Leg Two-Ohio

It's been five days since we left Connecticut and we are just 39 miles short of our first 1000 miles.  We've cruised through six states,  seen 40 different state license plates and visited with both sides of Hal's family.

I don't want to jinx us but so far, this trip has been wonderful.  While it seems like a lot of travel, we've done a good job of not being in the car for more than a few hours at a time and the kids seem hardly phased by it.  We just told the t it hem would be 6 hours from Columbus to Chicago and they were like, "psh...that's nothing."  Clearly they're being de-sensitized.

While we're still just starting out, I've already learned a few things, a few little tid bits from the road:

1) Travel does weird things to your body.  It messes with your circadian rhythm which means that while you're exhausted and can hardly see straight, you lay in  bed at 1:15am and stare at the ceiling, unable to fall down the rabbit hole.  It also messes with your digestive system, makes your feet and hands swell up and causes shoulder and back pain.  I'm going to return to my chiropractor all twisted up like a hard, day-old pretzel.

2) Rest stops.  They are a traveler's oasis in a vast and empty world of highways void of toilets.  They are sanctuaries for the weary and just happen to be a great equalizer of humanity.  It doesn't matter if you're driving a Mercedes or a Minivan, a Bentley or a Bug, if you are old or young, black or white,  everyone looks the same as they walk desperately, stiffed-legged yet as fast as they can, to the nearest toilet.

We arrived in Ohio on Saturday night, June 15th.  A good number of Hal's dad's side of the family live in Ohio and we arrived to a house-full of aunts, uncles, cousins and neighbors...all eager to hug us.

Krissy and Claudia

The family

Mike, Hal and Harry

Janiah and Maryn

Hal's family lives in Lucy Depp Park, an area just outside of Dublin.  This place has an interesting history.  Back in the 1800's a man named Abraham Depp was the first black man to purchase and run a farm in Ohio.  He bought close to 400 acres and the land stayed in the family and was eventually inherited by Abraham's daughter Lucy who sold some of her land off to her nephew. He developed the area and created beautiful and affordable subdivisions for the black community.

Lucy Depp Park was the place to stay in the early 1900's.  People like boxer Joe Louis and many famous musical acts who came to Columbus, all stayed there when they came to the area.  It is also believed to be a stop on the underground railroad.

Hal's cousin Buddy, who recently passed, and his wife Claudia own a house there.  Buddy's sister Gwin and her husband Manning live right next door so between the two,  it's like the family gathering place for parties and reunions.

The family had the grill and the music going.  The house smelled like grilled chicken, macaroni and cheese and fruit punch.  It was packed with old and young as they laughed, danced, hugged and enjoyed each others company.  Our kids crawled out of the minivan and made their way, in the dark, through the woods from Gwin's house across a little bridged crick to Buddy's house and immediately disbursed. We didn't see them for the next three hours.

Even though it had been at least two years since they'd seen their cousins, they picked up right where they left off and wandered around Lucy Depp until nearly 11pm when Carter wandered inside, blurry eyed and looking for a place to collapse from exhaustion.

We'd originally planned on staying with Hal's cousin Krissy and her family but with it being so late, we ended up staying next door at Manning and Gwinny's house that night. Gwinny was out of town so Manning welcomed the company.  I think Carter fell asleep before he hit the pillow.

Hal and Manning

The next morning we headed to the Columbus Zoo.  We spent seven hours there.  SEVEN HOURS, people.  It was like the zoo trip that would ever end.  We saw everything from tigers to manatees.

Entrance to the zoo

Beautiful cardinal

Mushrooms!

Alan! Alan! Alan!

"There's a little green frog....sitting in the water..."

Next to this polar bear, Hal looks positively tiny!

Any way you cut it, elephants are fascinating

Oh the hu-manatees

WARNING: Never stick your head in the mouth of a T-rex, for you will lose it.

We took a tour of the new Dinosaur adventure area, toured the aquarium, enjoyed the aviary and finally drug our butts to cousin Krissy's house at 8 that night.


We stayed there until about 12:30 and honestly, we enjoyed hanging out with them so much that midnight seemed too early to leave.  Krissy and Brandon have four kids and while their kids are teenagers, our kids still had a blast with them.  While we talked inside, the kids rode their scooters outside until it got dark.

Maryn had a blast following around her cousins. She followed Nick around until he left to a friend's house and then went upstairs with Asia where she re-arranged all of her nail polishes and then crawled in her bed and fell asleep.

Sure, this is totally out of the ordinary for our kids.  They are usually in bed by 8:30 but it's vacation and it's family and it was fantastic and worth every missed wink.  There is something so comforting, so lovely and wonderful about relaxing at your family's house.  Being that we don't live close to family in CT, it's such a joy to do it on this trip.  It makes me wish we lived closer to this family.  I could see us spending time with them every weekend, they are fantastic.  Just love them and their smiles and tight hugs and the fact that they cry when we leave.  We have been loved to the point of overflow and that should last us for a bit as we make our way to my family out west.

We got back to Manning's house at about 1am and crashed with a loud thump.  In the morning it was time to head to Chicago and that's where we are now, on the road, a few minutes from Indianapolis where we will stop for a bit on the way to Chi town.

Our odometer just turned over the first 1000 miles. The land is starting to flatten, the hills of Pennsylvania fading in our rear view, the highway narrowing from the broad northeast four lanes to a cozy two lane.  As if to welcome us to the bible belt, the first thing we saw in Indiana was a cross that was easily 40 feet tall.

Well, hello Midwest. It's nice to see you :)

Leg One- Pennsylvania

Well, the trip has begun.  I'm blogging in the car which is both awesome and terrible.  Hal's computer is tempermental.  I couldn't figure out why it wouldn't let me type in my password and he was like, "oh yeah, it has this spot on the mouse pad that doesn't like to be touched.  Don't touch "the spot."  You guys, "the spot" is the size of a period in a book and almost impossible to touch.  Good grief.

It's only been two days and there have been some sing-a-longs, movies and games like "what is that truck haulin'" and "how many state license plates can we find.  So far we're up to thirty one including Hawaii.  I mean, what are the chances of that?!  Clearly this game is too easy!

There has also been some whining, grumbling and fighting because let face it, it doesn't matter how much you love each other when you're confined in a minivan, people's faces start to annoy you.  On my part, I can attest that the reason for my grumpiness is that I'm breaking in a new underwire bra which is nothing short of torture on wheels.  I'm sure if a bear gnawed off my leg it would hurt less.

Anyway...

We made it to Pennsylvania where we stayed with Hal's aunt and uncle, John and Shelva.  Auntie Shelva is Mamaw's big sister and her and uncle John welcomed us with open arms to their incredibly comfortable and clean house where they cooked us delicious food, offered us alcoholic beverages which were much appreciated and did everything they could to make us comfortable including plunging the toilet after the kids didn't flush and put too much toilet paper in the commode.

 It's not a true vacation until we've clogged someone's toilet.  We do that everywhere we go.  We should carry our own plunger in the trunk.  We truly love our Auntie Shelva and Uncle John.  We look forward to spending time with them because they are the kind of people you can spend hours talking to and never tire out.

They live in a secluded woodsy area that feels like a personal retreat.  Their manicured lawn in flanked by all types of plants and flowers in all shapes and colors.  It's so beautiful that they attract all types of birds, deer and even bears!

We spent the first night tucked into freshly laundered quilts and rollaway beds and woke up early in the morning to spend the day at Hershey Park in Hershey, Pa.  If you've never been there let me just tell you, the air really does smell of Chocolate.  It's like dying and going to heaven.

Street light on Chocolate Avenue

Wheee!

Enjoying the water park on a perfect sunny day

Hershey Kiss

We spent all day at the park, riding rides and soaking in the sun at the water park.  Both Maryn and Laila rode some incredibly terrifying rides including The Comet and The Claw.  Laila rode The Great Bear.  I don't know where they get their fearlessness from because Hal and I stood looking up at the coasters and pissing in our pants.

Can you believe my 6 year old got on this thing??

Kissing on the kissing tower

Driving Mommy on the PA turnpike

Carter and Daddy

After a long day at the park, we headed back to John and Shelva's where they fed us ridiculous amounts of pasta and meatballs that made us nearly pass out at the dinner table.  We were eating by candlelight in their screened in porch and the half-light made it possible to take little cat naps between bites.  The kids barely made it through before passing out.

In the morning, it was time to head out again.  We stopped in Somerset, Pa which is the location that Flight 93 crashed into an open field.  We took the kids up to the memorial and spent some time reflecting.

Getting to the memorial takes some patience.  It's out of the way, around loopy roads and past exits, through tiny towns that consist of more than a biker bar, an adult toy store and a church.

Leaving a note.  She wrote "Thank you."

Field of flowers

Memorial wall of names

So, it takes some effort to get there is my point but you know what? There were so many people there, boy scout troops, baseball teams and bus loads of tourists.  Sure I expected to see some but nothing like the numbers that were there.  It was positively heartwarming.

Standing there in that open field surrounded by wildflowers, rolling hills and endless sky, it was easy to imagine the silence being shredded by the roar of a plane as it cast an ominous shadow over that innocent dancing grass.

Actual crash site

Today the place is so quiet, still and peaceful.   Despite the large number of people, you can hear nothing except chirping insects and the flop of your sandals.

People leave things along the memorial wall.  Things like money, pins and effects.  I loved this.

The clan

The kids were solemn, as should be expected, as you would be at any grave site.  They learned a lot and even left special notes tacked up to the memorial wall.

Afterwards we capped off our time in PA with a visit to Primanti Brothers.  We make a yearly pilgrimage to that place.  It's Hals mecca where he pays homage to the makers of steak sandwiches with coleslaw and french fries.

And now that we've blessed our bodies with it, we are off to Ohio...

Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus---The Travel Edition

It's amazing how pronounced the differences between men and women are when we do things like pack for vacation.

Example:
I made sure the kids have new shoes and got their hair cut.  I refilled all prescriptions, paid the bills and returned library books.  I washed all the clothes and packed a first aid kit and educational materials for the kids.

My husband made sure we had XM radio for the minivan, went to Wal-Mart to get the kids new scooters that were on clearance and packed his tools.  And by "tools" I mean this:

I'm making sure we have sunscreen.  He's making sure he doesn't forget his golf clubs.  I'm cleaning the car out, making sure our registration is up to date and trying to plan a tune up before we leave.  He's making sure the luggage will fit in the Thule.

I will pack carrots sticks and cucumbers with water.  He will fill a cooler with Red Bull and Cheetos.

Still, I couldn't do it without him.  Because it seems like all the stuff I would forget, like cell phone chargers and extra batteries is the kind of stuff that he remembers.  He does all the heavy lifting and is an expert packer.  The man's got mad skilz when it comes to packing a trunk or an overhead container!

Now if only I can get him to pack less than 30 outfits for this trip!  He doesn't know this yet but we're only taking 3 outfits a piece.  Anything more is overkill...and dead weight on a trip where we will have easy access to washing machines and laundry soap.

I need to figure out a way that I can get him to pack sooner than later.  If left to his own devices, he'd be searching for his favorite pair of boxers an hour before we leave.  And I can't pack for him because he's got a system you see.  In an underwear drawer full of 10 skivvies, he's got a system going.  He's got a few favorite pair and those always get worn first.  The second best get worn if his favorite are dirty and then of course there is tier three, the black sheep of the underwear drawer that only get worn in emergency situations like when I haven't don't laundry in a loooooong time.

And you'd think that I would know his choice favorites by now but no.  That's an impossibility because his favorites change randomly with his mood and also, which outfit hes' wearing.  Some undies ride up when he wears certain pants and others only work with suits or shorts.  Trying to understand his underwear situation is like trying to understand tax laws.  It's uninteresting and complicated.

Me?  I have 7 pairs, one for each day of the week.  I like all of them and wear all of them.  The only exception is the period panties which only get worn once a month.  Other than that, it's an easy system.

Geesh...and they say women are the high maintenance ones!

T-Minus Two weeks

Well, the countdown has begun.  Just a few days left before the fam and I head out on the open road!  As preparation, Hal and I have started watching National Lampoon's Vacation. You know, the one where they go to Wally World and everything that could possibly go wrong, goes wrong.

I'm thinking that will be us.  Who knows what craziness will ensue but for goodness sake, we're going to be in a minivan for four weeks, something bad is bound to happen.  There could be vomiting and fighting and silent treatments and detours and who knows what else.

Up until now, I've been so consumed with girl scout ceremonies and fund raising and oodles of other things, that I haven't really gotten down to the nitty gritty planning of this trip but the time is here and I need to get my butt in order.  Our to-do list is ridiculous and kind of overwhelming so I'm trying not to think about it.  I'm just doing what comes to mind so that I don't freak out!

I'm trying not to sweat the packing because really, there isn't much to take.  I'm going to pack about three outfits for each of us and just a few toiletries.  Other than that we need a camera, a cooler, our pillows and assorted learning materials because this will be an educational trip, kids.  We will be practicing times tables and reading the history of this, our great country.

Yes, my kids totally hate me.

No, but seriously.  We're going to be in the car for hours at a time and I DO NOT want them eyeball deep in nintendo games the entire time.

So yeah, I'm not so worried about the packing.  I'll leave that to the last minute as all good procrastinators do.  My most pressing issue right now is this foul and mysterious odor that has taken over our minivan. Well, in all honesty, it's not all that "mysterious."

 A few weeks ago I accidentally locked the cat in the garage for the night and despite the fact that the basement door was open, where he could easily reach his food, bed and litter box, he took this as an act of war and retaliated by taking a giant deuce on the driver's side carpet.  And then, for the cherry on top, he sprayed my driver's side seat and console.

Don't let the cuteness fool you folks, he's a real asshole!*

We've also noticed that this cat has taken to peeing in my daughter's closet.  I mean, what the heck is wrong with this animal?  He's never done this before.  He spends most of his time outside and when he's inside he has his own personal poop box and now he's peeing in our closets and vehicles?

Clearly the cat has anger issues.  I might need to start sleeping with a knife under my pillow.

This was his reaction when I told him we're out of cat treats.*

So yeah, this smell needs to be dealt with.  And fast.  I thought I cleaned it up but during this recent heat wave, the warmth cooked any residual stuff and left a pungent and not so pleasant odor.  Dear Lord, I might have to fumigate it.  Or we may be riding cross country with the widows open the whole time- even if it rains.  Or we might have to hang forty thousand pine scented fresheners from the ceiling. We're still weighing our options.

In other news, we just got our national parks pass.

We're gonna put some mileage on this baby! *

Seeing as how there are five of us and we'd normally have to pay per person for every park we visit, it made total financial sense to just get a pass that would let our whole car-full in to every park for a whole year for a one time fee of $80.  I've never really stopped and wondered at our country's beauty before so I'm really looking forward to seeing from the mountains, to the prairies to the oceans white with foam!

We also borrowed one of those really unflattering roof-rack storage thingies that go on the top of the minivan.  When traveling, this thing is to minivans what a fanny pack is to people, simply uncool.  It also SCREAMS tourist which means that when we drive into Chicago, there will be a neon sign blinking over our van that says, "we are far from home, vulnerable and carrying traveler's checks...rob us please."

You might think that my husband was thinking ahead about how we can secure our suitcases up top, thus leaving room in the van for leg more room and relaxation but not so much.  He needed a place for his golf clubs. Because they are a top priority item when you are traveling THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS AND DESSERT!

Anyway...Progress is being made.

Well, I guess blogging isn't going to get me packed or organized so I best be on my way.  Will keep you posted!

*Pictures courtesy of my birthday gift from my husband.  A camera, that unlike my previous one, doesn't throw hissy fits when I try to take a picture.  This sweetie is going to be a great companion and I hope to capture some wonderful pictures to share with you all!  This camera is why I'm not out-loud complaining about those golf clubs.  I'm too busy playing with my new toy :)

Happy Birthday To Me!

Well, ya'll...today is the day...in many ways.

First off, it's my birthday.  I am THIRTY EIGHT!!! I'm so excited.  Do you know how much I've accomplished in just 38 short years? An astonishing amount.  So many awesome things have happened to me during my life and sure, have there been some bummers? Of course, naturally.  But overall, I'm a lucky girl!

I'm celebrating by going to church, a nice meal with family and friends and  hosting my fundraiser.  We're having a family field day where we will hang out at the river, eat and play ridiculous games that I meticulously planned to make us all look like complete idiots.  It'll be amazing.

Tomorrow also just happens to be the day that all of our money is due for our trip to Ethiopia in August.  I'm buying myself a ticket to Africa for my birthday.  How amazing is that!?

And thanks to the love and support of friends and family...I'm buying a ticket for my daughter too!  That's right folks, I'm so thankful and joyful to say that our fundraising efforts have gone above and beyond.  I set a goal of $2000 which based on the estimated costs, wouldn't have even covered her plane ticket and that was well surpassed!

But then, God is amazing. 

We didn't know until last night, how much our tickets would cost.  We were told to budget $2500 for each plus in country expenses of $500 a piece.  Well, the tickets turned out to only cost $1725!

There was some back and forth planning between our church trip coordinator, our travel agent, the airlines and the organization we're going with.  We found some tickets at a good cost but then before confirmations could be made, the airline gave the tickets to another group and we lost them.  It was a little discouraging.

When I said this to my husband he said, "don't worry, that just means that God has a better deal for you guys."  I loved his support but kind of didn't believe him.  How wrong I was because not but a few hours later we got notice that he was right!  The delay and loss of the original tickets resulted in an ever better deal for us all, saving our group thousands of dollars!

 At the beginning of this process I wrote that based on what I know about God, he would provide.  He just would.  We would simply have to sit back and let it happen and that's exactly what transpired over the last few months.  We found money coming from places that we didn't even know existed, from people who nothing short of shocked me with their outrageous generosity!

In fundraising, I was hoping to cover just some of Laila's costs but between the reduced flight amount and the amazing generosity of our friends and family, the ENTIRE cost of her entire trip was covered!

Blown away.  I am completely BLOWN AWAY!

Our church has asked us to do a little video, talking about why we are going on this trip and I've struggled to decide what I should say.  Perhaps the answer is just too big, to complicated to reduce in a sound bite.  Here's the bottom line: I'm going because I am a follower of God and that's just what we are supposed to do.  We are supposed to care for people in all places, in all circumstances. We are to love and care for widows and orphans around the world.  So in short, I'm going because he told me to.

Based on how much I've learned in the months leading up to this trip, I cannot even begin to imagine the depth of the lessons I will learn over the next three.  I'm about to jump from the plane- metaphorically speaking, to close my eyes and leap into the unknown with a little fear but a smile om my face.

I've said it before- and I'll say it again but THANK YOU to everyone who has been so incredibly supportive.  For everyone who has given donations and offered prayers.  I can't wait to come back and share our experiences with you so that you may experience it as well!