travel – Skies of Parchment

March 5, 2013March 27, 2013

Three Kids and a Mom {vacation}

Once upon a time, there was a girl.
Actually, a mom.
A mom and her three little kiddos.

Uh, yes, three kiddos. One didn’t make it on the picture.

And she had a friend.
A very dear friend, whom she had made so many memories with in Pennsylvania and Ohio and all across Asia.
This same friend invited her to Florida for several days.

The mom deliberated.
It sure sounded fun.
This friend is so dear indeed.
And there was a new baby girl to meet.

But it was 6 hours away. One way.
With three kids. Because it didn’t work for Husband to go.
Would it be brave or crazy?

There was much deliberation.
But then she decided:
it was waaaay too much fun to say no.

So they went.
And they picked up the mom’s sister on the way, which also added to the off-the-charts fun factor.

They stayed at a house with the friend, her friend’s mom, her friend’s mother-in-law, her friend’s sister-in-laws and baby.
It was such great times.
There was always a party.
Even for the kids.

They got to meet this adorably beautiful little girl, who has so much personality for a three-month-old person.
And the time with the baby’s mother was just so amazing.
Real friendships just are so precious.

There were a few moments of stress for the mom,
including one morning when all her kiddos awoke at 7am to a house that was planning to sleep in.

She had to send up an SOS to the Lord to calm her soul,
and help her with a vacation that was more like a superfunsuperbusytime than rest and relaxing.
Kids sort of make that change, and she wasn’t quite prepared.

But after that one morning, it was really great.

There was her grandmother to visit, Grandma Susan, as the kiddos call her, about fifteen minutes away.
[and no, I’m no towering giant. my dear grandma is not quite 5 feet. :) ]

There were oceans to visit.
Or, I suppose it was actually the Gulf.

[pre-ocean anticipation]

There was a fabulous kids’ paradise to spend the day at.
The kids and the mom were even brave enough to touch the snakes and gators.

There was an auntie who loved her nieces and nephew so very much, and was a great help to the mom.

And a mom/daughter picture that hasn’t happened for a very long time.

There were jungle trails to walk, with popcorn in hand, of course.
What else would you eat while walking a jungle trail?

And there were flamingos to feed that made the oldest daughter simply leap with excitement.

The happiness factor brought sisterly hugs to pictures with not even a hint from mom.

There was a favorite little breakfast joint to eat one morning. Er, two mornings.

And ice cream. They couldn’t forget the ice cream.
It was a daily necessity, from anywhere and everywhere.

This was probably the favorite place.

It was a pretty big WOW of their vacation.

And then, despite the attempts to lengthen the days and the desires to the kiddos to “let’s MOVE here!”
it was time to return home to their very own little cottage.

The sister’s husband came to have a romantic weekend getaway with his bride.

And the three kiddos and a mom made their way back home.
The first three hours was a dream.
It really was amazing. Sleeping children, singing children.
It was too good to be true.

At hour three, we ran into a problem:
the interstate was closed. Closed closed CLOSED.
There was a massive detour which would take hours longer.

The mother, who had been deliberating whether to call herself ‘brave’ or ‘crazy’ decided on crazy. :)

A stop at Walmart to buy movies (hey, movies are cheaper than a hotel!)
a stop at McD’s for Happy Meals (gotta keep up the morale with new toys)
and a few years, I mean tears, later,
they all arrived back home safely.

The six hours home only took nine.
Yes, nine.
She felt like a rag doll when she got home.

It was a delicious vacation, there in Florida.
It was worth every minute of that nine hour trip home alone.

But three kids and a mom [on vacation] later, they’re happy to be back home with the Daddy of the family.

And they all lived happily [ever after]……. :)

July 12, 2011March 7, 2013

Savannah {II}

Summertime seems to bring an overload of pictures to my camera and computer.
Oh, I realize, I’m fully guilty of putting said pictures on said gadgets.
Happily, I do so, wanting to capture these precious moments!
It’s just a bit harder to catch up in photo albums, scrapbooking, and blogs when pictures are continually streaming in.

Sometimes it’s hard for me to know:
Shall I just soak in the moment without a camera?
Or grab the camera and remember the moment forever?
It’s a hard choice, and I do both.
But often if I didn’t grab the camera, I regret that decision.
But do I want my children to always think of me as camera-in-hand?

Pictures are a big deal to me.
Not as in feeling the need to compete with the big guys out there that are simply amazing.
But as in, wanting to remember these days.

Well, not all days.
I’d better be honest. :)
Some days are best forgotten, and I’d rather remember another.
Some days when my patience is less than a fraction and I end in tears.
Some days when it seems as though someone wakes up with the intent
to make our lives are miserable as possible by morning grouches [until stopped, of course].
But most days… most days I want to remember.
And a picture transports me back to the moment like nothing else can.
Well, music can do that to me too.
But I can’t capture music like I capture a picture.

The rest of this post is almost entirely a picture post.
And a long one, at that. Just so you know you were warned! :)
Savannah,
once again. :)

The occasion this time was a visit from my parents and brothers over July 4th.
So this would be more appropriately titled:
‘July 4 – Savannah’
but since the 4th is long past, and I didn’t want you all to think I was a week behind in my calendar….

I should insert a bit more history into this post than the last, since we took a carriage ride
{compliments of father dear}
and heard history about Savannah from 1700-2010’s…
But since I always needed to study really hard to memorize dates for tests in school,
I’m not the one to be telling you history dates.
Other than that Savannah was begun in the 1700s,
and there is a vast mixture of architectural design here
{please don’t ask me names}.
But, translated, that means,
THERE ARE AMAZING BUILDINGS IN SAVANNAH! :)

And we were with amazing people!
When your family lives almost a thousand miles away,
time spent with them is ever so special!

[cathedral spires]

[small dome with old bell dating from the 1700’s, gift from France]

[side entrance (not main) to one of the above cathedrals]

[There are gorgeous old oak trees, that must be hundreds of years old, based on their size…]

[there are city parks almost every block, when you near the River
and often musicians that hope for spare change]

[John Wesley, who preached in Savannah]

[there was a loving grandmother who walks with her granddaughter]

[there was a little girl who loved the attention of Papa & Nana and two uncles]

“Can you pleeeeease wear your fedora hat while we’re in Savannah?
At least for a few pictures?”

[there were fun uncles to play with and hold tired girls]

[there was the brother James, an avid skateboarder.
and quite good too, if I may say so]

[there were my parents themselves,
we even did a little photoshoot in downtown Savannah :)
(with my dad’s fancy-shmancy camera that I hardly knew how to operate)]

[papa explaining the gargoyles (as I run to the spell-check)]

[Savannah is where Paula Deen launched her first big restaurant, if I’m correct]

[Lady & Sons: isn’t that a precious name?]

We stopped for an ice cream break after passing by [not through] Lady & Sons.
When I got Zoe dressed that morning, I didn’t realize the shoes she chose were too small.
That shows how often the girl wears shoes in the summer.
So she walked barefoot most of the day.
[Eeeeww, gross, I know. I could hardly stand it!]
Papa loved her anyway.

[I love this tender moment!]

Not to be out-done, Olivia joins in the middle with her monkey-business.
The tender moment in the background continues.

These little girls just love their grandparents!

And my dear husband, who I wanted to get father/daughter pictures of that day.
But it wasn’t going to happen.

[another failed photo shoot.]
this was less than 15 minutes after arriving and the shoe was starting to pain the child.
that also means she didn’t like the idea of pictures.]

There are grandiose homes in the city. Absolutely breathtaking!
The carriage ride we took was just at dusk,
and although I was disappointed when it got too dark for pictures,
the evening light made the homes look so cozy!

[not sure when I stopped using these things ][]

July 4 192 July 4 200

And even stores have beautiful window boxes.

There is a charming Irish restaurant, where at least one movie was filmed by the red telephone booth. Savannah has had many movies filmed in the city, so we heard.

[PRESH-ous!]

[more closer to the river]

[these used to be storage for carriages.
now people pay a lot and park their swanky cars in them]

[also the place of a few pictures]

James and David

Our little family, where I completely overexposed the pictures. Grrr..

Since it was July 4th, there was festive decor everywhere!
Check out those massive columns!

I added my own little bit of festive. :)

[I do have to give credit for these to my dear friend, Ruth,
who finds THE most amazing shoes ever.
I asked her if I could copy her… :)
Fourth of July aside, these make a great addition to the many black/white/grey outfits I often wear.]

And we ended the day with the celebration of the freedom of America,
with fireworks over the Savannah River!

A little girl, exhausted beyond words but still going strong.
Blurred pictures because of low shutter speed for lighting purposes,
but I love the story they tell of a little girl who loved her day.
And who is never too tired for just a little more excitement.
The perfect addition to the picture would be a navy/red flower thingy in her hair,
which I didn’t take the time to make…

July 4 222

A day in Savannah is always lovely.

A day in Savannah with family is even lovelier!

I am not to pretend that our family is perfect, because we are far from it.
Both our little family of four, and my larger family I was born into.
But we love each other so dearly, and I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of them!

I loved this quote I found,

“At the end of the day, a loving family should find everything forgivable. “
~Mark V. Olsen and Will Sheffer, Big Love

and this one

“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family.
Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.”
~Jane Howard

Here’s cheers to families and to making memories together!

~clarita

July 1, 2011March 7, 2013

Celebrating Six Years!

Our anniversary day deserves a post all its own. :)
It was a day so lovely I keep thinking back to it and smiling…and smiling!

To a girl whose love language is quality time, a whole day with my man just exudes affection and devotion!

The day was so blissful and carefree,
and full of young love remembered and enjoyed all over again!

There were the usual questions and planning and deciding about where to go…
Somewhere new?
Somewhere we’ve been before?
Stay more local?
Drive several hours?
Pursue a dream anniversary trip to Italy?
The last one was merely a thought. :)

We finally decided on Savannah, Georgia.

Ahhhh, I love me some Savannah!

So off we went!
First though, we took the wee girlies to my dear friend Linda’s house.
She had offered to keep the girls for a whole day, and even overnight if need be!
Linda is one amazing friend!

10:30am – drop off girls, and leave for Savannah!

We spend several days a year in Savannah – it’s close enough for a day trip, but far enough away that it doesn’t happen too often.

Sometimes it’s a shopping trip, since there are so many fun places there to shop.
Sometimes it’s to take friends and relatives that come to visit.
Sometimes it’s for a date.

It’s ALWAYS fun. :)
It’s where Olivia was born.
It’s where I’ve found great deals on craigslist.

Yeah, you understand. I rather like Savannah. :)

And I especially like Savannah when I’m on a date!

We started by hitting Panera for lunch, always a favorite spot. Not too much money is spent there, but it’s such a cool atmosphere and their food is always good.

Well, almost always. For the second time in a row (several months apart) I ordered the Thai Salad, thinking it was the Asian Sesame Salad. Both times I was almost crying by the end – not from disappointment, although it’s not my favorite, but from the very poignant flavor which brought tears against my will. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I don’t really like hot spicy things in my salad. I surely will remember by next time…

We also visited a camera shop to see if they could repair our camcorder [negative, we’d have to buy a new one. :( ] and then to World Market to look for outdoor rugs. Just the little things that remind us of the reality of real life. :)

And THEN we were carefree! Off we went to Tybee Island!

I love the ocean.
I love the calmness about it.
I love the rest that the sound of the waves bring to my soul.
I love being there with my children.
I especially love being there on a day that is not so busy, with Ben.

[Tybee Lighthouse, with an old Battery built beside it]

Celebrating 6! 056

There was no sand castle making that day.

This was a Castles in the Sky sort of day! :)

This was a walk-along-the-beach-holding-hands day.
A lay-on-the ~~beach towel~~ flannel-blanket-and-talk day.
[we forgot beach towels]
A feeling-like-we’re-kids-again kind of day.

A lovely day!

After a few hours there, we headed to down-town Savannah.

I had secured some restaurant coupons months ago, the kind where you spend $45 and get $25 off, and so we were hoping for a really nice meal. Appetizers, dessert, drinks, [we always just order water with lemon :) ordering things we usually just think would be great…

The restaurant ended up being an awesome little building, but basically a hole in the wall with a very basic menu and cheap food. It was decent food, but there was no way we could have ordered $45 worth of food without getting most of it as take-out! We seriously wondered how this little joint ever found its way onto the internet!

They did have some interesting features though…
Such as fried crawdads…
Such as spiked ketchup…
Such as a cool little window we sat by.

[The Man]

[The Girl]

Can you guess his and her personalities by these ^^ pictures? :)

We had enough of daylight time left over to walk around the city a bit…
I love old Savannah. It’s such an ancient city.
Ancient for the United States, I should say. 1700’s is old for the U.S.

[The old Savannah Cotton Exchange, right by the river]

[how neat would it be to study at such an amazing place?]

[darling little restaurant signs]

[I love the ferns that grow out of the sides of the old brick walls]

[ not sure what this is, but it looks regal. :)]

[of course, a walk down River Street…]

[also of course, always a free praline sample]

[I love window boxes and old stone/brick work]

[so old!]

[We didn’t walk in the residential area very much, but there are amazing houses in down-town Savannah.]

[I am so fascinated by doorways]

Celebrating 6! 157

[How would you like to say, “I live in the house with the pink shutters.” ? :)]

And we found little places to set my camera on self-timer…
We had to some at least a few pictures of US!

Probably at least a few other people can relate to how hard it is to get a good picture of just the two of you?
Yes, us too. Lots of the kiddos. Not so many of us.

So, self-timer pictures are less than perfect. Angles and rule-of-thirds and such aren’t exactly as I’d like.
But I do like the pictures. :)

These got a little blurry, the focus was a bit off, but I liked the angle from being shot on the ground.

And we finished off with a venti iced white mocha for the ride home…

There is truly something wonderful about being able to say, and truly mean it:

“We are more in love now than we have ever been any year prior to this, including our wedding day!”

About knowing that, if you had a choice, you’d make the same decision.

This was our 6th anniversary, and honestly, this past year has been the best out of all six.
I think it’s been the hardest in some ways, and yet God has done amazing things for us.
When I married him, I didn’t know how I could love him more, my heart felt so full.
Six years later, I look back and wonder if I even loved him, our love has grown so much.

God has done some wonderful, deep things in us, and I have never been as secure in our relationship as I am now. There are whole new levels of trust and communication that have been built. He has won my heart in ways that were never open to him before, and it feels like our souls are more united that we’ve ever experienced.

So, to spend a whole day together, Ben even taking off of work, was simply wonderful!
In his words, “To have a whole day where we could just be together without constant interruption is almost heaven!!” :)

Even the driving time was sweet… He spent over a hour talking non-stop ~ reminiscing about our journey and how God brought us together.

How he remembered the first time he ever saw me (I don’t even remember the first time I saw him) and how he thought, “This could be interesting!” He had not been expecting any attraction/romantic interest while we were at Bible School together, and on day #1 he already had to go outside and walk around to clear his mind. :)

He told me about calling me dad to ask if he could date me, and how he dialed the number several times by kept hanging up because he was so nervous. About how heartbroken he was when I told him no. How almost a year later he dared to risk to ask me again, and how God did lead us together…

I was in tears by the end, it was so sweet to hear all of that from him! His memory is impeccable! And when he talked it was as if he entered into the emotions of everything all over again!

I am so grateful to God for our story, for bringing us together, for the unique way that He led us
I am so grateful for the gift of marriage that He has brought to us!
Even when I was single and independent and didn’t think I needed a man…
God knew I did.

Ben is the perfect opposite of me in many ways.
Sometimes opposites are hard work.
But a huge positive thing is that my areas of greatest weakness are his areas of greatest strength.

I love Shakespeare’s words… about commitment, about growing old together, about love that doesn’t give up in the face of disappointment or pain…

Shakespeare’s Love Sonnet 116:

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.

Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever love

Ben is such a good sport about my ever-clicking camera, and even about the little self-timer deals. I was thanking him for being such a sport, and he just smiled and said he knows how much it means to me, and how I look back at a picture and am transported to the memory that is associated with it. I had once told him that, to help explain why I love pictures so much. They don’t have to be perfect pictures, but when I see a picture I am right back there in that moment. I’m thankful he understands!

And now we both can be transported back to the moment of the Celebration of the 6th…

~clarita