My View

People (including myself) sometimes wonder why we choose to live in the great state of South Dakota.  It is a relatively barren state, boasting a total population of 812 thousand people.  That's right, the entire state doesn't hit one million.  For pity's sake, we only have one area code state-wide.  When we lived in Chicago, there were three area codes just for the metro area.  But then again, I think the population of our  immediate north-side neighborhood in Chicago rivaled my entire now home-state.  And while South Dakota does have bragging rights to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills, they are, unfortunately, a 5 hour drive through nothing from my home.  And the winters...well...that is when I threaten to move.

Of course, it's our wonderful family and friends that keep us here, as well as the Christian School that our kids attend and our church.  Logical or not, South Dakota is home and I wouldn't trade it. 

And here's one more thing I would miss if we moved ... my view of the sky.  I find such peace in feasting my eyes on nothing but the horizon or gazing up at the bright stars at night.  I get a true sense of my smallness and God's greatness.
In an effort to help you appreciate what I'm talking about, here are a few of my favorite pictures of the view from my window!



Winter Sunrise



Sun Dogs



Morning Mist

Pointing to Heaven

Goodnight Moon

Goodmorning Moon

Beam me up!

Great is thy Faithfulness

A day of Few Accomplishments

This Labor Day we had nothing planned.  It should have been the perfect day to accomplish MANY projects.

I love days where I plow through and check things off my to-do list ...and then I have days like Monday.

Here's what I accomplished:

Bought a can of Paint
Made Potato Salad
Moved Paint cans out from under the steps.

Now that wouldn't be such a bad list if I had spent 8 hours at work, or if I had decided to veg out and watch a movie for a couple of hours.  But the truth is -- I just spun my wheels and couldn't get anything done.

Granted -- I figure that making potato salad is one of the largest and most cumbersome tasks around.  Yet at least twice a summer I take on this burden.  I don't know if he knows it, but my efforts to slave away peeling potatoes, cutting celery, boiling eggs, cutting onions is one way in which I let my husband know I love him.  He simply LOVES the stuff.  His mom, of course, is the master potato salad maker and I use her recipe -- however, mine never quite turns out the same.  Something about the way she cuts the potatoes or the timing of when she applies the dressing -- I'm not sure, but somehow hers always turns out perfectly moist.   Cal is nice enough though to always to rave about mine.  I think he's just smart enough to know that if he offers the least bit of criticism -- I will quit....forever.

This cumbersome task was not aided by the fact that while I was in the process of peeling potatoes I realized I needed to run out to buy eggs.  Since we now have a Super Target essentially a block away from our house, I chose to run there. (That was a mistake, Target is never a quick15 minute trip...because, of course, I also had to buy some really cool platters that were on clearance.) 

Upon my return I took up the potato salad task again.  It was still slow going as every 15 minutes or so I needed to wash my hands to help braid a My Little Pony's tail, or dress a Polly Pocket, or proof read Paige's homework, or help Cal drill two pieces of wood together.

And then I spent 20 minutes like this --

After standing on our kitchen stool to arrange my newly bought platters on a high shelf in my entry, I picked up the stool to return it to the kitchen and promptly ran one of it's legs through the sheet rock in the entry way wall.  After confessing my mishap to Cal, I went to the kitchen and picked up a baggie filled with pop tabs to put into Taryn's backpack and the pop tabs flew everywhere.  (Yeah... I thought that bag was sealed.)  After picking up that mess, I walked outside to put something away in the garage to discover our driveway is full of garbage and our dog was in the middle of it.  He had managed to open a garbage bag filled with discarded spaghetti and potato salad trash.  There he sat wagging his tail...his snout all red from sauce.  So I began scooping up nasty eggs shells and potato peels and chasing plastic bags across our lawn...there is nothing more awkward than trying to grab a bag that keeps blowing -- I hope the neighbors weren't watching.

And then for my other great accomplishment, I ran to the store to buy a can of paint to touch up the exterior trim of our garage.  After I came home from making this purchase, I decided I should check out what paint I had stored under our steps.  Indeed, the timing of these events was a bit out of order. Wouldn't you know it, I found a 5 gallon bucket and two 1 gallon containers of our exterior paint.  DUH!

Well...I guess some days are like that!

An Inexpensive Day

I'm just plain tired of spending money. (I'm sure my husband is happy to hear that.) I sometimes feel as warn out as the magnetic stripe on my credit card every time I have to hand it over to be swiped again. And I'm not just exhausted by the "things" we need to buy...new school shoes, new clothes, school supplies, lunch account balances, etc. Or the "things" we need to fix...our crashed computer, our broken lawn tractor, our broken toilet & window, my wedding band...that list seems endless as well. I'm talking about all the moola it takes just to entertain the kids for a day.

Last week Tuesday we had a completely open day with nothing to do. One of the last free days of the summer and I wanted to do something fun with the kids, but I didn't feel like spending $50 or more just to keep busy. It seems as if everywhere you go there is an admission fee or ticket cost or someway that I end up handing over my credit card....again!

So we decided to head down to Falls Park. It was a beautiful day -- finally not too hot and humid.  And the falls were roaring after all the rain we've had.  We climbed the rocks and goofed off and had a great time. We also headed to the Downtown library which was recently renovated and found some good books to check out to end the summer with.  I kicked myself for not packing a picnic to eat at the park.  That would have really perfected my "cheap" day.  Instead I did end up spending a little money at Cheds -- a quaint little joint downtown on Phillips Ave. with fabulous custom made grilled cheese sandwiches. I do love atmosphere of downtown and this was a great altnerative to Burger King which Taryn was pushing for. 

So we did it -- we had a great day on a budget.

Here are a few photos of our "cheap" day:

Just a bit of drama for you.

Take a look at the tongue, would you?  He asked me the other day if I thought he had the longest tongue in the city.  He just might!

The serious mountain climber!

As I was shooting pictures of the kids, I decided I wanted one of me with each of the kids. If you were to judge by the photos taken over the years, I'm not sure I exist. So I handed Paige the camera and she really got into it, posing us and clicking away.

Then I asked Carter to take a photo of Paige and I...suffice it to say, he would rather throw sticks...So we got exactly that...ONE photo.  Oh well!

It was good times I tell you! 

Tell me...what do you do for good free fun?

Invasion of the Giant Dragonflies

The title of this entry might lead you to believe that I have taken up science fiction writing, but that is not the case.  I am actually reporting on the real-life happenings of our quiet neighborhood and I have pictures to prove it. 

At first we were all a bit disgusted and slightly scared by the swarms of dragonflies above our heads.  But our fear soon turned to fascination as we realized they weren't going touch us.  I have no idea what caused this short lived invasion. Someone suggested that after all the rain we've had which has caused an increase in our mosquito population, they came to eat the mosquitoes. That could be...but they sure left a lot of mosquitoes behind!!  The mammoth insects started arriving around 5:00 pm and then left by dusk as quietly as they came.

It turned into quite a spectacle -- neighbor kids running around with any net they could find trying to catch these insect beasts.  There were huge fishing nets flying about and Carter created some bug catching contraption from a small minnow net attached to a long stick in order to achieve optimum height and swing.  They were so thick in the sky that one of the neighbor girls just threw up a rock into the air and knocked a dragon down.  Us parents stood in our driveways hypothesizing about where these huge bugs came from and asking "have you ever seen anything like it?"  It obviously doesn't take much to get us excited.

I'm not sure these pictures capture the massive quantities of bugs, but now you will see what we do for fun around these parts!

Here is what the invaders looked like. (You couldn't pay me enough to touch that!)

Here is what the sky looked like:

A few of our mighty warriors:

4 Men and a Boy

Last Sunday at 5:00 in the morning I sent my son off on a 14-hour car ride with his Dad, Grandpa and two Uncles across the border into Canada.  Carter had been bursting at the seams for weeks, ready to go and fish the Canadian waters.  He had dreams of catching more fish than he could count and of achieving the ultimate goal -- catching a Walleye large enough that dad would let him stuff it and mount it. (Cal had told him 28-inches or bigger merited a place on our wall.)

It was not without a few concerns that this mother let go of her son.  As I lay in bed the night before, I had many thoughts racing through my mind...so many things that could go wrong...car accidents, sinking boats, hooks in flesh, man overboard, wandering into dark forests, bears, border patrol detaining them in a foriegn land....those were the big things to worry about.  Then there were the little things, such as will he change his underwear, shower, brush his teeth or eat anything healthy for a week?  And will they come home with a stuffed walleye that I will need to hang over my fireplace?

I am happy to say that they returned on Saturday and they all survived and, in fact, Carter thrived!  For a boy who has been seriously bitten by the fishing bug, it doesn't get much better than to fish morning, noon and night. He was in his element as they would beach their boats on a little island, filet the fish on the shore and cook up a meal.  He told me stories of spreading the fish guts out on the sand after lunch so that they could watch the bald eagles swoop down to eat.  Pretty cool!

While the fishing was the highlight of the trip for them, from my perspective the male bonding that Carter experienced is better yet.  I heard a few stories about how Carter has no problem hanging with "the men" and tossing out jabs with the best of them about his Uncle's long-hair, or his Dad's out-of-control beard.  And with no TV or Blackberry service, there was plenty of time to patiently teach the young one how to tie a hook onto a fishing line and other such important lessons.  At times I heard Carter was the life of the party and at other times the paid help.  (Apparently, he was bribed with ten dollars from his Uncle to wash all the dishes while the men took naps.) 

Those are the few stories I have heard.  I've also heard "What happens in Canada, stays in Canada."  And, you know what, I'm O.K. with that.  What better thing could there be than for a young boy to be surrounded by 4 adult men who love him and want the best for him.

So he left a boy and ...well...he returned a boy.  A boy who actually missed his sisters (and they him -- they even admitted it out loud).  A boy who sat nestled next to his mom for a long time upon his return.  A boy who caught some big fish (although none 28 inches -- THANK GOODNESS).  A boy who knows there are 4 men who've got his back. 

Sweating the Small Stuff

Our first full week of summer vacation has come and gone already.  We are loving the freedom to sleep in, to take off for the day if we want, to just be free of a rigorous schedule!  But all this "togetherness" does take some adjustment.

I'm trying to keep a good persepective and not let the little things get to me.  I'm trying to be that model mom who is patient and calm with her kids and has the perfect response when they won't stop begging for the life-size pixy stick at the store.  But well, that's not always me.

It's those darn "little things" that start to get me heated.  For instance, one day last week I just started to make a mental note of everything that caused my blood pressure to rise.  Here's what did it ...

• The abundance of food wrappers and apple cores and empty drink packages that for some reason stay on the coffee table and kitchen counter and can't seem to find their way into the garbage can.

• Hearing  "One second, Mom" for the 4th time after I had asked them to do something and it still hasn't been done.

• The argument over who sits in what seat in the car everytime they get in.  Truly how different is the left side from the right side?

• The constant questions and tattling while I am on the phone.  Do they seriously not see me talking?

• The ongoing sibling squabling...for example here was one of many heated interactions:  "Slug Bug Yellow" -- hit. "No that's really Orange" -- hit.  "No, I said it first." -- double hit.  And on and on and on and on... until someone was seriously mad or hurt or crying.

• Trying to run errands and having them be in their own world and not mine.  They continually step in front of the shopping cart, or they want to push the cart and then run into me, or they want to ride in the cart and squish the bread.  You get the picture.

• Their stuff laying everywhere that I finally pick it up myself and put it on the top step for them to take down to their rooms.  I tell them it's there and that I expect them to take care of it...they will literally have to step over it to get downstairs.  Yet unimagineably they do.  Their pile stays on the top step.  How is that possible?

• Our inability to get anywhere on time (I can't entirely blame this on them).  However, far too often I say it is time to go and I try to move them toward getting their shoes on and leaving the house, but instead they seem oblivious to my request and start to play another computer game or decide they need to do something completely unrelated to leaving.

Does any of this sound familiar?  Am I the only one who loses my cool over the little things?

Overall -- they are truly GREAT kids.  They don't get in trouble at school, they work hard to get good grades, they have good character and good friends, they tend to be polite to others, they are kind and compassionate.  I have a lot to thank God for.

So I need to remind myself to focus on the majors because the little things could make me crazy!

The LA Get-A-Way

A get-a-way is a fabulous thing -- especially when it involves a destination to visit people you love (my bro and soon to be sis-in-law), with people you love (my sis), 80 degree sunny days, laughter, relaxation, lots of good food, as well as...

Wine tasting in Santa Barbara, although I could have been in Tuscany (or what I imagine Tuscany to be like)

Wedding Dress "looking" just off Rodeo Drive, cupcake eating on Rodea and actual "buying" of fun things at H&M and Forever 21 (a little further off Rodeo), but still stores I have no access to in my great state.

Sand in my toes.

And a little culture as we caught a play at the Ahmanson Theatre.  This was going to be followed by dessert at a swank little restaurant, but we opted for an In-N-Out burger instead.

So yes, it was grand.  But I did miss my husband and kids, and, after 4 nights away, was more than ready to return to my chaotic life.  I appreciate my husband so much for encouraging me to go and assuring me that he had it all under control (as long as I left a very detailed list).

I appreciate Paige so much, who, for some reason, feels responsible to take on my role as "mom" when I am gone.  Cal asked me one night on the phone, "So, when I am gone on a trip, does Paige get everyone up and dressed for the day?"  Ummm...that answer would be "No".  But I'm glad she helps Cal in that way. And he gives her full credit.  At church on Sunday morning (which they made in plenty of time for Paige to play her trumpet!), my friend asked Cal if he had it all under control without me, his reply was, "Well, Paige seems to have it under control."

And here's the sweetest thing -- when I arrived home around 5:00 pm, before Cal was home from work, I found Paige in the process of making cookies to surprise me.  However, we didn't have any flour or sugar in the house.  So she had already ridden her bike to Target to buy the supplies she needed with her own money.

So, while they did a good job in my absence, there is nothing like returning home after four days to realize just how much you really are needed.  The mail hadn't been opened, e-mail hadn't been read, a load of laundry hadn't been done, the backpacks had not been cleared of all the daily notes and worksheets, and the milk was gone.  But I didn't care -- I was greeted with so much love and affection -- and I had patience to spare...for the first time in a long time.  It's all good!