Going Home

We left Moms house with the usual emotional goodbyes. The long drive through the night was just too much for me , so we stopped in Williams AZ and got a Hotel room for a few hours. Got back on the road by 1:00 PM and by 6:00 Pm I knew we weren't going to make Tucumcari safely. I called and cancelled the reservation and we stopped at the Albuquerque KOA. That place is a pit. It is a big gravel parking lot with no trees, and crappy service. We decided to go on down the road a few miles and see what we could find. After a brief stop at Sonic for dinner, and prayer by Bekah asking for help finding a place to stop, we headed off down the highway. We got off the highway to check out a campground and got lost because of construction. We stopped at a gas station to use the restroom and get directions back to 40, and on a whim I asked if the store clerk knew of a good campground. She pointed over her shoulder and said yeah, right behind me. I thought she was joking, but this place, Hidden Valley Camp Ground on route 66 just outside Tijeras NM is beautiful. Its literally a hidden valley over a short hill just behind the gas station, It is so nice we stayed an extra night to try to rest up for another hard drive home. I finally took the kids for their ice cream, and Mim learned that we are in "Albuturkey". She is a funny little monkey.

Independance Day

What a wonderful cap to our visit. We spent the day at the beach at Camp Pendleton. The beach was clean , and very safe. I've never seen such security. Miriam was quite surprised by waves, but came to find the water fun. Uncle Tim even took her boogie boarding. I taught Adam and Sarah boogie boarding. They didn't really like it much, but Sarah spent hours trying to body surf. Bekah found a crab, hatchery and went crazy hunting them. It was all catch and release. All in all we just had a great time.
Saturday we Dee came for another visit, and we had some wonderful talks that included some discussion of religion. She still isn't ready to believe, but she is weakening :) . Heather has had some problems with school very similar in nature to the ones I had my first year at RCC , and it all blew up that night. I took a walk with Heather and she calmed down. I hope she just makes a decision, and goes with it. I don't think she is going to be able to grow anymore staying at home, but that isn't my call. I also spent several hours talking to mom, and letting her know that this is not a failure. It's just another step. The conversation of course turned to matters spiritual. I wonder if Mom is one of those people who struggle to find happiness for themselves all their lives, but instead of finding it, they bring happiness to others. I wish I could be there for her, but in the past more than just a short visit, and we start to antagonize instead of build up one another.

Whew!

The long all night drive from Bryce to Riverside just about did me in, but we made it. Bryce has a shuttle service that takes visitors to most of the highlights, so we availed ourselves of this service and, I did not have to drive again, yeah! Miriam and Adam both earned their Young Ranger Badges, and in Mim's words, "(she is) a young ranger girl". That little face climbing up on the counter to be sworn in was just cute. All of the kids were amazed at the hoodoo formations. Just ask them to explain what a hoodoo is and they will.
We just rested on Sunday, after that hairy drive the night before. My sister came to visit and we had a nice conversation. Martha and I stopped in to see Jim Squire and his mother. Jim has a good job and seems to be doing well.
We were supposed to get started early on Monday to go to Big Bear, but mom had some plumbing problems I had to take care of first. After snaking her main drain we did finally get on the road. My Aunt Deb has reserved some very nice Condos for us, and its about 20 degrees cooler here. Again, Yeah! I think we forgot our camera, so we may not get any pics, but we are looking forward to a nice relaxing time before the hectic fouth week end.

Blow Out

We spent a really nice day in Salt Lake. There was a free shuttle downtown from the KOA, and on the way back we had a freindly conversation wit a lawyer from New Orleans. He was here just for the day and came to take the tour of Temple Square. The conference center is absolutley amazing. Even Adam's jaw hit the floor when we went inside the auditorium. It is enormous, and beautiful too. The garden on the roof is representative of the landscapes of Utah. We had lunch at the Joseph Smith building witht the Ziedners. I am going to miss those two now that they have moved to Utah. Miriam recgnized and named two or three different statues of Joseph. I think that is really neat.
We had another trailer tire blow out just outside of Beaver, Ut. This time the tools I have just wouldn't work. The lug kept slipping off both the lugs and the jack. I was really getting frustrated and angry. Then I stopped and said a quiet prayer. I looked around and realized that I was not only near an exit, but very near a town. I unhooked the trailer and drove into town. I Borrowed a four way from Cooper Tire Center and went back to get the trailer. Rebekah went with me we had the trailer back on the road in no time. When I got to the service center, we found that the third tire was coming apart as well. I put the family up in a Quality Inn where they charged us what seemed to be the price for a room for two not six, it was only $80. The kids played in the pool and we had dinner at Dairy Queen.
So, I have a question, why did my tools work when we we in the middle of nowhere Wyoming, but when we so close to help they wouldn't? Well, I have my beliefs on this subject. On the way back from getting the trailer I told Rebekah that I had to stop only being greatful when things were going well.
Rebekah and I had a very touching conversation. The contents of the conversation are too personal to share , but needless to say Rebekah is not just a " good kid" anymore. She is a full grown daughter of God.

Leaving Yellow Stone

It was emotionally difficult to leave Yellow Stone, as we were all so touched by this magnificent place. We did have a dramatic ending as the last site we saw was a bald eagle swooping into a stream and pulling out a huge fish for breakfast. We took a picture, but it doesn’t show very well. We stopped in Rexburg and had lunch with Sheila at a cute little water park. Miriam and Adam played with Isaac and I put Benjamin back to sleep - Just my natural Popi skills rising to the surface. Arrived in Salt Lake and we are now getting ready for the trip to Bryce. At the KOA pool Adam teased Mommy into sharing the bear story with complete strangers. I don’t know where the little rat gets his sense of humor, ; )>

Yellow Stone

June 23, 2008
Got the tire replaced and we were on the road by 10. The landscape really started to change today. Especially once we hit the Big Horn Mountains. This has to be one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world. Constant changes between dramatic rock outcroppings, forested mountainsides and meadows filled with yellow, purple and white flowers on a back drop of green grass. We passed several crystal blue lakes and streams. There was still quite a bit of snow too. The roads were incredibly steep and the car died twice. It does that in town when you flutter the gas pedal. This is no big deal in town, but on a winding mountain road it can be a bit stressful. Martha and I both felt kind of like we on a roller coaster ride. We stopped at a visitor center at the top of the mountains and something told me to ask whether we should take 14 or 14 a down the back side. I had intended to take 14 a as it looked like a better road on the map. The kind woman told me no, that way had 15 miles of 12 % grades. She said the other route also was much more scenic, and boy was it ever! It was like driving through a smaller version of the Grand Canyon, but with a lot more green vegetation.
We finally made it to Yellow Stone at around 3 and found out we had to drive 50 miles around the lake to our camp site. At least it was an impressive drive. Lake Yellow Stone is the deepest turquoise, and clear you can easily see 7 feet under the water. On the way in we saw buffalo, a couple of coyotes, some elk, ducks, pelicans and a number of other small animals which thrilled the children. The camp ground has very strict rules about not leaving anything that might attract bears out of the car so we had to rearrange our packing. The sites are ok, but as we pulled in our battery light came on. Needless to say this was another bit of stress I didn’t need. I cleaned the terminals and the light went away. As they say at home in the south, “Thank you Jesus”.
Our neighbor, John English came over an asked if we wanted some fire wood; he had a sick comrade and had to leave for home. I asked if he needed any help he asked me to take his site pass back to the ranger station. I noticed from his plates that he was from Utah. I asked if he was LDS and if he thought is friend might like a blessing. The answer was yes, on both accounts. John was not active and didn’t feel that he could do the blessing and neither of us had any consecrated oil. John did have some olive oil so I ended up consecrating the oil anointing Brother Quist, and giving the blessing. I had no idea what was wrong or who this guy was, but I tried to listen to the spirit, and it must have worked, because both men were crying when we finished. This whole incident put our little problems into perspective and set a better mood for the rest of the night.


June 24
The day ended particularly well, after a delicious dinner of “Darn Good Chili” that we all worked together to make, we roasted marshmallows around the fire and told stories and sang songs. Here is the thing; today we saw some of the earth’s most beautiful land marks on the planet, including Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, incredible mountain ranges, white water rapids, crystal lakes, and ten or twenty others. As spectacular as these were, none of this more powerfully touches my heart than to be able to see that my children love one another, they like one another, and they want to be a family.
On a worldlier note, it was well worth the considerable sum of money we spent to take the Circle of Fire Tour. We were able to see five or six times more sites than we could possibly have seen on our own, and with no stress. I was able to just enjoy being with Martha and the kids, and to concentrate on the scenery rather than driving and making decisions. The guide was funny and personable and shared one historical, geological or nature story after the other. Rebekah, Adam and Sarah learned more today that they would in a month of schooling. Miriam just loved seeing all the Animals, and the “hot water geysers”.

(added on the 25th) Last night I had one of my really ugly nightmares and woke up feeling very uneasy. I had just begun to calm myself down and get back to sleep when Martha decided to add to my emotional distress with the statement every father wants to hear while sleeping in a tent in bear country.
“I just heard a bear right out side snuffling around”. I jumped up, in a near panic.
“Where?” I asked nervously. “Right outside”, she replied in a tense whisper. We both waited for two or three minutes with baited breath, straining to see or hear something, trying to decide what to do. “Oh wait,” Martha finally said, “that’s Bekah’s snoring”
After a trip to the restroom, and short view of the full moon and zillions of stars, my heart slowed down enough to get back to sleep. Thank goodness.

June 25, 2008
Today was a great family day. We slept in till 8, woke and had French toast for breakfast, and hot showers for desert. Martha and Bekah went to the pay showers. Adam, Sarah, Mim and I did it wilderness style. I hung up a tarp; we boiled some water and used buckets to wash. To my surprise it actually worked well! I think I’ll do it again tomorrow. I might even hide all the money and make Martha and Bekah use my “shower” too ; ).
We drove down to Old Faithful Geyser and spent the entire day viewing the amazing features there. Adam earned his “Young Scientist” badge by observing and writing the answers to a number of questions in a manual. I could try to describe the beauty that we saw, but I believe I would not be very successful. I do not believe that even pictures do this place justice. Come here if you ever get the chance, or make the chance. I told the children that we had decided to make this trip despite the increasing costs, and all the things that could go wrong for two reasons. 1. I like being with my family, and this was a perfect opportunity to be just us with no distractions pulling in other directions. 2. I remember the big trips we took when I was young. I recounted a number of these memories: Like taking the Liberty Trail in Boston. Following that painted line all over the city, learning about our history with my mother. I also remembered sitting in the back seat of the car eating fresh cherries purchased on the roadside, and spitting the seeds out of the sun roof just to see them fly back wards and high speed when the wind caught them. I remember staying at the VOQ in some southern state, so mom could visit the doctor because she had an infection in her wrist that was making driving difficult. Well, I could go on about that vacation, and I did with the kids we went back and forth with questions and stories for the entire 30 minute drive to Old Faithful. The point of which was to say that were making memories that will bring them happiness for the rest of existence. Just to side track again, I can not believe my mother did these trips with just two little kids. I have a strong partner and least two children who can, and often do take the role of the adult when necessary to help, and I am still stressed. She was either totally insane, or an amazingly strong individual, or maybe a little of each.
So let’s get back to our story. Martha is now a federal fugitive, and Adam almost turned her in. It is posted everywhere in this park, not to throw things into the geological features. Martha left a cookie wrapper back in Beauty Pool. To Martha’s utter horror, this dastardly act was witnessed by twenty to thirty other visitors. Ok so, it was an accident. Martha bent over to pick up her bag, and just as she did, a gust of wind blew the piece of trash left over from lunch out of the purse and straight into the Geyser. When Adam was testing off on his Young Scientist award, you could just see the guilt on his face, and his desire to just get it off his chest, by telling the Ranger what had happened. I have since explained that this was just an accident, and there was no need to feel guilty. The rangers would have pulled the trash out by now any way… If you happen to visit Yellow Stone in the future, and the trash is still there, please keep this information to yourself. Neither Martha, nor Adam needs the stress.
Well it’s time to go cook some sausages and chili over the camp fire, so bye for now.

A little detour

Just in case you did not know, small towns close down on Sunday. We couldn't replace our spare tire today, so we ended up staying a night in Sheridan WY. The longer version is that I had intended to just push on anyway but thought to have a prayer about it. I felt uneasy, but was being stubborn and was going to move on. I was alone in the car at the time and just as
I closed the door I realized that I had left the keys inside. I almost cried, literally. I could not believe my luck to find the rear gatge had been left unlocked. As I lifted the gate, a clear thought came into my mind, "this is what happens when you make rash decisions based on haste". I knew we had to stay and wait till Monday. We held a family council, I asked every one for an opinion, and except for Sarah, who was torn, the decision was unanimous. Even Mim said," stay home and rest". Then I shared my prayer experience with everyone and we headed for KOA.
We rested, and cleaned up the van. I called ahead and changed our reservations.
After dinner we had a family devotional and each person read a scripture and told how it related to something that we have done, or learned on our trip. Even Mim read, "Where two are three are gathered in my name...". With a little help of course. We sang a hymn had a prayer and enjoyed the spirit. All is well.