Spring Break Road Trip - Part II

Tuesday morning of our Spring Break, it was time to leave Hungry Horse and get on the road again. We quickly packed all our stuff back in the car and started our trip around the southeastern edge of Glacier National Park towards Alberta where my sister Louise, my brother-in-law André, my two nieces Jolyane and Mélanie and their husbands were expecting us.

We had hoped to make a stop along the way where the Continental Divide crosses the road we were on because we'd heard there was a place where we could dump a cup of water to illustrate to the kids how water flows towards the oceans on our continent. Unfortunately, the special landmark's signs must have been buried under snow banks because we missed it altogether. We realized it fairly quickly because the road started dipping again, so we resorted to just talking about the Continental Divide and just 'knowing' that we had just passed it. 

 Another stop along the road that proved disappointing was Browning, Montana where we thought we'd be able to check out the Museum of the Plains Native Americans. As we approached the museum, its dilapidated appearance and vacant parking lot were sure indicators that we'd come too late---waaaay past the days of this museum's hayday. But just in case we might be totally wrong, we drove up to the main walkway that led to the entrance and found a subsitute to our museum aspirations: a gopher jackpot! There were gopher holes all over the grassy area surrounding the museum and cute little gophers popping here and there out of their holes. I'm sure we made fools of ourselves as we ran around taking pictures of what are probably one of the worst pests in the region. We couldn't help ourselves; they were so cute with their bobbing tails and rabbit-like faces! They were really quick too!! And good thing they offered a little entertainment because we had guessed right: the museum was all locked up.

So. we pressed on, choosing the scenic route north that went along the base of the Rockies, and for once that day, we were not disappointed. At least, Andrew and I weren't. I admit being a bit perplexed and frustrated that Isaiah and Brielle weren't totally able to appreciate how amazing the views were, but Andrew helped me to 'let it go' and just enjoy it for myself. I tried to capture some of the mountains' majesty with my camera, but none of the pictures do them justice.

So, after soaking the beauty in as much as we could, we finally left the Rockies and headed up to Lethbridge, Alberta, where, my nieces had warned us, "There isn't really all that much to do here." It was nice to know that going into it. We knew we were going there mainly to be with family and it turned out to be a rich time of visiting, eating together, and playing lots of games together. Our kids had a wonderful time and wished our stay could have been extended. One thing is for sure: they will never forget the unique way their Aunt Louise says the word ´potato´...or that their Uncle André makes amazing food!! :) 

While in Lethbridge, we did get to check out the Coulees that lie at the heart of the city.The coulees are these ravines with sloping slides of dry grass that actually divide the city into three sections: west, south, and north. Old Man River lies at the bottom of the valley, which happens to be a fine place for a city park. The main fairway that traverses these coulees and connects the different parts of town is called Whoop Up Drive. We couldn´t get over that silly name! As you can see in the picture below, there was a train bridge called a viaduct that also went across the coulees. This one happens to be the longest and tallest such structure in all of Canada. So there are things to be seen in Lethbridge after all!! That doesn´t change the fact that being with my family was the best thing and the only thing that really landed us there. Thanks, Louise and Andre, Sim and Mel, Jo and James for a wonderful stay!! 

 

  

Spring Break Road Trip - Part 1

Wow! Has it really been over 2 months since I've posted?? I guess it takes something big like Spring Break to get me back into it.  Or maybe just a break, period.  Since it feels too overwhelming to cover the last 2+ months, I'll just start with the most recent and work my way back if I get inspired.

On the Road Again
As is tradition with us, we planned another road trip for our spring break this year. Instead of going south to California to visit Melody or straight up north to Washington and B.C. to visit friends and our alma mater as we have in the past, we decided to take a gorgeous northeastern jaunt to Hungry Horse, Montana and then Lethbridge, Alberta. This time, it was my sister visiting her two daughters and their husbands that pulled us that direction.

It was another long haul of staying put in our little Camry this year, so we tried to keep ourselves from going insane by playing the license plate game. I personally thought it might be achievable to reach a total of 25 different state license plates and perhaps 6 or 7 different provincial license plates. The 'boys' had much loftier goals, shooting for all 50 states and 13 provinces by the end of the trip! Let's just say I came much, much closer to reaching my goal than they did.


States                        Provinces
Alaska                                       Alberta
California                                  British Columbia
Colorado                                   Manitoba
Florida                                      Ontario
Hawaii (in Lethbridge)                 Saskatchewan
Idaho                                         
Indiana
Iowa
Louisiana
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
Nevada
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Texas
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin

 
On the way, we managed to spot more than just license plates. We saw three trumpeter swans swimming in a river along the road and stopped to admire them through our binoculars. We also enjoyed watching the magpies and bald eagles fly above and around us for good sections of our trip. We spotted deer and elk just off the road in Canada, but to my great disappointment, no moose. We also saw gophers and many different domesticated animals, some standing right in the middle of the road with not a worry in the world. But by far, the most impressive sights of all were the Rocky Mountains. Andrew knew they would be and read to us Psalm 121 at breakfast on our first day as we set out. The psalm starts like this:  "I lift my eyes up to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." As the psalmist could appreciate the Creator from looking at the mountains' majesty, so could we.


Glacier National Park 
Though much of Glacier National Park's roads were buried under snow, we had a great time enjoying the awe-inspiring views that several feet of snow could never hide. Part of Going-To-The-Sun Road was open so that we did in fact go into the park.

Here are a few of the pictures that capture our adventures within the park's boundaries.

Somebody learned how to skip rocks and managed to get up to 5 skips!!

Hungry Horse and White Fish
We stayed in a cabin 8 miles from the West Glacier entrance in the town Hungry Horse (named so after two horses that got lost for a span of a week back in the late 1800's. When they were found, they were skinny but alive).

The cabin was  part of the Tamarack Lodge Cabins, and though it looks simple enough from the outside, it had a full kitchen, two bedrooms, a family room with a flat screen t.v. and a full bathroom. We also had housekeeping services for the three days that we were there, which was a huge treat for me!! I tell ya, it was absolutely nothing like the Little-House-on-the-Prairie days, as it would appear Isaiah had imagined in his mind the day before we arrived. Ha!!

While in Hungry Horse, we had to stop and check out the Hungry Horse Dam.

It was spectacular, mostly because of its setting and its sheer height. Brielle got a better perspective on its height than all of us when Andrew bent down over the edge while she was on his shoulders. It was a nauseating view, but she managed to keep her lunch down! 

The west side.

The east side.

Still working on keeping her lunch down?? ;)

Our visit in Hungry Horse would not have been complete without tasting something with wild huckleberries from the local Huckleberry Patch. I don't think I've ever seen so many products made with huckleberries..or so much purple all in one store for that matter. We settled with huckleberry ice cream and it was very tasty!

One morning, we were all set to go skiing at the White Fish Resort a few miles from Hungry Horse, but the guy from whom we were going to rent our skis in the town of White Fish dissuaded us from going through with it on account of the slush. He was an instructor and said it would be a very frustrating day for the kids especially on their first attempt to ski. He was so intent on getting the message across that he spilled coffee all over himself while illustrating with a coffee cup how the kids' skis would get stuck in the snow. I was cracking up for the rest of our conversation. Poor guy must think I though he was an idiot, but I just thought he was hilarious! Anyway, we had to make new plans...and the new ones involved going to a swimming pool / rec place called The Wave right there in White Fish. It had three pools, a huge high-speed slide, and a hot tub. The kids were in H.E.A.V.E.N. and our wallets were happier. All is well that ends well on that one.

What's in a name?

It's a question I've been pondering a lot lately during my morning devotions. Whether I'm in Acts for my personal quiet time or reading the advent Scriptures to the kids, I can't help but notice the importance the Bible places on names, especially the name (s) of Jesus. If I'm honest, I'd say I've almost been irritated by this obsession with names at times because I don't fully get it. How can a name have so much weight? Aren't someone's actions and heart disposition weightier than the name he or she's been given? Is it just something the Hebrews cared deeply about but not something we need to worry ourselves with these days?

Before I go any further, I want to clarify that when it comes to Jesus' name, I fully believe in its redeeming power. There are many instances when, gripped by fear, all I could do was yell the name of Jesus and there was instant comfort. He's the Lord of the universe and saying his name is praying for Divine intervention. It's acknowledging my powerlessness and His omnipotence and sovereignty in my helpless situation. From the moment I believed in His name, He has altered the course of my life forever...and so I acknowledge that there is power in His name.

To go back to my initial thought though, it  has been fascinating for me to encounter so many verses during my Bible reading lately that mention the word 'name', and to observe the context in which this word comes up.

As I read...
Exodus 3:13 The Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, " I AM WHO I AM";  and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God, futhermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abrahama, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever and this is My memorial-name to all generations."

Isaiah 7:14 Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a son ad she will call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor; Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

 Matthew 1:21 (The angel told Joseph) She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

All the I AM statements by Jesus in the Gospel of John referring back to I AM THAT I AM in Exodus.

John 14:13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

Acts 2:38 Repent and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:18 And when they (the Council) had summoned them (Peter and John), they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

Acts 4:29-30 "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus."

Acts 8: 12 But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized men and women alike.

Acts 9:15 (When Ananias was instructed to meet Paul in Tarsus) But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake.

Acts 10:43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.

I realize this list of verses offers only a tiny glimpse of the monument that God/Jesus' name is in Scriptures, but it was enough to spark an interest in me as I considered all the name changes that occur in Scripture from Abraham to Paul,  the many mentions of the meanings of names throughout the Bible (whether it's referring to a person or location), and finally, the idea that there is power in speaking in THAT name, the name above all names.

With these thoughts swimming in my head, it was so encouraging to make a discovery about Brielle's name the other day. One of the activities that this year's advent reading program asked us to do was to look up the meaning of our names online. I thought it was ironic that we'd be asked to do that when I'd been intrigued with names for a while. What's funny is I thought I knew what all of our names meant. For instance, I fully expected the websites to say that Brielle's name meant 'of cheese'. To my surprise, 4 out of 5 websites listed as their first definition for the name Brielle 'the Lord is my strength'. I was astounded, not only because it didn't match any of the definitions we had encountered when we initially gave her the name Brielle, but because of the weight this 'new' meaning had in Brielle's particular situation. Surely our petite Brielle who has low muscle tone and a weakened brain needed to know that the Lord is her strength.  Surely I needed to know that He's her strength and that He's mine as I try to be there for her!

The most interesting thing is, though I can't say this was a true name change like the ones we encounter in the Bible, it certainly has had the same effect in my life. I am finding much comfort in knowing that her name means the Lord is my strength....that that promise applies to her so specifically. I honestly don't know how the meaning of her name could have changed over the course of 7 years...but I will take it as a gift from my Father's hand. Maybe...just maybe...it's His way of answering my question.

So I ask again: what's in a name?

My answer: at this point, it would seem there's a lot more to a name than I've been willing to admit. I'll keep digging for answers, though, and will definitely continue to call on THAT name that is above all names.  "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe." Proverbs 18:10


Brielle: The Lord is my Strength

Isaiah: Salvation is from the Lord

Andrew: Man, Warrior

Anne-Marie:  Gracious, Full of grace (Anne), Sea of Sorrow or Lady of the Sea (Marie)

And a name that has had an impact in many lives and one that's never far from my thoughts...

Selah: Pause and Reflect; Measure the Value

Thanksgiving Post

It's been a very busy fall season for us with lots of adjustments and lots of activities needing to be squeezed into our everyday life. And although it's been positive and fun for the most part, I'm thankful for the pause the Thanksgiving season offers us, forcing us to slow down and savor the little moments (oh, and the morsels of goodness, too).

As I mentioned back in March or April, I started a personal list of things I am thankful for after reading Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts.   I envisioned being way past number 1,000 on my list by now...but the fact of the matter is, I've been adding to it rather slowly. I apparently need to cultivate a thankful heart. Or maybe I just need more than 24 hours in my day or a personal secretary to jot down my thankful thoughts while on the go.  Whatever may be the problem, it's great to have a holiday like Thanksgiving to get me back in the mode...and to get a chance to sit down and write.

# 174 Thoughtful household gifts that offer daily reminders of the ones who gave them to me

# 175 Brielle's 'team' of educators

# 176 New-ish family traditions

Yes, I know...still just in the one hundreds. I'm actually a little ways past these numbers...but still pathetically off-the-mark. Of course, there are plenty more things for which to be thankful this Thanksgiving Day...more eternal gifts and such...but these come with pictures, and so I thought I'd post them here.

#174I feel like everywhere I look these days in this house of ours, I spot a sweet reminder of a friendship. It seems like everyone was in cahouts for my birthday this year because I received many gifts I would want to have out in plain sight all the time. 

There are these pretty and unique vases that always cheer me up...

There's a sweet put-a-bird-on-it mirror I now use almost daily to check my scarf on my way out the door....

There's a printer/scanner/photocopier I don't know how I did without before...

There's a pile of 'officer horse' manure on top of our garden soil I keep looking out at from my kitchen window...with a smile on my face as I think of how it got there...

And there are many other "little reminders of loved ones" not as much in plain view, but just as thoughtful. I'm especially thankful for these when I am so busy in the day-to-day and need to get jarred from my self-focus to remember a friend. Perhaps my friend needs a call...or maybe I should be praying for them? And honestly...it's just nice to be reminded that there are people out there who care about me too.

#175

By God's grace, we aren't on our own in raising and educating Brielle and Isaiah. Though we appreciate all the input from loved ones and godly teachers that Isaiah gets, we are especially thankful for the team God has put together for Brielle.

There's Mrs. A. (last year's K teacher) and Mrs. Lundy (her current 1st teacher) from Cor Deo:

There's Miss Molly from Kaiser and Mrs. Belisle from Hiteon for speech:

 

 There's Isaiah who teaches with patience and most often, by example...

.and let's not forget Mr. Wachsmuth, who's a genius at making math fun (still need to get a snapshot of him in his  'teacher garb' knocking on our front door, ready for a session with his youngest pupil):

Although I know I'm never really alone in this enormous task of educating our special girl, it's nice to know there are regular, visible and tangible collaborators whose hearts have been weighed with a real concern for her success in the world of academics. There is also a team of family members and close friends who pray for her regularly..and for all that, I am super grateful!!

#176

We've been trying out new family traditions the last couple of years and it's been kind of fun to change things up. 

There's the once-a-week homemade pizza night (still haven't pinned down which night quite yet as I'm finding making pizza is actually pretty easy and convenient and works for me in a pinch):

There's the family "urban harvesting" that happens about every other weekend from Sept through early November. During these weeks, the entire family is on the lookout for unharvested fruit trees within a certain radius near our house and if we find a tree, we go knocking on doors and ask permission to harvest the fruit that would otherwise go to waste. I know some people would be mortified to do something like that. For my family, it's this awesome treasure hunt! Isaiah recently made a list of all the harvest-able trees in the area. I realized it was all worth the time and effort when Papa let us make apple cider from the many apples we harvested! Here are some pictures of our harvest of prized pears near the school Andrew used to teach at.

There's the birthday card display that goes up on our game closet door for about a week. Brielle loved to add her birthday cards to it!

Andrew wasn't as thrilled about the whole idea, but he did laugh when he saw I put his school teacher picture right smack in the middle. ;)

Finally we come to the newest adopted tradition, the Thankful Tablecloth for our family Thanksgiving brunch. For the last few years, Andrew has organized a Flag Football (Turkey Bowl) game on the morning of Thanksgiving. He and his buddies play early in the day so they can get back to their families to help get ready for the Thanksgiving meal. Meanwhile, I prepare a late breakfast and after Andrew and Isaiah have showered, we sit at the table for our more intimate Thanksgiving meal. We discuss what we are thankful for and pray and finish our time at the table with writing out our year's most prominent thankful thought on the tablecloth. Next year, we'll pull out the same tablecloth and add that year's thankful list. I might even get around to stitching over the writing to make it nicer (big might).The plan is to do this many years to come, Lord-willing.

And that's the end of my 2011 Thanksgiving post.
Thankful for you and praying for hearts full of thankfulness before God as we approach the end of the year.