Reflections

Several times during the trip we wondered if we'd make it home with 2 parents and 4 children considering our losses along the way.  It was an episode of "Hansel and Gretel Across America."

Here's a recap...

Lost:

glasses

video camera

backpack

tie dye shirt

water bottle

wallet

3 pair sunglasses

jacket

3 journals

swimsuit

towel

shirt

pajamas

2 teeth

That's nothing compared to our gains:

acorns

Grand Canyon rocks

sand in the swimsuit

tans

lightened hair

weight

height

uninterrupted family time

renewed friendships

fresh perspective on depth and breadth of American history and culture

God's blessings in safety, people, nature, plans, and one another

It was an awesome trip; I got to see lots of cool stuff. I also learned a lot. The Lord kept us safe (we missed the  Holocaust Museum shooting, Metro's fatal crash)....  

The best parts of the trip were the beaches, baseball game, Broadway, shopping, visiting friends & relatives, and D.C. with Grandma. It all was great, so I can't pick a favorite. Pack light. Thanks for taking the time to read our blog.

HN

I really enjoyed Sacramento. There, I got to have frog legs and visit the jelly belly factory.

God really blessed me with this trip and I will be able to remember it when I'm older. I also would like to thank everyone that prayed for our family's safety. 

Trevor

     I think this was the best trip ever!!! I really had fun and loved every part of it. One of my favorite places  was San Diego. God kept us safe and let us have lots of fun.

Rylee  : )

my    favrit  place was the beech.

sam

     I'm like Rylee, everything was good.  Some special moments were seeing the sunrise over the Atlantic from Mt. Desert Island in Maine while hugging my girls, experiencing Mt. Vernon and DC with Mom, chatting with veterans at the WWII memorial, watching Mary Poppins on Broadway, cheering at my first pro baseball game at Wrigley Field, having the water of Niagara Falls splash over my head, hearing testimonies of faith at Pacific Garden Mission, touring Independence Hall, tubing at Schlitterbaun, hiking the Canyon Rim Trail, sitting with Kipp on the train, visiting with friends,  watching the kids have fun at Grandma and Grandpa's farm... I could just keep going!  There were so many great memories.  

     There were many hours invested in planning, but the puzzle pieces wouldn't have fit together without God's grace, intervention, and rescue at times.  I am in awe that he can forge a nation, protect and guide its people, create a landscape, inspire great works of art and architecture, care for the homeless, and still care to get us to the train on time.

Ann

I think we'll always remember the trip.  Ann and I want the kids to know all they can about our country, so the experiences from the trip should add to their knowledge, and maybe stimulate some curiosity. We had many, many "firsts" that were fun. We saw our first lightening bug, our first saguaro cactus, our first view of the Atlantic, and our first trip to sevveral states. Spending time with Ann and the kids was a lot of fun. Other highlights were seeing the Oordts, the Browns, my parents, Pacific Garden Mission, the Cubs at Wrigley Field, and spending time with Gayle in D.C.  The fact that everyone stayed healthy, and that we never missed a train is proof that God answers prayers. I know we didn't do all that alone. Thanks to all who took us in, fed us, and prayed for us.

Kipp.

Last Leg

     The last segment... Crammed in the midst of luggage, fruit, and must have supplies we began the last journey.  Rivers are high, smoke hangs in the air and temperatures are perfect.  In Alaska, it been a warm and sunny summer like none other.  And we were gone.  No complaining, we had good weather, too.  

     The house was so tidy I almost said we would have to camp outside for a few more days, but the inevitable happened and we are lost under mountains of mail and the fun of unpacking new treasures and the few clothes that have served us well for seven weeks.  It's good to be home.

Grandma Gayle's

     Ahh.  Sleep.  Mom's been busy in our absence--all new siding and windows on her house, thanks to my brothers, Lee and Dale.  It would have been fun to watch them work, but I'm sure they appreciated our absence!  Lee was still here to visit with us.  

     Sam, Rylee, and I scoured the woods for wild currants.  We found just enough to make a batch of currant syrup.  It was nice to not worry about snakes underfoot (an obsession for all of us when we are in "America"), but the mother moose and baby that live here could probably do more damage, unless the mosquitoes would graciously carry us away in the nick of time.

     We had a pleasant dinner outside with Lee and Grandma.  Ann

Great Burger Quest--Case Closed

     I left early in the morning to fly to Tacoma.  I attended a one day conference for choral music teachers.  It was called a "Reading"  which means you listen to tons of new arrangements for choir and pick what will work for your students.  It was just what I needed, but I didn't know I would be doing the reading along with all the other choir directors and excellent guest conductors.  We sightread from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm--covered a lot of ground and what excellent singers!

     In my absence Kipp got the troops rounded up for an evening departure for Alaska.  They had lunch at the Kountry Korner.  Hannah had a happy finale to her perfect hamburger quest.  After countless hamburgers across America, grandpa's concoction topped the list.  Wow!  This quest may have contributed to her inch of growth on this trip--vertically.  

     It's always tough to say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa and aunts, uncles, and cousins.  This place is what I call the Springdale Spa and Resort.  

     After my day of vocal exercise, I found my brother, Steve, at the SeaTac Airport.  He had been on a business trip to Vancouver.  We chatted and waited for the rest of the gang to arrive before we all caught a ride to Anchorage.  

Ann

Chewelah Friends

     Surprisingly, we were back to long-sleeves and coats today.  I guess the weatherman is prepping us for the return to Alaska.   That didn't seem to stop our kids from taking on the outdoor pool at the Rusher's house in Chewelah.  We spent the evening with them, Dean, Gayle, Emily, and Megan--friends from Kipp's high school days.  Gayle provided each kid with individual homemade ice cream kits.  You can see them tumbling their bags in the photo.  Super idea.  Trevor seemed to have a lot of entertainment energy to keep the others in awe.  You just may see his video on America's Funniest Home Videos, thanks to Hannah's ready camera.  It was great fun to catch up with the Rushers.  We crept home in the dark hoping to avoid the gazillions of deer in the area.

Ice cream makers

A Little Bit Country

Grandpa, Whisper, Smokey, and Me

herding the sheep   

  Today we went to a church in Deer Park. When we got home we visited with the Norris relatives and I rode on Whisper, Grandpa's horse. The sheep followed me. Whisper has a new colt and I got to name it Smokey. We visited with the Norris' some more and played with Dana.          Rylee

Yesterday we got up early and drove seventeen miles to Chewelah for their parade. In the picture is a float with one of my dad's friend's daughters on it. Trevor, Rylee, and Sam got a handful of candy during the parade. Surrounding communities also had floats in the parade. Then we visited our cousin Tori's job in Chewelah. We came home to Springdale and the Hardimans came to visit for a while. They consisted of Aunt Kathy, Uncle John, and our cousin Ken. Trevor and Ken set off fireworks on the bridge while I stayed inside snacking (avoiding the 90 degree heat) and listening to the conversation. They left that evening after a DELICIOUS dessert to head back to Quincy. We stayed inside that evening until a walk on a nice piece of property. The high seventies heat felt very nice. This morning we went to a baptist church in Deer Park and came home to a nice, ideal lunch of pizza and fruit. The blueberries are HUGE. The Mariners are batting right now and beating the Rangers, so I need to go. 

HN

10th of July Fireworks

One of the joys of Springdale for Kipp is having coffee with the local "boys" at Frank and Treva's store/diner, the Kountry Korner.  I decided to join him this morning to see what the "pulse" of Springdale felt like. Being the only girl in the place makes me feel at home and the conversation blows about between friendly put-downs and global solutions.  

We had a day on the farm.  Sam and Rylee ran the circuit between the pool and trampoline, Trevor created explosive devices, Hannah "hung out" with cousin Dana, I weeded, and so it goes.  Kipp was the chef for the party of 15 tonight.  The menu included halibut, salmon, and shrimp.  Kipp loves having full run of the kitchen with his Mom hovering like a sous-chef.  

Rylee, Sheep Creek, and forget-me-nots

Fireworks on the fourth are a tradition around here, but the gang graciously waited for the Norris family to finish their wandering before moving ahead with plans.  It was a little show, but it was fun.

Trevor sneaking up on firecrackers

Trip to the City

After a hearty farm breakfast, the family was off to Spokane.  Trevor's set up with glasses, everyone got gym shoes, and Kipp's got "kitchen-leg", a condition common among fathers shopping with wives and daughters.  We visited Kipp's great-aunt Jane in her home.  She seemed happy to have the company.  Whitworth University gave us a tour of their campus--much renewed from the days Kipp and I attended--and we learned a bit about what sort of questions to start asking about colleges in general.  Camp Whitworth looks a little more sophisticated than twenty years ago.  We spent the evening with Kevin's family watching the Mariners win (!).

Ann

Critters and Crooks

Grandpa's new colt

Waking up on the farm to the bleating of sheep and the tweeting of birds is a fun thing.  It's not even hot which is unusual for our summer visits.  First order of business was haircuts on the lawn for the family.  Trevor, Kipp, Rylee, Sam, and Grampa all lined up for shearings.  

Hannah and Kipp found puppies to look at, so we headed to Newport, WA, on an adventure.  "Bulldog or no dog" is Kipp's mantra.  The puppies were awfully cute, and the lady even came down in price enough to lure us toward a deal. We nearly bought one, but asked for a day to think it over. The seller reluctantly agreed and sped away from our meeting place. We were then informed by a bystander, and it was later confirmed by a sheriff, that the seller was convicted of multiple accounts of animal abuse and ran a puppy mill. She has been suspended by AKC, so the registration papers had to be fake. Kipp thinks we were looking at pit bull pups, and is thankful we didn't buy one.  The day's events made for a good story to tell at the daily gathering around the dinner table for conversation with Grandma, Grandpa, Kipp's sister Karen, and cousin Tori.

Back on the Farm

Kevin and Doris were kind enough to put us up for the night and we were able to catch up a bit before heading out to Springdale.  Grandma and Grandpa's place is a welcome sight for all.  The trampouline, the pool, the horses, sheep, llamas, hugs, cousins, and home cookin' all make for an oasis for weary travelers.  No sooner did we land than Hannah is on the hunt for a puppy, determined to take one home.  Temperatures are quite cool right now so we feel right at home.

Ann

Portland and Friends

Wendy's family and Melanie picked us up in the morning for a day at Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.  We sort of lost track of time and the kids dug in their heels when it was time to go--it was that kind of museum.  Yes, it was a science teacher's dreamland, but fun for all. Trevor and Rylee especially liked the Crime Scene Investigation special exhibit.  They solved the mystery.  

We left in time to catch the train to Spokane.  It was another beautiful trip along the Columbia Gorge during sunset.  It was our last train trip and it's been perfect transportation for us. Kipp's brother, Kevin, his wife, Doris, and daughter, Dana, met us at the station at midnight.  

Ann

The kids loved OMSI, it was "electrifying."

Rylee and Hannah play "four in a row" using robotic arms at OMSI.

Ann's college buddies--Melanie and Wendy-- showed us around Portland.  We decided it was our 20th year reunion.

Teachable moments on the train

Tastes like chicken

I am writing from Portland Oregon, but since our last blog, we spent a final day in Sacramento with the Brown family. It was a pretty lazy day, as we had come in late from frog giggin' the night before. We spent the morning preparing for an Independence Day picnic at Linda's sister's home. A trip to Trader Joe's (a nifty organic grocery store), and an open-air produce market provided beautiful fruits, vegetables, local cheeses, etc. at extraordinarily inexpensive prices.

The picnic was fun. Linda's sister has a swimming pool at her house, and our children love to take a dip. We had hot dogs and hamburgers with home made pies for dessert. Truly, an All American Afternoon. We then had to pack up for a midnight train from Sacramento to Portland, but there was enough time to fry up the frog legs from night before. We all agreed; they really do taste like chicken.

After sleeping on the train, we found time to eat a breakfast of berries we had picket up at the market, catch up on our journals, and then rest some more.  We arrived here in Portland in the late afternoon and met up with Wendy (Jo) Pederson and Melanie Hertel -- friends of Ann's from college. We ate dinner together and planned tomorrow's adventure. Looks like we will visit OMSI before we catch the train to Spokane.

Kipp.

Apricots at the market.

Sam at the pool.

Russell, Trevor, and frog legs.

Rylee, on the train, catching up on her journal.

Ann, Wendy, and Melanie in Portland.

Sacramento Sights

You know, it's sunny here every day. I guess that's why they grow watermelons, cantalope, fruit trees, and lots of people in California. We took in a few sights of the area today. The Library of Congress has a traveling exhibit on Abraham Lincoln's life and work that is on display in downtown Sacramento, so we began the day with an educational visit. It was interesting for us adults, but I think the time in the Jelly Belly factory trumped the museum for the kids. We saw where our beloved jelly bellies are born. We also experienced In 'n' Out Burger where there's about three items on the menu--you can probably guess--but your order can be personalized. It was an oasis for hungry travelers and Hannah continues her quest for the best burger in America.

Russell, Andrew, Kipp, and Trevor left tonight at about 10pm to go frog giggin'. Let me explain: Frog giggin' is hunting for bullfrogs in order to partake of frog legs. Russell is an expert "frog gigger" and when Trevor learned of this, plans were laid. The frogs live in marshes so I'm sure the sight of four guys in a canoe with a spotlight and a devilish pole was entertaining. I slept through it, so maybe Trevor will fill you in. All I know is there's three frogs in the fridge, it's the 4th of July, and the grill will have some skinny legs on it.
Ann

Well, frog gigging is fun and lightning like movements of the arm are required. The first frog I saw was just floating with his head above water. I hit him with the gig pole, but since he was floating it pushed him under and he got away. We went around the pond and there was nothing so we saw the same frog back in the same place where I gigged him.  I tried again and he got pushed under again. So we went to shore where there was one croaking and we saw him. It was set up perfectly. I had to stand on a rock and he was right below me.  I aimed my pole and shoved it downward.  He jumped as I was coming down with the pole so I nailed him in the legs instead of the back.  Andrew needed a frog so we walked about 20 feet and there was one sitting on a log.  Andrew nailed him perfectly and we went home with three frogs.

Trevor

All the kids next to a picture of President Reagan composed entirely of Jelly Bellies.


Frog Giggin'. Russell shone the light while Trevor prepared for attack. I handled the motor, and that is Andrew in the middle.

This is Trevor with the bullfrog he snagged by the hind legs.

Home cookin' in Sac

After many days of traveling, home cooked pancakes were a treat this morning. We had fun today visiting with the Browns. Russell teaches in an alternative high school so it's fun to compare educator notes (and all be free to do this sort of thing in the summer). Our kids are enjoying having friends to play with, laundry is getting done, and lots of fruit is being eaten--hmmm, fresh bing cherries. We went swimming at Linda's parents' house to cool off, but so far temps are not bad. Russell and Linda live in Carmichael, CA, just outside of Sacramento.
Ann

California by train

We said goodbye to San Diego this morning at 6am and traveled on the "Coast Starlight" line to Sacramento. This is a wonderful way to travel So. California because the train tracks run right along the coast--sometimes not 20 yards from the surf! After a time, the train climbs inland into the wine country and we could see miles of farm country. The fancy name for this train is a result of the first class travel option which gets a wine tasting, sleepers, and a parlor car. That is not us. It was, however, a comfortable ride. There was a lounge car with huge windows and tables where we could work, play, talk, and watch scenery. The regular coach seats are where we nap. Sam, thanks to the dental assistance of Trevor, proudly lost two teeth today. We arrived in Sacramento at midnight and are looking forward to three days of visiting with our college friends, Russell and Linda Brown, eleven-year-old Andrew, and nine-year-old Katie.

This is how Sam lost his second tooth of the hour- Trevor hooked up some string and gave it a yank.
Here is Sam after losing two teeth!

We said goodbye to San Diego this morning at 6am and traveled on the "Coast Starlight" line to Sacramento. This is a wonderful way to travel So. California because the train tracks run right along the coast--sometimes not 20 yards from the surf! After a time, the train climbs inland into the wine country and we could see miles of farm country. The fancy name for this train is a result of the first class travel option which gets a wine tasting, sleepers, and a parlor car. That is not us. It was, however, a comfortable ride. There was a lounge car with huge windows and tables where we could work, play, talk, and watch scenery. The regular coach seats are where we nap. Sam, thanks to the dental assistance of Trevor, proudly lost two teeth today. We arrived in Sacramento at midnight and are looking forward to three days of visiting with our college friends, Russell and Linda Brown, eleven-year-old Andrew, and nine-year-old Katie.

San Diego Zoo to Sacramento

Today we spent another day in San Diego by visiting Balboa Park. We saw many animals at the San Diego Zoo, and we also went to an automotive museum. We ate a nice dinner in the park then spent a few minutes at a concert with the Navy band. We then went back to the zoo to finish our Balboa Park experience. Here are each person's favorite animals of the day:

I got to see some rattle snakes, and I liked the poison dart frogs. I liked the flamingos, too. I liked the jaguar, the king cobra, and the elephant.
Sam

I liked everything, but my favorites were the capybaras, frogs, wallabys and koalas. The birds and the monkeys were fun too.
Rylee.

I liked the gorillas and the sky tram that took us over the whole zoo. The Wombat was neat, too, and so were the monkeys.
Trevor.

I liked the polar bear. The meerkat that played dead was also cool.
Hannah

The San Diego Zoo is huge, and very well done. No wonder it's world famous. We spent all day there and could have easily spent another. All the kids had a great time, as did Ann and me. Yesterday we left San Diego early and arrived in Sacramento late.
Kipp.

San Diego's Balboa Park houses the Zoo. Other than the zoo, we visited the Automobile Museum and saw a concert by the Navy Band, both in beautiful buildings in the park. The zoo is so full of wonders, a reminder of God's creativity and man's responsibility. My favorites were the tortoises, the koalas, the ants, and the pandas. The best, though, had to be the polar bear who was swimming a foot in front of us playing with his ball. Awesome.
Ann

Beach Day

Today was mom's birthday, and she wanted to go kayaking and hang around at La Jolla Beach. We took a cab to La Jolla fifteen minutes away after breakfast at the coffee shop at our hotel. We got on our lifejackets and and headed to the beach. We got in our kayaks and the guy who worked there pushed us out to sea. It was fun kayaking with the waves. It was fun, and the waves swiftly carried us back into the shore. We then rented a couple boogie boards and took them back to the surf. The water was about seventy degrees- pleasant compared to Maine's Atlantic Ocean. We rode in to the shore numerous times on the waves. After our time at the beach, we ate dinner and went to a cool frozen yogurt place. The clouds finally cleared after dinner. We came back to the hotel and played some tennis. Then we watched the fireworks show across the bay while sitting by a fire on the beach. We look forward to some sleep now before our busy day at Balboa park tomorrow. Happy Birthday, Mom!

HN

I saw a sting ray about two feet long and a foot wide! at first I thought it was just a ray or a skate but when we went to return our body boards that we had rented, I asked the guy what I'd seen and he asked how big it was. Apparently, there were two kinds of rays, bat rays and stingrays.this picture is of a ray that looks like the one we saw but it is off the internet.

From Trevor

Church on the Train & San Diego

We had to rush on the last couple blog posts, but not today. Let’s see…immediately after Hannah made the last post from the Grand Canyon Hotel’s lobby we boarded a train bound for Los Angeles. We left at 10 P.M., and the train was crammed, which meant the six of us were forced to separate from one another in order to get a place to sit. Seats on Amtrak are in pairs and people tend to sit alone in order to spread out. This train originated in Chicago, so people were already pretty well established. So, of course, when a family with children, like us, boards at night everyone fains sleeping in hopes we’ll walk past them and sit with somebody else. This cat-and-mouse game makes things a little awkward. Sam and Hannah lucked out and were able to sit together. I jumped in next to what I figured was the roughest looking guy on the train just to insure Trevor, Rylee, and Ann wouldn’t have to. Rylee landed next to a sleeping woman, ended up just ahead of me and his seat-mate strolled off and came back. Ann (and I do feel feel badly about this) wedged herself in beside a very large man who first complained about having to make room, and later snored like a freight train. I thought about offering to trade with Ann, but given my unsavory seat-mate, I thought it best to stay put. 

Eventually, daylight came upon us, and I struck up a conversation with the ruffian next to me. I was right, he was a heroin addict, but he was friendly enough. The freight-train man next to Ann woke up, farted, and proved to be equally conversational. Now, it would seem this story could only go downhill from here, but that’s not the case. My heroin addict friend told me he was returning from Mississippi, where he had repaired his relationship with his daughter and was able to spend three weeks with his grand children. He had caught two five pound catfish while he was there, and he was glad the Lord had helped him out of the prison drugs had been to him. Ann’s new friend was eager to be picked up at the train station by his mother and hoped she and an uncle would be supportive in helping him lose his unwanted weight. Both these guys were Christians. I commented to my  ex heroin addict seat partner that just a little earlier I had been disappointed about it being Sunday and it looked like I would be missing church, but that Christian fellowship had taken place right there. He allowed as how it only takes two people to make a church.

We left those two characters in L.A. and boarded another train to San Diego, where I am now writing from. This train is new, and nearly empty. As we travel south along the freeway I can see that we are faster than the California traffic, so we must be really moving along. Rylee says we need to get a field and plant orange trees. She likes the way they look. Trevor is enamored with the dudes we can see surfing where the tracks border the beach at Laguna. More to come later…

Kipp.  

Today we arrived in beautiful San Diego after a great ride down the Southern Califoria Coast. We weren't able to check in until four o'clock, so we killed five hours of time outside. We sat by and swam in the pool, played on the beach,  and got sunburned. It is a relief to be in the pleasant seventies after roasting in San Antonio's 100s. We also love the palm trees that we never get to see back home. After an afternoon dinner, we checked in our room. We relaxed for a while, then took a walk along the beach. The ocean water is warmer than Valdez's pool, so Trevor swam around a bit while Rylee built a sand castle. We came inside and watched a funny movie before going to bed a bit early. We are all tired after the overnight train ride. Tomorrow is Mom's birthday, so we will see what she has planned for her day in San Diego.

HN

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles

Many thanks to the Oordt family, who treated us so well for a couple days. The food was incredible. They are both great cooks and conversationalists. We really enjoyed getting to know four of their five children. Fun. 

Yesterday afternoon we walked along the Riverwalk on the San Antonio River. We then left San Antonio's 105 degree afternoon via plane and arrived in Phoenix in time to experience their 105 degree afternoon. Just a couple hours on a tour van running north was all it took to get us to Flagstaff, where we found ourselves chilly. We climbed to about 7000 feet, and that was a big help. At Flagstaff we hopped an Amtrak train bound for Williams, AZ - the Gateway to the Grand Canyon. We arrived about 11 at night. I was pretty scared, as there was nothing at the depot -- not even a depot, just tracks and a bus. We really hoped the driver would haul us and our bags to town. He was great -- happy to do it. 

Kipp.

Grand Canyon

Today we visited the Grand Canyon. It was a perfect day with sun and temperatures in the seventies. The canyon was a beautiful sight to see as we walked around the rim. We had a great train ride to and from the Grand Canyon with funny cowboy actors and animals on the way. Upon our return to Williams Junction, we ate at a 50s diner. There were yummy burgers and a Ford Crown Victoria out front. Williams, Arizona is right along the famous Route 66. It was quite the classic Western town. The cowboy actors performed a Wild West Shootout after dinner on the street for all the tourists. Now we are about to head on the train overnight to San Diego. What a memorable, scenic day.

HN