President's Day Weekend

Highlights from our President's Day Weekend 2009 at the Cabin

Our journey to the cabin this weekend was a rather nail-biting experience. It was raining as we left Vegas, at about 6:00 pm, and once we got to Black Ridge, just beyond St. George, snow was sticking to the ground and cars were slipping and sliding off the road all-too frequently for my liking. I said a bounty of silent prayers on that little trip, and even had the thought that we might have to spend the night in Cedar City. However, we got out ahead of the storm and by the time we got to Cedar, there was no snow on the ground, so we headed up the mountain to the cabin.  Almost immediately, the snow began again. It was heavy, but oh so beautiful, and the Yukon forged ahead with our faithful dad at the wheel, and we made it successfully to the cabin. Once there, we were amazed at the 5 inches (or more) of snow that had attached itself to our back window and bumper. It was an adventure, and we were so relieved to be out of the snow and safe inside the warm cabin.

I already told you about our Red Dinner in my last post, but we had a few other adventures as well!

For some reason, not understood by the women of the family, dad, Brad, and Jared decided to make a fire in the middle of the snow, just for fun. Ben and Ryan were out with their dads for as long as their mom's would allow it. Much to their disappointment, once the sun went down, the little boys had to come in. They didn't care that they couldn't feel their almost purple fingers or toes, they wanted to be out with the big boys, who were quite proud of their fire.  I am glad Aunt Katie braved the snow and cold to take this picture so we have a record of their fire-building skills!

Dad, Jared, and I had a blast towing the kids around on sleds behind the four wheelers in the big field in front of the Harris' cabin. The next couple of pictures show J pulling Madi and Ryan.

Dad tows Lacey and Ava in these pictures while Katie sits on the back of his four wheeler.

I would have loved to have been out there longer, pulling the kids and riding around on the four wheeler fitted with trax around the wheels to make it more snow-friendly. Madi said I was a crazy driver, but I think I was an awesome driver! She didn't like when I took her over a hill going faster than she wanted me to go. How was I to know that?   Do you just love my 1980's ski jump suit? Again, I have to thank Aunt Katie for this picture. Since I don't hang out in the snow much anymore, I don't have my own snow attire and wear whatever ancient relic is available at the cabin. This is it in all it's glory!

We had great fun in the snow just outside the cabin too. Poppy and Uncle Jared helped the kids build a little sledding hill just outside the garage. The girls also couldn't get enough of the virgin snow between our cabin and the neighbor's, making snow angels and building snow forts to their heart's delight.

Ben and Ella warmed up in the tubby. All went well until Ben thought it would be fun to compare body parts - "Look Ella, I have a belly-button. Do you have a belly-button too?" Then Ben checked out Ella's belly to find her belly-button. As soon as he started looking for her belly-button, I knew what was coming next, and I was right. Let's just say that Ben may have discovered the difference between boys and girls on this trip!

Ahhh - sweet Valentine Katie with her sequined heart tattoo.

My little snow buddy playing outside the back door of the cabin.  Love the hat!

Our long weekend trip ended much as it began. The weather was sunny and beautiful the whole time we were there, but as we pulled away from the cabin, tiny snowflakes began to fall. With each mile we drove, the snowflakes got bigger and bigger, and at one point, all we could see in every direction was pure white! Thankfully, once down the mountain, the weather wasn't too bad, and we were more than happy to make it home to our snow-free abode.

Sigh - I want to go back

By about 3:30 this afternoon, after a rather unproductive morning & afternoon, I wondered why I was so unmotivated to do much of anything and why I was operating in slow motion. Despite my lack of motivation, I did manage to exercise, do a little yard work, watch Ben play outside for a while, shower, get dressed, make my bed, and feed the kids. But, it took me till 3:30 pm to do just that! My house was a mess and I had suitcases to unpack. As I questioned my lack of enthusiasm for doing the basic things that needed to be done, it occurred to me that I wanted to be back on vacation. We just returned from almost a week at the cabin late last night & frankly, I want to go back. We had such a relaxing and enjoyable time being together. We enjoyed being in the great outdoors, and every day was virtually carefree and lackadaisical - sleeping in, bird watching, chilling, and playing were common activities during the days last week. So - after that - who really wants to put away suitcases, fold laundry, and clean up? Not me!

Fittingly, the weather today rather suited my mood. We had a nice down pour (here's Lacey checking out the rain) - which reminded me of a couple rainy afternoons we had at the cabin.

Katie in the rain at the cabin (photo by Madi)

Maybe tomorrow will be a little more productive . . .maybe not.

ps - sorry I have been a "bad" blogger once again. I have lots of pictures to post from our eventful last few weeks - so I hope to catch you up on the latest & greatest around here soon enough!

Madi & Mom's Trip - Part 2 - Tracey's House

[This post is part 2 of our trip to Washington. If you haven't read part 1 - do that first then come back to part 2.]

Tracey lives in a small beach community in Maryland along the Chesapeake Bay. It is a quaint little town with a main street that consists of an old-fashioned candy store, bakery, gift shop, and post office. Tracy gets to go the post office frequently as there is no mail delivery to her home. She bought her home along the bay a few years ago to be a vacation home. Three weeks after she bought the house, hurricane Isabel came along & destroyed the it. Out of the wreckage of the hurricane emerged a beautiful new home for Tracey which has now become her permanent residence. When Tracey is not traveling for business, she is able to work from home so she can enjoy her lovely surroundings. Madi adored this place so much that she is ready to move there the minute I say it's OK!

Tracey's home is narrow & deep, which is fairly typical of a home along the beach - to fit as many homes as possible into a small area, right? I wish I would have gotten a picture of the front of the house, but sadly, I didn't. The home is 2 levels & the main living area is on the 2nd floor to take advantage of the amazing view. Nothing will ever obstruct the view from Tracey's front windows & deck of the Chesapeake Bay. Here are a few pictures & a quick video Madi took so you can see part of this peaceful haven along the bay.

This picture was taken on Tracey's front deck.

Here is the boardwalk in Tracey's town.

Her beautiful living area! The kitchen is adjacent to this room.
Above the doors is a plaque which reads, "Isabel's Gift".

Madi & Mom's Trip - Part 1

Madi & I have been back from our trip east for a couple of weeks now, & life is certainly back to normal. In Madi's eyes, I am once again, the menacing and distracted mother of FOUR, rather than the fun & cool travel partner of ONE pre-adolescent daughter. Madi is frequently annoyed with my mothering, which didn't happen on our trip. That's OK - I am supposed to be annoying, right?

It is good to be able to spend a concentrated period of one-on-one time with a child. I find that when I am able to do that, that one child is a completely different person than she is when interacting with her siblings and competing for my attention. I wish I could do it more often! That one-on-one time reminds me of the things I love about each child individually. Unfortunately, those things are frequently camouflaged by the dynamic of the family as a whole. For whatever reason, many of the positive qualities of my children come out when they are alone with me and go into hiding when they are with their siblings. So - I need to find ways to have more of that one-on-one time. I am so very thankful for the opportunity I had to take this trip with Madi. We both loved every minute of our time together & now - here is my first installment of sharing this trip with you . . .

Our trip began with an early-morning flight from Las Vegas to Baltimore, Maryland. Once we arrived in Baltimore, my dear friend of 20+ years, Tracey, picked us up at the airport and we headed on the 2-hour drive to her parents home in Eastern Pennsylvania. Her parents live in a beautiful area on about 5 acres that is covered with trees. This picture is a view down their driveway, if you can believe it.


From the moment we walked into Tracey's parents house, we felt completely at home. Our cozy room with wood floors and fluffy blankets was like our own little bed & breakfast. Madi was very impressed with the basket of towels & bath supplies and the mints on our pillows. We crawled into bed & easily fell asleep after a long day of travel - even though it was only about 8:30 pm at home.

When we awoke the next morning, Tracey's mom, Beth Ann, had a full day of activities planned for us. She lives right in an area where many Amish make their home, so we spent the day touring the little Amish & Mennonite villages & towns. We started the morning by visiting an operating, one-room Amish school house. Beth Ann arranged it ahead of time by stopping by the school and asking the teachers if it would be OK to bring a couple of visitors from Nevada (one being a 12-year-old girl), and they kindly obliged. This was an opportunity that is not available to everyone, so I felt blessed to spend a few moments with these very faithful & peace-loving people.

This is a picture of the school house. We went back at the end of the day to take it. I wish I would have thought to take the picture during the day as the front was flocked with old bicycles that the children had ridden to school.

When we got to the school, the teachers directed us to sit on a bench in the back of the classroom while they finished a math lesson. I was immediately impressed with the behavior of the children. They were very engaged in their lesson & very well-behaved. Some of the children would sneak glances at their curious visitors, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Now, I have never considered myself to be a "woman of the world", but I can tell you that I felt very worldly as I stepped inside that little classroom. The teachers & children were dressed very simply - the teachers & girls in handmade dresses and small headpieces made out of basic fabrics & the boys in pants with suspenders. I did notice that they all wore shoes that my own children would wear - Sketchers being the brand of choice. My lipstick & jewelry seemed over-the-top in this crowd. I did not find out until later in the day that Amish do not wear buttons because they are too ornamental & worldly and draw attention to yourself. Well, you should have seen the buttons on my coat that day. They were HUGE! I was obviously drawing attention to myself!

If you enlarge this picture (which was taken later in the day at an old Amish house we toured), you can see the gi-normous (that's a word since ELF, right?) buttons on my coat. Clearly not the best choice to wear to visit an Amish school house. Who knew?

As we sat down, we were given a visitor notebook, which consisted of a little "get-to-know-you" page on each child and a page for visitors to sign at the back of the book. I noticed that most of the visitors who had signed the page were parents of the children. The students ranged in age from 6 to 13. Once they finish 8th grade, they are finished with school and go to work either at home, on the family farm or in their family business. The classroom had one teacher, in her late twenties, and an assistant teacher in her late teens. Young Amish girls can be teachers until they marry, at which point they stay home to raise families. Tracey & were completely spellbound by each get-to-know-you sheet. Their answers were so genuine and so simple.  One of the questions was "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Every girl wanted to be a mother or a teacher & every boy wanted to be a father or a farmer. Another question asked "what would you do with $100?" Many children said they would buy candy while others opted for a bike or small toy.  So very simple.

Once the children finished their math lesson, they stood in the front of the classroom and sang 3 religious hymns for us. I chuckled to myself as I noticed the 12-year-old boys barely mouthing the words - it reminded me of a typical primary program. The girls definitely carried the chorus of singers. After the singing, the teacher called each family by name and the children from that family would come to the front of the room & tell us their names & ages - in order from youngest to oldest. We were then given an opportunity, before we left, to stand in the front of the room & share a little about ourselves. The kids asked Madi & I a few questions about Nevada. they were surprised to hear that in Southern Nevada it almost never snows & that we don't have lots of trees or farms. I left feeling uplifted and honored that I was permitted to spend this time with this little group that found me just as intriguing as I found them to be.

As we left the school and drove along, I was fascinated with the scenery. The farmland was so beautiful to me & so different from what I was used to seeing. I couldn't help but roll down my window & take pictures as we drove. I was definitely a tourist! As I reflected on my opportunity to see this stunning countryside with rolling green hills and multi-colored leaves, I thought about my trip to Hawaii this summer and the gorgeous creations I saw there. Our world is so vast & so amazing, and as I see these small pockets of this vastness, I feel blessed by Heavenly Father who has created this world for us all. Now . . . back to Amish country - it is so interesting to be driving along a main thoroughfare & wind up next to a horse and buggy while stopped at a stoplight - a very unique experience, indeed. I tried multiple times to get a good picture of a horse & buggy from out the car window. I got a few, but none that were very impressive. It is particularly difficult because you feel very intrusive as you take such a picture because the Amish do not believe in taking pictures, & they do not knowingly want to be in a photograph. I cannot imagine not having one picture of my children - since I have thousands just from the past year!

Here's one shot to give you an idea of what it is like to drive alongside a horse & buggy.

One of the beautiful farms along the roadside

A horse & buggy parked at one of the Amish stores we went to during the day. If you enlarge the photo, you can see the silhouette of an Amish man sitting in the carriage. At the time I took the picture I didn't know anyone was in the buggy.

After our school house visit we went to a "Smorgasbord" for breakfast run by Mennonites. It was huge & rivaled any Vegas buffet. They had traditional Amish foods like shoofly pie, whoopie pies, and sticky buns as well as every other breakfast delight you can imagine. From there we were off to Intercourse, Pennsylvania and Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania - both rather well-known Amish areas. We visited a quilt shop owned by an Amish woman, and we also visited other little gift shops. We were able to tour an old Amish home that was no longer a private residence but offered public tours.

I learned a lot from the tour guide as we went through the home. I learned that the Amish religion was started in Europe by a group of Anabaptists - which means "not believing in infant baptism." The Amish are actually baptized in adulthood because they believe this is when a person can truly understand the significance of what he or she is doing. The Mennonites are essentially a less-conservative group of the Amish. For example, Mennonite women can wear dresses made of simple prints while the Amish wear solid bold colors. The Amish hold church every other Sunday in each others' homes. They clear out the furniture from the main living area & bring in hard wood benches (with no backs) where everyone sits for a four-hour church service!

The Amish are very serious about living in the world but not being of the world. Their simple life is absolutely fundamental to their religious beliefs. They do not use electricity, though they are very resourceful & have other ways of getting power. They do not take pictures & do not have any pictures on their walls, with the exception of calendars (because those have a functional purpose). Though they appear to be "stuck" in a time warp, they are very aware of the times in which they live and consciously choose to not be a part of it. The Amish take advantage of modern conveniences such as the internet and cars, though they do not operate these on their own. They have cell phones but cannot use them in their homes. They can ride in neighbors' cars when necessary, and many have internet businesses for selling their wares - they just hire someone to run the website for them. They are shrewd business people, which was obvious by the many businesses in the area that cater to tourists. In this particular community, the tour guide told us that there are several Amish millionaires & that one Amish man was on the board of directors for a local bank. They do not believe in debt & take care of each other. When one is blessed with business success, he shares with others.

These pictures were taken on the grounds of the house we toured. Madi really wanted an Amish bonnet. We bought the one in the picture, handmade by one of the Amish women in the community, at a gift shop for $6.

At the end of a very long day we thanked Tracey's mom for her hospitality and headed on the 2-hour drive to Tracey's home. Our trip had just begun . . .

The girls' favorite spot on Oahu

First things first - this is my one-hundredth post! Now that deserves a celebration, don't you think?! So - everyone give a little shout for post #100!! Thanks for celebrating with me. Now, on to the post -

There is a spot Oahu that was a highlight of our Hawaii trip for all my girls. They went crazy over the Pali Lookout. It is a place where the wind blows so fiercely all the time that you feel like the wind could literally sweep you off your feet. Both Lacey & Katie lost a flip flop & we had to chase them to recover them (which we were lucky to do!). We actually visited this spot on 2 different days because the girls had so much fun. Here's what an Oahu travel guide has to say about the spot -

"The Nuuanu Pali Lookout ("Cool Height Cliff") overlooking the 985 foot cliffs of the Koolau Mountain Range, is one of the best views on O'ahu. It was here in 1795 that King Kamehameha and his warriors defeated the O'ahu armies by sending them over these steep, forested cliffs and claiming his victory and uniting the Hawaiian Islands. The breathtaking sight and the gruesome history of the battle fought here is enough to cause a chill to run up your spine. Add to that the incredible winds that often pass through the Pali and you may be swept off your feet!"

And here's a little video for your enjoyment to celebrate this one-hundredth post. You can see for yourself how the wind blows at the Nuuanu Pali Lookout . . . (I just wish it wasn't so small on the blog! - oh well.)

Can I go back? please . . .

Just thought I'd share a little of the beauty of Kauai with you . . .

Poppy Lilli & Katie look at the Kalalau Valley & part of the cliffs that make up the Na Pali Coast. Probably the most beautiful site I have EVER beheld!

The view from Hanalei Bay pier - the pier was a lot of fun - there were locals all swimming & jumping off the pier into the ocean. Madi really wanted to do it, but she wasn't wearing her swimsuit that day. It's hard to tell, but there's a waterfall on those mountains in the background.

Waimea Canyon - how can such a little island have such a big canyon? That's a waterfall off in the distance on the mid-left side of the picture.

Just a picture of the scenery as we were driving in the car.

The view at Tunnels Beach on the North Shore of Kauai.

Spouting Horn - South Shore of Kauai - a big hole in the rocks that fills with water as the waves come in. The water has no where to go but up. It also makes a loud roaring sound, thus the name, spouting horn. I have a short video (with Madi at the helm) of spouting horn in action that I will put at the end of the post.

The next time we go to Kauai, I want to Kayak on the river. There are several places where you can see a couple of rivers & there are usually lots of people in kayaks - seems like a fun way to see the beauty of Kauai.

Just somewhere we stopped along the road. Amazing!

Overlooking the Hanalei Valley on the North Shore of Kauai. I loved Hanalei! Those are taro fields in the valley.

While in Hawaii, we talked to different locals who would find out we were from Las Vegas & they would tell us things like - "oh we love Vegas, we're going there next week." or - "you're from my favorite place!" We would look at each other & say "why?" Don't get me wrong because we love our home, and it does have its own beauty, at least to us. But certainly there's no beauty contest when it comes to Vegas vs Hawaii - that's like comparing Ms. America to the earwig I saw creeping across my kitchen floor. Well, I guess the Hawaiians aren't coming to Vegas for the scenery, huh?!

Spouting Horn in Action

Hawaii according to Ben

So you may have thought that I was done with my Hawaii posts, but I'm not - there's still more of those 500 pictures to show you!

I always wonder what goes through Ben's mind when we take him away from home. Does he wonder if he's ever going back to the place he's known as home for the past 17 months of his life? Does he notice the changes in his surroundings . . . or, is home to Ben simply having his family around him? When we first arrived in Hawaii, I imagined him thinking things like -

"Why do I feel so sweaty & thirsty around here? It feels really hot."
"I'm ready to get up - why is it still dark outside & why are mama & dada still sleeping?"

and then later on -

"Why are they putting me to bed in this dark bathroom?"
"I am so tired, can't we just go home so I can take a nap?"
"I really like having my dad around all the time - this is cool!"
"Why do I have to keep riding in this thing on my dad's back? It was fun for a little while, but enough is enough!"

"I've had enough of getting in & out of this car seat & I'm done with this stroller too!"

Hawaii was also a learning experience for Ben. In our hotel in Kauai, he learned that he can open doors. He was very proud of this accomplishment.

Ben also learned that sand is fun to play in, but not very fun to eat.

Ben learned to say some of his cousins names. He said Rose and Vivi, but the cutest & clearest of all was Ella (or Lella as Ben would say). Here is Ben, having what I am sure is a very interesting conversation with Ella.

While we were at the Poi' pu Beach on the South Shore of Kauai, a sea turtle came up to the shoreline where it could easily be seen. Ben saw the turtle and added a new word to his vocabulary by learning to say "turtle". I wish you could hear him say it, because it is totally cute! I try to get him to say it at least 10 times a day!




Here's a little treat especially for grandma - a movie of Ben in Hawaii, demonstrating his amazing tricks, his new found vocabulary, and his very cute face. The movie also demonstrates his mother's novice video-taking skills and inability to skillfully film an almost constantly moving target-

Hawaii with kids

Our family had such a wonderful vacation in Hawaii, that certainly will result in memories for years to come. We were so excited to introduce our children to this beautiful place. We went to Maui 6 years ago, without the kids, and looked forward to a time when we could bring them to Hawaii. Brad & I learned very quickly that a trip to Hawaii with kids is completely different than a trip to Hawaii without kids.

First of all, we found that it is a lot of work to TRAVEL by air with 4 kids - just take a look at the luggage needed for a family of six to take a 12 day vacation!


The most stressful part of our vacation was definitely getting through airport security with 4 kids, a car seat, and 8 carry-on bags. The kids definitely hated security and found it rather intimidating, but then, so did I! Once we got through security, it was then a major feat to get everyone on the plane & luggage stowed, and then finally off the plane six hours later. Ben was also a little trying on the plane - but overall, the kids were all pretty good.

How else was Hawaii with kids different than without kids? Well . . .

Our trip this time did not include:

sleeping on the plane, poolside pedicures, lounging by the pool (reading & resting), reading at the beach, leisurely evening strolls along the beach (although Brad & I did sneak one evening walk into the vacation), quiet morning walks along the beach, romantic dinners for two at nice restaurants, and sleeping in.

Our trip also did NOT include completely happy, care-free, whine-free, fighting-free children. For some reason I thought that when my kids were in Hawaii, they would be happy little keikis, so glad to be in Hawaii that they wouldn't even think of whining, complaining, or fighting. Shame on me for thinking such thoughts! Keikis will be keikis, whether at home or in Hawaii. We certainly pushed our kids with lots of activities and excursions every day, and we did hear some whining & complaining as a result. I adopted the mantra "there's no whining in Hawaii." However, after a couple of days, I had to give it up, because whether I liked it or not, there WAS whining in Hawaii. As we were viewing the beauty of Hawaii, certain Wallace keiki were known to say, "I'm bored, can't we go back to the condo & watch TV?" . . . or "I am not going to look at another waterfall! I did not come to Hawaii to see waterfalls!" . . . how about "I am not going to the beach - I don't want to get sandy!" . . . and of course the typical - "I'm hungry" (30 minutes after we had just eaten) - "I have to go the bathroom" (15 minutes after we had just made a bathroom stop) - and "I'm tired".

So - I've shared all the things that our trip did not include, but it included many rich and rewarding experiences that made all the inconveniences completely worth it! There were so many things we got to do that we didn't get to do when we didn't have our kids with us. For example, take a look at the picture at the beginning of this post. I love that we got to see Ben's already curly hair get even curlier in the humidity! Here's more that we GOT to do -

We got to play with our kids in the ocean & on the beach!

We got to see & feed baby pigs (while on a plantation train ride in Kauai)

We got to see how cute our kids are in flower leis (pictured here at the Polynesian Cultural Center with my sister Janae's girls)

We got to show our kids some of Heavenly Father's beautiful creations that they have never seen before.

We got to teach our kids about men who died in Pearl Harbor while serving their country.

We got to take our kids to some of the greenest places on earth - such a contrast to the desert they have lived in all their lives.

We got to watch our kids plant pineapples - you just might get to eat one of the 3 they planted in about 2 years! Just buy the Dole label.

We got to show them the Hawaiian Temple Visitor's Center, where their great grandparents served a mission many years ago.
This was a lovely place & our children did not want to leave. They loved the interactive displays & movies about Heavenly Father's plan for families. I could tell that they felt the spirit here.
While there we met a sister missionary, Sister Lundberg, the daughter of a couple Brad & I knew while growing up.

And truly - what could be cuter than a five-year-old girl pulling her Tinkerbell suitcase. Certainly a fun sight for her mom!

So - Hawaii is a wonderful place to go - with or without the kids! I was glad to have them along for this trip.