"Getting My House in Order" or "Vacation Recovery"

I've decided to spend the week focusing on my continuing quest for organization. This covers much more than the physical home. Two years ago God told me to spend the next season of my life "getting my house in order". I'll write more about that later - maybe.

For NOW - this means that I'm getting back to routines. I want to tie up loose ends from last school year. I need to get the boys' portfolios mailed. The house is fairly clean but I want to deep clean a few areas. I want to organize the school closet, my files, and Darshia motivated us to try yet another overhaul of our toy closet. ::snort:: I also want all the walls washed. I have a ton of "getting back home things to do". I'm taking this week to get it all in order before I try to jump back into life.

The exception to this is the produce co-op. I NEED produce on Friday so I will spend some time tomorrow making calls, hopefully getting enough shares to place an order.

Today I: continued laundry, paid bills, balanced the checkbook, returned library books, bought produce, COOKED dinner, met our new chaplains, sent out a produce co-op email, made some phone calls, picked up PBS books at the post office and went to Curves.

I also said "no". I wanted to say "yes". Our region is having a Leadership Retreat THIS weekend. It would be Friday/Saturday. They graciously offered to pay my gas and room and would really like for me to come. I'd like to go. The speaker will be great. The weekend is geared to making you a better leader. I'd love to be there. PWOC here is small and I miss a larger group of supportive military women. This would be a great thing. EXCEPT - I JUST GOT HOME FROM A 31 DAY TRIP!!! I would have to drive to Lawton, OK on Friday and back on Saturday Evening..... and really it is in conflict with my overriding goal for the week - and this season "to get my house in order". I said, No. Lynn, Darshia - are you proud of me? I don't think I said "no" more than 2 times in Alaska. ::snort:: I felt terrible telling them no and they may call again tomorrow....If you hear I'm going to OK over the weekend...I said "maybe". ::snort::

CAMERA HUNT - Give Your Input

I resisted digital. We eventually bought one. We bought a HP that we liked but it lasted a year and broke (my Cannon from high school still works fine - The Nikon has lasted 10 years to date LOL). There were things we found we loved about digital and things we hated. It was REALLY frustrating to miss the "expression" because of lag time. This is an issue with young children. It was also really frustrating to know we'd have gotten a better photo with our bigger SLR lenses.....

Mike bought the Nikon Dwhatever 70/90???? And I loved it. It had all the advantages of the 35mm SLR I was used to AND the advantages of being digital. We can switch lenses between the SLR and the DL. The zoom lenses on the smaller digitals simply don't compare to the bigger, interchangeable Nikon lenses.

My problem is NOT what many of you say. "I'd never take a big camera with me." I've hauled one or two 35 mm cameras around since high school. The problem is that Mike gets nervous watching me juggle the "spendy" camera with the diaper bag, car seats, library books etc.

When Mike deployed we bought a cheap digital - cheapest we could find. We knew he needed a camera but we knew the sand was lethal on digitals. LOL Office Depot has a great guarantee that works well for those deploying. IF the sand ruins your camera you get a new one. LOL Mike asked me to begin using the small digital for my "around town trips" about 6 weeks ago.

Here's the verdict....I LIKE the pocket size. I like the wide viewing screen it has (much bigger than most). It was DEFINITELY lighter and easier to hike with in AK.

I don't like the delay. It doesn't matter that it's "small" - it's noticeable and there. It doesn't take true colors - Stacia's purple shirt looks blue etc. When using the optical zoom feature it gets blurry. When taking photos of scenery things far away become indistinct and often it doesn't "quite" focus (see examples of today's travel photos). In other words with THIS small digital I'm taking more photos but they are NOT the quality of photo that we are used to in our albums etc. They are more the "Instamatic type" photos of the 1970's. LOL There was a GREAT photo of a rainbow ending at Walmart that I tried to get and the rainbow didn't even show up - it would have with any of our other cameras. We got the NIKON out when we were in AK so that we could have good mountain and moose photos. LOL

Mike says this was a trial camera to see if I'd like a small one. Now we're searching for a small one that will do what I want it to do...all those positives without the list of negatives.

If you use a small digital, will you please post in the comment section of this post? WHICH one do you use, what do you love, what are you not so happy with, a link to your blog with photos taken with the camera - AND are they touched up - I never touch up. Anything else you think may be helpful.....

Day 31 - HOME

15 July 2007

Moto Lotto: Jared won today. My way of scoring was to simply count who won the most days and they were the grand winner. Mike and Jared have come up with a system that involves scoring points for all, every day and such. Jared's currently looking to see who the winner is. By my method of scoring Jared won - the winner on 4 days, followed by Mike with 3 days and Jamin and I with 2 days each....

Quote of the Day: "We're rich! We're rich!" Zander's repeated phrase as he ran for our front door. This was followed by "What? The DOOR'S LOCKED!!!" ::snort::

We arrived home at 3 p.m. We spent the last few hours unpacking, cleaning, doing laundry, showering etc. Stacia's busying herself with repeated meltdowns. I'll share more trip thoughts I'm sure when I have time to think....but for now...WE'RE HOME!!!!

Some final (or maybe not) road trip photos:

Amarillo, TX

Panhandle of TX

Getting close to home....

Windmills near our town - see what I mean about fading backgrounds and fuzzy zooms?

We're home - see what I mean about focus?

The van is even vacuumed - what a team!

Has she REALLY not had enough of the seat?

Mike took Josiah out for trailer pulling practice

Jamin made us pizza for dinner! Yum. (another example of the indistinct focusing) Road Trip 2007 is over. It was great - but more thoughts than that will have to wait.

Summer Reading Challenge Update!

Here is a list of the books I read on our road trip.

By Alexander McCall Smith

~The Kalahari Typing School for Men

~The Full Cupboard of Life

~In the Company of Cheerful Ladies

~Blue Shoes and Happiness

I continue to really enjoy this series. Time to see if there are more in the series. I've listed all these on PBS tonight....hop on over if you want one of them. Link is in the sidebar.

I also read "Murder Plays House" by Ayelet Waldman. I feel like I'm coming to understand Juliet as I continue to read this series. I don't find her quite as obnoxious as I did after reading the first book. This is NOT my favorite book in this series. I do NOT like new characters being introduced in the final 20 pages who turn out....well anyway. ::snort:: I also didn't really enjoy many of the characters/plot lines of this one.

Sorry for the brief reviews...but that's all I have time for tonight.

Day 30 - July 14, 2007

Moto Lotto: Jared wins.

Quote of the Day: Stacia emphatically states "Git OUT!" after 12 1/2 hours in her car seat.

There was a point in the day when Mike suggested we could make it all the way home yesterday - but we couldn't. We were tired......Kristine we cut off I25 through Raton, NM (the right hand corner of NM) and into the panhandle of TX.

Met Ken, Lynn, and Matt; Frances; and Kristine and Trevor at 8 a.m. at McDonold's in Monument, CO. What a fun time of catching up. Ken and Mike are discussing a Souther CO camping trip in the "near" future. We also began to dream of a trip up the alcan together. Thanks so much for your fun-loving, flexible spirits which allowed meeting off I-25 possible.

Kristine & De'EttaFrances, De'Etta, Stacia, Lynn

Drove all day. Got into lunch BEHIND a hoarde of boyscout troops.

Pike's Peak (camera doesn't do it justice)

Scenery is changing....home is nearing

Raton, NM

Capulin, NM

What do you do with roads like this?

Pretend they are roller coasters!

Day 29 - Hardin to FT Collins, CO
13 July 2007

Motorcycle Lotto: Jamin is the winner of the day.

Quote of the Day: “These mosquitoes will suck all your blood and then you will die.” There seems to be a new preoccupation with travel dangers (see last night’s quote).

These trips are ALWAYS so hard. We have so many family and friends we’d like to stop and visit. BUT if you take too many 25 mile/100 mile side trips…well….as it is we are booking and blessed that we can see as many friends/family as we have. We are so thankful to all of you who have graciously interrupted your days and met us at BK’s and McD’s off the fwy. ::snort::

We’ve remembered today that Eastern MT and Western WY aren’t really spectacularly beautiful. LOL The last few days have spoiled us with tall mountains, rolling farmland and such.
We’ve arrived at FT Collins. We drove most the day. I mentioned in the comments that we really ARE making good time. We slow down on mountains. We are stopping for gas MUCH more often 150-200 miles and that slows us down….and we are not driving 75 mph - which is the speed limit out here. However, Mike has been going 65 - 70 with it…..and we have a long rig. LOL So - we used to be able to drive from Co Springs to our home in one day but not with the trailer. We are taking this trip by ear….going as far as we can and stopping. I don’t think we’ll make it home tomorrow….who knows?

We’re at KOA again - a nice one. I love the sound of the wind in the Aspens. This is another less crowded park. There are even HORSES outside the fence - much to Stacia’s delight. We’re in the middle of nowhere - not really in Ft Collins but some little town outside of it…..but it doesn’t look like a town….more like a community of ranches and KOA. LOL Anyway, I made dinner. This took creativity but was fun. The neighbors came over and said they are leaving tomorrow and gave us a couple of bags of food. I pulled together a really respectable soup, salad, mac/cheese, garlic toast etc. LOL Mike took the kids swimming while I cooked. I’ll take them to the playground while he runs with the older boys. That’s about it and we hope to hit the road by 5 a.m. I think I heard…..not sure when that will put us into Colorado Springs but I’ll email Lynn and Kristine tonight…..

Hardin, MT

Gas in Buffalo, WY

Casper, WYHelping Dad

Cheyenne, WY

Day 28 - Missoula to Hardin, MT

12 July 2007

Motorcyle Lotto: Jared won today.

Quote of the Day: “I’m protecting my brain” - says Zander as he plugs his NOSE and dives under. It seems that water can go up your nose, into your brain and YOU WILL DIE!!!!

Ugh - Mike and I are not feeling well...but we have to travel. LOL Few words this evening.....

Visited with Cindy and Emily at a BK off the freeway (this is me with no shower or makeup and sick LOL) Cindy this is becoming "our place".

We're staying at the KOA in Hardin. Wow the stars in MT. I miss them. I cried when we parked here....such a good season of our life was spent here. Our time in Hardin was the only time where I lived in a town with my parents, my uncle and my grams. The kids and I walked to visit grams daily. All the children were home....well the ones that had been born....it was a good season.

Ev had called while we were at BK and wanted to have a potluck. Mike suggested that we keep it low key and that they come over to the KOA. Great. The children played and we visited.

Mom - recognize Grandma Lorraine?

These are our twins ::snort:: They were in our youth group when we were here....and we loved catching up with them and their children

My good friends Cindy and Ev (twins mom)

Sam (Ev's husband)

More could be said, but it's nearing midnight and we have an 0600 pull out call. ::snort::