tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23957538332233066752024-03-04T08:41:45.062-05:00Mommy SpiritA place where I cheer for moms everywhere and share my favorite mommy moments.Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10751729674145716517noreply@blogger.comBlogger561125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-19053252305948809702024-03-02T10:12:00.001-05:002024-03-02T10:12:20.720-05:00To Be the Mom of a Fifteen-Year-Old<p>I don't really remember my fifteenth year that much, but I do remember being a teenager. I had this God-awful perm that was all the rage back then, and I tried to feather my bangs using tons of Aqua Net or whatever knock-off brand I could find. My clothes matched each year's fad, too--big, hoop, neon earrings; balloon dresses; shiny blouses; black, velvety, stirrup pants. Yes, I was quite the fashion plate, which is the reason why I have not saved a single clothing item or piece of jewelry from this era. (Pictures are scarce, too.) Combine these awesome fashion choices with a pimply face, large nose (my nose grew faster than my face), and a tall frame that was always hunched over, and boys were lined up to invite me to the prom--NOT!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG76YYsgD6aqOcJahmAy3OjgOoCderU-UYggI0sCv8Eq1sQvAOQaZrSUQ-9BVG59h6mvKXUpGFiCYKfbuGqRoAnzwgh1tf1HZeaElJtPVHyR0-79TQDwiAbO35J-sc5gCygfF0ihA0D8avoANtbkBWLd8g8vKB86HBsxarhQuY3ywuOPoynH9QS_mJxHc/s4032/IMG_3914.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG76YYsgD6aqOcJahmAy3OjgOoCderU-UYggI0sCv8Eq1sQvAOQaZrSUQ-9BVG59h6mvKXUpGFiCYKfbuGqRoAnzwgh1tf1HZeaElJtPVHyR0-79TQDwiAbO35J-sc5gCygfF0ihA0D8avoANtbkBWLd8g8vKB86HBsxarhQuY3ywuOPoynH9QS_mJxHc/w640-h480/IMG_3914.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p>I choose to forget this timeframe for obvious reasons, and yet, here's my son going through this same awkward phase. The phase when friends adore you in private but ignore you in public; when you think you know everything--from high fashion to honors biology--but come up short; when friends' opinions matter but parents know nothing; and when life seems to be a boring drag because you're too young to be an independent adult but too old to enjoy all the things you loved as a child.</p><p>I'm trying to navigate this period as carefully as I can... A part of me wants to say, "I was a teenager, too, and it sucked. In just a few more years, trust me, you will find yourself, and all the things you didn't care about or pretended not to care about <u>will matter</u>. Your school education will matter; the news and what's going on in the world will matter, your parents' valuable life experiences will matter, and even the vacations and family outings we make you go on against your will, will matter."</p><p>For now, because history repeats itself, and teenagers will be teenagers (even if they are Gen Z), here are some of my favorite and not-so-favorite musings about raising my teenage son.</p><p><b>Cologne</b> - In the summer, one of Lewie's friends started ordering Dr. Squatch soap. (I think it was advertised on TikTok.) Before long, Lewie was begging me to buy the soap, too. His favorite scent: Coconut Castaway. (I'll admit--these soaps do smell like a dream.) Eventually, the soap led to a favorite cologne--Fireside Bourbon. </p><p>The cologne story doesn't stop there. His friend LOVES smelling good so much that he asked for a variety of colognes as Christmas gifts, and he loves going to the mall just to test out new fragrances. Now, Lewie is rocking "Afnan 9 PM" (a cologne he begged me to buy him), but he puts on way too much. I advise him to wear less every day, but since I don't know what I'm talking about, I'm going to see if Daddy Lew can run interference.</p><p><b>The Mint-Green Sweatshirt</b> - In September, Lewie and I went to Boston with his best friend and best friend's mom. We had a delightful time exploring the city, especially eating at Quincy Market. On our way to the Duck Tour, Lewie pulled me over because he saw a sweatshirt he liked. I was taken aback. Lewie interested in clothes? This was a first. He pointed to a mint-green, Boston hoodie hanging on a vendor cart. I was surprised by the color but didn't want to critique the very first clothing item my son had ever picked out for himself. "Can he try it on?" I asked the woman working at the cart. She had all sizes, so he proudly left with a large, Boston, mint-green sweatshirt that day.</p><p>As I bought the $40 shirt, I did wonder if I would be wasting my money. Maybe he was just buying something because he saw his friend buy a few things...That worry, however, is way in the past now. Since that fateful moment, Lewie has worn his sweatshirt EVERY DAY. Since he hates wearing coats, he proudly wears his hoodie instead, and I mean, PROUDLY. On more than one occasion, he's told me his sweatshirt is perfect because the color complements all of his clothes. I've reminded him that he has other hoodies, sweaters, and long-sleeved shirts, but they haven't been touched. On occasion, he might wear another navy blue sweatshirt that he designed himself, but this mint-green hoodie travels with him everywhere. </p><p>Fast forward six months, and this hoodie is starting to pill as it's seen better days, but I can't convince him to wear anything else. At this point, only the promise of warmer weather may get him to part from his favorite clothing article of all time.</p><p><b>Ski Club - </b>The answer to my prayers came in the form of Ski Club. At the beginning of high school, I was begging, even pleading, for my son to get involved in <b>something</b>. I know by now my son's interests are in everything related to computers and computer applications--coding, AI, graphic design, and music production, to name a few; however, I kept telling him that colleges want to see a "well-rounded student." They look at sports, volunteerism, clubs, and activities just as seriously as they look at grades. He'd listen to my request, promise to consider getting involved, and then put it on the back burner.</p><p>In January, out of nowhere, Lewie gave me a form to fill out for Ski Club. Say what?! "Yeah, my friends are going to do it, so I want to sign up." I was shocked. I knew he had friends that liked skiing, but anytime I proposed the idea of taking lessons, he wasn't interested. Now he was joining the high school club. After some further investigation, I learned that meets were on Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at a nearby ski place, and I could pay for him to have lessons. He wasn't thrilled about them. "My friends can just teach me," he responded, but I pleaded that he take them, and when that didn't sink in, I let the club advisors know I wanted him to take the lessons, too.</p><p>Fast forward to March, and Ski Club is over. On the positive side, he LOVES skiing, and he is definitely joining again next year. On the hesitant side, during Lewie's last day of ski club, he went down a black diamond and plowed into the ski patrol building--no exaggeration. The ski patrol heard the thud and immediately came out to examine him for any signs of a concussion or broken bones. (His classmates, witnessing him going airborne, made him into a rockstar.) He was super fortunate that he walked away from it with just a few bruised muscles, but as a neurotic mom, I will be after him to take more lessons and get more practice before he decides to go down a black diamond again.</p><p><b>High School</b> - High school is continuing to be a beast. Lewie is taking mostly honors classes this year, and his three hardest subjects are Honors Biology, Honors Geometry, and Honors Spanish II. (He's only a freshman.) I had no idea that some of the material would be so advanced, and even I, at times, catch myself saying, "Why does he need to know this?" Unfortunately, I have to keep my opinions to myself because Lewie asks this question every day. Just yesterday, my son commented, "I'm going to work with computers; why do I need to know about DNA synthesis?" </p><p>Biology definitely seems to be the hardest; in my high school and even college biology classes, we were dissecting frogs and learning about the body's eleven organ systems. Now it's learning about the cell cycle, DNA replication, and cancer and genetic mutations (to name a few). When I try to help him study, I have to learn all of this from PowerPoint slides with the hope that I know enough to be able to quiz him. A part of me wants to say, "Yeah, Lewie, don't worry about this. You're not going to need to know this level of detail unless you go into this field," but then I have to stop myself. With college looming around the corner, he has to prove he understands everything in order to be accepted and, even further, to receive some type of academic scholarship. I wish I could say I wasn't counting down the days until Lewie's summer vacation, but I would be lying.</p><p><b>Driving </b>- Lewie is not able to get his driver's permit yet, but one of his friends turned 16 in December, and two are turning 16 in March. I'm not ready for this stage and am happy I don't have to think about it until August. Still, it's fun to listen to his friends talk about it. One friend has created some type of acronym to remember that the gas pedal is on the right and the brake is on the left. Another is now examining his own parents' driving habits: "Yeah, my mom is a terrible driver; she's always texting." (I know this mom. Should I be worried?!) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXixt04hYNQveQZE1yryP3rlU1VxLvqDOSl8ciz43k5yqMRRqy4Oqm-Yh8fI5qjJfGPipk88tyIcvUN7W8wiorxW3Oh6_-muU8-B6-qW0JqceP9uF-OspsX8Y-6_jFQVV-6GbyRnM2kSSPofY6TvdHXpVe6x1bpgCOQwVZIYegXa-VeoKiBF9C-0CpuQ/s4032/IMG_3912.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXixt04hYNQveQZE1yryP3rlU1VxLvqDOSl8ciz43k5yqMRRqy4Oqm-Yh8fI5qjJfGPipk88tyIcvUN7W8wiorxW3Oh6_-muU8-B6-qW0JqceP9uF-OspsX8Y-6_jFQVV-6GbyRnM2kSSPofY6TvdHXpVe6x1bpgCOQwVZIYegXa-VeoKiBF9C-0CpuQ/w640-h480/IMG_3912.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p>Yes, to say I'm not acclimated to the life of raising a teenager is putting it mildly. It terrifies me, and yet, it also makes me laugh and see how this incredibly awkward stage is all a necessary evil. How can Lewie turn into a young man if he doesn't test the waters? How can he learn to be an individual without being free to make some of his own choices (good, bad, or indifferent)? How can he learn how to make his own friends and learn what good friends are if Mom and Dad are always trying to protect him? in the meantime, I'll keep forcing him to participate in mandatory family fun, knowing one day, when he's all grown up, he'll appreciate it (I think).</p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-65004913709975828692024-01-16T19:55:00.005-05:002024-01-16T19:55:42.749-05:00Surgery<p>On Friday, I went in for umbilical hernia surgery. If you had asked me about this kind of surgery a year ago, I would have said, "Umbilical what?"</p><p>The universe works in strange ways. Last April, I went for my routine mammogram and ultrasound. I had nipple discharge when they were squeezing one of my breasts flat like a pancake, so they decided I might need to see a "breast specialist" to determine if this might be indicative of an early Cancer finding. Lucky for me, it wasn't.</p><p>However, as I was getting dressed and about to leave the breast specialist's office, she turned and said to me, "Honey, you need to get that thing fixed."</p><p>"What?" I asked, perplexed.</p><p>"Your hernia," she answered.</p><p>I still looked at her, confused. "What hernia?" I finally asked.</p><p>She pointed to my belly button and said, "That one."</p><p>I was amazed. My ugly belly button (and it is ugly) popped out around the time I was pregnant. My husband innocently joked that it pushed out like a "turkey timer." indicating that "Little Lewie" was done in the oven. When I was pregnant, it was kind of cute, but when my belly receded, it looked gross and weird. With some of my shirts and sweaters, people could see its imprint, and someone even suggested I try and "tape it down," so it would be less conspicuous. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFpLApNV02MyF8DyZa6dTDgkXR0aN8LF6L_qpFwhow50TnG4gnQLhjPAgq6iH3wnUFd9PlVk9VaIDeOoKxLvEE6TtwULtbJTiflU9Fb5-jVNwxj-3A-_TEtwAH1sClvHMjmk-EkzvNIZrZ2xfepzKHTbsDeC7SOa_RcpnhS05x6pfpsUyjBmiYQtrLzU/s640/IMG_3997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFpLApNV02MyF8DyZa6dTDgkXR0aN8LF6L_qpFwhow50TnG4gnQLhjPAgq6iH3wnUFd9PlVk9VaIDeOoKxLvEE6TtwULtbJTiflU9Fb5-jVNwxj-3A-_TEtwAH1sClvHMjmk-EkzvNIZrZ2xfepzKHTbsDeC7SOa_RcpnhS05x6pfpsUyjBmiYQtrLzU/w300-h400/IMG_3997.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihm2z4RafPEif4Xh7QwkQiByARGgpQczIyTzCldXcfTLPLVx2wFHYR7TpLrFkT0dbn77Vtr7CWwm30nFp3re5LnCsX-rZ1R-LH0o6kPhMwfff-E8UEGX8rBn6rcx75LGAjesqKgmBqxCuc9hRb1_BM4ZvejiXk9s_o1MrppfVUNXeQ1eYl7Wn7V9ka1AA/s640/IMG_3999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihm2z4RafPEif4Xh7QwkQiByARGgpQczIyTzCldXcfTLPLVx2wFHYR7TpLrFkT0dbn77Vtr7CWwm30nFp3re5LnCsX-rZ1R-LH0o6kPhMwfff-E8UEGX8rBn6rcx75LGAjesqKgmBqxCuc9hRb1_BM4ZvejiXk9s_o1MrppfVUNXeQ1eYl7Wn7V9ka1AA/w300-h400/IMG_3999.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizr3FSqp8CfHZfIZEuvkWBjrHY1dJic4fynyYFgUuS0NAF4nD68zMGv2Yc2GbJUyr2h2-y7uGSAdyhsXKYDM_uuXwr5qKCHLrk6xA49znpPxkkIvX6Z9j582bhtI9t9V9JHVOI6UwkPTwvQH8O1DfNd0ET75sx3Z3mqbCCYeYlizfBKFX5x3JFgXfL43o/s640/IMG_4019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizr3FSqp8CfHZfIZEuvkWBjrHY1dJic4fynyYFgUuS0NAF4nD68zMGv2Yc2GbJUyr2h2-y7uGSAdyhsXKYDM_uuXwr5qKCHLrk6xA49znpPxkkIvX6Z9j582bhtI9t9V9JHVOI6UwkPTwvQH8O1DfNd0ET75sx3Z3mqbCCYeYlizfBKFX5x3JFgXfL43o/w300-h400/IMG_4019.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>These were my pregnancy photos when my belly button first started to pop out. <br />Since then, it has been pushed out further with a bulge.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>"Does it bother you?"</p><p>"No," I answered. I honestly thought it was a battle scar from pregnancy.</p><p>She proceeded to tell me that I had an umbilical hernia, which could lead to complications later on in life. The worst-case scenario is that my intestines, or worse, a section of my bowel could become stuck outside the abdomen. </p><p>I stopped her there; talking about my innards coming out was not a conversation I was ready to have. I asked if she could recommend a surgeon, and I left with two names of doctors from the hospital who could help me.</p><p>Last April, I was certainly not ready to have surgery. I was still actively searching for a job, and summer was right around the corner. I knew the procedure would put me out for about six weeks, so I couldn't make that commitment. What if I got called back for a second interview? Employers wouldn't understand or wait for me to recover when they have a job to fill.</p><p>In December (after working at the land trust for five months), I decided now (Jan.) was the time. My bosses were understanding, and it was just the beginning of winter. (Most land trust activity occurs during the spring, summer, and fall when people are gardening, hiking, and attending outdoor events.) There would still be work for me to do at the trust, but some could be done at home for the first week or so.</p><p>The procedure wasn't terrible, but it was a little scary. Doctors and nurses had me repeat my name and birthdate over and over again as they placed tags on me and had me fill out forms. (I thought it was interesting that they put the IV in my right wrist area [my dominant hand] <i>and then asked me to sign.)</i> </p><p>The IV stung, and I couldn't look at the blood that dripped from my hand as the nurse announced, "It looks like you're a bleeder." Soon enough, I was wheeled into the surgery room, where I would be accompanied by my doctor, two anesthesiologists, and a nurse advocate. (The nurse advocate told me he would be watching my vital signs and caring for me while I was put under. I let him know that I had a mom, husband, fifteen-year-old son, and dog waiting for me at home, so he wasn't just my advocate, he had to think about them, too. I said this in a joking manner, but I was dead serious--no pun intended.)</p><p>The operating table was thin and metal. I had to lie on my back (no pillow allowed), and my arms and legs were spread out like a Gingerbread man. They put clamps on my arms and some others on my legs, which would rhythmically compress and relax to help my blood flow and protect me from blood clots. Next, electrodes for the EKG monitor were placed on my chest and sides. By now, I was really starting to feel nervous under the bright lights, wishing they would just put me out. I didn't need to know any more about what was happening. The last thing I knew was they hooked up my IV and put an oxygen tube in my nose. Then everything went dark until I woke up.</p><p>When I woke up, I saw five nurses in front of me all sitting at their own computer monitors. I was pretty alert. "You're not all monitoring me?" I asked them jokingly.</p><p>"No," they laughed, "there are two other patients on each side of you. They haven't woke up yet." I couldn't see the other patients because the curtains were drawn. They gave me post-op instructions and waited for me to pee before they called my husband for pickup. Then, they helped me dress. I'm not sure how long I was in the recovery room, but I do know that it only took 30 minutes from the time I woke up to the time my husband arrived. Everyone (all the nurses and doctors) was amazing.</p><p>Now it's day four, and I'm lying on the couch with an ice pack on my belly. I've been able to shower, and I get around by shuffling my feet, but I have trouble bending and lifting myself up. I've been banned from driving, lifting, doing household chores, and going to work until the doctor gives me permission. It sounds like I will be able to drive and go to work next week, but any sort of exercise, whether it's walking Bruce, yoga poses, running, jumping, hiking, or snow tubing is all going to have to wait for the next six weeks. My hope is to get better in time to still go snow tubing with Lewie and his friends.</p><p>I might not have wanted to start out 2024 lying around with a sore, bandaged belly, but I'm grateful it's all behind me now. Even more, I'm thankful it was a procedure I could take care of now before it became a problem. (It's much easier to go through a surgery at 48 instead of 68!)</p><p>The lesson learned is if one has a "turkey timer" for a belly button or anything weird on their body, the best advice is to get it checked out. It could be nothing, but it is best to let doctors, and not yourself, make that call.</p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-79962134149085996992024-01-07T02:59:00.004-05:002024-01-15T12:36:40.100-05:00Hello 2024: Can You Help Me Find My Way?<p>I LOVE New Year's Day--it's a fresh start to a 365-day cycle of new beginnings. I have the typical New Year's Resolutions--eat less, exercise more, save money, get organized, be kind, be my best self... These resolutions, or mini-goals, however, will progress and regress throughout the year. The hope is that I will have more "good days" of staying committed than bad.</p><p>I'm looking forward to 2024 for a different reason--</p><p>to find myself--or perhaps more, to find meaning. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoblEeqMQbuDcMoQoJCeWpa2tYI_cgUWgOrR4MBnp7Tf8TzB_LqUB0mZ1wr9ud9h-21ElROVJkSU9smZYF11Zs_MBX96uuEF0roJBXU6SRT6teFL-5TkMp6qAGWduIcJXVC9WVe0FjtuQSDf10ITCnQ70PQd2q7vAx0IJd92YU0HdPnqEL151-1P7-cc/s600/2024%20Directional%20Sign.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoblEeqMQbuDcMoQoJCeWpa2tYI_cgUWgOrR4MBnp7Tf8TzB_LqUB0mZ1wr9ud9h-21ElROVJkSU9smZYF11Zs_MBX96uuEF0roJBXU6SRT6teFL-5TkMp6qAGWduIcJXVC9WVe0FjtuQSDf10ITCnQ70PQd2q7vAx0IJd92YU0HdPnqEL151-1P7-cc/w640-h424/2024%20Directional%20Sign.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://depositphotos.com/photos/2024.html" target="_blank">Source</a></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Over the years, my dream board (yes, I have one) has become cluttered, so much so, that I don't even remember everything I posted. As I am writing this, I've decided to take everything down and start from scratch. There are pictures of what I'd like our house to look like if we ever have it remodeled. Those will go back up. Then there are picture quotes that came from a calendar I used to own; those are going back up, too. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx70AXTJsQQAtYKtZLU0oz0gt-ZZyWOgSynCnPAuQUen2W2WK4jI1ht-1fWhrGuNmtLewfVNyqafuHv56buxa0PXnd8aR7Szp0HxXQNLIiND9y0POFc0FY40pRc0SjgxOjiLinWVBKmXjti8GqMnezxzXVJ_GzMl-l6_pdeSo0CKlzutHQ1pP4f1rpwNU/s640/Old%20Dream%20Board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx70AXTJsQQAtYKtZLU0oz0gt-ZZyWOgSynCnPAuQUen2W2WK4jI1ht-1fWhrGuNmtLewfVNyqafuHv56buxa0PXnd8aR7Szp0HxXQNLIiND9y0POFc0FY40pRc0SjgxOjiLinWVBKmXjti8GqMnezxzXVJ_GzMl-l6_pdeSo0CKlzutHQ1pP4f1rpwNU/s320/Old%20Dream%20Board.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I also have pictures of National Parks. Interestingly, I have one of Bryce Canyon and another of Yosemite. Did I post them after I went or before? I don't remember, but I do know that I have had things on my dream board come true. Once I posted a picture of a Subaru Outback, and within the year, we ended up buying one. (That was before I even knew we were going to need a car!) </p><p>I have some business cards posted--mostly to go along with remodeling the house. They've been up there for years--maybe even a decade. I might do a Google search to see if these companies are still in business and then put them somewhere else for safekeeping... I have salary requirements listed there, too. Amounts that are not super extravagant but would help us lead a more financially secure life.</p><p>As I look at my dream board, which, in all honesty, hasn't been tended to much over the years, the one picture that stands out says, "To find yourself, sometimes you need to be lost." I liked the picture at the time because it's of an "A-Frame" house--(I love them)--and it's in the woods--(my favorite place to be).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjRPnwC8JrVa_li_VRaZjvbioxNoKukN77VuwIuuyapf9BcYOLIS0HQjzfNCp3gTGqggXo2TETOh0yyI7Q7ttXgMXyqDcll7BB6U7pOYx2ImYMVHCU_MqK1dbPDLb_uGtcbWPWABzBYS-WTbJjvi0QfhLP_S9MjdPaMwM7PJSSZklDQuzZGFzqdGPAkc/s640/To%20Find%20Yourself...Lost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjRPnwC8JrVa_li_VRaZjvbioxNoKukN77VuwIuuyapf9BcYOLIS0HQjzfNCp3gTGqggXo2TETOh0yyI7Q7ttXgMXyqDcll7BB6U7pOYx2ImYMVHCU_MqK1dbPDLb_uGtcbWPWABzBYS-WTbJjvi0QfhLP_S9MjdPaMwM7PJSSZklDQuzZGFzqdGPAkc/w400-h400/To%20Find%20Yourself...Lost.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The picture gravitates to me now because that's me--I'm lost! After being laid off (after 21 years of service to a small liberal arts college), I spent the majority of last year looking for a job. At first, I was selective, but after having interview after interview with no job offer in-site, I started applying to any position that remotely utilized my skillset--even jobs where I would be totally unhappy (writing for a health insurance agency--YUCK!)</p><p>When I finally did score a position in conservation, I truly wanted it to be "my new second home," but as I started learning more about the position, I realized it's not "my forever" either. The people are nice, and I am in love with the mission (to protect Mother Nature), but the daily work itself (pay bills, take minutes, print expense reports, attend small festivals to hand out brochures) feels trite and uneventful. Yes, I did get to sign off on a fee donation of 26 acres to our little land trust (a beautiful piece of property with Hemlock forest and vernal pools), but it wasn't because I made it happen. It's because someone with a generous heart (and a desire for a tax deduction) decided to give it to us. </p><p>When I worked in higher education, I touched people's lives, and thankfully I continue to teach. As a dean, my position mattered. I not only helped students graduate, but I also helped thousands more learn about our programs, enroll, and believe in themselves. I was part of important discussions about policy, equity, inclusion, curricula, mental health, career development, and student success. I miss that, and yet, there is a part of me that continues to say, "Stay in conservation--your heart is there, too."</p><p>I am lost. A huge part of me wants to go back to higher education, but then I fantasize about other opportunities. Do I want to get a real estate license? Do I want to get my Ph.D.? Do I want to do my own podcast? Do I want to work for a retreat center? Do I want to write a book? The truth is that I have many interests, such as writing, career development, student success, mental & spiritual health, conservation, and sustainability, to name a few. The big question is--where do I go from here?</p><p>Last year taught me that planning doesn't necessarily get us closer to our goals. If I could have made things happen for myself, I would have been working as a dean again at a nearby college. (I was interviewed for four such positions.) Instead, after dozens of interviews, I was hired by a land trust! I learned that I had to keep an open mind and an open heart, and more, I learned that I need to be patient.</p><p>Now I am lost in the woods with a compass, asking which way is "true North." Last year, since I had the time, I would take our dog, Bruce, on hikes with no set plans. We would try various trails and see where they would lead. Sometimes, they would lead to swampy marshes, and we would have to turn back, and other times, we found hidden gems (waterfalls, mirror lakes, and busy beaver ponds) where we would stand and marvel for hours. The woods started to feel like my sanctuary, and I repeated to myself the words of John Muir again and again...</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>"And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul."</b></span></p><p>Sometimes, during our hikes, I would rehearse answers to potential interview questions, and other times, I would go to contemplate--to find meaning or get clarity about this next stage in my life. In many ways, life was handing me a blank slate--to be anything I wanted, and still, fears about money, my age, and my abilities clouded the journey.</p><p>I wanted to believe all my meditation walking led me to "my forever," but now I see that it simply presented "a next step." With so much indecisiveness and ambiguity about what I want to do, I realize now I need to take a step back and enjoy the journey.</p><p>Last year, I was in panic mode. "I need a job," I'd tell myself again and again. This year, I can take out the panic and simply be. Of course, I am busy--I work full-time at the land trust, teach multiple courses, and give library talks about career readiness (all while being a mom, wife, daughter, dog mom, and friend). </p><p>Still, I will make time for discovery. It's okay to be lost. </p><p>I have uncluttered my dream board and will put up new hopes and dreams as they emerge. </p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-39888328396773593812023-12-28T13:04:00.003-05:002023-12-28T13:12:49.740-05:00High School Happenings (Grade 9 - First Semester)<p>On August 28th, Lewie started high school, and it's been a whirlwind, to say the least. On the one hand, Lewie's "social transition" has been great. Since most of his friends are in a grade above him, he missed them last year as he was in middle school while they were all starting their first year of high school. This year, with him being in 9th and them being in 10th, he's been fortunate to have lunch with them and even to be in one or two of their classes!</p><p>Since Lewie does not play sports, I was eager to have him get involved in other ways--maybe he could join theater or an assortment of clubs, such as chess or math. He turned them down, citing he wasn't interested, and they would take him away from his homework time. (I even had his school counselor and advisor strongly encourage him to join "something.") </p><p>Then, at the start of October, I quickly saw his A average turn to low Bs and Cs. YIKES! Here I was stressing about his involvement in school, and now he was getting Ds on his quizzes and exams. I took advantage of "parent-teacher conferences" and quickly requested a review of his 504 plan.Then, I started emailing teachers (history, geometry, Spanish, and biology) to see how he could get back on track. I started dropping him off at school at 6:50 a.m. to get tutoring in geometry, and I had Spanish textbooks sent home, so I could tutor Lewie in Spanish. Needless to say, helping Lewie through high school, so far, has felt like a full-time job! Although, while most parents are spending HOURS of their time driving their kiddos to meets, practices, games, and competitions, I'm spending HOURS at home making flashcards and drilling him on high school trivia--factoids I thought I could leave behind 30 years ago after I received my diploma.</p><p>We've been retaking quizzes, but surprise, once he finally starts to gain traction, there's a new test or quiz (one he hasn't fully studied for yet), and he's back to the beginning. The cycle is exhausting, and I'm wondering if anyone else has this trouble. Lewie's a bright kid and does his homework, but the tests come...and even with extra time and a quiet environment...he struggles. Either his memory is not there or his ability to apply what he knows to the problems in front of him is missing. After the New Year, mid-terms will be starting on Jan. 12th, and we'll be back to feeling stressed out. We've been studying what we can over the winter break, but I can't tutor him in history, biology, or geometry. Top that off with the fact that he tested positive for COVID on the Saturday just before Christmas, and he's been battling exhaustion (and frustration from having to quarantine away from friends and family), too.</p><p>In other high school news, Lewie had his first Homecoming Dance in November. In typical high school drama fashion, he told a friend he was thinking about asking a particular girl to the dance, and the message got back to her. I never received the full story, but supposedly, she said she wasn't interested in going with him because she wanted to go with someone else. Thankfully, he didn't let "being rejected" (his words) stop him from going. One of his friends went with a long-term girlfriend (of one year), and his other two friends went solo, like Lewie. I bought him a cheap tux on Amazon and made sure his dress shoes from his 8th-grade graduation still fit. I have to admit that he left looking (and smelling) pretty dapper.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iuec0SqLFV54h9xunbpsyQSWll-LSYrfHMykc0jm_13p-RbI3NoD6dFMMwAuKidrBxcDVBJKXSBOi8wPegDVfWbWTDe_kMG6uet9F30A06FOQMPZgkqWssy5GGga6uzFGTfarxZdfQe51YB7vi7n2QMTfybRZzaq7EDZtSSoIWVv0GvRIqicbRGpnAA/s4032/IMG_0629.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iuec0SqLFV54h9xunbpsyQSWll-LSYrfHMykc0jm_13p-RbI3NoD6dFMMwAuKidrBxcDVBJKXSBOi8wPegDVfWbWTDe_kMG6uet9F30A06FOQMPZgkqWssy5GGga6uzFGTfarxZdfQe51YB7vi7n2QMTfybRZzaq7EDZtSSoIWVv0GvRIqicbRGpnAA/w480-h640/IMG_0629.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcflQWgD_hyphenhyphen9ajcz2WHPAlSWPHl1wr7rYX7RmwOO-7dIyYutvCxg0UIVqGPG1Dq_fLgl47pSDmhaKqf3T2wcp_-dRc2lIxJXGbn3ohdh9Zl3-GsYBrD_blwe0zMgxhVcycyTw6nNMuH458NxWFitPKbDQPRKIXLepx1lC6WkzVk1dybawaHcO_-ZwHtyM/s4032/IMG_3779.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcflQWgD_hyphenhyphen9ajcz2WHPAlSWPHl1wr7rYX7RmwOO-7dIyYutvCxg0UIVqGPG1Dq_fLgl47pSDmhaKqf3T2wcp_-dRc2lIxJXGbn3ohdh9Zl3-GsYBrD_blwe0zMgxhVcycyTw6nNMuH458NxWFitPKbDQPRKIXLepx1lC6WkzVk1dybawaHcO_-ZwHtyM/w640-h480/IMG_3779.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AZZsUuppsszukXnLZIrAfHPMFnZWkKMtzGNGn01Nj0zCdhYS-1Kw_aJe0a3VJ-rvPeZ-dQ3fCIBdHU2zLTBcRmkzmR3kRZGfUVEhDxvcuDTM1SBtTCmzU89iT9P6da1qkwYJS69exHebsuN9zbfP6haZEidhMRQDJ_ZWLzA5KrlK3CIcIQp4oX2XXGk/s4032/IMG_3782.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AZZsUuppsszukXnLZIrAfHPMFnZWkKMtzGNGn01Nj0zCdhYS-1Kw_aJe0a3VJ-rvPeZ-dQ3fCIBdHU2zLTBcRmkzmR3kRZGfUVEhDxvcuDTM1SBtTCmzU89iT9P6da1qkwYJS69exHebsuN9zbfP6haZEidhMRQDJ_ZWLzA5KrlK3CIcIQp4oX2XXGk/w640-h480/IMG_3782.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Upon returning, he was disappointed. I am paraphrasing here, but ultimately, he had three complaints:</span></div><p>1. Barely anyone brought a date, and if they did, they didn't dance together. The girls danced with the girls and the boys with the boys (like middle school all over again).</p><p>2. The music was TOO LOUD, and the DJ asked for requests but didn't play them.</p><p>3. The "food" was Dunkin Donuts, cookies, and other desserts.</p><p>I felt bad that Lewie was looking forward to this dance for the past year only to feel like it wasn't much better than middle school. He showed me a video where the high school gym was packed, looking like almost every student from the school attended. Still, he wasn't impressed. He didn't have an opportunity to dance with any girls, and the girl he did want to ask ended up going solo herself. Even his own friend didn't spend much time with his girlfriend. According to Lewie, they only stayed with each other long enough to dance to some of the slow songs.</p><p>Ughhhh, high school. I'm not a fan. The studies are more challenging and so are all the adolescent emotions and life lessons. My son is excited one day and down the next. He's always tired, and it's tough to get him interested in anything beyond his friends and technology. He knows doing well in school is a requirement in this house, and yet, he groans and complains every time I suggest he study or we study together. Driving, of course, is on all of his friends' minds, and next year, Lewie will be old enough to apply for his learner's permit. Can I reverse time, <i>please</i>? If anyone has any words of wisdom, I sure could use them right now.</p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-47392750297751240402023-12-25T00:56:00.005-05:002023-12-25T06:40:44.681-05:00A Christmas in the Woods<p>This August, I embarked on a new journey, which took me quite literally "in the woods." I went from being a higher education administrator (for over 21 years) to becoming an executive director at a local land trust. I had neither executive director nor land trust experience, but what I did have was an eagerness to learn the position and a passion for conserving forest, farmland, waterways, and wilderness corridors.</p><p>Since this was a monumental change in my life, and both Daddy Lew and Little Lewie have been dragged into helping me out with a few functions, I told them that our Christmas card should be "wilderness" themed this year. I had already picked out the cutest safari outfit with red and white knee-high stockings (for Christmas flair). My husband, always wanting to make people laugh, immediately wanted to be Sasquatch or Big Foot. (The role suits him since he has size 14 feet!) For Lewie, I proposed a gnome, Boy Scout, animal, or tree of some sort. When his teenage self shuddered at the idea of doing any of them, I looked up "tree costume" on Amazon and found the most adorable "Pretend I'm a Tree" T-shirt. That was it! I knew I wouldn't be able to force him to dress up in a full costume, but I could, at least, make him wear a funny shirt. (I must say, he did get into his tree character very well--he stood proud, tall, and still.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNX_2ySsZgTy4cI81MCKULpp9m0nn7Y90xEgTEGhbLPY7S0ujJZZT-UwtX-RU5L-vd-GFEoAw9ajL47UUeoS-oxCTb4tnmwSH759fzJ0IqB9nq_AVRgqpOFpVx8gSQyqvN8oPgmtAIuQ3BZNYRuExMpzvCwTOIIB0hTYuh3cg3mXIc5vPt1aLDxcSc_s/s900/BW%20Searching%20for%20Christmas.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="900" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNX_2ySsZgTy4cI81MCKULpp9m0nn7Y90xEgTEGhbLPY7S0ujJZZT-UwtX-RU5L-vd-GFEoAw9ajL47UUeoS-oxCTb4tnmwSH759fzJ0IqB9nq_AVRgqpOFpVx8gSQyqvN8oPgmtAIuQ3BZNYRuExMpzvCwTOIIB0hTYuh3cg3mXIc5vPt1aLDxcSc_s/w640-h512/BW%20Searching%20for%20Christmas.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Most of the pictures were meant to seem as if I was lost (i.e., trying to figure out directions) without knowing Sasquatch was just a foot away behind "the tree." I'm not sure if we fully captured that motif in our images, but it sure was fun! Of course, we had to have a few smiling family photos, too, including one where my husband reveals his face. (He was <i>so reluctant </i>to do it, but I insisted. Otherwise, how would anyone, then, truly know it was him?)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bGL1obIOaOaImnILKXTV23OA4DkbDi6PylhdLjjYOjF4FZyiLm5Jg_5CYE9Uo85Yyv42_yDQENJk0k6KwODBzQj_wvEbrRyVM9eh5x2URoen0YcuQx0vIsS9B0JTdyaC5QvRKTpFAPAJFei6wMfcMGhyL93wPWoSobEwajF5GlLiPa6ZCixb6yTEP24/s900/Lewie%20Stands%20Tall%20Between%20Us.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bGL1obIOaOaImnILKXTV23OA4DkbDi6PylhdLjjYOjF4FZyiLm5Jg_5CYE9Uo85Yyv42_yDQENJk0k6KwODBzQj_wvEbrRyVM9eh5x2URoen0YcuQx0vIsS9B0JTdyaC5QvRKTpFAPAJFei6wMfcMGhyL93wPWoSobEwajF5GlLiPa6ZCixb6yTEP24/w512-h640/Lewie%20Stands%20Tall%20Between%20Us.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmWPyVAgRiqsBxNpQgGxmxxHheqqnW47_Rjz-3vye3bM2D5YAYMymKS_r7Bbgx4nDwNc4KybGr293mo4Z-620w6jPZpdYveiq9Htf9k5BmALgWUAy48OQ_K7gqWHYfqeU1p-vZWlM7BUPcr7S8EygGpl4HU3sXath3lQM8C7uJzV0xBsA6SjluHJSwSw/s900/Let%20Me%20See%20My%20Map.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmWPyVAgRiqsBxNpQgGxmxxHheqqnW47_Rjz-3vye3bM2D5YAYMymKS_r7Bbgx4nDwNc4KybGr293mo4Z-620w6jPZpdYveiq9Htf9k5BmALgWUAy48OQ_K7gqWHYfqeU1p-vZWlM7BUPcr7S8EygGpl4HU3sXath3lQM8C7uJzV0xBsA6SjluHJSwSw/w512-h640/Let%20Me%20See%20My%20Map.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyvISbonI0KuTDdQ7Rq4AAtv8Py1SDlJRJ955SBgP3JUksgJo__3TzRvwN1xFwf4VusPszNxi9uiZH6feFqp9q1ovOCWOIIxBIvF2peXQJ01cFtJyACP9CXsq4n7XyPdMFz1jh497zNh5qrdssLk4AZV9JET_0bBY7ynFoUOY-GsP70SZ9dEms69Nh0c/s900/I'm%20Not%20Scared.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyvISbonI0KuTDdQ7Rq4AAtv8Py1SDlJRJ955SBgP3JUksgJo__3TzRvwN1xFwf4VusPszNxi9uiZH6feFqp9q1ovOCWOIIxBIvF2peXQJ01cFtJyACP9CXsq4n7XyPdMFz1jh497zNh5qrdssLk4AZV9JET_0bBY7ynFoUOY-GsP70SZ9dEms69Nh0c/w512-h640/I'm%20Not%20Scared.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="900" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTIyvqS-FAItPVaGfhdD6cj6DHCpop9Wvxjp-jTwl6aCC8E7IEVp6_hbjFOuRjy5sOIz3Z91FG2zLh19gI6skUfmv2oy62mpM9E-FjXYM-hmmXLCZcEsEpNs3YvBDPesUWDjbu_018aFHWcndLoZ-iYQKCyQ_nsQq2GS8hA6P0yQCbUF63DBzyzqNcHU/w640-h512/That's%20Our%20Kid.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirn7aHGGj6v6sp6n4wd0gmnBfakEgpY_9QqZ9aK1I0kAndjnpceq4eWL9Q9jsaU3TpYTIIPJMjBJlhZ4qmS_lgVFnixGPvf1Je-u8CvsoHPRzBDSLhRlFjrYDk3kbrVqXRIg8lDVB8W-eGNlmKJxDiH9qRYYs8cj7jCXLo-F7mFuRiJr6mw0ZtI0IRsEU/s900/We're%20a%20Fun%20Family.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="900" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirn7aHGGj6v6sp6n4wd0gmnBfakEgpY_9QqZ9aK1I0kAndjnpceq4eWL9Q9jsaU3TpYTIIPJMjBJlhZ4qmS_lgVFnixGPvf1Je-u8CvsoHPRzBDSLhRlFjrYDk3kbrVqXRIg8lDVB8W-eGNlmKJxDiH9qRYYs8cj7jCXLo-F7mFuRiJr6mw0ZtI0IRsEU/w640-h512/We're%20a%20Fun%20Family.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuaPs3fUkkq3VZvMJAa1PAbf9f81wilkT-K_qQR35kcpguR52daQA0kHbOvyZSlD4yrRIRnPfs0X4QxgBDMxidvegN9w59YM1sw8u60mFHz1g4tSpMzlxSZWYIH1y0UfLLH6ft4GGUtYsfKmeRT-WUvH8VmPiPIS1oFzmJu99nNO-8eqWBzFpfJchIUj8/s900/Big%20Foot%20Reveal%20with%20Family.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="900" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuaPs3fUkkq3VZvMJAa1PAbf9f81wilkT-K_qQR35kcpguR52daQA0kHbOvyZSlD4yrRIRnPfs0X4QxgBDMxidvegN9w59YM1sw8u60mFHz1g4tSpMzlxSZWYIH1y0UfLLH6ft4GGUtYsfKmeRT-WUvH8VmPiPIS1oFzmJu99nNO-8eqWBzFpfJchIUj8/w640-h512/Big%20Foot%20Reveal%20with%20Family.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Our card read, "Wishing you PEACE this holiday from our neck of the woods to yours." </div><div style="text-align: center;">It then said, "Wishing you love, laughter, & happy trails in 2024."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I personally don't know if my land trust journey will be my final career destination, but it's something that definitely made an impact in 2023. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my work commute into the woods and can see myself wanting to be a National Park tour guide in my retirement years...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Since my husband is a jokester, there was one more photo that only made it into ten of our Christmas cards--of course, the two Lews thought it was hilarious... I hope this incites a chuckle... <i>Poor tree!</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtczj-x5RbdFYNTk75pizFC_-ER1KFZeiQqXqfHj2Z0rrcnB_2dRnwu1VRZHH3QF8ZUG8IFqILtmSKQxLrcRfqnLDCS444JQ-6p6hDe5xaqkYSzhgkz3O9ARehIyLRHexWb2b5LsdubPtqO6ovJiohpWKw7BNMEPcEtxlftOW_3em2T0HCsoxfeuyqdA4/s900/Big%20Foot%20Peeing%20by%20the%20Tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtczj-x5RbdFYNTk75pizFC_-ER1KFZeiQqXqfHj2Z0rrcnB_2dRnwu1VRZHH3QF8ZUG8IFqILtmSKQxLrcRfqnLDCS444JQ-6p6hDe5xaqkYSzhgkz3O9ARehIyLRHexWb2b5LsdubPtqO6ovJiohpWKw7BNMEPcEtxlftOW_3em2T0HCsoxfeuyqdA4/w512-h640/Big%20Foot%20Peeing%20by%20the%20Tree.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy 2024 to All!</b></span></div>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-31668213335522269762023-11-11T07:50:00.004-05:002023-11-11T07:56:28.101-05:00Mystic, Newport, & the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular<p>Ever since we attended the <a href="https://mommyspirit.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-jack-o-lantern-spectacular-at-roger.html" target="_blank">Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular </a>at the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, RI. (when Lewie was seven years old), I vowed we would have to go again...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIh9liRfJaHfj-gjlKQN0IpmWGSdAp1GV2_l0wpkYB5fV8nQExLzLiXJsW8FUlQhnquvD2C8NtW1EMs4DAWGZ-LquEqwl-54bV3A5ZVbK-6p0MAN4gWlwxMy6AMkpMS13bGrpLOvkMsz3HpSIp1Ci5Q1LVEf0cO29zHnWW6LCPkxPKYWWr9QTk6-M5p3Y/s3072/IMG_7479.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIh9liRfJaHfj-gjlKQN0IpmWGSdAp1GV2_l0wpkYB5fV8nQExLzLiXJsW8FUlQhnquvD2C8NtW1EMs4DAWGZ-LquEqwl-54bV3A5ZVbK-6p0MAN4gWlwxMy6AMkpMS13bGrpLOvkMsz3HpSIp1Ci5Q1LVEf0cO29zHnWW6LCPkxPKYWWr9QTk6-M5p3Y/w640-h480/IMG_7479.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Although, this time, our trip looked a little different. This time it included FRIENDS because when there's a teenager involved, there has to be friends for anything to be remotely cool. Thankfully, the strategy worked. Not only did Lewie and his friends have a GREAT TIME, but Lew, me, and our friend Sue had an awesome time, too.<div><br /></div><div>On our way to the hotel, we first made a detour to Mystic, CT where we stopped at the <a href="https://oldemistickvillage.com/" target="_blank">Olde Mystic Village</a> for a bite to eat and to visit a few shops. (One thing we learned early on about these boys during our trip to North Conway, NH, is that they like to shop, which makes me chuckle because, under any other circumstance, Lewie NEVER wants to go shopping.)</div><div><br /></div><div>The boys' favorite stores included Ice Imports (they have real swords), Irish Eyes (real imports from Ireland), Munson's Chocolates, and Franklin's General Store (with sugar-coated nuts, candy, and other delectable treats). Of course, the biggest kid of them all is my husband, who made sure to buy himself a butterfly knife along with yummy sugar-coated pecans. (He spent the rest of the trip "dazzling" the boys [or trying to dazzle the boys] with his knife tricks.)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGY_rUcHhCpFZs-WC16IxUDkIBY0gqIhf8sGkgL1s2CUomK1JQjqJ8rW4PcpDR1CbYUQdUmOngFjfzoKM_qcoKevhyUx-7K01Wixq5tze8h3VpXrypkouBYCzl74ZVS7czEM4qaOdXnY73Q_FsZA0e7-kpRv21IsoYg2CFxNM1pKfs2peEBDgqKbj_idM/s4032/IMG_3638.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGY_rUcHhCpFZs-WC16IxUDkIBY0gqIhf8sGkgL1s2CUomK1JQjqJ8rW4PcpDR1CbYUQdUmOngFjfzoKM_qcoKevhyUx-7K01Wixq5tze8h3VpXrypkouBYCzl74ZVS7czEM4qaOdXnY73Q_FsZA0e7-kpRv21IsoYg2CFxNM1pKfs2peEBDgqKbj_idM/w640-h480/IMG_3638.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVd4PVYb9POxm3IhE3TXLypXhyphenhyphenvRVZb4qFYK9W6SYITm6Z7PUzI6IY-CYNnx-uOvXQr1-Rd3CLwWxlHWUyyoZZFqXzAw-Oh_IYVTZg0AAJilS_3HU2GCZJzDmPGEtmOCzEDD3I6_sSVXxmy8uVGLXq8hWOyMCETonbLFsG4EW6U_P3rtBunc3cbxk9K2E/s4032/IMG_3640.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVd4PVYb9POxm3IhE3TXLypXhyphenhyphenvRVZb4qFYK9W6SYITm6Z7PUzI6IY-CYNnx-uOvXQr1-Rd3CLwWxlHWUyyoZZFqXzAw-Oh_IYVTZg0AAJilS_3HU2GCZJzDmPGEtmOCzEDD3I6_sSVXxmy8uVGLXq8hWOyMCETonbLFsG4EW6U_P3rtBunc3cbxk9K2E/w640-h480/IMG_3640.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ugh...the age of cell phones.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2P_vpFJNVhSd7ZTxKL88SpmMW7RsREKpEBGNH4khL74hqc3vZ5_t_8mUJ-pWoQiyNZ8RE1iwxwfzZijIukWZpMxwUkSI_2Uya9uTGzCtRbLmNQzp9CBXcQL_bkmYyyRGKwvrwPXnnT8ZkD5E5VMmZJe5T4Kg_QGE2_A7NmAXdeLooO5ZF29ONfzHnvCU/w640-h480/IMG_3641.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Having fun trying on caps at Irish Eyes.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>After a fun day shopping, we drove another 30 minutes to our hotel where we relaxed before our visit to the Roger Williams Zoo. Lewie's two friends had never been to the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular before, and Lewie, disappointingly, didn't have any recollection of it either. They didn't really know what to expect, but they were happy to be hanging out overnight together.</div><div><br /></div><div>When we arrived, the memories for Daddy Lew and I came rushing back. There were beautiful light displays as we drove through the zoo to park our car, including several fun ones in their lake. </div><div> "Remember these lights?" I squealed to Hubby. </div><div> "Yeah, I do."</div><div><br /></div><div>We parked and were pleasantly surprised to see that there were no long obnoxious lines to greet us. Granted, we chose to go on a Sunday at 9 p.m. when most families are getting ready for bed, but we still expected some wait. In 2015, the line we were in had all of us walking through the venue shoulder to shoulder. We could try to jump out of the line to get a picture or two, but it felt like there was always someone else's head or body in the way. </div><div><br /></div><div>Today, post-Covid, was so different! We had to buy tickets for a timeslot in advance, and I wondered if that made all the difference. We entered the event seamlesslessly and took our time walking through the thousands of lit pumpkins as if we had the place to ourselves. Dont' get me wrong, there were plenty of folks there, but we could easily stop, take pictures, turn back, or do whatever we wanted without an unending sea of people pushing us forward. It was AMAZING! Even the music they played (along with the 50 degree weather) made everything SPECTACULAR!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8R12mTs-uUaUM2mpkCNs-jt9FtAECKVh0e2Shuaj43U31rHtpnNe3J12stGOtOdR_VsFb2Avgs37h3xbG9XFp__y197Pc7BFmdrHiJu82El8dVJzCe6DolqGsE0lRqAyySyS6mR4uJn9RqBFk3XmrMTtqalwMB36vyUfRl3HiOY59M8zxfLSlYpBxP6s/s640/IMG_3003.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8R12mTs-uUaUM2mpkCNs-jt9FtAECKVh0e2Shuaj43U31rHtpnNe3J12stGOtOdR_VsFb2Avgs37h3xbG9XFp__y197Pc7BFmdrHiJu82El8dVJzCe6DolqGsE0lRqAyySyS6mR4uJn9RqBFk3XmrMTtqalwMB36vyUfRl3HiOY59M8zxfLSlYpBxP6s/w480-h640/IMG_3003.JPEG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6R6WZ2sGd9SBoHmpRP6bhvIDQCCK9QUNdH8ME6ikr6SL2RroYR6g1aLudUUUl1rYTvyFogQiGyJWr0Iw26WC-stOCUhs_qvfDE2Q0yc25DXyCXiL4SBi82EmvfU8nEHNS25WeFY2Rs_VdiEDB0WFw766X5LznQsh7D-ux10bNXL3hx8l4w3Tx4XkPMg/s640/IMG_3006.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6R6WZ2sGd9SBoHmpRP6bhvIDQCCK9QUNdH8ME6ikr6SL2RroYR6g1aLudUUUl1rYTvyFogQiGyJWr0Iw26WC-stOCUhs_qvfDE2Q0yc25DXyCXiL4SBi82EmvfU8nEHNS25WeFY2Rs_VdiEDB0WFw766X5LznQsh7D-ux10bNXL3hx8l4w3Tx4XkPMg/w480-h640/IMG_3006.JPEG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpf7SgLgbiy8BCpgGXhOy-2GUX95nmtIw83VfpxxiRjMxyCb6lBYlo8KwIqZv7XtNYl_zrO6pqKuJrIZirJ4o6gcFz3RziprpEUGZP-sfRw8SUK5CpU_o7MRGLCTmE4scDI9EEjm0nsckHc1wi5-4_22cxJ8lGE3h_oEZ_U9Q3cA3SMvseLWhqY8m1xiU/s640/IMG_3040.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpf7SgLgbiy8BCpgGXhOy-2GUX95nmtIw83VfpxxiRjMxyCb6lBYlo8KwIqZv7XtNYl_zrO6pqKuJrIZirJ4o6gcFz3RziprpEUGZP-sfRw8SUK5CpU_o7MRGLCTmE4scDI9EEjm0nsckHc1wi5-4_22cxJ8lGE3h_oEZ_U9Q3cA3SMvseLWhqY8m1xiU/w480-h640/IMG_3040.JPEG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGJ4zJj2rIou2p1_srRfnLUtlvoLeOew3s-IA0jQqcUMwslQxumZqxvuP_PHoMQhLjHSq19W_2Oafz3S2jcCEtgl4gpvSbHLWDmxOd5UlMsKRBUcVwfu-LabHSSP6U4lCOJnPuTQm7A6vNDmSlZP16GYIcVd85gIrDbBPhGfMb_jRD8f44JhQJ8BhUE0/s640/IMG_3084.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGJ4zJj2rIou2p1_srRfnLUtlvoLeOew3s-IA0jQqcUMwslQxumZqxvuP_PHoMQhLjHSq19W_2Oafz3S2jcCEtgl4gpvSbHLWDmxOd5UlMsKRBUcVwfu-LabHSSP6U4lCOJnPuTQm7A6vNDmSlZP16GYIcVd85gIrDbBPhGfMb_jRD8f44JhQJ8BhUE0/w480-h640/IMG_3084.JPEG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjKoJjfpdLHXkKmcjgo-xjUL6Dii99MS3bXHs1N2ow3k2mHBh1bEH5MqP41oRzRLse3WpUreK-aySfM9GdF-wyJGwXZwET-Nxs6WfhtL4ytEUfpDLI4zcwc_1xLD1yV6KFOW1KkT72fTqutXRPl_CapWh5ivmJM8ZEQcl5iPlftbz2orZrqaNTaklSSk/s4032/IMG_3642.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjKoJjfpdLHXkKmcjgo-xjUL6Dii99MS3bXHs1N2ow3k2mHBh1bEH5MqP41oRzRLse3WpUreK-aySfM9GdF-wyJGwXZwET-Nxs6WfhtL4ytEUfpDLI4zcwc_1xLD1yV6KFOW1KkT72fTqutXRPl_CapWh5ivmJM8ZEQcl5iPlftbz2orZrqaNTaklSSk/w640-h480/IMG_3642.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I had to take a pic of this pumpkin since Lewie loved trains for the first twelve years of his childhood.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdvFl0I51TfC8P52OgAt3beY3Fd4s314LcvmO1LpXDaVdRnNLwkJ4F7Bz3R1swDhSKIyRK429rGlSCiUz-r_RRV55uhdn-qfFAiNJcurLP6IoBxDd7NEq9JXlXYBXwCMaDhWNyhMQ6g9wCJohfb1maVaWL505M23P7r5dOwSSKuPqUfK3VcDbGDZhqU4/s4032/IMG_3643.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdvFl0I51TfC8P52OgAt3beY3Fd4s314LcvmO1LpXDaVdRnNLwkJ4F7Bz3R1swDhSKIyRK429rGlSCiUz-r_RRV55uhdn-qfFAiNJcurLP6IoBxDd7NEq9JXlXYBXwCMaDhWNyhMQ6g9wCJohfb1maVaWL505M23P7r5dOwSSKuPqUfK3VcDbGDZhqU4/w640-h480/IMG_3643.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AdyMeoOGA9jPhR6k3E-4ULyj1CYCMKg20QeQZH0jrY5bIeJ3_m6c84HiN8WbYh3x9wYtAkVuMVIMMRlSbpPBbE1z8T0q5pW0-Gm1YFDoNmWXtYYAN8ZJ1ZJzxgsh2TBpKh8Hpja_RYBSrtzz7GoIsuQdcPTIJO1WLxe2u4d0JF_UdVqYibUnIBEwC44/s4032/IMG_3644.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AdyMeoOGA9jPhR6k3E-4ULyj1CYCMKg20QeQZH0jrY5bIeJ3_m6c84HiN8WbYh3x9wYtAkVuMVIMMRlSbpPBbE1z8T0q5pW0-Gm1YFDoNmWXtYYAN8ZJ1ZJzxgsh2TBpKh8Hpja_RYBSrtzz7GoIsuQdcPTIJO1WLxe2u4d0JF_UdVqYibUnIBEwC44/w640-h480/IMG_3644.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0sTzCi1LWuv4oSus2Vo1mKxSQ60kBa6Da5qmsQIufyA2pAmZyT2K9Ls05_PkfJIG-g14uWO3zWYIGXYj7MHJPe42IOh6MFCVvwfrN16YJZQqeDEUYU6MCF2iGoiduMAX6gyw0gjS4Nbi3PtsGO1w9HbMqQKykByqKJqlV2_GUGuwqDIyxKNxISXQn94/s4032/IMG_3646.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0sTzCi1LWuv4oSus2Vo1mKxSQ60kBa6Da5qmsQIufyA2pAmZyT2K9Ls05_PkfJIG-g14uWO3zWYIGXYj7MHJPe42IOh6MFCVvwfrN16YJZQqeDEUYU6MCF2iGoiduMAX6gyw0gjS4Nbi3PtsGO1w9HbMqQKykByqKJqlV2_GUGuwqDIyxKNxISXQn94/w640-h480/IMG_3646.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3eL_E-Bo5BZZUZkVjsHlqf1t_3Fb7Aky25tT7fH30gVrQizEoAVfZwmfh-iavY20ZkpCtX5kZDMAPFoKT8ycqgR7rk8ViA3DZWysx_-HQd8nnre7neHKSx5u4hWeKuY2A2RFA0VpHm2e1X-3ppmiWuzGkkwvi_cggdU0WbtxFk2CKxTRJ5GbPpLjzcM/s4032/IMG_3648.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3eL_E-Bo5BZZUZkVjsHlqf1t_3Fb7Aky25tT7fH30gVrQizEoAVfZwmfh-iavY20ZkpCtX5kZDMAPFoKT8ycqgR7rk8ViA3DZWysx_-HQd8nnre7neHKSx5u4hWeKuY2A2RFA0VpHm2e1X-3ppmiWuzGkkwvi_cggdU0WbtxFk2CKxTRJ5GbPpLjzcM/w640-h480/IMG_3648.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTVaT1W5ZcTSoG501Hs8hfeBP4QEAkoY3_7jF7R1EpahUzqqbP3q8wOLlDOPV29toV57-AQxcNiC_jzKOD9hpNyEqyH83US4YQ_cLcigjPEHTLVaBNFGa7eaB4iD8JRtd8spi2O7O0_yUCtUe_CRbpX4zpos_Wfp4JaHEu2meK-wQbzM4SglTTiD1vkU/w640-h480/IMG_3650.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtRHLDV7FGRxodEMUEvPPMxeRQPZzoslX_gg1fosiE9g33YsQvqmKHKHKOkQEUs1U5ADgva7aBR7t4MaP0DuBYzKJqW4XmMKSCVbd-DpFtbjFh9-Qc7T96qSReEKQKGrOC5GWhaEBxOrDVxcv2xfd2p6vH175qNh9_ABUjFHRYjvsRLJUl3GpaPwa-T8/s2048/Lewie,%20Ryan,%20&%20Noah%20-%20Jack-O-Lantern%20Spectacular.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHtRHLDV7FGRxodEMUEvPPMxeRQPZzoslX_gg1fosiE9g33YsQvqmKHKHKOkQEUs1U5ADgva7aBR7t4MaP0DuBYzKJqW4XmMKSCVbd-DpFtbjFh9-Qc7T96qSReEKQKGrOC5GWhaEBxOrDVxcv2xfd2p6vH175qNh9_ABUjFHRYjvsRLJUl3GpaPwa-T8/w480-h640/Lewie,%20Ryan,%20&%20Noah%20-%20Jack-O-Lantern%20Spectacular.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb30O6JNdnCpD5_r9IEsTaJQMsWFJtuw3RoJ0Sg4u4IRzQrfw3qQ_yf8BEuycS2q4XdPxihJcW1SZEISwowbf9pXafmIfwAVNoYQ44PorRnP7EUagFq7k1pIVGFz84asRW_kgOtOzyP0GzbvbRsL8Np-busvmQJyzjQJ-Zd9C1Gi0g7VpPY8ZyliF2zf0/w640-h480/IMG_3651.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HasEjQlrFjZBttdBpwptY_EzGfu7BAi3UUPYS2lWuPCASjLg0eMuJ9lHCrQ7mGpe5gZQJYcElrn6M7_qRUI-EqDVmTwtJClEd3LaRDtxDnhc_X9s3IvBTSDq7VWrh_-T9nTSAHVzFFBNpZuDz_dlNhkO2FNDg6zGBapw4ZgCdNwpRG_3LyeOaskFgVk/s4032/IMG_3652.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HasEjQlrFjZBttdBpwptY_EzGfu7BAi3UUPYS2lWuPCASjLg0eMuJ9lHCrQ7mGpe5gZQJYcElrn6M7_qRUI-EqDVmTwtJClEd3LaRDtxDnhc_X9s3IvBTSDq7VWrh_-T9nTSAHVzFFBNpZuDz_dlNhkO2FNDg6zGBapw4ZgCdNwpRG_3LyeOaskFgVk/w640-h480/IMG_3652.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>These boys love each other like brothers.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The next day, our group decided to visit Newport, R.I. before going home. Part of me was hoping to go back to the zoo during the day (I love animals), but this crew wanted to shop more. We started our adventure by going on the 3.5 mile <a href="https://www.discovernewport.org/things-to-do/cliff-walk/" target="_blank">Cliff Walk</a>, which boasts panoramic views of the ocean while walking past some of the beautiful summer mansions of the Guilded Age. (Lewie had a chance to visit them last year during our Christmas trip to Newport.)</div><div><br /></div><div>The boys seemed to be impressed by some of the mansions but then Noah exclaimed, "I'm really only interested in seeing Taylor Swift's mansion." Sadly for him, Tay Tay's mansion is in Watch Hill--not Newport. Still, I kept him guessing.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWym6Hl_-TpjBy7F8CCD9bbyMLqvxstQzAL8oKFNAegYt52INouV9AZJRWJ3ieCV0pOssGo6FLhHQnAF6_hnluzBsmNfnQ8L1plxhEkHdwW3uNBKlG6_oao0SkF6khK5UkFH6HGE3aMEbjFJuW9YGG2Opkpvi8Up6_9EagT4t-dWAM1kteW1_s7j2JXM/s640/IMG_3197.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWym6Hl_-TpjBy7F8CCD9bbyMLqvxstQzAL8oKFNAegYt52INouV9AZJRWJ3ieCV0pOssGo6FLhHQnAF6_hnluzBsmNfnQ8L1plxhEkHdwW3uNBKlG6_oao0SkF6khK5UkFH6HGE3aMEbjFJuW9YGG2Opkpvi8Up6_9EagT4t-dWAM1kteW1_s7j2JXM/w480-h640/IMG_3197.JPEG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbY9zWbKSI8Tp6ePMxKlVij166nS9zqbA3kzzxrnlHxi4fV4KuJzutcr8kN45vVvJTFV4SIXGUuqQYJOysaUnrPlQ3_GvW2gKWEqiiVxTzeHl20g-J0KqO80IqUhbjRQLsiclaP13rDrSMmT2Jlc8YFq7uUseac6MsZiCREfb_N4S-wViDkQZwo-uksDU/s4032/IMG_3654.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbY9zWbKSI8Tp6ePMxKlVij166nS9zqbA3kzzxrnlHxi4fV4KuJzutcr8kN45vVvJTFV4SIXGUuqQYJOysaUnrPlQ3_GvW2gKWEqiiVxTzeHl20g-J0KqO80IqUhbjRQLsiclaP13rDrSMmT2Jlc8YFq7uUseac6MsZiCREfb_N4S-wViDkQZwo-uksDU/w640-h480/IMG_3654.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNy37jGnIeVgX8sH5sHdArRCPNWMAb3W0q9zK4c-t57POv0YOl3gKSUprTOV-c5cAM9fOrAVmjqPB7EV_vhP4QuA9HzP-zh9DLJ3bUWTyftWvXp6RRuzsgBc9ioBY4R-eRrE1P9nDVRzGW7lCxPH_TVeoOh7eTf6_qq_vDmaa5ewjSU7-stihnKn5jmQ/s4032/IMG_3655.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNy37jGnIeVgX8sH5sHdArRCPNWMAb3W0q9zK4c-t57POv0YOl3gKSUprTOV-c5cAM9fOrAVmjqPB7EV_vhP4QuA9HzP-zh9DLJ3bUWTyftWvXp6RRuzsgBc9ioBY4R-eRrE1P9nDVRzGW7lCxPH_TVeoOh7eTf6_qq_vDmaa5ewjSU7-stihnKn5jmQ/w640-h480/IMG_3655.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLR2eUh5-pQTIyS_9tNcZhmLXdHjWRpWf2mK8SbuQ8elGyDsp7GHEs_-ijkgS4wmBRpJNxdcvVTi5vT6N-GxlwWfvHenK38NMAdHHbghQlycmvl4SNSSRUSt6UdudFeAvUt6NmorPPT-M75r0YbYYnTzWVCBBWnM58w4PJudEtpgVTPq8AscnfEGJtuQQ/s4032/IMG_3656.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLR2eUh5-pQTIyS_9tNcZhmLXdHjWRpWf2mK8SbuQ8elGyDsp7GHEs_-ijkgS4wmBRpJNxdcvVTi5vT6N-GxlwWfvHenK38NMAdHHbghQlycmvl4SNSSRUSt6UdudFeAvUt6NmorPPT-M75r0YbYYnTzWVCBBWnM58w4PJudEtpgVTPq8AscnfEGJtuQQ/w640-h480/IMG_3656.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMQpYV54nwa1bDDOoTR3LP7WQjIFDEYwmZcJXcsb61w8FxdcMqaf5COs0f-e_yKqQikfsJN8l6pq3BR2OExR7e6em2JyDIXZ3UoAQ_UN2wl06Om6xMPa_iSQhDKFETL8DQUix6R2UDlPR7eRnbJWFmDwtpFK8o8wht2hhhugExImdR907qXTXxsbqqoE/s4032/IMG_3658.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMQpYV54nwa1bDDOoTR3LP7WQjIFDEYwmZcJXcsb61w8FxdcMqaf5COs0f-e_yKqQikfsJN8l6pq3BR2OExR7e6em2JyDIXZ3UoAQ_UN2wl06Om6xMPa_iSQhDKFETL8DQUix6R2UDlPR7eRnbJWFmDwtpFK8o8wht2hhhugExImdR907qXTXxsbqqoE/w640-h480/IMG_3658.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My friend Sue on the stairs.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrTKWwP57SL90h321mvPJKxNPxgl5aQfELVzRFQZ9G4s3UMGfHmWB7xba5vKr82idD826NJCK5PMO2IaveRoecEx2NbbWPZ_8dEzuX-qIAxPoNGbkdw9LOZXoPKOX_PQ0nILP6iAsZLj44xjvnGeCi_3RcOQvmcEOb4TjQvkdTbqqJZm9c51T8SPpw4o/s4032/IMG_3660.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrTKWwP57SL90h321mvPJKxNPxgl5aQfELVzRFQZ9G4s3UMGfHmWB7xba5vKr82idD826NJCK5PMO2IaveRoecEx2NbbWPZ_8dEzuX-qIAxPoNGbkdw9LOZXoPKOX_PQ0nILP6iAsZLj44xjvnGeCi_3RcOQvmcEOb4TjQvkdTbqqJZm9c51T8SPpw4o/w640-h480/IMG_3660.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERfYVacPPeEjOiEFsaJhyphenhyphenBrd3xALeLhzsAF22QQF38npiu3prTFDs371QSQaI4nV5XqX9l0JDWGqK0UQ4dkPo777TAHs-PdxQJpX1ndPXM2lH8zKxWJlTXhlqbxjXeNZcnrGbCpr8IXm2zt7CILKQ2XWICkO1p1yCJvDQ6Ck2NgWpHyfsI28rFFYwm2A/s4032/IMG_3661.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERfYVacPPeEjOiEFsaJhyphenhyphenBrd3xALeLhzsAF22QQF38npiu3prTFDs371QSQaI4nV5XqX9l0JDWGqK0UQ4dkPo777TAHs-PdxQJpX1ndPXM2lH8zKxWJlTXhlqbxjXeNZcnrGbCpr8IXm2zt7CILKQ2XWICkO1p1yCJvDQ6Ck2NgWpHyfsI28rFFYwm2A/w640-h480/IMG_3661.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZY94C9pWSb84zGJqmNwhy7x4IjqmnYphpe6-bDGJ4HFbmfChKuT49lS__tY5Mko34eqLE6c00tVNg-F3Byt8qYBnjjydWNhAFpNlbhZ7c9zIL2qhAN6r0IuP0cLzMoZB4wnPZqN_Sr6mZ8AQIQWVOOXqVrRa-R-BcNB2FUkWxgUmgnIYX9ngLmjrcfnY/s4032/IMG_3662.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZY94C9pWSb84zGJqmNwhy7x4IjqmnYphpe6-bDGJ4HFbmfChKuT49lS__tY5Mko34eqLE6c00tVNg-F3Byt8qYBnjjydWNhAFpNlbhZ7c9zIL2qhAN6r0IuP0cLzMoZB4wnPZqN_Sr6mZ8AQIQWVOOXqVrRa-R-BcNB2FUkWxgUmgnIYX9ngLmjrcfnY/w640-h480/IMG_3662.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv89dtgw5OE_Z0jpUI9WVh2XF5kU7XivR5buVN7_VjX7KWn8fTAEkbYh8ceVgDYyVBL44S_925hBZQ_ael7Y2hfS0Wo1KG1xokb1qPbqBoIqOQhw2fbAXrU2jy7VSGtHi6kCBitzITCMo-txWAZG9uUN9D1lXWscKo8iqaRvzWNeHkS7HLPy9xwk9aaGA/s4032/IMG_3663.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv89dtgw5OE_Z0jpUI9WVh2XF5kU7XivR5buVN7_VjX7KWn8fTAEkbYh8ceVgDYyVBL44S_925hBZQ_ael7Y2hfS0Wo1KG1xokb1qPbqBoIqOQhw2fbAXrU2jy7VSGtHi6kCBitzITCMo-txWAZG9uUN9D1lXWscKo8iqaRvzWNeHkS7HLPy9xwk9aaGA/w640-h480/IMG_3663.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Salve Regina University - I won't lie. Part of me fantasizes about Lewie going to College here.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYzc8ICFEESqTwgISaiYbuwEKzB1NT2q5fWOnv2-hQikZDuMo1xigQ3ALiFXnUQdGOVNzcMzK0MZuqUGepeJ4WWh8tfu5zF0cg3qYrTYHVb1k03tIBbJwRC2R9Gaff0gtSLNZAPBpitNLhaecr67GDoXzu5XmT_ScWrwdcxzp0rcGxnzS6wCzVN93DDk/s4032/IMG_3672.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYzc8ICFEESqTwgISaiYbuwEKzB1NT2q5fWOnv2-hQikZDuMo1xigQ3ALiFXnUQdGOVNzcMzK0MZuqUGepeJ4WWh8tfu5zF0cg3qYrTYHVb1k03tIBbJwRC2R9Gaff0gtSLNZAPBpitNLhaecr67GDoXzu5XmT_ScWrwdcxzp0rcGxnzS6wCzVN93DDk/w640-h480/IMG_3672.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The boys turned back from the hike before we finished it, partly because they were hungry and partly because they wanted to shop. We went inside a few store favorites like Newport's Best T-Shirt Gift Shop or my favorite--<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pleasantsurpriseri/about" target="_blank">Pleasant Surprise</a>, and then we ate at the <a href="https://www.brickalley.com/" target="_blank">Brick Alley Pub & Restaurant</a> before leaving. Granted, we could have spent the entire day shopping, but I guarantee we would have left all our money behind. We quit while we were ahead.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwaCjUD2TDhmqb9u5Ae5r6H7I2UVBsx0jiKp2fpFFYFsZMv557Yk6NMVwRDxWX_nGvcC1CLTrWM0QEh9SZ6vK5piNeF9i4RA0v5l_0RD0tNym6PlQo-GwDqBGnaDkXx_zhTWUta37KBAGbcLkB1HR8qycKKBf4H6PrMaXAspAWViYyvkbkuFNfNBZvoU/s4032/IMG_3673.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwaCjUD2TDhmqb9u5Ae5r6H7I2UVBsx0jiKp2fpFFYFsZMv557Yk6NMVwRDxWX_nGvcC1CLTrWM0QEh9SZ6vK5piNeF9i4RA0v5l_0RD0tNym6PlQo-GwDqBGnaDkXx_zhTWUta37KBAGbcLkB1HR8qycKKBf4H6PrMaXAspAWViYyvkbkuFNfNBZvoU/w640-h480/IMG_3673.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihM0qMdwx9KOx4ngEjny29WDitanOKiqryD82AVjDN_2J4u4XIS8jnKno0k_kngoBd1VtK9C2VArmT0ROdyy3z705BprP0-x3kVf4cw9uIhNCZo5RmPRbUtpMzgfpPvEgXaUPS901Vl5dqjTAiZ6qUdS8APPFdFJ-IFjqxgz9kJ9pCJ3o_q2ZL5-nkCE4/s4032/IMG_3675.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihM0qMdwx9KOx4ngEjny29WDitanOKiqryD82AVjDN_2J4u4XIS8jnKno0k_kngoBd1VtK9C2VArmT0ROdyy3z705BprP0-x3kVf4cw9uIhNCZo5RmPRbUtpMzgfpPvEgXaUPS901Vl5dqjTAiZ6qUdS8APPFdFJ-IFjqxgz9kJ9pCJ3o_q2ZL5-nkCE4/w640-h480/IMG_3675.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>It was a short, one-night, two-day trip, but we made memories to last a lifetime. Lewie may not have remembered our visit to the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular when he was seven, but I guarantee he will remember it now at age fifteen. If not, he'll have two other besties that will remember it for him. What a glorious time.</div>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-12829765747367391112023-10-01T07:57:00.003-04:002023-10-01T08:03:31.870-04:00I have a kid in high school...say what?<p>Lewie, yes my little Lewie, my baby boy, my sweet angel from heaven, started high school this month. He was looking forward to it all summer long, and truly, I thought I was ready. Really...I did. We went to the high school parent orientation, the tour, and even to several sporting events (mostly to see his cousin Sarah), and each time, I went with excitement for the "next chapter." Not forced excitment--real excitement.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwv_0R0JTVf_IQIuvKeMSqrsRRVb24LvEqrBj7G88mvBvxh2w14xVXDUZuvCmwgKj0mlrKQ31FYTytlwVTOu3y5HO3soNREqz-v9FWNitUfmB3Hc1QRXk64dq3-Ir84Kr_Ezd7TBasfprrjp49ADZz02hRdFOUPmXzCIji5gGe-sARZWGsLA5m3Y0lCpE/s4032/IMG_3523.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwv_0R0JTVf_IQIuvKeMSqrsRRVb24LvEqrBj7G88mvBvxh2w14xVXDUZuvCmwgKj0mlrKQ31FYTytlwVTOu3y5HO3soNREqz-v9FWNitUfmB3Hc1QRXk64dq3-Ir84Kr_Ezd7TBasfprrjp49ADZz02hRdFOUPmXzCIji5gGe-sARZWGsLA5m3Y0lCpE/w400-h300/IMG_3523.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TtYLJEmmtt6vHuRl86VZB72DeVX9rR_jdFWasX8TaJsE5Z2i6l8ZJN_8F-tN6gHKRVJlaoWbnJVAB8ItrkY9WN17x3rr9KdPZosd4GyIgDp9dB_BWYnWTZ6_0YGVibWNUSAQhxSRKmxD1u3rMXB0uddYQ7i0GAEDsgojFARZ7dfyPzttXPy4pPwmPG4/s4032/IMG_3526.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TtYLJEmmtt6vHuRl86VZB72DeVX9rR_jdFWasX8TaJsE5Z2i6l8ZJN_8F-tN6gHKRVJlaoWbnJVAB8ItrkY9WN17x3rr9KdPZosd4GyIgDp9dB_BWYnWTZ6_0YGVibWNUSAQhxSRKmxD1u3rMXB0uddYQ7i0GAEDsgojFARZ7dfyPzttXPy4pPwmPG4/w400-h300/IMG_3526.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>Then, August 28th came, and I wanted to bury myself under the covers. Couldn't we all just have another day, week, or month of summer? Why did the middle school years have to end? I was just getting used to the whole awkward, voice-changing, pimple-popping, hormonal years of middle school. Now he would be entering the mysterious vortex of adulthood with all the complexities of dating, driving, and decision-making. After his first week, he reported back that the bathrooms were filled with aerosol mist from vaping, and the winding hallways led to the occasional corner fight or makeout session. A note from the principal also reminded us that the possession of marijuana at school (in addition to other drugs) was another concern.</p><p>Yes, on that first day of high school I had to let go of a piece of me--the piece that wants to nurture, control, and protect my little boy. I still faithfully set my alarm for 5:30 a.m., so I can prepare his breakfast and lunch before watching him get picked up by the school bus at 6:30 a.m. But things are different. My son battles me about wearing a jacket when it's raining or cold outside, and I can only watch him get on the bus in secret through the living room window. (He would absolutely die if I ran out there to give him a jacket while he's getting on the bus. Teenagers aren't supposed to have moms...well visible moms. Still, I am tempted to do it one day. He'll forgive me...when he's forty.) </p><p>Two weeks after Lewie's first day, I attended "Meet the Teacher Night." My husband wasn't interested in moving around to eight different classes, so he skipped it, but he still wanted to know my assessment. Lewie has Graphic Design I, Geometry, English, World History, Biology, Spanish II, Gym, and a class called Advisory. They are split between "A" days and "B" days, so the classwork is manageable, but I still was impressed with all the walking he has to do in a single day to get to each class. In some cases, the bell would ring before I made it. I was climbing three flights of stairs to the gym (our high school is built into a mountain), and then rushing back to the ground floor for Spanish. Then, I was back to climbing another two flights for Biology... His teachers seemed structured yet nuturing, and each used their six minutes of "talk time" to address the individual topics they cared about the most. There was no room for questions. The bell abruptly ended their speech, and off we went like lost sheep to the next classroom. There were definitely some quirks with the room numbers and the stairwells, so on numerous occasions, I had to stop to ask where I could find a classroom. Thankfully, for the first six classes, I had another mom friend to tag along with.</p><p>Now, we are past the one month mark, and Lewie has fallen into a routine. He had his freshmen year photo, and I'm diligently looking at details for a possible high school trip to Costa Rica in the spring. (Since the school opened in 2001, there has only been three of these trips, so I know that if Lewie doesn't go this year, he won't have another chance before he graduates.) I have told him that he needs to join at least one club or activity to which he is still groaning: "I thought I could wait until my junior or senior year." I recognize that as a kid that loves video editing and computers, he's not going to gravitate toward sports or the chess club, but I want him to get involved in "SOMETHING." Yes, my "control" is limited now that he is a teenager, but I'm still not out of the game. My new slogan is "Mom knows best." (I say this with the utmost confidence, not letting on that this new high school vortex has me terribly confused. Do I know best? I know one thing for sure. These are the years when teenagers will often not listen to their 'wise' parents and inevitably have to learn from their own mistakes. I know because even though I'm old, I still remember those mistakes.)</p><p>So for now, I'm adapting and reminding myself to savor these years because college will be next. Yes, it can be hard to have a perpetually tired, hungry, know-it-all in the house, but it's even harder when that presence goes away, and to be honest, my son is still this amazingly sweet kid; it just gets clouded when the teenage hormones kick-in. Now I'm getting ready for what the next month brings...Parent-Teacher-Night, high school football games, and homecoming. Oh boy!</p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-53148880135466562262023-09-25T18:25:00.011-04:002023-09-25T19:23:17.611-04:00The End of Summer...<p> On September 23rd, our little house, like everyone else, welcomed fall. It wasn't exactly magical because we've adopted a "fall schedule" since Little Lewie went back to school on August 28th. Still, as I spent the weekend changing our summer decorations over to apples, pumpkins, leaves, scarecrows, and even some Halloween-inspired crafts, I couldn't help but get excited for everything the autumn brings--hikes, country fairs, pumpkin spice lattes, high school football games, haunted hayrides, and more... (My goal is to stay more current with my blog, so I could write about each of our autumn events as they unfold...)</p><p>While the summer for most of us is nothing more than an afterthought, I couldn't let this one pass without writing a recap. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtHoxjJJ2L7Audu8TqApX1MjKahc3J7tZJDNw68awSD94PsJGMpje9_OWgReYBB9JrFHRLH0S2A_SmFaTL0uuZK5izuUBLqc0_kMb2PPVjvxHRajgBdNYjYKzDhaDizv2L5IxkidVAOBy3_cDIgy1vFti8yaIdXEsoowCuixKPbLdCGcbiKvsO6WoEPY/s4032/IMG_3332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtHoxjJJ2L7Audu8TqApX1MjKahc3J7tZJDNw68awSD94PsJGMpje9_OWgReYBB9JrFHRLH0S2A_SmFaTL0uuZK5izuUBLqc0_kMb2PPVjvxHRajgBdNYjYKzDhaDizv2L5IxkidVAOBy3_cDIgy1vFti8yaIdXEsoowCuixKPbLdCGcbiKvsO6WoEPY/w400-h300/IMG_3332.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRzNUT8IaTxeEwXm4YfRuZfTdduzKjTnV13QkcKpDAAn8gVHiF0BFWY2ltk0gklnBgsDqhhoJEQ8c3jj4Kt12DLNqzadnGByUPOMe88I7R3TS04_N4P2Yn65Sh--6gwgggLlAVYq9RKd6lIzgz5XPFSY3dom2RitBcGv7bzfshjZBIuoqJbChCHCQxh8/s4032/IMG_3342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRzNUT8IaTxeEwXm4YfRuZfTdduzKjTnV13QkcKpDAAn8gVHiF0BFWY2ltk0gklnBgsDqhhoJEQ8c3jj4Kt12DLNqzadnGByUPOMe88I7R3TS04_N4P2Yn65Sh--6gwgggLlAVYq9RKd6lIzgz5XPFSY3dom2RitBcGv7bzfshjZBIuoqJbChCHCQxh8/w300-h400/IMG_3342.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Allen Brothers Fruits and Vegetables, VT</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>If you've been reading my blog, you may know I found myself unemployed around this time last year. It was not only an ending to an eight-year tenure as an academic dean, but it was also an ending to a 21-year career at the same college. In essence, it was more than losing a job and a good paycheck; it was losing a family that I greeted for 1,092 consecutive weeks (except for when I took maternity leave to be with my wonderful Little Lewie). I was heartbroken, and I started the summer still feeling this way. Our goal to see another national park was sidelined as I continued to make myself available for interviews, and instead, we had small pool parties, a few day excursions, and a short weekend trip to North Conway, N.H. Here are our highlights for Summer 2023:</p><p><b>1. Graduation:</b> We had some important graduations to celebrate this year; thus, we were invited to a number of parties, and we had one pool party at our house, too. Lewie graduated from 8th grade, but his cousin Sarah graduated from high school, his cousin Frankie graduated from community college, and my best friend Jen and her daughter Kirsten graduated from nursing school and high school. I was SO PROUD of all of them! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmRNT5qYJ8GkjPUZBUDVfPahVlb5BlDdY79d2N_ODsLdClAqxclTh3giX5ZryNnODtL48oJNdf8DGxV7w2_lSz7qtYHKUoHwV0xGZ_WNYQpnyEClpQ1EQu8dtNIMUz1Hobt5CUuPL3TG7NTyZXwTA-xqjK10_CFz_ZDyulEob6NSFFNPd4R_MXxTTX68/s4032/IMG_3071.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmRNT5qYJ8GkjPUZBUDVfPahVlb5BlDdY79d2N_ODsLdClAqxclTh3giX5ZryNnODtL48oJNdf8DGxV7w2_lSz7qtYHKUoHwV0xGZ_WNYQpnyEClpQ1EQu8dtNIMUz1Hobt5CUuPL3TG7NTyZXwTA-xqjK10_CFz_ZDyulEob6NSFFNPd4R_MXxTTX68/w400-h300/IMG_3071.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It poured during Lewie's outside graduation, so I captured a picture at Dunkin Donuts afterward;<br /> our cousins said he looks like Dwight from 'The Office' with his shirt and tie.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfX8uhv0S3VZufS7sPnGgrj1nuhRdhJu96uFQPFUQxMiM8VomTOfMnQv8Bz6_rSZuF1VEuHthSt9nGSMiH6TsYZWRvRg2Bpdj9S2Dxg8E8mH5vkXNVSBdXrjgGpKJ4d1d0uYbgfjI8Ba5_zK8s9jWCSmsAtsNMHDEt7T4QyosA62HVYRTDgdA5m0VCpck/s4032/IMG_3082.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfX8uhv0S3VZufS7sPnGgrj1nuhRdhJu96uFQPFUQxMiM8VomTOfMnQv8Bz6_rSZuF1VEuHthSt9nGSMiH6TsYZWRvRg2Bpdj9S2Dxg8E8mH5vkXNVSBdXrjgGpKJ4d1d0uYbgfjI8Ba5_zK8s9jWCSmsAtsNMHDEt7T4QyosA62HVYRTDgdA5m0VCpck/w400-h300/IMG_3082.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lewie with cousin Sarah at her high school graduation. <br />He will be graduating from the same high school in four years. </i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qnE7X1OFEXO2lhbjvPemW-U6LFN1hb2qyzZycqxuDqC_npbN48JbeT7BhbpnCOV4EFYJqyYk43lid_EN_wlrWM4x6c2G32R7t_EvpxzA6D0nmZm_rLDkAVPnJIK0RHwqZqKPxyTVTg3fv1noPWRWNWoqyzkDUaZeV7uqoAgxONv6BHLsvdzXGkzb_hA/s4032/IMG_3085.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qnE7X1OFEXO2lhbjvPemW-U6LFN1hb2qyzZycqxuDqC_npbN48JbeT7BhbpnCOV4EFYJqyYk43lid_EN_wlrWM4x6c2G32R7t_EvpxzA6D0nmZm_rLDkAVPnJIK0RHwqZqKPxyTVTg3fv1noPWRWNWoqyzkDUaZeV7uqoAgxONv6BHLsvdzXGkzb_hA/w300-h400/IMG_3085.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sarah had 20+ medals around her neck from all of her swim and track awards!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieol60tk2gou0eltkMyQ0y-P71gUHwBBc1UoLqpAagDL_otwbz3rHnUxsC0KFWeci9YDYg4nuYJOBa28MhaeGP8LDhSIsA8QQQ4io-H5upnAD10vc3Vu3VrKzdW7dxsgDdeF7wW7ekR2hV66gk8YqQZJQWFe6AKSP0I1d3QvaTtL31ruEl0Ko4H6-CPE4/s4032/IMG_3087.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieol60tk2gou0eltkMyQ0y-P71gUHwBBc1UoLqpAagDL_otwbz3rHnUxsC0KFWeci9YDYg4nuYJOBa28MhaeGP8LDhSIsA8QQQ4io-H5upnAD10vc3Vu3VrKzdW7dxsgDdeF7wW7ekR2hV66gk8YqQZJQWFe6AKSP0I1d3QvaTtL31ruEl0Ko4H6-CPE4/w400-h300/IMG_3087.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sarah's family (i.e. Lewie's aunt, uncle, and cousins)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOcbBwq1XttK3DkKKjmeB4NsRXlznKKq7jusTn4-crHaNRGhbr-MFZHbIo8PLTniBSZl6BNgbVrkfB8PM0F6N3Nw9uMfpJi8N2INAA0WJIDuvPw0p8wEKB0325ghf8vP8eaFcYzbPNHem-Il7kKoz0GO15PrKS82ffbvlEWWPM2F-SpIkoW6fAY_ioXk/s1187/Grad%20Pic.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="762" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOcbBwq1XttK3DkKKjmeB4NsRXlznKKq7jusTn4-crHaNRGhbr-MFZHbIo8PLTniBSZl6BNgbVrkfB8PM0F6N3Nw9uMfpJi8N2INAA0WJIDuvPw0p8wEKB0325ghf8vP8eaFcYzbPNHem-Il7kKoz0GO15PrKS82ffbvlEWWPM2F-SpIkoW6fAY_ioXk/w256-h400/Grad%20Pic.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My best friend's graduation from nursing school. <br />She's my age and went back to college for four years to get her nursing degree.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHCm6cTFSZKvhZDsBjg_vG4As6Zn1uV3BxhKfoA2d_Ak4n4YO4ArmUKGtgsp3KD3htimSGAMKh6NzfMgDN2auiIsnEc570xWg3gyvS8O9_b4AiGVSJFEgY3QCG7f3o7MYKal1nGfTonTsdUK9Q4DC_hVFkCRWvYoqRljxYpPd7-xEk84mGqIENSS-AeQ/s723/Sheila%20Jen%20and%20Me.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="723" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHCm6cTFSZKvhZDsBjg_vG4As6Zn1uV3BxhKfoA2d_Ak4n4YO4ArmUKGtgsp3KD3htimSGAMKh6NzfMgDN2auiIsnEc570xWg3gyvS8O9_b4AiGVSJFEgY3QCG7f3o7MYKal1nGfTonTsdUK9Q4DC_hVFkCRWvYoqRljxYpPd7-xEk84mGqIENSS-AeQ/w400-h301/Sheila%20Jen%20and%20Me.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Posing with the graduate...Sheila (in the middle) is another grammar school friend.<br /><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOOi2nrSen8ggYuHxE_b1_GdwBZ-QaD-72HmD1DanWcMGty6Js3odsB8L9-oZeJ2WVjA2tU6zGKP-WjwSxiHq8sUbITM6ASWxMnruurfV20F-V28_mVcC2vhwaDCFyOS7fYSVWZ3GraVOXeA82NXumaCrBzaPTfLrEkg8xI4w4SuPbcZ_YtHmNv9Rr4g/s4032/IMG_3138.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOOi2nrSen8ggYuHxE_b1_GdwBZ-QaD-72HmD1DanWcMGty6Js3odsB8L9-oZeJ2WVjA2tU6zGKP-WjwSxiHq8sUbITM6ASWxMnruurfV20F-V28_mVcC2vhwaDCFyOS7fYSVWZ3GraVOXeA82NXumaCrBzaPTfLrEkg8xI4w4SuPbcZ_YtHmNv9Rr4g/w400-h300/IMG_3138.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>2.</b> <b>The Newport Flower Show: </b>After a three-year hiatus (2020-2023), my mom and I finally went back to the Newport Flower Show, which we used to visit anually until COVID hit. My mom (at almost 80) was worried about having enough stamina, but she got around wonderfully--proof that we can still do our fun mother-daughter day trips.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tdNjHK9QlCnkOlHNXU54Vd8glM8cbxtVNhnR836hUmt6jww_nsXcWQMMrs-mvJYvn3HdH3FezKYFDOdWGPSy9HMK941hMeXu0hdAqVeRhCmtMGAxUR0bdrZ5qPhSWh_YhrDS0zJbHKUrvLTPp4WHiawK0nIv-brLz5hPVcSAh60M6eYRIzj7YHRbUrA/s4032/IMG_3103.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tdNjHK9QlCnkOlHNXU54Vd8glM8cbxtVNhnR836hUmt6jww_nsXcWQMMrs-mvJYvn3HdH3FezKYFDOdWGPSy9HMK941hMeXu0hdAqVeRhCmtMGAxUR0bdrZ5qPhSWh_YhrDS0zJbHKUrvLTPp4WHiawK0nIv-brLz5hPVcSAh60M6eYRIzj7YHRbUrA/w400-h300/IMG_3103.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLUA-b7a7SdILMnht1Qn59qYPTzx-hopzeqGB-h7I8W04GknyvcZDzrLw8flNixjeUsR-PF8xojM6fYz-vcXoK28A1YeD-g0tXRA6Nt9voiaLHWpUYygnmp2QQt7Lr_VvHY-Rg2VYf4wCWGbJq3iqDKIIs0_M76NTTQGvfbYHsMNwK9BRE70ErDblWgo/s4032/IMG_3108.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLUA-b7a7SdILMnht1Qn59qYPTzx-hopzeqGB-h7I8W04GknyvcZDzrLw8flNixjeUsR-PF8xojM6fYz-vcXoK28A1YeD-g0tXRA6Nt9voiaLHWpUYygnmp2QQt7Lr_VvHY-Rg2VYf4wCWGbJq3iqDKIIs0_M76NTTQGvfbYHsMNwK9BRE70ErDblWgo/w400-h300/IMG_3108.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDckM1Ptu2hqO_5k1D7HQ-xL_i03QOzeeu1vYuSsaVLC1UBJBrL2BihgfiBDhexf3NKvmEoSuyMbhoiRrDtQSxY-A8V-y3NAeVXuJsBS1YakYvWcveihj0FouCbWr_tc0S0PycI-mbVP_6Fcb-hXPM6lliomk1mwEwngxLKSnGVkiuxMA863AEJKM_ac4/s4032/IMG_3111.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDckM1Ptu2hqO_5k1D7HQ-xL_i03QOzeeu1vYuSsaVLC1UBJBrL2BihgfiBDhexf3NKvmEoSuyMbhoiRrDtQSxY-A8V-y3NAeVXuJsBS1YakYvWcveihj0FouCbWr_tc0S0PycI-mbVP_6Fcb-hXPM6lliomk1mwEwngxLKSnGVkiuxMA863AEJKM_ac4/w300-h400/IMG_3111.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tapp8B_K16mY6Ydg8EIfljr1NKJHX7zyxHQzdpifCnpqI7x3NkQQ81rShFcUjKT8KIyEyqSlVPVyYKjfL5cNOui_4xFVT_z27zuySbj2dlzET8ULkwPUTFiRoWVBZuq3h5_-8DJzyV2pHsNKEDPfd6X8Q58YlJbgK3E5r9HB1NUUcs9dxD1JkPfTkhI/s4032/IMG_3113.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tapp8B_K16mY6Ydg8EIfljr1NKJHX7zyxHQzdpifCnpqI7x3NkQQ81rShFcUjKT8KIyEyqSlVPVyYKjfL5cNOui_4xFVT_z27zuySbj2dlzET8ULkwPUTFiRoWVBZuq3h5_-8DJzyV2pHsNKEDPfd6X8Q58YlJbgK3E5r9HB1NUUcs9dxD1JkPfTkhI/w400-h300/IMG_3113.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjY1NWqpqG-OggTXieBxKLPhm7G3leF9ZJ76D3_ufJ7BcLU3TrzqO7-d6Rt_CHLFGCIJ-IiO0TxUYOYRHgXX_FsFeD5RYNxZ9X71xe-Vu8aQ45ZOhGQUG57KrNJVC5Foyip4gw4I432nvE1SIxgL2E-F6wlrz9zsOQrJ9Si_b3Gt8DU5YoDjTrtOVUDg/s4032/IMG_3127.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjY1NWqpqG-OggTXieBxKLPhm7G3leF9ZJ76D3_ufJ7BcLU3TrzqO7-d6Rt_CHLFGCIJ-IiO0TxUYOYRHgXX_FsFeD5RYNxZ9X71xe-Vu8aQ45ZOhGQUG57KrNJVC5Foyip4gw4I432nvE1SIxgL2E-F6wlrz9zsOQrJ9Si_b3Gt8DU5YoDjTrtOVUDg/w400-h300/IMG_3127.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mh_Xg7b1GmQSBmy5PTvk4uUmzk0fG1CmkJRUAU2yIoP84mFNWecISfpMlr3VkB-p10Rj2ZrSvSKyUbZGlTBaMiUhPtbzauNtGidFTs7Kjb--YfSWD0HvAPDVa7_LEhE1fCsLqe1OepoArpd6eE3YnjkkwK4gtuHmoEJZOyKXGgTh1r8AxXfLPfBj9g8/s4032/IMG_3129.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mh_Xg7b1GmQSBmy5PTvk4uUmzk0fG1CmkJRUAU2yIoP84mFNWecISfpMlr3VkB-p10Rj2ZrSvSKyUbZGlTBaMiUhPtbzauNtGidFTs7Kjb--YfSWD0HvAPDVa7_LEhE1fCsLqe1OepoArpd6eE3YnjkkwK4gtuHmoEJZOyKXGgTh1r8AxXfLPfBj9g8/w400-h300/IMG_3129.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><b>3. Lake Compounce, Pool Parties, & Ice-cream: </b>Lewie's major request this year was "sleep-over pool parties," so for one weekend each month (June, July, & August), Lewie had his friends sleep over to go "night swimming." We have a tradition during the summer. When they come over, they usually watch movies, TikTok videos, stargaze, play video games, swim, jump on the trampoline, and have pizza and ice cream. In the morning, they all let me know their Dunkin Donuts orders, so they can relax and have breakfast by the pool. (On a few other special days, he had a chance to go to Lake Compounce or to spend time with other friends.)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_avavITn5iJFw_aL067x_zvvJns02nb5cJ9fIda9mamgCTs8Zh2Sew4XzAllKhXLcxK0HLEqlsY-nhibNHyAInbmQ2F9k2WgBpnPSwApvWmaYWqfEaBIlmMyCtlnu-FXq3bnU6SI3XwWgFTbPnhX008dw6f7SQJrskcQ15JJYTL53rNFfq-bt5obpQQ/s4032/IMG_3153.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_avavITn5iJFw_aL067x_zvvJns02nb5cJ9fIda9mamgCTs8Zh2Sew4XzAllKhXLcxK0HLEqlsY-nhibNHyAInbmQ2F9k2WgBpnPSwApvWmaYWqfEaBIlmMyCtlnu-FXq3bnU6SI3XwWgFTbPnhX008dw6f7SQJrskcQ15JJYTL53rNFfq-bt5obpQQ/w300-h400/IMG_3153.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Mnn6FXrD5CSK8rsFe8NLRYcPucHjK5yAFSNiPEkqeFMyVNV3-A2cfwMTsdryFsJ9iy2aYAcGUoi6aTNRUAG8kjtzJjbEnHTTtO4B6aszUWu9PaNonxZIhsMiHPR4OX0zwpkgo_ucD_TkonfPK2W8BpIYSrwn9Iaa5C1BW7HnRp8oOX5Bjobx-PUNt8E/s4032/IMG_3156.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Mnn6FXrD5CSK8rsFe8NLRYcPucHjK5yAFSNiPEkqeFMyVNV3-A2cfwMTsdryFsJ9iy2aYAcGUoi6aTNRUAG8kjtzJjbEnHTTtO4B6aszUWu9PaNonxZIhsMiHPR4OX0zwpkgo_ucD_TkonfPK2W8BpIYSrwn9Iaa5C1BW7HnRp8oOX5Bjobx-PUNt8E/w400-h300/IMG_3156.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpNLw-9s2RGSvNaL34Cjy2sUBjTdd-Lr5N1_Ws5cwfC1CFAQ8YB57wuDjQcNKeCK_6EJxYjnkQHlTTlk5GsKT-QyzX8pzTNAnXIWasUCO9WqzFKQFQoLM3ynO5X2PLb8zmWstwEr_OSjC-ppRJcW6WP4K-gc_OyzrRWvd2wSA9vKF8PCprLhX8HGg5c0/s4032/IMG_6802.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpNLw-9s2RGSvNaL34Cjy2sUBjTdd-Lr5N1_Ws5cwfC1CFAQ8YB57wuDjQcNKeCK_6EJxYjnkQHlTTlk5GsKT-QyzX8pzTNAnXIWasUCO9WqzFKQFQoLM3ynO5X2PLb8zmWstwEr_OSjC-ppRJcW6WP4K-gc_OyzrRWvd2wSA9vKF8PCprLhX8HGg5c0/w300-h400/IMG_6802.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQxQrFEZv26YQSAIDPUYnZLrm90daZwA7wdqoWRhUGIZFfguClqkfH5Owp6Eqqa_Sj0fezYnP5NCKHTfyNkK9_LqbWZYKfa0ko-7jqgMhxfSV0l99O6c2o1gPzDDTIaAJESOMVtEiwpjulTyy3n1LDJk4kmtLrHBm3gEV-5SsCw5cw9z0Zkv7C_Cunwg/s4032/IMG_3134.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQxQrFEZv26YQSAIDPUYnZLrm90daZwA7wdqoWRhUGIZFfguClqkfH5Owp6Eqqa_Sj0fezYnP5NCKHTfyNkK9_LqbWZYKfa0ko-7jqgMhxfSV0l99O6c2o1gPzDDTIaAJESOMVtEiwpjulTyy3n1LDJk4kmtLrHBm3gEV-5SsCw5cw9z0Zkv7C_Cunwg/w400-h300/IMG_3134.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lewie and I had a chance to visit his old preschool teacher, Miss Kristen. <br />Miss Kristen is not old by any means, but we are so proud of her because <br />she moved on to start her own nutritional tea and shake business!<br /><br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><b>4. I.D. Tech Camp: </b>At the end of July, Lewie took another I.D. Tech Camp week-long computer course. (He's been doing these computer camps for the last five years; in 2020 and 2021, they were virtual, but all the other ones have been hosted by local colleges.) Last year, he took one hosted at Fairfield University, and this year, he took one at Wesleyan University. On the last day, they always say a few nice things about the students and present them with a certificate of completion. This year, Lewie earned his certificate in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. <i>He LOVED the fact that I made him pose with his certificate in a variety of campus locations. I am the classic embarrassing mom.</i><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgkfN9I3dc9isx8aiwbMnzM_B_li6sw8_NLJ8qWwLlmgawe609jcWwXLQRfPDfKJZtX4ck5EUo-XAcOW5YNyua8ovCamTGNiDWwl4CJ-th64I5Se-ZhW2nSvYnQJ0Z2K2fR_pWlq9zP4zvKZOeG1s8SY7BY9OaVdyN99EYsY3vTgjEn0m3CxtDlxXBk8/s4032/IMG_3178.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgkfN9I3dc9isx8aiwbMnzM_B_li6sw8_NLJ8qWwLlmgawe609jcWwXLQRfPDfKJZtX4ck5EUo-XAcOW5YNyua8ovCamTGNiDWwl4CJ-th64I5Se-ZhW2nSvYnQJ0Z2K2fR_pWlq9zP4zvKZOeG1s8SY7BY9OaVdyN99EYsY3vTgjEn0m3CxtDlxXBk8/w640-h480/IMG_3178.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfph0VyVaTohXxlHC1xSLspCbj05cwvXlQsganaE99jgMYsmv3Q_EhqvlRhdFyB76d-GlIqvwNrGueHY_vzKSBT0BL2YoGEDrRx388GP9MWwYFajEU6MEGZr60Ut51nSLPqmWU_S3IQWAkQlpKijRi8ao2GM29Y68QdfVZH4od5TrzIg3mVTd_3muBgIM/s4032/IMG_3183.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfph0VyVaTohXxlHC1xSLspCbj05cwvXlQsganaE99jgMYsmv3Q_EhqvlRhdFyB76d-GlIqvwNrGueHY_vzKSBT0BL2YoGEDrRx388GP9MWwYFajEU6MEGZr60Ut51nSLPqmWU_S3IQWAkQlpKijRi8ao2GM29Y68QdfVZH4od5TrzIg3mVTd_3muBgIM/w400-h300/IMG_3183.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8lWBZSzfPMmOcD4ftGh7SoCNNV-tZnY9Ov-4ESyBlEQW6sgNBzZRdaWPH_cvJ0AGLcpvVdyvG10-9IzO-31H6XlVW_1IgGCg2CAv5jlTOfR-ECSRjqjQiIgwo-jt-hNTKBpo7o4-prvtRswhPEw4Pwgv0nvAx5GN-7WT_0zHpaEXv5EDnPkh071pEOk/s4032/IMG_3188.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8lWBZSzfPMmOcD4ftGh7SoCNNV-tZnY9Ov-4ESyBlEQW6sgNBzZRdaWPH_cvJ0AGLcpvVdyvG10-9IzO-31H6XlVW_1IgGCg2CAv5jlTOfR-ECSRjqjQiIgwo-jt-hNTKBpo7o4-prvtRswhPEw4Pwgv0nvAx5GN-7WT_0zHpaEXv5EDnPkh071pEOk/w640-h480/IMG_3188.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUsQ4_FZVD6yoKiXGyDS2ZoTDvYypCRJJ102PzhclLY5gjvTkuct48C3RekaWGfkEJ7eRZR2Gy7jmf4TMfcMqCZkiZjHXEda0v55AAO2jgfm_NZzHuAp7eqpxtF-puBB6OzfUSA2_kmEJxdqpdT6Sn71WWBpQNHUl1QltEgNbNcJl71x6bLN_AD8_CTs/s4032/IMG_3190.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUsQ4_FZVD6yoKiXGyDS2ZoTDvYypCRJJ102PzhclLY5gjvTkuct48C3RekaWGfkEJ7eRZR2Gy7jmf4TMfcMqCZkiZjHXEda0v55AAO2jgfm_NZzHuAp7eqpxtF-puBB6OzfUSA2_kmEJxdqpdT6Sn71WWBpQNHUl1QltEgNbNcJl71x6bLN_AD8_CTs/w400-h300/IMG_3190.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><b>5. Trip to Jackson and North Conway, N.H.: </b>In August, I did the unthinkable. I planned a trip, specifically designed with Lewie's friends in mind. (I still feel bad that he never went on his class trip to Boston or Washington D.C.) <b> </b>Two out of his three friends could go, and another family decided to come with us, so in all, it was the three of us (Lew, Lewie, and me), Ryan's family (John, Ryan, and Sue) and Lewie and Ryan's friend, Noah. Each of our families drove up separately, but we stayed at the same hotel, The Christmas Farm Inn & Spa, and we did the same activities, which included taking the Cog Railway to the top of Mount Washington, hiking, and going to some of the cutest general stores and family restaurants in the area. I decided to capture the highlights (through pictures) below.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the first day, we went on the <a href="https://www.thecog.com/unforgettable" target="_blank">Mount Washington Cog Railway</a>, which they sometimes refer to as the "Railway to the Moon" because of its steep incline with some sections being a 38% grade! Mount Washington itself (part of the White Mountains) is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 feet, and as our diesel train traveled up the mountain in one hour, we went through three different climate zones to get to the top. You could see the difference through the changes in vegetation or, sometimes, lack of vegetation!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bm3cJ17rEnq3aKDhGm4FU3HGh6HHSHnfVMzQJ619DpN0zZwp4kBcKiAyd05YIkKVyxFjN1NIiTpnz94PCC0RLkrjAVkGcCvZKcrbhplo59WE7RsD7FPAX87D54Z0dhIzB3_02EN9zb0hd4UJmXMsRYDNDaL91xzE7tXRrSzG3F6oohuk_-dyOQs_FY0/s4032/IMG_3355.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bm3cJ17rEnq3aKDhGm4FU3HGh6HHSHnfVMzQJ619DpN0zZwp4kBcKiAyd05YIkKVyxFjN1NIiTpnz94PCC0RLkrjAVkGcCvZKcrbhplo59WE7RsD7FPAX87D54Z0dhIzB3_02EN9zb0hd4UJmXMsRYDNDaL91xzE7tXRrSzG3F6oohuk_-dyOQs_FY0/w400-h300/IMG_3355.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6JmsBNvhcq-COba4WIOwDCOgbPcDJDFEQV5J5Jf6lPquoBATsXEFiZ3HFZeOHAVgzmYG2aJG8ptb1vGct3BE2EooxlQ2VKSQ3FEyUx8T5_0frOKgNs84lu6pcheNruos46mZcKvezOrtPFSKEUweI8fuy92ixkYjCDn563KMnjdiNl68OlYKM0i5sVg/s4032/IMG_3361.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6JmsBNvhcq-COba4WIOwDCOgbPcDJDFEQV5J5Jf6lPquoBATsXEFiZ3HFZeOHAVgzmYG2aJG8ptb1vGct3BE2EooxlQ2VKSQ3FEyUx8T5_0frOKgNs84lu6pcheNruos46mZcKvezOrtPFSKEUweI8fuy92ixkYjCDn563KMnjdiNl68OlYKM0i5sVg/w400-h300/IMG_3361.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iBUNKc-9LlRl_oq3FZfPJHoZrt3OeaMoZztHwHcG8-7tEKButVxxKC5jeRqPwrHJtGKdJXTf3wvZGL8ykBzO2RWU_Nbt9qz94GnkSR-FCA9uG7kNB7y3ccdN49M48gHyDBmXvOH7LRUCnsjHraSvITO3_ai9kwHOUONjLSDVlyfqBuYMps7Y2PGYmuI/s960/Kiddos%20on%20the%20Cog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="599" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iBUNKc-9LlRl_oq3FZfPJHoZrt3OeaMoZztHwHcG8-7tEKButVxxKC5jeRqPwrHJtGKdJXTf3wvZGL8ykBzO2RWU_Nbt9qz94GnkSR-FCA9uG7kNB7y3ccdN49M48gHyDBmXvOH7LRUCnsjHraSvITO3_ai9kwHOUONjLSDVlyfqBuYMps7Y2PGYmuI/w400-h640/Kiddos%20on%20the%20Cog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxoENgyf6uADUTFt_TlmuPLqzoI7-_4T6cr6MipoEemN8zKWh9q_Tf38P0pthdAtzQ92h6LzEfmfYTKWvoElFAOgMenvLc5DQ4MV4goidwrqdaIcrDcvwRwIKQvR7mn7nfeZceMM-j07GRX1ONdosJY95_zquWtbiHdcjyIZpat8FzJJ2L6Mu3zB1AZI/s960/Hubby%20and%20me%20on%20the%20Cog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="826" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxoENgyf6uADUTFt_TlmuPLqzoI7-_4T6cr6MipoEemN8zKWh9q_Tf38P0pthdAtzQ92h6LzEfmfYTKWvoElFAOgMenvLc5DQ4MV4goidwrqdaIcrDcvwRwIKQvR7mn7nfeZceMM-j07GRX1ONdosJY95_zquWtbiHdcjyIZpat8FzJJ2L6Mu3zB1AZI/w344-h400/Hubby%20and%20me%20on%20the%20Cog.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdzbJwPacGHgYKQbzu2f4idZ7CasHTQW1Kx67mKTtb_yPvJNEinPXmnQ8z9SfXeWE9bBz0m8rjUWo412BTJx-w2tbGtaqXZWw-SxqlLAH0Sbu92agirWzhwLhjZsmPyRQ96PzDxcXZJ0Zd0hGOq6EJ4K9FNynImZZ6q_PLzXIPKnLVm7X942j6eoFDv8/s4032/IMG_3446.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdzbJwPacGHgYKQbzu2f4idZ7CasHTQW1Kx67mKTtb_yPvJNEinPXmnQ8z9SfXeWE9bBz0m8rjUWo412BTJx-w2tbGtaqXZWw-SxqlLAH0Sbu92agirWzhwLhjZsmPyRQ96PzDxcXZJ0Zd0hGOq6EJ4K9FNynImZZ6q_PLzXIPKnLVm7X942j6eoFDv8/w400-h300/IMG_3446.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5L7ozI2Ymu5RXGSEbyK3NGhOrapHqYs4sgEvuAhcKVEuHssPrFzPr73aWUMcLVjL5ooKftQakUQTsEm-Kojp5IO9GezETGgYw_76jaxL0dVRM_s8dkAmqHS14FH8KQlCFAqYfEAWdDzTJU6rRMUr6MYwEgUepdPgBVobm98H6WURnPS0RS6qoh_rRdMs/s4032/IMG_3368.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5L7ozI2Ymu5RXGSEbyK3NGhOrapHqYs4sgEvuAhcKVEuHssPrFzPr73aWUMcLVjL5ooKftQakUQTsEm-Kojp5IO9GezETGgYw_76jaxL0dVRM_s8dkAmqHS14FH8KQlCFAqYfEAWdDzTJU6rRMUr6MYwEgUepdPgBVobm98H6WURnPS0RS6qoh_rRdMs/w400-h300/IMG_3368.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxK1LyJeTIS2uf7KPYO2sen6A9hhSafp04Dx59iFN5L2PO46Q7STtcQcJ35RBnZv2reQLADkoeoUeiE7lXRq1zujp8AUYh3FM1Yz_mz0kTZZKghKXDZzbhNE_dYYAGQSnQ9W2_AcdDsNEIIBOfWrTHIpgM2uqloYB-F-ZlNu942t-s7M3XAUQ38LXE6s/s4032/IMG_3373.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxK1LyJeTIS2uf7KPYO2sen6A9hhSafp04Dx59iFN5L2PO46Q7STtcQcJ35RBnZv2reQLADkoeoUeiE7lXRq1zujp8AUYh3FM1Yz_mz0kTZZKghKXDZzbhNE_dYYAGQSnQ9W2_AcdDsNEIIBOfWrTHIpgM2uqloYB-F-ZlNu942t-s7M3XAUQ38LXE6s/w400-h300/IMG_3373.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4R0YgVk9mKUX75-abBuIxOCofIjoGMBGPip-CsN5Du9Lefo_tuLtZRmfWyVgJ5QP2dqugp2VuJkU4yX6Hu3mllBMOd-vyKwqWm_L_HNy97wqYjngBqFLSq04fnLcqlRabX_ddHGZ1V3bSR1a08Y7nw1-eHi3ov0TO-ZcaC_I8GQLqOiLagtOPGbmiTJA/s4032/IMG_3445.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4R0YgVk9mKUX75-abBuIxOCofIjoGMBGPip-CsN5Du9Lefo_tuLtZRmfWyVgJ5QP2dqugp2VuJkU4yX6Hu3mllBMOd-vyKwqWm_L_HNy97wqYjngBqFLSq04fnLcqlRabX_ddHGZ1V3bSR1a08Y7nw1-eHi3ov0TO-ZcaC_I8GQLqOiLagtOPGbmiTJA/w400-h300/IMG_3445.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I wish I could say we had a beautiful sunny day with expansive views, but our weekend to New Hampshire mirrored most of our weekends this summer--RAIN. We saw clouds and fog, which to our surprise, is like most days at that high elevation. Thankfully, the temperature was a balmy 40 degrees instead of its average 20 degrees or its coldest temp ever recorded -50 degrees (below zero).</div><div><br /></div><div>Another big draw of the trip was the vineyards, breweries, and shopping. We had a chance to stop by a few places on the way back from the White Mountains. On Sunday, we had a chance to visit Zeb's General Store in North Conway, Flossie's General Store in Jackson, and the Covered Bridge Shoppe in Barlett, N.H.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnqdBk0JQxETfCC0PlNZMFzXDFoo1_e4BDDRYNn2iNMU4dPaBu1GduUKpI-95osTjjYy4ogXwAJzZ49hAxYAsAe24ryNl7b9VcLLwTsYD8ivm29qeqdfljlpXV5q8H69gvhgguRQPGB5YqcXgAVosLeeEPkXXOU8Jh7YYryGW2VgANZPkHCoH-Wy9rkY/s4032/IMG_3460.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnqdBk0JQxETfCC0PlNZMFzXDFoo1_e4BDDRYNn2iNMU4dPaBu1GduUKpI-95osTjjYy4ogXwAJzZ49hAxYAsAe24ryNl7b9VcLLwTsYD8ivm29qeqdfljlpXV5q8H69gvhgguRQPGB5YqcXgAVosLeeEPkXXOU8Jh7YYryGW2VgANZPkHCoH-Wy9rkY/w300-h400/IMG_3460.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgic-Nkb54lWgkmu1iUXRdSjEHCkHzd8N5ZzgfxqZK-EspbVdBUEWA9acZLN5XXmJXX5wtrTxAdcZ9u96HiR0YDBQtxp2mVlOyQv44j25qvDwqe5rNeQIO2yq0tG3ozR_XaJQ7Q2_aQELXe1vlxfwYdcT7LpRuD6XUrOo2REis5IbmQ2xEDKeXfF5NYww/w300-h400/IMG_3463.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2TgWX-rQ4pFGB3MTuxVK5kQsFNYCLNAgsnd2GdexUFpdexkv81VRb9TLs-ZZbarAubuCPNbg24sJu3ndaLqx_awOoxG5DeSe-iDjhqU55yXiARyijf-pyJBnawyo_vSGiYpE_AF3j81gcV-F0_-z8SEBwT2f9VfrJzO9ss7zyJe6bYGDwbYYiN1io9c/s3088/IMG_3468.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2TgWX-rQ4pFGB3MTuxVK5kQsFNYCLNAgsnd2GdexUFpdexkv81VRb9TLs-ZZbarAubuCPNbg24sJu3ndaLqx_awOoxG5DeSe-iDjhqU55yXiARyijf-pyJBnawyo_vSGiYpE_AF3j81gcV-F0_-z8SEBwT2f9VfrJzO9ss7zyJe6bYGDwbYYiN1io9c/w400-h300/IMG_3468.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbg2Ia59SmWtB2cz1GZJ16JkBeFk0vjuCqo3FUglDm8iR8K2ysziDR_A0I7KM0gwWOrCMKXCHw2wPXUJL3DegXtfaA4MAo35Gt83w1R2D2McNSPBGUeJwOYeeuc5eB1kmo1Pa-FtvKIw3mygJLdpeX7CD0-37Sxp8CKd69PvAcHidd9muN9CFb29Yos7Y/s4032/IMG_3471.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbg2Ia59SmWtB2cz1GZJ16JkBeFk0vjuCqo3FUglDm8iR8K2ysziDR_A0I7KM0gwWOrCMKXCHw2wPXUJL3DegXtfaA4MAo35Gt83w1R2D2McNSPBGUeJwOYeeuc5eB1kmo1Pa-FtvKIw3mygJLdpeX7CD0-37Sxp8CKd69PvAcHidd9muN9CFb29Yos7Y/w400-h300/IMG_3471.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjGmyVSF3Uch56qhMeNip2dhTygTNKIEon3uSBgQmSOZssUl1RWbS5fmXinz-8pTqpkuiQKeQK9zTqJQs1zIaeM1LXg9NvupPx_y-5fHE9PF6B2gIxfnV_JWf9VL4QP1947QdaW6mZviONppXyRn5EiyYIe-4RpFV_K3lxjFziKKPVKnY0ZlyaJdGY8I/s4032/IMG_3472.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjGmyVSF3Uch56qhMeNip2dhTygTNKIEon3uSBgQmSOZssUl1RWbS5fmXinz-8pTqpkuiQKeQK9zTqJQs1zIaeM1LXg9NvupPx_y-5fHE9PF6B2gIxfnV_JWf9VL4QP1947QdaW6mZviONppXyRn5EiyYIe-4RpFV_K3lxjFziKKPVKnY0ZlyaJdGY8I/w400-h300/IMG_3472.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-t98dCBLVhH_VcIpninX0f7hT5bZ4ZYQLl3Ms5iQbms4j829E-S6ta_vS2eNydOm-jH_jIC-NiShpGziC6-m79xoB1x41OwVBsaCBHeqJShg85ZbnT_jRJaZJ5cI4i7cacpPsThkzEd2SJIv2zYSgCk9ip7G8yRnmwngt1lefsSJJc4MMdO_8fwQ0g8/s4032/IMG_3512.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-t98dCBLVhH_VcIpninX0f7hT5bZ4ZYQLl3Ms5iQbms4j829E-S6ta_vS2eNydOm-jH_jIC-NiShpGziC6-m79xoB1x41OwVBsaCBHeqJShg85ZbnT_jRJaZJ5cI4i7cacpPsThkzEd2SJIv2zYSgCk9ip7G8yRnmwngt1lefsSJJc4MMdO_8fwQ0g8/w400-h300/IMG_3512.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>The rain disrupted some of our hiking plans, but we did manage to go to a popular 'water hole' called Diana's Baths. The weather also held out, so we could have a campfire during our last night at the inn. (The boys didn't stay at the campfire long--instead, they chose to hang out for over an hour at the playground. Here's my favorite quote of the night: "Hey Lewie, look, there's some girls over there. Maybe you can get yourself a girlfriend." The girls soon left, however, and the boys had their own fun on the swings.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZFJSGBKQQ1AwEC3pXRPn8aQd7AUn5wGf5PU8J8npFJv35EPltkiIfKxCNft324flZEvJhupyJvTiljaenh0qSsgsOlf4eWBpp1w2P2ZfSG4DmhRpQd7QlfUwYZo0OSWClKuW9LxXpN2vOXN4wTLcrY1deRty5tY4i_nI0juprE-tyodPlhPjDO5HRV8/s4032/IMG_3451.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZFJSGBKQQ1AwEC3pXRPn8aQd7AUn5wGf5PU8J8npFJv35EPltkiIfKxCNft324flZEvJhupyJvTiljaenh0qSsgsOlf4eWBpp1w2P2ZfSG4DmhRpQd7QlfUwYZo0OSWClKuW9LxXpN2vOXN4wTLcrY1deRty5tY4i_nI0juprE-tyodPlhPjDO5HRV8/w400-h300/IMG_3451.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5Jw6fxdZBO8PtG1n_O38oh24TOyr9Mgq8NvD73gSdYstXOUIn_GsUDRfxcUBJNFhTLVKDs_fnLbXSUzTvtBcSBvMiAMewTQm1Xw2PsU6d-0yroLA7KCc_-8k3aTQ5neSfGJpqIlyjabLyxR4-dx7Nv_fct9DcjKcSnyX282cd47GERfuYKok8IwR_xM/s4032/IMG_3454.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5Jw6fxdZBO8PtG1n_O38oh24TOyr9Mgq8NvD73gSdYstXOUIn_GsUDRfxcUBJNFhTLVKDs_fnLbXSUzTvtBcSBvMiAMewTQm1Xw2PsU6d-0yroLA7KCc_-8k3aTQ5neSfGJpqIlyjabLyxR4-dx7Nv_fct9DcjKcSnyX282cd47GERfuYKok8IwR_xM/w640-h480/IMG_3454.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgxiPsvnAYhxnUKUFZ4UeFF7nIopvt4orofwZTrZQ6KMC5UT71v3p47FQG5TFXSjEfXj1PxMene4XVaCr7mwXkhN_qnQqHRmrfh-rHNvd8As239BKPcKk3_kOqcUOyTTYE_BWHoNBTjKWwiFM9AFe8Nb_Vf7WGf_aCxQ_agqTJCC_M8dI9PaTo6Q2tKU/s4032/IMG_3476.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgxiPsvnAYhxnUKUFZ4UeFF7nIopvt4orofwZTrZQ6KMC5UT71v3p47FQG5TFXSjEfXj1PxMene4XVaCr7mwXkhN_qnQqHRmrfh-rHNvd8As239BKPcKk3_kOqcUOyTTYE_BWHoNBTjKWwiFM9AFe8Nb_Vf7WGf_aCxQ_agqTJCC_M8dI9PaTo6Q2tKU/w400-h300/IMG_3476.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFNV5eOnxenUQd5pTot38xvhznyTBEDjzrIijXBNgBVeBr6RUSHSChkMAJnR1yoIPS6ChXePONc2_FUCgYNZ1ri3YRNXIX2D6ZV_FCTcLa4QWtKW23hnrpyRGXWfnl21NdIJsnDjjLeUAEdE6fNGb5PTl6rTeMHVO_NE3e0npUbcTNeoXhbDktQlIivc/s4032/IMG_3477.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFNV5eOnxenUQd5pTot38xvhznyTBEDjzrIijXBNgBVeBr6RUSHSChkMAJnR1yoIPS6ChXePONc2_FUCgYNZ1ri3YRNXIX2D6ZV_FCTcLa4QWtKW23hnrpyRGXWfnl21NdIJsnDjjLeUAEdE6fNGb5PTl6rTeMHVO_NE3e0npUbcTNeoXhbDktQlIivc/w640-h480/IMG_3477.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPm_qvAyBnU1RD9Ujuq8i-EheQHrrkx6HluqH-6U22f3LdEl-daDEKfkUMvAWBjkKGOm6hJVYVZ1f1FGnnfKbORg870C5qny2NgexefUX0a3FLefJla7tsEzmBL2zS5m8g7P90YeXfZiqLcbwq-4aK-5gg8xd1O4SFivszUWqmy8zFKf7B_mfiM0Vptlk/s4032/IMG_3479.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPm_qvAyBnU1RD9Ujuq8i-EheQHrrkx6HluqH-6U22f3LdEl-daDEKfkUMvAWBjkKGOm6hJVYVZ1f1FGnnfKbORg870C5qny2NgexefUX0a3FLefJla7tsEzmBL2zS5m8g7P90YeXfZiqLcbwq-4aK-5gg8xd1O4SFivszUWqmy8zFKf7B_mfiM0Vptlk/w400-h300/IMG_3479.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BCw95JkwSQ0HKHYj63L5x5VjJpJnjq3SpoIbDIlVkFd_U_VaTHOnHE1zbhNl9YrPWMe4f7dqsN4sWC6B1Lb5H5BYZGyOdena5Q-pfU89G0jha_Q07P8tDEBK0259AlSmvYAJim42_-Gqm5Y-cnMQFSk4PLH1RVb_Npf9OV5Yqof_Urj3I592JlyWiNE/s4032/IMG_3488.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BCw95JkwSQ0HKHYj63L5x5VjJpJnjq3SpoIbDIlVkFd_U_VaTHOnHE1zbhNl9YrPWMe4f7dqsN4sWC6B1Lb5H5BYZGyOdena5Q-pfU89G0jha_Q07P8tDEBK0259AlSmvYAJim42_-Gqm5Y-cnMQFSk4PLH1RVb_Npf9OV5Yqof_Urj3I592JlyWiNE/w640-h480/IMG_3488.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_p503wUxkgOo7B1_OOHwN5tgXRm_fAERa4DNGXtXlPlPyNuRBRFi3KW-djYn3zJ-AQ9ralRYhVnj1y_f5uds9s2c4vlnY5Pan70vkKfm3P21Awju0YSQ_wwqqhINNryv4_AmCSporS_vQSOMK_q7gg8RykhdCsE4dsMvjZFNamc8Jw4IPEGGIBWcleQ/s4032/IMG_3491.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_p503wUxkgOo7B1_OOHwN5tgXRm_fAERa4DNGXtXlPlPyNuRBRFi3KW-djYn3zJ-AQ9ralRYhVnj1y_f5uds9s2c4vlnY5Pan70vkKfm3P21Awju0YSQ_wwqqhINNryv4_AmCSporS_vQSOMK_q7gg8RykhdCsE4dsMvjZFNamc8Jw4IPEGGIBWcleQ/w400-h300/IMG_3491.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>My favorite part of this trip was "being a fly on the wall' when it came to the boys. At the Christmas Farm Inn, we rented a barn loft (converted to an apartment), which had a small living room and bathroom on the bottom and a large loft at the top. By far, the loft was the most comfortable area with its comfy king bed and two twin beds, but we reluctantly handed it over to the boys, so all three of them could stay in the same room. My hubby and I took the uncomfortable sofa bed downstairs. At the end of the day, though, it didn't matter. The boys laughed and laughed upstairs until at one point, I woke up and thought someone was crying. They were crying alright--crying from laughing so hard! I didn't hear most of their jokes or conversations, but when I did, they warmed my heart. So innocent...so fun...so coming of age. When they were crying (from laughing), it was because the mirror in the bathroom fell down by itself. They were trying so hard to be quiet and then CLANG!! What a riot!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4tXSrx9vYkQMahmK1NZq7GlOX9c4_u-LwP-G5FA8-IzXOlYgLSxEEPO4uohIhxWhvQUHwXT6MehRmxKecl-yp--p1SWBywA1ptEbIVUcbTzmEoG_bOUKxMSnLuhIZduXZQHlKkjZ98y_Ga5Sf-Bi-XKaoK13rTJdpRM8eqS5Sa50meLA7bRWlnWMOhCg/s4032/IMG_3345.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4tXSrx9vYkQMahmK1NZq7GlOX9c4_u-LwP-G5FA8-IzXOlYgLSxEEPO4uohIhxWhvQUHwXT6MehRmxKecl-yp--p1SWBywA1ptEbIVUcbTzmEoG_bOUKxMSnLuhIZduXZQHlKkjZ98y_Ga5Sf-Bi-XKaoK13rTJdpRM8eqS5Sa50meLA7bRWlnWMOhCg/w640-h480/IMG_3345.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Christmas Farm Inn</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssH8NaoGjp3X9M9R3Gj9K-c5-uhrJJ4lLSla1RxyYbnY8jGX5iLL81uUTpvdwaggT41Tb26TA4hEmosgFMcWh9pgFj_pp9v6KdLiVxRo72ApAwToi32vyt-tvjmP64iGx-5dzfp-yuQsNy_m06SPApfYEd-4sQsd-TLMsdj_pJZL6qJtZl-7KWDp8NRo/s4032/IMG_3351.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssH8NaoGjp3X9M9R3Gj9K-c5-uhrJJ4lLSla1RxyYbnY8jGX5iLL81uUTpvdwaggT41Tb26TA4hEmosgFMcWh9pgFj_pp9v6KdLiVxRo72ApAwToi32vyt-tvjmP64iGx-5dzfp-yuQsNy_m06SPApfYEd-4sQsd-TLMsdj_pJZL6qJtZl-7KWDp8NRo/w400-h300/IMG_3351.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwjgMLD0Z_6AhoEiHNKhHbUJdRr2tpBxat9GQoEDor30UDn369W-9AyC_K-XLKoMz_HMORfYySfcoDpc7bDzkJgBEGKE1XUP73IvAuyneJmkIHR0cjENsw9yjuNH2EnYGQwWJIEee57Iy6kqwqhKRrO1OfvPVnics-liExM3lB28szZoqmePyHYUq2sQ/s4032/IMG_3501.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwjgMLD0Z_6AhoEiHNKhHbUJdRr2tpBxat9GQoEDor30UDn369W-9AyC_K-XLKoMz_HMORfYySfcoDpc7bDzkJgBEGKE1XUP73IvAuyneJmkIHR0cjENsw9yjuNH2EnYGQwWJIEee57Iy6kqwqhKRrO1OfvPVnics-liExM3lB28szZoqmePyHYUq2sQ/w400-h300/IMG_3501.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Barn. (Our apartment was in the back.)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_O76zWcK_nq1jES6BRFIYmje2YO4IgtsYH8w4nPBZtnIbo6w3rnnRJcvYOngiiEn7G3J42jG5hWS5EF7QR-0UDasqzDtg-iC-ElPXROV9i-uZkzlgKdPsS2jy_9Le8ObcUP2XlTOn7zC5cARiWOaGuVZfmnJmQNaywmW6fgwR4sf-SyfFaxoVtphq44/w400-h300/IMG_3503.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The loft upstairs where the boys slept.<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_O76zWcK_nq1jES6BRFIYmje2YO4IgtsYH8w4nPBZtnIbo6w3rnnRJcvYOngiiEn7G3J42jG5hWS5EF7QR-0UDasqzDtg-iC-ElPXROV9i-uZkzlgKdPsS2jy_9Le8ObcUP2XlTOn7zC5cARiWOaGuVZfmnJmQNaywmW6fgwR4sf-SyfFaxoVtphq44/s4032/IMG_3503.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i></i></a></div>At the same time that we squeezed in this trip, I started a new position as an Executive Director at a land trust. Then, at the end of August, I started teaching two classes at two different colleges. So, while it was sad to say "goodbye" to summer, the start of the school year and the fall was also a blessing--a chance to get settled into a new routine.<div><br /></div><div>Now we are officially two days into fall, and while I still don't have a routine down, yet, I'm looking forward to more exciting adventures--this time with my high school kid. Oh boy! Something tells me there will be more silliness and laughter in our future.</div>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-12515811171572489112023-08-15T07:16:00.002-04:002023-08-15T07:17:53.699-04:00To Be Fourteen ...Going on Fifteen<p>Fourteen has been an interesting year for us. While many of Little Lewie's friends started high school this year, Lewie finished middle school. I was convinced I made the right decision to hold him back (in pre-school), but as luck would have it, Lewie's three best friends all started high school, and Lewie spent his 8th-grade year wishing it away. "High school is way better than middle school," he would complain.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYA2y2M4XRdo5e6w05MjFj1Z6bCG9eIRhoW6mWRUgn2qG7DcqeIbIOFETiAki2i6DZn7V4KtgAKwcZu4J0rb6KZ09Fx0zWVvGq3ob7ZgJ5Ss0G8XMBja5oXwiX0l0TioSJD0o3hu0jUdw3EzA6t9q5sWJEtrDMLbCQcV5GBBDjfw7n4PS6fmZwnWGuW8/s4032/IMG_2977.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYA2y2M4XRdo5e6w05MjFj1Z6bCG9eIRhoW6mWRUgn2qG7DcqeIbIOFETiAki2i6DZn7V4KtgAKwcZu4J0rb6KZ09Fx0zWVvGq3ob7ZgJ5Ss0G8XMBja5oXwiX0l0TioSJD0o3hu0jUdw3EzA6t9q5sWJEtrDMLbCQcV5GBBDjfw7n4PS6fmZwnWGuW8/w640-h480/IMG_2977.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>In April, he decided not to attend the 8th grade Washington D.C. trip because he refused to share a hotel room with classmates that he either didn't know or thought were too immature. He didn't go to the combined 7th and 8th-grade dance for the same reason. I was just about to label 8th grade as "the lost year" until something miraculous happened. In May, not only did he agree to sign up for a day trip to a summer resort called "Holiday Hill," but he also agreed to attend the 8th-grade dance and end-of-year picnic. Was there a chance for us to redeem a year that was despised right at the onset?</p><p>Lewie's Holiday Hill picnic, surprisingly, was fun. He had a chance to play hoops and volleyball and get to know people in his class in a more intimate way than in the past. He arrived home feeling like he made new friends--other 8th-graders that had been in different classes from him throughout the years.</p><p>His first dance was also quite memorable. To save money, we decided he could dress in his same white shirt, black slacks, and shoes required for his band concert. The only difference is that he told me lots of guys would be wearing bowties instead of neckties. (Lucky for us, Daddy Lew had a bowtie Lewie could borrow.) The next goal was for us to teach Lewie some dance moves. Both Daddy Lew and I gave pointers on dancing to fast songs. I showed Lewie my classic 1990s and early 2000s techno dance moves. Daddy Lew showed Lewie his robot-breakdance moves and had him watch some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Fdal53RThcw" target="_blank">Poppin John videos</a>. On a separate day, I showed Lewie how to "slow dance" with a girl. Remembering my own first dance in 6th grade, I told him I did all the asking back then, and I would have been mortified if any of the boys refused my request for a slow dance. "What's the rule again?" I asked to make sure he was listening.</p><p>"Always say yes," he responded.</p><p>"Yes! That's my sweet kid." </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpx9D0h7fjIMkQ_PebkcGZ83RXPTlQx6vprzgq51na1JDRINP5MbgfV-Cn8gsIMO1A93wUgWtP83dcVFwjNEfUpxBBaN78aEmS28-PWus6-i7B8w3nUOjrgGCuCKIaYQAmX1-rXxcaqanSacjMI9t2G5v9KqnLL6e1iIu_wVZ-TaYvoLNd6_LPAscAgM/s4032/IMG_3027.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpx9D0h7fjIMkQ_PebkcGZ83RXPTlQx6vprzgq51na1JDRINP5MbgfV-Cn8gsIMO1A93wUgWtP83dcVFwjNEfUpxBBaN78aEmS28-PWus6-i7B8w3nUOjrgGCuCKIaYQAmX1-rXxcaqanSacjMI9t2G5v9KqnLL6e1iIu_wVZ-TaYvoLNd6_LPAscAgM/w640-h480/IMG_3027.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bG3WRwzKwFEwotDBDl2btJCr9C_UhgKorzcCC2pw6km_NMVQUt2-yoKrERhq3GPfzagTkiCjOaEQknSo8zCyVSDkbEaD5Or9RMnWZdiUtojHnTwvvhIvXubxXcW8uzPpSFlXX8IPE_ihMChQIpyXn54wfaQj-WJXTejcn_cWCFy5nbDhFqPjvFb8s9U/s4032/IMG_3031.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bG3WRwzKwFEwotDBDl2btJCr9C_UhgKorzcCC2pw6km_NMVQUt2-yoKrERhq3GPfzagTkiCjOaEQknSo8zCyVSDkbEaD5Or9RMnWZdiUtojHnTwvvhIvXubxXcW8uzPpSFlXX8IPE_ihMChQIpyXn54wfaQj-WJXTejcn_cWCFy5nbDhFqPjvFb8s9U/w400-h300/IMG_3031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUJ5EvcTsLk0dN9xQ7a8UuNK5yqktu1AI1HR9LsvxxhF7g-6e62OanIToJY7MkV-DAfBF_wXmJWzPNYM3NknlH-oRX7i-rKfkpK49_xaUez_NzztqjmZeEpB23Uts-Zq32EitA_VVNxOW-kanAykgzrr0bMWvBxpM2o_NIaIJgzb6xJ6cK5yR5RSSc2Q/s3088/IMG_1709.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="1737" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUJ5EvcTsLk0dN9xQ7a8UuNK5yqktu1AI1HR9LsvxxhF7g-6e62OanIToJY7MkV-DAfBF_wXmJWzPNYM3NknlH-oRX7i-rKfkpK49_xaUez_NzztqjmZeEpB23Uts-Zq32EitA_VVNxOW-kanAykgzrr0bMWvBxpM2o_NIaIJgzb6xJ6cK5yR5RSSc2Q/w225-h400/IMG_1709.JPG" width="225" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkPsWWVUFpeG8gyw5XuDZ8dxQ5YPrOfVKSziGIQdaOcl6ZEp_KMO8HF5ISs1LLGBCEWrEBAa0EOMdQa5AUwPc1NIc3vgNm3HFTnWx8fTSJdyU-vGNceDCZp6i52t-yL6XnbLX1hNCq_Hr1HeXZjFqbYo68k2cMT27tX9aPLF1tVsblnDSDr0cR2B6mMw/s4032/IMG_1712.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkPsWWVUFpeG8gyw5XuDZ8dxQ5YPrOfVKSziGIQdaOcl6ZEp_KMO8HF5ISs1LLGBCEWrEBAa0EOMdQa5AUwPc1NIc3vgNm3HFTnWx8fTSJdyU-vGNceDCZp6i52t-yL6XnbLX1hNCq_Hr1HeXZjFqbYo68k2cMT27tX9aPLF1tVsblnDSDr0cR2B6mMw/w225-h400/IMG_1712.JPG" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>These last two pics are from Lewie's phone. I made him share them with me!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>On the day of the dance, Lewie was dressed to the nines. I managed to take a few photos from home, but asking him to pose in front of the school (in front of other 8th-graders) was off-limits. I dropped him off in the parking lot and simply watched him wait for someone he knew to go inside. What a big milestone, I thought, as my son disappeared inside the glittery front doors. Little did I know, however, that I had absolutely NOTHING to worry about.</p><p>My husband agreed to pick up Lewie and was the first to hear about his time. "It was so fun," Lewie gushed. Evidently, in typical middle school style, the boys all hung out with each other on one side of the gym, and the girls all danced with one another on the other side. "Did you do any dancing?" I asked when he arrived home.</p><p>"Well, sort of," he responded. At one point the kids made a circle, and some of the braver dancers showed their skills. (Little Lewie wasn't one of them.) The boys and girls never slow danced. Both groups were too terrified to ask each other. "No one asked you to dance?" I asked Lewie one last time.</p><p>"Nope," he responded.</p><p>"So what made the dance so fun?" I finally asked.</p><p><b>"We had Chick-fil-A," he answered innocently.</b></p><p>So there was the summary of his middle school experience in a nutshell. Yes, he learned all about "the birds and the bees" in health class, and we allowed him to watch some movies this year with adult content, but in the end, he didn't need to have a date or even a dance with a girl to make his night complete. All he needed was FOOD, which shouldn't have been a shocker since teenage boys are always HUNGRY.</p><p>To capture Lewie's last moment of being fourteen, I interviewed him before his fifteenth birthday. I asked similar questions to previous years, but only a few answers remained the same. </p><p>Q: What is your favorite color?<br />A: "Purple...Well, purple and orange are both kind of my colors."</p><p>Q: What is your favorite book?<br />A: He didn't have a ready answer for this one, but he's currently reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Refugee-Alan-Gratz/dp/0545880831" target="_blank"><i>Refugee</i> by Alan Gratz</a> for school.<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/DP0/humphrey" target="_blank"><br /></a><br />Q: What is your favorite cartoon?<br />A: "Sponge Bob and The Amazing World of Gumball." (Truth be told, Lewie spends most of his time watching videos on YouTube; his favorite cartoon on this platform is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo8bcnLyZH8tBIH9V1mLgqQ" target="_blank">The Odd1sOut</a>).<br /><br />Q: What is your favorite movie?<br />A: <i> "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"--</i>Lewie didn't even hesitate to answer this question.<br /><br />Q: What is your favorite board game?<br />A: "Slapzi and Jackbox." He's really good at Slapzi, which is a card game, but he also enjoys playing Jackbox Games on the computer; he and his friends play it almost every time they get together. We like to play it with our cousins Vincent and Jamie, too.<br /><br />Q: What is your favorite computer game?<br />A: "Garry's Mod."<br /><br />Q: What is your favorite place or favorite vacation?<br />A: "Home." Lewie says his favorite place is home, but like a true teenager, when he's home, he says it's boring, and he wants to do more with his friends. Oh well...none of the fabulous National Park trips I've planned over the years made Lewie's list. Disney and Universal Studios didn't make the cut either.<br /><br />Q: What is your favorite thing to do at school?<br />A: "Math and algebra." (God bless him. Those words will never come out of my mouth.)<br /><br />Q: Who is your favorite teacher?<br />A: "Mrs. Poulin." Lewie's band teacher in grades 6 through 8, won the honor; however, Mr. Ruhl, his 8th-grade history teacher, did get an honorable mention.<br /><br />Q: What is your favorite sport?<br />A: "Volleyball."<br /><br />Q: What is your favorite food?<br />A: "French Toast." (This answer hasn't changed for the last 10+ years.)<br /><br />Q: What is your favorite ice cream flavor?<br />A: "Black Rasberry." (This is brand new.)<br /><br />Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?<br />A: "I don't know...something in the digital arts."<br /></p><p>Q: What is your favorite saying this year?<br />A: I'm going to answer this one. 1. Everything seems to begin with the word, "Bro..." as in "Bro, that makes no sense," or "Bro, you should have seen..." 2. If everything is good or okay. Lewie will say, "It's all gucci." 3. If something is awesome, it's "fire." 4. If he likes a response or agrees to a plan he will shout, "Bet!"</p><p>Q: What was your favorite moment as a fourteen-year-old?<br />A: "That's too hard. There are way too many. Okay, sleepovers...all my sleepovers with friends this year were fire."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRV-bvscU3YDjnlwrbIQPy3v3lm0M2WJPU7OPLwJE-9i6hMK9Bn6i70kBBpnFaLMgnaTfvT9Vsc6Gpy_ktMqmoDKICiHGiWdNNptDPsWJIci8WqWibY1kPS0hjCCciPfCj6LO3NzgECneQi_qBn2v1wz6U6AHJUC4uUccNW2rwAuVAJnaW_vUZ-8BnDIY/s4032/IMG_3153.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRV-bvscU3YDjnlwrbIQPy3v3lm0M2WJPU7OPLwJE-9i6hMK9Bn6i70kBBpnFaLMgnaTfvT9Vsc6Gpy_ktMqmoDKICiHGiWdNNptDPsWJIci8WqWibY1kPS0hjCCciPfCj6LO3NzgECneQi_qBn2v1wz6U6AHJUC4uUccNW2rwAuVAJnaW_vUZ-8BnDIY/w480-h640/IMG_3153.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p>For Lewie's birthday, we took three of his friends boat tubing and then we had them sleep over on his actual birthday. (We had other friends and family members come over for his birthday weekend, too.)</p><p>A favorite memory was listening to Lewie's side conversation with his friends' group while I was taking them for homemade ice cream at Rich Farm. It started with two of his fifteen-year-old friends saying how much they would love to live in places like NYC and Washington, D.C.--two places that are only interesting to them because they went there on recent trips. Then they talked about what they would do once they get their driver's license: "I'm just going to drive and drive until I'm forced to stop. Yea, like I'll just keep driving and then find myself one day in like Arkansas or something." </p><p>I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. Boys are so different than girls. They don't talk about girlfriends or who they think is "cute." They're too busy daydreaming about living in cities and driving until they run out of gas. (At least for now...) I'll be savoring these last few days of summer until the next milestone--high school.</p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-3127335156936443322023-07-03T22:19:00.005-04:002023-07-03T23:34:43.739-04:00Highway 12 Scenic Byway (Torrey) to Yonder Escalante<p>On day six of our Mighty Five Utah National Park excursion, we decided to drive down Highway 12 Scenic Byway to <a href="https://www.stayyonder.com/" target="_blank">Yonder Escalante</a>, our next travel destination. Originally, our plan was to drive straight to Bryce Canyon National Park, but somehow while planning our trip, I came across "the Yonder" experience and was hooked. You see, Yonder Escalante is not a hotel; it's not a basic campground either. It has deluxe cabins with panoramic windows, ten vintage Airstreams, and RV campsites--all connected to a leisurely "glamping" experience, which includes a heated swimming pool and hot tub, an indoor-outdoor clubhouse, luxurious bathhouses with heated outdoor showers, and a drive-in movie theater with nightly showings. If you're wondering about the drive-in movie theater, it gets better! There are vintage cars parked on-site with real working radios to watch the movie and a concession stand, which offers popcorn and other treats just before the show. The website made the place sound too good to be true, but in reality, staying there was just as amazing as our previous experience of sleeping in a teepee at the Capitol Reef Resort. It couldn't have been more memorable!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXO-yyOf4su5n1ONgKwdKN_n6sufuob4K4kIUz8aMCSjg3PSJq101imrMoHzawX_sx6263gvnIu4PJ5_ojwHQH1WIXCnc-C2ZfhVrxgTp_yQv0u-a8993-3k1fHQ1taQdG7Vhg6IhEYPdCSwLkcFHf6-y5TiNM9ZahY_anrwzN74wjN3jJ-lF2mNG2l8U/s4032/IMG_1502.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXO-yyOf4su5n1ONgKwdKN_n6sufuob4K4kIUz8aMCSjg3PSJq101imrMoHzawX_sx6263gvnIu4PJ5_ojwHQH1WIXCnc-C2ZfhVrxgTp_yQv0u-a8993-3k1fHQ1taQdG7Vhg6IhEYPdCSwLkcFHf6-y5TiNM9ZahY_anrwzN74wjN3jJ-lF2mNG2l8U/w640-h480/IMG_1502.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the posh cabins at Yonder.<br /><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7S3dzo8TEP37FSYY2EUgLj5ga7ssHX6jOhb-rOwlJVzJxlBxgsbJQS6FukSgICIVa3ct9nszk7jeteIJF4DF2jNr1fqO2UsSu34GSNVWFtciKOu2_jOLozn6pMd2Vm7suxjZmG6GjZniL_IFvIBIlM9B_U3k60W_s7o86ygq5g1Q5lQJU-6yz55oXPk/s4032/IMG_1479.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7S3dzo8TEP37FSYY2EUgLj5ga7ssHX6jOhb-rOwlJVzJxlBxgsbJQS6FukSgICIVa3ct9nszk7jeteIJF4DF2jNr1fqO2UsSu34GSNVWFtciKOu2_jOLozn6pMd2Vm7suxjZmG6GjZniL_IFvIBIlM9B_U3k60W_s7o86ygq5g1Q5lQJU-6yz55oXPk/w640-h480/IMG_1479.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The trip from Torrey, Utah to Escalante, Utah was an hour and 33 minute drive down Highway 12 Scenic Byway (the entire Byway is a 122-mile route that passes Bryce Canyon National Park and the Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument). Since we were saving the Bryce Canyon National Park visit for day seven, our itinerary for day six was to go canyoneering (<a href="https://mommyspirit.blogspot.com/2023/04/canyoneering-freedom-from-fear.html" target="_blank">you can read about our experience here</a>) and then drive to Yonder to get settled in an Airstream, have dinner, and then take in a drive-in movie. It was an ambitious day for an ambitious trip but worth every second of our time.<p>Per usual, my two boys got comfortable in the car (and slept) while I volunteered to take on the driving, but no one could have prepared me for the Highway 12 Scenic Byway excursion. First, it is designated as an <a href="https://fhwaapps.fhwa.dot.gov/bywaysp" target="_blank">All-American Road</a> for its rustic, nationally significant landscape and labeled as one of the best scenic drives in the U.S. However, when roads are labeled as "scenic," it usually means lots of vistas and high elevations, too. Most people who write reviews about this Byway praise it for the beautiful pines in the Dixie National Forest, the twists and turns through canyons, and the red rock formations on either side of the car. The road provides many scenic overlooks to pull off and is not too crowded. On the other hand, for someone who is petrified of heights like me, I was white-knuckling the steering wheel during most of the trip. First, there is the <a href="https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/7393-boulder-mountain-pass.html#:~:text=Boulder%20Mountain%20Pass%20is%20a,%2C%20in%20southern%20Utah%2C%20USA." target="_blank">Boulder Mountain Pass</a>, which is 9,606 feet above sea level and pretty steep with some parts up to an 8% grade. Then, there are other parts of the Byway that have sharp curves, no shoulders, and no guardrails. The scariest part is called the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdoS_SNEuW4" target="_blank">Hogsback</a>, situated on a cliff with sheer drops on both sides with no guardrails. (You can click on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdoS_SNEuW4" target="_blank">Hogsback link</a>, or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-kUfh804_o" target="_blank">this second link</a>, to see two videos of this harrowing experience.) Most of the Byway goes through remote, rugged terrain (cell phone service is sketchy). I've since learned that many poor souls rent RVs for their first time and often take this route, not knowing anything about it, as their first RV driving lesson--I can't imagine their shock!</p><p>Once we arrived at Younder, I let out a huge sigh of relief; I managed to get everyone to our destination safely! We entered the lobby for the key to our Airstream and were greeted by a young, hip twenty-year-old--techno music pulsing in the background. The vibe was chic and modern--almost like a "W Hotel" in the middle of a rustic campground. We entered our Airstream, and this inside was also designed for comfort, luxury, and style. Hubby and I took the large king bed in the back, and Lewie had his own bed all the way in the front (per pictures). While I rested, Hubby and Lewie tried out the pool, and then all of us grabbed something to eat from their food truck, which was parked right beside their clubhouse. It was the coolest campground eating experience ever!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jR5FkxreEVRcsJ-U69DLFxbtIbN3L3CMP2lhb1PJ9GTq9w-tkNjUBqCXaY_FddLSoyWMhM6VOJ6gQxSqCC4LCav1lINfAnxusMw72Fl4sEFntbPvFhtEqwPdZFbOq3vTFBi-93LXdED-QwH8AVKdq6ZBKGhpV_qAp0hZAx04U19ez7H6442fNpLdjac/s4032/IMG_1478.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jR5FkxreEVRcsJ-U69DLFxbtIbN3L3CMP2lhb1PJ9GTq9w-tkNjUBqCXaY_FddLSoyWMhM6VOJ6gQxSqCC4LCav1lINfAnxusMw72Fl4sEFntbPvFhtEqwPdZFbOq3vTFBi-93LXdED-QwH8AVKdq6ZBKGhpV_qAp0hZAx04U19ez7H6442fNpLdjac/w640-h480/IMG_1478.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmt7W12Kn2XJ-1Dcomn-Ab6cdRHNxjIuscPB9u70U9KYPPekUYhYl6vJIPdRA3vD6vLU5sl8whroJA3IBZQr5KqU4gn9NNInOxk2sHjAgfQ9Y2jytgciBQ07Yww92dO4NcvDeqp4ubpZM-96K1a1ax67p9xapUG0y-bMiynT-mFhxXtkgh-tISXN716u8/s4032/IMG_1481.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmt7W12Kn2XJ-1Dcomn-Ab6cdRHNxjIuscPB9u70U9KYPPekUYhYl6vJIPdRA3vD6vLU5sl8whroJA3IBZQr5KqU4gn9NNInOxk2sHjAgfQ9Y2jytgciBQ07Yww92dO4NcvDeqp4ubpZM-96K1a1ax67p9xapUG0y-bMiynT-mFhxXtkgh-tISXN716u8/w640-h480/IMG_1481.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtu_uwUN_zNTB-YjSGaSeZteh0Sq7uYfypPg6o5Xbt-zEgalsCcITbLeeLAz-Bri5DQDxi28fJJK28mLDNVt-oRy0Ofrpls5aHaNOnke5DO0A4rVvf0XFzsEaISz-ynl8hRbsnaib-b9RckCQv5dwaob28V0vsDRzPoAuLzhWunl9743XPdS5-qawgPE/s4032/IMG_1483.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtu_uwUN_zNTB-YjSGaSeZteh0Sq7uYfypPg6o5Xbt-zEgalsCcITbLeeLAz-Bri5DQDxi28fJJK28mLDNVt-oRy0Ofrpls5aHaNOnke5DO0A4rVvf0XFzsEaISz-ynl8hRbsnaib-b9RckCQv5dwaob28V0vsDRzPoAuLzhWunl9743XPdS5-qawgPE/w640-h480/IMG_1483.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvqn9fkmh3CG7fZ8BXtRZIMtPR6382N2lRA8QPcWNjdlMATpgsvsxLp9yz9si2gmdTIhypWyoIE-tkkaRzKO1XNZGkPyh4nHxPxEVhjG5MAMm6dQ9t7jnFjcM1JPETo8vj_XXKHR0po1Q4dRsKvYUNJ3hDkraSHTXzA8FejepAUEo-Vs_eE9vvHtNH44/s4032/IMG_1460.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvqn9fkmh3CG7fZ8BXtRZIMtPR6382N2lRA8QPcWNjdlMATpgsvsxLp9yz9si2gmdTIhypWyoIE-tkkaRzKO1XNZGkPyh4nHxPxEVhjG5MAMm6dQ9t7jnFjcM1JPETo8vj_XXKHR0po1Q4dRsKvYUNJ3hDkraSHTXzA8FejepAUEo-Vs_eE9vvHtNH44/w640-h480/IMG_1460.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHLBsn1uzZxR6pUiWRlf7mSEWC9XjqetqclQpmYN8G1itOhBbyD0N-xofMSGrLsBZwnj3RAPflAX79uU0FXw_jFbW2RZd3Bt5c163LJaqQ3U6JIw7NiFl1XCqtcdTcH9uK3sxxeA5m4HW92kJwmfxuf_xki_DvdxE3jDF5-ZBVOaPko6DIDwrVN-XNkw/s4032/IMG_1462.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHLBsn1uzZxR6pUiWRlf7mSEWC9XjqetqclQpmYN8G1itOhBbyD0N-xofMSGrLsBZwnj3RAPflAX79uU0FXw_jFbW2RZd3Bt5c163LJaqQ3U6JIw7NiFl1XCqtcdTcH9uK3sxxeA5m4HW92kJwmfxuf_xki_DvdxE3jDF5-ZBVOaPko6DIDwrVN-XNkw/w640-h480/IMG_1462.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOH-EpCH0TLujUO569xyqh56bAc_HE00V3tJ0Te_pkvvp1qgvcvBsSEU8UWGS_7jKa86W9Ea6nXla3wUlZMEaU4b_ydtyyPolTBlpPhR6B2HDj5A0lSXyGcrvTg_ljb9355LmtfAO-GiaNkjhKceW6RB4MdbIN6lSHSWd8Vmtw_v18gm7iSq6gMkUEEs/s4032/IMG_1463.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOH-EpCH0TLujUO569xyqh56bAc_HE00V3tJ0Te_pkvvp1qgvcvBsSEU8UWGS_7jKa86W9Ea6nXla3wUlZMEaU4b_ydtyyPolTBlpPhR6B2HDj5A0lSXyGcrvTg_ljb9355LmtfAO-GiaNkjhKceW6RB4MdbIN6lSHSWd8Vmtw_v18gm7iSq6gMkUEEs/w640-h480/IMG_1463.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDziLzno-fpHX8mTdsyUNSUGaAS5HzvN5rMhOB-mbVr97SDWN6De-5iA8ZRHfwDcrozhfk9V6cZh-7sJaT-68tfdBoAbRh7Muh_ttDVOkevP0kQJlWPdsdDbGS7ld7m8qgdJyRurzLM_Lfb7eK0Z3s5rw7VZMH-leGczmZ1N7DI6rEE6ue2cVtcDLX3o/s4032/IMG_1466.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDziLzno-fpHX8mTdsyUNSUGaAS5HzvN5rMhOB-mbVr97SDWN6De-5iA8ZRHfwDcrozhfk9V6cZh-7sJaT-68tfdBoAbRh7Muh_ttDVOkevP0kQJlWPdsdDbGS7ld7m8qgdJyRurzLM_Lfb7eK0Z3s5rw7VZMH-leGczmZ1N7DI6rEE6ue2cVtcDLX3o/w640-h480/IMG_1466.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>We were told the drive-in movie playing that night, <i>Back to the Future</i>, would begin at 9 p.m., but if we wanted to sit in one of the vintage cars, we would need to stake our claim early. Hubby chose his favorite (see picture below) around 7 p.m. and offered to sleep in the front seat to hold it for us. I was so excited about the whole experience, I was gitty with laughter. I couldn't believe we would get to watch a drive-in movie as if we were living in the 1950s, and even more, Little Lewie would get to see <i>Back to the Future--</i>a movie I grew up with around his age! All three of us carried popcorn to the car, sat in the front bench seat, and turned on the car radio for the most memorable movie experience ever!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizusJMUIR1fxhOYxRYgux2EYxuBz2T5WBn_nsWdNAtWzHOjoqxQipSLTZn8j_FbN6SuwxALe3NsCDpEbOJrI-VB2xWi3nOJxBC5edgT8wFk35QEXHMC-FY2m9bhGXK1X1Ud4NrME7WaZjJhokNwQdcnYq4LTsLyGVuzydDYLNcQz5KC8QRw8SpV_dCVvQ/s4032/IMG_1496.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizusJMUIR1fxhOYxRYgux2EYxuBz2T5WBn_nsWdNAtWzHOjoqxQipSLTZn8j_FbN6SuwxALe3NsCDpEbOJrI-VB2xWi3nOJxBC5edgT8wFk35QEXHMC-FY2m9bhGXK1X1Ud4NrME7WaZjJhokNwQdcnYq4LTsLyGVuzydDYLNcQz5KC8QRw8SpV_dCVvQ/w640-h480/IMG_1496.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBoEmMFXlwudrZ7O3qdYuy9pajcsg1-0xjF0qo7yglWRIvNiQRugwkQ9rXViF9uLwer2GbdegLVIF62k5_JdlTKEJVUKRcdEd6IUNba4SAIjO27H5ELSzPZVp87tod2pBFnkHGUG7hNZ1elNS74D0y0pW_SkeWA9Mgf-3S3cr4cOft9E7bFPOD4etxoY/s4032/IMG_1498.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBoEmMFXlwudrZ7O3qdYuy9pajcsg1-0xjF0qo7yglWRIvNiQRugwkQ9rXViF9uLwer2GbdegLVIF62k5_JdlTKEJVUKRcdEd6IUNba4SAIjO27H5ELSzPZVp87tod2pBFnkHGUG7hNZ1elNS74D0y0pW_SkeWA9Mgf-3S3cr4cOft9E7bFPOD4etxoY/w640-h480/IMG_1498.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7F1uf7I3FmMDHSQL-2XIINRU1scG8jj3YOVvfl0X8b2x-69BohuzS3wx9qFq7VsKdEy5i7E5TSBOqNblkO5bnkXkBvu8dU7QLggZNV4l9PuQW6i31Ra4TcyuBQZZEfjC6HQLwjyOMFO_LJ83qnjwv-LeZV1Err218-HxF1LHY_0vfFxdrz5Uhl1M3qCk/s4032/IMG_1488.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7F1uf7I3FmMDHSQL-2XIINRU1scG8jj3YOVvfl0X8b2x-69BohuzS3wx9qFq7VsKdEy5i7E5TSBOqNblkO5bnkXkBvu8dU7QLggZNV4l9PuQW6i31Ra4TcyuBQZZEfjC6HQLwjyOMFO_LJ83qnjwv-LeZV1Err218-HxF1LHY_0vfFxdrz5Uhl1M3qCk/w640-h480/IMG_1488.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwx49L_NaYxedfpVZMVJJim0boi3s8d75GJiI3O-qyPMwctHZUdoe6c8BtP2wJnMxmZsP2FMpXZrl4bRXT3WhS8kcciA-pu5PwJPiV1HhFx9Ti7nKfkFXTyDmWpngwDgSXoS2ZBIAF3d0IF2qT0QJB15re16SyYYeaFRpxC8ayAqz3jeB6_WbL9Ns9Qo/s4032/IMG_1489.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwx49L_NaYxedfpVZMVJJim0boi3s8d75GJiI3O-qyPMwctHZUdoe6c8BtP2wJnMxmZsP2FMpXZrl4bRXT3WhS8kcciA-pu5PwJPiV1HhFx9Ti7nKfkFXTyDmWpngwDgSXoS2ZBIAF3d0IF2qT0QJB15re16SyYYeaFRpxC8ayAqz3jeB6_WbL9Ns9Qo/w640-h480/IMG_1489.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVa-aozY0EDULuqmnea2z4tl07PeQuc7n-upna3fNV0G5wNShvXi0u2ppgx_EVmJT95XAeTrbsq6PpX2WbAN1mB3nH_KugARrmeuItuF1XZn7wYcQaWCCVws9ihMtx8houhY-bUFfxfz1L_fYPzZFzCJM-EXf6HWLjdf2uvf4KRtqnQ9NvN_R1oQme4Cs/s4032/IMG_1492.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVa-aozY0EDULuqmnea2z4tl07PeQuc7n-upna3fNV0G5wNShvXi0u2ppgx_EVmJT95XAeTrbsq6PpX2WbAN1mB3nH_KugARrmeuItuF1XZn7wYcQaWCCVws9ihMtx8houhY-bUFfxfz1L_fYPzZFzCJM-EXf6HWLjdf2uvf4KRtqnQ9NvN_R1oQme4Cs/w640-h480/IMG_1492.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXPV_8C22XKL5tUeBsGoZN6FYAcsRJclm-jwkJlmlCOFR3GgLpKXW46RivxrB6NgFpUs6RSczUPKay675fu2jkVy_z0ntB_sN5YxLBPImDKjHFiRv-tX4hd1kOTaoN5jduuqaIPzCsxpHoPkmVQtvrNBK0ABiAmIlPoxa-sKigHi70nI1DCIsAXjjU90/s4032/IMG_1493.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXPV_8C22XKL5tUeBsGoZN6FYAcsRJclm-jwkJlmlCOFR3GgLpKXW46RivxrB6NgFpUs6RSczUPKay675fu2jkVy_z0ntB_sN5YxLBPImDKjHFiRv-tX4hd1kOTaoN5jduuqaIPzCsxpHoPkmVQtvrNBK0ABiAmIlPoxa-sKigHi70nI1DCIsAXjjU90/w640-h480/IMG_1493.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><p>When the movie was over, we had no problem falling asleep in our posh beds. Lew chose to take an outside heated shower at night and raved at how he could see the stars and the moon while soaping up. I took mine in the morning and was delighted to see I was sharing my morning shower with a singing bird above me. Was I dreaming? Little Lewie LOVED the drive-in movie but wasn't so excited about the outside shower and bathhouse. He wasn't thrilled to be using a public restroom, and he commented, "Why does the bathroom play dance music? It's kind of strange." I couldn't stop laughing! He was right; the bathhouse played this funky lounge music all day long. You could go in there to pee at 1 o'clock in the morning, and there would be a pulsing, rhythmic melody like one coming from a Miami nightclub.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zO05aolcfmM0l9lCFnEJRDW1ev3vzvDL26S-ImZ3lg2_5X198X4KoOOy4s0-vrWYc9GlCnOxn-sgjeBHh09_UCk78mx8yIVw-QKFsaYT5JJQ4VWeF__SRNgD5_MlcmIWpXcgjf0ItX9lSjv472BwDf_gz-0shxKZCde7zbevK9NDv_YXmIuu6zbVngM/s4032/IMG_1467.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zO05aolcfmM0l9lCFnEJRDW1ev3vzvDL26S-ImZ3lg2_5X198X4KoOOy4s0-vrWYc9GlCnOxn-sgjeBHh09_UCk78mx8yIVw-QKFsaYT5JJQ4VWeF__SRNgD5_MlcmIWpXcgjf0ItX9lSjv472BwDf_gz-0shxKZCde7zbevK9NDv_YXmIuu6zbVngM/w640-h480/IMG_1467.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The bathhouse</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJAqjv4nDWaLvZgG9bK7RGD4Ood6HrlLVymaBBBlMbD4X85dMbYX9xofesUuCWTJ9x744mRN4HQS4Spu8ELUUV8LEM9iIHvKkddjwaGnCPWNXZbWstBqxEmTzkB3g6sFLxBy0IVDJSpQ7Z1xAG-5oq6Nhk18rmew2z12dGj1L4l0RLN2wypEJCFqL5TA/s4032/IMG_1470.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJAqjv4nDWaLvZgG9bK7RGD4Ood6HrlLVymaBBBlMbD4X85dMbYX9xofesUuCWTJ9x744mRN4HQS4Spu8ELUUV8LEM9iIHvKkddjwaGnCPWNXZbWstBqxEmTzkB3g6sFLxBy0IVDJSpQ7Z1xAG-5oq6Nhk18rmew2z12dGj1L4l0RLN2wypEJCFqL5TA/w640-h480/IMG_1470.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDPunQYryh3Ks1327v81BXBsqP6xCGn--851mlrNKBdvoCbiS2XiFT5l5yiL83vHXjo_at-BsKaUC-BGkkAFmsuXnXw1moxjk0qC9GMCdxoJ4-TVfOQWiWh_KAW-NM_HbKxSxafx6nzpIA0qQ9i-t6kOsGnZHjEQWwTNx7xiGzejfnlvZdqj0DD_Ce70/s4032/IMG_1472.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDPunQYryh3Ks1327v81BXBsqP6xCGn--851mlrNKBdvoCbiS2XiFT5l5yiL83vHXjo_at-BsKaUC-BGkkAFmsuXnXw1moxjk0qC9GMCdxoJ4-TVfOQWiWh_KAW-NM_HbKxSxafx6nzpIA0qQ9i-t6kOsGnZHjEQWwTNx7xiGzejfnlvZdqj0DD_Ce70/w480-h640/IMG_1472.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Shower in the great outdoors anyone?</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6BGnRxZookVO6wcIZuZJLLGSvacDeBwdLVPviw-LGvuPBzVB-bCPOJbCOwK6T4mdTN7p8xhlY-QNVR7NETiAMrDfABLMaGTmCl9zbMprgZZCG_YByjmbeeFp9KRSylPwhxNM84AKHpqQwf3uz8YLP9DxzJvJkriS5zPCWNkKaS5AmFI6gnh5o8HRakc/s4032/IMG_1473.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6BGnRxZookVO6wcIZuZJLLGSvacDeBwdLVPviw-LGvuPBzVB-bCPOJbCOwK6T4mdTN7p8xhlY-QNVR7NETiAMrDfABLMaGTmCl9zbMprgZZCG_YByjmbeeFp9KRSylPwhxNM84AKHpqQwf3uz8YLP9DxzJvJkriS5zPCWNkKaS5AmFI6gnh5o8HRakc/w640-h480/IMG_1473.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhif2blECkisBH8hQ20VWDmK0phqZxdUFGXeZ19HPDMf3FTLED2LSvr3ALvFKAyKLWs9SJO6hoHqimU5PtMyjdeRH7atMfc9SS86ZMiMRjadJCeODM5vsCCycG4FSPI7L7DRqVS5vDoLAMdyFZH7Z4RfNiS7tL-BRfP-7gtfnMP4gwCj8u6xHrvdTlkIR4/s4032/IMG_1474.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhif2blECkisBH8hQ20VWDmK0phqZxdUFGXeZ19HPDMf3FTLED2LSvr3ALvFKAyKLWs9SJO6hoHqimU5PtMyjdeRH7atMfc9SS86ZMiMRjadJCeODM5vsCCycG4FSPI7L7DRqVS5vDoLAMdyFZH7Z4RfNiS7tL-BRfP-7gtfnMP4gwCj8u6xHrvdTlkIR4/w480-h640/IMG_1474.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I loved the plant and the rocks by the shower, too.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyBn0DYAf9-b59Sv78Q8m4aEWByFD97HEnBa9lqWq9LhfwF7o9IZXsMgetCSP22qRFKyBfzbg9vOp07kmPy0PwkCRiqjJozo2ssdkcXvDCbw05l3U7I_-PeNliQnDfJn_k-C1_ekqrMlMzpPp0rPEazCqNo1lNoVdLMbYGSR4CjkGEznomkeLd2k_SH4/s4032/IMG_1475.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyBn0DYAf9-b59Sv78Q8m4aEWByFD97HEnBa9lqWq9LhfwF7o9IZXsMgetCSP22qRFKyBfzbg9vOp07kmPy0PwkCRiqjJozo2ssdkcXvDCbw05l3U7I_-PeNliQnDfJn_k-C1_ekqrMlMzpPp0rPEazCqNo1lNoVdLMbYGSR4CjkGEznomkeLd2k_SH4/w640-h480/IMG_1475.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>I must admit, I was a little sad to pack up from Yonder after only being there one night, but we had two more National Parks to fit in before venturing back home. Next stop: Bryce Canyon National Park. </p></div>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-57562662853647820222023-06-01T08:19:00.007-04:002023-06-01T08:27:04.904-04:00Grandma Dearest <p>My son Lewie is a unique kid. About four years ago, he started referring to hubby and me as Father Dearest and Mother Dearest. My mom, who lives right next door to us, became Grandma Dearest. I'll admit I wasn't a fan of the names at first, but like all things, they grew on me. Now I refer to my mom as Grandma Dearest, too.</p><p>Lucky for me, Grandma Dearest will be entering her eighth decade in October, and she's pretty phenomenal (knock on wood). She works virtually from home for about 20-25 hours per week, cooks, and spends hours outside tending the yard. She remembers every holiday, birthday, anniversary, and graduation, and she makes it her mission to ensure that all her family, friends, and work friends know how much they are loved. I often wonder how she seems to have twice as much energy as I have on most days!</p><p>Last October, I announced I was laid off from work. I hoped to find a job after the holidays, but January came and went, just like February, March, April, and May. With each passing month, I felt like staying in bed sulking over my fate, but I do know, in all reality, I have it good. Both Father Dearest and Grandma Dearest have come to the rescue. It's because of them that we can still afford to pay our bills while having a little left over to do fun things. It's because of them that I'm still able to attend job interview after job interview with my head held high even when I've lost all confidence. (Getting enough rejection letters can do that to you.)</p><p>It is for the reasons above and more that I dedicate the month of May to Grandma Dearest. The fact of the matter is that my mom has been there for me for my 47 years of life, but in recent years, I've been too busy with my own "professional career" to notice. I took for granted all the nights she made dinner for Lewie, all the holidays she made dinner for us, and all the home repairs/projects she supervised while I could put in long hours at work. I took for granted how often she helped set up and clean up after family gatherings. And I certainly forgot how often she covered a house bill without asking us to pay our share. The list can go on and on and on...</p><p>This month, I wanted to make my mom feel special, and since I had more time than usual, I scheduled three events (while keeping to a budget, of course). On Mother's Day, we had our special dinner at the Hopkin's Inn (now a family tradition). However, two weeks prior, we attended a performance at the Goodspeed Opera House (a first for us), and a week ago, we took a bus trip to see the beautiful Blithewold Mansion in Bristol, Rhode Island. My mom fretted over the cost, the weather, and her health, but in all areas, faith and hope carried us through. (We hadn't been on a bus trip together since the start of the pandemic in 2020.)</p><p>Here are just a few photos of our recent adventure to the <a href="https://www.blithewold.org/" target="_blank">Blithewold Mansion</a> (with a stop at the <a href="https://www.giftimagine.com/" target="_blank">Imagine Gift Store in Warren, RI</a> first.) If you haven't been to either, they are worth the trip. The Imagine Gift Store is located in the historic Lyric Theater Building with three floors of unique gifts for everyone in the family--check out the welcome (dog) mat below. The first half of the store is an ice cream parlor and a penny candy store (with over 500 candies). For anyone nearing 50, like me, do you remember candy cigarettes, Pop Rocks, or wax lips? They have everything--even when they are no longer "politically correct." The second half of the store has cascading umbrellas with tons of quirky, heartfelt, and souvenir items. We LOVED it.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.blithewold.org/" target="_blank">Blithewold Mansion </a>is a 33-acre summer estate on Narragansett Bay with 45 rooms. Like most of the mansions (summer estates) in Newport, R.I., this one, too, was built in the late 1800s by a coal baron. (Remember, they didn't have to pay taxes on their properties back in the day.) This estate, however, doesn't have the "grandiose" feel like the Newport mansions. Instead, it is a romantic, English-style, manor house surrounded by a rare collection of trees, shrubs, plants, and flowers. (For example, their eldest daughter Marjorie grew several Giant Sequoia trees on the property--similar to the type of behemoth Redwood trees only found on the West Coast. My mom, who has never been out West, was so enamored by the size of the trees!)</p><p>Our tour of the mansion included a tea lunch on their back patio, a tour of the house (including a collection of dresses worn by their two daughters), and a stroll through their gardens. Having gone the first weekend of May, we had already missed the splendor of their thousands of Daffodils on the property, but we were able to see some of their other early budding May flowers along with their unusual trees, shrubs, and "Moongate" rose garden. The day, honestly, was as lovely as it could possibly be... </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE9TxOCSIYzZyAUiD-YKUeCuRWljYqPpimSU0DbzCS_APbm6kBGkW4zZpDnsrxiv2aH8D_FtwuT-PnVYvM63eM5sCvgfSw5NhxafVTEjBdFVkbzLP_7lRwx5RTfayijgqmCzRzBLSSWKlgTkgs1yKFDRQQ1_IbE5B7JbCEV3TmTIbkqKWiZpT4q-xw/s4032/IMG_2906.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE9TxOCSIYzZyAUiD-YKUeCuRWljYqPpimSU0DbzCS_APbm6kBGkW4zZpDnsrxiv2aH8D_FtwuT-PnVYvM63eM5sCvgfSw5NhxafVTEjBdFVkbzLP_7lRwx5RTfayijgqmCzRzBLSSWKlgTkgs1yKFDRQQ1_IbE5B7JbCEV3TmTIbkqKWiZpT4q-xw/w640-h480/IMG_2906.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpAlcxdq-PbziPXWlUGUC3bE37C7FYp9u1QP683THZ8J5z2MzeD_o3A2FhAwsaPu8xshqEpBfdiWlRt8IlCNoe-PHG8XjUz9O3Wva9I5WhqwGw4MV2Gg5GGixU6yjdvmIsmd6mXaeJnYr_dv4SKM8hXiAwPsHcZyFi-84KCZpHtRE52ZYTy19e3VN/s4032/IMG_2907.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpfHEWm20ugc4SRAS1DEXUVfT6xZmijmab-1WCEagPskjdiI8_Vlp2MqO9rDb3VGCcPC5h3hipLQeAM82qwYUkOliqUfVk8VDbIcgZN_NkIIeejV1SShSfjog7RfWpFYdkjtoHbQ-WJiESqhGLnYGeyOBHGUPXMw2iHxIyZ6gaRjWFg8KisSzdnnI/s4032/IMG_2920.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpfHEWm20ugc4SRAS1DEXUVfT6xZmijmab-1WCEagPskjdiI8_Vlp2MqO9rDb3VGCcPC5h3hipLQeAM82qwYUkOliqUfVk8VDbIcgZN_NkIIeejV1SShSfjog7RfWpFYdkjtoHbQ-WJiESqhGLnYGeyOBHGUPXMw2iHxIyZ6gaRjWFg8KisSzdnnI/w640-h480/IMG_2920.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-QM6XntSta-Bs7gukmIqKZ4VDHiEtoWGArlTzac73wQECWinNUbo7V_9_4OqujScg5aiHT27H1VcyjAyzep3WunjUW-b_O_4eMe09nQ7hrCdyE4aPwy87Ct2seL25MsQXgobrwzIigbljliJ9xlo3FIQXtnwdwG6nn8IEXoq2r8ZNba2sS_ZhtNX/s4032/IMG_2923.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyd9btSGsreZoXshfFlGB7MgpDVZnbY7vrQxBlSI8x6XqFXgPogE8k79546KS28ROXXy0wI2CBkNknWG2I3bm3HuogTBOxzELnctPmxtUtDHGd1wl-ovlPNLTezn7kZtxra-5XOoBanw2LKuN0hdKe_iFesiJPOrYjMLGz0o05mIv-RNPvOiTDS4l/s4032/IMG_2953.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyd9btSGsreZoXshfFlGB7MgpDVZnbY7vrQxBlSI8x6XqFXgPogE8k79546KS28ROXXy0wI2CBkNknWG2I3bm3HuogTBOxzELnctPmxtUtDHGd1wl-ovlPNLTezn7kZtxra-5XOoBanw2LKuN0hdKe_iFesiJPOrYjMLGz0o05mIv-RNPvOiTDS4l/w640-h480/IMG_2953.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />These special days with my mom were needed--not only to remind my mom that she's still young enough to travel but to remind me that better days are coming; I just need to trust in Divine timing. I feel blessed to have this amazing time with Grandma Dearest.Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-48646387814957998682023-04-11T09:26:00.006-04:002023-04-11T09:50:49.798-04:00Canyoneering - Freedom from Fear<p>During our stay at Capitol Reef National Park, the three of us took a few short hikes, including a stop at Fruita (<a href="https://mommyspirit.blogspot.com/2023/03/capitol-reef.html" target="_blank">you can read about our previous adventures here</a>), but we knew the only way to make this visit truly special was to try something new--something we never did before. In this case, that something "special" was hiring a private guide from the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g57147-d17373582-Reviews-Capitol_Reef_Adventure_Company_Adventure_Guides-Teasdale_Utah.html" target="_blank">Capitol Reef Adventure Company</a> to take us on our first "canyoneering" experience. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMl9Z-KmDA3-RvgBMOpQ9fOytkgW_DEhrqFnSe3kOK-zt6iESRM52KsduS9hheEYJdmC20u_l4Vqw18BvldYpP7SkA4WmA-NFUAnJ8kT287hD_Wunvah1D4TBjTmyQ17jEoZykgSt9scVXl0aJPr9TyvSnt_RumWx0KeiFUUC69-03Z14ChQxhf0_/s4032/IMG_1359.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMl9Z-KmDA3-RvgBMOpQ9fOytkgW_DEhrqFnSe3kOK-zt6iESRM52KsduS9hheEYJdmC20u_l4Vqw18BvldYpP7SkA4WmA-NFUAnJ8kT287hD_Wunvah1D4TBjTmyQ17jEoZykgSt9scVXl0aJPr9TyvSnt_RumWx0KeiFUUC69-03Z14ChQxhf0_/w640-h480/IMG_1359.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>When I contacted the company to book the experience, I honestly didn't know what came over me. It's almost as if I had an "out of body" experience where I was watching myself from above make the reservation. Having a fear of heights, I never saw myself hiking down a small hill, let alone propelling down a canyon wall. Yet, I read the GLOWING reviews on Trip Advisor for the Capitol Reef Adventure Company, and my fear somehow melted away. In an email, I explained to Tim, the co-owner, that we wanted to take a guided hike and that we'd be open to learning more about canyoneering. His response was straightforward and reassuring..."<i>I can arrange an adventure with an early morning start, a short hike, and a couple of rappels for a taste of slot canyoneering--4 hours.</i>"</p><p>I reread their Trip Advisor reviews, and everyone said the same thing--"I was afraid of heights, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, but Tim had a way to calm my nerves and talk me through it..." I thought to myself, if Tim could help them, he could certainly help us. I forewarned him, though--"We're a bit out of shape and not athletic at all!"</p><p>On the day of our adventure, we took a short hike of our own (even spotting some cool petroglyphs). It was a cool 40 degrees, so we dressed in layers. His last email gave us a few brief details: "<i>The canyon that I am thinking of doing involves crossing a creek at the beginning and the end...so I will bring a pair of flip-flops and change into my hiking shoes. The crossing can be done barefoot or in shoes...stuff dries quickly. Otherwise, bring a small backpack, hiking shoes, some water, and a snack. It will be fun."</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXT75saomg7tMn3ldruow-KeODsFWux9hNA44RzGmrwqWiQpivTHgnk_KVBQKnfwOT-U3UpqC-MSIyiXSpUulmebC1YkVQYfxxxtXrdT6w7-l4ScjtnWqJiP6QtmUjg3ctZQ-drYGvwKhW-EZikDcEjMEMd3QL3VLHRBKwD_GhpCMAeMRfg6QfjfbE/s4032/IMG_1356.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXT75saomg7tMn3ldruow-KeODsFWux9hNA44RzGmrwqWiQpivTHgnk_KVBQKnfwOT-U3UpqC-MSIyiXSpUulmebC1YkVQYfxxxtXrdT6w7-l4ScjtnWqJiP6QtmUjg3ctZQ-drYGvwKhW-EZikDcEjMEMd3QL3VLHRBKwD_GhpCMAeMRfg6QfjfbE/w640-h480/IMG_1356.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvfZBWd8QOsmjpZTWwfvNeXQUEWZlFKl3to-EDrk7T6CjJL-QUh9nQAWXF7p7GB14WaetETR_FSG5WpL5N7-HuFE-vOBueAP_AFcEEhQj4Rt7M-YxIoRie27cVc2w1b5HL5_KPaFRh-mpqcrn_orKOSt8Q8GGm4WTFQsO5aeVkTnGkktdgpDrEZR5/w640-h480/IMG_1357.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Can you see the whole in the rock?<br /><br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table>We met Tim at the Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center and followed him a few miles down the road to a more remote location with no noticeable trail markings. Dressed for warmth, I didn't realize until seeing my photos afterward that I looked like a purple woolly mammoth; yes, this day would be a reminder of how "not cool" I am...<p></p><p>Our canyoneering experience was FUN! While we were nervous and definitely out of our element, we laughed and laughed because all of our maneuvers were awkward, clumsy, and more like the act of a three-ring circus instead of expert trapeze artists. If we had any "coolness" at all, it was lost right at the beginning when we needed to cross the creek. We balled up our socks inside our shoes, balanced ourselves on rocks, and clumsily stepped with arms flailing to help keep steady. Hubby crossed first, stomping in the water like a herd of elephants with no worry in the world. Then he and Tim proceeded to help Little Lewie and me cross since we were both taking too much time and likely to fall into the water. (We repeated the same spectacle when crossing the stream at the end of our excursion, too.)</p><p>After the creek, we began <i>the CLIMB. </i>Getting to the slot canyons was no easy task, and Tim helped coach us as we had to climb from rock to rock, ensuring we had stable footing along the way. It was soon apparent that this adventure would be something other than our typical low-key hiking experience. We sometimes needed to grab onto rocks and brush to help hoist our bodies up. I also had to stop looking down for fear that the sensation of pure terror would paralyze me. Little Lewie did better. Although he gave me a few angry glances, which appeared to say, <i>I can't believe you signed me up for this, Mom!, </i>he was a champ. He listened to Tim's calming words and moved his feet with the flow and cadence of Tim's voice.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZs6IB7oI6X0o7hqqA03L_YkedDeOOQozxGXIX5iMGgxWzFK8rHofTX0now6OTPS7cynPhFYGXfVhfVYodgJ7EL6enarB_wUx6yvROT-83oOsXxvx04EQbAuOgiS9MPCDc7frArxVw-IHedmDDILreYkuNSbp0Xx1-egdRyWunaaVC4fFGl5v02NaN/s4032/IMG_1386.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZs6IB7oI6X0o7hqqA03L_YkedDeOOQozxGXIX5iMGgxWzFK8rHofTX0now6OTPS7cynPhFYGXfVhfVYodgJ7EL6enarB_wUx6yvROT-83oOsXxvx04EQbAuOgiS9MPCDc7frArxVw-IHedmDDILreYkuNSbp0Xx1-egdRyWunaaVC4fFGl5v02NaN/w640-h480/IMG_1386.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJ7UQayNv8WRlZw5Mhnn6Q3gtEFHbsuy_LWHXt6IucpBorMIoeJiVrMFBQw96jFijcaoDubfdMe3IEPNsveDxEssBT5qjC5AtxLgQcZr0Wuw9FXTgo5AcUu354V2796yvuOeHn89h7zc4nuQ1FH-kAb1KTNA5s1jFPPwhmgoJ_4DXJ0bEVAj10n_T/s4032/IMG_1387.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJ7UQayNv8WRlZw5Mhnn6Q3gtEFHbsuy_LWHXt6IucpBorMIoeJiVrMFBQw96jFijcaoDubfdMe3IEPNsveDxEssBT5qjC5AtxLgQcZr0Wuw9FXTgo5AcUu354V2796yvuOeHn89h7zc4nuQ1FH-kAb1KTNA5s1jFPPwhmgoJ_4DXJ0bEVAj10n_T/w640-h480/IMG_1387.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3YoHqTul9P0sDfl7sSZjC3s7WEc3zXWSZX52LPwM3cLUpf5PAiB46ZkoePnjxiOPWTYFRrAI_Gf9sw7tpAicVPGq9yv_cXFwX-8NQ8Uj2SeUIZm6U2vN4Te4yOztIOUTab8-DFPUHb4T1ibPaOvabVD2gfplLKzp26arL_HWsMgowXkCChzYKLkj/s4032/IMG_1391.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3YoHqTul9P0sDfl7sSZjC3s7WEc3zXWSZX52LPwM3cLUpf5PAiB46ZkoePnjxiOPWTYFRrAI_Gf9sw7tpAicVPGq9yv_cXFwX-8NQ8Uj2SeUIZm6U2vN4Te4yOztIOUTab8-DFPUHb4T1ibPaOvabVD2gfplLKzp26arL_HWsMgowXkCChzYKLkj/w640-h480/IMG_1391.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>There was prickly stuff we needed to look out for, too!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUaUNUrdY1hiZSYzzGwjphQIbMr-ANlLrOvLFjabSYFxIX3xyAX7luA9yqeONBhZvZmIGIeqjVBmD5H9rHdEg4Nnq6oKicM1PMUgk2L8hi29rpEVEvLUy6Uy4F02t1ebeUpDFiKfbbgigCDySbCWibUjpJ0i03qn1Sj_KLwuVVnN9yXYWDkwWRa_h/s4032/IMG_1392.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUaUNUrdY1hiZSYzzGwjphQIbMr-ANlLrOvLFjabSYFxIX3xyAX7luA9yqeONBhZvZmIGIeqjVBmD5H9rHdEg4Nnq6oKicM1PMUgk2L8hi29rpEVEvLUy6Uy4F02t1ebeUpDFiKfbbgigCDySbCWibUjpJ0i03qn1Sj_KLwuVVnN9yXYWDkwWRa_h/w640-h480/IMG_1392.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93KsOH7kN__6L1Bjf7p8322Ms2MhhN8Ne51g1faiZO_6r6D0JD8lV74jujBQgzbOkHIcFQd10Qm3u_NP0sqE4l0VeqVZ9aPfOdqypZAL75xUXG9LF97R6BbYV5NfXim4HY42_1ADYMKbm8mDzjpYRDzM9xZKo31Di2vB02o-NphDQqurPxXEPyotj/s4032/IMG_1399.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93KsOH7kN__6L1Bjf7p8322Ms2MhhN8Ne51g1faiZO_6r6D0JD8lV74jujBQgzbOkHIcFQd10Qm3u_NP0sqE4l0VeqVZ9aPfOdqypZAL75xUXG9LF97R6BbYV5NfXim4HY42_1ADYMKbm8mDzjpYRDzM9xZKo31Di2vB02o-NphDQqurPxXEPyotj/w640-h480/IMG_1399.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0ABXTzlWqTL1meb8RIWeND35ChfhLA3LLOvxeo9qwbuH63SERnnLXIhVZqjPEXDcad2-t_2NlqJoM1_mEAiEQV6KmgajduxPhfFxKIw2nfAXCtj9PMYKJnWOZ-leQGjl92-XCcWfT8SA1V7m7D7nTSCT4BmnkkQPIcmgNLv4e547ZMeSAAqbvXra/s4032/IMG_1401.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0ABXTzlWqTL1meb8RIWeND35ChfhLA3LLOvxeo9qwbuH63SERnnLXIhVZqjPEXDcad2-t_2NlqJoM1_mEAiEQV6KmgajduxPhfFxKIw2nfAXCtj9PMYKJnWOZ-leQGjl92-XCcWfT8SA1V7m7D7nTSCT4BmnkkQPIcmgNLv4e547ZMeSAAqbvXra/w640-h480/IMG_1401.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClx8zTcsE-RTCkHw-v9kbymxk22Wsl86Iy0p9Lo7GNAgl1Waj9rg0T6ZVoU05L3pCi4lZLeEx4P8LjG8gHvktMIIfCjmDej-ENbgWUiPptkI2kx1MhLE7qhKHIhga7wDmRR3QkvTcSEluenSrhfF-aAG0iGHHUxFsimeRf1Efx6BDBcCRbUT18jRd/s4032/IMG_1402.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClx8zTcsE-RTCkHw-v9kbymxk22Wsl86Iy0p9Lo7GNAgl1Waj9rg0T6ZVoU05L3pCi4lZLeEx4P8LjG8gHvktMIIfCjmDej-ENbgWUiPptkI2kx1MhLE7qhKHIhga7wDmRR3QkvTcSEluenSrhfF-aAG0iGHHUxFsimeRf1Efx6BDBcCRbUT18jRd/w640-h480/IMG_1402.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our fearless leader, Tim!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ZSUckpgMbt6wPmmeo6MV3ekBiVi5OeUqfBAPlz_w0Wvx1sp6FAPMHrwEyAppIQx3vmJ-TCkJLC34LCulr_G9Aeh8SgoP7GJMHSUaR-1nlTn7ziz_gxTHKkgf6Zo1Bo0ExSURXzvx7dH7z4w2RIIP7lECZglZ3e5tPcsfWTzX2A-rjbO7HZVGwTZA/s4032/IMG_1405.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1erwZFvj5FaK_wPvL6KcWkq6KC-1fDkgPjo2T-nk60zhAcXK21egZ6fKXqGW3A1TENbDCTFYry0bI7Tzl-pXeXEhPkNWnbLF9FHNNmzuS5a9ldKGcYcOlOtRK66Y1J2KN2uLkErH7fZiOmphsClmQMTdhI001K16bco7zyRbo6SulsWFa6rYGCPqR/s4032/IMG_1439.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1erwZFvj5FaK_wPvL6KcWkq6KC-1fDkgPjo2T-nk60zhAcXK21egZ6fKXqGW3A1TENbDCTFYry0bI7Tzl-pXeXEhPkNWnbLF9FHNNmzuS5a9ldKGcYcOlOtRK66Y1J2KN2uLkErH7fZiOmphsClmQMTdhI001K16bco7zyRbo6SulsWFa6rYGCPqR/w480-h640/IMG_1439.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p>After Tim, Hubby was always the first to finish any of the climbs, and he offered a hand or words of encouragement wherever he could. The funny part of this adventure is that Hubby and I were bickering about some irrelevant thing before we left; by the time we finished our first climb, we not only forgot about the argument, but we both gave each other hugs and high-fives. </p><p>I don't know how much time passed before we came to our first rappel, but that first cliff was a doozy--about 80 feet down to the bottom. Tim secured the ropes, ensured our safety gear was in place, and explained how we would be inching ourselves down the canyon wall (backward) taking one small step at a time. The instructions were detailed, and Tim made sure to answer all our questions before proceeding. Come to find out, he was not only an experienced climber but a certified counselor, too! We had a two for one bonus!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ChzyYjLfUVygzS5vowr5nrTCbWs3a4qKloS9Z5H_vo_gDtILrbAjtpfgEW1yeQt-_BldZTg9dFcsF_QgVPgKy5J8KMXh1gLgLiiKOkGuqNSXyWfNYvbKj8_NtAV5Q0neuOKM900lO9qW36YxC7BZhioeYxiS-6rwFXhr34L7ntFB76D7xkhN5Ob6/s640/Lew%20going%20down%20III.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ChzyYjLfUVygzS5vowr5nrTCbWs3a4qKloS9Z5H_vo_gDtILrbAjtpfgEW1yeQt-_BldZTg9dFcsF_QgVPgKy5J8KMXh1gLgLiiKOkGuqNSXyWfNYvbKj8_NtAV5Q0neuOKM900lO9qW36YxC7BZhioeYxiS-6rwFXhr34L7ntFB76D7xkhN5Ob6/w480-h640/Lew%20going%20down%20III.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvf_h-VH7rMjRI_Bl85-J0n4mn3kxbKcuFq__WPxR8cyoJXyyKrOrK3n6RLBVC8dxd5Ga1K6QJ75ma57Mobgxq7X6lujejdfbu_kTQVyBYZmkgL5rjoxAGZe6hLrEKcZSuOFScu_dDaJN68mcrB2BbPJWUf1qA4QkOMZwFUvVFRHBtd085l25l-ZwK/s697/Lew%20Canyoneering.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvf_h-VH7rMjRI_Bl85-J0n4mn3kxbKcuFq__WPxR8cyoJXyyKrOrK3n6RLBVC8dxd5Ga1K6QJ75ma57Mobgxq7X6lujejdfbu_kTQVyBYZmkgL5rjoxAGZe6hLrEKcZSuOFScu_dDaJN68mcrB2BbPJWUf1qA4QkOMZwFUvVFRHBtd085l25l-ZwK/w301-h400/Lew%20Canyoneering.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhII9ahs1yju3E4e587QSKZxIgjuRjVhBjrhR9-VJKNr_IJ_5u7704ANu7DpSK9cC_TMDFOGuwBeJnNlgyG8BDa2gv33WeIOqfNdQLusWKAl8WZnRdT2Qt98go5K8QeWw_9tLxQPqa-9EY_GG613HYKq1bQyr8ZsEBDTr3tS6Z_r4SE-rqAkuoBzIqy/s640/Lew%20going%20down%20IV.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhII9ahs1yju3E4e587QSKZxIgjuRjVhBjrhR9-VJKNr_IJ_5u7704ANu7DpSK9cC_TMDFOGuwBeJnNlgyG8BDa2gv33WeIOqfNdQLusWKAl8WZnRdT2Qt98go5K8QeWw_9tLxQPqa-9EY_GG613HYKq1bQyr8ZsEBDTr3tS6Z_r4SE-rqAkuoBzIqy/w480-h640/Lew%20going%20down%20IV.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2gImbTeOb4QN6iImULYmodPLUYnIuzjEIyQjQUog6Pj6-2vAxQz9C94uZ4e5ip7l6Ea3IXzE0u09czo6aBtxJuNl-N8p-TX-1YCYd6Q-rGLO3yh27s4iXu9tLWP5IwUOIBaR-ZCfcqIyFlFFZEShALGEQiEBHQuQSpVBOO1NWd8LIcqowgQjqdiV/s640/Lew%20upside%20down.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2gImbTeOb4QN6iImULYmodPLUYnIuzjEIyQjQUog6Pj6-2vAxQz9C94uZ4e5ip7l6Ea3IXzE0u09czo6aBtxJuNl-N8p-TX-1YCYd6Q-rGLO3yh27s4iXu9tLWP5IwUOIBaR-ZCfcqIyFlFFZEShALGEQiEBHQuQSpVBOO1NWd8LIcqowgQjqdiV/w300-h400/Lew%20upside%20down.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu89goEnA4behtEPJl8N8jk6iAzKHzA7kWq1YaafmIWfi7iMy56Z3yvkt-WogsL-EAeXGFVPNuRHCnag1VTQxMo9z9XRQVIgu4VaFJ280QoD1SaZ3GaD1e0Xph_JwlxJKDHgyoexPBhpgKnEMBENWgD_OjrEHdhA6vpbMnW-K7pJKyg9aZfdHYNfL2/s701/Lewie%20Canyoneering.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="526" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu89goEnA4behtEPJl8N8jk6iAzKHzA7kWq1YaafmIWfi7iMy56Z3yvkt-WogsL-EAeXGFVPNuRHCnag1VTQxMo9z9XRQVIgu4VaFJ280QoD1SaZ3GaD1e0Xph_JwlxJKDHgyoexPBhpgKnEMBENWgD_OjrEHdhA6vpbMnW-K7pJKyg9aZfdHYNfL2/w480-h640/Lewie%20Canyoneering.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPExz_Vr9dETW_J8dJP-unrfxa2JzQ96QTMI1pin1lr6gIwUTy3SKL7FTW_xoM2PaUtIm6hc-GBe4OzbOm8irEi7F8uxdHRIzbz6_MAzPsmCzPBewk6gT_O2SwOwbnnCUw7-wxkSpNHcHNbnP-5oKMFZncYolx0HI9sSHFyM4IlwiISTFVBHdDP1T0/s640/Lewie%20going%20down.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPExz_Vr9dETW_J8dJP-unrfxa2JzQ96QTMI1pin1lr6gIwUTy3SKL7FTW_xoM2PaUtIm6hc-GBe4OzbOm8irEi7F8uxdHRIzbz6_MAzPsmCzPBewk6gT_O2SwOwbnnCUw7-wxkSpNHcHNbnP-5oKMFZncYolx0HI9sSHFyM4IlwiISTFVBHdDP1T0/w480-h640/Lewie%20going%20down.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmC1nyP-PZigUAeB96t0ZokdqenroTuE400hb_97DKDRrAWiYe9fergGvUku-VRXzcWP14nkilSQxAJ7xIT1DcZVZJ60ubDeekbMKD_pNqKkfNRZOPiiq4yLlkt4HdJowcwfvyI8xaM1_b69Lu51qoCDLFOwtQIy5qqgaitNDekiyYn_h2Y9zU3hZi/s960/Lewie%20Canyoneering%20II.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmC1nyP-PZigUAeB96t0ZokdqenroTuE400hb_97DKDRrAWiYe9fergGvUku-VRXzcWP14nkilSQxAJ7xIT1DcZVZJ60ubDeekbMKD_pNqKkfNRZOPiiq4yLlkt4HdJowcwfvyI8xaM1_b69Lu51qoCDLFOwtQIy5qqgaitNDekiyYn_h2Y9zU3hZi/w480-h640/Lewie%20Canyoneering%20II.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PYSWY4229jLlsypZtDDMiL3P9xOK_cF8SDQcIbla9FJr1Uns2sefPmZzMdSRbIFbrQ2SjOyMke3JUVLG40aAluowWSXbyGmpDHNNUzYrJj2_al3pqze9ipuY6rFP6uQ8vbtmSHU2nUZMRqNWnf0iz6ADQczbAfVpFcWCyMloRBhRgCgFF5QrA8TJ/s640/Me%20getting%20prepared.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PYSWY4229jLlsypZtDDMiL3P9xOK_cF8SDQcIbla9FJr1Uns2sefPmZzMdSRbIFbrQ2SjOyMke3JUVLG40aAluowWSXbyGmpDHNNUzYrJj2_al3pqze9ipuY6rFP6uQ8vbtmSHU2nUZMRqNWnf0iz6ADQczbAfVpFcWCyMloRBhRgCgFF5QrA8TJ/w640-h480/Me%20getting%20prepared.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsrIqN-A3lAUNZ757L-nu0JAes9CaSze9qKHeY0bSPCxZoqFMn3tlzLFal3SIMQtabdOEUokrHqpARCezCkNYZfq99kvQ3NZtWPOsZ9UwVrdOnLD97tFJ-kXLR5H4UXfXKGIaUU1IYyRPT7K0grR0aC6HY6px1Oxq7egFhexhiu8pEKO2TP9oOyim/s640/Me%20going%20down%20II.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsrIqN-A3lAUNZ757L-nu0JAes9CaSze9qKHeY0bSPCxZoqFMn3tlzLFal3SIMQtabdOEUokrHqpARCezCkNYZfq99kvQ3NZtWPOsZ9UwVrdOnLD97tFJ-kXLR5H4UXfXKGIaUU1IYyRPT7K0grR0aC6HY6px1Oxq7egFhexhiu8pEKO2TP9oOyim/w300-h400/Me%20going%20down%20II.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQFiIlHBhvev6nJylzZvQZS6QH0JpJEOvt0rVrsrBP2kGcvuo8Jfjdh_T56xAleu8nf-xYyr0wRuiZMvlQ_dL1HAYimNxpIVJHohIx2js4F_6wxmL1D8pamf86j7gX7pb0D8LKj5_KbK7O8gSTd9hKEo-SQQeN5VUysOMY_2c8QbtzNad5Ip61v9E/s640/IMG_2404%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQFiIlHBhvev6nJylzZvQZS6QH0JpJEOvt0rVrsrBP2kGcvuo8Jfjdh_T56xAleu8nf-xYyr0wRuiZMvlQ_dL1HAYimNxpIVJHohIx2js4F_6wxmL1D8pamf86j7gX7pb0D8LKj5_KbK7O8gSTd9hKEo-SQQeN5VUysOMY_2c8QbtzNad5Ip61v9E/w640-h640/IMG_2404%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Hubby, who was "over-the-moon" excited about the experience, was the first to go; Lewie was next, and I was last. After I saw Little Lewie do the first rappel without a hitch, I knew I had to be brave and show my two Lews I could do it, too. As I started to inch downward, I felt a rush of excitement. Hubby was right; it was an AMAZING feeling. My feet felt firmly planted against the canyon wall while Tim carefully fed me the rope to inch downward. The boys were cheering me on from below. I was doing it! I was being adventurous and COOL...until...I moved my right foot down one notch and no longer felt the canyon wall! Uh oh!!! There was a gap in the wall and suddenly the entire right side of my body swung into the wall. SMACK! It wasn't horrible, and I quickly got control of my footing again, but I knew I'd have a mean black and blue the next day.</p><p>I made it down, of course, but that loss of control for one split second made me lose my confidence--so much so that the second rappel was not as high but I still had to be "talked off the ledge." By the time the third rappel arrived, Little Lewie and I chickened out. We had the option to climb down a steep trail instead, and we took it. Meanwhile, Hubby, the bravest one of us all, did the third rappel happily. He wasn't afraid of a few scratches or a few bruises. Heck, he's lived through multiple broken bones, one back surgery, and four knee surgeries, so this was nothing!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvE2Pt63Na63mcEoyzLXWP9zJxhgI0MJC0gbIlmcoL99il7Pun6QpTLZW3iI7UHntvNdXgfaufk2-9Slp9kZpux3a7SV0zRS8MK91Ld6AquOO3AL2lBrgigNU_ZM-Y7Zk4A3ivpZey6_fC5r3sIu2VpdBbTzLH7gWjnDHfiDpduXhaAT6BsA7N-qo/s640/Lewie%20and%20me%20climbing.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvE2Pt63Na63mcEoyzLXWP9zJxhgI0MJC0gbIlmcoL99il7Pun6QpTLZW3iI7UHntvNdXgfaufk2-9Slp9kZpux3a7SV0zRS8MK91Ld6AquOO3AL2lBrgigNU_ZM-Y7Zk4A3ivpZey6_fC5r3sIu2VpdBbTzLH7gWjnDHfiDpduXhaAT6BsA7N-qo/w480-h640/Lewie%20and%20me%20climbing.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5X_1A_OD1L7TYq2Zxm-iO1msMFpBI_KI21nlS0r184_BqqZO9Gkuc7aqYPs_4__X-JRwQwiz2Ap32YsjGC2Vns9WlD1UiY6iaWvNgMbUK0Yg7MegFMDTOZ1BnXWUZbErBqVOpoHZ38sDCCbq4Nf1o5HAf8dc0gq11T_yq5_QftnOzkAzp-30r2X9/s960/Me%20Canyoneering.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5X_1A_OD1L7TYq2Zxm-iO1msMFpBI_KI21nlS0r184_BqqZO9Gkuc7aqYPs_4__X-JRwQwiz2Ap32YsjGC2Vns9WlD1UiY6iaWvNgMbUK0Yg7MegFMDTOZ1BnXWUZbErBqVOpoHZ38sDCCbq4Nf1o5HAf8dc0gq11T_yq5_QftnOzkAzp-30r2X9/w480-h640/Me%20Canyoneering.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ozbORI_9D3qXZdFNvXm60UAKdWJgkEFFdqbEdnwM7GRs_kY2DJR5IvFY1Gm4gGuvST3bdb_lC67QVO21DZm3C9HRoEL66YcRykgIUUgqye7DPkjmbhFTyQE4j5tbKFPyVNB4BRHjbCIds3-LKYQ8pF4TPRhFD-DNFh6g3wdDv_5cMHvjCHuacu3b/s640/Us%20Three%201.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ozbORI_9D3qXZdFNvXm60UAKdWJgkEFFdqbEdnwM7GRs_kY2DJR5IvFY1Gm4gGuvST3bdb_lC67QVO21DZm3C9HRoEL66YcRykgIUUgqye7DPkjmbhFTyQE4j5tbKFPyVNB4BRHjbCIds3-LKYQ8pF4TPRhFD-DNFh6g3wdDv_5cMHvjCHuacu3b/w640-h480/Us%20Three%201.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhg-FYY3jF2cflo5xA_e-BtMKIl2XTIqKdXMjc8FMu7ZzsOqQEfEiT08klmvXpviwZukc3VsralpPa-eWh1VBqCh_rD-G48JL-2FvQrIFchVMcB4SP1nmn12OylfnikOCmWP68jJ6XUpWPDBWKWNxS6TvZeUpsaTd0ZV5xQxreTgHsENQiixwz4DH/s640/Waiting%20for%20Tim.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhg-FYY3jF2cflo5xA_e-BtMKIl2XTIqKdXMjc8FMu7ZzsOqQEfEiT08klmvXpviwZukc3VsralpPa-eWh1VBqCh_rD-G48JL-2FvQrIFchVMcB4SP1nmn12OylfnikOCmWP68jJ6XUpWPDBWKWNxS6TvZeUpsaTd0ZV5xQxreTgHsENQiixwz4DH/w640-h480/Waiting%20for%20Tim.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>At one point I was a little disappointed in myself for not going down the third rappel, but then again, that steep trail was no joke; Little Lewie and I had to coach each other--physically and mentally--as we made our way down. We needed each other. In fact, during the entire four-hour excursion, we all needed each other. We relied on Tim the most, but there were numerous times that Hubby came to our rescue, too. By the end of the adventure, we had crossed a roaring creek <i>twice</i>, climbed up cliffs, rappeled down lopsided canyon walls, slithered through slot canyons, and balanced ourselves on some very scenic but scary ledges. I was grateful we had Tim because he taught us the adventure wasn't about athleticism and skill--it was very much about breaking down the mental chatter in our mind that told us we couldn't do it over and over again. If it wasn't for him, I would have quit right after the creek, but instead, he showed us how to channel our inner monkey to stay flexible and nimble on our feet while quieting the voice in our head that wanted us to stay fearful. (I look back at this exercise now and realize that Tim wasn't just teaching us to climb--he was teaching us a valuable life lesson. Are we going to let that voice of fear hold us back every time we find ourselves in a challenging or uncomfortable situation, or are we going to reach for that voice of courage--that voice of trust, faith, and inspiration?)</p><p>We crossed the creek one last time overjoyed by our accomplishment. While fear did rear its ugly head on multiple occasions, our teamwork--that is, our praise, encouragement, and high fives--drowned it out again and again. In the end, it was love and trust that prevailed. We were so grateful for Tim's very patient and gentle nature that we didn't want to say goodbye. Couldn't he come back with us to Connecticut, so he could be our own personal life coach? Well, he couldn't come back with us, but instead, he taught us how to lean on ourselves and each other. We spent the rest of our Utah vacation cheering each other on, and we returned home feeling richer than the wealthiest person in the world. </p><p>From now on, whenever a challenge comes my way, I only need to think back on this day to remember while a ledge can be scary and deep, our love for ourselves and each other is much deeper!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxmNbzpQWi-k5tC7gFoAVEZVk8fhwPk7tk6CBKfzhBXaOBANWCa9i3gXd6tU_LewPjrlZl_qFVPqZQYGCcKh371oDSkbqk4baJYt_OY7sOwApbBOG3HlSJ6JXhwF_E0cOKTrQC1LcW7_mz--oOBRgsjaM8u2IYI5Fgc6DowmRoTAstxGByP8RRKIf/s640/IMG_3216.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxmNbzpQWi-k5tC7gFoAVEZVk8fhwPk7tk6CBKfzhBXaOBANWCa9i3gXd6tU_LewPjrlZl_qFVPqZQYGCcKh371oDSkbqk4baJYt_OY7sOwApbBOG3HlSJ6JXhwF_E0cOKTrQC1LcW7_mz--oOBRgsjaM8u2IYI5Fgc6DowmRoTAstxGByP8RRKIf/w480-h640/IMG_3216.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASVF_24NwjiAdF8nguX2x1wjbShWChtvfBVcU_2kUQU8XqvXb3WKCGtKsvVpaug53yA8s4ODTe933Yk3Sv_4koH51_bKK0u2abAm4sS0qpqahhbp6cpmwouKklWgkS-gBhzZWbKlY-GiBUKopUjd9Mf49SrMR0VjsLdH0EJtLklbUB-O2rrIPupso/s4032/IMG_1449.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASVF_24NwjiAdF8nguX2x1wjbShWChtvfBVcU_2kUQU8XqvXb3WKCGtKsvVpaug53yA8s4ODTe933Yk3Sv_4koH51_bKK0u2abAm4sS0qpqahhbp6cpmwouKklWgkS-gBhzZWbKlY-GiBUKopUjd9Mf49SrMR0VjsLdH0EJtLklbUB-O2rrIPupso/w640-h480/IMG_1449.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-28749724177941516422023-03-19T08:57:00.097-04:002023-03-19T09:55:05.112-04:00Capitol Reef Resort and National Park<p> After two quick days in Moab, Utah, we were off to see the next of the <a href="https://www.visitutah.com/places-to-go/parks-outdoors/the-mighty-5/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=southernutah&utm_content=mighty5&&&&&gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1285028&ds_rl=1290213&ds_rl=1290210" target="_blank">Mighty Five</a>--Capitol Reef National Park. Compared to the other five National Parks, Capitol Reef is the most expansive and least crowded. Travel bloggers explained that many visitors bypass Capitol Reef because of its remote location; however, those who made the trip LOVED it.</p><p>The feature near the park that sealed the deal for me was Capitol Reef Resort, which offered teepees and Conestoga Wagons for sleeping accommodations. To book a teepee, I would need to schedule a minimum three-night stay; for the wagon, the minimum was two nights. Before making the decision, I had a family meeting. "Which one guys? There are enough beds in the wagon, but for the teepee, Lewie will need to sleep on a cot," I remarked. The decision was unanimous; everyone wanted to sleep in the teepee!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja58wDYCwrv0-4GkynMLZVEG5-LurWNuz8V8KdpLy6Mi9tYHGuYC7r_w2u63NMuO2pRj7-fcwq5GItYgKngZjuNzvShOaQ7GxRfD10vujdeLbo9HJupVuillPcpPXJQisahvuaFsRxE1-N9VsasCW3zXdD0ppF30jose8F9-Q0gHoAzHZfTzd2abLg/s4032/IMG_1230.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja58wDYCwrv0-4GkynMLZVEG5-LurWNuz8V8KdpLy6Mi9tYHGuYC7r_w2u63NMuO2pRj7-fcwq5GItYgKngZjuNzvShOaQ7GxRfD10vujdeLbo9HJupVuillPcpPXJQisahvuaFsRxE1-N9VsasCW3zXdD0ppF30jose8F9-Q0gHoAzHZfTzd2abLg/w640-h480/IMG_1230.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>Our trip from Moab to Torrey took two hours, mostly through dry, flat land. I knew when we reached the actual park because huge dome and castle-like structures towered over us on the right side of the highway. We stopped to take pictures. The resort, which was even more beautiful in person, was a ten-minute drive from the park entrance. When we checked in, they handed us a key for the bathroom and a tiny key for a lock, which was used to keep the teepee zipper in place. (It was a little nerve-wracking to know that anyone could simply cut through the canvas of the teepee to get inside, but once we met everyone at our campsite, primarily families with children, my anxiety disappeared.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWytA652BPXl4QzoV43PK3FLTnUnoxu8DwkSyhR_kVZPabMISU09xIRacukiFR9bhVx9L8-Vh0n-N4HoGcDwd2XhPEN2ZbiODvxwemZ4CHFFWSunD9WzThBBiaGoG0Yzffcc_HVIiMJtn54mFUymzxqnobEIEr4P3fWfzICqFHJCj3YOcoZdqAM3Pv/s4032/IMG_1330.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWytA652BPXl4QzoV43PK3FLTnUnoxu8DwkSyhR_kVZPabMISU09xIRacukiFR9bhVx9L8-Vh0n-N4HoGcDwd2XhPEN2ZbiODvxwemZ4CHFFWSunD9WzThBBiaGoG0Yzffcc_HVIiMJtn54mFUymzxqnobEIEr4P3fWfzICqFHJCj3YOcoZdqAM3Pv/w640-h480/IMG_1330.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_z16N0Vf40kG_ms9yxCDrnIaa7m9Wm999kFJqnWHFaUGuChCLIP48oV8imirMh2cc8HBKUCJQNxn12e_5AW4UhHMrB1-nn6DSl99vmeTi4hwDjtWapbhRnqSrJ64gJNZQvrhAST3pVFH9C_MoyLGkSvBgZ4RX7mr5kAETpQ_ECgp7M0pejq9HzxZI/s4032/IMG_1345.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_z16N0Vf40kG_ms9yxCDrnIaa7m9Wm999kFJqnWHFaUGuChCLIP48oV8imirMh2cc8HBKUCJQNxn12e_5AW4UhHMrB1-nn6DSl99vmeTi4hwDjtWapbhRnqSrJ64gJNZQvrhAST3pVFH9C_MoyLGkSvBgZ4RX7mr5kAETpQ_ECgp7M0pejq9HzxZI/w640-h480/IMG_1345.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>When we first stepped into the teepee in the ninety-degree heat, we felt like we entered a sauna. A mobile air conditioning unit was roaring on its highest setting, but there was no cool relief in the slightest. Knowing how much my two boys hate to be hot, I panicked. What if the teepee never cooled down, and they had to sleep in these conditions? I would never hear the end of it! </p><p>Lucky for me, while the days were hot, the nights were cold--almost too cold--a brisk 40 degrees. So, when the sun set, we were trading the air conditioning for heavy blankets. (There was a trunk inside the teepee that had even more blankets, but we didn't notice it until the day we left!) Getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom was tough. While the bathroom facility was clean and warm, getting out of the warm bed, unzipping the teepee, walking through the whipping wind, and then zipping and locking the teepee back up was not pleasant. After learning from my first midnight bathroom run, each night thereafter, I stopped drinking a few hours before bedtime, so I could sleep through the night. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEiNGuxRgcUDzWTdqxUxEil1pA8aQzTjkOt_Ki6ygUMpDGes7tpW4n-m2EF8L8u1jE7OgxXzYeSp6lPvtr-OmVmIiPmxi0gWNB77Ve38Q6M9C3XXOetq3MkRQ9e-12xDvuORwTZIbMMQ-5_OL0tYhC416t2lqN4M40ZFg7fk_vE-gHUBBTTXRobyp/s4032/IMG_1229.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEiNGuxRgcUDzWTdqxUxEil1pA8aQzTjkOt_Ki6ygUMpDGes7tpW4n-m2EF8L8u1jE7OgxXzYeSp6lPvtr-OmVmIiPmxi0gWNB77Ve38Q6M9C3XXOetq3MkRQ9e-12xDvuORwTZIbMMQ-5_OL0tYhC416t2lqN4M40ZFg7fk_vE-gHUBBTTXRobyp/w640-h480/IMG_1229.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivoy_rt12MDCogmq40rbxSPY6T1Ki3r6JopPczLeN9DxYCco2twLBohMCUCNO3_Y5k3-n5ukFMFjO6okGjyW-_RZmHQC1SRTUEUCHu5zeTWVPtLPck97peiWoBYfJzqyQkj833nvqLUT_18iEVgtlUdEzLri3aWxUsBdGa84Om7ADpUfsUb-bS05N/s4032/IMG_1231.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVcFmYryxzTrqf_PzxMzzOjoN0CCUshM5wi1C_Bmd0zvBzPcZ7mnW5iai6EbyXmLJUtM6U6W1Xx85-TVqn1tD1V_nauIHf9Yk1YP0VsKbg1BH4tnDn3TBhM4YSCXxh1rmHsu6mpbfn7EuBSudGzppMzmtMAiWRQLaObPjF1XYSuxkPtcwIo0KqpqW/s4032/IMG_1315.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVcFmYryxzTrqf_PzxMzzOjoN0CCUshM5wi1C_Bmd0zvBzPcZ7mnW5iai6EbyXmLJUtM6U6W1Xx85-TVqn1tD1V_nauIHf9Yk1YP0VsKbg1BH4tnDn3TBhM4YSCXxh1rmHsu6mpbfn7EuBSudGzppMzmtMAiWRQLaObPjF1XYSuxkPtcwIo0KqpqW/w640-h480/IMG_1315.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Conestoga Wagons--so cute!!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPz-ZEfcsH6atr7MBIkPu55pj0pSSvdXfVmgNulHxhZfvdtgEoDefmy-lt7a0Z-ANbECr2cXDV2laJpp5CHlfwsXrjTF1t3q_daM3Cqn74_LM-VhFOCT7Ak7gTL1SXviysFgiaUo2AELTI4uUapQpKK42t60rNQ5wptysV5GqUSBDJrZiBSlhDvZe/s960/Lewie%20at%20Pool.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPz-ZEfcsH6atr7MBIkPu55pj0pSSvdXfVmgNulHxhZfvdtgEoDefmy-lt7a0Z-ANbECr2cXDV2laJpp5CHlfwsXrjTF1t3q_daM3Cqn74_LM-VhFOCT7Ak7gTL1SXviysFgiaUo2AELTI4uUapQpKK42t60rNQ5wptysV5GqUSBDJrZiBSlhDvZe/w480-h640/Lewie%20at%20Pool.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lewie by the hot tub and swimming pool. The pool had a solar cover, but it was cold!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Capitol Reef National Park </b>was astounding. We used the first full day to explore the park by driving, taking a short hike, and going to a geology talk. The next day we had our first canyoneering experience (which I will write about in my next post). Some significant features of the park (besides the towering domes and red rock) are the Waterpocket Fold; the orchards of Fruita, which go back to its first settlement in the 1880s; and the International Dark Sky.</p><p>Our hike and canyoneering experience gave us a first-hand glimpse of the cliffs and canyons inside the Waterpocket Fold; however, the geology talk, provided by the National Park Service (NPS), really enlightened me about how OLD the Earth, our home, really is in comparison to our own short existence. For instance, the layer cake of sedimentary rock reveals nearly <b>200 million years </b>of geologic history. Our NPS Ranger explained that some of the layers were from periods when the area was covered by the ocean, then turned into fertile river valleys and swamps, and then covered over by the ocean again, etc. The fossils in the layers show precisely the types of animals (sea or land) that inhabited this area during a specific time period. He even explained what some of these now-extinct creatures used to look like. My takeaway was that even though the human race believes we are the most important and intelligent beings to roam the Earth, our time here is only a "blip" on this 200-million-year timeline. Will we become the next dinosaurs? </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IC6MVt92Cp3m0c34fl4aEsfdumzuSiTv-ZSJrK2RotxE3ZvgFyt2jkFVOM6mylNTe6SGGyPmWCzkEShZWSJ5CXd6K-s6-Gxg7fLazbOCZRubQUgkThCMNf98jQkDb20HbSTNXhOgZca0bD6RmXar4KCz2ki6Y9WVcRJPPO455aq73f7eDQMVQrej/s4032/IMG_1384.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IC6MVt92Cp3m0c34fl4aEsfdumzuSiTv-ZSJrK2RotxE3ZvgFyt2jkFVOM6mylNTe6SGGyPmWCzkEShZWSJ5CXd6K-s6-Gxg7fLazbOCZRubQUgkThCMNf98jQkDb20HbSTNXhOgZca0bD6RmXar4KCz2ki6Y9WVcRJPPO455aq73f7eDQMVQrej/w640-h480/IMG_1384.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLjFN-JJtPbwHPbXt0U_8AIOAMxyEycF06q-nlFe3GbG2obFE9uUfG0QYytLGhergONe0NLVT_ec1qNyuYwnww6F2R6OAbItbbdbkC4Bw_ClEo38HkHyPWoRtWBB4DfZZl7TNweiCrKE1hadC0fYzQJFtFxXGAxq-GUxF9qQ0iGZqCA93EEe7GxlQ/s4032/IMG_1382.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLjFN-JJtPbwHPbXt0U_8AIOAMxyEycF06q-nlFe3GbG2obFE9uUfG0QYytLGhergONe0NLVT_ec1qNyuYwnww6F2R6OAbItbbdbkC4Bw_ClEo38HkHyPWoRtWBB4DfZZl7TNweiCrKE1hadC0fYzQJFtFxXGAxq-GUxF9qQ0iGZqCA93EEe7GxlQ/w640-h480/IMG_1382.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The geology talk with the different types of rocks on display.</i></td></tr></tbody></table>The Waterpocket Fold at Capitol Reef, according to the National Park Service (NPS), is a 100-mile-long wrinkle in the Earth's Crust. The "Fold" formed between 50 and 70 million years ago (long before us) when tectonic plates in the ground shifted, creating mountains and uplifting the floor. At Capitol Reef, the west side shifted upwards (about 7,000 feet higher) than the layers on the east side. As the NPS explains, the name 'Waterpocket Fold' reflects the ongoing erosion of the folded rock layers, for "water pockets are small depressions that form in many of the sandstone layers as they are eroded by water." The erosion of the tilted or 'folded' rock plays a key role today--it is the reason why Capitol Reef has so many "colorful cliffs, massive domes, soaring spires, twisting canyons, and graceful arches."<p></p><p>Our second half of the day was spent roaming the fruit orchards, which used to be part of a small town called Fruita. If you're not a history buff, you can skip this next paragraph, but it's interesting. Capitol Reef became a National Park in 1955 when the National Park Service (NPS) purchased the land from Fruita. The town of Fruita's origins can be traced back to the 1880s when pioneers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints settled there and planted trees (orchards) for food and income. They grew apples, cherries, apricots, pears, peaches, and plums--all trees that are preserved today. In fact, the NPS still uses the same flood irrigation ditches that were dug in the 1880s as well as the same pruning, pest management, planting, mapping, and grafting practices. Some small historic structures from the 1880s, such as the Gifford Homestead and a schoolhouse, still stand today. While the fruit picking season did not begin while we were there--most fruit trees are not ready until July, August, and the fall--I could purchase some yummy apple pies right from the Gifford Homestead. My boys and I enjoyed the treat while we relaxed at Capitol Reef Resort. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcUxBkVe1p67in938SLpr6Etzn2NsdV__ocidYURZpj3BBLKQToVRTIAj9PGTxgIjUcIZh2Y-cuF10nqdRDZ9vigknMQGaWj98xtipwgm7TbfQaqP2ZxpKvIuehaZ7EsSb0hTEmRYQUn_C40UQrielC0I2AH8RVDBZgBTyCeIRpX_7sxhxLWrgaYh/s4032/IMG_1235.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcUxBkVe1p67in938SLpr6Etzn2NsdV__ocidYURZpj3BBLKQToVRTIAj9PGTxgIjUcIZh2Y-cuF10nqdRDZ9vigknMQGaWj98xtipwgm7TbfQaqP2ZxpKvIuehaZ7EsSb0hTEmRYQUn_C40UQrielC0I2AH8RVDBZgBTyCeIRpX_7sxhxLWrgaYh/w640-h480/IMG_1235.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Rp8yYSdiT9Q8o90iBm9xRPxbJo7epYhqI1-5YUO2lRD_DLUz4gyd5hYHjWpTsc1awrafjeKrG59aiGifp0AmHUr2lpo_g8Mrw0cMv1qoc-ij-QlPFh3L93enjSLz7UdJCHjbC52C8dUuu0atTK2CXNN7ZLWlaS0zAh7rXaj71yw_TFwvcvmNFT3a/s4032/IMG_1246.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Rp8yYSdiT9Q8o90iBm9xRPxbJo7epYhqI1-5YUO2lRD_DLUz4gyd5hYHjWpTsc1awrafjeKrG59aiGifp0AmHUr2lpo_g8Mrw0cMv1qoc-ij-QlPFh3L93enjSLz7UdJCHjbC52C8dUuu0atTK2CXNN7ZLWlaS0zAh7rXaj71yw_TFwvcvmNFT3a/w640-h480/IMG_1246.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlIQJKJm6St1bir3dAssUPT7vDSrY_EOn9xxJ_P3Sz6Zty7xVkdLDTEB74uP0bfjsHve1e892qAZ6lNSuUXMdWgUYltF3vHf5YPQWtFdDeSafierFO1cZYmXaYMNTsNQ3Hxf5uxHcjCCDPudn5QCtkHqXhGTjgInOu5bSkSqjR71HhQgTSQVMd-N-/s4032/IMG_1247.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlIQJKJm6St1bir3dAssUPT7vDSrY_EOn9xxJ_P3Sz6Zty7xVkdLDTEB74uP0bfjsHve1e892qAZ6lNSuUXMdWgUYltF3vHf5YPQWtFdDeSafierFO1cZYmXaYMNTsNQ3Hxf5uxHcjCCDPudn5QCtkHqXhGTjgInOu5bSkSqjR71HhQgTSQVMd-N-/w480-h640/IMG_1247.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSKrVpvFcIwPkjmEsVdFdSAPLz3UXS86_exnHM1U6EipUu5J3jxjZyF2tSutrUcheQPMZz0aJbRBaW2e0Z63zgO1QPjxVPhIf--O7aRCyFM5d8PP5dUdyr41XypOWaoWlAxZs9NgTePdz9m0O9IsxuGupvEpxMHoRZuvAdnn4PLSqfjDk0xFzf57T/s4032/IMG_1250.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSKrVpvFcIwPkjmEsVdFdSAPLz3UXS86_exnHM1U6EipUu5J3jxjZyF2tSutrUcheQPMZz0aJbRBaW2e0Z63zgO1QPjxVPhIf--O7aRCyFM5d8PP5dUdyr41XypOWaoWlAxZs9NgTePdz9m0O9IsxuGupvEpxMHoRZuvAdnn4PLSqfjDk0xFzf57T/w640-h480/IMG_1250.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQHZ381I7X1uh1DYXvp-I8_Ph3p0UMTZ1HGSW-SHZNKPrjovHul9JpLATiF3BGImon6m58egLJKlRL-bcLIdCe7DFTlpaAGkgT9QJWXUkihQi16DUjZxj9gteBGH1ZNrD8eE9eXXHR-OnGtcv_vxcaX27wn1OTNkh_V15qX35xbo6tmWt4QONCB4h/s4032/IMG_1253.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQHZ381I7X1uh1DYXvp-I8_Ph3p0UMTZ1HGSW-SHZNKPrjovHul9JpLATiF3BGImon6m58egLJKlRL-bcLIdCe7DFTlpaAGkgT9QJWXUkihQi16DUjZxj9gteBGH1ZNrD8eE9eXXHR-OnGtcv_vxcaX27wn1OTNkh_V15qX35xbo6tmWt4QONCB4h/w640-h480/IMG_1253.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Imagine working and going to school every day near these massive rock formations!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZbBh9TYeBA2rWiDjd6Ldlf0aad_HlKA1CegRJErBsUzehOcJtC0kkJz2hCY8rWDo_bvoFhzImaTkOBDU-GZ2g-VOXO-4NjkRHbjvcr-frWnrsN2TKihrbCaN8va9Y9cZDSB307htime8PKtzHmguHRmFTQEHjDpEu25wVvvXJO_lIQL6cLILOp-1/s4032/IMG_1254.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZbBh9TYeBA2rWiDjd6Ldlf0aad_HlKA1CegRJErBsUzehOcJtC0kkJz2hCY8rWDo_bvoFhzImaTkOBDU-GZ2g-VOXO-4NjkRHbjvcr-frWnrsN2TKihrbCaN8va9Y9cZDSB307htime8PKtzHmguHRmFTQEHjDpEu25wVvvXJO_lIQL6cLILOp-1/w640-h480/IMG_1254.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqV_KLxbzBxP2YN5EuuRZDWriZpkVXeCcrMe6v0FvopN9s4XojrxVgo6NgNDFMAGZozRxGrSe6vPp3g7QEcPrp3qYOse-ZYHAhFUgW2QV7JC8AArsCYWvC6fMhhn9tsGNYWDT5QdqPI-BOZb1yt2pq7_GOBFrQ8uGoIpPri37HCRnw7UM97n5V-26/s4032/IMG_1259.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqV_KLxbzBxP2YN5EuuRZDWriZpkVXeCcrMe6v0FvopN9s4XojrxVgo6NgNDFMAGZozRxGrSe6vPp3g7QEcPrp3qYOse-ZYHAhFUgW2QV7JC8AArsCYWvC6fMhhn9tsGNYWDT5QdqPI-BOZb1yt2pq7_GOBFrQ8uGoIpPri37HCRnw7UM97n5V-26/w640-h480/IMG_1259.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRgUw4uKsLgixyrDp1OqaCG4saDw_yBN6lKubFUFyMtTWSe5JHzzT-PWBcEGGYCHQVkq16fT6WQLcz5Cza9J_jXGD44_FAZ01RFYQn-yIhJeaIH7YmyiuTQ5Rr9qvRW0CUc3eAXFs_LqMRf2Ii2512DPM-yBA0nGNfPz5xaPac9ROyX1S7LnKZegm/s4032/IMG_1266.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRgUw4uKsLgixyrDp1OqaCG4saDw_yBN6lKubFUFyMtTWSe5JHzzT-PWBcEGGYCHQVkq16fT6WQLcz5Cza9J_jXGD44_FAZ01RFYQn-yIhJeaIH7YmyiuTQ5Rr9qvRW0CUc3eAXFs_LqMRf2Ii2512DPM-yBA0nGNfPz5xaPac9ROyX1S7LnKZegm/w640-h480/IMG_1266.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The old irrigation ditches for the orchard trees.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-dEcEYeubJjN1jhIP7-KL_UK3IgW_f0GrwEd60yL4MwobRZ7ibtZFwWjDspd8OIzLGObovjYVJIv88MWJ4H53V5HAnOlfYVVE7mw43P8mRfL5GdmMqX6jjJpxf-a27TBGZSOxUblH9108USR-PizcJnfsijUfjVOKz56Wf3mm4QMBcR0cutQnB1x/s4032/IMG_1268.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-dEcEYeubJjN1jhIP7-KL_UK3IgW_f0GrwEd60yL4MwobRZ7ibtZFwWjDspd8OIzLGObovjYVJIv88MWJ4H53V5HAnOlfYVVE7mw43P8mRfL5GdmMqX6jjJpxf-a27TBGZSOxUblH9108USR-PizcJnfsijUfjVOKz56Wf3mm4QMBcR0cutQnB1x/w640-h480/IMG_1268.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqUoIltWStlJ4kw0l_QDtv7dN8AP5AEh71TsCCaqFLQWI8ZrePKISfBvzZ1jtLlURxhU9nzgstMeneENYDcZ4xZFG8Ces_Rf9pUOdHWE8qRvKt-w-ikVgnFmvxNaNpaTgNH8bX6sMXkG7HmRA28hLrZ44zr6VYS-1z_dCPD1TyX5mV4YXsphNNdwX/s4032/IMG_1292.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqUoIltWStlJ4kw0l_QDtv7dN8AP5AEh71TsCCaqFLQWI8ZrePKISfBvzZ1jtLlURxhU9nzgstMeneENYDcZ4xZFG8Ces_Rf9pUOdHWE8qRvKt-w-ikVgnFmvxNaNpaTgNH8bX6sMXkG7HmRA28hLrZ44zr6VYS-1z_dCPD1TyX5mV4YXsphNNdwX/w640-h480/IMG_1292.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I wish I knew the age of this tree.<br /><br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1gZXTJsrrU97K_cyb-E5-Ua0ISPmt9ClyuT7wS6zqSdI6PrtjZVTSmtVbHIjUNjoVBA72omyyAVSkvo1ANqSaRH_gxZZZhnDkvuaStWFl_y-4fo9sLAwtgIPB_XnvaRs19oRrxXxv3R6CnKR6J06H2i8Q8XJKi8b95TC9BB3FMp7ajRDYh1ZxGAl/s4032/IMG_1284.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1gZXTJsrrU97K_cyb-E5-Ua0ISPmt9ClyuT7wS6zqSdI6PrtjZVTSmtVbHIjUNjoVBA72omyyAVSkvo1ANqSaRH_gxZZZhnDkvuaStWFl_y-4fo9sLAwtgIPB_XnvaRs19oRrxXxv3R6CnKR6J06H2i8Q8XJKi8b95TC9BB3FMp7ajRDYh1ZxGAl/w640-h480/IMG_1284.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Can you imagine going to school in this little house?</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVi7ZsgPOLoLilytAxwGIsjTKHA4NPG0ZW_z_Wj8UBW4JPmJbAp8xEtBS6M7tMR2PvSH7iATjSzyB2MwFxbtZV_sca5jN-HoIj3lVjo3XhjtldtgjGoXFBvUEIOr7YKaih-rolxRl-tg97pXFodXJz7iVf7E5dDX5gHKWazVUGDa9BOQGIONhd_VV/w640-h480/IMG_1275.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The inside of the little schoolhouse.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xvvxdBwBl5JHlD_u5sfXYwT2zc2NNVU_DjSEVjYD2yg5z_vhFO01_RITu7Lhalrg99J7ftXJHi9E3tB71xdb_j_BZrd3KuDlUDmAcucvWZ4_r64Up0T-FMJRyzKAoDTHKxKoIPqYu3bIn67pk7OFK1Smge1xMywEtH3cPX_bgX8E_MmcV-dH8abr/s4032/IMG_1344.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xvvxdBwBl5JHlD_u5sfXYwT2zc2NNVU_DjSEVjYD2yg5z_vhFO01_RITu7Lhalrg99J7ftXJHi9E3tB71xdb_j_BZrd3KuDlUDmAcucvWZ4_r64Up0T-FMJRyzKAoDTHKxKoIPqYu3bIn67pk7OFK1Smge1xMywEtH3cPX_bgX8E_MmcV-dH8abr/w640-h480/IMG_1344.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Some comic relief.<br /></i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2T-JjoXocQmjqN0gfh2Dwxed_MHOF-F0WNKFCqqAne6XWvityAHkY_jEb2-w6zo-YSh5ECGZPaWbJqLWNvU4oa9eqY5P1X5oNM9JN_lm_REdf-dsmHLf179bACgf_Egw4SSv6cNNC3KG2Mh2IvFoLkVi6zuLXLkdTdwbPTO4y52CYb-gH-zoO6-3/s4032/IMG_1287.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2T-JjoXocQmjqN0gfh2Dwxed_MHOF-F0WNKFCqqAne6XWvityAHkY_jEb2-w6zo-YSh5ECGZPaWbJqLWNvU4oa9eqY5P1X5oNM9JN_lm_REdf-dsmHLf179bACgf_Egw4SSv6cNNC3KG2Mh2IvFoLkVi6zuLXLkdTdwbPTO4y52CYb-gH-zoO6-3/w640-h480/IMG_1287.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQUEM2J8pueegbtn_Gnrht-0EC1uh_F129ZgTb7PXl6sbHrRIrHGRdfUjvxSiKosFj0vbCNxPWF4cjCAkpx3BfwlU4y7VRgos2aMj3A6dD10w3HlYGwwV3Uu4A1gNfDkw28sGslSR42ApXWgnXsIcnQDfz2Y6bkcee-4Scea5g3HeBiyTPkXPtRRr/s4032/IMG_1286.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQUEM2J8pueegbtn_Gnrht-0EC1uh_F129ZgTb7PXl6sbHrRIrHGRdfUjvxSiKosFj0vbCNxPWF4cjCAkpx3BfwlU4y7VRgos2aMj3A6dD10w3HlYGwwV3Uu4A1gNfDkw28sGslSR42ApXWgnXsIcnQDfz2Y6bkcee-4Scea5g3HeBiyTPkXPtRRr/w640-h480/IMG_1286.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGQ294wsRm9yeE6SP4qu1I9g-deoEZDbfWh5aL1tYSo8PIqNcSDoX8T8e6p5QbmL-ZUx9TEcoUaQYkV8HprbJpe7pW9ccxJixda1K11tnnvUi7Gp3c_-CBxX6Sufcj_mOoH_FipDfA_kNT6lu99EuVxXSdX8CPqt7v7XAzU0DKTURwVAZ_vSycjEU/s4032/IMG_1277.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGQ294wsRm9yeE6SP4qu1I9g-deoEZDbfWh5aL1tYSo8PIqNcSDoX8T8e6p5QbmL-ZUx9TEcoUaQYkV8HprbJpe7pW9ccxJixda1K11tnnvUi7Gp3c_-CBxX6Sufcj_mOoH_FipDfA_kNT6lu99EuVxXSdX8CPqt7v7XAzU0DKTURwVAZ_vSycjEU/w640-h480/IMG_1277.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>That night, we had a chance to go star gazing using a company called <a href="https://sradventures.com/southern-utah-stargazing-tours/capitol-reef-stargazing-tour/" target="_blank">Sleeping Rainbow Adventures</a>. We met them at the Red Rock Inn, and in caravan style, we all drove to their secret stargazing spot inside the park. (We had to follow them there because 1) there were no street lights, and 2) there was limited internet service.) We were told to dress warm (coats, gloves, and scarves), but they also provided warm blankets and set up a coffee and hot chocolate station for us. Our guide knew a LOT about the stars, the planets, the Milky Way, and the other galaxies within the universe. He knew so much; there was no way I could digest it all. What I did remember, however, was the magnificence of the dark sky above me--the metallic clouds, constellations, and star clusters that I could have never dreamed of seeing in Connecticut. He set up a telescope where we could see even more heavenly star and cloud formations from beyond our galaxy! <p>With Capitol Reef being an <a href="https://mild2wildrafting.com/rafting-blog/what-is-a-dark-sky-park-and-why-you-need-to-visit-one/" target="_blank">International Dark Sky Park</a>, I knew we had to make stargazing one of our activities. Living in Connecticut, we have too much ambient light--or light pollution--from nearby cities, buildings, and even street lights. The International Dark Sky Association "advocates for natural areas that protect true darkness," not only so we can see the "true night sky" (the one our ancestors used to be able to see each night) but also to protect nocturnal plants and animals that get confused by artificial illumination. Both Lewie and I fell asleep in our lounge chairs as the peaceful, starry night and our guide's voice lulled us to dreamland, but we made it through the first full hour of stargazing, which was nothing short of amazing. For Lewie, this was his favorite part of the trip, and that meant a lot since he LOVED almost everything in Utah.</p><p>We spent our last day at Capitol Reef canyoneering, but I will save that adventure for my next post. In all, our visit to Capitol Reef was unforgettable between the hiking, the orchards, the International Dark Sky, and our stay at the Capitol Reef Resort. Even though I initially complained about having to leave the teepee to make those bathroom trips out in the cold, the experience of sleeping in an actual teepee was like no other. All night long, a gentle, steady breeze soothed us to sleep as we heard it softly whip the canvas walls. We'd wake up in the morning exclaiming how we got the best sleep of our lives! Oh, and can I mention one last favorite memory? Capitol Reef is where my son discovered a passion for the ukulele. Hubby had initially snuck it in his luggage to play on the trip (since he couldn't bring his guitar), but magically, Little Lewie picked it up, and it became his best friend--even more than his phone. It was one of those fun trip memories that makes me wonder, if we didn't go on this vacation, would he have ever picked it up? (It's been nine months since that fateful moment, and he still plays every day.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XDQIxw24pki5Vu1DW0w54b08DO6p7xPmOOXd9IjfQNwLyyuxwdGzd2mGVK0aWluosZakt1Yp1TjejzwJBBXuLhb1L991Zkg3KYQLVR9PU1BiAR1_mtniAzc3yhsFPe9aRZoKwYdZu2VU6phwkdJF2aXXCzGq3znpIlm8xqFlpWvQktbTyWU4ZIj0/s720/Lewie%20Playing%20Music.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="501" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XDQIxw24pki5Vu1DW0w54b08DO6p7xPmOOXd9IjfQNwLyyuxwdGzd2mGVK0aWluosZakt1Yp1TjejzwJBBXuLhb1L991Zkg3KYQLVR9PU1BiAR1_mtniAzc3yhsFPe9aRZoKwYdZu2VU6phwkdJF2aXXCzGq3znpIlm8xqFlpWvQktbTyWU4ZIj0/w446-h640/Lewie%20Playing%20Music.jpg" width="446" /></a></div>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-26517105053053818712023-02-09T21:59:00.006-05:002023-02-09T23:08:42.435-05:00Moab and The Delicate Arch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhK7jI-zHnqzROfD3Cy3TOs4b4OOmuPWuktPMNvcut3jaa3R1neAFcRdA3R164os5neW69ZCJ1Ns2015DScGnfoFvRxRs1Z-uaOcP1ibhKVt4Pq4FV3rY46OQ9ohmfNqwp1A094Pc2johpEYnVYPY79rPH4lrBrCfsuojCsWDy-TV0cDSgIQ-EC4FZ/s4032/IMG_1124.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhK7jI-zHnqzROfD3Cy3TOs4b4OOmuPWuktPMNvcut3jaa3R1neAFcRdA3R164os5neW69ZCJ1Ns2015DScGnfoFvRxRs1Z-uaOcP1ibhKVt4Pq4FV3rY46OQ9ohmfNqwp1A094Pc2johpEYnVYPY79rPH4lrBrCfsuojCsWDy-TV0cDSgIQ-EC4FZ/w640-h480/IMG_1124.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>Last summer, we had an amazing 10-day trip to see the <a href="https://www.visitutah.com/places-to-go/parks-outdoors/the-mighty-5" target="_blank">Mighty Five National Parks</a> in Utah. Since the parks are spread out quite a bit, we ended up staying at four different places, but the drive, the scenery, and the adventure itself made "living out of our car for the week" so worth it; we had a chance feel like real-life nomads--except, with excellent accommodations.</p><p>At 7 a.m. on June 15th, our plane departed Bradley International Airport; after a layover in Denver, our final destination would be the small, homey <a href="https://www.flysgu.com/" target="_blank">St. George Regional Airport</a>. When I first purchased the tickets, we were supposed to arrive in St. George at 1 p.m., but three-time changes later, the arrival was moved to 4 p.m. It meant more time waiting for our layover in the airport, but even more, it meant we would be traveling through the evening and into the night to reach our first hotel in Moab, Utah.</p><p>When we arrived at the St. George Airport, we conveniently picked up our Hertz rental car, which was just steps away from the baggage claim. (I don't even remember there being a line.) The gentleman at the desk gave us our key and said the car was right outside the door. It was the most convenient airport ever! </p><p>Then, we programmed Moab Springs Ranch resort into the GPS and off we went! It would be a five-hour car trip (the longest of our trips) to cut clear across the state of Utah from West to East. The idea is that we would begin our Mighty Five adventure in Moab and then drive our way right back down to St. George again--covering all five of the National Parks in the process.</p><p>I downed a Five-Hour Energy drink (terrible, I know), and then took the wheel. We only stopped to get off the highway once--to have a yummy Mexican meal and use the bathroom. The rest of the time, we drove, letting our hotel know we would be arriving late (probably around 10:30 or 11 p.m.) to pick up our room key.</p><p>As I drove on Utah's I-15 N and I-70 E, I noticed three stark differences between the highways here in Utah and back home. First, on these highways, I could drive 80 MPH, and as it turns out, people do drive this fast. Often, I'd catch myself going a leisurely 65 MPH while irritated cars and trucks whipped by me in the left lane. Several times, my back-seat-driver son would tell me, "Mom, catch up!" </p><p>"I know," I'd mumble, exasperated. It took energy to go 80 MPH--not just gas energy but human energy. I was already exhausted from our nine-hour plane adventure.</p><p>The second difference was the vast expansion of the highways. You see, cars and trucks only passed me out when they were around. For most of the trip, we felt alone on the highway--just us and the winding roads, desert, and mountains. I could understand why we were allowed to drive so fast--the roads were long, wide, and empty. </p><p>The third and final jaw-dropping difference was the mountains. Yes, we did have to drive snake-like as the highway cut through them, particularly when we were getting closer to Moab, but the mountains turned into these ginormous medieval castles right before my eyes. I had to wake up my sleeping passengers to ensure I wasn't hallucinating. At this point, the sun had set in the horizon, so the "castles" took on a shadowy, dark mystery against the navy blue sky. They were impressive!</p><p>When we arrived at Moab Springs Ranch, an envelope with directions to our bungalow was waiting for us. I attempted to find the bungalow using the directions on my own but quickly discovered I needed everyone's help. It was hard finding the right road in the dark, and we seemed to be either driving in circles or backing out of dead ends. Only God knows how we eventually found it.</p><p> * * * </p><p>We rested in the morning, ordering a yummy eat-in breakfast and then going for a dip in the resort's pool. In Moab, two of the Mighty Five National Parks are minutes away (Canyonlands is about 30 minutes, and Arches is less than five.) The goal was to see Canyonlands on Day 1 in Utah, but the bus tours were sold out, and we were still pretty tired. Instead, we toured downtown Moab (which had an artsy, cool, hippy vibe), and big and Little Lew took an ATV tour, which brought them in the direction of Canyonlands. (I was fine passing over that ATV tour as we would be going on another one outside of Zion National Park at the end of our vacation.) While the boys played in the sand, I went souvenir shopping--buying shirts and stickers of Delicate Arch before even seeing it in real life!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32bOZ5t0pGHBuBln0owYNi0N4PBPhbArLqoqOHLY_Klqb1Hhq1nWiBpSpTrVWAqFpwW83YAtHTtWL1yAspsf-3r94kJuxWelGUq8RMHCRZGAAG36J7FHBxgd2GGC9ucAiC0SI9OkcB2tI7Vdzm6nwzotdWjsrnmTW6wS2SUKtKuNp8hRqeQ2aDau4/s4032/IMG_1084.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32bOZ5t0pGHBuBln0owYNi0N4PBPhbArLqoqOHLY_Klqb1Hhq1nWiBpSpTrVWAqFpwW83YAtHTtWL1yAspsf-3r94kJuxWelGUq8RMHCRZGAAG36J7FHBxgd2GGC9ucAiC0SI9OkcB2tI7Vdzm6nwzotdWjsrnmTW6wS2SUKtKuNp8hRqeQ2aDau4/w480-h640/IMG_1084.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDP95SAtzO4mkXVke1FZsJFV_OR5EvtW_lsOSh-r2N_3JQf3_pdutI3WClg2uH-UyDmBH6ZdoL7eRtC6vP7PPTg39rre6wilSbWCJOoH-7n3tCTHGkbrpmSqLMGkraQwnEoyvUceSp1nIlhyD2SJynr-glU-qa6rwBieFKnGDHCKSrVR7PWSlMGXo7/s4032/IMG_1097.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREbDzNYOlx5HYEaV1YXvBSz8DVFToCKqeCLSf6EK4jEUyXHDYB3YI_jk7GME_iY9DnWEBD7UHdpx2jYW-qZYANEWnYSK8H95ZR8zRpFLMKIBVTKE8zlSJ_Q0-0gV0LKk5zSG2177JlQ-PzzAeVkjcnmv8kwqMeoFC7fvonOpj0niBol0U-V-YcprC/w640-h480/IMG_1094.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldS3Ioj6kr3k0E6hNQU0P8mBYBjHRJk9J68h-3J0114iU9whTb3817wW7a1AYrRNxGZDOVSRT0f9Fpk_YpZIKrBJB5deUdX3T4-tpMdA3DeYiOe4WRhjpe_ZRtYlQ6Ul1lgVnhyxgLY43nsWSNa1X50Oq1c8eLYczU8HaMeWY2QDwhNDTA6miTbxK/s4032/IMG_1089.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldS3Ioj6kr3k0E6hNQU0P8mBYBjHRJk9J68h-3J0114iU9whTb3817wW7a1AYrRNxGZDOVSRT0f9Fpk_YpZIKrBJB5deUdX3T4-tpMdA3DeYiOe4WRhjpe_ZRtYlQ6Ul1lgVnhyxgLY43nsWSNa1X50Oq1c8eLYczU8HaMeWY2QDwhNDTA6miTbxK/w640-h480/IMG_1089.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>On our second and last full day in Moab, we woke up super early to drive to Arches. Since I couldn't get "timed entry tickets" into the park, our only choice was to enter before the National Park Rangers took their posts. (Arches does not "lock up" at night, so we could drive on through before the park officially opened at 7 a.m.)</div><p>My one and only goal was to see the <a href="https://www.visitutah.com/places-to-go/parks-outdoors/arches/adventure-guide/delicate-arch" target="_blank">Delicate Arch</a>. I had read the actual hike to the arch (and not just the viewpoint) was a three-mile hike roundtrip, but it wasn't easy. For one, the hike is oppressive during the summer when the sun is up. Second," it contains a significant climb up a steep slickrock slope." I read about this ahead of time, of course, but I have to say that this description didn't fully sink in until we attempted the actual hike. Starting around 6 a.m., we were able to beat the mid-morning and mid-afternoon sun, but the slope was STEEP and CONTINUOUS. We would climb until our legs felt weak, stop, take a few minute break, and then climb some more, then repeat, and repeat, and repeat. My husband, with his bad knee, had a tough time with this part, and I started immediately regretting the decision to do this type of strenuous hike right at the beginning of our vacation. He asked me a few times how much longer it would be, and in fact, all I could say was, "It has to be close. It's only supposed to be 1.5 miles away."<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsTbTMXtvZEyCTr7Rabfw7OEfvq0WCvrs5-EnZ8KU5t3mhjPSUkvW5dlGc4S_1iAgLE9gOTzvS-e2WsmIYVyHbI8DCdhZPr66Gffexc4Rimv-frWGhSbbWrwl1Ue5t41sLvSzYzmkLwathAenDDT6mCW3s1NOHdSo6mY2CjDO9jmWes3mJ27KjHN4/s4032/IMG_1137.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsTbTMXtvZEyCTr7Rabfw7OEfvq0WCvrs5-EnZ8KU5t3mhjPSUkvW5dlGc4S_1iAgLE9gOTzvS-e2WsmIYVyHbI8DCdhZPr66Gffexc4Rimv-frWGhSbbWrwl1Ue5t41sLvSzYzmkLwathAenDDT6mCW3s1NOHdSo6mY2CjDO9jmWes3mJ27KjHN4/w640-h480/IMG_1137.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3gmlg4ylZSHbpHeO0Ivxd-xbp79sCxaf6QzoVf7ZBFINF9l1w8vQHPdDvPivqUtjQ1EmEhp-Fl_zaO1xdCJ8NlFdNyPiXe7-K2Cf3gIgbKy2mRuYysAwH1iYteXMg4BzBJYfNAgY_npeXGOu6HEHWSbSy2aLDbX6psMtljpz3V5Sh2pGuSLfMdI2/s4032/IMG_1138.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPSUQ6NN7jqZvw6nB-sS-Pv6l4HOJiYKS2JJGryNcFxl2IMxEHeBbWYpYLjeTooDovoCGjgTfTQ8pVhgRfPAO5Zshl-Ad2WWOJTp1WGzgKOeneAAG2Uw2h8KmzMiItaPNgmKEG0SkoJoPQ2dgsNhswyKLIPKnl7PKLiz3WOq6okFkeJaZvnn-2Ow0/s4032/IMG_1159.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPSUQ6NN7jqZvw6nB-sS-Pv6l4HOJiYKS2JJGryNcFxl2IMxEHeBbWYpYLjeTooDovoCGjgTfTQ8pVhgRfPAO5Zshl-Ad2WWOJTp1WGzgKOeneAAG2Uw2h8KmzMiItaPNgmKEG0SkoJoPQ2dgsNhswyKLIPKnl7PKLiz3WOq6okFkeJaZvnn-2Ow0/w640-h480/IMG_1159.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>By the grace of God, we made it up the final part of the slickrock and then climbed upward some more to a narrow path that went higher and higher. (What? I thought in my head. Nobody said anything about this!) The final part of getting to the arch meant we had to climb up this steep slope and spiral around a narrow mountain ledge. The view was gorgeous but scary, and the narrow ledge meant that it was very difficult to have two lanes of foot traffic--one for people getting there and one for people leaving. I held my breath and practically slithered against the rock wall, too scared to be near the edge, looking down. The higher we climbed, the more the wind kicked up, so now I felt like I was losing my center of gravity, too. What else could go wrong?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShr2Ckp2nkPDqPT6Om_BHei376sGVGzDkrWwj_eOLTP9lEmK-zLt3UlFgoaonNcUXRgIXzRusdPSADdBAnXT0ThQCdcPeP9meF77SsyaGm_oyVyeaW91aBSLbBrfCk2paflBDLFI8mgkdpLSu0cqbgWPjLKVCuR4So65Botb-DileBB-u8Qu8Jmul/s4032/IMG_0629.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShr2Ckp2nkPDqPT6Om_BHei376sGVGzDkrWwj_eOLTP9lEmK-zLt3UlFgoaonNcUXRgIXzRusdPSADdBAnXT0ThQCdcPeP9meF77SsyaGm_oyVyeaW91aBSLbBrfCk2paflBDLFI8mgkdpLSu0cqbgWPjLKVCuR4So65Botb-DileBB-u8Qu8Jmul/w480-h640/IMG_0629.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArN9-ZrVYuyUVwTx8LXkRVYGIiVZd4FuQ5jLMydwaARRPNc40NeczjGGx1HOgJXmyJKfMNwy1UsHovteWNUttUIi53pebygPZPpp6UlBVUji6ut8BFrCd5eoLje8W49h1maxycOAa_nvVgZGIABXEKMGDZ7PfSIFa39kdVXgnRRqyvmeQe8OLwNBj/s4032/IMG_1161.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArN9-ZrVYuyUVwTx8LXkRVYGIiVZd4FuQ5jLMydwaARRPNc40NeczjGGx1HOgJXmyJKfMNwy1UsHovteWNUttUIi53pebygPZPpp6UlBVUji6ut8BFrCd5eoLje8W49h1maxycOAa_nvVgZGIABXEKMGDZ7PfSIFa39kdVXgnRRqyvmeQe8OLwNBj/w640-h480/IMG_1161.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgueO88QiGIsQd8pKXGZkSlxLUBlNKfcvfUwXR6r4PFT1JcPXzNP1PX824g8TIRO_VxK89Yx_PO8ZHOqd--sxdnx-GPqpPRLaxlOl_S7zV8dbFAI7wXTLGqGtYtlSrjfT0amXmqB3yD29XGcr5EkwUwfcDd2PgrRIeuBYFbnGAn2AXsilertP8NC7Oq/s4032/IMG_1163.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgueO88QiGIsQd8pKXGZkSlxLUBlNKfcvfUwXR6r4PFT1JcPXzNP1PX824g8TIRO_VxK89Yx_PO8ZHOqd--sxdnx-GPqpPRLaxlOl_S7zV8dbFAI7wXTLGqGtYtlSrjfT0amXmqB3yD29XGcr5EkwUwfcDd2PgrRIeuBYFbnGAn2AXsilertP8NC7Oq/w640-h480/IMG_1163.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMI1F1WmkKEXyDmfeDoc_5Bmkhwzlq4j3qyDS0tZMZQS2UzAs1MSWq7_f2IOMtkBXGZp-lxG3BaohooD-ZjhsbmsdsctY1_P5LFOly6XbrTb4E4TtO18JV2pAWqU8cFdoNXgx12ZqT4WxrW26h5RgpK6UM8g4smPCpXVNugmNkQ5Bw-F0mDgjhV8Kk/s4032/IMG_1164.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMI1F1WmkKEXyDmfeDoc_5Bmkhwzlq4j3qyDS0tZMZQS2UzAs1MSWq7_f2IOMtkBXGZp-lxG3BaohooD-ZjhsbmsdsctY1_P5LFOly6XbrTb4E4TtO18JV2pAWqU8cFdoNXgx12ZqT4WxrW26h5RgpK6UM8g4smPCpXVNugmNkQ5Bw-F0mDgjhV8Kk/w640-h480/IMG_1164.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fOaAlv7_p3rQeRqsP-3EImQk4IuhnsOC4LbUZ9MgHJ4MtAPGfQjA3NRTgS3eSP429fdIpfHkp6a0H5iim8c9KWeKSTjM1-CBLiigZRvPej8pDDLCcdYKi0voXedoKFrsrZLyLspjDDITAZb3_qT1TWg3CYZ-AnSBAsFUYUDAubzsorg4WQ8tpcWP/s4032/IMG_1165.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fOaAlv7_p3rQeRqsP-3EImQk4IuhnsOC4LbUZ9MgHJ4MtAPGfQjA3NRTgS3eSP429fdIpfHkp6a0H5iim8c9KWeKSTjM1-CBLiigZRvPej8pDDLCcdYKi0voXedoKFrsrZLyLspjDDITAZb3_qT1TWg3CYZ-AnSBAsFUYUDAubzsorg4WQ8tpcWP/w640-h480/IMG_1165.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhzVTbiZFvDgFxpMv2aglLQcHiszZEggoZyuFSia6genVm6NyCyKk2dVR6LJOflSiC1cQwXGc_jexhS6g-cQRWBLmFYJLDASnpT_KInRKrAXLP3KyNGTjpIb-t0lZIOOM8R6NvmhGgnWmrOKxf4O5CuXQVy2MWg4RHEuE2DPkEbeO2Oi98va_U6JA/s4032/IMG_1166.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhzVTbiZFvDgFxpMv2aglLQcHiszZEggoZyuFSia6genVm6NyCyKk2dVR6LJOflSiC1cQwXGc_jexhS6g-cQRWBLmFYJLDASnpT_KInRKrAXLP3KyNGTjpIb-t0lZIOOM8R6NvmhGgnWmrOKxf4O5CuXQVy2MWg4RHEuE2DPkEbeO2Oi98va_U6JA/w480-h640/IMG_1166.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzd8M7gXojZrA0mkky8FKv6eOKV5LG22NRkPzXw-P5b6oUGb6ZSsEATrwm9C9bB2GHemJ1liSSMugwarGBUCRNmEWh80FbOMq4PwPxEdLWHR4ju5_AYkjhokILirUjkfMw2hQB61Ua_Ic4GnJxG83gN4MB5WIqFtfLiTUJmzpqF6jDDsM2GE_JuFZu/s2048/Lew%20Up%20High.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1537" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzd8M7gXojZrA0mkky8FKv6eOKV5LG22NRkPzXw-P5b6oUGb6ZSsEATrwm9C9bB2GHemJ1liSSMugwarGBUCRNmEWh80FbOMq4PwPxEdLWHR4ju5_AYkjhokILirUjkfMw2hQB61Ua_Ic4GnJxG83gN4MB5WIqFtfLiTUJmzpqF6jDDsM2GE_JuFZu/w480-h640/Lew%20Up%20High.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>As we made it around the corner, there stood the awesome wonder before our eyes--the 46-foot high, 32-foot wide freestanding Delicate Arch--the symbol of Utah--the most recognized geological feature in the world! To touch the arch, all we needed to do was climb over a slight wall and walk out on a wide ledge--simple, right? I wanted to do it, but the wind kept on whipping, my knees started knocking, and my head started feeling light-headed and dizzy (half because of the wind and half because of my fear of heights). To my surprise, my dare-devil husband didn't walk out to it either. The three of us were perfectly content to get some photos with the arch in the distance, and those photos did not disappoint. It was one of the most beautiful and breathtaking landscapes I had ever set my eyes on!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvjchaPpoeLd8xC8-7gV-ONffLBvEnpFVq-yo7xVvyQ5pz3vAtqQW12LSP18x9lW2BE_erO7XD1tofQOWTMSJZk2pPTyz_DKUkfaOHiuvkHMAvPyImP3dK41BebnEh9DNI6Wk_nZkoJPQcrlk85X6PgwV_lfapmikOliUbps4ZoxSj7Zf6yEIyMW4/s4032/IMG_1169.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvjchaPpoeLd8xC8-7gV-ONffLBvEnpFVq-yo7xVvyQ5pz3vAtqQW12LSP18x9lW2BE_erO7XD1tofQOWTMSJZk2pPTyz_DKUkfaOHiuvkHMAvPyImP3dK41BebnEh9DNI6Wk_nZkoJPQcrlk85X6PgwV_lfapmikOliUbps4ZoxSj7Zf6yEIyMW4/w640-h480/IMG_1169.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFcNx_ID86QtFq0B-oWC4K2bPEHVHmvpTr4TZ07T1Y5TVtoRYfWln24PJStaYyRkh7G0DIjkS0bNBDg2y2gef67QU9JDG4HfXwnVAS1tUbTRKxWgdwBbHmuAWiZRJRzL5IoXhl1Au1Pj8ggOXYxDwzouTPKSocl2X_HBLmdY8gP390r2sKYhs0MWf/s4032/IMG_1170.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXzXn-o82L8meEexTyaJDnIFPJiY9qOHxwXEIdFyjzrbmOKFGQjN9Ois2TwbrLrBwInUKWw4zFmbYrqzj8ECxhCeY5dXGDVqoc8EnDww0sss5iW7-4TsPB4iZHkiqmdJs9Hm8jYMrJVqLtKO4r-SmqyLCuN-ytt-j1fft9seoxBn_wMU1coIUakB_/s4032/IMG_1198.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXzXn-o82L8meEexTyaJDnIFPJiY9qOHxwXEIdFyjzrbmOKFGQjN9Ois2TwbrLrBwInUKWw4zFmbYrqzj8ECxhCeY5dXGDVqoc8EnDww0sss5iW7-4TsPB4iZHkiqmdJs9Hm8jYMrJVqLtKO4r-SmqyLCuN-ytt-j1fft9seoxBn_wMU1coIUakB_/w640-h480/IMG_1198.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5gTsBItJM9dBUqA8Q7ih_JsOazfDaBlGns-hR-Nk_rSvrN2THZCV6TXCP0n4QLsQ9SZ8DL5nhAzLR-68nso1fODryAIQk3nmS1d2oRr6Hyq4iSIJSj_UqtEWQ_KaZLWXmssZQZM24TJNWvRr8JBNau7nFs5tQJ5ByEn7pvB-ZKjMvn0nTj2_PX7Z/s4032/IMG_1201.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5gTsBItJM9dBUqA8Q7ih_JsOazfDaBlGns-hR-Nk_rSvrN2THZCV6TXCP0n4QLsQ9SZ8DL5nhAzLR-68nso1fODryAIQk3nmS1d2oRr6Hyq4iSIJSj_UqtEWQ_KaZLWXmssZQZM24TJNWvRr8JBNau7nFs5tQJ5ByEn7pvB-ZKjMvn0nTj2_PX7Z/w640-h480/IMG_1201.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyh7bmbaSWajSenav4H0_jY6SpS5ahUynbaitq1yMiALRdxCeNGPXqFMuDtbqAjs_1_gfku0lW6JROtjyr-PXbRUM0ZsifyUdbRyFCBYwyl-rHYNVnHouFmCvbBt9OBo_odKmvlxQ5EX2Jfzh7N4OFHGmSPlyTrWCe87rJSk81nY_H2kvv9EgO8EPv/s4032/IMG_1202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyh7bmbaSWajSenav4H0_jY6SpS5ahUynbaitq1yMiALRdxCeNGPXqFMuDtbqAjs_1_gfku0lW6JROtjyr-PXbRUM0ZsifyUdbRyFCBYwyl-rHYNVnHouFmCvbBt9OBo_odKmvlxQ5EX2Jfzh7N4OFHGmSPlyTrWCe87rJSk81nY_H2kvv9EgO8EPv/w640-h480/IMG_1202.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuFVPDElgvVnnIGVUZUN_Pvn91XQiGPiVEarlqwYD1gdAwqWgNpUWQLnSqvOYchgzSVveIbvMG4FJ19nA3yW8_aoOklEtYkGt5Kcz4jK1AhgmGbkwI2N3b5k6_lYumEls3-cxg3TMQ5gsbKY5G9jk5NjxG8wEktHmB0SqsbGQ5YXQzsBtY7_NH7Wd/s4032/IMG_1211.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuFVPDElgvVnnIGVUZUN_Pvn91XQiGPiVEarlqwYD1gdAwqWgNpUWQLnSqvOYchgzSVveIbvMG4FJ19nA3yW8_aoOklEtYkGt5Kcz4jK1AhgmGbkwI2N3b5k6_lYumEls3-cxg3TMQ5gsbKY5G9jk5NjxG8wEktHmB0SqsbGQ5YXQzsBtY7_NH7Wd/w640-h480/IMG_1211.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>In some ways, the 1.5-mile walk back was easier, but the downhill climb was still tough on my husband's knees. When we arrived back to our car, we celebrated with hoots, hollers, and high-fives! "We made it back alive," we chanted, "without any injuries!" During our hike, we saw plenty of people give up--young, old, parents with babies and young children. Still, we--our middle-aged, non-athletic selves with cracking bones and failing knees-- made it. It was an accomplishment for the ages, and it made us stoked for the rest of our trip!</p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-36085408429866391942023-01-27T01:07:00.004-05:002023-01-27T01:16:35.513-05:00A Newport, RI Holiday<p>On December 30th and 31st, our little family and my sister-in-law's family headed to Newport, RI, to see the beautiful Newport Mansions decked out for the holidays. It was a short trip with just a one-night stay, but on Friday, we had a chance to see the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJwNyDsOgCAMANA46im6OEvUBuoRvEUhBfxGgUFvr298Td0dnervlV5VTa16DAkyenLoR0dM01_otDFOUA_WapEZ8sVp25czwL6EWDJwgRIFbBLeJOUPHx8a2A&q=sparkling+lights+at+the+breakers&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS923US926&oq=Sparkling+Lig&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0i512j46i175i199i512j0i512l6.7477j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:36ddf98f,vid:xW_RO3WwNwI" target="_blank">Sparkling Lights at the Breakers</a>, and on Saturday, we had a chance to do the popular <a href="https://www.newportmansions.org/events/servant-life-tour/" target="_blank">Servant Life Tour</a> at the Elms. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTqQUppqYINHj35mqW7flhXQ1yZBWtJDZA7XOco1Vbqgbcy9SLQi4TG3Aa2P8_DX-8WXOX9FdMOjWUJnwIoBiWQmDogj8W5sVl7xhy5wcHEoFP_pDxAES2Xpvrf62y4U4quIdUp3f9DOSx6pBTyxf-0dNz9eIibT_3OrudS6rnXmwavUjtnKwf--f/s3088/IMG_2492.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTqQUppqYINHj35mqW7flhXQ1yZBWtJDZA7XOco1Vbqgbcy9SLQi4TG3Aa2P8_DX-8WXOX9FdMOjWUJnwIoBiWQmDogj8W5sVl7xhy5wcHEoFP_pDxAES2Xpvrf62y4U4quIdUp3f9DOSx6pBTyxf-0dNz9eIibT_3OrudS6rnXmwavUjtnKwf--f/w480-h640/IMG_2492.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p>For some quick background information, the Newport Mansions were once considered "summer cottages" that were built by wealthy business tycoons during the Gilded Age. The Gilded Age, which encompasses the years between the end of the Civil War in 1865 to 1900, was considered a time of extravagance for just a few businessmen who amassed their wealth during the <a href="https://www.history.com/news/second-industrial-revolution-inventions" target="_blank">Second Industrial Revolution</a>. While the late 1800s was considered a time of invention (electricity, the incandescent light bulb, the telegraph/radio, and petroleum refining, to name a few), it was also considered a time when "the wealthiest one percent of American families controlled 51 percent of the nation's real and personal property" (<a href="https://www.history.com/news/robber-barons-gilded-age-wealth" target="_blank">P. Kiger "How Robber Barons Flaunted their Wealth during the Gilded Age"</a>) The richest of these families were known as robber barons, a title they were given because they used unethical business practices, exploited workers, and created monopolies, all to accrue fortunes (worth in the billions today). Another interesting fact during these times is that the government had no ability to break up monopolies or even tax them!</p><p>To understand the lifestyle of these robber barons is to understand the extravagance that existed in Newport during this period. For one, this elite class didn't just compete in business; they also competed in terms of homes, decor, material possessions, and even social events. Although the Newport Mansions were only used as summer homes, their owners built them for lavish summer entertaining, which meant they needed to be big and furnished with Europe's finest luxury items. Silk, marble, gold, mosaics, paintings, tapestries, and jewels were all the norm. The wives of the robber barons changed their clothing five to six times a day as they freshened up for each social engagement, and they flaunted jewels along with their beautiful gowns--some coming from faraway places like Paris and London. Food, drink, and dancing was the norm, along with all-night costume parties with massive guest lists. To learn more about the opulence of this time, I highly recommend reading <a href="https://www.history.com/news/robber-barons-gilded-age-wealth" target="_blank">P. Kiger's full article here</a>.</p><p>Going to see the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJwNyDsOgCAMANA46im6OEvUBuoRvEUhBfxGgUFvr298Td0dnervlV5VTa16DAkyenLoR0dM01_otDFOUA_WapEZ8sVp25czwL6EWDJwgRIFbBLeJOUPHx8a2A&q=sparkling+lights+at+the+breakers&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS923US926&oq=Sparkling+Lig&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0i512j46i175i199i512j0i512l6.7477j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:36ddf98f,vid:xW_RO3WwNwI" target="_blank">Sparkling Lights at the Breakers</a> was a fun family experience. While the adults had visited the <a href="https://www.newportmansions.org/mansions-and-gardens/the-breakers/" target="_blank">Breakers Mansion</a> before (many years ago), it was a new experience for Little Lewie and his four cousins. We first toured the inside, getting to see all the magnificent rooms decorated for the holidays. Then we followed a spiraling maze of colored lights around the grounds, which led us to a snack place where we could purchase hot chocolate, s'mores kits, and other goodies. The kids loved being able to toast their marshmallows while overlooking the grandeur of the mansion and the "sparkling lights" in the backdrop. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifPENe9OqHOKUPh2luyyldaWjFzclxJJaR0uiXKyWaasRxiV23j8EL4AogKuqSae0pD740HkAnQksCfT-HDYCQre48sJ3uWk4C0G1EQ3-tEr6pQAFa3S_ycU86sDiZrupwXe_hce6_EYAb7KoyzS8CaOW2q5vYtcX9qrLXug3FPMIS5hQ29jTJzYjQ/s4032/IMG_2452.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifPENe9OqHOKUPh2luyyldaWjFzclxJJaR0uiXKyWaasRxiV23j8EL4AogKuqSae0pD740HkAnQksCfT-HDYCQre48sJ3uWk4C0G1EQ3-tEr6pQAFa3S_ycU86sDiZrupwXe_hce6_EYAb7KoyzS8CaOW2q5vYtcX9qrLXug3FPMIS5hQ29jTJzYjQ/w640-h480/IMG_2452.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQBSwBg9vAG2WrgxODAvDAtRh5A8wNbKpuyJQUjgTyXB8XBZeG3hnI_bwbaGPL1rdlP-E5ZOQENI7HVZlrRZmTePK3fPMwupB8UdxlvH9H_CmNbQCcYJb3qOEFmY_dpLXl177G0SQ4_ahl0CmqPEyrioA5LD38txc_kKmLwJ9FrbdTsdGOy9382jal/s4032/IMG_2457.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQBSwBg9vAG2WrgxODAvDAtRh5A8wNbKpuyJQUjgTyXB8XBZeG3hnI_bwbaGPL1rdlP-E5ZOQENI7HVZlrRZmTePK3fPMwupB8UdxlvH9H_CmNbQCcYJb3qOEFmY_dpLXl177G0SQ4_ahl0CmqPEyrioA5LD38txc_kKmLwJ9FrbdTsdGOy9382jal/w640-h480/IMG_2457.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ww7kbi0arGLPwM6-elspXENKSV2s0F-Ad2_M48mprpiVnBpOkVfUPypUlMiMvlfJjTV3sydcDr6k_E3BgMLWZ5fzzZzOUIb7f_ExFNocdwCxky7iscTG9ygn1Ma6BpycoigqN9j031lz4hlHG6b5ihO0e8wwv0TjwI-5dabxc7_RA1VXdxurucdP/s4032/IMG_2459.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ww7kbi0arGLPwM6-elspXENKSV2s0F-Ad2_M48mprpiVnBpOkVfUPypUlMiMvlfJjTV3sydcDr6k_E3BgMLWZ5fzzZzOUIb7f_ExFNocdwCxky7iscTG9ygn1Ma6BpycoigqN9j031lz4hlHG6b5ihO0e8wwv0TjwI-5dabxc7_RA1VXdxurucdP/w640-h480/IMG_2459.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Y872e5z54uo8ofwGpquOIgbdnOmpdHFHMBrmhdBKg9B311LApf8aoq1hASJUl_8NpqvZa6ovknXuzOdZ0yDRXfzXviH6p4N6ikEIbVWiBGVuOIdKkoXim3yQfiZpZpUB-tPgMO01rtwOcSLMhNa5S_JRUbDRm5Vvy2eO5dDo_D1eAqgj8Wt6HrYg/s4032/IMG_2465.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Y872e5z54uo8ofwGpquOIgbdnOmpdHFHMBrmhdBKg9B311LApf8aoq1hASJUl_8NpqvZa6ovknXuzOdZ0yDRXfzXviH6p4N6ikEIbVWiBGVuOIdKkoXim3yQfiZpZpUB-tPgMO01rtwOcSLMhNa5S_JRUbDRm5Vvy2eO5dDo_D1eAqgj8Wt6HrYg/w640-h480/IMG_2465.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO351VTbI4g9hU8vYgXsbsCRHDmkNK6sAEpBdRCVXUNWc6crGSQBycNF9yEHDVohg3Gw-_D7JSCiJUzN97iGPfmwxFFUoo7d0IwHwbIBSi2d9gShteODwgda84HioF2-LnoAH17tN4DgJLEeykAb9DZ7o8PAnc7-8cLnJaIyB-yI0AQeOykqv6twy/s4032/IMG_2471.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO351VTbI4g9hU8vYgXsbsCRHDmkNK6sAEpBdRCVXUNWc6crGSQBycNF9yEHDVohg3Gw-_D7JSCiJUzN97iGPfmwxFFUoo7d0IwHwbIBSi2d9gShteODwgda84HioF2-LnoAH17tN4DgJLEeykAb9DZ7o8PAnc7-8cLnJaIyB-yI0AQeOykqv6twy/w640-h480/IMG_2471.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf00rV_MRsD0hpLO2rKSDcjuiRgvX-xPBS-awAjywMusyxNcb76BfVeRmLrI4mB7f6fzzZzlzPE_u7hdSf5bn8NbWYPrK-7jr18t8OPVI26_YQksm0D_LM3et_RxCwIQQEMkP0Mb8gDgeXRvVC98fAcioUKt6l2TCmgqrAVQa5Hz4LSHtLnbXbbGjw/s960/Group%20Photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf00rV_MRsD0hpLO2rKSDcjuiRgvX-xPBS-awAjywMusyxNcb76BfVeRmLrI4mB7f6fzzZzlzPE_u7hdSf5bn8NbWYPrK-7jr18t8OPVI26_YQksm0D_LM3et_RxCwIQQEMkP0Mb8gDgeXRvVC98fAcioUKt6l2TCmgqrAVQa5Hz4LSHtLnbXbbGjw/w480-h640/Group%20Photo.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>While touring the mansion, the opulence of the Gilded Age was right in front of us. Being the "grandest" of all the Newport Mansions, <a href="https://www.newportmansions.org/mansions-and-gardens/the-breakers/" target="_blank">the Breakers</a> has 70 rooms and a 45-foot high Great Hall that sits on 13 acres overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Cornelius Vanderbilt II, President and Chairman of the New York Central Railroad, had the house erected in 1895 as a "summer home," which boasts Italian Renaissance architecture complete with marble statues, fountains, high ceilings, ornate murals/paintings, and grand balconies. Here are just a few more photos, mostly with us, of the estate:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy73atJSmKq3_9CEBdCVj5BgTVCA9RExamoif33pUA6Faqez8gbZSANypSjLKhWOHYHJ7yzm-Qk2dg3tqUgvJJqBdChjPtH0kkeyBPeH8RSMlO16zzQPaPfkjkw9VXgFn6hIr4f2B0honBWfvvfvbzavgFA9IqYZ5-3FTh2JSYhYO9DIPrzVHYDzBl/s4032/IMG_2468.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy73atJSmKq3_9CEBdCVj5BgTVCA9RExamoif33pUA6Faqez8gbZSANypSjLKhWOHYHJ7yzm-Qk2dg3tqUgvJJqBdChjPtH0kkeyBPeH8RSMlO16zzQPaPfkjkw9VXgFn6hIr4f2B0honBWfvvfvbzavgFA9IqYZ5-3FTh2JSYhYO9DIPrzVHYDzBl/w640-h480/IMG_2468.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbjWDPiSABarT3DCbNFQldRWTSbFlMIl0rt_CZaEa8HFY5T5P3ko-Ka8Zp7pPITYQez76dYtttjgz7Y6uO46JgY9P1IO9SOGo08W921vNkHmR1WweFHHZUiB-nc5li_UkB141JulY8A_x42hFSEMkP2CpWfH_AHzytV4wkAcetRtw0w0ZUE3NMhkS/s4032/IMG_2473.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbjWDPiSABarT3DCbNFQldRWTSbFlMIl0rt_CZaEa8HFY5T5P3ko-Ka8Zp7pPITYQez76dYtttjgz7Y6uO46JgY9P1IO9SOGo08W921vNkHmR1WweFHHZUiB-nc5li_UkB141JulY8A_x42hFSEMkP2CpWfH_AHzytV4wkAcetRtw0w0ZUE3NMhkS/w640-h480/IMG_2473.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-JhX7gaVHFJmGxyupiLDdYCCC561xAhdiJhgtdurP-xNOHoaLpKMrJmWnQRSK9XfS7PFFWkZgvZpK7HTBsbEWaTMWzbn_MjeTbDwNOvXF-6Li8-BL_Jkq8nroGXCL6hUMsl2U8y3oaeEW90wAkvuFdGsN2qZEMUIzJI-1ozOGo-pRqwxUqDiJLtkb/s960/Lilly%20and%20the%20tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-JhX7gaVHFJmGxyupiLDdYCCC561xAhdiJhgtdurP-xNOHoaLpKMrJmWnQRSK9XfS7PFFWkZgvZpK7HTBsbEWaTMWzbn_MjeTbDwNOvXF-6Li8-BL_Jkq8nroGXCL6hUMsl2U8y3oaeEW90wAkvuFdGsN2qZEMUIzJI-1ozOGo-pRqwxUqDiJLtkb/w480-h640/Lilly%20and%20the%20tree.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wjKUJ5w3Sun933aj-xZnsGCCQgErE3z-GIdyMNaxQdR8n7hxpRTy9Ln2HTyPxPOJbQqUZdenJ5ewpFOmoNSTgTKXWii7CuopvPJuPJoNGkYOaClBYZkBE4ib-UoXXn_AveCw2t-b8oKWV4J5mWjRxWvh2PSrPwInzDw9DRyNgT7afakVkcUY-ync/s960/Lilly%20at%20the%20Breakers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wjKUJ5w3Sun933aj-xZnsGCCQgErE3z-GIdyMNaxQdR8n7hxpRTy9Ln2HTyPxPOJbQqUZdenJ5ewpFOmoNSTgTKXWii7CuopvPJuPJoNGkYOaClBYZkBE4ib-UoXXn_AveCw2t-b8oKWV4J5mWjRxWvh2PSrPwInzDw9DRyNgT7afakVkcUY-ync/w480-h640/Lilly%20at%20the%20Breakers.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMz68vBFg7UfA8HIoD2MwGDHONBoHhhe6xjephdfOkrScnpX9XsJ5_1um1F6BM6Yi0gaQAym0vIkarxVUt9e6nP07UIuk2z85b7PduZhZX791giTVbFJMwj5_AJ5_qTQYG0ilW5z1OAFamQQ0spcI4kTW6KUK3CLhtnGlhH1PK5A_jflEW2ZTsYrj/s960/Missy%20and%20Me.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMz68vBFg7UfA8HIoD2MwGDHONBoHhhe6xjephdfOkrScnpX9XsJ5_1um1F6BM6Yi0gaQAym0vIkarxVUt9e6nP07UIuk2z85b7PduZhZX791giTVbFJMwj5_AJ5_qTQYG0ilW5z1OAFamQQ0spcI4kTW6KUK3CLhtnGlhH1PK5A_jflEW2ZTsYrj/w480-h640/Missy%20and%20Me.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gC6hLxR21ds_7TtboFYjAx44rbFxJc1wO-eDnLnEQCMZndUzMPwAitwSKk0UeLLSptGxHgBvMdC5RqV8tc24gN7T5JoPCutqMKFcWFRZVQQU6zARyD1n47WRROjwDHx2omW3-W4lcn4yMrxDoR1V-dv5ijF-DAngqWMhbNuYWCD3jHxAZnVoYh-I/s960/Royal%20Bathroom.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gC6hLxR21ds_7TtboFYjAx44rbFxJc1wO-eDnLnEQCMZndUzMPwAitwSKk0UeLLSptGxHgBvMdC5RqV8tc24gN7T5JoPCutqMKFcWFRZVQQU6zARyD1n47WRROjwDHx2omW3-W4lcn4yMrxDoR1V-dv5ijF-DAngqWMhbNuYWCD3jHxAZnVoYh-I/w480-h640/Royal%20Bathroom.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This bathroom is larger than our living room at home!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0smFmGe9_bTeJ933VKtBSUf-9pyNyXQ-oUJV6HyiAqqL4hRyj9c68zCL0Y6YfKvgW6nf73bwKoHjEwh7mKj7QrV96KhCqRh-ex7DpwgqcohpfBZfNjOCJIJvPCyTPOR4UMaIbXKZ05J-fzsU6_hHhMfHkzzqMhb--0UZmMXTnWFIZecqOtR3DyVpv/s960/Kiddos%20at%20the%20Breakers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0smFmGe9_bTeJ933VKtBSUf-9pyNyXQ-oUJV6HyiAqqL4hRyj9c68zCL0Y6YfKvgW6nf73bwKoHjEwh7mKj7QrV96KhCqRh-ex7DpwgqcohpfBZfNjOCJIJvPCyTPOR4UMaIbXKZ05J-fzsU6_hHhMfHkzzqMhb--0UZmMXTnWFIZecqOtR3DyVpv/w480-h640/Kiddos%20at%20the%20Breakers.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahUr-7d_gP2fJ_VjKwo0lj1aYFfHH69SXtE5Q0G9npzIUo0b9ApZaPS75XcvZvSnjGlQA4uAWmKjo9tr4IZKfVweKm2d6ThFWWVW9lpJ5CeQKf6v-lTiZ2UKpBygQ9PnlGxL3BhDY1WzPLaJt75TAlQwWGEj5dqmQLsuGCulW58Blrhu9KzWoillI/s4032/IMG_2482.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahUr-7d_gP2fJ_VjKwo0lj1aYFfHH69SXtE5Q0G9npzIUo0b9ApZaPS75XcvZvSnjGlQA4uAWmKjo9tr4IZKfVweKm2d6ThFWWVW9lpJ5CeQKf6v-lTiZ2UKpBygQ9PnlGxL3BhDY1WzPLaJt75TAlQwWGEj5dqmQLsuGCulW58Blrhu9KzWoillI/w640-h480/IMG_2482.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjduVsr0o8ypqOmIqARFjZkJVFzqJlP3vWtdqafEMXvqvvcbACTnqSAO3P-tRZxq8qmnMqQJeRzw1YSYGmGqNVZSf6GM021fFGouFl35lsBVRxiuhhHX4YYdRTKqU4iP7-aauCxPulvnu4Q6sF8ZtuqngyE34rO0mvDHIOR4QJqNPtUKSbwUO_bhrxn/s4032/IMG_2476.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjduVsr0o8ypqOmIqARFjZkJVFzqJlP3vWtdqafEMXvqvvcbACTnqSAO3P-tRZxq8qmnMqQJeRzw1YSYGmGqNVZSf6GM021fFGouFl35lsBVRxiuhhHX4YYdRTKqU4iP7-aauCxPulvnu4Q6sF8ZtuqngyE34rO0mvDHIOR4QJqNPtUKSbwUO_bhrxn/w640-h480/IMG_2476.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72Xl7knFIUeUIp7q53fV9i_5HEFLfcA7IGJorBBnT53rvZfg4ITYsch-Lal6H6TlCFHCDFLLH8GCbnJFo-E22Ph285w2Y0RyUq0v1FH5q3Dl_QBJuzgXqgcVjnlBOaD1vBWBWiVwCWOJk2sZRzCe_jdLQB3a591rs67svZv46puJao3RM98idZJ4_/s4032/IMG_2480.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72Xl7knFIUeUIp7q53fV9i_5HEFLfcA7IGJorBBnT53rvZfg4ITYsch-Lal6H6TlCFHCDFLLH8GCbnJFo-E22Ph285w2Y0RyUq0v1FH5q3Dl_QBJuzgXqgcVjnlBOaD1vBWBWiVwCWOJk2sZRzCe_jdLQB3a591rs67svZv46puJao3RM98idZJ4_/w640-h480/IMG_2480.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcF6g9Noot0tiah-0RM4niddC6wxt4fF4vqRY2hXWq70FDOFYzXb3VMDJKOYf9GosZzZXD4hHPNATXkDl99CbB-d_nHyBj8r277gG7ueW1SqqknOdeh8ZSmT4bpXCPedVZTQDJT-n7gv9Gub72qOFw6w1jzKrw-1CiqS90dWKECbmc4nWXkSkoQcV9/s4032/IMG_2481.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcF6g9Noot0tiah-0RM4niddC6wxt4fF4vqRY2hXWq70FDOFYzXb3VMDJKOYf9GosZzZXD4hHPNATXkDl99CbB-d_nHyBj8r277gG7ueW1SqqknOdeh8ZSmT4bpXCPedVZTQDJT-n7gv9Gub72qOFw6w1jzKrw-1CiqS90dWKECbmc4nWXkSkoQcV9/w640-h480/IMG_2481.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8lU4peuI3gWFHYMub-IoNwWmY8TIM1-a5qNqfM6nWDg7uRRz9HH0OXSIdiSR57ofauUuMPJtvi9UYSZ6eIp8qkPOD9JR3dWFcUma2_VjZ1qfdYlWPkxBd7j9lxz0sPEWbMcrzCMaKnkLwoVg-crSTh_vCEDdbQFsF4Qvmjx53W0mDDg-eCl5c3gZ/s4032/IMG_2488.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8lU4peuI3gWFHYMub-IoNwWmY8TIM1-a5qNqfM6nWDg7uRRz9HH0OXSIdiSR57ofauUuMPJtvi9UYSZ6eIp8qkPOD9JR3dWFcUma2_VjZ1qfdYlWPkxBd7j9lxz0sPEWbMcrzCMaKnkLwoVg-crSTh_vCEDdbQFsF4Qvmjx53W0mDDg-eCl5c3gZ/w640-h480/IMG_2488.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>During our second and last day at Newport, we had lunch at the Red Parrot and then drove to <a href="https://www.newportmansions.org/mansions-and-gardens/the-elms/" target="_blank">the Elms</a> for their popular <a href="https://www.newportmansions.org/events/servant-life-tour/" target="_blank">Servant Life Tour</a>. We thought the kiddos might enjoy seeing the secret living quarters of the servants, the passageways, and the coal cellar, while the adults might enjoy learning about how the servants worked behind the scenes in such a way that it seemed as if these mansions were run by magic.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsUTo9453Xx-Ph28pEf89-y2gjFsFvwWd4cFeJiPJ16So3FXEMbt4Prn_uaF0pPnicE7vh5tYIGk4cF5HXs_Vvjtq_cuVCCkU87AemMVReBFGqqf4RfGhPuXTMnO444esm_yQKi27-z2ifaHnKlBR_RS2bPMVDWnIImf8kPcEzQcZjSchqQm0RBpz/s960/The%20Red%20Parrot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsUTo9453Xx-Ph28pEf89-y2gjFsFvwWd4cFeJiPJ16So3FXEMbt4Prn_uaF0pPnicE7vh5tYIGk4cF5HXs_Vvjtq_cuVCCkU87AemMVReBFGqqf4RfGhPuXTMnO444esm_yQKi27-z2ifaHnKlBR_RS2bPMVDWnIImf8kPcEzQcZjSchqQm0RBpz/w480-h640/The%20Red%20Parrot.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOO-dpIEZwKODJauEtz--afUgCxEeaVrjyfiqL4zbc2j0p9IQwYJFwbiX3qIrzDNiAahhsmZlCW-WizjR7NGjcoFEPBRaOc-aOy-jsWVoWAaNmOOSi4lRkISF717EV5Ng3bzvyZKGe8I-j4wKa_GpRifTWdYqHczIyMjUlvMWeKkYX2oF24AiWhIb/s640/IMG_4597.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOO-dpIEZwKODJauEtz--afUgCxEeaVrjyfiqL4zbc2j0p9IQwYJFwbiX3qIrzDNiAahhsmZlCW-WizjR7NGjcoFEPBRaOc-aOy-jsWVoWAaNmOOSi4lRkISF717EV5Ng3bzvyZKGe8I-j4wKa_GpRifTWdYqHczIyMjUlvMWeKkYX2oF24AiWhIb/w480-h640/IMG_4597.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN179GBg-ziQ124zrMXOQqILZIqNbJcXlsOoUywAX2XTmCFRxi6_PSKH2rSh4S4MP3_bmrm77_aO46HCp0GpxROcXkxJnMhKEFICHsgyoigh57n3_fo7v1br6Km0c9OaFKXPVb1hMV4jpNkQ4l04zfjaWPWkGjqL3-_ZBzKn6iqraW2vAO7M_UUf-M/s4032/IMG_2490.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN179GBg-ziQ124zrMXOQqILZIqNbJcXlsOoUywAX2XTmCFRxi6_PSKH2rSh4S4MP3_bmrm77_aO46HCp0GpxROcXkxJnMhKEFICHsgyoigh57n3_fo7v1br6Km0c9OaFKXPVb1hMV4jpNkQ4l04zfjaWPWkGjqL3-_ZBzKn6iqraW2vAO7M_UUf-M/w640-h480/IMG_2490.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elms_(Newport,_Rhode_Island)" target="_blank">The Elms</a>, a French-style chateau, was another mansion erected to serve as a summer home--this time for the millionaire <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Julius_Berwind" target="_blank">Edward Julius Berwind who founded the Berwind-White Coal Mining Company</a>. Known as a coal baron, Berwind was "the world's largest individual owner of coal mining properties," and he worked with another business tycoon, J.P. Morgan, to expand his coal mining empire. Interestingly, he was "director of the International Mercantile Marine company, which owned the White Star Line and the RMS <i>Titanic</i>." He also controlled the steamship business in New York and Philadelphia, where he was the sole coal supplier to run the ships. (During the tour, we learned that Berwind had a passion for technology and engineering, which resulted in the Elms being one of the very first homes in America to be wired for electricity. He also had an electric icemaker!)</p><p>The Servant Life Tour focused on the "hidden" parts of this mansion, which included the servant quarters, the laundry rooms, the boiler rooms, the basement kitchens, and the coal cellar. As expected, the glitz and glamour were reserved for the main parts of the mansion, so the other parts, away from the public eye, were modest at best. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMsavn0zr6n5QQ6ETN9BQ9SAwPGUiTKIH5OIstHxp3uslukfDU4H1vD1bU9oPKhtij8b4C1ZDY-MPF0fpjeiiCJ6z32pzqN-4fwO9a9dWCWERgBEpctXfJgTIRibqK_XvMZwIZu16OL-SQWJhuTmz6k2buaAVGWybxzQPvNii4JQa_P93FW8ADsXE9" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="1200" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMsavn0zr6n5QQ6ETN9BQ9SAwPGUiTKIH5OIstHxp3uslukfDU4H1vD1bU9oPKhtij8b4C1ZDY-MPF0fpjeiiCJ6z32pzqN-4fwO9a9dWCWERgBEpctXfJgTIRibqK_XvMZwIZu16OL-SQWJhuTmz6k2buaAVGWybxzQPvNii4JQa_P93FW8ADsXE9=w640-h382" width="640" /></a></div><br />For example, when looking at the Elms, it appears as if there are only two floors, but few people know the fancy part at the top (without the windows) is actually a third floor where the servants slept. They did have access to the rooftop for sunlight and fresh air, but they were very much hidden from view. Here is what the third floor looks like on the inside:<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaApT3SirP1lGDccMZfCVa_wb_XPuO_9F06IKsHDa05Ens10CgjWPJY1hqF5G2I3srG6x1hKowHbSNG8wFR6p2EQNN-O8-z-eKsRso0BxFBGrY1B9HcDL9JphbG64xzJ8cZ3n_2YFvevCDE6WOrtnh4SUDhVQujseSBGajitt8JFRzbod0-zyANxP/s4032/IMG_2494.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaApT3SirP1lGDccMZfCVa_wb_XPuO_9F06IKsHDa05Ens10CgjWPJY1hqF5G2I3srG6x1hKowHbSNG8wFR6p2EQNN-O8-z-eKsRso0BxFBGrY1B9HcDL9JphbG64xzJ8cZ3n_2YFvevCDE6WOrtnh4SUDhVQujseSBGajitt8JFRzbod0-zyANxP/w640-h480/IMG_2494.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Surprisingly, the rooms were quite large, and Mr. Berwind tried to add some extra comforts for the servants in order to tempt them to stay employed with him. Still, when they signed up to work at the Elms, they were committing to working 16-hour days with only one day off per week. They also were not allowed to be married or have families. Many of his servants were immigrants from Ireland; however, he did hire some "professional servants," such as the butler and the cook, who received higher wages.<br /><p>The tour provided a wealth of information, complete with original photos and documents of some of Mr. Berwind's staff. As expected, the life of the servants was hard; however, I never knew that the noble women of the house changed outfits about five times per day and that the sheets to all the beds in the house had to be laundered and ironed twice per day (even if they were not used). It felt like the servants often had to do work for work's sake, and I wondered if they ever grumbled among themselves as to why they had to put in all the extra effort for seemingly no reason at all. </p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The tour ended with a visit to the basement. In the winter, the mansion was heated using coal, and they brought us to the coal cellar, which had a distinctive tunnel. (Evidently, Mr. Berwind had the coal unloaded blocks away, so the tunnel could be used to bring it to the mansion discreetly.)</span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuT2mc1ETtXq_MFR-9RHAR2Ewa5O4zbf224lHJxNhB3X2yhXPFQtP2UQkD8MB5y7iN42EOOWtfc4wTj3WAKkajmSqgEW-yJfJ-TvElmxuIbW1CsLSsq5YqQPfvUqiHY-qkGQGL9PbaQ_EHE9VGz7p9GDO9Kpogb5gNpTl4wXNwKkUjiJWzjp6tr-M1/s4032/IMG_2497.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuT2mc1ETtXq_MFR-9RHAR2Ewa5O4zbf224lHJxNhB3X2yhXPFQtP2UQkD8MB5y7iN42EOOWtfc4wTj3WAKkajmSqgEW-yJfJ-TvElmxuIbW1CsLSsq5YqQPfvUqiHY-qkGQGL9PbaQ_EHE9VGz7p9GDO9Kpogb5gNpTl4wXNwKkUjiJWzjp6tr-M1/w480-h640/IMG_2497.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjyh8YVB3o2NXYvgyGW2pqrq1tozPI1sUUnejZAT0sh-ORE2ci7T3m-ut149A76SUMrjtpAKOzHhkY9YixlBU75YGg_r7Myqadyf4PcTJdXBanMDz07h38PrC3X07hPXMrKAzvk435oB5oG3HbHiPm8Zow6ruoN-IvfcyIXhSZZIt-iFlxyRaL1lT/s4032/IMG_2498.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjyh8YVB3o2NXYvgyGW2pqrq1tozPI1sUUnejZAT0sh-ORE2ci7T3m-ut149A76SUMrjtpAKOzHhkY9YixlBU75YGg_r7Myqadyf4PcTJdXBanMDz07h38PrC3X07hPXMrKAzvk435oB5oG3HbHiPm8Zow6ruoN-IvfcyIXhSZZIt-iFlxyRaL1lT/w480-h640/IMG_2498.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />Overall, our Newport, R.I. trip was a beautiful and interesting experience of a dark past, for underneath the glitz and glamour of the Gilded Age was a culture of incessant superficiality, materialism, gluttony, and snobbery. Robber barons made money from unethical practices, often resulting in a number of human rights abuses and environmental attrocities. They stepped on the toes of others only so they could live a life of excess and brag about their immense fortunes. </span><p></p><p>Now, of course, thanks to the Newport Historical Society, the mansions have been preserved and become houses of "the people." They're used for community events (like high school dances), for large events like the Newport Flower Show or the Sparkling Lights at the Breakers, and for educational tours and lectures. As we visited the two mansions, we couldn't help but notice the tremendous amount of upkeep they require. We all had some minor allergy symptoms from the unavoidable dust and mold!</p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">At the end of the trip, I felt like we had our own small fortune to brag about and that was our family. Lewie was awe struck by the mansions but said the best part of our one-night adventure was spending time with his cousins. I couldn't agree more. The kiddos were so well behaved, and I had no idea, the youngest, Lilly, is a little historian in the making. I LOVED watching her marvel at old photos, documents, and all the rooms in the houses. (She literally beamed with excitement throughout the entire two-hour servant tour!) "That's so cool," she repeated over and over again. As I watched the expressions of the kids, each with their own cell phones or parents' cell phones taking pictures, I couldn't help but think in my head, "yea, this is pretty cool, indeed."</span></p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-73114357401563726652023-01-02T08:15:00.008-05:002023-01-02T08:41:30.851-05:00Happy 2023 - A New, 365 Day Journey in Love<p>I'm a day late writing about the New Year--for this, the critical voice of self-judgement is brimming in my head, but I won't release that negative thought. Not today. Not this year. (I hope.)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJzqBdA7lwIVbjwpSIxosP9bZUOpEYTTi1WMWZRDv1Ii71szBJk-gTJhM_1HyrCjCVPUSyMORlzebVSIBrKLvQnLbbEDsJNtehcFKLPEirx9i3wQh4GuPf4mtjcp5Nw3VOBi1CFRibWfbdEmPnTzpIowEhCkh06eOy_Zd6yfknC1xDMu90AirTSHp/s509/2023.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="509" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJzqBdA7lwIVbjwpSIxosP9bZUOpEYTTi1WMWZRDv1Ii71szBJk-gTJhM_1HyrCjCVPUSyMORlzebVSIBrKLvQnLbbEDsJNtehcFKLPEirx9i3wQh4GuPf4mtjcp5Nw3VOBi1CFRibWfbdEmPnTzpIowEhCkh06eOy_Zd6yfknC1xDMu90AirTSHp/w400-h266/2023.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/2023">Credit</a></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I'm starting 2023 in a slightly awkward place. My job was eliminated back in October, and I left feeling unappreciated for my 21 years of service. Still, my heart jumps back and forth from aching to rejoicing. I knew for some time, I wasn't passionate about my work anymore. I cared about many of the friends I made there, but the leadership was toxic--making callous decisions for their own self-preservation.</p><p>It was hard to leave, but I knew my exit would provide a new personal freedom--a freedom to start over again--a freedom to even recreate myself. But, as I write this, my indecisive nature keeps me stifled. "Who do I want to be?" I hear my subconscious voice ask my heart hundreds of times each day. I read through lists of job openings, and I waffle. Do I want to work here? What will the commute be like? Will the pay be decent? Will I have a work-life balance? Will the job feel rewarding? Fear takes over until I remember that I've been craving a new beginning. So, I am exactly where I need to be...</p><p> * * *</p><p>2022 was an interesting year. My sister-in-law was living with us for the first six months until she could find an affordable apartment. My husband was taking her back and forth for chemo treatments while I was doing my best to help uplift her spirits and get her settled into a new place. My son couldn't have friends over the house during this time, so we made up for it by taking the boys to the movies, snow tubing, rollerskating, and bowling. Big Lew, Little Lewie, and I also had a chance to see Jim Gaffigan live at Foxwoods, which would be Lewie's first experience watching a standup comedian live. </p><p>We all came down with COVID in May, which was quite a scare, but thanks to the vaccines and new medications on the market, we survived it without any complications. Still, I continue to have "brain fog" and wonder if it's from long COVID.</p><p>In June, we took a trip of a lifetime to see the Mighty Five National Parks in Utah. I haven't begun to write about our full experience yet, but I have a folder on my desk with all the brochures, so I don't leave out any details. Highlights of the trip included hiking to the Delicate Arch, sleeping in a Tee-pee, learning how to "canyoneer," and winding our way around hoodoos and slot canyons. It was the perfect distraction from my unfulfilling work life and my strange, public home life, where my sister-in-law was around 24/7 to see my every move.</p><p>In July, we helped my sister-in-law move out, and Lewie resumed his friend sleepovers. They watched outside movies, swam at night, and ate breakfasts from Dunkin Donuts in the morning. We also took them to Lake Compounce Amusement Park, Sand Jam Movie Night at Penfield Beach, and boat tubing on Lake Gardner. It was an active summer, to say the least, which included tons of friend and family pool parties, too.</p><p>In September, the winds of change fell upon us. My work colleagues and I learned that the college we worked for was "millions" of dollars in debt, and there would be layoffs, cancelled classes, and wage freezes. Students would suffer the most because there would be less resources, activities, and classes to choose from all while their tuition increased. I felt strangely uneasy and decided, rather than worry, to start reading the book I purchased this summer--<a href="https://gabbybernstein.com/universe-has-your-back/" target="_blank">Gabby Bernstein's </a><i><a href="https://gabbybernstein.com/universe-has-your-back/" target="_blank">The Universe Has Your Back</a>. </i>(I had a chance to hear her speak at the Cornwall Library earlier this summer under a garden tent surrounded by lush greenery and cows--it was lovely!!) Her words struck me, "To truly say yes to the love of the Universe means you have to look at your resistance and give up a thought system that you mistakenly identified as safety, security, and the foundation of your life." In other words, I needed to release fear and control and say yes to love. As I read further, it became abundantly clear that to say "yes" to a happy life, I needed to leave my job. Then, one week before my October 3rd birthday, a mini-miracle happened. The college did it for me.</p><p>I wish I could say I spent the last three months of my unemployment happily meditating and waiting for the perfect opportunity, but fear, as usual, reared its monstrous head from time to time. In October, I had two promising job interviews for a college I liked, but when an internal candidate was selected over me, fear and self-doubt took over AGAIN. Then I sent out more applications, resumes, and cover letters with no response. This only heightened the worry.</p><p> * * *</p><p>Today is the start of a new 365-day slate to begin again (364 days since I am writing on January 2nd). I am still organizing my house, sending out job applications, and very deliberately reading through Gabby Bernstein's book, not wanting to rush the process of learning how to be "fully committed to love each day." I believe in synchronicity and know I am purposefully being led down this path of self-discovery. Now is my chance to break the cycle of fear and to embrace love, laughter, forgiveness, and understanding. I know there is a plan, so for now, I am going to be patient, loving, and kind. I am going to meditate, spend quality time with loved ones, and practice self-care. I know fear isn't working for me, so I will LOVE with my thoughts, actions, and words this year...for my heart and head both know there really is a lot to LOVE and celebrate.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXIzuliLzg8zng0DbEhIg2hLAG1-VZhXvdy_m5m-2Gu4x3_6Km1-Ep5Ys_BloIDflnvqABa4CuGlj7qKSITSRzDU8PYNfht1rJ6ov9cP1HViwFwGp3kdQD0WbZjWoih4e_lNVcU7_fDPXNWbF5lWxIVWLUUctn6SVE10tPvUeHOYMmK0iD8XBjMCH/s800/Maya%20Angelou.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="800" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXIzuliLzg8zng0DbEhIg2hLAG1-VZhXvdy_m5m-2Gu4x3_6Km1-Ep5Ys_BloIDflnvqABa4CuGlj7qKSITSRzDU8PYNfht1rJ6ov9cP1HViwFwGp3kdQD0WbZjWoih4e_lNVcU7_fDPXNWbF5lWxIVWLUUctn6SVE10tPvUeHOYMmK0iD8XBjMCH/w400-h299/Maya%20Angelou.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Words from one of my all-time favorite authors and role models. <br /></i><i><a href="https://www.simplyoptimisticgal.com/post/live-every-day-to-your-fullest-potential" target="_blank">Credit</a></i><i> </i></td></tr></tbody></table>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-11946498066915348832022-12-28T11:54:00.004-05:002022-12-28T12:46:24.548-05:00Wishes for an 80s Christmas!<p>My husband and I are both children of the 80s. We have slightly different memories of the decade since he is five years older than me, but nonetheless, we find ourselves reminiscing about everything from music, movies, fashion, and toys to even commercials--(Where's the beef?!) For the longest, Little Lewie has been bored with our "tales" of wearing parachute pants (or a pleather skirt with feather earrings) to school, our addiction to MTV music videos, or our Christmas wishlist of toys like Cabbage Patch Kids, Barbie Corvettes, Atari, and boomboxes. We've also made him suffer through songs by Madonna, Michael Jackson, Boy George, Journey, The Police, Van Halen, Twisted Sister, and Tom Petty, to name a few. </p><p>Then, <i>Stranger Things </i>came out, and the 80s became cool again. All of a sudden, Little Lewie didn't roll his eyes when I told him I used to rollerskate to the "Ghostbusters" theme song, or Daddy spent countless hours as a teenager learning how to play songs from Metallica's <i>Master of Puppets </i>album. In other words, Hubby and I became downright "rad," "gnarly," "totally tubular," and "wicked awesome!"</p><p>I know fads don't last long, so I decided it would be fun to buy 80s Halloween costumes this year to celebrate the return of our favorite decade. Lewie liked his 80s jumpsuit but was too embarrassed to actually wear it on Halloween--<i>ahh teenagers</i>! Still, I did make him promise to wear it for this year's JC Penny's photoshoot. (We've been going there for Christmas portraits since 2017...)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HptarsJTSE0Ryg_qufKIhVgWIE5yk8AnNpJTTamt2h0sNyiwn0ebmBaI4Zq33nYZ-MoNtZrtdFrLl1AINqyDkMWEmoEV1G04aLDyH-AqhWMRIgPxpI2tnTgcOizH039QWo2ePz2uDB0078JR8H9cz75IxocX8RwIv60dO9MjOz_mRQRY_aLbGlwS/s3000/1%20Favorite_original.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HptarsJTSE0Ryg_qufKIhVgWIE5yk8AnNpJTTamt2h0sNyiwn0ebmBaI4Zq33nYZ-MoNtZrtdFrLl1AINqyDkMWEmoEV1G04aLDyH-AqhWMRIgPxpI2tnTgcOizH039QWo2ePz2uDB0078JR8H9cz75IxocX8RwIv60dO9MjOz_mRQRY_aLbGlwS/w640-h512/1%20Favorite_original.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGovAWdE3olURsr9wa9y3hxhd4dfSYD8o7O_jyBiISsRTnM7zICGPN6YZev_GL1u7gKb7fu-mY7qWbiPwz8fRdrZBg4nVqIoEnCy68pmsPpSY1iw0O5jP_NmI6Fqgy8Spp0BZWUC15YLtCsKl2iPxDh0Dt1kvXnQ-pmUafkjzksOF1gm6HynXs9TCC/s3000/2%20Favorite_original.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVgbCDsXGmfE28jJndGrHokcHOmiOgT072E8-e-EVJy0FwzbyH0tAd1pOkCn9dnz99wffUhyOO6FzGLUYC4U2Td30A-Cl3P6_9T2Eb-WPdf9VxAFIj72Zgf5up6bFflvpV52TB9XfGe8Hmn0Astew_WbX7y3PYUAmoHYqh0kNc0j6sO30k6GR689r/s3000/998b7915-0fd3-4fdb-8458-9eb5de23204a_original.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVgbCDsXGmfE28jJndGrHokcHOmiOgT072E8-e-EVJy0FwzbyH0tAd1pOkCn9dnz99wffUhyOO6FzGLUYC4U2Td30A-Cl3P6_9T2Eb-WPdf9VxAFIj72Zgf5up6bFflvpV52TB9XfGe8Hmn0Astew_WbX7y3PYUAmoHYqh0kNc0j6sO30k6GR689r/w512-h640/998b7915-0fd3-4fdb-8458-9eb5de23204a_original.JPG" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKY3yN9Dvjtk6vKz6z-l95K15QVgGXYmaHWyg2U8mmEt8lTWwe9ZTcc99vtCHJTHUwuJCKInPc5eFdG8HlqzS-Dbxbv_46jMIp-0ikPAastKLzeFF2XBtKejDV1gxhPIljYGnLuh8sq0AWLEI_8eD9-l7r0nqg9g5ya6z_GxsUIAk-9Cq0wM64tnM/s3000/b9946a4e-c7ab-45eb-b22b-a970b60dada4_original.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKY3yN9Dvjtk6vKz6z-l95K15QVgGXYmaHWyg2U8mmEt8lTWwe9ZTcc99vtCHJTHUwuJCKInPc5eFdG8HlqzS-Dbxbv_46jMIp-0ikPAastKLzeFF2XBtKejDV1gxhPIljYGnLuh8sq0AWLEI_8eD9-l7r0nqg9g5ya6z_GxsUIAk-9Cq0wM64tnM/w640-h512/b9946a4e-c7ab-45eb-b22b-a970b60dada4_original.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVsJ_cw_emWmwZbxlqCx34e_LKuJavz8Nm8oAvF5zcHqv6iO_PHFVN5WzI6mEx_WnqO_6alVrJbcBNVbhdKfucjvjU3MQuAeRjekiGctmfvZY3C8Xqoe8jpU6ACI7ZDnqrcK6xlFWkrk4yjmOnWljpEznRyl4ydd-QprmgMjIbuOzJLOAvfB17Sz5/s3000/c8bd2453-8ba6-4542-890e-d9c3edc8c842_original.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVsJ_cw_emWmwZbxlqCx34e_LKuJavz8Nm8oAvF5zcHqv6iO_PHFVN5WzI6mEx_WnqO_6alVrJbcBNVbhdKfucjvjU3MQuAeRjekiGctmfvZY3C8Xqoe8jpU6ACI7ZDnqrcK6xlFWkrk4yjmOnWljpEznRyl4ydd-QprmgMjIbuOzJLOAvfB17Sz5/w640-h512/c8bd2453-8ba6-4542-890e-d9c3edc8c842_original.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7iMXCsIoSvMFChs-NY7ihKbTbwtFZ5lWpdHb4-FCrxanVyX9kHpmZQAL6JweYE9FLlEcT1x9SbQAP8BnD-Ic-UJ1V0jUfMYuHUPkHPkLOTluadlX5Sw6UK_eI_mZvQB719WwaQ_f7SB_WEGP4AqbHv7_BuBIURYQCxUjp-uhCVjNrt3c00I9fMBQ/s3000/c9f9cbbe-c154-42f5-b063-07bb9705a6d0_original.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7iMXCsIoSvMFChs-NY7ihKbTbwtFZ5lWpdHb4-FCrxanVyX9kHpmZQAL6JweYE9FLlEcT1x9SbQAP8BnD-Ic-UJ1V0jUfMYuHUPkHPkLOTluadlX5Sw6UK_eI_mZvQB719WwaQ_f7SB_WEGP4AqbHv7_BuBIURYQCxUjp-uhCVjNrt3c00I9fMBQ/w640-h512/c9f9cbbe-c154-42f5-b063-07bb9705a6d0_original.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>For the last photo, the photographer thought it'd be fun to have the boys actually pick me up! <br />That was a little nerve-wracking.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In all, we had a blast getting dressed for the pictures and hope we managed to capture people's nostalgia for the 80s. (I wish I still owned a hair crimper!) I still plan on putting my neon blue tights and fanny pack to good use. ;-)</p><p>Wishing everyone a "totally righteous" holiday and an "amped" 2023!!</p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-2912588943110603712022-12-18T02:21:00.005-05:002022-12-18T02:26:48.668-05:00Lewie Receives the CAPSS Award!<p>There are some moments in life when we are pleasantly surprised by something out of the ordinary...something completely unexpected and unknown. For us, this happened to my husband and me when, out of the blue, Lewie's middle school principal called to tell us that Lewie received the Connecticut Association of Publis Schools Superintendents (CAPSS) Leadership Award!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3Aatf_YxfOGI-sxWV6Kdlt70c21XwKRXBR7kN0gXoSbWmo9LkVWNWAh8ggN3ng4vm5RpUdmshrZIysALHZNanEIoin6eX7u2DfqO8CyHezs9n5xsVlU4JxxZiH_A8Xo7XC_q3pJ8Uxle4YnZvDX6RbJEOhSYP1gqY3BS8XRMYAm0szaxJnkkevXM/s960/The%20Family.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3Aatf_YxfOGI-sxWV6Kdlt70c21XwKRXBR7kN0gXoSbWmo9LkVWNWAh8ggN3ng4vm5RpUdmshrZIysALHZNanEIoin6eX7u2DfqO8CyHezs9n5xsVlU4JxxZiH_A8Xo7XC_q3pJ8Uxle4YnZvDX6RbJEOhSYP1gqY3BS8XRMYAm0szaxJnkkevXM/w480-h640/The%20Family.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>In typical fashion, I missed the phone call, but my husband spoke to the principal and then called me immediately afterward. "Guess what?" he asked excitedly, "I just got off the phone with Lewie's school principal."</p><p>At that moment, I wanted to be excited, but instead, I was worried. "Oh no, what happened now?" I asked. You see, this wasn't the first time the school principal called us. Six months earlier, Lewie was holding the door for a group of students when he accidentally hit the school's fire alarm. (I KNOW. If you're thinking, how can that possibly happen, I thought the same thing.) The alarm resulted in a fire drill with the volunteer fire department coming out. Poor Lewie was mortified, and his principal called us to let us know about "the incident." Lewie, of course, wasn't in trouble, but his principal wanted us to know that he gave Lewie some time in his office and the school media center to decompress as he was obviously very upset.</p><p>My husband chuckled at my worry. "Oh no, it's not that. It's something good. Lewie received a leadership award at school, and we've been asked to attend an award banquet on December 12th at the Grassy Hill Country Club!"</p><p>I had a whole bunch of questions that my husband couldn't answer, but the principal's voicemail on my phone answered them. Evidently, the CAPSS Award is given to two students from high school and two eighth graders from middle school each year. In Lewie's case, his eighth-grade teachers voted for him to receive the honor because of being kind, hardworking, and an upstanding role model at school. His "biography" in the program read, "Lewis is a very positive and genuine student who elevates anyone who sits around him. He always comes to school ready and willing to do his very best. His behavior, academics, and social abilities are unquestioned." It ends with a list of his extracurricular activities, including his skills in programming, 3D art, graphic design, music, computer technology, and multimedia presentations.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeJmzTEn12Lqf0pP37YORwsFjdSRBz2CH72M3XsxTXyy7sTpYpirkwSPWGNS5Qmv5nfFmDFN_VEW-6YgTOohUAEJx8ElLoISKCa_9sTMCKfao-VvbFqSNTDiqvBbu8gUK-txYRsIFZiDUtjr3aCADwy6TblnKE4EAe6Bwfi73xXOA4TjD0iWWw-gv/s640/IMG_2396.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeJmzTEn12Lqf0pP37YORwsFjdSRBz2CH72M3XsxTXyy7sTpYpirkwSPWGNS5Qmv5nfFmDFN_VEW-6YgTOohUAEJx8ElLoISKCa_9sTMCKfao-VvbFqSNTDiqvBbu8gUK-txYRsIFZiDUtjr3aCADwy6TblnKE4EAe6Bwfi73xXOA4TjD0iWWw-gv/w640-h480/IMG_2396.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWt6l6mfYF4G3D0gQpvbc3IKA9xVvQBi1TCE1EnVAwUW5rU14CSt-7vqgCa9Yx3iPVZCU3i8H9tJNVwN81IECHiJpOQYFhJVioLEYkZKzMugr35ZXMBoeBzpbW1OzykSlu_c3ncCQhVjnO3SR583ObVw8n2ITfOcLScO24q1N23Po9DRMOzI_v9axJ/s640/IMG_2397.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWt6l6mfYF4G3D0gQpvbc3IKA9xVvQBi1TCE1EnVAwUW5rU14CSt-7vqgCa9Yx3iPVZCU3i8H9tJNVwN81IECHiJpOQYFhJVioLEYkZKzMugr35ZXMBoeBzpbW1OzykSlu_c3ncCQhVjnO3SR583ObVw8n2ITfOcLScO24q1N23Po9DRMOzI_v9axJ/w640-h480/IMG_2397.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmCrrHIicAc1NQzK-rZehoFHDlSiUadkVwAS-1Xi5Pls8Ol_Fin7W5UNQ8qeBCEdEFHzV_HCX69QYeJV5s8nyZgGYxohj-lCWTX3kA7If1J_5jtUXEV8ykQcqABJtG8ge-bdONICNwM1ZFdtl1i7GK0o8-01mkjaKCZNEu_hNp6gB-cY3yHo5DX63/s640/IMG_2411%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmCrrHIicAc1NQzK-rZehoFHDlSiUadkVwAS-1Xi5Pls8Ol_Fin7W5UNQ8qeBCEdEFHzV_HCX69QYeJV5s8nyZgGYxohj-lCWTX3kA7If1J_5jtUXEV8ykQcqABJtG8ge-bdONICNwM1ZFdtl1i7GK0o8-01mkjaKCZNEu_hNp6gB-cY3yHo5DX63/w640-h480/IMG_2411%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The award ceremony itself couldn't have been more special. Lewie was honored with three other students from our region and 16 other students from other school districts. The audience was comprised of these fine young students, their parents, their principals, their superintendents, and some of their teachers. I could see that everyone was genuinely happy to be there to support the students, and their support was out of love and not out of obligation.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7gcHax1FwaWEOXpcCMTz2-Debv6MuSwy7hpACoS182XQXcOO3-sLO7HWPEXgIIR7pp8LSLPUpkTE0BoJopu-tj27YxZbVIHbK6MkuxQ2LywJ3Zj9o-fRwrMj1GLXmHRYXER79RmHU3BwrBO_2ksZXdg9g4gNAMHxQGiKLTKhhW2se6-OYppyrNqc/s640/IMG_2403%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7gcHax1FwaWEOXpcCMTz2-Debv6MuSwy7hpACoS182XQXcOO3-sLO7HWPEXgIIR7pp8LSLPUpkTE0BoJopu-tj27YxZbVIHbK6MkuxQ2LywJ3Zj9o-fRwrMj1GLXmHRYXER79RmHU3BwrBO_2ksZXdg9g4gNAMHxQGiKLTKhhW2se6-OYppyrNqc/w640-h480/IMG_2403%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoih-cV9yGLpVHerd0UUNbmjR9xtNVdt47GTVF926k2VY1IDgjZlii9kZwhpAMayYE8S9AaOmk1c1gI6_s0Z7GzWQ0TT34pEVzCNWtVHtu_9YW-eZE1u00Konz-TU7elcmhWGVdgkWLYr7nQ5CvuJIHC1CRhT7uobuwcO6nk78NI8Yt-O0BpKHgypr/s640/IMG_2404%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoih-cV9yGLpVHerd0UUNbmjR9xtNVdt47GTVF926k2VY1IDgjZlii9kZwhpAMayYE8S9AaOmk1c1gI6_s0Z7GzWQ0TT34pEVzCNWtVHtu_9YW-eZE1u00Konz-TU7elcmhWGVdgkWLYr7nQ5CvuJIHC1CRhT7uobuwcO6nk78NI8Yt-O0BpKHgypr/w640-h480/IMG_2404%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Another reason why the ceremony was special is because the other 8th-grade student to receive the award from our school district was Nora, Lewie's friend's sister! The dinner conversation flowed easily because we already knew Nora's parents (having had their son over our house multiple times for pool parties, sleepovers, amusement park visits, and rollerskating outings).</p><p>At the end of the night, we took some final pictures in the foyer, which was festively decorated for the holidays. Lewie hadn't been to a banquet hall since he was six-years-old (for his aunt's wedding)--an experience he hardly remembers. Thus, for him, this award ceremony felt like his first formal banquet, and he admitted that it was actually fun to dress up for such a "fancy event."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHidaXcqz1oqiGbQufYZE8FN9ppmZ54tbsQAsrhs3EbLAloR0UsOESkV3IY2TY0Du3khrnKNb7ki1WZzUF_XDOX4eJX2SUkATEReI0Bh4JVocXxQ71Q569Hoby3LSDU5iiVshjKs0On-cp6V2JqeGCLaZxB9ZgJFWzovg15i7awssb9SyHHPWov40/s960/CAPSS%20Certificate.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHidaXcqz1oqiGbQufYZE8FN9ppmZ54tbsQAsrhs3EbLAloR0UsOESkV3IY2TY0Du3khrnKNb7ki1WZzUF_XDOX4eJX2SUkATEReI0Bh4JVocXxQ71Q569Hoby3LSDU5iiVshjKs0On-cp6V2JqeGCLaZxB9ZgJFWzovg15i7awssb9SyHHPWov40/w640-h480/CAPSS%20Certificate.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oDf0XBN7KDUKwJCL1fSDWmfTflnrqHl838BzYVj2HL2Bqy182tj6fnF2NY2BiGJadvygFawkw-YD5U7_aY1iZkqVLaXXPQwBx8JxLxIwfYuMf0BQxKOPl35Ztwe68YrI65jV0zWU9TvuSXOEVuaubZJGctydHtMnDa77DBHEhjXN7qqTu7YBM0vR/s640/IMG_2399.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oDf0XBN7KDUKwJCL1fSDWmfTflnrqHl838BzYVj2HL2Bqy182tj6fnF2NY2BiGJadvygFawkw-YD5U7_aY1iZkqVLaXXPQwBx8JxLxIwfYuMf0BQxKOPl35Ztwe68YrI65jV0zWU9TvuSXOEVuaubZJGctydHtMnDa77DBHEhjXN7qqTu7YBM0vR/w640-h480/IMG_2399.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Daddy Lew, Lewie, and I left the country club grinning ear-to-ear. It was one of those magical moments we couldn't have ever anticipated--Lewie receiving an award just for being authentically Lewie. What an honor to be his mom!</p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-2786074874120190682022-12-11T02:46:00.003-05:002022-12-11T02:55:32.559-05:00Best Vacation Ever - Our Beautiful Excursion through Southern Utah<p>In June of this year, our family had an AMAZING opportunity to visit Southern Utah! Prior to planning our trip, I visited websites like Trip Advisor and Viator and read family blogs, similar to this one, that posted information about <a href="https://www.visitutah.com/places-to-go/parks-outdoors/the-mighty-5" target="_blank">Utah's Mighty Five</a>. Since we live more than 2,200 miles away in Connecticut, I knew this trip would be a "once in a lifetime" experience, so I wanted to make sure we made the most of it--and make the most of it, we did!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNWaQ2ea62Jds9CTqarrizHWq0kCNgsK9d3jHc-RFLbvw1GDq42sUJzLO5j7IBSp5Td9RMNV6sMSxGJF4obuqYZa7K6HiV2zw6Ky_mFwVC5n17hvu8GQ3F1SZHhW5GlKHnFjyVHtuJgx6-l2KoK0cY1Ed-nWncdhXnfWRUyyDMMbhkSkA_gisoXXn/s4032/IMG_1525.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNWaQ2ea62Jds9CTqarrizHWq0kCNgsK9d3jHc-RFLbvw1GDq42sUJzLO5j7IBSp5Td9RMNV6sMSxGJF4obuqYZa7K6HiV2zw6Ky_mFwVC5n17hvu8GQ3F1SZHhW5GlKHnFjyVHtuJgx6-l2KoK0cY1Ed-nWncdhXnfWRUyyDMMbhkSkA_gisoXXn/w640-h480/IMG_1525.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first decision I made was to have us fly into the St. George Regional Airport, located in the southwest corner of Utah, and drive 5+ hours across the state to Moab. If our goal was to see the Mighty Five in a week (we had exactly seven days), I wanted to start at the far left side of the state and work our way back to the airport for takeoff on the final day. Thus, we stayed at four different resorts (<a href="https://www.moabspringsranch.com/" target="_blank">Moab Springs Ranch</a>, <a href="https://capitolreefresort.com/" target="_blank">Capitol Reef Resort</a>, <a href="https://www.stayyonder.com/" target="_blank">Yonder Escalante</a>, and <a href="https://cablemountainlodge.com/" target="_blank">Cable Mountain Lodge</a>), as we inched our way back to St. George.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPEjNegzWa5qKxWfFnBzKM1l63IC74lRNuTOiN8kTujQfX6KvIrN2XKO0JJBODBoPVxJc9iEb9irV3Z9jMLaQXA_Ss8WMVD1mc5tiPZk8F47L-h6DshIl_X5YYSGpjrspasRRReoWyPo51yz9_i77iY-jtJOi3I-oqOHCjp87t_-fXJ-S7MIzFXb1/s4032/IMG_1229.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPEjNegzWa5qKxWfFnBzKM1l63IC74lRNuTOiN8kTujQfX6KvIrN2XKO0JJBODBoPVxJc9iEb9irV3Z9jMLaQXA_Ss8WMVD1mc5tiPZk8F47L-h6DshIl_X5YYSGpjrspasRRReoWyPo51yz9_i77iY-jtJOi3I-oqOHCjp87t_-fXJ-S7MIzFXb1/w640-h480/IMG_1229.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>As one can imagine, going from one resort to the other for only a day or two at a time was a little exhausting. For one, we never fully "unpacked" because we knew we'd be repacking the very next day. Often, we lived out of the trunk of our rental car! Still, I wouldn't have changed a thing. Going to the four different resorts felt very much like four different trips--each with its own unique environment and traditions. Hubby and Little Lewie very much balked at the idea of staying at four places in the beginning, but after the trip, they couldn't thank me enough for each of the experiences. We loved them all! </p><p>To avoid discussing too many details about our trip all at once, my plan is to write four posts for each of the places we stayed. Hint--they include hiking and UTV adventures, teepee glamping, star gazing, canyoneering, a drive-in movie theater, and a few talks about geology. Since Earth has been around for approximately 4.5 billion years, there is quite some history found in each of these National Parks. Oh, if only the mountains could talk!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXOkyOQiAAjD41rMUljyCDzMb6SVtllwP5fzYU8T_AQs_WquN7slGRZb8nE7X0W1uNrZS1Lx01o8jwFGVBo8lXGWozeUczoit7aDd_qpD8FBEuF7QxKfjR3O96Zw-ve7-troMHJEJ_D8QY8806FiT_URuWeReQB8QnLrJZ3AylujROO85OjvqOctI/s4032/IMG_1341.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXOkyOQiAAjD41rMUljyCDzMb6SVtllwP5fzYU8T_AQs_WquN7slGRZb8nE7X0W1uNrZS1Lx01o8jwFGVBo8lXGWozeUczoit7aDd_qpD8FBEuF7QxKfjR3O96Zw-ve7-troMHJEJ_D8QY8806FiT_URuWeReQB8QnLrJZ3AylujROO85OjvqOctI/w640-h480/IMG_1341.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>If you've ever been fascinated by rock layers, Outerspace, and the vast expanses of mountains and canyons--then the Mighty Five is definitely for you. Out of all of my National Park trips so far, never did I feel so small and inconsequential while also feeling so spiritual and close to God.</p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-63904038888372646562022-11-07T20:30:00.005-05:002022-11-19T05:59:40.833-05:00October Recap<p>October flew by in an instant, and yet, it was probably one of the most jam-packed months we had in a while. It was a month of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows with feelings of love, appreciation, anger, sadness, and nervous anxiety sprinked throughout.</p><p><b>October 3 </b>- My birthday. My mom, Daddy Lew, and Little Lewie surprise me with a small celebration at home. There is some stress, however, because my place of work (my place of work for 21 years) decides to demote me. I can either accept the demotion or get laid-off. My choice--to get laid off. I know in my heart I cannot be my best when I feel totally deflated and unappreciated. October 4, 2022 ends up being my last day. I choose to let love steer me forward.</p><p><b>October 11 & 22 </b>- I get a chance to spend some quality time with my mom--first at Mystic Seaport and then at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Angevinefarm/" target="_blank">Angevine Farm</a> in Warren, CT. We shopped until we dropped at Mystic, getting a chance to go into so many cool and unusual gift shops. We ended our afternoon with a classic seafood dinner so typical of a New England seaport village. At Angevine Farm, my mom and I had a chance to go into their small gift shop and pick out a few fall treats while taking in the gorgeous autumn scenery; our dog Bruce came for the ride, too.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjFd79ExR_aYCwgBdvJ3Lm0GeUOwGV8WYw4EtncjKv-eeQnafjpCueNuzCfL9a--gF1OAuhGGu_q_oZ9NLO686zhrU4lOAxwT8KEwQbDQXVkYJ22yODpXVlKMf14CTdaB0ZOSUHBdVT-qENDMOmimcqH4c_jIiHxGyM88RUPj7y1tTgZD9Nct7_zX/s4032/IMG_2220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjFd79ExR_aYCwgBdvJ3Lm0GeUOwGV8WYw4EtncjKv-eeQnafjpCueNuzCfL9a--gF1OAuhGGu_q_oZ9NLO686zhrU4lOAxwT8KEwQbDQXVkYJ22yODpXVlKMf14CTdaB0ZOSUHBdVT-qENDMOmimcqH4c_jIiHxGyM88RUPj7y1tTgZD9Nct7_zX/w640-h480/IMG_2220.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p><b>October 15 </b>- Little Lewie helps his good friend with her <a href="https://www.girlscouts.org/en/members/for-girl-scouts/badges-journeys-awards/highest-awards/gold-award.html" target="_blank">Gold Award</a> presentation. For anyone who is unfamiliar, the Gold Award is the highest achievement within Girl Scouts (similar to being an Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts). Girl Scouts who receive this honor must research an issue (local or global) they care deeply about and create "an actionable plan" to bring awareness to the issue "with measurable, sustainable, and far-reaching results." </p><p>Lewie helped serve as "film and video editor" for the video part of her presentation. (He worked with her through Sept. and part of Oct. to put it together.) On the 15th, we came to support her "in-person" presentation, which was wonderfully received by her church community. We were so proud and inspired by her passion and hard work!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IDPeyeJQoo-G_uj4MdZ1tB1tPG0QWSvVgQ38OscH5OXswzRdj5awMzjPQP-knD30Fp4LwWsNswQbPswPPDST3WLUmSbA-7O1zFCPcnSjCuP5NCGInvda063ImCcaKEuhl6nM8g56MI1ae3efxXjoG2DwNqsBuJl2jnWkC6vGkoRyQsvVn9Bx_EGk/s640/Flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IDPeyeJQoo-G_uj4MdZ1tB1tPG0QWSvVgQ38OscH5OXswzRdj5awMzjPQP-knD30Fp4LwWsNswQbPswPPDST3WLUmSbA-7O1zFCPcnSjCuP5NCGInvda063ImCcaKEuhl6nM8g56MI1ae3efxXjoG2DwNqsBuJl2jnWkC6vGkoRyQsvVn9Bx_EGk/w480-h640/Flowers.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOn-v9_G08gCwGF25GGE3j8fSPuVLlocsmwwPCXwhwc7f9D3DgN9Xb0g78ozVmuxdj1hZerlUGczQ_9yiQBLkjEg9qJf9pH9nGmO5y5b-Sh6U3Uxhqcvf1VHJiWB_fDQM5SusEC2vw_fNhe45o8tSRHNUhgGPac6q1ICyZmRvrUi-uQTq2P9t-dRl/s4032/IMG_2150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOn-v9_G08gCwGF25GGE3j8fSPuVLlocsmwwPCXwhwc7f9D3DgN9Xb0g78ozVmuxdj1hZerlUGczQ_9yiQBLkjEg9qJf9pH9nGmO5y5b-Sh6U3Uxhqcvf1VHJiWB_fDQM5SusEC2vw_fNhe45o8tSRHNUhgGPac6q1ICyZmRvrUi-uQTq2P9t-dRl/w640-h480/IMG_2150.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCgIfopvXkqrLnpyWMEo2BSNF3TM7GUKE_o5bRknulzvxeWMFR3LSjekLZMWGK77YL0JN9hBvJzK8n2Z5UYXl2XSZMOcz9DG_ptaYiYWNPbOgnmh88GTxOlPdXFY8ZI1bLwNHsAzALFkSNrCTebKdUuVOJP9KerBFOsbbbBLmCP3RbN72f61j8tRE/s4032/IMG_2153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCgIfopvXkqrLnpyWMEo2BSNF3TM7GUKE_o5bRknulzvxeWMFR3LSjekLZMWGK77YL0JN9hBvJzK8n2Z5UYXl2XSZMOcz9DG_ptaYiYWNPbOgnmh88GTxOlPdXFY8ZI1bLwNHsAzALFkSNrCTebKdUuVOJP9KerBFOsbbbBLmCP3RbN72f61j8tRE/w640-h480/IMG_2153.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7PTcGbq3dfnJkbNANc8cajC9di3mAncT8XGsCpQ9-Y7rl7fT1dZGej1O8kkberik4810ux8W-sFFIT-rUdtCbusQpSV0tzC2LUZ71PsOrq12uoUSkY4SJ4ED2vw8-ylCptBdZ6yLa1kYOtE7VULUgs2wgaeqpKUJEAvNFAzWcXgU_23l1HN3dBdb/s4032/IMG_2155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7PTcGbq3dfnJkbNANc8cajC9di3mAncT8XGsCpQ9-Y7rl7fT1dZGej1O8kkberik4810ux8W-sFFIT-rUdtCbusQpSV0tzC2LUZ71PsOrq12uoUSkY4SJ4ED2vw8-ylCptBdZ6yLa1kYOtE7VULUgs2wgaeqpKUJEAvNFAzWcXgU_23l1HN3dBdb/w640-h480/IMG_2155.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9KLKQwy5Jc1dkjuvSzF9pTiIvDt5xA9T-Bg2phOnzfbD2kTGT1FLLHmBJ5VrbdcGcboH-qGKDFeneZL6cfKHEke55jnUIMm2tNV0ramyYF0zHLIadrBmNgH90PHPGFsVJql7AgTTM6Pn_brhwl9J9Cy_f20CP4FSK6iSN51fJLXr6chENfZdLTIr/s640/Usthree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9KLKQwy5Jc1dkjuvSzF9pTiIvDt5xA9T-Bg2phOnzfbD2kTGT1FLLHmBJ5VrbdcGcboH-qGKDFeneZL6cfKHEke55jnUIMm2tNV0ramyYF0zHLIadrBmNgH90PHPGFsVJql7AgTTM6Pn_brhwl9J9Cy_f20CP4FSK6iSN51fJLXr6chENfZdLTIr/w640-h480/Usthree.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><b>October 18 - </b>Daddy Lew, Lewie, and I attend our cousin Sarah's big Senior Night for her Ladies' Swim Team award. We are amazed at watching her compete and are especially emotional to hear all the wonderful things her fellow swimmate (is that a thing?) has to say about her. Sarah's moment ends when she jumps into the pool to swim her very last lap to a song of her choice; her parents greet her at the other end of the pool. The night, truly, was very memorable and special for all 10 ladies that were honored. I asked Lewie if he'd ever be interested in joining the swim team in high school next year. His answer: "Nope."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ND_-8di2sm-ik2Bvu7vlKW_cdKUia7dv6V432isXr22pAc_uV7J7A9xEZxMJyWwVILvMfUcxmG1wAO4JROiQudTotfiZ3dLBHhTBoPkcgZSs_HlkCbidJexwyTdKN1iVghzRAc8vsDrd4Q1coNhjb31eBkMwR-eE7OtUbPv-TpG93-5guRB2zyIA/s4032/IMG_2168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ND_-8di2sm-ik2Bvu7vlKW_cdKUia7dv6V432isXr22pAc_uV7J7A9xEZxMJyWwVILvMfUcxmG1wAO4JROiQudTotfiZ3dLBHhTBoPkcgZSs_HlkCbidJexwyTdKN1iVghzRAc8vsDrd4Q1coNhjb31eBkMwR-eE7OtUbPv-TpG93-5guRB2zyIA/w640-h480/IMG_2168.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPq47x6HyQmEzZh12kltGx5jfDCJBM6lG0YZGrYldf-EKFZ8hpgUXjfp16iiZ9j1qDLfqNPKCmJ9C8ovP2yfOFhXF25Y5v1z1XAo0FHEeo62kIhnDe8BzMcO8QKK3tKuRCx-vWQmsimtP925RVGbIaquKfIhjKgSPO20iD5yqij6WLZujmjXexsOHp/s4032/IMG_2169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPq47x6HyQmEzZh12kltGx5jfDCJBM6lG0YZGrYldf-EKFZ8hpgUXjfp16iiZ9j1qDLfqNPKCmJ9C8ovP2yfOFhXF25Y5v1z1XAo0FHEeo62kIhnDe8BzMcO8QKK3tKuRCx-vWQmsimtP925RVGbIaquKfIhjKgSPO20iD5yqij6WLZujmjXexsOHp/w640-h480/IMG_2169.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1hiMLawlUPCT8As7qiUlm5IlwcjKxn_2tZAVRplB4t4T2jCC4W6k_fV91qYrM4TD6mBDLGYFw3jIKXgg_nNT96FrQG6gQgu8nezhQQzdZFlYDUqXjcoFDQUDX5dmvFqfOdviUJc3fe8AzWTbgAqd5bRAF98-hgIArt0PxHat3T0ql-GhsgijvOjz/s4032/IMG_2170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1hiMLawlUPCT8As7qiUlm5IlwcjKxn_2tZAVRplB4t4T2jCC4W6k_fV91qYrM4TD6mBDLGYFw3jIKXgg_nNT96FrQG6gQgu8nezhQQzdZFlYDUqXjcoFDQUDX5dmvFqfOdviUJc3fe8AzWTbgAqd5bRAF98-hgIArt0PxHat3T0ql-GhsgijvOjz/w640-h480/IMG_2170.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TVktgCP309jVyGJ6lndLXmKLFgBGZIIx9Jor9TrUfo7FcsCDsfK1Q8zR6p4sPQWaQcCLjjlTPYJ2cvA4eohaBWJZ-y6kTfJMkOWybUo0oALrkPSi0Bgp88IFthuTWFf7KTs9lPYuY13p5QKoCgxnvCzX9s4O2GPtp98u1W4lx02U-g5kgBs0R9Sv/s4032/IMG_2171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TVktgCP309jVyGJ6lndLXmKLFgBGZIIx9Jor9TrUfo7FcsCDsfK1Q8zR6p4sPQWaQcCLjjlTPYJ2cvA4eohaBWJZ-y6kTfJMkOWybUo0oALrkPSi0Bgp88IFthuTWFf7KTs9lPYuY13p5QKoCgxnvCzX9s4O2GPtp98u1W4lx02U-g5kgBs0R9Sv/w640-h480/IMG_2171.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA97OryHglRR7VagFGlflKQsOPwh9QOPfibi4SgKpuHyqznQPX80etlGgoKpbAkqt9oWt1actlncoxeu2SuXImXrzORc6_Rl0IGPXTWrmyWce7o0ARxBMK1j8IJZLUL8ztrQNYF5tZNoFlQcq2pAzHv-DS-8ephEejjawPvPmOwzZsuq96esULpgm6/s4032/IMG_2172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA97OryHglRR7VagFGlflKQsOPwh9QOPfibi4SgKpuHyqznQPX80etlGgoKpbAkqt9oWt1actlncoxeu2SuXImXrzORc6_Rl0IGPXTWrmyWce7o0ARxBMK1j8IJZLUL8ztrQNYF5tZNoFlQcq2pAzHv-DS-8ephEejjawPvPmOwzZsuq96esULpgm6/w640-h480/IMG_2172.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><b>October 20 </b>- Little Lewie and I have an outing with his best friend Ryan and his mom to see <a href="https://beyondvangogh.com/" target="_blank">Beyond Van Gogh</a>--an immersive "museum-type" experience, which brings all of Vincent Van Gogh's artwork to life. The attraction begins with a colorful maze, which showcases his personal quotes and informational tidbits about his life. It ended, however, in a huge 30,000-square-foot space, where his drawings and paintings danced and swirled all around us, making us feel as if we were part of the art itself. (There were a few moments during the 'immersive experience' where the artwork, quotes, and music brought me to tears.) My friend and I left feeling inspired while our two boys sort of shrugged and said, "Yea, I guess it was pretty cool." Oh, let the teenage enthusiasm begin!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJOkVmZvzF4F5FW5rEeHu6vYtFMNEmWLf25_H2Inmy5bVAYpD5mV-f7ZFZZSpcbBS9TbrNCFpzt2Lgm7Mda0xb4wNFv9p5Qcch1irKMWpBbdyTK5-ztwpckDvTqTd7zg6Exfs6aUeS0KDTTt40uvz-dpg6nGjLmZnrfpW0zvZZ2sqj77aP8YaR31H/s4032/IMG_2184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJOkVmZvzF4F5FW5rEeHu6vYtFMNEmWLf25_H2Inmy5bVAYpD5mV-f7ZFZZSpcbBS9TbrNCFpzt2Lgm7Mda0xb4wNFv9p5Qcch1irKMWpBbdyTK5-ztwpckDvTqTd7zg6Exfs6aUeS0KDTTt40uvz-dpg6nGjLmZnrfpW0zvZZ2sqj77aP8YaR31H/w640-h480/IMG_2184.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2GiUSIt1-bJYBwVGbommmwXX3LwIEoLDQx8Kgyx-wregmXauzoJDRaYi5O5T4A_m0DTkbwx-WXKmBcqnHjd_ePQ6lLeesw2P4gP41tWQTTrQiaueyyGR8lV6HBy4YUOdCFW71YwzUegtGJrJfExV0NJdrlRB67BucvRcrBRn0MCrDIJC0V8F-1Ae/s4032/IMG_2187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_ztmWw9RSB73evh6hmw5LGyPWDHpkmfznZyOGQosZwegJIPSkmNtc4dhqcnQB12OJo-b2VEZbh0CfeHm_FJbS3rr2GSuFm3nF3orHLtKnVkiAixBRvJUeaTx_bUVvxCa-63BP_OQ2ultT4wjDfq0xAFYMSQqZfRmLeIjmxNKJAsCr2MB8mam82eL/w640-h480/IMG_2192.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXvabLvbZMsGDuiEiCYNCeYNQ_jxrD4LIYqIdZMgvjA8z2lpjUZk4w6mkk6-raeYxUVtvYLtsuJb5NQnQR59OtMl4sLN8Ee6zqnvcMVDuw3TJt-HkPDCt8xXpTt5wjXKaGWO7ScCCc577yaHGT_w1Huf1AOdRvAUFYtJlZY-fuUeYPNrXVIMaK6Pk/s4032/IMG_2193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXvabLvbZMsGDuiEiCYNCeYNQ_jxrD4LIYqIdZMgvjA8z2lpjUZk4w6mkk6-raeYxUVtvYLtsuJb5NQnQR59OtMl4sLN8Ee6zqnvcMVDuw3TJt-HkPDCt8xXpTt5wjXKaGWO7ScCCc577yaHGT_w1Huf1AOdRvAUFYtJlZY-fuUeYPNrXVIMaK6Pk/w640-h480/IMG_2193.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2LO2igrdYfiyQ2iu0GKG_dtm6qU-utPhqLFZwrMBBday8Rae7efel1y0S5TNPaaPLJQmFmO_Io-lS5iruUZ9TjtjG-o0ntt1_WjK4bn80Xe2dPIfF-u-A9_Hoi9rjJmTpYn17RaiUYhaAC3A7h15rMnbOQHsTMe8pjqHGhp8KiGue2cMM9obcVfo/w640-h480/IMG_2203.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLkyYIts0lUxVFbHXKY-n3BKKrgg-pzmPPtn_b_vJwsrVPF-UfMdE6pAxRRpeTuceJPrd2YI7LwF79d1emfdSzugHRzB9VUSk1EgTMJ3YHT8IXv8zOzcuSCoWJbyglYVtsLrAJqfnzObiVkRFM5YjAv2tmC3-O1TB1EXRTRmvBSbBPNVoc5omgbTe/s4032/IMG_2205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLkyYIts0lUxVFbHXKY-n3BKKrgg-pzmPPtn_b_vJwsrVPF-UfMdE6pAxRRpeTuceJPrd2YI7LwF79d1emfdSzugHRzB9VUSk1EgTMJ3YHT8IXv8zOzcuSCoWJbyglYVtsLrAJqfnzObiVkRFM5YjAv2tmC3-O1TB1EXRTRmvBSbBPNVoc5omgbTe/w640-h480/IMG_2205.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><b>October 25 </b>- I interview for the first time in many, many years for a Campus Dean of Students and Faculty position. The interview is with five other folks on Zoom, and I'm happy to report that I made it to another round. The group gave me a warm feeling about the college and their commitment to students.</p><p><b>October 21 & 28 </b>- Daddy Lew and I take Lewie and his three friends to Phantom Fall Fest at Lake Compounce and then a Haunted Hayride sponsored by the local Lions Club in Woodbury. On the 28th, the boys sleep over, and I take them on a hike before I return them safely home to their parents. The boys had a great time--so evident that they are at an age where they crave "in-person" interaction over just texting and talking to each other through Xbox.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kGzZFBJfJhJo6xQn-rK9xpmWhXeUKbfR7jjsCzdbYezbAuTlki_NXWNygjynq7l81c0bEKZ95DhA9MYq2wXIiWvU_bzcfb-sTekv4Ncd3tK2Pq5lwjbmAXVLy3nM3Y-G19WOJBXZ8OB-bdBsljMvaTcVm_p3Qu48uEqbZKLlKRPb1VThz0e7Ex02/s2048/Haunted_Hayride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kGzZFBJfJhJo6xQn-rK9xpmWhXeUKbfR7jjsCzdbYezbAuTlki_NXWNygjynq7l81c0bEKZ95DhA9MYq2wXIiWvU_bzcfb-sTekv4Ncd3tK2Pq5lwjbmAXVLy3nM3Y-G19WOJBXZ8OB-bdBsljMvaTcVm_p3Qu48uEqbZKLlKRPb1VThz0e7Ex02/w480-h640/Haunted_Hayride.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFXirmofq1oedr01wAW7qNmn3pkd2GAZBxdfHuOMbNUqmlyH829kyeZ_gyW6GpEeMG4s6ClL85ftZokiYkoX4bdUXPQ1KesNVY6aZ8PhpBFUgtVRfPgNsj0HStiq8CL__bT6XFeGAtfqKsXlpZL93htjL2UbXtGm_rJp6sdNq1fSkpvqdMllfR1hh/s4032/IMG_2210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFXirmofq1oedr01wAW7qNmn3pkd2GAZBxdfHuOMbNUqmlyH829kyeZ_gyW6GpEeMG4s6ClL85ftZokiYkoX4bdUXPQ1KesNVY6aZ8PhpBFUgtVRfPgNsj0HStiq8CL__bT6XFeGAtfqKsXlpZL93htjL2UbXtGm_rJp6sdNq1fSkpvqdMllfR1hh/w640-h480/IMG_2210.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RtVv1xRippnzqfRaB225CTOs8OH5eUswF5sCQ51yZT-QzTq3dolna29HGbUkxh0ozoXQo8-DNZaeXcnNkKIJAuPH4Tea9aZajkVZ03B35dCc66Vc6J1A24vm1yVHK8KzBI0pzgwkWcqlyUj5moL-h0GbSr1EuIm365xUq32r4UNxiLcBHxP0_8Zf/s4032/IMG_2234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RtVv1xRippnzqfRaB225CTOs8OH5eUswF5sCQ51yZT-QzTq3dolna29HGbUkxh0ozoXQo8-DNZaeXcnNkKIJAuPH4Tea9aZajkVZ03B35dCc66Vc6J1A24vm1yVHK8KzBI0pzgwkWcqlyUj5moL-h0GbSr1EuIm365xUq32r4UNxiLcBHxP0_8Zf/w640-h480/IMG_2234.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPvj4i3yLHsuv_E10MNBQhilfUyLE7mniSj8T8qDkUP-Sf3uUxA8D3yguV0jtLFUX9rH3bZELmBwv5U0q704QCxeIlOE745oTz4yy3mDGZKMLDJDXqq9-AOe5BUbZUKPDJYGG7dK7_KZrJKJfnCkIdz2baB01rTUZv8HHJG93QDVgVJ-DGiuQ8a-j/s4032/IMG_2239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPvj4i3yLHsuv_E10MNBQhilfUyLE7mniSj8T8qDkUP-Sf3uUxA8D3yguV0jtLFUX9rH3bZELmBwv5U0q704QCxeIlOE745oTz4yy3mDGZKMLDJDXqq9-AOe5BUbZUKPDJYGG7dK7_KZrJKJfnCkIdz2baB01rTUZv8HHJG93QDVgVJ-DGiuQ8a-j/w640-h480/IMG_2239.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiELl6mfZ-fCxHT00Hxq95drUM4cpgamNE0WyqZRpk3LXSBVnUO6w6M0h_lRmXPMTaUHVuFQVa7JtFQuNy0MvnfiYS0jnyaFKnXhIYpFzsVEcY4DUSkVkumWfdG0dL8cxZ1bMbgqXSTqRkbVSG5YczrwLgHyIDbInxA5CUmgwhoc8xmn3Bta5b-Gly/s4032/IMG_2242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiELl6mfZ-fCxHT00Hxq95drUM4cpgamNE0WyqZRpk3LXSBVnUO6w6M0h_lRmXPMTaUHVuFQVa7JtFQuNy0MvnfiYS0jnyaFKnXhIYpFzsVEcY4DUSkVkumWfdG0dL8cxZ1bMbgqXSTqRkbVSG5YczrwLgHyIDbInxA5CUmgwhoc8xmn3Bta5b-Gly/w640-h480/IMG_2242.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><b>October 7, 13, 22 & 29 </b>- I get a chance to go for a walk, a lunch date, and have two "witch-themed" evenings with some of my lady friends from work and home. All four days were wonderful reminders of the great friendships and support I have all around me.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OJEu4TfoOO7RnI3Y09ytZD3lEpljpzdDBv49x4cZpoOU1-ezyPtrpW0SQJ58zWK2uzbx_yqF7JwH1ku7eET5WIdTvEuOI6QWgR9C7mh-5bAVFWG_qenv5n1JizPkYYC4rpEQx_ZhoqjAmQ8cNyXg0-h2HfOYXtgNcsteofk0FC0_KNA45runfcLk/s2048/WitchParty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OJEu4TfoOO7RnI3Y09ytZD3lEpljpzdDBv49x4cZpoOU1-ezyPtrpW0SQJ58zWK2uzbx_yqF7JwH1ku7eET5WIdTvEuOI6QWgR9C7mh-5bAVFWG_qenv5n1JizPkYYC4rpEQx_ZhoqjAmQ8cNyXg0-h2HfOYXtgNcsteofk0FC0_KNA45runfcLk/w480-h640/WitchParty.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><b>October 31 - </b>Halloween. Lewie decides to go trick-or-treating last minute with a good friend from "the past." It is the first time that we are not all dressing up and going out as a family. I am bummed but understand that Lewie is entering a new phase of his life where it's all about his friends... Daddy Lew and I use the time to watch some scary shows together at home.</p><p>Yes, October was a SCARY month--in more ways than one. Still, in between the "fog" of uncertainty, I was reminded about this wonderful light and love that surrounds me each and every day. I must trust there is a plan for the next chapter--no tricks, though, just treats!</p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09794888125402592503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-26255350528511326012022-09-25T20:23:00.003-04:002022-09-25T20:25:39.378-04:00First Month of Eighth Grade<p>Well, I meant to post about the first day of eighth grade, and that didn't happen. Then, I planned to post about our first week, and that didn't happen either. So, here we are about four weeks in, and I finally found a few hours before bed (and before the beginning of week five) to write about our first day, first week, and first month of eighth grade.</p><p>To say we weren't ready for the first day of school is an understatement. I did manage to take Lewie sneaker shopping on one very hot August afternoon. (We even treated ourselves to yummy chocolate crepes at the <a href="https://www.crepeschoupette.com/" target="_blank">Choupette Creperie & Cafe in New Haven</a> beforehand as seen in these pictures.) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIu5jbZOu9mi5hMTs2BFdq9m7iJpnlNQVYCaJfZbUvXVyHC2H7WiymiouKRpizmUlv1P7D8TwyNB0QJXHAdgmrcak6uxI9J8oOIsuf-mzeGY5Fblf82O4KC8imeeau-h8yJT7k6W5OYnNGsmxgOajW97Z2IByHCEa45YAoYMJ3IoZaWbOIqdOlM-A/s3088/IMG_0867.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIu5jbZOu9mi5hMTs2BFdq9m7iJpnlNQVYCaJfZbUvXVyHC2H7WiymiouKRpizmUlv1P7D8TwyNB0QJXHAdgmrcak6uxI9J8oOIsuf-mzeGY5Fblf82O4KC8imeeau-h8yJT7k6W5OYnNGsmxgOajW97Z2IByHCEa45YAoYMJ3IoZaWbOIqdOlM-A/w300-h400/IMG_0867.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaMVP0Pn3z8eEOVI06nKQtulMI2PiGV8FUgc-okXyPOOwtFD5A_PkmHFLSpcXL_1g1Ds2mKbwkDe13GeWiNwdfT8rJYDDW52gat63FuljDrU6yPc_RnlGQk0fmaQumpnIb4m3XoJ9I91Ws0SvIZxSxfukMOSGz-6D0BNFzlH4KrIkFWkZ1wXzbmZH/s4032/IMG_2046.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaMVP0Pn3z8eEOVI06nKQtulMI2PiGV8FUgc-okXyPOOwtFD5A_PkmHFLSpcXL_1g1Ds2mKbwkDe13GeWiNwdfT8rJYDDW52gat63FuljDrU6yPc_RnlGQk0fmaQumpnIb4m3XoJ9I91Ws0SvIZxSxfukMOSGz-6D0BNFzlH4KrIkFWkZ1wXzbmZH/w640-h480/IMG_2046.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1_BIPxuhAo4oRxIrJ9b8-1UxW3ePKbDq1LMQFzy9ukkBTOgY97jECMtfFXjZJhkqbqTOAqZE7Ymg0LZb8-ylF73EDOqYKBUQx3N8EugfeS06ZSufTLv5dZwW8QOBzmeGPPdliWY1lmyW6wRY7eMGIeYE_QbFKZKMU972w2fCiztDFIzjh8-6NX_VL/s4032/IMG_2047.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1_BIPxuhAo4oRxIrJ9b8-1UxW3ePKbDq1LMQFzy9ukkBTOgY97jECMtfFXjZJhkqbqTOAqZE7Ymg0LZb8-ylF73EDOqYKBUQx3N8EugfeS06ZSufTLv5dZwW8QOBzmeGPPdliWY1lmyW6wRY7eMGIeYE_QbFKZKMU972w2fCiztDFIzjh8-6NX_VL/w640-h480/IMG_2047.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>I managed to buy him a backpack, pencils, and a few notebooks prior to the first day, but we soon learned that his teachers wanted other items--post-it notes, a small stapler, folders, and a graphing calculator. No problem. He had everything by week two.</p><p>To be completely honest, Lewie wasn't super excited to begin school this year. For one, most of his friends are one grade above him, so they started high school--he wouldn't see them in the middle school hallways like he did last year. Secondly, he wasn't ready for the end of summer. He still wanted one more sleepover (which we did fit in the weekend of Sept. 10th) and a few more relaxed days to hang out with friends and family by the pool. It's fair to say that summer came to a screeching halt once August 29th hit--with announcements to remind us of standard routines, schedules, and calendars, So far, Lewie has had picture day and several days of standardized testing. Us parents had "Meet the Teachers" night--on Oct. 13th, we'll be meeting to discuss the annual 8th Grade Trip to Washington D.C.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPonOfZzg72TvAKWwXH0sUHk-Ia09_Fgg1r8k8JB8mW7E5AWoOp72f-fqVk9_HqrE1JGL5dImngX5iTK0ZZnjQ5t8x2AXvMAOpu9erc9d4OWVk5sjlAhOw5y5dxOQs0Y63OjfwWk7Ae_Kq7TOSDtup8Y-Dunmzq8t5nc8JOliVN0lRq7M_GiwY6-jR/s4032/IMG_2054.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPonOfZzg72TvAKWwXH0sUHk-Ia09_Fgg1r8k8JB8mW7E5AWoOp72f-fqVk9_HqrE1JGL5dImngX5iTK0ZZnjQ5t8x2AXvMAOpu9erc9d4OWVk5sjlAhOw5y5dxOQs0Y63OjfwWk7Ae_Kq7TOSDtup8Y-Dunmzq8t5nc8JOliVN0lRq7M_GiwY6-jR/w640-h480/IMG_2054.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lewie appeased me by holding this sign one last time. <br />I don't think it would be fair for me to ask him to do this again in high school.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpC6ACWN6-Wdjwxh-kgn5aoZW9su0ER9VIXiuD43cKXmbr2LxKTfBOkU2YCI3BvpbV-y-7EN9t5pRzymJHJ_74Pe4AwJU3CJBFjTSITzhvvp-e50gmMCW6tHZ2OwEiUzlrrytofJvxwhTAKfHen13vxUYvRUrW0myXQ9T2r9o86dSvC6NjUMEXJhn/s4032/IMG_2055.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpC6ACWN6-Wdjwxh-kgn5aoZW9su0ER9VIXiuD43cKXmbr2LxKTfBOkU2YCI3BvpbV-y-7EN9t5pRzymJHJ_74Pe4AwJU3CJBFjTSITzhvvp-e50gmMCW6tHZ2OwEiUzlrrytofJvxwhTAKfHen13vxUYvRUrW0myXQ9T2r9o86dSvC6NjUMEXJhn/w640-h480/IMG_2055.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hzOuZEDdEZeCVSGxVfolroyn2Nj2AUv28WoIsQvNwhpODY1ZKuyI4LbIUaiwYTeWnuGtOLxFNT5qel6M6spCTbOwtsiC_hUkeXvjAlAGxGHp4QOcnKOHR4M0jo7mbt3ywox2Ol95r8S52ExfEms8C5Ek7IFutG2dTtRh0QfMcPoIYddxXk27lFCA/s4032/IMG_2058.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hzOuZEDdEZeCVSGxVfolroyn2Nj2AUv28WoIsQvNwhpODY1ZKuyI4LbIUaiwYTeWnuGtOLxFNT5qel6M6spCTbOwtsiC_hUkeXvjAlAGxGHp4QOcnKOHR4M0jo7mbt3ywox2Ol95r8S52ExfEms8C5Ek7IFutG2dTtRh0QfMcPoIYddxXk27lFCA/w640-h480/IMG_2058.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1E_WR_igrxbadix_fFbQmkW1CCEC2zTk88BgjADBk15_sidVA4SM6Qg1d-w6WZWoZFlc1iiMPoKx3BmM5dStmf2dID0efO9Hi13BYIIs7k5Dlf1-dH_crsJtjNEZ7eYJaWCvSGFQx_3JyVcCP69mc_GCT4LGTIdwzbxaNObR0Hotw0GaF2R040e6/s4032/IMG_2062.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1E_WR_igrxbadix_fFbQmkW1CCEC2zTk88BgjADBk15_sidVA4SM6Qg1d-w6WZWoZFlc1iiMPoKx3BmM5dStmf2dID0efO9Hi13BYIIs7k5Dlf1-dH_crsJtjNEZ7eYJaWCvSGFQx_3JyVcCP69mc_GCT4LGTIdwzbxaNObR0Hotw0GaF2R040e6/w640-h480/IMG_2062.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>On the Friday before Labor Day, we "allowed" Lewie to have his traditional day-off from school to go to our beloved, small, amusement park called Lake Quassy. (We've been going to Quassy on the same day for the past ten years [with the exception of 2020], so we couldn't break our annual ritual now...)</p><p>Let me be clear; every year at Lake Quassy is fun, but this year seemed to be perfect. Besides our normal rides, we were able to enjoy the Quassy Queen boat ride, the waterpark, and their quaint beach, which is not always in the cards for us. We laughed, treated ourselves to yummy treats, rode on our favorite rides, and then laughed some more. The only difference this year is that Lewie couldn't go on the Pirate Swing seven times in a row like he used to... After one or two rides, he'd tell us he needed a break before going on again. Is his "iron stomach" changing?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6Fkmp40fPuypg9-HMPjv_Wux76WWoeGKjUbUW7k9paPOaTEBm5LixjA9UnM7hzldUgf91yIbxKGHD-0K98T4A9BZIYUrtdeYpWqzFlWbfKGR4VvJRK1og2ndAZ3JuQ__myEJfjDEVNkZIYvx_iF1kBnldnqHiefWCv5cBODOvQmgmb3bJWCGVdk3/s4032/IMG_2075.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6Fkmp40fPuypg9-HMPjv_Wux76WWoeGKjUbUW7k9paPOaTEBm5LixjA9UnM7hzldUgf91yIbxKGHD-0K98T4A9BZIYUrtdeYpWqzFlWbfKGR4VvJRK1og2ndAZ3JuQ__myEJfjDEVNkZIYvx_iF1kBnldnqHiefWCv5cBODOvQmgmb3bJWCGVdk3/w640-h480/IMG_2075.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxBKCcsInHUzleloqfhSNIW9UTUPtx8NL0m4VujZCXjVfZUab322N2GAB6rUf56xW7gqY0mmv6fOhtXvkGXP6jzzEGWCNIddY2Pz5oxy7luAR51FhRmber4M6go2DXmXt-eX1-GsD2PbwncgRIfePRrjxFL1t9fx9KAOC5yhSut2sNMhXBxbHxzPt/s960/QUASSY%20Lewie%20&%20Me.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxBKCcsInHUzleloqfhSNIW9UTUPtx8NL0m4VujZCXjVfZUab322N2GAB6rUf56xW7gqY0mmv6fOhtXvkGXP6jzzEGWCNIddY2Pz5oxy7luAR51FhRmber4M6go2DXmXt-eX1-GsD2PbwncgRIfePRrjxFL1t9fx9KAOC5yhSut2sNMhXBxbHxzPt/w480-h640/QUASSY%20Lewie%20&%20Me.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AConkFHR9g11_sQwssGwllD7mA1u9QBKjhQC1L6soAGLvBIYpENvSsLLxRT1B18xzhaLGzs4yWu2yVN4P9j7zhHaPHkgaYdMM7OxxgH-AjdQHKqhLfpT6bJA6A2XgnD3jdKk2lET8yEQSmnULasJpS6kmF8yyqpBGXy2aENLiDr2ZIB9wrArxm3N/s960/All%20of%20Us%20on%20Train.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AConkFHR9g11_sQwssGwllD7mA1u9QBKjhQC1L6soAGLvBIYpENvSsLLxRT1B18xzhaLGzs4yWu2yVN4P9j7zhHaPHkgaYdMM7OxxgH-AjdQHKqhLfpT6bJA6A2XgnD3jdKk2lET8yEQSmnULasJpS6kmF8yyqpBGXy2aENLiDr2ZIB9wrArxm3N/w480-h640/All%20of%20Us%20on%20Train.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-vk0tnaKwtHwUS3mnXK5u6L6EvG4pgUzDBfRpsWmXZE1ekNE79XP52F9IFUb2iHowYAZyFWjjGvqx96V8M6JNXBq-P8CSHtP83vBkTYJyl-x6YhH9txnUxvkiuODt-dSi7UeJC5jDPVYnTEsJRjVeciKXinduIdafbhqajVsXv9oLe_1ZY3tYqoh/s4032/IMG_2068.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-vk0tnaKwtHwUS3mnXK5u6L6EvG4pgUzDBfRpsWmXZE1ekNE79XP52F9IFUb2iHowYAZyFWjjGvqx96V8M6JNXBq-P8CSHtP83vBkTYJyl-x6YhH9txnUxvkiuODt-dSi7UeJC5jDPVYnTEsJRjVeciKXinduIdafbhqajVsXv9oLe_1ZY3tYqoh/w640-h480/IMG_2068.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP97fq4DO_5hR0aLQUnuSTtq5ZXlJIWglESUFAY7p0VWHgApdfRB0XGdcpDeFxL8sbS3prRe8A4CNKFiWvaKHlU4wM9h5DqzjsWDolJfTAlPUO0I4gh2RCIc5l19PYQOK351oMsobG0NRKOQR2i1hbXaU8TyGJp9CoE3Y8prn0z3E2hf9zP9WdBVm9/s4032/IMG_2069.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP97fq4DO_5hR0aLQUnuSTtq5ZXlJIWglESUFAY7p0VWHgApdfRB0XGdcpDeFxL8sbS3prRe8A4CNKFiWvaKHlU4wM9h5DqzjsWDolJfTAlPUO0I4gh2RCIc5l19PYQOK351oMsobG0NRKOQR2i1hbXaU8TyGJp9CoE3Y8prn0z3E2hf9zP9WdBVm9/w640-h480/IMG_2069.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgr8wh-98F8bFHfw4IJtih95SgAGD4gPqe2-r71bAQTycT9ExmVt4cpaYXPvtOt4JRQZ8OJdmbUszGa1cBnOQVSX1-VLWguRX7_mfY5M51-5HwLCKD9vzdH2bLhnkyDFgQfoVH1RduSMb0Z6Pir2Dg235J0qBWphhemRunJ4L1Wj5VSaMs890xy7l/s4032/IMG_2072.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgr8wh-98F8bFHfw4IJtih95SgAGD4gPqe2-r71bAQTycT9ExmVt4cpaYXPvtOt4JRQZ8OJdmbUszGa1cBnOQVSX1-VLWguRX7_mfY5M51-5HwLCKD9vzdH2bLhnkyDFgQfoVH1RduSMb0Z6Pir2Dg235J0qBWphhemRunJ4L1Wj5VSaMs890xy7l/w640-h480/IMG_2072.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPLyCAQtcbgrTZmUio6OnHixBNiqyT4FnoUVQv25Lq8sDptcF-6qfTxDRYwaPe9QcJJHJb5kgPOvsRhr64oiRuVnkl4WikvFIpBqIRa0oEOuVG1F2fdSZPUHyaXvBBKbIvWvsvmdy5xooqpPcAlS_jPEZodNIkp5acB7HOMq4RJEoNBzD08g_niaGk/s4032/IMG_2074.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPLyCAQtcbgrTZmUio6OnHixBNiqyT4FnoUVQv25Lq8sDptcF-6qfTxDRYwaPe9QcJJHJb5kgPOvsRhr64oiRuVnkl4WikvFIpBqIRa0oEOuVG1F2fdSZPUHyaXvBBKbIvWvsvmdy5xooqpPcAlS_jPEZodNIkp5acB7HOMq4RJEoNBzD08g_niaGk/w640-h480/IMG_2074.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Fall is officially here, and now we're getting ready for all things October. (October is one of my favorite months!!) I still have to post about our summer vacation to Utah and our fun summer days in general. I will find the time--I promised myself. In the meantime, I hope everyone had a good start to the school year. Here's to our last year of middle school and making it great!MommySpirithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08408390954841639163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-41207803113860139562022-08-12T15:48:00.005-04:002022-08-12T15:56:13.103-04:00Happy Fourteenth Birthday, Lewie!<p>Our "Little Lewie" officially turned 14 yesterday, on Aug. 11th. </p><p>Each year I make the same comments about how quickly time flies or how much Lewie has grown, but this year, in particular, at age 13, Lewie has, by far, done the most growing. Here are two pictures from last summer to this summer for comparison.</p><p> <b> Summer 2021</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2_tEw6vrN8oR44xaj9iVzfcJHMGnX2ArT95bQgFDDI0VK7FgJ0TGzxKG7svtkN8xNgnCvecftfAuFK3JeZKIHzk5ac3ApS27LfXR6M4CnkBFHQjO2pqR31zb_hjohOh4-vEO05OVFaONdbKXFtR74KdzzYhSmWMI5Wg5FxHGkYUpLm2K-opg_V1o/s4032/IMG_1220.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2_tEw6vrN8oR44xaj9iVzfcJHMGnX2ArT95bQgFDDI0VK7FgJ0TGzxKG7svtkN8xNgnCvecftfAuFK3JeZKIHzk5ac3ApS27LfXR6M4CnkBFHQjO2pqR31zb_hjohOh4-vEO05OVFaONdbKXFtR74KdzzYhSmWMI5Wg5FxHGkYUpLm2K-opg_V1o/w400-h300/IMG_1220.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilvy03AL2Ag_bTm1keT6rNl7CCmxpURoRU_ZLo6CY5n-GYTIsem_PX357n4pf0Sw8Ff-ZvbSCfr-MH5Sv3JaDVsHTVR8xjIwhuyhALzxYkw5_1VcHiB3p636sbyGUGTCuFMHeLZp29Fp2OM6ekVtfzHQd1ZEw_8vSe0ZNVLVxqrjPokvqa439dxlL/s4032/IMG_1026.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilvy03AL2Ag_bTm1keT6rNl7CCmxpURoRU_ZLo6CY5n-GYTIsem_PX357n4pf0Sw8Ff-ZvbSCfr-MH5Sv3JaDVsHTVR8xjIwhuyhALzxYkw5_1VcHiB3p636sbyGUGTCuFMHeLZp29Fp2OM6ekVtfzHQd1ZEw_8vSe0ZNVLVxqrjPokvqa439dxlL/w400-h300/IMG_1026.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <div> <b> Summer 2022</b></div><div><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwu8oD0_UrE4uvbX0UQNUwOpzZCC1lvihXKclQpnq_BAWFr0OPKMy7L6mIUj6GyIp-WO3OPHId4yedbWF1_YDbvr_VtNcRo6IGP-4eZKy27Bq14DS9yxtoTJE_uurkutPrMSo0FT6D9IKXZ-r1E8A3kN84ScbLTRztNuoRW8vaqvO8u7qfqOKNK7w/s4032/IMG_1897.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwu8oD0_UrE4uvbX0UQNUwOpzZCC1lvihXKclQpnq_BAWFr0OPKMy7L6mIUj6GyIp-WO3OPHId4yedbWF1_YDbvr_VtNcRo6IGP-4eZKy27Bq14DS9yxtoTJE_uurkutPrMSo0FT6D9IKXZ-r1E8A3kN84ScbLTRztNuoRW8vaqvO8u7qfqOKNK7w/w400-h300/IMG_1897.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwblHc21WY8wzZVxZYex5BUlnWG7zL82rI3PLz2Gv0DFKcKt7Ne4tnrxvrb-HOysWO3c4z6vAJtj5eb5LKvkUb22x6efPAVELOB6CQ0U1k3iLPRivoBjHGp4K4TYK5BfA-nqjPNmXU7l5JNZPI3c5KuyAg4EHBnFAqNtyCybi69grrhPlpC-vQVX1L/s4032/IMG_1344.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwblHc21WY8wzZVxZYex5BUlnWG7zL82rI3PLz2Gv0DFKcKt7Ne4tnrxvrb-HOysWO3c4z6vAJtj5eb5LKvkUb22x6efPAVELOB6CQ0U1k3iLPRivoBjHGp4K4TYK5BfA-nqjPNmXU7l5JNZPI3c5KuyAg4EHBnFAqNtyCybi69grrhPlpC-vQVX1L/w400-h300/IMG_1344.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>The differences are not that subtle; Lewie grew four more inches, his voice has gotten deeper, and he officially wears men's clothing. His facial features are changing, too--meaning he looks more like an adolescent than a "young boy." </div><div><br /></div><div>Emotions also come with the territory of growing, and Lewie will be the first one to say it was a tough year. For one, this was his first official year in middle school since he was home every day last year during COVID. It was also the first year that he admitted to sometimes feeling sad, confused, sleepy, or just out of sorts. "Yes, Lewie. Join the club," I announced during one of our walks, "Welcome to the world of puberty and hormones!" I wanted to tell him things will get better, that one day he will wake up not feeling tired, or that one day, he'll get back that same confidence he used to have before he started comparing himself to others... Yes, if I had to rate adolescence, I would give it one star only. On the contrary, childhood deserves a five-star rating in my book.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Nonetheless, while hormones have seized control of Lewie's mind and body, they can't break his spirit. He is still the same wonderful "kid" we know and love with a kindhearted soul, an innovative drive, and a passion for all things tech. There are many reasons for us to "celebrate" his 13th going into 14th year, and here are just a few of them:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>1) He made Student of the Month <i>twice!</i></b></div><div>Lewie is a very sweet and polite kid; he's also very intuitive when it comes to others' feelings. Last year, Lewie earned "Student of the Month" <i>twice</i>, making him one of the only students in the entire school to earn this award twice in the same year. He has good friends, and one of them, is the <i>other </i>student in his school (a year ahead of him) that also received "Student of the Month" twice. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>2) He is talented and passionate when it comes to Tech and Innovation.</b></div><div>Since age 5, Lewie has demonstrated a passion for technology. Trains were his first love, followed by Minecraft, which is still a favorite. He started attending ID Tech camp (about one week per year) to learn how to code, but then his curiosity drove him to teach himself how to use all kinds of programs and software for coding, video editing, graphic design, etc. I'm constantly amazed by all the new "projects" he embarks on just for the fun of experimenting and learning something new. </div><div><br /></div><div>In his STEM class this year, Lewie quickly moved to the head of the class and was given more advanced projects to work on by himself. For example, he was allowed to tinker with a STEM learning tool called LEGO Education SPIKE Prime, which combines "LEGO building elements, easy-to-use hardware, and an intuitive drag-and-drop coding language." Each week, he had a new project he completed--from creating a gizmo that acts like a clock counting hours, minutes, and seconds to another gadget that could be used to help color blind people (adaptive technology) identify colors. The part that was so extraordinary is that Lewie would come up with these ideas and learn how to code them on his own--he didn't follow a single manual nor are there manuals for these particular "inventions."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfye9h7K8lY1KVifcPp9FcF0cm0UK8_6y1K05JyIakke0xaC_Y3WNNdZr0GhEvJVf5sJRHihrYJJbGIcaQoWIfwChHL2Ew7ixs4Tc6U-yABFmyxFCUVlHIxxWh6lzyEu92xEx908ZBJ3gLbAGTtWdNQTKcU_TwrsC9v-7xPaNckmMT1osMfQMUDJ1p/s4032/IMG_1041.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfye9h7K8lY1KVifcPp9FcF0cm0UK8_6y1K05JyIakke0xaC_Y3WNNdZr0GhEvJVf5sJRHihrYJJbGIcaQoWIfwChHL2Ew7ixs4Tc6U-yABFmyxFCUVlHIxxWh6lzyEu92xEx908ZBJ3gLbAGTtWdNQTKcU_TwrsC9v-7xPaNckmMT1osMfQMUDJ1p/w640-h480/IMG_1041.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVVFG6HhSGnPgqUkubdJvPOiV99iUQDiWIWCBf82AS4jGPaRN54-Hge64W_Jf294rsVL1tLYcJFtgrB_SMlqTI1Iz5XdmGYPf-OwrTKtaKgFCjp60t7Hg13i7u76X9vQzA5Zd5XXxoR0QQtIDincRtJZqy6QQW_umBIlUfMh5ft5nAzpa_9872DUZ/s4032/IMG_1046.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVVFG6HhSGnPgqUkubdJvPOiV99iUQDiWIWCBf82AS4jGPaRN54-Hge64W_Jf294rsVL1tLYcJFtgrB_SMlqTI1Iz5XdmGYPf-OwrTKtaKgFCjp60t7Hg13i7u76X9vQzA5Zd5XXxoR0QQtIDincRtJZqy6QQW_umBIlUfMh5ft5nAzpa_9872DUZ/w640-h480/IMG_1046.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The letter "B" tells the person that the color the camera on the computer is recognizing is Blue.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMe_EevjiI2Qedq5FPVSrpOBh2Di2pEBlVY4md6p_OYl-kqgJInKP4BZi3t6-_Z2n-Vp4lpbBvXqFGcrb3id8RTa-WledC2wiGsfsUqDDEF_BGpf3uhJggOQ5eiAI8UN4NGC3OzEs722v4kHqPzmKfAem3fEilfcww_Wbnzfk9WeymcbqYN600ERDV/s4032/IMG_1047.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMe_EevjiI2Qedq5FPVSrpOBh2Di2pEBlVY4md6p_OYl-kqgJInKP4BZi3t6-_Z2n-Vp4lpbBvXqFGcrb3id8RTa-WledC2wiGsfsUqDDEF_BGpf3uhJggOQ5eiAI8UN4NGC3OzEs722v4kHqPzmKfAem3fEilfcww_Wbnzfk9WeymcbqYN600ERDV/w640-h480/IMG_1047.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEOd0d9MEiP7vHsJfKrWPJJgg88wQ5cRXMpBbiTMa1mDw0D0R2MXYyrI8Nm6aR_vJdVPPPclX97HnPZZjnBzfm4LnSgm5xkZlThNmQFwXGeTlPUmsZ2obZbyQrGdFoyGjfVrZ-dnxu415xpIbIE2Fm7lHc4pAu0sdSn2f8QMjmKkM7IhdsKVREqtf/s4032/IMG_1052.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tWF8NKkYKYpP-gcRKTJ-hTwDC9W15Nqlica7SKv9pYg4oCby9PcHJDu4k834J91mzjr_dIGG2gxNHsSet590VLs6Kxa2R2lK53iiJqzzNrBt222kP5BM89jP9lqqzUrHwE-CfJJg6R7_85NpWW5zU0ugeeyU5JCBpKkAVUbEAFOpCHub4CDI5GLZ/w400-h300/IMG_1060.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi851L1m750zYbrVWVSjnB1vBGZJFy_FXx7vaxjNvJve4v68wm0urkApFAC6pMdS9X8eurTGN-AIAyxavPvge-EwuSZ-8v8Aflvo3H9xGZ0VIRWyx5b25DFypCI5AkbuTJT4sy-eKZJ8b2F5DXy-jaM4AxKbZd1ELJfE28Ka6pqIzFWY6wVjW7-yRw1/s4032/IMG_1064.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi851L1m750zYbrVWVSjnB1vBGZJFy_FXx7vaxjNvJve4v68wm0urkApFAC6pMdS9X8eurTGN-AIAyxavPvge-EwuSZ-8v8Aflvo3H9xGZ0VIRWyx5b25DFypCI5AkbuTJT4sy-eKZJ8b2F5DXy-jaM4AxKbZd1ELJfE28Ka6pqIzFWY6wVjW7-yRw1/w300-h400/IMG_1064.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmwSSKI0qKISrSLygzKv0hieC0Z3N0_pFG_4F5FIbLh6ci--ZInI5WNWAF8G3dW8T9F5mFUdHzg-rUnuznOOcP2CI38btob6Urc_iwVwjMjukxaXhUVctxIRRxuawMKGDSneHr6aSc4b_Zj9IipfRdcA6_bYtGGrBlxNsv2rE1SCdeQU6GdOM34or/w480-h640/IMG_2848.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br />Lewie's teacher was so impressed with his skills that she told him she would like him to help her "team teach" his eighth grade class this year; she also invited us to come to the classroom to see his projects. (As you can see, we gladly accepted the offer!)</div><div><br /></div><div>This summer, Lewie was able to return to ID Tech Camp <u>in person</u>, so he chose a one-week course in 3D Modeling and Printing. Every day, he learned how to use the open-source printing software called Blender to make his own figures (like a fidget spinner). On one day, in particular, the staff had all the students model their own plastic boats, so they could compete in a boat race. FUN!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-I98C8j38BIY5038W7qZq8QwAC4kadBRxtSJuM2RYuy9QI6uEgnCaZk1gslibJD1WX7IaiRF1eZpHvKlI-3G5CJbYRd-33ANKC43hdQk9NlATbNgJHsh8wGEOyIlIaQU6VDyjXjxlnrb8-m-CrUZeamURrHZehTJAdyS8vkVUp2yYJD6HGpTk2ab/s4032/IMG_1888.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-I98C8j38BIY5038W7qZq8QwAC4kadBRxtSJuM2RYuy9QI6uEgnCaZk1gslibJD1WX7IaiRF1eZpHvKlI-3G5CJbYRd-33ANKC43hdQk9NlATbNgJHsh8wGEOyIlIaQU6VDyjXjxlnrb8-m-CrUZeamURrHZehTJAdyS8vkVUp2yYJD6HGpTk2ab/w640-h480/IMG_1888.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPY9t73ZCID8UEaH9OwkVAH84r2Ya-no-JFxGh8LUu4amBwQ7quH0j6EKAR4GG4H99G52vNhjl-ceai8zfHVhQ8_Wm84LReCdCxY6wtJKNs4jrLx0RLlZNsMQhIEPpvxRq-mr3ZYNJBiOAK3RDtWxU9RcdGIQvRDPIk9Eivdodn_qPsvDTY1VyfGv/s4032/IMG_1890.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPY9t73ZCID8UEaH9OwkVAH84r2Ya-no-JFxGh8LUu4amBwQ7quH0j6EKAR4GG4H99G52vNhjl-ceai8zfHVhQ8_Wm84LReCdCxY6wtJKNs4jrLx0RLlZNsMQhIEPpvxRq-mr3ZYNJBiOAK3RDtWxU9RcdGIQvRDPIk9Eivdodn_qPsvDTY1VyfGv/w640-h480/IMG_1890.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmpXWIaoC-n6v4wx_m71Sy5pYt6CVrgDR3ebQjTraMKoBJu6qsP2FUScuTI76yzqzUT3jNZELrrXP7t9iFwuIfcL_ddUEqDfsml8BG-EcO-wlMuucGYcT2XRTXWDUHg-vf6-aHDX94ATSrnBBZDkt4VRpzoyy9q8OoIQf5THfgotsJVQSGuVY3tI1/s4032/IMG_1895.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmpXWIaoC-n6v4wx_m71Sy5pYt6CVrgDR3ebQjTraMKoBJu6qsP2FUScuTI76yzqzUT3jNZELrrXP7t9iFwuIfcL_ddUEqDfsml8BG-EcO-wlMuucGYcT2XRTXWDUHg-vf6-aHDX94ATSrnBBZDkt4VRpzoyy9q8OoIQf5THfgotsJVQSGuVY3tI1/w640-h480/IMG_1895.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><b>3. He's an authentically happy and silly kid!! (He's also starting to get a bit more adventurous!)</b></div><div>Every year I do a post about "Lewie-isms," and this year, I have a few more to add to the list. Lewie certainly has a strong vocabulary these days. (When he starts to talk about coding and software, it's almost as if he's speaking a second language.) Still, he does mispronounce a word or two here or there, and sometimes, he just comes up with his own words...which usually makes us die laughing. Here are our two favorites from this year:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>reclounge chair (n.) - a recliner (combines the word recliner with lounge)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>growth sprout (n.) - a growth spurt</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>When Lewie's hormones aren't getting in the way, he likes to joke around and tease us. He's always coming up with clever things to do or say, and he loves shows/movies that are either funny, sci-fi, or use lots of special effects. Examples of shows/movies that he loved this year are <i>Napolean Dynamite, Multiverse of Madness (Marvel), Thor Love and Thunder (Marvel), Back to the Future, The Matrix, </i>"Lost in Space,""Stranger Things," and lots of Jim Gaffigan specials. </div><div><br /></div><div>This year, he was also super excited to go on our trip to Utah, which is a pretty notable change from last year when he would have preferred to have a "staycation" instead of going to Washington and Oregon. On our trip, he actually relished trying new things like playing the ukelele, sandboarding, and sleeping overnight in a tee-pee and an Airstream trailer. (I will be posting about this trip soon.) Having him enjoy this vacation and calling it "the best trip ever" warmed my heart--giving me the validation I needed to know that all of our trips to our National Parks have not been in vain.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I first gave birth to Lewie, I asked my mom what HER favorite age was when she was watching me grow up. She simply replied, "All of them."</div><div><br /></div><div>I dismissed her remark. "What a 'mom' thing to say," I mumbled. Surely she was just saying that because that's what moms are supposed to say....right along with "I love you just the way you are."</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, I think back on my mom's comment now, and I understand it. Surely I loved the baby years, the toddler years, and the "little boy" years. However, I'm growing to love the "tween" and now "teen" years, too. Sure, Lewie needs me less, wants to be around friends more, and is starting to become more independent... but he's also growing into his own person, which means the parent role is evolving to a partial-friend role, too. We laugh, share secrets, tease each other, teach each other, and love each other immensely. What a wonderful journey...challenging...but AMAZING.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bassg1zrnoX5wuJMCES7T2GvGQH_0qXEahgqIof0IxyzEUDrQLAgaiaxeJAdew2jdMBJkMgV27_OuMlAuI1LMD_XTJLJB-EvRLy2b793LVfZnF3UDNAIdQoHpvESOr0ygwF1BQ3uFjfkyRMndO-3tZpftxy7l7emC4m_3mLdJAAQzc4RU39ctT6G/s4032/IMG_0692.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bassg1zrnoX5wuJMCES7T2GvGQH_0qXEahgqIof0IxyzEUDrQLAgaiaxeJAdew2jdMBJkMgV27_OuMlAuI1LMD_XTJLJB-EvRLy2b793LVfZnF3UDNAIdQoHpvESOr0ygwF1BQ3uFjfkyRMndO-3tZpftxy7l7emC4m_3mLdJAAQzc4RU39ctT6G/w640-h480/IMG_0692.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10751729674145716517noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-76686637693541900072022-07-16T15:20:00.002-04:002022-07-16T16:57:09.449-04:00The Spring that Never Was...<p>To be completely honest, Spring 2022 was a blur... We managed to have a few lovely low-key days for Easter and Mother's Day, but beyond that, weekends were spent helping my sister-in-law find and secure an apartment, buy second-hand furniture, and set up utilities, etc. </p><p>Then, when it appeared like she had everything necessary to move out, we all caught COVID. My son Lewie tested positive after his school band concert. Within a week, Lewie, my mom, my sister-in-law, and I all tested positive for COVID and had to quarantine. A week later, my husband, who thought he dodged the illness, tested positive, too. Our symptoms were all quite different. My mom, who was old enough to request Paxlovid (the drug from Pfizer that helps shorten the severity and duration of COVID) did the best, describing her symptoms as being not much different from the common cold. My son did well, but on Day 5, he sprung a fever and ended up having a urinary tract infection. Hubby had flu symptoms for a few days; my sister-in-law was congested for weeks, and I felt flu-like (including a loss of taste and smell) for about a week. The one similarity among us was exhaustion and brain fog; to be honest, we all continue to feel fatigue quite regularly even though our illness was back in the end of May.</p><p>During Easter break, we took Lewie to Foxwoods Casino (in Connecticut) for his very first time. We bought tickets to see our favorite comedian, Jim Gaffigan, and our tickets, which were front and center, did not disappoint. We had dinner at a seafood restaurant and then laughed the night away at the show. Lewie enjoyed his first stand-up comedian event, but he wasn't too impressed with Foxwoods--crowds are not his thing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9F8POzcn88kAOUFyAyKlo8iMX3mKg7ok_ZEXPpe8K0ecYAsedavFm45ScdD0F4QDCZN8A4oIOWaMgCvfwFt0W6sr3hbafOvg64yZbQfd0yD-Q-Tg4F6i-pgj5qiYIFAV-PNdoufeEUUE_oWboE0ybB3eeYS8aN0DnUlXQgBKxZoct6DZ5lTIw1vMD/s4032/IMG_0893.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9F8POzcn88kAOUFyAyKlo8iMX3mKg7ok_ZEXPpe8K0ecYAsedavFm45ScdD0F4QDCZN8A4oIOWaMgCvfwFt0W6sr3hbafOvg64yZbQfd0yD-Q-Tg4F6i-pgj5qiYIFAV-PNdoufeEUUE_oWboE0ybB3eeYS8aN0DnUlXQgBKxZoct6DZ5lTIw1vMD/w400-h300/IMG_0893.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVF8iRgOAdY3akGaxTMI5_S8h6yhQs7YrWAUw2kpAFOH_NbzFSH_m536ZiP1-LfGQ828c5Q9DjMOljj3MCvZLns1dxsKo6rCEzlnX5GwqkmVI1cdCxwYCyalevQwLfhtyekMfXj1wUHilouUZdT3Ucgx6-v8xZ0i07dyAmFMdTbghiZM0I-TlKFPTf/s4032/IMG_0902.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVF8iRgOAdY3akGaxTMI5_S8h6yhQs7YrWAUw2kpAFOH_NbzFSH_m536ZiP1-LfGQ828c5Q9DjMOljj3MCvZLns1dxsKo6rCEzlnX5GwqkmVI1cdCxwYCyalevQwLfhtyekMfXj1wUHilouUZdT3Ucgx6-v8xZ0i07dyAmFMdTbghiZM0I-TlKFPTf/w300-h400/IMG_0902.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuXHuvRUmwqsTj5N_X2rv9WkBFTzGhkiEnfLHkzBNnZDyb4AmjtzESfWAcqg_Higk0lBCQHei0KcfGajG81NlnW5ZGZwjRkpOhXdWChhWWTnd4l4cz9P0XSvMyFs_Sffe2vjN4wqv_o0YBVX7lSahPX8EtosGfNzU5TZQHws10wyK8kCk2tdg4uks/s4032/IMG_0910.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuXHuvRUmwqsTj5N_X2rv9WkBFTzGhkiEnfLHkzBNnZDyb4AmjtzESfWAcqg_Higk0lBCQHei0KcfGajG81NlnW5ZGZwjRkpOhXdWChhWWTnd4l4cz9P0XSvMyFs_Sffe2vjN4wqv_o0YBVX7lSahPX8EtosGfNzU5TZQHws10wyK8kCk2tdg4uks/w300-h400/IMG_0910.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Walking around Foxwoods before the show.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25kHW-4wAxUmiFQXEmjKs9TD2bDisndX7FgNKDgEvz6KsctsiB7RGgv6EYQZROXiwjS1rnuY3DK0xdVR7KnLN6NPWT_z972kcgkiN2KtANEMHoDn-F3zbBhrwUUhp6Plz0eoWrMZfqbl2eRipPj9uO-LDiSZA0b7DlHsfED8AoSEsHAdRr8C16pPu/s4032/IMG_0914.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25kHW-4wAxUmiFQXEmjKs9TD2bDisndX7FgNKDgEvz6KsctsiB7RGgv6EYQZROXiwjS1rnuY3DK0xdVR7KnLN6NPWT_z972kcgkiN2KtANEMHoDn-F3zbBhrwUUhp6Plz0eoWrMZfqbl2eRipPj9uO-LDiSZA0b7DlHsfED8AoSEsHAdRr8C16pPu/w400-h300/IMG_0914.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULpnEX5TKgF7CnCnLD9Rw236y-7hi_tbSjGwoz6tdMXnlNXM77KZxUs02VzoMNdHMAcvTou2KLz3brI6lMyn81neUJpo2985R-br7Ao0A4eXuJxMXbNo_BoRBvTrrvCBKRb5CqXBBpHgjb1_xqCqgj3ogAF-6ixRYou96WCiVVirOOxm1kMPowaw4/s4032/IMG_0915.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULpnEX5TKgF7CnCnLD9Rw236y-7hi_tbSjGwoz6tdMXnlNXM77KZxUs02VzoMNdHMAcvTou2KLz3brI6lMyn81neUJpo2985R-br7Ao0A4eXuJxMXbNo_BoRBvTrrvCBKRb5CqXBBpHgjb1_xqCqgj3ogAF-6ixRYou96WCiVVirOOxm1kMPowaw4/w400-h300/IMG_0915.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The anticipation...</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNA7voMh52TUxkuEbIkXBAamYLZ10QJGpulAVzYInhyHrEe0wtQFELpxU1BGlaCZhEoMyutOjcTKMJbUQfMn0JpVs5pWmxAFqOFAtbzWKMCdIB7bT1-CZUd3huD2ehiOZwRjqMfSPnIqoCrwC9ar3nOGzs5tyGJ8QaBqP9B1E9X1gFLTxbQjyfy3l5/s4032/IMG_0916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNA7voMh52TUxkuEbIkXBAamYLZ10QJGpulAVzYInhyHrEe0wtQFELpxU1BGlaCZhEoMyutOjcTKMJbUQfMn0JpVs5pWmxAFqOFAtbzWKMCdIB7bT1-CZUd3huD2ehiOZwRjqMfSPnIqoCrwC9ar3nOGzs5tyGJ8QaBqP9B1E9X1gFLTxbQjyfy3l5/w400-h300/IMG_0916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>These were our seats!!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We stayed overnight and spent the next morning in Mystic and the afternoon at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum. It was Hubby's and Lewie's first time at the museum, but I had been there once before with my mom--probably 20 years ago when I was in graduate school. The museum has a great artifact collection; however, the best part is the wax figures that depict a story of tribal life. The life-like figures help people understand how native Americans lived off the land in Connecticut and how they worked, celebrated, and protected themselves. (Their life was not easy to say the least!!) One part I found fascinating is that Native Americans owned dogs as pets just like us; however, the dogs, back then, looked more like wolves--no Labrador Retrievers or Chiwawas for them!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKuo8-jHWW755Hysd5PlsDyLGYl9JX8BENnmjjKPkyltksMBatynH4oBbkFNLkj8YWC1zecB8AyLW8Uue-e19JmWIMUye9BIN70bDp25gQIVdQ73YUGQZw7x-O8uTKkxAYYDpV0CPaEQDML04T8bwYqK-Gfpm-1ntCn0n6VPa6j9OPCywOaJHRvfP/s4032/IMG_0921.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKuo8-jHWW755Hysd5PlsDyLGYl9JX8BENnmjjKPkyltksMBatynH4oBbkFNLkj8YWC1zecB8AyLW8Uue-e19JmWIMUye9BIN70bDp25gQIVdQ73YUGQZw7x-O8uTKkxAYYDpV0CPaEQDML04T8bwYqK-Gfpm-1ntCn0n6VPa6j9OPCywOaJHRvfP/w400-h300/IMG_0921.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A quick visit to downtown Mystic.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQy7r8ITW-zvLHCbDexzp-d1iWHGlXsHlzC84wzBHYBpv0EQKLQGvENG-PQWjDpL-7BhxjDPD9zAEXiPRe0m6v92kFXWjTZ2om0bX3v4-6yv7yXhN1kH6XfN7YqK24zIYpyyMiByLrSMzEgwfwNbuHFe3TODPiAAhoDnc7syg50NRQwDwdbuuRYlvE/s4032/IMG_0922.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQy7r8ITW-zvLHCbDexzp-d1iWHGlXsHlzC84wzBHYBpv0EQKLQGvENG-PQWjDpL-7BhxjDPD9zAEXiPRe0m6v92kFXWjTZ2om0bX3v4-6yv7yXhN1kH6XfN7YqK24zIYpyyMiByLrSMzEgwfwNbuHFe3TODPiAAhoDnc7syg50NRQwDwdbuuRYlvE/w400-h300/IMG_0922.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknaTdb7V9XRYICS5NyJp7VWtIi7m21d2Kx-uWGp0Td4K1lo7-5aaRn0Wodp_9cL_bU23LmsFvsZJcNuqIiSRnDFi8LZjg_WrR4Man2UF5EuT-D1mJ-28YW7nxydY_Hou3B3ZVsr3MDI7GTbzdWgFsnnb0bG7fEYX7IQ3hwZRwi3T1VtHLxLhuzk4Z/s4032/IMG_0923.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBCOqynYtkKA0LCKVZdiUbzihVHBZcpmUd8WXFGuo1UHLlIU0eCwq38deeUIswXy-Di9gOF1ejJ-1Q1N6yBh_gdGXzpcBUEksmknj3jExzq734Rk62zPNV2UgA2qXckywFJMwg7Xnt3ynXkaon5Z-IKImkABIYlH6p1rGjF1CB2CP58ivsl27dt6Z/w400-h300/IMG_0936.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVvqnFt_yqLE1Sce-JXwersSog7wDC7lS14XmAgIUTooZufGRKUXROzamcdNQwWR9xFGsafS-kXoLZWr9tW4Rh_t1o7-OV0qHKKgS44gaqufXeMGyTOInAoD5IlLqNn30WcmMN63FejEwJoNXzLjZ-RbYv73F8ruU795TsJ2EmG6kZfbXMCJGbxal/s4032/IMG_0939.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVvqnFt_yqLE1Sce-JXwersSog7wDC7lS14XmAgIUTooZufGRKUXROzamcdNQwWR9xFGsafS-kXoLZWr9tW4Rh_t1o7-OV0qHKKgS44gaqufXeMGyTOInAoD5IlLqNn30WcmMN63FejEwJoNXzLjZ-RbYv73F8ruU795TsJ2EmG6kZfbXMCJGbxal/w400-h300/IMG_0939.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYRTu0mtp9HJQuMJvcP1cRhAh3j7vIjREATpko0_Tkc2H8T84bP_2r55iIsfDt5-PKMsXx5X4JXZTgnsdUQTtOXb5aAXAvbwzvhT3MFzemGf7V7_lP9MZ87ubtvvEpxU4_8aDZposHT7gWqDtp01bz9ORrMUu6NCsdImG-YBOcM5Op9f_CEfNzq9q/s4032/IMG_0941.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYRTu0mtp9HJQuMJvcP1cRhAh3j7vIjREATpko0_Tkc2H8T84bP_2r55iIsfDt5-PKMsXx5X4JXZTgnsdUQTtOXb5aAXAvbwzvhT3MFzemGf7V7_lP9MZ87ubtvvEpxU4_8aDZposHT7gWqDtp01bz9ORrMUu6NCsdImG-YBOcM5Op9f_CEfNzq9q/w400-h300/IMG_0941.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyx6ozlBycPFDEzYOvLfj-LBN1fhVp0M69WKo1lajem6UI4IBDDgwSALPPdypovLl1mitEkYQctzTXgrXlRplPPARb599R2j8MVJVe1nDm1vCN0nRsGDrdNjiLxOmkcm_mk9uhF7kNfJ0oP67C3FPOWE7nali-sJtYGqCFOW0MlaNmkyjmTIV23dE/s4032/IMG_0943.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyx6ozlBycPFDEzYOvLfj-LBN1fhVp0M69WKo1lajem6UI4IBDDgwSALPPdypovLl1mitEkYQctzTXgrXlRplPPARb599R2j8MVJVe1nDm1vCN0nRsGDrdNjiLxOmkcm_mk9uhF7kNfJ0oP67C3FPOWE7nali-sJtYGqCFOW0MlaNmkyjmTIV23dE/w400-h300/IMG_0943.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I can't take my husband anywhere...</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-B07noihJnJohuTxoCp4UFuKJ9PQMfnCDQG4OkRgwBl92qovQNofOTm_T0r7RQ57aitQpEve7fX6Ium4gKlNj8IxDIqvq3G-Mfw0W7vXMr3s2mlJvOFR_wD7B2wKU3vjTgpy75vO7f-AMQpkKz1On18qOpU_-jAWMAoi5GieTQc495KWnwYpZ3ru7/s4032/IMG_0944.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-B07noihJnJohuTxoCp4UFuKJ9PQMfnCDQG4OkRgwBl92qovQNofOTm_T0r7RQ57aitQpEve7fX6Ium4gKlNj8IxDIqvq3G-Mfw0W7vXMr3s2mlJvOFR_wD7B2wKU3vjTgpy75vO7f-AMQpkKz1On18qOpU_-jAWMAoi5GieTQc495KWnwYpZ3ru7/w400-h300/IMG_0944.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv22Fvu3esn-nAUejyEH5XsP7_AJ_iGNZs-5Up1mfnc6SBzcU55_2U972W38ypnMkpnyhQO1opWoL2JZzElXwead998NYPJwDd7L4x9kNEMmE6sZ2bprtPoXeu1VGVV79tknqrpfPEWZNR24FrOI48JpMe61SgSreThycWhssawoCoVJLG3tyYND8u/s4032/IMG_0945.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv22Fvu3esn-nAUejyEH5XsP7_AJ_iGNZs-5Up1mfnc6SBzcU55_2U972W38ypnMkpnyhQO1opWoL2JZzElXwead998NYPJwDd7L4x9kNEMmE6sZ2bprtPoXeu1VGVV79tknqrpfPEWZNR24FrOI48JpMe61SgSreThycWhssawoCoVJLG3tyYND8u/w400-h300/IMG_0945.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXNX4YKIJ3ggIFPGR1AjDqWapwnqHrRb-5V0byD3ALztCkQzW4H6Lh8fLEQiB6pKwyix0r1GQlriKuqw7EMV33AQYlsPRfv72h8l5Rs0Kijj_eoXjMs7PghtCP3PrzUJuGzZe8E9idqFRpHhSiHwSPzBmv7adMADC9gSBrNep7MOxb6vRT5tfIDhT/s4032/IMG_0947.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXNX4YKIJ3ggIFPGR1AjDqWapwnqHrRb-5V0byD3ALztCkQzW4H6Lh8fLEQiB6pKwyix0r1GQlriKuqw7EMV33AQYlsPRfv72h8l5Rs0Kijj_eoXjMs7PghtCP3PrzUJuGzZe8E9idqFRpHhSiHwSPzBmv7adMADC9gSBrNep7MOxb6vRT5tfIDhT/w400-h300/IMG_0947.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>On Easter Sunday, we attended mass, and "the Easter Bunny" paid Lewie a visit with plastic eggs and an Easter Basket. At thirteen, he still enjoyed searching for everything and allowed me to get some fun pictures. (I think he realized that once he declares he is too old for the Easter Bunny, he'll be forfeiting most of his favorite chocolate candy in addition to Steam and Amazon gift cards!) Since Aunty Michelle was still living with us, Lewie's Easter loot was hidden on my mom's side of the house. It provided a welcome change with new hiding places.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ahtm5JLGNtESo363LZQ1Z0jVZBF7fPsfjCGyPnaXQSufpTy9eAaH6xPJeOkBL4QBiITxPZb6kqvkUJZSULF_MLVa5Pqz8IaYaasRg16E2b9OwEt_mQ3pf9fUp5h_ldggJ2LTfPqlb8VqUv77niNaQYx3Ag_Gx9VQ8ZvmekqaPjezKNtMVgG7rgat/s4032/IMG_0987.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ahtm5JLGNtESo363LZQ1Z0jVZBF7fPsfjCGyPnaXQSufpTy9eAaH6xPJeOkBL4QBiITxPZb6kqvkUJZSULF_MLVa5Pqz8IaYaasRg16E2b9OwEt_mQ3pf9fUp5h_ldggJ2LTfPqlb8VqUv77niNaQYx3Ag_Gx9VQ8ZvmekqaPjezKNtMVgG7rgat/w400-h300/IMG_0987.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgijvHV69Rw7Hiv3LpefjUoFsY412kwb6r5YXBKLu0PenF7YtU3bHjbWr7v_QQe-0XYMOKhVQp7Xpfer_W1ClHZhG5V0WhXc64PZyotsvxUJnTuaNGYxEwbR8VDA9xXcTa5CZtI2On5-6XWPgpyHLrhdXkrBLtyE_aEWpIxrMrvm8qXJXA0Zq6XyZ0/s4032/IMG_0989.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKTCmPJxP_70oxcazf4FxiIQIQobkF6FizpE47H9Y4SurXcsGGHTF8WmV_CeDfXDsEfmYO3QanzusWaXsCuK6ofwxYYt0RjjD-m40dwoPzIOcJ5rTiphCm450Vatqy9SB_My3CSR6bePLsiJeNfXp-DPT20xFfhD4t4nP7mCHI9waBkRc1FottuMk/s4032/IMG_0975.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKTCmPJxP_70oxcazf4FxiIQIQobkF6FizpE47H9Y4SurXcsGGHTF8WmV_CeDfXDsEfmYO3QanzusWaXsCuK6ofwxYYt0RjjD-m40dwoPzIOcJ5rTiphCm450Vatqy9SB_My3CSR6bePLsiJeNfXp-DPT20xFfhD4t4nP7mCHI9waBkRc1FottuMk/w400-h300/IMG_0975.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bruce gets a bunny treat, too!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6ChZUkpX2NDgyOAHMRPSHiUJzAfMdrq1lBomQwqEOAK81k0t2fhfvcMd_rxsENMM0kXnxxuxj9hPeXVkiYJ1Bt655b6iWOi1uPLMRgfYZDRQ3uZnWN9VPKvDlxuJgxLh6ZtkHHiUL-7ziAlymUSCpUMotXlJ4givaf0A7j0-HCbJp_tKWknCZfjR/s4032/IMG_0985.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6ChZUkpX2NDgyOAHMRPSHiUJzAfMdrq1lBomQwqEOAK81k0t2fhfvcMd_rxsENMM0kXnxxuxj9hPeXVkiYJ1Bt655b6iWOi1uPLMRgfYZDRQ3uZnWN9VPKvDlxuJgxLh6ZtkHHiUL-7ziAlymUSCpUMotXlJ4givaf0A7j0-HCbJp_tKWknCZfjR/w400-h300/IMG_0985.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>On the Saturday before Mother's Day, I took my mom to see Riverdance at the Oakdale Theater. Unbeknownst to me, this year, Riverdance was celebrating its 25th Anniversary production. We had great front and center seats, and the show was BEAUTIFUL. The stage showcased gorgeous digital views of nature and the Irish countryside in between the Irish step-dancing, which was so graceful and powerful to watch. Some scenes would start with haunting instrumental or vocal sounds. Others would include international musicians, who would play by themselves or right along with the orchestra or the dancers. (I enjoyed the musicians that played the tin whistle, the fiddle, and the drums the most.) </p><p>During the second act, we had a chance to explore other dances similar to Irish step-dancing--namely, Flamenco and tap dancing (New York). The Flamenco and tap were weaved intricately in between the Irish step-dancing to help us understand the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) differences between the three types of dance. As someone that studied tap dancing for twenty+ years, I appreciated this part because it helped me see the nuances. It also rekindled my love of dance--my tap shoes sit in my closet right now with about 16 years worth of dust!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNC_1SjR8PS6TTEBkgBRmN7dPjve8PpdL8p9vu8w2d-_rZjSIAyLlvsarYgec5hOmHgM8h3owilsKAXGWYJ5frcGvBWnqqMBsepXjezCu20Pd7mLN2hJD_JB6A1Niof8WHg0EjCeZGURmoq09iN2f46Wp9UfqCHJ67a9HWsHD3sR1y7uB2aDBaUtu/s4032/IMG_1002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNC_1SjR8PS6TTEBkgBRmN7dPjve8PpdL8p9vu8w2d-_rZjSIAyLlvsarYgec5hOmHgM8h3owilsKAXGWYJ5frcGvBWnqqMBsepXjezCu20Pd7mLN2hJD_JB6A1Niof8WHg0EjCeZGURmoq09iN2f46Wp9UfqCHJ67a9HWsHD3sR1y7uB2aDBaUtu/w400-h300/IMG_1002.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>These were our awesome seats at the Oakdale Theater.<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>On Mother's Day, we had our traditional dinner at the historic <a href="https://www.thehopkinsinn.com/" target="_blank">Hopkins Inn</a>. It was too chilly to eat outside, but we had a lovely table in the parlor overlooking Lake Waramaug. The food was delicious as usual, and I was grateful that the four of us could laugh and think about happier days ahead. The truth is that these last few years had been tough on all of us--the loss of my mother-in-law and Aunty Kiki in 2020; my mom's fall in 2021, which broke her wrist and a vertebrae in her back; and my sister-in-law's move into our home all while undergoing Chemo treatments for breast cancer. This is not to complain, of course, but it was good to lift some of the heaviness and begin again. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMGT0MpXbTAK_IQPPt2rKd-v-GdOyeupL1lDMfMQ5PSgrzGInoIWWtgJTNFP4i24E7fIGKhYTi-txBvJM2EILzDLs2YcBRUC_p7S0efMyPNeNPCm1XInXDil9fcocYs1sip8Uv44SdC7qkZT2lQps40dx244Cb61fRp3s7nxaSXmAUh6VWqnQf94u/s4032/IMG_1003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMGT0MpXbTAK_IQPPt2rKd-v-GdOyeupL1lDMfMQ5PSgrzGInoIWWtgJTNFP4i24E7fIGKhYTi-txBvJM2EILzDLs2YcBRUC_p7S0efMyPNeNPCm1XInXDil9fcocYs1sip8Uv44SdC7qkZT2lQps40dx244Cb61fRp3s7nxaSXmAUh6VWqnQf94u/w640-h480/IMG_1003.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mother's Day - Lewie and my mom</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbg12BbQppG0L0RNUyc3No_bvY7cieMULIshhf3CBzNWzaN-HoiDjwqdoxy3Oy_z67D-TFBVTwCDt5yIeU0ws1aybmJz2dWs6rnr_CbHFprkiTidZG1QxpI05t98ahh4MXrgD9UwHgDa_7uEc30D4fj2X0ZkY4YP8HhTSeGwm4ioxqeoxS61Y3oUPI/s4032/IMG_1005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbg12BbQppG0L0RNUyc3No_bvY7cieMULIshhf3CBzNWzaN-HoiDjwqdoxy3Oy_z67D-TFBVTwCDt5yIeU0ws1aybmJz2dWs6rnr_CbHFprkiTidZG1QxpI05t98ahh4MXrgD9UwHgDa_7uEc30D4fj2X0ZkY4YP8HhTSeGwm4ioxqeoxS61Y3oUPI/w480-h640/IMG_1005.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25jwLWl9StBXsp_zBsgmdbSdYDJEOuk9_0pjNVdpmRadfN3X_VCRZf9TPFYalnCcuPWNqP5jvKTEGhKfl_5s18myF-Ofr0nbavM8R82OS7YLmrdjYo_J83gI3L3HA4R1lw-H5BGolhtMoy_T9YcLpKuB74r_7ehLnH1sx-y_ibkTOqOGa7sjz1aPn/s4032/IMG_1008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25jwLWl9StBXsp_zBsgmdbSdYDJEOuk9_0pjNVdpmRadfN3X_VCRZf9TPFYalnCcuPWNqP5jvKTEGhKfl_5s18myF-Ofr0nbavM8R82OS7YLmrdjYo_J83gI3L3HA4R1lw-H5BGolhtMoy_T9YcLpKuB74r_7ehLnH1sx-y_ibkTOqOGa7sjz1aPn/w640-h480/IMG_1008.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lewie's band concert...before Covid.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Truth be told, this blog post about spring 2022 almost didn't happen... Who wants to read about the spring in mid-July? Now I realize there was a reason for this post. Spring is about "new beginnings," and this one definitely fits the bill. It was a good pre-cursor to what's starting out as a great summer. Stay tuned...I have so much to share about our week-long trip to Utah in June and some of the interesting STEM projects Little Lewie has been working on this year...</p><p>P.S. Our dog Bruce made the news! I sent a video of him slithering like a snake to our WFSB Channel 3 News, and they showed his video on their "Trending Now" morning news segment. Here is the link: <a href="https://www.wfsb.com/video/2022/05/18/trending-now-bear-drags-trash-slithering-dog-backyard-rollercoaster/">https://www.wfsb.com/video/2022/05/18/trending-now-bear-drags-trash-slithering-dog-backyard-rollercoaster/</a></p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10751729674145716517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-38226549703550873842022-05-28T22:48:00.004-04:002022-05-30T18:55:01.149-04:00Our Final Days Visiting the Pacific Northwest <p>Our two-week vacation to the Pacific Northwest ended on a high note; before leaving, we spent the last two days visiting family near Portland, OR, and it was WONDERFUL.</p><p>Our last day at the Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, OR was bittersweet. I still wanted to fit in another day of bike riding and shopping, but you know what they say about all good things having to come to an "end."</p><p>We packed our car, programmed the GPS, and braced ourselves for the 3 hour-fifty minute drive to Hillsboro, OR, a city on the west side of Portland. I'm typically not a fan of long drives, but this one was BEAUTIFUL. We took US 20 to US 22, passing by places like Tumalo, Sisters, Marion Forks, and the Detroit Lake State Recreation Area. I could have easily stopped by any of these places to take pictures, but we wanted to meet my cousin and his wife in time for dinner, so there wasn't additional time to wander. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtMGXTz3YEVvBZ7-HF94jxbhtNFglEpltdQmQVoXH3r4UbkhUJlNwMQ_pXH_rEtWfafdbFgyFJJz_7N4f10oQjT0L4mtCrl6-yltodPLAxeQsKYiYrp9i2sHMFD04otFbXFcYmsgUZ9S6DfeLegHXzoVmRwJwWrU71PWxYvDw_2c1Mf8nKPtbVsQh/s4032/IMG_1733.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtMGXTz3YEVvBZ7-HF94jxbhtNFglEpltdQmQVoXH3r4UbkhUJlNwMQ_pXH_rEtWfafdbFgyFJJz_7N4f10oQjT0L4mtCrl6-yltodPLAxeQsKYiYrp9i2sHMFD04otFbXFcYmsgUZ9S6DfeLegHXzoVmRwJwWrU71PWxYvDw_2c1Mf8nKPtbVsQh/w640-h480/IMG_1733.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Huge pine trees towered over us on both sides during most of the drive.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />That evening, after getting settled into our final hotel, we met up with Jamie and Vincent for dinner at <a href="https://www.bjsrestaurants.com/locations/or/hillsboro" target="_blank">BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse in Hillsboro</a>. <div><br /></div><div>The next day, they promised us a hike in the woods at their favorite park followed by an afternoon of "video games" at the <a href="https://www.nextlevelpinballmuseum.com/" target="_blank">Next Level Pinball Shop and Museum</a>. (We let them set the itinerary, and they didn't disappoint. In fact, Little Lewie was beyond thrilled because Vincent and he both share a love for computers and gaming.)<div><br /></div><div>They first took us to Noble Woods Park in Hillsboro, which reminded us much of the time we spent in Olympic National Park. Similar to Olympic, Noble Woods Park was filled with large trees like the Sitka Spruce, Western Red Cedar, and Western Hemlock; some (like in Olympic) were also covered by moss. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_LUiS3duzx665gxjl4IPVxFHqWfSqWOY4CotriXFuOGbSx_5kzQxurDRq0xycex5NerbhYVMksDOU6dRbbOuDLP49nGdJ9E35TL_UmhoLdV3v60kyvR_LOlRE5BW3P7dPJcyohQCHeKforvRwkhfeGOCkM0t7aVlI_EVJBu37FrPIo2OnoLgTxdp/s4032/IMG_1753.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_LUiS3duzx665gxjl4IPVxFHqWfSqWOY4CotriXFuOGbSx_5kzQxurDRq0xycex5NerbhYVMksDOU6dRbbOuDLP49nGdJ9E35TL_UmhoLdV3v60kyvR_LOlRE5BW3P7dPJcyohQCHeKforvRwkhfeGOCkM0t7aVlI_EVJBu37FrPIo2OnoLgTxdp/w640-h480/IMG_1753.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5br-zu6NwPreeSdkV5LHv7OxEi6wAhreiHC3kd2jPX7Xs95dH8shvRwkCS2T-LKkQzXKGxG6HBMKFafHpljWsOqXR9qYAzk-ZD18qBohEpVd3W4rzc5uR9ePWOwXBtDQHHzjN2zwOpCIQ8ou9WBJ9JThbVk5mIW4ZAy13FoJ4Irl_3ME0rl-IsTvK/s4032/IMG_1760.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5br-zu6NwPreeSdkV5LHv7OxEi6wAhreiHC3kd2jPX7Xs95dH8shvRwkCS2T-LKkQzXKGxG6HBMKFafHpljWsOqXR9qYAzk-ZD18qBohEpVd3W4rzc5uR9ePWOwXBtDQHHzjN2zwOpCIQ8ou9WBJ9JThbVk5mIW4ZAy13FoJ4Irl_3ME0rl-IsTvK/w640-h480/IMG_1760.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>After our walk and breakfast, we headed to the Pinball Shop, which touts over 450 pinball machines and arcade games. For just a $20 entrance fee, we could spend the entire day playing as many games as we wanted without needing coins or tokens. There might have been only one game, a VR one, which required an extra charge.</div><div><br /></div><div>The number of games we all played was too many to count. Favorites for me included the Guns 'n Roses, the Simpsons, and the Star Wars pinball machines followed by arcade games like Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, and Q*bert. Lew and Lewie played lots of driving games, and Vincent and Jamie found the horror games, including a really scary one that involved killing zombies. (We all tried it out; although, I had a really, really tough time looking at the screen.)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Z7xLUE4blNwYNdONe7pmAfrKFcxUZ4NUDm1NM0c2TSqebfnPk61pc0YbO-5FE7bbHDjUBwzUvowbSsuPGL0vCYZjIFbxUjzKQpa-7VLG_vlAqgaGLbmjdpg7V0D5Am9Z2jsdcVXukqyfgOd3Lv5dpYdbjO45yznkNjie8nzDInuDKM_nP9dUNwgT/s4032/IMG_1784.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Z7xLUE4blNwYNdONe7pmAfrKFcxUZ4NUDm1NM0c2TSqebfnPk61pc0YbO-5FE7bbHDjUBwzUvowbSsuPGL0vCYZjIFbxUjzKQpa-7VLG_vlAqgaGLbmjdpg7V0D5Am9Z2jsdcVXukqyfgOd3Lv5dpYdbjO45yznkNjie8nzDInuDKM_nP9dUNwgT/w640-h480/IMG_1784.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPBknqaf58BTTRDAUmYg__vTAJJbg5Ttuuv1njo4owPfP9_l_r6ZEYq_qMWd_n40yIOPsOUALioEvETDBo3w3yy_JMq2cruKd1wES9MbBIU_Ee0tqYJHojVSE1LxMIvUDLZj1zpxLF08R5QWZIH42JLGHQ6tQRnSr8DwPMc9ySjeLR4ZbBxVmUMGW/s4032/IMG_1761.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggf7phMH4_e96UgVDXF4oNIue_wYmGXaufuDdKVc4ezr8t-NcQLv9iW5Jg5s4hpRFHPysPS2hvJWzq81oVNeBsAA_hAtsxuvQmCP5mKeLW0N7kieyeGZYJr417neW849wzsf9ruYYcQyhQA_gPI8veha1opAvn9bR2xOZRz7SvFoe-sY-RK-hAtO0/w640-h480/IMG_1776.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihieqiBxKnc3Y6kje5gxFbH-rPpVeW4USwnhoLHlPeh9aSTALxPsogNvZ3vvITS_YSBcOeQiQoGXN2WJNS9IZT0nUjzODBdjqp_IojW1ou40tx03IS7bMrF-Kn6NUoLgBJqYHaw1FprZu2BWCxcBjb1N-Pu_sc2K4E-b0qAD0AApHbiTdKbaVnBnuY/s4032/IMG_1778.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihieqiBxKnc3Y6kje5gxFbH-rPpVeW4USwnhoLHlPeh9aSTALxPsogNvZ3vvITS_YSBcOeQiQoGXN2WJNS9IZT0nUjzODBdjqp_IojW1ou40tx03IS7bMrF-Kn6NUoLgBJqYHaw1FprZu2BWCxcBjb1N-Pu_sc2K4E-b0qAD0AApHbiTdKbaVnBnuY/w640-h480/IMG_1778.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>During the next and final day, the boys and girls went their separate ways. Vincent, Daddy Lew, and Little Lewie headed to a music shop and computer store; Jaime and I headed to a New Age book shop. We came together for one last meal--this time at a cool Indian restaurant.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5HWht3PmnMu7kHdvajb-0O45mLPrj-XOibuhVfXyE4OnHRr9pQtXNiEosvOjXoO1VfL3sQggjGT3zdfOv7xJkU1YXg3Udk-qbXygllbtS7gSL_AFlseI_i6d_EHjmmJnlzOJ1FBLrxMAv6E8iz3mIW5sMM-e0WXsXIV35N7NHFmOPBz7zzjmlsu-/s4032/IMG_1794.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5HWht3PmnMu7kHdvajb-0O45mLPrj-XOibuhVfXyE4OnHRr9pQtXNiEosvOjXoO1VfL3sQggjGT3zdfOv7xJkU1YXg3Udk-qbXygllbtS7gSL_AFlseI_i6d_EHjmmJnlzOJ1FBLrxMAv6E8iz3mIW5sMM-e0WXsXIV35N7NHFmOPBz7zzjmlsu-/w640-h480/IMG_1794.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSNKO2HgXXxIR9re_IyA2QgIhevw7qT2epCHprtQjV2dSiWmr1ehzN_njLV2zStaTLBeOtdIWaYIhf-6JsmLjq41Q45aTzH4fv9Wq8AnSoKbhmqGT4YVgiyxcgBDxekAqP3TKCdEsiNUrbIXGjyYRad4xOGOqev-EI6trc9PRkSr6Qc3ufZcTdJPD/s4032/IMG_1787.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSNKO2HgXXxIR9re_IyA2QgIhevw7qT2epCHprtQjV2dSiWmr1ehzN_njLV2zStaTLBeOtdIWaYIhf-6JsmLjq41Q45aTzH4fv9Wq8AnSoKbhmqGT4YVgiyxcgBDxekAqP3TKCdEsiNUrbIXGjyYRad4xOGOqev-EI6trc9PRkSr6Qc3ufZcTdJPD/w640-h480/IMG_1787.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Xg9fJjXfCWLt4fwVUcUDXxNwqMll3rlmjPOTwT4WV_3hq9-T2Wdof5bSMkbaZaevBBxPY6mCoH6N5jgXVZOrxY01Gm1mVDrTk6lDL_vHT4rFCq3esleOd2zJXiwZjbbai77b7VOlqr9Xh3eenPvGK5317IEc736-XTv7VSWmWytHNYeU4lMptpG3/s4032/IMG_1789.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Xg9fJjXfCWLt4fwVUcUDXxNwqMll3rlmjPOTwT4WV_3hq9-T2Wdof5bSMkbaZaevBBxPY6mCoH6N5jgXVZOrxY01Gm1mVDrTk6lDL_vHT4rFCq3esleOd2zJXiwZjbbai77b7VOlqr9Xh3eenPvGK5317IEc736-XTv7VSWmWytHNYeU4lMptpG3/w480-h640/IMG_1789.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyy1HFipFvvfRVcJZimxUUNN40pZ4JWu3P0tBzxZdkg6jApNhR-NIf9A7nzHvZs_8IVLSE2uRjbSAJOiu-qjbS4kOil40F35EMnE5ymwDTH074NMkxcyw04xX1uSnvSW4mBAXT03MNYJwr-SDa6xBGmDr1w5JGhqaaga-9yE7KgZn2x8dR7uMo82LJ/s4032/IMG_1790.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyy1HFipFvvfRVcJZimxUUNN40pZ4JWu3P0tBzxZdkg6jApNhR-NIf9A7nzHvZs_8IVLSE2uRjbSAJOiu-qjbS4kOil40F35EMnE5ymwDTH074NMkxcyw04xX1uSnvSW4mBAXT03MNYJwr-SDa6xBGmDr1w5JGhqaaga-9yE7KgZn2x8dR7uMo82LJ/w640-h480/IMG_1790.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>In all, our last few days visiting Vincent and Jamies were FUN. (The last time we saw them, they were living out in the desert in Goodyear, AZ; we traveled to see them after visiting the Grand Canyon.) This time we traveled to see them just outside of Portland, OR after visiting Olympic National Park and Sunriver.</p><p>Of course, goodbyes are never easy, especially when your loved ones live all the way across the country. When I was growing up, cousin Vincent was like a big brother that enjoyed pestering me. I could always count on him to scare me by showing scary pictures in <i>Fangoria</i> magazine or to embarrass me by giving me presents like a nose-picking award for my tenth birthday. Perhaps one of my favorite memories is when my cousins and I all went camping in Vermont. While my mom and aunt left the camper to use the bathroom, Vincent decided to throw his dirty underpants at his two siblings and me. My younger cousin Billy and I laughed so hard that we almost peed our pants. In fact, I think Billy might have...(My friends have memories of him teasing them, too, particularly during my birthday parties.) </p><p>I'm glad Lewie had a chance to spend time with my cousin and his wife--first at age seven in Arizona and now at age twelve in Oregon. Our visits might not be frequent, but they are memorable and a reminder that the best thing you can do with family is to LAUGH and be silly. Life is just too short for anything else!</p></div></div>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10751729674145716517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395753833223306675.post-91760291453724554532022-05-15T05:09:00.009-04:002022-05-15T05:09:57.301-04:00Exploring the Mile-Long Lava River Cave near Bend, Oregon<p>Our trip to central Oregon was fascinating as we had a chance to learn about the terrain, climate, wildlife, and cultural beginnings--both of the Native Americans and early Pioneers. </p><p>Our last day touring this very wild and rustic area brought us to the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=38396" target="_blank">Lava River Cave</a>, a mile-long lava tube, which is part of the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschutes/recarea/?recid=66159" target="_blank">Newberry National Volcanic Monument</a>. To be honest, visiting the Lava River Cave was on my bucket list of places to visit when I created an itinerary for Oregon. At one point, I considered signing us up for a two-hour narrated tour; however, when finances became tight, we opted to do the self-guided tour, which was still wonderfully educational.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhJ34VAcL1HYOvfkj1tiTGLm7kXbX8V8-MGy4fTRQtyP2nQCIbMWlrjVg6dGj8qgiUSTL7QhxUGnvJJdEK4aKN5bsOSw0I4EeVBp5x08-m3q6CJ6thC7H64gLjQOmylxjn1WRgV10UatiYnIu1_AaYuX117wK9s83FrFfWeJYeF8R6NcOjZcK7Ip-/s4032/IMG_1727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhJ34VAcL1HYOvfkj1tiTGLm7kXbX8V8-MGy4fTRQtyP2nQCIbMWlrjVg6dGj8qgiUSTL7QhxUGnvJJdEK4aKN5bsOSw0I4EeVBp5x08-m3q6CJ6thC7H64gLjQOmylxjn1WRgV10UatiYnIu1_AaYuX117wK9s83FrFfWeJYeF8R6NcOjZcK7Ip-/w640-h480/IMG_1727.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>Up until this point, I had limited exposure to caves; I had seen a few limestone caves, famous for their stalactites or stalagmites, but those experiences never required me to fully explore an underground channel. A lava cave or lava tube is different. Formed by a volcanic eruption, a lava tube is created when molten lava flows underground. When the eruption ends, the lava tube drains of molten rock, but leaves a tunnel behind, which eventually cools and solidifies into black stone. Fun fact: According to the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/caves/lava-caves-or-tubes.htm" target="_blank">U.S. National Park Service</a>, "Most lava caves are close to the surface and not too deep underground."</p><p>When we first arrived, the parking lot was full; this was expected. The National Park Service (NPS) had already forewarned us that we might encounter a closed gate to avoid overcrowding. Still, within 20 minutes, the gate was lifted, and we had a chance to park and purchase our pass. Then, we were invited to sit in a small seating area where a member of the NPS gave us some pointers about the Lava River Cave. We learned a little about the ecosystem of the cave, but most of her talk focused on the prevention of white-nose syndrome, an invasive cold-loving fungus that grows on bats' skin, often causing death. I had heard of white-nose syndrome before but didn't know it was so severe. In the article, "<a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/white-nose-syndrome-killed-over-90-three-north-american-bat-species#:~:text=White%2Dnose%20syndrome%20is%20a,dehydration%2C%20starvation%20and%20often%20death." target="_blank">White-Nose Syndrome Killed Over 90% of Three North American Bat Species,"</a> the syndrome was first documented in New York in 2006. Since then, it has been confirmed in 12 North American bat species, having spread to 35 states and seven Canadian provinces. Some ways of preventing the disease are as simple as not wearing the same clothes during multiple cave visits. (Since caving/spelunking is not a a hobby for us, I don't think this will be a problem.)</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusaT32pzPU5iyPJD6FbPZTdspb_yBV8jMA32GXLjFQMb60ZPugmaUpSUayhrGwjLG5zl0DbcyyM_ItTUC0yqZ2CGDVlpCOWOJxkjS-xxAfTSzCgbrSnW2fm5cMmjRsIE1-TsNbRMfyYtnZA-FS53fLRzoTLP7awL7psInV8ymI8Bxyt-Cib-U65hR/s4032/IMG_1712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusaT32pzPU5iyPJD6FbPZTdspb_yBV8jMA32GXLjFQMb60ZPugmaUpSUayhrGwjLG5zl0DbcyyM_ItTUC0yqZ2CGDVlpCOWOJxkjS-xxAfTSzCgbrSnW2fm5cMmjRsIE1-TsNbRMfyYtnZA-FS53fLRzoTLP7awL7psInV8ymI8Bxyt-Cib-U65hR/w640-h480/IMG_1712.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiD95DViYZPjBZe1GWRhUnF5RDBeEpcV_Vgd9GE2e-9BFPguf7HebGamBputKIOyzXpxxgIwrorVvZDDDtpJUk2QnLjfapPy5zC-kyh2NkQDl1rvjP49ZSVHpIOFItrDvw-WV-QdAuhMNbniDD6zslUtJP2W1Uq50XsBIZGN5bdV2FpLJVWdzKoWA/s4032/IMG_1713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiD95DViYZPjBZe1GWRhUnF5RDBeEpcV_Vgd9GE2e-9BFPguf7HebGamBputKIOyzXpxxgIwrorVvZDDDtpJUk2QnLjfapPy5zC-kyh2NkQDl1rvjP49ZSVHpIOFItrDvw-WV-QdAuhMNbniDD6zslUtJP2W1Uq50XsBIZGN5bdV2FpLJVWdzKoWA/w640-h480/IMG_1713.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>After the talk, we were encouraged to rent lanterns for $5, which were well worth the investment. (Prior to going, we had bought headlamps, which we also wore.) Other tips included the following:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Wear close-toed shoes or even hiking boots since the stairs and cave floor can be slippery, rocky, and uneven.</li><li>Dress in warm layers as the average temperature in the cave is 42 degrees Fahrenheit</li><li>Consider wearing gloves as the metal handrails are cold</li><li>Allow at least one full hour and 30 minutes to explore the entirety of the cave round trip.</li></ul><div>When we entered the cave, we could easily see why good shoes and a lantern were a must. To access the cave, one must descend 150 stairs. Then the light source from the cave opening started to diminish, requiring us to use our lanterns to examine every nook and cranny of the cave floor to avoid slipping on uneven surfaces or even tripping on rocks and boulders. The cold and dampness could be felt, too.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2_tGvPyMtz2uQ_VeJJRm7s-_aB1f8MnUEje_fSLq0e57SNjtmZfx5r2VcYkYcvmjDmTAEougZP0LJ_ho-rDJ4-V4dxyMTjGPF45hsHBJYxGzjVvLilByLxwZOSozZIh-sfxH8-HA1pfJJ1CpAqgYY0J97HZGqJvf0AjD_4wN4orWUlugcslt8oNR/s4032/IMG_1731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2_tGvPyMtz2uQ_VeJJRm7s-_aB1f8MnUEje_fSLq0e57SNjtmZfx5r2VcYkYcvmjDmTAEougZP0LJ_ho-rDJ4-V4dxyMTjGPF45hsHBJYxGzjVvLilByLxwZOSozZIh-sfxH8-HA1pfJJ1CpAqgYY0J97HZGqJvf0AjD_4wN4orWUlugcslt8oNR/w640-h480/IMG_1731.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07Z4a55KgnwXzAiShLAXFRgnrf7EH-tcyT3w_GigE84eK4Sq5D3sV7KMeYlo5r70I2CK_HDOuBDjhZwRaOyzaV8L-behYz5vvA5Q9lz-wQ5xdTEdfrG7aNogFsRFNI63U6Ge_Dsof-6chmjh3LJPCiYeAcx03LMC1Ya_mWZGFz7MY-bTNzkS5mhe2/s4032/IMG_1730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07Z4a55KgnwXzAiShLAXFRgnrf7EH-tcyT3w_GigE84eK4Sq5D3sV7KMeYlo5r70I2CK_HDOuBDjhZwRaOyzaV8L-behYz5vvA5Q9lz-wQ5xdTEdfrG7aNogFsRFNI63U6Ge_Dsof-6chmjh3LJPCiYeAcx03LMC1Ya_mWZGFz7MY-bTNzkS5mhe2/w640-h480/IMG_1730.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDj0tBDVg6BGwLSalH_TQI5cP7cVcbdnUb8sTHrA_PyUiqLqjRnub4Nk5YZgfFkngxpSA3PgRIOK57M7XaSzZuVhfvrRlrDWisKwP7gQkJ1NNN89GU4N4xKRgNGPbKCWz-XCFFrTFCl4EIyJBpM6LcQ3Qehe4KU3rH7Fe8pSuH974zuH8Xey19jeH/s4032/IMG_1728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDj0tBDVg6BGwLSalH_TQI5cP7cVcbdnUb8sTHrA_PyUiqLqjRnub4Nk5YZgfFkngxpSA3PgRIOK57M7XaSzZuVhfvrRlrDWisKwP7gQkJ1NNN89GU4N4xKRgNGPbKCWz-XCFFrTFCl4EIyJBpM6LcQ3Qehe4KU3rH7Fe8pSuH974zuH8Xey19jeH/w640-h480/IMG_1728.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>In some cases, the cave seemed wide and vast; at other points, it became quite narrow. Lewie, of course, compared it to the game of Minecraft, where he explores the underground cave system. For me, I felt like a miner exploring a dark, treacherous tunnel. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26UqUEBprohpOeHr_owXQ4aQu-h674EM2WXS75Suao8F5O8js-CWoGH4ocOWHIQdqgOiySpg219bVkoXKZ9fymKLwiFRWMPUxrlvKNrNp1eG2GebGZkFPaGQkupX_INiOuFgo8KWXJr_Ud2Wx0Kim0pwbzY1BydAsOXOq1yG4hZ6USfu584mUsBfB/s4032/IMG_1725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26UqUEBprohpOeHr_owXQ4aQu-h674EM2WXS75Suao8F5O8js-CWoGH4ocOWHIQdqgOiySpg219bVkoXKZ9fymKLwiFRWMPUxrlvKNrNp1eG2GebGZkFPaGQkupX_INiOuFgo8KWXJr_Ud2Wx0Kim0pwbzY1BydAsOXOq1yG4hZ6USfu584mUsBfB/w640-h480/IMG_1725.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZdJcvRkZRZJcKXIjw2d20m5XmUKeDx6ul0OfLN2sWZB2VmzwKddY1iQeeC4lqovVBJ3QBq6c9njLstVUC5OB59SBysvJD7wYeqXDany_1X-CSy6NOUyhr4g6V8BLJ0dNyatBrqmk_tgsW3URsoZ_xtJvmbeo3zC2j3BwYdHe09BnyNog30VU5Fs8/s4032/IMG_1726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZdJcvRkZRZJcKXIjw2d20m5XmUKeDx6ul0OfLN2sWZB2VmzwKddY1iQeeC4lqovVBJ3QBq6c9njLstVUC5OB59SBysvJD7wYeqXDany_1X-CSy6NOUyhr4g6V8BLJ0dNyatBrqmk_tgsW3URsoZ_xtJvmbeo3zC2j3BwYdHe09BnyNog30VU5Fs8/w640-h480/IMG_1726.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjc8fMNH6_YLyOjZFayIt1jvdTJdTQx_mq5zhgL0Ga_zQHOmSmzdp8d1-QudQDt9tokSnbonchNpto3uTG05RauqXTUY705If3ZHyZzRD6WV1l5nqf4_8V8TzkvZSzWYMDogbGmlY7CxaTe4Mxgr98Dv6gX5crhDuJWdNiBDEerElgwxBToH1yVuoW/s4032/IMG_1723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjc8fMNH6_YLyOjZFayIt1jvdTJdTQx_mq5zhgL0Ga_zQHOmSmzdp8d1-QudQDt9tokSnbonchNpto3uTG05RauqXTUY705If3ZHyZzRD6WV1l5nqf4_8V8TzkvZSzWYMDogbGmlY7CxaTe4Mxgr98Dv6gX5crhDuJWdNiBDEerElgwxBToH1yVuoW/w640-h480/IMG_1723.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>By the end of the mile journey and back, I was ready to see daylight again. I was grateful for the experience but didn't feel this was an epic adventure I wanted to repeat again anytime soon. Little Lewie enjoyed it, and my husband...well, let's just say that he gave up after 30 minutes. The stairs were not too kind to his knees and then the narrow parts of the cave didn't help his Closter phobia. It was a blessing I didn't pay for any long guided cave sessions because my husband just wouldn't have lasted.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVuo8pp920uP3--KueXx320NWLb4aUTGDF1WxFmWEdTkWZaKxe4Yj3DS2bQr_aFT4wkRKbSqKA1w3TQxn8hKdF9hMXLHBlIKY1kETcO4BBmBxiZFdADYPZ94HCRJQhDxJBtuYmnGU4x8wC-2AGZDN9QOi06kz-mKWK3uTQm6x_7y8SuQ_oz31GB2w/s4032/IMG_1716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVuo8pp920uP3--KueXx320NWLb4aUTGDF1WxFmWEdTkWZaKxe4Yj3DS2bQr_aFT4wkRKbSqKA1w3TQxn8hKdF9hMXLHBlIKY1kETcO4BBmBxiZFdADYPZ94HCRJQhDxJBtuYmnGU4x8wC-2AGZDN9QOi06kz-mKWK3uTQm6x_7y8SuQ_oz31GB2w/w640-h480/IMG_1716.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In all, the Lava River Cave was a unique experience. We didn't see any wildlife or bats, but we certainly loved learning about its formation, the ecosystem, and even what we can do to prevent white-nose syndrome. On the way back, the opening looked like the size of a pinhead (see above). Now I know why I like seeing the bright side at the end of the tunnel--no pun intended.</div><p></p>Annettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10751729674145716517noreply@blogger.com2