Year End Wrap Up and Christmas Greetings

Listen my friends, and you will hear
Of the Massey’s life in 2008…oh,what a year!

From marching bands to the Air Force to beaches and travel
It was all we could do not to completely unravel!

There were birthdays, anniversaries, and a big graduation
We all ran the gamut from happy to frustration!

There’s five in our house, plus Mark’s mom, in case you don’t know
And we’ll start with January in Texas…and, as usual, there’s no snow!

After a visit from Noelle’s …’different’ cousin Andrew
Reese and dad’s car took a spin in the morning dew!

He rolled it two times and landed on his head
But God protected His child, and he spent only a few hours in the hospital bed!

February came and Mark turned 43
He’s doing quite well for his age…but bifocals are in his future, ‘cause it’s harder to see!

The month came and went with no ripples in that pool
But wait! I forgot…Reese finished early! He was done with high school!

March blew in and before our very eyes
Drake decided it was time that he should be baptized!

He’s generally a shy boy, attention he’s always resistin’
But he knew he had to let others know that he was a Christian!

When April showed up, that’s when we got very busy
Three birthdays in one month can really make you dizzy!

Reese turned 18, McKenna turned 14, and Drake became 11 this year
All three are generally good kids… so we have little to fear!

But wait, that’s not all…oh, no that would be too easy
Getting braces off and proms and color guard auditions… It all made us quite queasy!

Color guard? Oh, yeah…that was McKenna’s direction
She could toss and catch the flags with ease...it was a natural progression!

As we headed into May, this shock came to husband and wife
Each of the kids was moving on to another level of life!

Leaving middle school and elementary! Graduating from high school now!
Growing up before our very eyes! We both could only think….’wow’

Summer showed up and life was speeding on
But did someone say ‘vacation in Florida?’ In mid-June we were gone!

The whole family went to Destin, Mark’s sis and bro, too
One last fling with Reese before he went off to the Wild Blue!

The white sandy beaches were really quite cool
But there were jellyfish in the water! We should’ve stayed in a pool!

We had to come back to the life that is too real
McKenna started color guard practice…it was a back-to-school feel!

At the end of July, there was happiness and remorse
It was time for Reese to spread his wings…and leave for the Air Force!

To San Antonio he went for Basic Military Training
We prayed and God gave strength… his determination was never waning!

As the summer closed out, all we heard was ‘band, band, band’
Both McKenna and Drake were in…so we had to give a hand!

For McKenna we joined booster club, Drake got mom’s old clarinet
Before we knew it, band fund raising deals were up to our neck!

But…before school started we had to say our goodbyes
To our best friends, the Means’…there were tears in our eyes!

They’re in Colorado now; God has given them great grace
We talk with them often…but miss seeing them face to face!

Anyway…School, work, and practices became the routine
For the lives of the adults, the freshman, and the pre-teen!

In September we jumped in cars and to San Antonio we would race
To see Reese graduate from Basic Training at Lackland Air Force Base!

After six weeks he looked great, a handsome sight to see
But the next step took him to tech school at Keesler Air Base down in Biloxi!

We all came back to Sachse and like an hourglass full of sand
We were poured from Friday night football to contests for the local high school band!

The first weekend of October, McKenna had her first homecoming dance
While Mark, Noelle and Drake went to Biloxi…where Reese was…caught in a trance?

He wanted to marry Melanie, his longtime girlfriend
She was the light of his eye, and a life without her he didn’t want to spend!

We were happy for Reese! But then we left Biloxi and that gave us the blues
However we got over it real quick, ‘cause Mark and Noelle went on a cruise!

We drove down to Houston with the Means, Humes and Moore’s
To embark on the Ecstasy, and sail to Mexican shores!

We had a great time, and I’d really like to gloat
But as it is in Vegas, everything stays on the boat!

When we got back on land, one more contest was brewin’
For the Sachse High band…but the end would leave them stewin’!

They came close to state finals, just one place away
But it wasn’t in the cards, and they’d have to try another day!

In the middle of November, Reese got transferred to Wichita Falls
Sheppard Air Base is where he’ll finish school…so close he can make house calls!

Now Thanksgiving has come and gone, and we were all together
In Oklahoma with Noelle’s family, having a great time in the cold weather!

December is upon us now, everyone’s got things to do
But we always remember the One who first loved us and gave His life for us, too!

As you celebrate this Christmas, wrapping up boxes and tin
Don’t forget the real reason for the season…and Come, let us adore Him!

As we all know, this life can be like an out of control gurney
So our hope and wish is that you’ll just laugh…and together, enjoy the journey!

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
The Massey’s!

Catching Up

So much has happened since our last post. I've been on my husband to post something new and he is working on it but thought I would catch us up...

After graduation we took the family to Destin, Florida for vacation. Our last family vacation with Reese in the house under our household umbrella. We had a great week together and faced some interesting challenges while there. Being raised on the west coast with waves you can surf and water you can't see through I found it a bit boring but relaxing and thought that the 'beautiful crystal clear water' that everyone talks about wasn't so great...you can see what's floating in there! I would rather be oblivious. Mark and I had booked a catamaran cruise for our family and were looking forward to it with the kids. We were promised dolphin sightings and snorkeling and beach time but were stuck on the boat for three hours in the hot, hot sun because the jelly fish were so thick and the captain didn't want to let us into the water. Sigh...we'll talk about that memory forever! Not the least of the things that went wrong was that I brought home sand mites and broke out in small bumps all up and down my arms. What!?!?! Sand mites?!?!? I have never heard of such a thing!

With all of that said, here's what went right. We spent a good amount of time in the car together as we always do when we travel. The kids played games and joked around and chatted. They always seem to get along better when we travel. I love to listen to them laugh! Such a wonderful sound. We had a wonderful day at the beach with Mark's sister, Helen and her girls, Abbey and Summer and with Mark's brother, Matt. We played volleyball on the beach. We learned that the smaller the jelly fish the smaller the sting (but still a sting!). We built sand castles with motes. We buried Mark in the sand. Mark and Reese got to eat very fresh seafood. I read on the beach with my feet in the warm sand. We ate dinner on a covered patio at the beach while it stormed all around us (Mark was a very happy man!) We talked, we laughed we relaxed (as ordered by Reese who is tired of vacations that make him tired! Thank you, Reese, for demanding us to slow down). And, true to form, Mark always has a stop planned for our trip home so we can see a little something extra. This time, New Orleans. We stopped and had Beignets at Cafe' Du Monde. YUM!

After we returned from our vacation we busied ourselves getting Reese ready to leave for basic training. On July 28th we dropped him off and said good-bye for 6 whole weeks! The house is quiet without him...well, I should say, quiet-ER...not quiet. After a long six weeks we finally made our trip to San Antonio to his graduation from basic training. He is now an Airman in the United States Aif Force and is completling his technical training in Wichita Falls after 7 weeks in Biloxi Mississippi. We are so glad he is going to be in Texas for a while! He is close enough to home that he can come and visit on the weekends! We are so very proud of him!

School started in August and we were off! Drake decided to join the band and he is learning how to play the clarinet. He's enjoying middle school and is doing very well. McKenna started her year in the thick of football season by way of the marching band. She is a proud member of the Sachse Mustang Marching Band's Colorguard. We have spent the last few months doing new and exciting things as band parents! Football halftime shows, marching contests and band booster club! I'll have to see if I can post their show...it's great and she's great! I think she's found a niche! We are looking forward to next year!

Another major announcement in our lives is that Reese is getting married! He and Melanie have set a date for June 20, 2009. Our lives have quickly been taken over by wedding plans. I am thankful that Reese has found Melanie. She is a wonderful young woman who loves God and loves Reese. I see it in her eyes everytime she looks at him or mentions his name. I can't thank God enough for her. Reese will be loved very well for the rest of his life.

Stay tuned for more of Mark's posts. We'll try not to leave so much time between...with so much going on I'm sure we'll have much to fill you in on!

Done with High School...and moving on!

It’s been over a month since Reese graduated High School!!
And it’s funny how you can get ‘used’ to something so quickly. All of us, I would say, have gotten used to his new schedule, being out of school. There’s only so much ‘new’ quite honestly…he’s working almost full time for the time being, so his schedule isn’t that different than what he had in school. He gets nights and weekends off, he’s hanging with us and Melanie (well, with Melanie and us, in THAT order), and just generally enjoying being a ‘free’ teenager waiting for the next phase of his life.Speaking of the next phase, and with apologies to Carrie Underwood (whom I've heard MANY times, thank you, McKenna!) '18 years have come and gone - For us they flew by, for Reese they (probably) drug on and on!'

I was looking at some pictures of him recently, trying to get my head around the fact that I was the parent of a High School graduate! Looking at his kindergarten, 1st, 2nd grade pictures...then flipping to his high school pics...it wasn't even the same kid!! Amazing! The same little boy who was playing with me and learning how to throw and catch and standing close by as he threw with all his might and the ball went all of 4 feet and half closing his eyes as I threw the ball and he tried to catch it...was the same 'young man' rocketing the football at me (as I closed MY eyes and tried to catch it) and making leaping one handed grabs in the street just the other day!!

I look forward to his future. I remember telling him as he started his senior year that I firmly believe God has an incredible plan for him, and as much as I’d like for him to stay around here for college or work, God’s got things for him to do! I'm excited for him as he learns more, meets different people...starts living and growing in ways I can only imagine. I can't wait for the time, after he’s been in the Air Force a couple of years, for him to call and say 'Hey dad, want to know what I did today? I’d tell you, but then I'd have to kill you!'

That would be so COOL! Yes, I’m a strange dad, but a proud one! I know I’ll probably cry like a baby when he crosses the stage in May, and I’ll cry when we leave him at the hotel before he goes to Basic Training, and when he graduates from that in September, and when he…well, fill in the blank here.

Right now he’s in the next room playing Guitar Hero, talking on the phone with Melanie, and will probably stay up WAY later than he needs to on a schoo…uh, work night. His life is good and blessed…my life is good and blessed to a large measure because of him. To quote from the song 'Butterfly Kisses', ‘With all that I’ve done wrong, I must have done something right…’ to be given this gift of time with Reese!

Thanks, God!

Reese in a wreck!

As most of you are probably aware, Reese was in a one-car accident Monday. He's bruised and sore, but God protected His child and we are obviously very grateful. He's recovering nicely, as the 'worst' injury he had was some cuts on his left hand and arm.
According to Reese and the police, after he lost control of the car on a wet, tight curve, it wound up rolling 2 1/2 times, landing upside down. He crawled out the driver's window, where a local resident told him to sit down. An ambulance was called, and they put him in a neck collar and took him to the hospital for precautionary scans and xrays. Noelle and I beat the ambulance there (in itself rather wierd), and after a couple of hours, took him home.
Today (Tuesday) I went to see the car where it had been towed. I was in stunned silence. It was more beat up than I imagined it would have been, and anyone looking at it would have questioned whether anyone would have walked away from it. God obviously has plans for this boy, and I hope He also has his full attention!

Quickly, this thought struck me as we were in the hospital with Reese. Nothing else matters! If you're a parent, you understand this. If your kid is hurt, or in great danger, or is fighting for their life, nothing else matters. Not the job. Not any body. Not being anywhere else. Not money.
Nothing. Else. Matters.

It's amazing how a situation like this will re-prioritize your life. When it comes to your kid...
Nothing else matters!

Recent Developments!

This just in from the home office in Garland...

I CAN BLOG AT WORK!!!! I didn't think that was possible, with all the firewalls, anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-fun filters that the school district has in place, but they've obviously let this one slip.

My voice can be heard from my cave! The office I have in the bowels of the Event Center has a conduit of communication to the WWW and I plan on taking advantage of it! I have a voice! I have an opinion! I will NOT be silenced! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Now if I can just get them to pay me for writing instead of that other nonsense I'm supposed to do!

More later people! Power to the blogger!

Routine

The routine in the Massey home on school mornings goes something like this:

I get up, go tell Reese to stop ignoring his alarm and get in the shower (2 or 3 times depending on his state of comprehension), get in the shower myself, get dressed, remind Reese AGAIN to get in the shower and that now he won’t have as much time since others have to shower as well, start waking McKenna up to tell her to be ready to get in the shower, start getting lunches ready, tell Reese he has to start wrapping it up, continue with lunches, tell Reese to get OUT of the shower, make sure McKenna is ready to get in, tell Reese to get OUT of the bathroom, make sure McKenna gets in, finish lunches, start getting Drake up for his shower, tell McKenna that yes, I do think she has a wonderful singing voice but she needs to start wrapping up her shower, see what there is for breakfast, get Drake in the shower, take Reese to school, come back to make sure breakfast (or some semblance thereof) is eaten, finish my primping routine (did I just say ‘primping’?!?), make sure the kids are ready, get them out the door, take them to school, go to work!

I know, I know! There are so many things WRONG with this routine but it would take much time and many group sessions to fix! And I’m not here to say ‘Hello, my name is Mark Massey and I’m an enabler.” That’s another column for another time. It was a quick observation that McKenna made during one of these mornings that brings me to this soap box.

Recently, after Reese FINALLY got in the shower the conversation went something like this…
Me: You’ve only got three minutes!
Reese: I only got in two minutes ago!
Me: Then you should have gotten in earlier! Hurry up!
I go start waking McKenna. Move to kitchen to start lunch routine.
Me: Reese, time’s up. Turn the water off.
Reese: What?
Me: Turn the water off. Time’s up.
Reese: Dad, I’m not done.
Me: Too bad, it’s time to get out. Now!
Reese: Fine! (turns water off)
Me: Kenna, get ready to get in.
Back to the lunches for a minute.
Me: Reese, get out. McKenna’s ready.
Silence.
Me: Reese!
Reese: I’m coming!

A minute or so later, he comes out, and McKenna makes her way in. Only this particular morning she came to the kitchen first to make this observation.

“Dad, Reese can’t shower as quick as you can, so you don’t need to keep telling him to hurry up. Boys have needs too, you know.”

Pause. I quickly debate what to say next, and I settle on this.
“Thank you.”

She went to the shower.

I continued making lunches.

I didn’t feel at that moment that McKenna needed to know what my reasons were for doing what I was doing…it was probably one of those ‘pick your battles’ thing. Plus, I don’t want her to be afraid to come and tell me what’s on her mind thinking I’ll always have a come back as to how and why she’s wrong (I probably do that enough!).

In her 13 year old mind, McKenna had assessed the situation, come up with the problem and solution, and conveyed it to me. In her limited viewpoint, she saw the immediate, in your face situation, and determined that dad didn’t need to be so hard on her brother.

That’s cool. In and of itself, there’s nothing wrong with her feeling that way (it’s also out of the norm, but I digress).

What McKenna doesn’t have yet, of course, is the omniscient knowledge that had been bestowed upon me when I became a parent! Anyone who’s a parent understands, of course! It’s one of those magical, ethereal, heavenly light, angelic AAAHHHHHH things that happens once your child is born. But, again, I digress. I had reasons she didn’t see for ‘getting on’ to Reese as I did. He needs to learn about time management, responsibility of getting things done when he’s supposed to get them done, obedience in general, yada yada.

I said to myself, “I’ll tell her those things later when it won’t seem like I’m just being ‘big bad dad!” (Aren’t I sweet?)

So, I resumed food duties.

And God spoke.

“You know, that sounds just like you when you tell ME how I should run things. How you think it would be better if I did such-and-such a certain way.”

If you have ever seen the TV show ‘Chuck’ you’ll understand what I mean when I say I ‘flashed.’ If you haven’t seen it, I’ll just say I quickly ‘heard’ these words replayed in my head;
God, I’ve evaluated the situation and I really feel it would be best if you did this…

Father, it would really be best if you gave us another car so we can get around more conveniantly.

God, why don’t you heal that person? It would obviously be the right thing to do.

God, why did you take that job away from them? They have a family to support and bills to pay. I wouldn’t have done that!

God, I know I got myself into this situation basically because I didn’t do what you told me to do, but if you don’t ‘rescue’ me from it how else will people see your grace and mercy? Don’t you want people to like you? Don’t you want us to praise you because you made us comfortable again?

I stopped and shook my head. Once again, God had used the words my kid had said to me as an example of what this ‘kid’ says to Him. A LOT!

What HE has said quite plainly in Isaiah 55 is “I don’t think the way you think, the way you work isn’t the way I work” (vs. 8, The Message). In Jeremiah 29, He says “I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING! I have…plans to take care of you…” (vs. 11, The Message, emphasis mine). For my benefit, He might as well add, ‘AND DON’T EVER FORGET THAT!’

Our view is so limited! We can’t see the whole! God does! We can’t see beyond the second we’re living in! God can! He knows the lessons He’s trying to teach His kids, we don’t, so we (I) just need to stop complaining and believe He knows what’s best!

I'll get right on that!

In the meantime, I have lunches to make.

Laughing and enjoying the journey, Mark

Start of something new!

You're looking LIVE at the latest blog entry to the Massey Blog Spot...spot. I'm your host, Mark Massey, head of the Massey Bunch (probably a figure head, but I'll take whatever I can get!).

We took the plunge this Christmas and used Noelle's bonus to purchase a laptop computer! OOOOOOO!! We're SMOKIN'!! I can enter the 'blog world' much more conveniently now that I can take the computer wherever I may be. I'll be filing blogs from all over the house, probably even the bathroom (I'll try not to let that information get out, as Noelle would probably ban me from using the machine for a while!).
We've had this laptop for all of 8 days now, and I've spent about 20 of them on the phone with Dell trying to get the *&^$%*& wireless mouse properly connected! It seems to be working properly now, just a BIOS problem, which, if I'm not mistaken, is part of the brains of the computer. So the brain wasn't functioning properly. THAT'S encouraging. But, hey, it's a refurb we got for a great price, I've got a 2 year warranty on the equipment, so I shouldn't complain much.

I look forward to having more time to post thoughts, questions, observations, and possibly some writings. On occasion an extended thought will hit me regarding some aspect of life and an article, for lack of a better term, will spit itself out of my fingertips into Microsoft Word. Then I post or send it out for more people to see so, if nothing else, they'll realize just how much their life DOESN'T suck, since they're obviously handling it better than me! That's probably what I should title my 'columns'...How Much Better You're Doing Than You Think You Are!

Anyway, I'll call it quits for the time being. Gotta go help put the kids down and spend some time with Noelle! She's probably getting a bit jealous of the Dell techs in the Philippines that I've spent most of my evenings with of late!

Laugh and enjoy the journey, people...it what keeps us sane!

Contentment

Hey! Are you content in this life? Yes? No? Maybe? If not, why not? I know, I know…don’t get you started. To quote Shakespeare, you don’t have a ‘winter of discontent’, you have all seasons of discontentment! No reason to be filled with joy and happiness. You feel your circumstances and situation in life is always going to be this way and God won’t come through for you and…oh boy, I’ve got you started now.

The car. The money. The house. The kids. The spouse. The job. The church. The so-called friends. And what is that SMELL?

You’re right, you’re right…there’s not too many reasons to be content. And no, I’m not trying to be Little Mr Sunshine blowing happiness up your…uh, well, I’ll just say I’m not trying to make light of your circumstances. I have my downtimes too.

Living the freelance life, my income is greatly dependent on the ring of the telephone, and when it doesn’t ring for a few days (or hours), I can start getting antsy, nervous, scared…insert negative emotional state here. I start worrying about the income that ain’t! Paying the bills that are! I get angry that other people I know, not near as spiritual or as close to God as I am (!), aren’t having the hardships or money issues or car problems or future worries that I’m having. Why, God, do you allow others who don’t give a whiff about you to (seemingly) not have the same or worse problems that I’m having, and instead bless me because of my great actions and devotion to and for you?
(In case you were wondering, there was no lightning bolts OR claps of thunder when I wrote that. God knows my heart and mind…I didn’t have to write out what I’m thinking in order for Him to know about it!)

Why are we not ‘content’ in this life? Could it be we people watch WAY TOO MUCH? We’re looking at what others have, who they’re married to or the wonderful children they have, or the great paying job(s) they have, or the way everything they touch seems to turn to gold. Do we think because we’re Christians, God is going to continually bless us with things or good times or non-hurtful situations or friends? My apologies to Lynn Anderson who recorded it in the 70’s, but God said it first...

”I never promised you a rose garden!” David, Jesus, Paul and others talked WAY too many times about ‘When persecution comes…etc, etc.’ It’s gonna happen people! Either from others or by our own hand. On purpose or by accident. Persecution, hopelessness, despair…DISCONTENTMENT will happen!

Paul said in Philippians 4:11 ‘…I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.’
Here’s where I try to stand as much as possible. God has blessed my life greatly, more than I deserve. I’ve got a wife I love, kids I love who SAY they love me (I’m sure they do), friends who like to hang out with me, friends I can hang with as well, a roof over my head, food on the table…but even more than that, the knowledge that THIS ISN’T ALL THERE IS! This life is only temporary, there’s a far better life for me, and all of us who are Christians!

Again, Paul says in Romans 8:18 ‘I consider the sufferings of this present time are not WORTHY to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.’

I CLING to that! I have to! If I let the circumstances or situations or emotions (that’s a big one!) of this world get to me, my contentment level can’t be found. I HAVE to remember, we all do, that we aren’t here to enjoy things or people or events or status or whatever the world has to offer.
Romans 5:3-5 says ‘…we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.’

HOPE! We have hope! Not only for spiritual success in this life (note I didn’t say physical or emotional, though that does happen every now and then), but for ETERNAL life after we shuffle off this mortal coil!

The life Jesus led! The FACT of His resurrection from the dead! The Holy Spirit that lives in us! ALL these things and more give us hope for our lives and the life to come!

Jesus didn’t just come to show us how to live a fine life here. How to always have wonderful things or happy families or be recognized for the all the great accomplishments we can do in this world. If that’s all He came for, well, 1 Corinthians 15:19 says ‘If we (Christians) have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.’ ANYONE can be so focused on this life that they live it very well (by their standards). But what happens when they die?

Hey! Be content! If Paul can say that in prison (which I’m sure was far worse than any prison we have in America right now), you can be content with the house you have, or the car you’re driving, or the spouse you have, or the job you drag yourself to everyday. God has great and wonderful things to show us in heaven! Things we’ll get to do, and see, have fun with, and be happy in…be CONTENT with!

Be content! Have hope! Peace out!

Laughing and enjoying the journey, Mark

Read the Book!

As I was sitting here doing some work on the computer last night, my oldest son, Reese, was watching TV behind me. Every now and then I had to get up and get something and when I came back, I'd look at him and say, 'You ok?' He'd grunt a 'yeah', or maybe a 'mm' in his best caveman imitation. I chalked it up to being bored and 16, or tired, and went on with my computer life. Now, granted, he'd been somewhat 'awake' the previous 48-72 hours. We just had our 'D-Now' weekend (Discipleship Now, for those not in on church lingo!), and he and about 30 other mid to high-schoolers had spent a lot of time together at the meeting place and at host homes. Learning more about God can really tire you out. (So can staying up till 2 or 3 in the morning and having to get up at 8, but surely THAT wasn't an issue!) He had also spent two nights with a good friend and had to get up early the second morning in order to be brought home. So knowing all of THAT didn't make me too concerned about his attitude or demeanor.THEN his phone rang. I had an idea who it was and by the tone of his voice when he said a playful 'Hellooooo', I could tell I was right. The girl! His woman! His precious flower! The light of his life! Madeline was calling! Where there were weeds there were now dandelions! Where there was gray skies there was now the most wonderful blue! He had traded ashes for beauty, sorrow for joy! He had a reason for living! The most important person in this world was now available for him to talk to, spend (phone) time with! Just hearing her voice had raised his spirits exponentially......which reminded me of something...that EXACT thing happens to me many times. I'm depressed about work, or money, or my parenting, or my spousing (just coined that...use it with my blessings!), or my car, or I'm just down on myself for past failures, or...well, you get the picture. And from conversations I've had with a few of you I know I'm not alone! You're feeling really down for whatever reason. Nothing will ever be right again and surely this is how the WHOLE rest of your life will be!Here's something else I was reminded of...God 'calls' us as well! When we hear from Him it's like the sun has broken out of the clouds and an incredible warmth and pleasant feeling has overtaken our being! We are smiling again! We are happy again! We, like my son, have a reason for living!But God is always there to call us or be called. Unlike Madeline who couldn't talk till she got off work, God can talk to us at anytime. And we get instant gratification just by opening the Book!The bible says in Jeremiah 15:16 'Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart!' and Psalm 119:105 'Thy word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path'!Promises galore! Confidence restored! Spirits will soar! It won't be a bore (Ok, I'm stopping, I'm stopping!).People! Read the word! Get excited and happy again! MARK! Read the bible! Get excited and happy again! (Don't for a SECOND think I'm not talking to myself when I write these little bits! I need this too!) (No extra comment from Noelle about the 'talking to myself' part, please!)God loves us! He's always there for us! Just open the book! Laughing and enjoying the journey,Mark

DC or BUST!

Well, I'll try to keep this down to a minimum...not promising anything!


We pulled out of our driveway way too early for my taste but it was necessary...or so Mark tells me. The kids weren't too keen on the idea either but, hey, we didn't have to drive!
We actually have an oddity in our family (ok, more than one). My kids seem to get along better when we are trapped in the car driving across country together. So driving to our vacation destinations has never really been a problem. They seem to enjoy each other and make the best of the situation. It's a great time!
We stopped by and said 'hey' to Elvis on our way through Memphis.
The kids were underwhelmed but at least we got to get out and stretch our legs. We went from Memphis to Knoxville to stay the night with Mark's brother, Matt (free lodging!) and spent some time with his sister and her girls while there. The next morning, after Krispy Kreme Donuts, we were off again. Thank goodness it wasn't as early. The drive was very beautiful and we had a lot of beautiful scenery to look at as we drove.
We arrived in DC around 8:30p on Sunday and began our wait for my parents and my sister and her family to get back from the beach. We gave up on them around midnight and went to bed.
Bright and early Monday morning we were up to head out to our tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. After breakfast and an early morning shock for my parents (we surprised them by coming in a day early) we were off to catch the Metro to make our 8:45a tour appointment. The Bureau was facinating and the kids loved the gift shop! Darn those stupid gift shops...they ruin a perfectly good vacation!
When we got the kiddos attitudes straightened out after telling them they couldn't get a souvenier yet we walked outside and there, right in front of our eyes, was the Washington Monument! Of course, the thing is so huge it's almost always 'right in front of your eyes'! Well, Drake went nuts! After all, that was the number one thing he wanted to see and the reason we planned this whole trip in the first place...he was very happy!
So off we went to take a look! And we walked (and sweat...it was really hot that day) to the Washington and Lincoln Memorials and the War Memorials. Very moving...very amazing! I can't begin to say how glad I am that my kids got to see and experience all of these tributes to our countries leaders and heroes. It's an incredible experience!
I will take this moment to tell you of a rule that I have established for my weather loving husband. No one in my family is allowed to talk about the actual degree of temperature outside. I feel that if one says, "WOW! It's 152 degrees out here!" that it will only make matters worse. It begins to feel hotter than 152 degrees and I will get very cranky. If someone says, "Did you know it's 20 degrees below zero?", I will begin to cry...and my tears would freeze because it's so cold. So, they are only aloud to say, "It's hot/cold", "It's very hot/cold" or "It's really hot/cold". This way I can agree and move on without incident. If you want to know how hot it really was, ask Mark. In my estimation it was really, really hot!
We had a tour of the Capitol that day as well. We loved the Capitol. It has marble floors, marble walls and marble ceilings and it was air conditioned too! It was really cold in that building. Drake laid down on the floor in the middle of the hallway...I didn't make him get up, it was really, really hot that day. I was watching him wishing that I could join him while squishing my face against the wall...it was really cold and felt great after being outside where it was really, really hot!
Oh! And the building itself was really cool too. They have underground tunnels between the buildings so that the Congressman and such won't have to go outside into the really, really hot weather.
Our White House tour was on Tuesday. Drake was very excited, again. This was his second most desired thing to see while in DC. He was very disappointed that we didn't get to see President Bush...he got over it. It was neat just walking up to the place. We learned a lot about the history of the house and saw different things that belonged to the Presidents over the years.
The Library of Congress was a facinating place and we almost didn't see it! We were all ok with not going but we had time to fill so we went. I'm so glad that we did! It is beautiful! All of the ceilings were either painted with gorgeous scenery, historic scenes or other interesting things or they were covered with beautiful mosaics. All of the staircases were marble (very cold!) and had art carved into the marble banisters. We saw the main reading room which was awe inspiring. The size alone is intimidating. We also got to see the Gutenberg Bible.
I'm not sure which day we saw Ford's theatre, things started to run together after a while. Anyway, that was pretty cool too. They have the box seats where Lincoln was sitting decorated with the presidential 'garb', I can only assume it's like it was when he was there. I can't explain how it felt to stand in a place that Abraham Lincoln stood and was shot. They have a museum set up in the basement of the theatre. Along with the facts about the people involved in the assassination (more than I was aware of) they had artifacts that belonged to Lincoln and to John Wilkes Boothe. The one thing that I love about history (yes, only one, there are no others) is old stuff. We saw the coat, not a replica, that Lincoln was wearing the night he was shot, the gun that was used and a host of other things. It's just fascinating to me!
Wednesday was the Smithsonian. There was so much to see that we broke it down into just the areas that interested us. Drake wanted to see the Dinosaurs & a Star Wars exhibit (which was not there anymore and he was very dissapointed!), McKenna wanted to see the Ruby Slippers & Kermit the Frog and Reese & Mark were interested in the Air & Space museum. We saw it all, including my choices which were the Star Spangled Banner and Lincoln's top hat. We also spent time in the Museum of National Art and the Botanical Gardens.
Thursday we went to Arlington National Cemetary and decided to ride their shuttle to The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was a 20 minute walk and it was really hot. The cemetary and the Tomb were incredible! My absolute favorite thing of the whole trip! It was very moving to see all of the headstones representing the men and women who have died for my freedom! And to know that there are still young men out there who will sacrifice and give themselves to guard the tomb of someone they don't even know for 24 hrs a day in all kinds of weather (really, really cold, really, really hot and really, really wet) is something I take comfort in and am proud of.
We went back to see the Iwo Jima Memorial, which is right outside the cemetary, that night. It is so HUGE! McKenna tripped and fell on the steps while we were there and we had to do some triage. It looked pretty bad but she pulled through. We went to the Jefferson Memorial after that. Also HUGE! Very inspiring to stand in the middle of that building and read what he had to say to the leaders of our country. Our forefathers really knew what they were doing!
Friday we pulled out to start back home. We went through Gettysburg, PA to see the battle ground. My sister and I thought it would be neat for the kids to see a place that a battle had been fought and somewhere they had read and learned about in school. It's the funniest thing to me that it's in the middle of a corn field...I guess I never thought about that before. It's not like they cleared a field for the battle like they clear a field for football or baseball! There's corn and then there's monuments all over the fields...right in the middle of the field. So interesting!
When we left there we had to say goodbye to my Mom & Dad and my sister and her family. We started out for St Louis. Mark wanted to take the kids to see and go up in the Gateway Arch. Be sure and ask McKenna for a list of all the states we were in this summer!
We had what they call 'rain' as we drove through West Virginia. It was wet and smelled nice.
We stopped along the road at a fruit stand and bought some fruit that had been grown in local orchards. Momma Mia! It was deelish!
God even took the time to teach us all a wonderful lesson in faith and prayer while we were on the road! Apparently, there had been some horrible storms in Missouri before we got there and it left parts of the state without power. We needed to stop for gas but discovered we couldn't pump any when we stopped. We had to drive quite a way on faith and prayer! The kids learned that God is good and He takes care of us! When we arrived in the next town only half of the town had power and we were able to fill up! Go God!
We all had a great time going up in the Arch. It was cool to be at 630feet and look down on a crowd in the park below. Mark had arranged for our tickets to be at sunset and we got to see a beautiful sky while up there.
We had a pretty uneventful rest of the way home. We were all very glad to be home. We had a great time but we were so glad to be back in our own beds. Beans was very, very glad that we were home. He couldn't make up his mind who to go to first! Reese says next vacation we go someplace where all we have to do is hurry up and do nothin'! I agree...

Look what the Dog dragged in!

Well we made it home from our driving fool vacation. We are worn out and getting back into the swing of regular life...bummer! I don't have time (or the energy) to write about our experiences but I promise I will put some pictures up and tell all in the next few days! Glad to be home but miss being with my family and goofing off! Gleebe

Anticipation

Well, we are 2 days away from leaving for vacation! Packing, purchasing last minute things and cleaning have been our activities this week. I'm sure the kids would add 'Mom's nervous breakdowns' to that list! I think we are all ready to get out of Dodge and have some fun on the road and see what Washington DC has to offer us. I can't wait to write and tell you about our trip!

New to the game

I must say that I didn't think I would ever have a blog! Mostly, this is so my parents, family and friends can keep up with what's going in our lives. I hope that I can figure this out because, so far, it has made me a bit crazy!