Turning Corners Without Getting Run Over By The Cart

Wednesday we had to take Grandaddy to pick up his hearing aid.  It'd been "in the shop".  So, we loaded the whole crew up for a trip into town.  It takes about 20 - 25 minutes to get to our mall, which is where Sears is, which is where Miracle Ear is, so we usually bundle several errands into a trip like that.

I'm making this a short story, so you don't think this is just a laundry list of our errands.  The kids and I looked around Sears while he had his appointment.  Then we all went to Kmart, Chili's for lunch (a REAL treat) and lastly, to Kroger.  All the kids went in every time (it's their privilege when they are well-behaved.)

I'm writing all this to say that it really was a pleasure.  Fun even.  A milestone, I think.  Ava rode well buckled in the carts and the "big" kids did a great job of staying with me, not touching everything in sight and not asking me for every sweet treat or Spiderman-laden commodity. 

The answer has always been  "no" to "Can I have this?"  And, I have said so many times that they couldn't have it now, but they could ask for it for their birthday that now they just skip to asking for it for their birthday!  Even Cinderella toothpaste makes the list.

At lunch, everyone sat in their seats, actually ate what we ordered and used good manners with the poor waitress who got stuck with US on her second day.  

At the end of the day, I thought, "Maybe it's time to start thinking about another baby."

No, I'm not pregnant. 

VBX -- Not Just for Kids!

So, I sorta dropped off the face of the earth last week, because we were crazy busy.  It was crazy and it was busy, but I've never had more fun in all my life.  Not even at Disney World. Our church had its annual vacation Bible school.  Ours is called VBX (the "x" stands for experience.)  Click here, choose a day and you can see short video clips of what it was like.  The videos do more justice than I could with still photos and stories.  

All good stories start with good friends.  My sweet neighbor and good friend, Cindy, asked me last year if I wanted to be  "VBX Girl" and help lead the music with the kids.  I had NO idea what I was getting into when I said yes!  I was picturing "This Little Light of Mine" in front of some preschoolers.  No, no, nooooooo.  We had lights, a stage, a LIVE band and the best part......COSTUMES!  

The kids met from 9 - Noon every day, plus a closing program and carnival on Friday night. (Someday, I'll figure out how to upload video clips and you can see the kids singing.) This year's theme was "International Treasure:  The Book of Truth".  So, our costumes were a little Indiana Jones-ish complete with a lasso/whip accessory!

The fellow in the middle is Cindy's husband (also a neighbor), Scott.  Each day he was the lead actor in a drama.  The set was like an old professor's library and he would search for and find clues that would lead him to the mysterious "Book of Truth".  At the end of the week, they discovered that The Book of Truth is the Bible and each kid (600 kids!) each got a Bible of their own!  The skits were so clever, so creative and best of all they had a point!  Each clue gave important truths about the Bible in a way that the kids (and grown ups) could relate to.  Scott wrote the skits himself and showed once again his giftedness and his love for kids in everything he did.  Click here to find out what he's like outside of church.

The music was hip and fun and the kids loved it!  We spent weeks coming up with choreography for all ten songs and they were age-appropriate and energetic.  In short, it helped the kids see that church can be fun and that worshiping God can be a blast!

Grandaddy came with us one morning.  He couldn't understand a lot of the talking (he was down one hearing aid.)  But he sat in the front row and watched every time we got on stage.  
We didn't grow up in the same town with him, so he never saw any church or school shows when I was little.  It was fun to be able to say "My Grandaddy's with me today."  He told Brian later that I stole the show.  Everybody needs SOMEONE in their life who thinks they're the best, even if they're not.

I wish I had more photos to share.  The church website has more.  It was such a fun, fun week.  

Why do you suppose God gave me such a passion and excitement about something that only lasts one week a year?

You Know They Like You When...

There was a reptile show at the campground where we stayed last week.  It was an hour and half long and our Sammie was loving every minute.  They showed (and let you touch....eeeewwwww) turtles, frogs and snakes.  

Here's what she said she learned:

"You know the snakes like you when they go around your neck."

Camping, Part Two

I will briefly tell the snake tale and save the fire ring tale for another day. (You can thank me later that I have no intention of blogging about the stomach virus.)

Exploring nature was so fun at first. See?

I'm so glad she's past the putting everything in her mouth stage.

They wanted to keep it.

Guess whose arm that is?

Nope. Not mine.

Or the baby's.

Or Tracy's.

Yup. You guessed it.

She wanted to keep it, too. (What do you feed a snail anyway?)

The second night, we lit the fire to cook our meal and instead of fretting over who might fall in while it heated, we took a walk in the woods. There were lots of great trails, even though Sam wanted to explore off the trail. Whose kid IS she? It was a wide path. Beautiful day. Tracy, McKenna, all my kiddos and me....walking. I pushed the empty stroller, because everyone wanted to walk.

We meandered, really. Sometimes Ava was in front. Lots of times Sammie was 20 or 30 feet in front. At this moment, though, I happened to be in front, pushing the stroller, with everyone very close behind. I don't know how I saw it. Could've been one of three dozen large sticks we'd seen and picked up. It was a black snake, about as big around as my wrist, crossing the path just like it was headed to a friend's house. I know its length was as wide as the path, which I'm guessing was about three feet. Truthfully, I never got to find the tail end. I was too busy trying to turn everyone around without wetting my pants.

Again, I ask: does camping have to be outside?  More importantly, I'll repeat a question that my friend, Tracy, brought up.  Is it camping we really like or the idea of camping?  Is there ANY other way to have the memories, share the stories or bond as families?  Please, please, pleeeeease tell me there is!

Seeing the snake was the second time that day my heart stopped.  I'll tell about the first time another day...

Does Camping Have to be Outside?

So, the kids and I met my buddy, Tracy, and her kiddos for a long-awaited camping trip last week at Land Between the Lakes in Western Kentucky. (The Daddy's stayed at home to work, work, work!)  

Things we loved:

1.  Friends who are as dear to us as family.

2.  Lots of fun at beautiful Kentucky Lake.

3. Naps on the beach

Things we didn't love:

1. Very long black snake on our sweet nature hike.
   
2. Chase falling into the smoldering fire ring. (Don't tell Brian, he doesn't know, and once he does, he'll never let us go camping again.)
   
3. Wicked stomach virus in a tent with seven people.
   

Thankfully, I don't have any photos of the things we didn't love.  

Chase Got Big Yesterday

Our little Chaser turned three yesterday.

Some of the gifts included a picnic table (thanks GiGi!);

and a roller coaster (thanks Grandaddy!) Ava goes down backwards.  (Don't be scared, Grandma.)

And a golf set that he's been begging for. (Thanks, Logey Boge!)

At the end of the day, though, he's still our baby boy.

In Memory

My Dad was in the National Guard in the early 60s and had finished his commitment before the Vietnam War broke out. Then, as I understand it, as a teacher, husband and father of three, the military left him alone. (I'm sure there's more to that story, but he passed away several years 

ago and I never had the wisdom to ask about it before then.) My grandfathers, on all sides, missed the wars of their time for various reasons. I was raised with a great sense of patriotism and loyalty to our country and to the armed forces, without any direct connection to the military. We crossed our hearts at the Pledge of Allegiance and

sang loudly, every word, of the "Star Spangled Banner". (I know that doesn't make you a patriot, but you get the idea.)

However, when I married, I got a whole new outlook. Brian joined the Army Reserves when he was teenager. He'd convinced his Mom (whose signature he needed) that he wouldn't have to go to war. So, he trained the summers before and after his senior year of high school and was to show up for other training and drills as required. He finished two semesters at Purdue University and was called to active duty for Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm during the first Persian Gulf War. He received the Army Commendation medal for involvement in a critical refueling mission. One of the U.S. armored divisions was engaged in a battle with the Iraqi Republican Guard and fuel became an issue. 

He says, "Our HEMTT (see picture at right) convoy just happened to be in the right place at the right time. We delivered our fuel and they defeated the Iraqi division. The cease fire came the next day."

Thankfully, he served his six months in Saudi Arabia and Iraq without injury. When I say, thankfully, I mean "Thank you, God, for saving him for me".  (I hope this prompts him to post some of his stories.)

His family military history is long. We can start with his Grandpa, Walter Arnold, who served in Europe for two years in World War II, including involvement in the infamous Battle of the Bulge. He moved his way up the ranks from Private (E2) to Tech Sergeant (E7) -- what is a Sergeant First Class in today's army. For us civilian folks -- that's five ranks; all as a result of casualties and deaths in his unit. Walter is now 89 years old and suffers from lung cancer and kidney failure. Surprisingly, he still lives on his own and not surprisingly, sends off-color jokes VIA email when he can. 

Brian's father, Dan Arnold, enlisted (not drafted) in the Navy in 1965 and became a Corpsman. He was assigned to a C.A.C. or Combined Action Company (later known as Combined Action Platoon) in '67, made up of a Marine rifle squad, a Navy Corpsman and a Vietnamese Popular Forces platoon (akin to the U.S. National Guard). Four months into his tour in Vietnam, his unit was attacked and he was seriously injured. During that attack, he was medivaced out of the battle and remembers rounds piercing the fuselage of the helicopter as they flew away. When he woke up in the hospital, he learned, with the exception of one man, his entire unit was killed. He received the Purple Heart. His military experience as a Corpsman served to prepare him for a lifetime of healthcare. Today, he's an R.N. and Doctor of Chiropractic. And, of course, I'm thankful for his safe return, because my sweet man, Brian, was born after he got back!

Not everyone left the country to serve during war-time. The small community where his step-father, Manley Scheurich, was serving as the only physician, wrote a letter to the draft board asking that they not send Dr. Scheurich overseas, because, they reasoned, there would be no one to take care of them for miles and miles. Manley was willing to go, but the community's request was granted.  As a result, we enjoy, Manley as "Dad" so much.  Such a precious part of our lives.

Lest we forget our WOMEN in uniform, you should know Brian's older sister, Kathy Scheurich, was in the Army also. She was stationed in Germany and served in Haiti during their political crisis in the 90s.

Most recently, our brother-in-law, Andy Weiss, enlisted in the Army post-9/11. He married Kate, one of Brian's baby sisters, the year after we got married. His story is clearer to me because it's present-day.  I know the war and the reasons for the war. I know this family now. I didn't know them for the other war stories. I was at Kate and Andy's wedding.  (One of the best times Brian and I ever had!) He and Brian played hide and seek with all the kids in his parents' back yard and they LOVED it.  Andy and Brian, I mean!

Andy served a first tour in Iraq and re-enlisted. Kate and their kids, Lilly and Jacob, were "stationed" at Ft. Hood in Texas while Andy was overseas. His second tour started in November, 2007. 

He was killed in Bagdad by an I.E.D. (roadside bomb), May 3, 2007. The sacrifice is real. The pain is real. It's not a distant story of another time and place. I tell my friends that Brian and his family served and Andy was killed in the process (however convoluted and crazy it is) of keeping me safe. Of maybe preventing my son from having to suit up some day.

As I look back on this story, generation after generation serving in different wars and different times, I know that even if it skips Chase, until the Lord comes back, the likelihood of my grandchildren or great-grandchildren serving our country is very high. Wars seem to end eventually, but the arguments never really do. They just sort of pop up in a different part of the world.

On this Memorial Day, I'm thankful for all those who serve our country and in so doing, serve my family and me. I hope to repay them with honor and respect for other people (all people), with gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy (whether I agree with all of them or not) and by teaching my children of their legacy in our country and in our hearts.