Hershey Park Vacation - Part 1

I started this post about our vacation the week after we returned home - the first week of July - and I just never had the time to finish it.  But I have decided to go ahead and share it, if only for our own memory-keeping!

This is actually a picture from the trip home, but it is the only picture I took in the car.

We booked our trip to Hershey Park about 2 months before the date we were going, which was a big deal for us, because we normally don't make concrete vacation plans.  But then we barely thought about the trip again until 2 days before we were due to leave.  So I made a big list of things to bring, called the hotel with last minute questions, printed the directions, and checked out the websites to try to make a plan.  I wished we had started preparing before Sunday, but our lives are just always so jam-packed, we often live by "triage" - dealing with the things that need the most immediate attention first.  So, this means things like this get put off until it is absolutely necessary.  And on top of our schedule, a head cold that had passed between Josh and Elias had finally caught up with me, so I spent most of the weekend before we left in and out of bed. 

But we made no plans on Monday and Tuesday and I began to feel better, so we were able to get everything packed and ready by Tuesday evening.  We even had time to have an impromptu play date with some friends we don't get to see nearly enough on Tuesday afternoon.  
We left early on Wednesday morning.  The kids were a bit cranky before we stopped for breakfast, but the weather was great for traveling and Josh and I had actually went to bed at a decent hour the night before, so the trip was pretty enjoyable overall.

As a side note - our hotel offered slight discounts on the Hershey Park tickets, but we were looking for other deals online, but didn't find any that we didn't have to join something or put in our personal information, etc..  But we stopped for breakfast at a random Chick-fil-a in Cumberland, Maryland, and there were discount tickets sitting right inside the door for the park for $12 off of the admission price.  Now there are several things that make this such a huge blessing.  First, we had planned to stop at a Denny's or a Bob Evans to have a sit down breakfast, since we were going to be having a quick lunch in our hotel room when we arrived.  We couldn't find a Denny's and the kids voted against Bob Evans.  So we were trying to think of where else we could go.  We had stopped at a Chick-fil-a in Cumberland on another trip and knew there was a play place (which is a great way for the kids to get their wiggles out), so we decided as we were passing the exit to stop.  This restaurant is not even on an exit with lots of other tourist stops - like gas, other restaurants, etc..  Also, Cumberland is more than 2 hours away from Hershey.  We never saw the coupons that we got at any other restaurant we stopped at the entire trip - even those closer to the park.  When we gave the coupons to the ticket booth attendant and she said that those were the best coupon discounts they offer.  At $12 off of each admission, we saved $46 dollars!  I was so thankful.  Since we hadn't read them well, we had taken a coupon for each of us, but we only needed one.  So I tried my hardest to give the coupons to others who were standing in the lines, but many of them had already purchased their ticket.  But I was able to make a family of 8 people very happy, which made my day!

Anyway, we had a little trouble finding our hotel.  I started getting a little nervous as we turned into a little neighborhood that either the hotel wasn't as close as they had advertised or we were severely off track.  But we found our quaint little motor lodge right in the middle of this little neighborhood street.  There were beautiful shade trees and a gazebo in the front courtyard and it just felt homey.  When we got to our room, I was thanking Josh profusely for his hotel finding skills.  Our room was seriously almost as big as our first apartment.  It had a full kitchen, minus a stove, and three beds!  I wanted to kiss Josh for this!  One reason we hate staying in hotel rooms together is because our kids do not sleep well with others, especially each other.  Because the room was so big, it was easier to control the temperature of the room also. Our room was on the top floor and everyone had their own little entryways to their rooms.  There was obviously no hallway noise, which I really have trouble sleeping through, so we all slept the best we have ever slept in a hotel together.  I will share a little more on our hotel experience later, but it definitely put us all back in a good mood from the "travel crankiness" that had crept in.

Since we still had a full day ahead of us, we ate lunch in our room of food we had brought from home and prepared to leave.  Right before we walked out, the electricity went off because of some work they were doing on the lines, so we had to take all the food we had put in the full size fridge and put it back in our coolers.  We were glad to hear that the power was supposed to be back on by the time we got back and the temperature was very mild that day, so the room wouldn't get too hot - this was especially a blessing because 2 days later, was the weekend that the whole East Coast was having temperatures over 100 degrees!

Look for Part 2 (hopefully very soon) - The trip to Chocolate World

2 + 2 = 4

I got the idea to have them hold up pieces of paper with their grade on it from others, so we would be able to readily remember what grade they were starting in the future.  Unfortunately, I didn't make the grade big enough or dark enough, so all of their pictures look like they're holding blank sheets of paper.

So this is the only really good "first day of school" picture I have, without the crazy blank sheets!

Today is day 4 of school.  We have had 4 1/2 morning meltdowns over clothes and one meltdown over homework - 1 clothes meltdown and the homework meltdown came from Elias and 3 and 1/2 of the clothes meltdowns came from Bella.

Bella did this last year at the beginning of school for over a month.  At the time, I was so frustrated by it and felt at my wit's end because I thought it would last forever and I didn't understand what was causing it.  But around mid-October I realized that it was her release of the anxiety over starting school and being in a new environment, etc.  So, since I know that this year and it is her second year of school, I am hoping that it won't last nearly as long.  I know that I have handled it better this year than I did last year.

Now Elias' homework meltdowns were more of an on-going thing and were still happening well into Spring.  This year, he already LOVES his teacher and he said she makes learning fun, so I am hoping that it will be a little better this year. Of course, she'll be leaving in November for a maternity leave for the rest of the year, but the teacher who is taking her place is a man who has a temperament a lot like Josh's, so I hope that it will be an easy transition for Elias.

But, overall, the kids are adjusting to school much easier this year than they did last year and it feels like it will be a good year.

I have one 1/2 day of work under my belt - at a school where I have never subbed before.  It was a good day and it sort of got me over my "first day of (teaching) school" anxieties.  Yesterday, before I went to work, I took a quiet walk around my neighborhood, weeded my landscaping (which I secretly enjoy), and then took my time getting ready. Even though I did dishes and a couple loads of laundry too, it was a restful morning.

Today, the world is my oyster - at least until 3:30!  I don't have any appointments - though I have lots of things to do here!  But I have turned on my Harry Connick, Jr. Pandora station and I am going to enjoy the little blessings of this day, even in the midst of my "to dos". I have so many blessings. 

Time keeps on ticking into the future

The kids have been back to school for 1 and 1/2 days now.  I have already been called in to sub! I said no.  Maybe not my best choice, but mentally I am just not ready to start working already when I feel like I have gotten so little done around here. I am already scheduled for 2 days next week.
Yesterday, my day was spent catching up on emails and bills and shopping for school supplies. I did get to have lunch with Josh, which was a little bonus to my day. Today, my day has been spent so far filling out my name, address, phone number, emergency contacts, etc., on about 20 different forms for the kids schools.  - Seriously, isn't this the information age, can't they use a scanner or a copier or something?
I have a load of laundry to put away, more clothes that need to go into the washer, a sink full of dishes that can't be loaded until the dishwasher is unloaded, and I am still in my pajamas.  I am not off to a good start so far! 
I had every intention on catching up on my blog - recording what we were up to this summer, which was a lot!  But it seems like I won't have as much down time as I thought.  Sports are starting and work calls are starting. (I thought I would have a couple weeks before I started getting called at least.  I am glad that work is available, but I hate having to say no already!)
So, I guess I better get off of here and get started.
Oh, and did I mention that I haven't been sleeping well? My "to do" list swarms around my brain at night and it is like a mosquito that won't go away until I get up and take some swats at it. So, I have been becoming a night owl, getting back up when everyone else is sleeping - but unlike owls, I don't sleep during the day either.
It has only been 2 days.  No pressure.  There is plenty of time, right?

I think I want to be almost Amish

I have been meaning to blog all summer, but we have been so busy and by the time the kids go to bed, I am just too tired to put even a few coherent spoken sentences together, let alone an entire blog post. 

I started a blog post about our vacation the week after we returned (before July 4th) and never finished it.  I keep thinking that I will have time tomorrow, but each day is just so full of living there is no time to write it all down. 

I have been fighting off a melancholy lately in the midst of our full days - from the state of our nation, our culture, our world, my aging parents, the uncertainties of life, my kid's futures, etc.  It is like a dark cloud is trying to cover over all the happiness of the here and now in my life. I hate that so much of the madness around me invades my heart and steals my joy.

My kids are growing, strong and healthy. They are at a great, fun age right now. They are still young enough to be influenced by us, but they are developing their own personalities and tastes so dynamically. Josh and I are doing well and, as usual, he brings me comfort and a listening ear. We are safe and secure and all our needs are met and blessings abound every day.

But there is always the "What ifs..." and the "What about these people who say this or think that..." or the "I don't know how I am going to handle it when or if this happens..."

I can read the verses in the Bible that tell me not to worry and I am good, for the next 10 minutes or so.  Why does melancholy stick so much easier than peace?  Why do I try to run from the cloud.  It will be there if I run or not.  I have to be willing to dance with the Lord in the rain, even if it isn't what I think I want to do.  And the rain will eventually fall on my life, no matter how I try to resist it. 

I have to continually remind myself that there is nothing new under the sun; that God isn't surprised about any of this; that he gives us the strength we need when we need it - over and over and over again. But sometimes I wish I could go live in the woods, with no television, no internet, no popular culture - maybe I should become Amish?

I read this blog post and I really liked what it had to say. I think I want to be almost Amish. I was raised in a community that had Amish, my mother is from Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry.  I went to a church (on & off) growing up that was just one step away from being Mennonite and that is where I learned about salvation and was married.  Even my parents are "old school" in their values and beliefs, even to this day. Maybe I was raised "Almost Amish" in a way.

Here is the link, check it out. http://www.qideas.org/blog/almost-amish.aspx

Two of my favorite quotes from it are

"The Amish have a saying: 'A happy marriage is a long conversation that always seems too short.'" 

and

 "Half a century ago, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a sermon entitled “Paul’s Letter to American Christians.” In it, King warns that moral advances are not keeping abreast with our technological advances: 'Through your scientific genius you have made of the world a neighborhood, but through your moral and spiritual genius you have failed to make of it a brotherhood.'"

 Maybe I need to allow myself the benefit of not trying to save the world - or at least not contemplating how it would be done. Maybe I shouldn't try to borrow tomorrow's trouble. Maybe I shouldn't...not trust God and ignore what my Bible really says. Honestly, if I look back through Biblical accounts, there are few accounts of God's people not being on the receiving end of injustice and isolation and strife. 

Why do I think I deserve better?

Rebuilding in Haiti

Compassion has worked in Haiti for decades.  Long before the spotlight was turned on this country because of the earthquake that made the world pay them attention, Compassion was present and active. 

A Compassion advocate recently visited as part of a medical missions team that was unaffiliated with Compassion, but she ended up being surrounded by Compassion her entire trip. 

You can read about her trip and experiences here.

I particularly thought her account of how the new hospital was being built was particularly interesting.  Here is an excerpt that stuck out to me:

Julian explained that the hole is being dug by pick and shovel rather than with large excavators.

“Because Compassion asked that, rather than hiring one man to work the excavator, we hire lots of local men in order to help as many as possible. Although these men would gladly work for anything offered to them, Compassion requires us to pay a wage that compares to the national average. This is now the largest work force on the island.
Compassion also asked us to not use pre-made items from the United States so we can develop the local economy and teach the workers skills they can use in the future. This same work model will be used for building Compassion child development centers in the future.”

Courtesy of Compassion International: http://blog.compassion.com/making-a-visible-difference-in-haiti/#ixzz1yuMWJAYK

And the winner is...

The winner of the "Just a Minute" book is MARIA!  Maria, I will send you a private message to arrange getting it to you.

Thank you to those who entered.  I have another extra copy that I may be giving away in the future, so you may still have a chance to win it. 

"Just a Minute" review and giveaway

I just finished reading "Just a Minute" by Compassion International's CEO, Wess Stafford.

I don't know where to begin talking about this book.

First, I will tell you what this book is not.  It is not an advertisement for Compassion or child sponsorship or just another "Chicken Soup for the Soul".

When I first heard about the concept for "Just a Minute", I was instantly interested. I am a person who can think of tons of "minutes" that changed the course of my life.  Sometimes when I look back over my life, it looks like those scenes from a movie where someone is dying and their life flashes before their eyes in random snapshots that are unrelated, but come together and make sense. I know that these individual minutes have created a web to make me who I am today. I have always realized that little things we do and say to others, even those we barely know, can have a big impact on them, because they have made an impact on me.  I was indeed like wet cement as a child - very impressionable. Thankfully, I had many adults who spoke goodness, encouragement, and love into my life, even as other adults spoke hurt, discouragement, and judgement. 

So, obviously, I was excited to read this book.  But what I didn't expect was just how well written and interestingly woven the book as a whole would be.  I read most of it while I was sitting by the pool waiting while my kids had swim lessons.  The parents who sat around me probably thought I was a bit crazy.  One minute I would laugh out loud, another moment I would be a bit teary-eyed or choked up.

Years ago, Josh and I tried for several years to get pregnant, with no success. God opened my eyes to the fact that, even if I never had children of my own, I had children all around me who needed adults to take notice of them, encourage them, or support them. They need adults, other than their parents, to tell them that they matter and someone cares about them.  But this book was like a "refresher course" about the power of a simple word or action - how it can build or destroy.  As I read this book, I was even more deliberate in the way I treated my children, my neighbor's and friend's children, and even children I came across in the store.

Now, to be fully transparent, there is a story I submitted in this book and I have been asked to share my opinion about the book with my blog readers.  But after reading the book, I am not quite sure how my story made it in!  It isn't just a book about "average Joes and Janes" like me, but of world and ministry leaders as well.  It talks about minutes in the lives of people like Colin Powell, Tony Dungy, and even Adolph Hitler, who made them who they were.

It talks about parents, grandparents, teachers, neighbors, coaches, and strangers who made people become artists, musicians, teachers, and more.

 I have a copy of this book that I would like to give away to someone.  The only thing I ask is if you enter to win it, I would like you to read it within the next 6 months and tell me what you thought of it or share a review on your blog.

To enter, simply leave a comment telling me that you'd like the book.  You could also share your own "minute" or "minutes" that had an incredible impact in your life and copy and paste it on the "Just a Minute" web site here, but it is not required in order to enter that giveaway.  I will select a winner on Friday or Saturday. I moderate my comments, so your comments will not appear immediately.