The Trip

About 2 years ago Rick’s company, omniture, was acquired by Adobe. With this acquisition came a couple of perks that made Adobe top my list of favorite employs. Along with photoshop, lightroom and other Adobe products that we could finally afford was the one I was the most excited about. A four week sabbatical after 5 years of employment. Rick had a little over 3 years under his belt with no plans of leaving. So I started dreaming about extended vacations we could take. Of course the tropics and Europe quickly came to mind but they weren’t very realistic. Our kids were too young to really appreciate it and our bank account was too small to cover it. I absolutely love to travel, I don’t think there is anywhere that I don’t want to go. Money is definitely a roadblock, but so is time. This sabbatical would give us a bit of time so I decided to try and squeeze in as many destinations on my list into one trip as possible. So we started planning. Last September the decision was made, Rick earned his sabbatical and our itinerary began taking shape. We decided to circle the United states hitting as many states as possible. I loaded up google maps and started mapping it out. It didn’t take long to figure out I needed 4 years not weeks to really explore the entire United States but we whittled it down to 6 weeks, 32 states, 8000 miles, 11 temples, 10 church history sites, 9 national parks and 30 ft of motorhome. We went back and forth as to what kind of vehicle would be taking us on this journey. We decided on a motorhome, Norm in Nephi had one he was getting rid of, we decided it would work for us so we brought the beast home. It barely fit in our driveway. Actually it didn’t really fit at all, but we lived with it in our driveway for the next 4 months. As soon as the snow started melting I started filling it with everything I could think of. Packing for a family of 7 for a 6 week trip is pretty involved I found out. It’s a good thing I started in April because it took me that long. I thought the day would never come, we had been talking about it for so long and dreaming about it even longer. I was excited and very nervous. I ask Rick several times if we were absolutely crazy for doing this. “Yes” he said. And we are. But the thing is we knew that we would never be more than a couple hours from airport. If it didn’t work out we could always just fly home. So my plan is to write about each day of our trip and post it on my blog. The truth is, knowing myself as I do, I doubt it will really happen, but miracles do happen so we will see – just don’t hold your breath.

Ryan is 7

Ryan is 7. His birthday was yesterday, and boy was he excited. We had the hardest time coming up with a gift. He wanted video games. That is all. Well actually he also asked for a dog. But that is so out of the question it doesn't even count as a request. He has too many video games and he spends too much time playing so the answer was no, not a one. Which was hard on us - because they are so much easier to buy. They don't take up a lot of room or make a mess. They don't cost all that much and they don't require any assembly or very much help on our part. Other than playing video games Ryan spends his time pestering my other kids into letting him play with them. Without parental intervention the chances of Taylor or Dallin letting him play anything but Wii with them is practically nil. Anna and Rachel will usually let him in on a game of house or barbies. But buying him a barbie - even if it was Ken - just didn't feel right. He does like legos but I'd say in a contest to see who owns more Lego's - us or legoland - it would be a toss up. I have stepped on one to many in the dark and cleaned up 1000's too many. I vowed I would never buy another Lego - and I aim to keep that vow.

So Outside toys sounded like a good idea, but he has a bike and a scooter. We got a basketball hoop for Christmas (still in the box), we just got a new trampoline and we have a swing set. I thought about a skateboard or roller blades but considering his coordination and watching him on Dallin's rip stick nixed that idea. I looked into swimming pools but even if we could afford one chances are one of my kids would drown. Nothing was sounding right. Then Anna suggested a wiggle car. Several kids in the neighborhood just got them. It is a little ride on car that you make move by wiggling. They seem to be a hit with Anna's friends. So I decided to get one. Looked it up online and several stores sold them and the price was right. So I stopped thinking about it. Wednesday morning (day before his birthday) I got Rachel up and headed off to Walmart to buy his gifts, some cake pans, and a mario figure for the top of his cake. I figured I would have enough time to do all that and go to the temple before the kids got home from school. Trouble was Walmart didn't have any. Apparently the car was an online only item. Toys R Us, Target, Shopko, Kmart, Sears - same thing - only online. I was getting frantic.

I was too cheap to pay for new cake pans so I hit DI thinking I could find some for cheap. He wanted a tiered cake. All I have his 9" inch round pans so I needed a couple other sizes. They didn't have any. I did find a camping mess kit though that had several different sizes of round pans. So I bought them. Someone had drilled a whole through the center of one so but I figured a little foil would fix that. I did find the mario figures at Toys R Us for $26 for the one's he wanted - they had a couple for $8 I could probably get away with although they weren't the one he requested. But even $8 for a cake decoration was bit much. I was thinking he would have to make do with bottle of sprinkles when I did find a bottle of candies with a little toy mario on the top. Bought it, cut off the mario and the cake was saved.

Back to the wiggle car. I was losing all hope and realizing I would probably not make it to the temple if I couldn't hurry and find something to buy when I decided to call my friend, who had the car, and find out where she got hers. I had tried earlier but she wasn't home. This time she answered and not only told me where to go she also looked up the address online and then went outside (in her bathrobe) and looked through her recycle can to find the coupon that had come in last weeks paper. What a saint. I did have to drive quite a ways but I found one and was able to tell the clerk I had a coupon at home and he honored it anyway. So I got the car for less than I planned, made it to the temple only 15 minutes late and had a cake pans and a cake topper.

Got home feeling great. That feeling went away as I took the cake out of the oven. 4 out of the five layers had a big crater in the middle. 1 layer (out of five) slide nicely out of the pan onto the cooling rack. I never have so many problems baking cake. I decided to shove them all in the freezer and see if I can freeze the crumbs to the cake so I don't break it apart trying to frost it. I decided just to fill in the craters with frosting. After all the more frosting the better, I always say.

Next day I clean up (which takes a long time as it always does on Thursdays after I got to YW on Wednesday nights and leave Rick home with the kids) and then I take Ryan to lunch at McDonalds. That went well although the kids didn't eat their fries which means I did- which made me feel guilty all afternoon. Dropped Ryan back off at school and started decorating. I was really nervous, I got myself in over my head I thought. Then school let out and Dallin walked in the door. Wow he said, then ran back outside and called his friends in to look at "the cool cake my mom is making". Made my day. After a frantic rush to get the cake finished, kitchen cleaned up and the new trampoline mat on by the time the party started the kids began to arrive. 8 boys were invited and 8 boys showed up. They played, they ate, they made a mess and they had a great time. When it was time for cake I brought it out and set it on the table, Taylor says - "now who else has a mom who can make something like that" Sometimes I really do like my kids. In order to be honest I think I better post a picture of the cake. It's definitely not as good as my kids were making it sound, I was happy enough with it but it is not that great.

Ryan loved his party. I got all cleaned up and called the kids to come up so we could go out for pizza. Ryan didn't come - I finally found him playing the wii. He said, "mom couldn't you just pick some up from Little Ceasers and we could eat here. I couldn't believe it, wii over going out to eat. Good thing I didn't get those video games. After dinner he opened his presents and was excited over them all. Although I think the one that got the biggest Hooray was the boxer shorts which he promptly put on over his jeans. Grandma and Grandpa got him a remote controlled car, and some cash which he loved. He rode his wiggle car down the sidewalk in the dark a couple times and managed to break 2 lawn darts we bought him on their first throw. All in all he was happy, and that is what I was aiming for.

Youth Speaker

I am not sure if Taylor is really my son. If he is he didn't get any of my genes - at least when it comes to speaking at church. Ever since he turned 12 he has been eagerly waiting to speak in Sacrament meeting. There are very few things below speaking in sacrament meeting on my list of favorite things to do. I would opt for a colonoscopy over a speaking assignment any day of the week. Well not so for Taylor. He asked me several times how come they hadn't called to ask him to speak. I told him he must be living right because he was being blessed. Well finally the day came. They asked him last Sunday to speak about Easter this week on Easter. He came home and started preparing his talk. He sat at the computer and read scriptures, searched the Internet and wrote and wrote and wrote. A few hours later he came out and read us is talk - all 20 minutes of it. It was very good, very thorough and insightful. I was amazed and impressed. But he is 12 and a youth speaker, so we told him he had to cut it down a bit. He said he would work on it later. Saturday evening I was out shopping and remembered his talk. I gave him a call and suggested he work on it and get Grandpa to help him. So he and Grandpa stated cutting. Today he got up and very clearly and powerfully gave a excellent talk on Easter and Christs atonement. My pride buttons were bursting. I honestly believe he enjoyed every second of it which absolutely blows my mind.

Rachel imparts her Words of Wisdom

Rachel's primary teacher pulled me aside the other day. "I've got a little story for you" she whispered. I got nervous when she suggested Rachel go play and waited till she left to start her story. Last Sunday during a lesson on the word of wisdom, she shared a little wisdom of her own with the class. The teacher asked, "what happens to us if we drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes. Without skipping a beat Rachel responded, "You go straight down to Hell." Good to hear our family home evening lessons on drug abuse are hitting home. Although I am pretty sure I never listed, "go to hell" as a consequence.

Ahha moments

We have been going to cub scout pack meeting for more than 4 years now. Every month the same basic thing. Flag ceremony, prayer, a little skit or game and then awards are given out. Boys who earn an award get to pick a cheer and the audience does the cheer. All kinds of fun little cheers, the barbershop cheer, butterfly cheer, policeman cheer and the list goes on and on. Well for as long as we've been going and probably for years before that the cheers were pulled out of a empty box of cheer laundry detergent. Well last week in pack meeting Dallin was sitting there on the front row a boy had just received an award and was picking out a cheer. The crowd was quietly waiting to here what cheer we'd be doing when Dallin speaks up and says why do you keep the cheer in an old soap box. I think the cubmaster didn't know quiet what to say - "it's the cheer box" she said. Dallin sat there a minute more. Then the light bulb went off. Oh I get it. Cheer box. And he started to laugh. There is nothing like an Ahha moment.

Rachel was chatting with Grandma on the phone a few days ago when Grandma asked her if it was raining at her house. Rachel stopped obviously confused, she went over and looked out the window to see a nice sunny day. It's not raining she told Grandma. "Well its raining at my house" Grandma said. Over the next couple minutes she rolled that around in her mind. It could be rainy at Grandma's house and sunny at her house. She'd never thought about that before. Weather isn't the same everywhere. She brought it up several times that day. "Did you know that the weather isn't the same at every ones house" she'd ask me. Or "did you know that the rain moves, it is here and then it goes somewhere else and it is sunny here. "Do you think it is rainy or sunny at Emma's house". The whole thing really surprised her.

Dallin Parks

A couple weeks ago we were heading up to Salt Lake. I told the kids to go out and get in the car. I finished getting ready and came out to find Anna and Rachel crying, Taylor screaming, Ryan kicking the back of the seat and whining and Dallin sitting straight as a rod, arms folded against his chest staring straight ahead as Taylor tried to pull him off the seat. "What is going on", I ask, knowing exactly what was going on. I have 5 kids and 2 front seat. The unfairness of it is a perpetual problem. "I was there first", "Dallin got to sit there last time", "Make him move". What is a mother supposed to do. There is no way to make every one happy and no way to always be fair. I threw my hands up and said will someone please move to the back of the bus. Dallin didn't flinch staring straight ahead he very simply but very firmly said. I am Dallin Parks. It took a minute to register but when it did I laughed and climbed in the back.

Bob

In case you were wondering who Bob is and why we were having a party for him let me tell you. Bob has become a real part of our lives. He is 7 years old, as of April 1st. He flies a U tale (like a space ship), he lives his life in pursuit of adventure, daily risking his life for stupid things like a binky or donuts. He has a crew of friends just as corny as he is. Bob is the star of bob comics. A figment of Dallin's imagination. Dallin created Bob about 1 year or 2 ago. Bob has his own website, pages and pages of comics regaling the tales his life, a fan club at Spanish Oaks Elementary and coming soon a full length movie or actually several really short ones. Dallin created Bob and Bob just keeps growing. The fifth grade loves Bob and he has quite the following. Dallin's teacher Mrs.Law told me at parent teacher conference that Bob was the classroom fad. So as April 1st approached Dallin thought it only natural that we should have a party to celebrate his birth. I was busy on April 1st so I made him put it off a week. He invited 8 of Bob's most loyal friends and talked me into getting pizza, soda, ice cream and snacks. The boys all had a blast. The ate more pizza and chocolate than I thought possible, played night games outside that got the neighbors calling to find out when I was going to shut those kids up. They moved their game inside, turned out all the nights and ran through my dark house scaring themselves and knocking pictures off my walls. They laughed and teasing and giggled likes girls. They drew comics, watched Napoleon Dynamite and several episodes of Kid History (now that is a show I can't begin to describe - if you haven't seen it You Tube it) They ended the night by making the latest Bob movie complete with background music. Which is actually just one of the boys playing the piano. Not so much playing as just pounding random keys, softly and first as the movie begins but as the plot thickens and the story intensifies so does the music. It was one intense movie. And one amazing party.