Still Up Close and Personal

Well good grief.  I couldn't believe my eyes when the dialog box popped up that said my blog was out of photo space.  It never occured to me that that could happen.  Of course, in true entrepreneur fashion - they offered more storage for a price.  I am not prepared to pay $3/month for my blog for the next umpteen years - even if it is good to have my photos stored somewhere other than on a backup disk or computer.  

We have been talking about another form of backup like a big external hard-drive or cloud storage but until we make the choice, I have a need to feed.  The need to blog.  I can't leave you hanging in the middle of our Mena trip for heavens sake.  HA.  

Without further ado, I'll leave the link for my (drumroll please) new blog.  Five years and counting, my blog is our family's journal.  And leave you out of our family's business?  

I think not.  

http://blachlyfam.blogspot.com/ 

The Lion Queen

Alaina's bedroom in Arkansas had an Africian theme complete with big lioness on the bed.

She. Loved. It.

She snuggled and pet that lion like it was her best friend.

She dragged it around the house like a beloved blankie.

I think she and the lion bonded.  They were kindred spirits for sure.

Except that now that we're home, she hasn't mentioned her brief affair...

...maybe just a case of puppy love?

Mena, Arkansas - Where the Buffalo Roam

There were two buffalo that roamed around.  It was pretty wild to see!  There were two big, furry, snorting, horned reasons why we never did get to paddle boat and I bet you could guess what they were.  These were females though "so they shouldn't charge"!  Ha!  Famous last words, right?!   

The owner is a missionary and has traveled to Africa and China among other places, and this is her inspiration for most of the decor.  Our patio was very East-ish with a pagoda, budda type feel.

Daddy and Joseph roamed around the pond a bit and met up with two friendly horses. 

Joseph caught a fish!

After a morning around the "resort", we decided to take a drive.  We wound around sweet country roads enjoying the scenery until we found a little rocky beach by a river.

Joseph and daddy had to skip rocks, of course.  Alaina really wanted to go swimming but I didn't - so she decided to throw rocks with the boys.

It may not have been what I had in mind, but things weren't as horrible as they could have been.  In fact, I can actually say that it was becoming a smidge relaxing and a little fun.

How could I see all the beauty that did present itself, and see my beautiful, healthy family in front of me, hear the birds chirp, feel the breeze blow and not appreciate life.

It is all good.

Mena, Arkansas - Rich Mountain

At least the fowl weren't roosters, because I'm not sure how a bunch of cock-a-doodle-doo'ing would have been taken the next morning. 

We woke up ready to start fresh and make the most of it all!  I was really excited to drive around and check out the small town.  We decided to head up the mountain and check out Queen Wilhelmina state park.  The foliage along the way was really pretty!  Inch by inch it started to get a little more overcast though, until almost at the top of the mountain we drove straight in to a huge mess of fog.  It was almost instant, it was so crazy!  Josh slowed to a crawl and within minutes we decided this was good for nothing and we needed to head back down.  It was as thick as pea soup!!  (I love that saying!)

  

I saw a drive way out my side of the car and hollered at Josh to turn in.  He couldn't even see it from his side of the car...it was that thick!  Joseph was pretty concerned about it all and didn't like it, but Josh and I wanted to park and check out where we were.  It happened to be a little house (an old cute stone cabin from way back) and amphitheater.  I snapped a couple of pictures then we headed on.

 

As we were heading back out, Josh thought he saw a light through the fog and we ended up finding another driveway that lead to the park office and a huge train - in remembrance of the railways that were the source for development of this part of Arkansas back in the day.  It was a big huge grey steam engine that looked just like an eerie ghost train with all the fog.  (The blinding white behind Alaina is fog.)

As we headed back down I snapped this shot from one of the vistas.  We were going to come back the next day when it wasn't so overcast and foggy and try again.  It was fun traipsing around fog but we couldn't see a darn thing. 

Strike two of the trip?  Perhaps.  But at least I was getting some good practice at rolling with the punches.  

Mena, Arkansas - The Arrival

I've got quite the story for you.

Many of you have heard it already and I think it's a good thing that I've talked it out with some of you in person because it makes me appreciate it that much more.  Appreciate the good, that is.  

Not even home from our Galveston vacation this summer, Josh and I were already planning how we wanted to spend the rest of his vacation days before he lost them at the end of the year.  We toyed with the idea of camping and decided that while we didn't want to rough it boyscout style, we did want to find a nice house or cabin near a state or national park and spend the week relaxing in nature.  With fall approaching we thought October would be great and we wanted to find a place to watch the leaves change colors.

I hunted around on the internet and talked with friends and family and came up with the little town of Mena, Arkansas.  There is a state park, a quaint town, a newly opened crystal mine, and the region had a great reputation for the "changing of the colors".  I found a woman who owns 18 acres of land with three houses, a cabin, and a hut (for more primitive campers).  Her land has two ponds with fishing and paddle boats, buffalo, deer, goats, horses, chicken, alpaca, a playground, and sounded perfect for a relaxing family vacation!  We booked it!  

Once we arrived, not only did we have to meander around trying to find someone, anyone to check us in...but when we did find the owner, she came trodding around the corner barefoot and with a look that said "who the hell are you?".  I was pretty intimidated and very shellshocked at the appearance of the place.  Everything needed cleaning and painting.  There was junk everywhere.  The grass was high, there were ant piles and goat poop everywhere, and the main office - a Noah's Ark themed trailer - had some sad little deteriorating taxidermy animals decorating the outside.  It was quite the sight and I felt my anxiety starting to bubble up.  I could see the grounds beyond the office trailer and it wasn't good.  

I was let down over and over before the afternoon was through.  Our rental wasn't ready yet even though we were there past the check-in time and as an awkward young farm hand lead us around the alpaca pasture, Joseph stepped in a pile of ants. We quickly grabbed him up but they got him good with a dozen or so bites.  How were we supposed to ramble about and play all week with all these ant piles?!  The animals seemed to have the run of the place and while they were blocked off from our driveway and front door, there were a couple of snorting buffalo guarding the paddle boat pretty good.   

Once our house was ready I tried to hold it together and ignore the weirdo Noah's Ark....and the buzzing mosquitoes...and the dilapidated, totally unsafe, crazy looking playground (which they requested that we be escorted to anyway b/c it was in the alpaca pasture)...and pile of rusty bikes outside the door...and the big boats sitting on tires in the yard next to an overgrown garden...and the general disarray of the place.

Unfortunately what I had seen online and what I had planned out in my head were very different from what I was seeing in person.  I was expecting that we could do a whole bunch of nothing, staying right at the rental all week, playing on the playground and fishing at the pond.  

I wish I was the kind of person who could look at the mess I had gotten us in an laugh and laugh and shake it off and keep on going.  But I'm not apparently, cause this turn of events shattered my confidence and made me wonder what the hell we were going to do for the next FIVE days!

After we went to Walmart for groceries and got everything put away and settled in, Josh and I had to talk about the obvious.  I hadn't really said anything yet but this place was a little wackier than we're use to and omg, did we really have to stay here all week on our "relaxing" vacation?!?!?!

I cried and kept thinking about how much I wanted to be home...and Joseph kept skipping through the living room squealing about how cool everything was.  Josh rubbed my back...and Joseph ran from the patio to his African themed room, complete with savanah mural covering every inch of the wall, to the patio to his room and back again.  This place just made me feel plain uncomfortable and I felt very vulnerable.  It was just a little too back woods and unkempt for me, and now I had to somehow make it work.  So that's what we did.   

Joseph loved it all and our rental was really very clean and nice and had everything we needed.  There was a great huge wrap around porch that overlooked a pond, and the view from the porch swing wasn't that bad.  There was a hot tub which we didn't use - but I'm sure would have been cool if we had.  There was a sauna, and "spa" room with a massage table and a total spa-esque singing deer head on the wall.  There was a lovely garden tub with jets in the master bathroom that I knew would be loved by the kids and hopefully be used at least once by me.     

We made a plan that we would stick it out for a day or two and at least do the things we planned to like drive the scenic route on Rich Mountain and visit the state park, and dig for crystals in the mine.  Then we could head home early if we still wanted to.

Arrival Day came to a close, we tucked the kids in bed, I drank half a glass of wine before having one more panic attack, then decided the two huge bronze statues of the eagles sitting on the world that flanked the sliding door to the patio were kinda creeping me out and I just really wanted to go to bed.  So we went to bed, and lo and behold - our room had glow-in-the-dark stars and planets all over the damn place.  Walls, ceiling, everywhere.  First class, my friends.  This is a first class resort where the deer and buffalo roam right up to sniff your butt and with ants in all the wrong places.

Oh. My. God.  Welcome to Arkansas!   

Pathological Picture Taker Presents: "I See You!"

Connor's Crew

We walked in the second annual Children's Tumor Foundation NF Walk a couple of weeks ago.  There was a great turnout for Connor's Crew and I really had a great time!  Although I didn't fund-raise as much as the others - it makes me feel good to see so much support and awareness for the NF community.

Connor is in Maryland as we speak recovering from a 10 hour surgery - and when I talked to him the other night on the phone, he sounded really good.  He was a little skeptical that removing the staples wouldn't hurt like the Dr. said, and he had been out on a walk early in the day and saw some white tailed deer.  He wanted to talk to Joseph and just like always has such an affinity for the younger kids in our family.  He's a pretty cool little dude and I KNOW there are great things in store for him...not only in spite of this disease but maybe even because of it. Sometimes you have a life event that changes you so much or shapes who you are to the point that without it you may have been on a "normal" path, doing "normal" things and like Connor now, you evolve to surpass normal and become extraordinary.  The cool thing is that he gets to start practicing this while he is still young and has his whole dang life ahead of him to shine.

For anyone who needs to be caught up, Connor has a very rare disease called Neurofibromatosis II.  Non-malignant brain tumors grow on the auditory-vestibular nerve and the main treatment is surgical removal of them.  For those with NFII there are often visual problems.  There is no cure yet, but that is why we walk.  Connor has a team of doctors here in Dallas and is also a part of a study through the NIH in Maryland - where he is right now.  I know Connor's participation in the study is not in vain.

Cousin Jelena and her family came out to walk too!  I love this shot of us!

I made us some pennants for the walk and for Connor to hang on his wall afterward.  I wanted to make tons but after three my hand was seriously cramping.  So three it is!

I thought about taking a wagon for Joseph and next year I think I will.  He hung in there but out of hundreds of people, Josh, Joseph and Connor were dead last!

The event had face painting, snacks and food galore, a dj, raffle, a huge awesome playground, and so much good company.

Connor designed the shirts for our team and we all rallied around "Never Give Up!"...we can end NF together!

 

The forecast showed rain, but it held out and it was a wonderful day for a walk.  The park was really pretty and although it was supposed to be a 5k...the path wasn't marked clearly and I think we ended up only going 1.5 miles.  Ooops.  I gotta tell ya though, with ALLLL the kiddos there that day I'm not sure how many could have hung in for another 1.5.   

There was a huge turnout!

My sweetie!

Connor's poster in the pavilion. 

So in the meantime, we pray and hope and wait and love and play and hug each other up.  I know my family has never been one for taking health and happiness for granted and our little Connor is no exception.  Although we are all aware of the dark side, you can't dwell in the dark.  That's no place to live and it will make you crazy.  So instead we let the light shine on us and bathe in the rays of Connor's bright smile.

I never saw him smile so much as I have lately.

I think it's because everything is going to be ok. 

Swimming With the Fishes and Howling With the Monkeys!

The other day we felt the need for a little adventure.  Going pretty much anywhere with these two kids is an adventure, so does going into a really busy populated public place make us just plain crazy?  Well, I don't think so (they're actually quite well mannered...really!)....and there is nothing as cool as the Dallas World Aquarium when it comes to fun outings! 

This was Alaina's first time and she loved it.  The owner of this place really knows how to build a rainforest!  

These fishes really got her excited!  She jumped and pointed at them until we drug (dragged?) her away. 

All the animals were out putting on a show except for the jaguar - who's cage, by the way, contained some really gruesome leftovers of a fresh, raw lunch!! Agh!! 

But we got to see the main favorites -  monkeys,  the otters (super cute!), sharks, manatees and turtles.  I couldn't capture any good photos in the shark tunnel, but they are always a big hit.  We got Joseph a fossil shark tooth to add to his rock collection.  It's really old and really sharp.  The perfect thing to hand to a four year old boy.    

  

Our buddies lumbered gracefully through the water and mesmerized us. 

Hmmm.  Can you lumber gracefully?

Anyway, I would have given them a big hug if I could have.  They're cute. 

And as always...we stood here and wrapped our arms each other's waist and remembered that special day when we got married here.  I'll never tire of telling Joseph and Alaina that story as we stand in front of this beautiful aquarium.  A story from back when these heaven sent angels were nothing more than a gleam in our eye and we could sleep late on Saturday mornings.  And our house was quiet.  And clean.    

Then Alaina threw her empty snack cup at me grinning from ear to ear, Joseph ran circles around us chanting "cooties" and I snapped back into reality... 

Oh Manatee.  Maybe I'm the one lumbering gracefully.  

Getting Ready for Deacon

I know I don't have to tell you that I love a good party!  Especially a baby shower!  This one was no exception as Kristen, Casey and I got ready to shower Summer's new baby Deacon.  Casey made the sweet clotheline and Kristen made his name banner and the pom-poms. 

It worked out great to have three hostesses.  Since we all love to craft and make things, parties like this are perfect.  I tried my hand at my first diaper cake.  Now I'm still not sure about this, but it sounds like some people like to use cheap diapers with the expectation that the diaper cake will be kept assembled for the baby's room and the diapers won't be actually used.  My assumption was that it would be taken apart and the diapers used so I went for the soft, nice ones!

Luckily my costly wedding cake pedestal mistake (ie - forgot to take it back to the bakers after my wedding and they charged me for it) has been quite useful for events like this!  

I wanted it to be more plain and "classic", but once I got going...I couldn't stop too easily.  So I added bows here and animals there and big red painted D on top.  It turned out super cute and I quickly saw why people often don't disassemble theirs!

For the crafters out there:  the cake is about one large package of diapers all individually rolled. I liked this style the best out of various cakes I saw online. I didn't use a faux center (some people use a large glass bottle, like a champagne bottle) cause I didn't want to go buy one (how's that?!) and didn't really see the need since I had plenty of diapers.  I stuck a couple of dowel rods that I had on hand all the way through from top to bottom to hold it all together.     

Ha!...Casey added the 'Don't feel the animals' and it made me smile every time I walked by.  Summer's has decorated the baby's room in a jungle theme and we ran with that for the shower theme also.  It was a really great theme to use and we about had to enact a vote of congress to choose which of the bajillion cute invitations we were going to go with.  Darn you, Etsy!!!

 

I was totally tickled at the cute wrapped forks Casey made up!  Love the tulle and leopard ribbon!

My other task was the favors.  We went with caramel popcorn baggies as thank-you gifts as the guests each left.  Casey made the 'Deacon' basket for his room as a gift for Summer but it worked out perfectly as the popcorn basket during the shower!

And yes...I ate way more than my share of caramel popcorn while I was stuffing bags.  **Sorry Kristen and Casey.**  But I DID wash my hands and kept the kids clear of the assembling.  ;)

It wouldn't be in Summer's nature if she didn't supply us with some family photos!  ...some GREAT photos!  We displayed them all around the house and it was the perfect touch....really personalized the shower.

Kristen made the awesome banners, and let me tell you...that girl is a banner making fool!  She is the go-to girl when one is in need of a banner.

Casey made a scrapbook with question about the current times (price of gas, name of the president, current movies, etc) for each guest to fill out and then include a personal message to Deacon and Summer.  It was so sweet and a perfect activity for a shower where we didn't want to play games.  I had a blast coming up with a cute do-able palm tree idea to flank the table.  I got to get my hands dirty with real-live tools and spray paint.  And lucky me, I had everything already on hand except for the paint.  The picture here doesn't make them look like much, but in person they were pretty darn cute!  (yea...so if anyone needs to borrow a couple of palm trees....) 

Here's the money shot!  We are some fun-loving, party-hardy, shop-till-you-drop, baby-making besties!  I'm so glad I found these girls to share my life with and couldn't ask for better friends to welcome each other's babies into the world with.  (Good grief, please look past that crazy looking fat arm...what the heck is that all about?!)

So now we wait!!  Deacon will make his arrival next week and I can barely stand it!  I'm glad it's not me (heehee) and I'm so happy for Summer, Jason and big sis Ada-Grace.

And I must say, man his name monograms well!  What a handsome name he has.  So special, just like his mama.