Lambeau Love

For a belated anniversary getaway, Aaron and I went to the land of romance ~ Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Some ladies want flowers and chocolates.  I want football games at Lambeau.  Yes, even if the loss is horrific and humiliating.  And the cold leaves you shivering for days.  It's still a great story to tell the young-ins, I say.

We met up with Nick and Beth, who flew in from D.C.  Beth and I cuddled throughout the game to keep warm and because that's all you can do when you are hip to hip with over 70,000+ other fans.

Aaron took this great picture of Clay Matthews and unknowingly got the groovy Pam Oliver on the sidelines.  What's up, girl?

Agonizing?  Yes.  Fun?  YES.  I'll always love the Packers.  It's part of loving the man I married 17 years ago.  He's a Packer, so I'm a Packer.  It makes life fun, even when we lose a huge game like last weekend.

Excuse me while I go weep silently into my cheesehead.

No Poetry, Just Pictures

We've been taking in the beautiful sights of Northern Michigan this week.  Daddy has been working here and we are thankful to be tagging along.  

Could I please just freeze my kids right now?  We are definitely in a "golden" spot where no one has hit puberty yet, but we're done potty-training.  Sure, they still fight and whine, and generally make me crazy most days, but they are all young enough to enjoy family vacations.  I realize my days are numbered.

 We've been blessed to see some friends and enjoy the last few days of our summer.  Sigh.  It always goes too fast, doesn't it?

I Went West, Young Man!

We're back!

Four kids, 2800+ miles, 8 days = 412 photographs.

Don't worry, I won't post them all over a period of weeks.  I wouldn't do that to you.  You only get a handful unless you are related to me and happen to be visiting soon.  Then, you are sitting down for an old-fashioned slide show complete with long-winded narration and various anecdotes.  You've been warned.

Here's where we've been:

 The Corn Palace!  

In Mitchell, South Dakota, there is this building with ...um, corn decorating the outside.  In the 1800s, residents of Mitchell wanted to persuade visitors to live in Mitchell, so they showed off their awesome agricultural status with this building.  It now holds a huge indoor basketball court and stage.  I read somewhere that it was "the Boston Gardens of the Midwest."  

Uh, no.

 Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota.  Another delightful tourist trap. 

 More fun than a can of spray cheese!

 Mount Rushmore.  Love.

 Crazy Horse Memorial (in progress....forever....) a few miles down the road from the Presidents. Did not love so much...

 Grand Teton National Park = where Aaron wants to build a small cabin and live FOREVER

 Jackson Wyoming = where the rest of us can live and go visit him :)  kidding -- we all loved this part of Wyoming!  This was taken in the Town Square, where each corner has a huge arch of elk antlers.  Sweet.

And the grand finale!  Yellowstone!  It's an incredible place that I can't describe in one sentence.  Beauty upon beauty and wonder upon wonder.  

One more thought -- please, please, whatever you do, don't drive route 212 across South Dakota.  Unless you have some deep desire to test the limits of your sanity, stay on big old interstate 90 and don't leave it, no matter what your GPS says. 

 Trust me on this one. 

Road Trip Survival Guide by Clark Griswold

Just kidding, but if he DID give me tips, I'm sure he'd say, 

"Why not try one of those new 'stay-cations' everyone keeps talking about?!"

Poor Clark had some rough trips.  Hopefully, we will not repeat his mistakes.  

Before I start with number one, I must encourage you to pray about your trip.  Ask God for clear wisdom about when to leave, where to go, and the activities you engage in.  Pray for safety, patience, and a cool head when things don't go your way.  I believe He will truly answer these prayers and guide your trip.  And encourage your kids to do the same.  Start each day that you are away with prayer as a family.

Don't leave Him out.

And now, five tips for trips!

1.  Set the Bar Low.

I know this sounds really pessimistic, but I'm just tryin' to keep it real.  Kids have a way of taking your best plans and making them impossible or really miserable sometimes.  When we had two little boys, ages 4 and 2 (many moons ago) we went to an indoor water park/hotel in the Wisconsin Dells, thinking they would just have a blast.  Turns out, the 4-year old boy was deathly afraid of the big bucket in the park that dumped water every few minutes or so.  We still had a good time, but it didn't happen the way we expected.  

Make plans, keep it real, and set the bar low.  Which leads to #2...

2.  Recognize your Children's Limits...and your own!

I will never again travel anywhere without a few bags of snacks and water bottles.  I've learned the hard way that NO ONE has fun when they are hungry, thirsty, or haven't had a decent night's rest. And it never hurts to stop when you're ahead, rather than literally dragging your kids out of a children's museum.  Not that I would know anything about that...

3.  Controlling the Electronic Beasts

Do I love our in-car DVD player?  Yes, yes I do.  It has saved many a moment of insanity for this mama.  But on long road trips, it can become like the soundtrack to our travels, which bothers me.  I usually go with one movie and then a break for another hour where they can rummage through their backpacks which are packed with books, activities, and any other knick knack that will keep them busy.  

Also give Adventures in Odyssey CDs a chance, along with any other books on CD you might have.  The Chronicles of Narnia by Focus on the Family is worth every penny!  That being said, leave some time for SILENCE.  There are many times we simply invoke a "no talking" rule in the vehicle.  Children (and parents!!) need quiet.  They need silence.  It's healthy for their little brains.  It might help to also say, "If we can have silence for 30 minutes, then we'll each have a piece of candy."  Bribery, people.  Try it sometime.

4.  Give Mama a Break! (and Daddy, too!)

Being in the same room/car with your kids for hours and hours on "vacation" can make anyone kooky.  If at all possible, give each other a break.  Let Daddy go have a morning run all by himself.  Tell your husband you are going to browse through that cute gift shop for just a half-hour.  That time can do wonders for your mental state. 

5.  Document the Excursion

I've read that one of the best ways to make ourselves happy in the present is to recall the happy times from the past, so make the effort to print out those pictures, gather (meaningful!) souvenirs, or take videos that can really boost your happiness later.  It's true, isn't it?  One of my favorite things to do is look at the small scrapbooks I've made of past trips we've taken together.  It reminds me that although road trips and family vacations can have beastly moments, they are some of our most treasured memories later on.

Getting ready for "Bahston" (Boston)

And if my friend Patrick reads that he will say with a Boston accent, "Wheh did Ah pahk the cah?" :)

Our high schoolers are taking a trip to Boston over Memorial Day weekend and I'm along for the ride!  It's been hard to concentrate this week as we've all been talking about our itinerary and what we'll see.  Add the excitement of having less than 5 days left of school, and you've got some giddy kids on your hands.

If you've had the chance to visit, what do you remember most?  What do you recommend visiting?

We'll be doing the Freedom Trail, the Old North Church, Minuteman National Historic Park, Plymouth Rock & the Mayflower....it'll be a packed time!  Thankfully I am not the only chaperone :)  and a few other teachers are coming along.  I hope to share some pictures next week!