The Free Tree: August 2008

It's been too long, obviously. I signed on to find Blogger has rearranged my dashboard. Hm. Sorry.

This is just a quick funny I wanted to get down before bedding down: I was priming our front door frame and Ranne, at 3 1/2, comes up behind me, casually asking me to buy him a gun. You'd think he was 16, trying to be as smooth and calm as possible to get what he wanted. I said, "A gun! What are you planning on doing with a gun?" "Shoot deer." Well, I suppose that's a reasonable idea, if it's for food and all that. So, I responded, "Really, there aren't any deer around here Sweetie." "Mom, nothing is impossible with God. The angel said that to Mary." "When?", I asked, wanting to hear more. "Well," he said frankly, "we'll have to go find a bible and look it up."

No one likes a post with no pics. I intend to make this short and write again soon with visual additions. Go with God. Goodnight.

BTW: Baby #3 is cooking. Lord willing all is healthy and will continue to be. Prayers would be welcomed, as always.

Before leaving for Colorado, we were blessed with an evening with Lynette before her move to Lubbock. It is a wonderful opportunity for her, but she'll be missed. Scott dropped me off, letting me help her pack while the boys and he went for a hike. When he picked me up, he brought the kids into her backyard, which has an amazing climbing tree with a little ladder that leads into the branches. Ranne had climbed up and found himself stuck. Lynette went over to help him, so he, of course, proceeded to chatter away happily to her. He had just learned that morning to climb up a slide with bare feet so was excitedly telling her that. He said, then, totally out of the blue, "And then I went down the slide and Barack Obama didn't like it." WHAT?

Golden Colorado. Hm. Most of the four days consisted of waiting around for Scott to finish lectures and classes, roaming the School of Mines campus. The boys were tired from traveling the several weeks before, so the experience was really quite rough. But, I still think it was better than being in Albuquerque.

It took about 8.5 hours to get there. The first evening we picnicked before the lecture began and the boys and I roamed the campus for about two hours. It wore them out! It's a beautiful place though. The boys chased rabbits that night, we got lost, ate a cookie after we found our way back to the chapel where the seminar was held, smelled roses and played in the landscaping.... That pretty much defines the days we were there.

A wonderful family hosted us. The boys slept very well in the quarters we were given, thankfully.

I was able to sit through one lecture on the last night while a sweet woman, Rachel, watched the boys. That was such a nice break!!!!! Earlier that day, Ranne, who had been overseeing a yellow jacket nest since we arrived, was finally stung on the back of his neck. That was drama/trauma. He did totally fine with it. There was barely any evidence.

Friday we met with my cousins at the Aquarium in Denver and took the sleepy, grumpy boys. The company was WONDERFUL and the aquarium was so neat. I would recommend it! Alda and Rhianna are always fun and encouraging.

FUNNNNNY story. You all will think I'm terribly mean to relate it as amusing. In the aquarium there was an exhibit where you walk in a dark room with only a few spotlights highlighting a dessert wash. Well, Ranne was NOT obeying anything I said that morning and kept going ahead of me instead of waiting. He headed into that dark room and I hear a loud rush of water. Poking my head in the door, I see that it is set up to display flash floods. There is Plexiglas not obvious until a huge amount of water comes rushing down the wash and in a roaring, foaming mess, hits the glass next to the observers. Right as I peek in to find Ranne, he comes running out, screaming, and pushing people out of the way immediately in front of me. He was in such a panic, he missed me completely. I grabbed him as best as I could while holding a fussy Toby, told him to stop fussing, which he did, and heard him exclaim, "What WAS that!?" I would have liked to watch the display again, but as I took both boys back through to move on, they began to panic. Ah well....

On Saturday I took the boys downtown while their dad was busy teaching and learning. We walked a LONG ways along the creek to the local farmers market, watched a puppet show, bought a juice, rode a horse carriage, walked back, played in the river, and then trekked back for lunch with dad.

A pretty bridge downtown that leads to walks along the river. The beautiful view of Coors from that same bridge.

This slide led from the street level, to the path next to the river. Ranne went down, ending on his head, surprised by the twists. It was not his favorite experience. He later saw a man go down it quite well and said, "That is a man slide." The little boy with the water gun was great fun when he wasn't shooting Ranne in the face, repeatedly. Toby did not budge from sitting on the edge of the path.

The boys' first carriage ride. Ranne liked it, Toby had a death grip on my shirt the whole time.

Sunday we met with the Lakewood Church of Christ in Littleton, which was encouraging. The boys did awesome in their classes, receiving compliment upon compliment about their participation and agreeability (new word). A couple different people who sat near us during services were also very excited with how well adjusted and happy they were, as well as well behaved. VERY ENCOURAGING, even though I knew it did not go THAT well.

This last week was spent in totally unproductive ways with no teaching. The kids played with their toys around the clock, got dirty outside, and I have been sleeping at every opportunity. The house is a mess and will, I'm sure, someday find order again.

Have a blessed night....