our sandwiches, the outside of them was like croutons. Karissa wondered if she could make a toasted cheese sandwich on the sidewalk! It was HOT!
Also in California, we saw what Karissa affectionately termed "weird beard" trees. I still don't know what they really are, but we had fun looking at them.
On the evening of Wednesday, June 18, we arrived in Santa Clarita, CA where we stayed at a La Quinta Inn and relaxed in the pool. We were so grateful to Uncle Skip and Aunt Bonnie for sharing their points with us. It was a nice break in our trip.
The next morning, we headed toward Santa Maria and the festivities surrounding Kaleb's wedding. On the way, we stopped at Refugio State Beach. It was the first time any of our kids had seen the ocean and we had a wonderful time. Micah ended up with a lasting memory of our time there due to a bit of mis-communication. I asked if he had sunscreen on and he said "Yes." I assumed Matt had helped him. Matt asked and assumed I had helped him. He had done it himself. He got the middle of his back really well. It's hard to get your own upper and lower back.
Here are some of our family's first moments at the Pacific Ocean...
...and some more beach pictures.
Waiting for the "good waves":
What happened to their feet?
Don't worry! We didn't leave the kids stuck in the sand-- although they all would have liked to stay at the beach longer. After lunch, however, we headed to Santa Maria to check into the hotel and to meet Grandpa and Grandpa Bradley, Uncle Burt and Aunt Cindy, and Uncle Kendall and Aunt Joan. From there, we went to the rehearsal dinner for Kaleb and Whitney's family and friends. What a great time of "catching up"!
Here are the bride and groom and their parents:
And Kaleb and Whitney again:
My Dad and Grandma Dunn:
Jack, Kami and Kristi:
Mom, Kelli and Garrett:
Kyrk and Deborah:
Uncle Kendall and Aunt Joan:
It's not the best angle, but here's a picture of my cousins, their spouses and Uncle Rob and Aunt Patti:
The next morning, the kids went swimming at the hotel pool with Grandpa and Grandma while Mommy did laundry and Daddy got the oil changed.
In the afternoon we went to the wedding. It was a small event with just family and close friends -- or as small as a family event can be when you are the youngest of eight children. The wedding was outdoors at a home in Atascadero, CA. The reception was there as well. Everything was beautiful and relaxed and celebratory. What a great day. However, I have NO pictures. Right before we left the hotel, Rachel burned her hand on the curling iron I had used to curl Karissa's hair. In the confusion, we forgot the camera. Bummer! Who knows if I will ever see all of my cousins together at the same time. It was definitely a great memory. Too bad their kids couldn't be there as well. But, only baby Robert (Kyrk and Deborah's youngest) and Kari's kids (who live in Santa Maria) were there.
The next morning we drove to Nevada. On the way, we ate at the Mad Greek Cafe in Baker, CA. Our family actually likes the gyros at Smokehouse in Wheaton better, but it was definitely a different experience!
On the trip, we saw windmills...
... and more "weird beard" trees.
That night, we camped at Lake Mead National Park. It was over 100 degrees at midnight and there was no electric, therefore no air conditioning.
Here are some views from our campsite at Lake Mead:
Here are some pictures of the sunrise the next morning:
On Sunday morning we went to church at Bethany Baptist Church in Boulder City, NV. As we were leaving the campground for church, we saw this:
After church, we went and saw the Hoover Dam.
Once again, it was HOT! When we left, the thermometer in our van read 120 degrees for a long time. When we got outside of Las Vegas, it was STILL 109 degrees. Hot, hot, hot!
After the Hoover Dam, we made our way to Springdale, Utah and Zion National Park. On the way, we had some interesting scenery. As we were driving, there were times we wondered where the road would go and then it went between two peaks!
Once again, we arrived just before 8:00. We set up, ate supper and got ready for bed. We really appreciated the electricity and air conditioning that we had!
All of the Angel's Trumpets at Zion reminded us of our neighbor, Mr. Gould, who does such a great job of growing these:
This is Rachel on the shuttle bus, before we even started our first hike at Zion:
Another beautiful part of God's creation:
Garrett was a good trail leader. He kept us all moving at a good pace.
Karissa enjoyed going in the Virgin River at the end of the Riverside Walk.
Matt and Garrett cooled off a bit as well.
Micah and Rachel just hung out a bit.
Here's a family picture on the trail:
Ahhhh.....
The next day Matt, Karissa and Micah got up before 5:30 to hike Angel's Landing. It is a very strenuous,steep hike and towards the top there are chains to hold on for extra balance and support. They made it almost to the top!
This is on the way to the cliff.
THIS is Angel's Landing!
Off to a good start.
A little higher.
A "rest stop" along the way.
A little unsure.
Feeling better.
The view.
Wanting to finish the WHOLE thing.
Ready to come down.
Walter's Wiggles
Another great view from the trail
Victorious Hikers
More of Zion National Park
On the way to their next hike Matt, Karissa and Micah saw LOTS of these (and Karissa even caught some!):
Karissa with the prickly pears.
These bother Mommy a lot more than lizards.
On the way to Middle Emerald Pools.
At the Pools.
After the hikers were done and the laundry was done, we went back to our campsite for a quick rest. Then, we went back out to let Karissa have a new adventure. While the rest of us hiked Lower Emerald Pools, this is what Karissa did.
This is the rest of us on our hike.
This is what we saw up the hill on the way back from our hike.
Karissa returning from her one hour trail ride.
Cooling off in the river while Mommy made dinner:
Our trailer, van and the view in the background:
More views from our campsite:
On Wednesday, June 24, we left Zion National Park by the East Entrance so that we could go through the Zion-Mt. Caramel Tunnel.
These are on the way out:
Some last shots of a cliff called "The Altar of Sacrifice":
The tunnel:
Goodbye Zion!
Remember "Smonday" at the beginning of our vacation? Well, in order to keep from having too many long travel days on the way to Iowa, we decided to have a "Whursday." Uncle Skip and Aunt Bonnie had graciously gifted us with a second night of their hotel points. So, our goal was to reach Omaha, NE in time to check-in on Thursday afternoon and then enjoy an evening of swimming. On the way, we stopped for gas and an attendant noticed that one of the trailer tires was splitting and said that we should change it. Since we were getting gas there, they offered to do it for free. When they opened the spare, it wasn't a whole lot better and they also noticed that the other tire wasn't in great condition either. So, we decided that the best plan was to have them put on two new tires, even if it would delay us a bit. The tires were an expense we weren't counting on, but they threw in balancing and disposal for free. We were thankful that someone noticed it, rather than having a tire blow while we were on the highway. God was definitely working out the details of our trip!
Even with our delay, we reached Omaha just before 2:00 check-in time. The hotel wasn't quite what we were hoping for. It was kind of dirty, not in a very nice neighborhood and the service we received was somewhat rude. However we were tired and ready to stop. So, I just asked where the pool was and after receiving directions, we headed off to our room. Matt went to get some ice for the cooler and Karissa and Garrett went with to look at the pool on the way. They came back very excited-- but not in a good way. The pool was closed! Our plan was to drive like maniacs for 24 hours and then relax and now the pool was closed! Since their member points were paying for our stay, we called Aunt Bonnie to let her know about the hotel employees that had given us directions to a closed pool. She told us to check out. She said that they would find us a different hotel and work out the details. So, we decided that Des Moines, IA (about 2 hours away) would be a good place to stop and if we left right away we could arrive by 5:00 p.m. Before we had been on the road too long, the details were worked out and we knew we had a place to stay. It worked out beautifully. The hotel was nice. The kids got to swim. I did laundry. We walked to Wendy's. Karissa bought herself a Frosty. Plus, since we were closer to Dysart, IA (where we needed to be for the wedding rehearsal on Friday), we were able to swim again on Friday after breakfast and have a leisurely morning.
After swimming and packing up the car, we headed off to find the farmhouse that we were staying at in Buckingham, IA which is less than 2 hours from Des Moines. Our hosts, the Becks, were so gracious and welcoming! Mrs. Beck even helped with my ironing and braided Karissa's hair for the rehearsal. After settling in a bit and changing clothes, we headed to Dysart for the rehearsal. Garrett did a great job going down the aisle and was an instant hit! Just for practice he wore his jacket and bow tie that he would wear for the wedding.
Since both the Wilsons and the McFarlanes have a Scottish background, there was a bagpipe recessional. Garrett was enthralled.
At the rehearsal dinner, we saw Grandpa and Grandma McFarlane and Aunt Sara in addition to the wedding party. (The extra girl in the picture is a second cousin of the kids who was the flower girl in the wedding.)
Karissa and the flower girl had fun with bubbles!
The next morning, the kids had fun at the farm. Karissa went with Mrs. Beck to make deliveries for her mother-in-law's commercial bakery. Micah played catch outside with Daddy. Garrett and Rachel played with sidewalk chalk. Garrett had fun playing with an old tricycle with the Beck's daughter Lydia (who is probably 20 or 21). Garrett also got to help Mr. Beck give the sheep a shot. And Micah and Garrett helped gather eggs.
In the afternoon, Garrett and Mommy left for wedding pictures while everyone else continued to relax. Once again, Garrett did a great job.
Pre-wedding jitters.
Garrett did a great job walking down the aisle, as did the flower girl. However, during the wedding Garrett fell asleep. When it was nearing the end, I tried whispering to him and tickling him and gently nudging him in order to wake him. All to no avail. I figured, "Oh well, when the bagpipes start after the bride and groom are announced, he'll wake up, have a minute to collect himself and then be able to walk down the aisle with the flower girl." But, he didn't even stir when the bagpipes started! I even tried to standing him up. He just started to crumple. When it was their turn to go out, the flower girl came back to the third row where we were sitting from the first row where she had been sitting, took one look at Garrett and decided that if he wasn't going, she wasn't either. So, the kids didn't participate in the recessional.
The kids had a great time at the reception as well.
When the wedding party went out to dance, Garrett decided to join right in.
Later, he and the flower girl were showing everyone their moves.
Taking a break.
Rachel also had fun on the dance floor... literally. By this time she had taken out her pigtails. So, she was sporting her "wild woman" look.
More fun.
More dancing.
We got a couple of family pictures. In the one of just our family, I look like I have a pigtail growing out of my eye, but it's the best one we got. We never seem to get a good family picture!
Before arriving in Iowa, we had assumed that we would go to church in Dysart the morning after the wedding. However, once we were there we realized that it was almost half an hour from where we were staying and in the opposite direction from where we were planning on traveling on Sunday. So, we decided to go to church in Waterloo on our way out of town. However, once we were back at the Becks' home and the kids were in bed, Matt tried calling about 10 churches in order to see if they had service times and directions on their answering machines. None of them did. One even had a message, "This voicemail has not yet been set up." We enjoy going to different churches and worshiping with believers all over. So, it was a little disappointing. Plus, Sunday just didn't seem like Sunday. We did get to join some of the family that were still in town for a brunch at the hotel in Waterloo and then headed for De Smet, South Dakota.
We arrived in De Smet that evening and decided to camp at Washington Park in town. At first we were trying to figure out where to set up and then we realized that the sites were just along the road. It wasn't the nicest camping we'd ever experienced, but it was cheap, convenient and met our needs. Plus, there was a big park right across the street!
On Monday morning, June 30, we went to the Laura Ingall's Wilder Memorial Society. We took a tour of the Surveyor's house that the Ingalls lived in during The Long Winter, a couple of schools and the house that the Ingalls lived in when they lived in town after retiring from homesteading. After that, we went to the "Discover Laura Learning Center" at the Sigurd Anderson school. The kids had a lot of fun there!
After a quick lunch at the park next door, we headed to the Ingalls Homestead site.
Here we saw information about Laura's Travels, including a covered wagon...
...looked at a dugout and a shanty...
...hiked around the Homestead...
...pumped water...
...washed clothes...
...went to school...
...had pony cart rides...
...and pony rides.
And while Mommy was busy taking ALL of those pictures of Rachel, Garrett decided to have his own adventure. Supposedly he was standing right next to me while Matt was helping Rachel on the pony. On their way back in, Matt started motioning to me, but I had no idea what he was trying to tell me. Apparently, Garrett had seen a golf cart that someone who had difficulty walking had been using to get around the Homestead. He had climbed on and started pushing the pedals. Matt heard the engine start to engage and tried to get my attention. When Matt and Rachel got back to us, he pulled Rachel off the pony and quickly went and grabbed the wheel. By this time, Garrett was coming right toward me and a pony cart. When asked what he was doing he replied, "I pushed the accelerator, turned the steering wheel and was driving." He is always asking me questions when I am driving. I guess I have given him too detailed of answers and he put them together well.
After the golf cart adventure, we went into the last building at the Homestead where the kids made corn cob dolls, ground wheat and made rope.
On the way back to the gift shop, the boys found a good old-fashioned see-saw.
The next morning, we packed up the camper and then went to the De Smet Cemetery. We were able to see gravesites for many of the characters in the Little House books. I was amazed at how much Karissa remembered about all of the people! After a couple more stops around town, we left for Minnesota.
On the way, we saw lots more windmills (which has become Matt's new interest).
Camden State Park, where we planned to stay for the next few days, was only a couple hours away. So thankfully, it wasn't a long travel day. We checked in, went to our campsite and then did something that I never thought we'd do. We went back and asked to switch to a non-electric site. There was an area of the campground that had lots of space, a sandbox nearby and a good bit of shade. We thought it would be great area for our kids to play. So, before the campground got crowded for the July 4th weekend, we decided to move.
We stayed at Camden from July 1-4. While at Camden, we enjoyed campfires, swimming and lots of just relaxing! (I also made a trip to urgent care with Garrett for a swollen bug bite by his eye that was reminiscent of the incident last year.) One day while Mommy went to town to do laundry and the little kids napped, the older kids even had time to learn to play cribbage. It was a relaxing few days toward the end of a busy trip.
On July 2, we took a morning trip to Walnut Grove, MN and saw more pioneer and Laura Ingalls stuff.
It seemed that every place we went that Rachel had to do at least one face plant. After so many, Matt decided that we needed at least one picture. This is about the third one in five minutes. The funny thing was that even though she was hurt, when I got out the camera, Rachel smiled...
... at first.
On the morning of July 4, we left Camden State Park and headed for Chanhassen, MN to visit our good friends, the Beebes. They lived in Carol Stream until three years ago when they moved to the Twin Cities to be closer to their three daughters. While here they were like a third set of parents to us and were a wonderful support and example to our family. It was so good to be able to visit with them in their new home.
Not long after we arrived, we went to the local parade where we met their oldest daughter and son-in-law, three of their grandchildren and their youngest daughter.
That evening we enjoyed a cookout and then went to the fireworks with their family. What a great time! Here's a picture of Karissa and her friend with their glow-stick earrings on.
The next morning we spent more time visiting with the Beebes and then said goodbye as we left for Wisconsin. We also were able to get a picture of the kids with Uncle Gary and Aunt Becky.
A few more pictures of Uncle Gary and Garrett.
Once we arrived at Grandpa and Grandma McFarlane's in Wisconsin, it didn't take long for the kids to "hit the pool."
Micah used the opportunity to try out his new cribbage skills that he had learned on vacation. It was fun to see three generations of McFarlanes playing. A different time when Karissa, Matt and I were playing with Granny, we realized that it had become a FOUR generation activity!
That night, Karissa spent the night with Aunt Sara at her condo and the rest of us went to Granny's house to sleep. Ever since we discovered Micah's severe cat allergy, this has been our tradition when we stay in Wisconsin. This time was different. When Granny returned from Arizona this spring, she moved into an apartment in town. She is preparing to sell her house and much of it is empty. It was a nostalgic time, especially for Matt, as we looked around for what could be the last time. It was also hard for Garrett to understand why Granny wasn't at her house and why she doesn't live there anymore. Especially since we had just seen her at Grandma and Grandpa's house.
In the morning we went to church with Matt's parents and then came back for lunch. Before we left town, we made a quick stop to see Granny's new apartment. Then it was time to head home to Carol Stream! We made it home before 6:00 and were able to unpack the car and trailer and start settling in (and doing laundry). And we quickly went back to one of our favorite activities: visiting with the Goulds next-door. Now it's back to business as usual (or perhaps more correctly "busyness" as usual). But it sure was nice to get away for a while as a family.
