Family Visits and Red-necked Help

We've enjoyed having my sister, Jenn, here for a few days. We arrived in Page on Wednesday, August 5, in the late afternoon. Chandler hadn't been feeling well since the time that he woke up in the morning, and I knew it might be a long five hour trip for him. We made it to Saint George, Utah, for lunch at about 1:30. Chandler walked into the restaurant for lunch and promptly threw up on some poor ladies' shoes as she walked out of the bathroom! So, Chandler is trying hard not to throw up more, Emma is crying because Chandler is upset, and the three other boys are standing there with their mouths open. What a circus! Thankfully Jenn helped get Chandler into the bathroom, but he didn't need it anymore as his stomach was empty. I took the other kids to the play land, and we tried to regroup! Although Chandler wasn't feeling well, we did need to do some grocery shopping. It's quite a bit cheaper for some groceries in the bigger city, so I wanted to make sure that we picked up some needed items. We made the run to the grocery store as quick as possible and got back on the road. 

Everyone was very glad to back in Page, but no one was as glad as Chandler! We went on a short hike later in the evening, and we took Jen to see the sights of Page. It was a short ride. :)

                       

   

On Thursday we went to the dam museum, and the boys showed Aunt Jen the park and the airport. It was a warm day on Thursday, so we went swimming in the evening. The boys want to take aunt Jen to all their favorite swimming spots, so we will see how many we can squeeze in. 

Friday was a most unusual day. We haven't had a rain storm that has lasted all day since we've arrived here. However, today is rained all day long. Unfortately, there is not a whole lot to do in Page when it's raining. We had to spend the day inside, so it was a rather long day. We played games, watched "Hogan's Heroes", and did go out to get the laundry done. Jen was able to watch the children so that Roger and I could go out on a date. We had a great time going out to supper together, going on a little drive, and having uninterrupted conversations! I'm thankful that Jen was willing to watch them. 

Saturday, August 8

Today our little girl turns two! I don't know where the last two years have gone, but I'm thankful for the life and laughter Emma has brought to our lives. She is becoming fiercely independent, strong willed, and opinionated, but yet we love her so very much. I don't think that Emma was too worried about presents or cake on her birthday, but the boys wanted to make sure we would have cake! Emma gave us a birthday present by showing us that she can now climb out of the playpen with ease! 

Roger had to replace the battery in the truck. For whatever reason, the truck had to be jumped yesterday and today when we needed to use it. When we left Wisconsin, we knew that the battery level was low, but it still had some use in it. I am so, so thankful that the battery did quit in Las Vegas with five small kids and my sisters! God allowed it to start over and over again while we where out and about. And the battery quit working while we were in Page where Roger could fix it...Praise the Lord!!

We had dinner together tonight down on Antelope Marina. They have a floating  restaurant out there, and it was a special treat for us. Emma has to be carried the whole time though as the restaurant is in 400 feet of water. The houseboats are luxurious and magnificent, and it was a cool sight to see the marina full of boats.

                        

We weren't able to leave for the marina until later in the evening, so my the time we got home Emma was tired. However, the boys convinced her to eat cake and open her presents! :) 

I had two pleasant and encouraging notes in our mailbox this week. One was from friends that I haven't heard from in a long, long time. They wanted to encourage us, so they wrote a very thoughtful note and sent a gift of money. Josh and Joanna greatly encouraged my heart, and I'm working to save that money for a bike. :) I also received a newsy, encouraging note from my friend, Erica, in Wisconsin. It's always nice to hear from friends and family. And now I have some notes to write! :) 

Sunday, August 9

We left this morning around nine for Las Vegas. Roger wasn't able to come with us as he has some flights this evening. We drove through Zion National Park in Utah. It was beautiful, but very crowded this weekend! 

About three miles from the Nevada border, traffic came to a dead stop. It was 104 degrees outside, and people had put their vehicles in park to sit out the wait. Apparently, about seven miles up the road there had been a three car accident, and the highway department had shut down the highway. However, God always has a plan. After it became apparent that we wouldn't be going anywhere for a while, we turned off the truck to wait it out like everyone else. Thankfully, we had bought water at the last rest stop we had taken. As we were sitting there waiting, a guy walked up to the truck. We had all the windows down and the kids were unbuckled as we weren't even moving. He was a red-necked hillbilly from Wyoming, and he was impressed with Jennifer. :) He was also missing his two front teeth, and smoked to which the boys pointed out was bad for his health! However, I think God sent him to our truck for a reason. He said that his phone showed that if we made a u-turn at the highway crossing and went back to the exit behind us, we could go around the whole accident on an old frontage road. Guess what was about four car lengths in front of us? A u-turn intersection! Shortly after he told us this, traffic moved forward about three car lengths but there was enough room on the shoulder of the road for us to move by. A few other cars had already taken the u-turn, so we decided to do it also. We back tracked about four miles and then took the frontage road. We would have sat in traffic for hours if God had not parked us right next to that traveler from Wyoming. 

Because of the traffic delay, and the trip through the park, we didn't arrive at the hotel until about 5:30pm. The boys were delighted to be out of the car, and Emma was happy to get out of her car seat. Jenn and I were glad to have some space from five small children! We spent the evening swimming, and it was an early bedtime for all. My sister, Jen, took the shuttle to the airport since her flight left pretty early. I took the kids for an early morning swim, but we were on the road by nine. It was a long day of traveling, with a few shopping stops in Saint George for a few needed items. 

We are looking for a bike for me, so we stopped at a few pawn shops on the way home. We didn't find a bike for me, but we did find a bike for Wyatt. The chain has been impossible to keep on, and the wheel bearings are a recipe for disaster. He's had several bad accidents when the chain has fallen off and he's flipped over the top. It was becoming painful to watch! There was a very nice boys bike at the pawn shop and it was in our price range...cheap! :)

We arrived in Page around 3:30, and we were all glad to be home. We unloaded the truck, took a walk to the park, gave everyone baths, and went to bed. I'm thankful for the Lord's safety in all the traveling we did in two days. It's about 600 miles round trip to Las Vegas. I'm glad to be back in Page. 

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 

We've been busy the last few days as we are getting back into our school routine, Roger has been flying, and we are enjoying a few days of lower temperatures. Roger's flight hours have picked up some, but he still needs a lot of hours before the job ends in November. We are praying about what direction God would want us to go, the right job, peace of mind, and wisdom. 

Thank you all for your prayers.