Twelve

One whole dozen.  Many things come in dozens – eggs, doughnuts, disciples, months… but not years.  They come slowly, one day at a time, slipping past like so many jewels on a string.  Drops of water that run continuously, forming a large stream, small things that turn into larger things.

12 years.

4,383 days.

105,192 hours.

6,311,520 minutes.

378,691,200 seconds.

That’s how long I have had the privilege of knowing this little man.  This miracle of life known as my son.  My precious child.  The baby I loved from before the first time I saw him.  Josiah, my firstborn.

These are a few pictures of the birthday boy.  His life began before I had a digital camera, so the first several years will be omitted in this pictorial history.  Suffice it to say, he has always been a cutie!

Over the years, he just continues to amaze me with his humor, sweet spirit, and tender heart.

Cute as can be…

He’s a great big brother.

All boy – not afraid to get down and dirty (or wet).

Loves to have fun with the family.

Never ceases to make me laugh at his antics!

Oldest child born of two oldest children (think about that for a while).

Enjoys making bunny ears on his siblings…  :)

Finds a solution.

Thinker.

Adventurous.

Good example (most of the time) to his younger brother.

Always ready to laugh!

Standing on the brink of life, just waiting to see what will happen next!

It scares me to death to have a child on the brink of adolescence, with the infamous teenage years just around the corner.  Where has all the time gone?  More and more I understand why God compares our life to a vapor – here for a moment, and then gone.  It really does seem to pass in the blink of an eye!

All that to say this: I love you, Josiah.  You make me so proud and happy!  I am so thankful for the privilege to be your mother.  Have a wonderful birthday!

Yellowstone Adventure–Day 2

Small waterfall in Yellowstone

Mammoth Hot Springs

I thought this looked strange – all the colored travertine made from the mineral deposits over the years.  It is constantly changing, and growing, which makes it really neat.

Boardwalk through the hot springs and mud volcanoes.  Signs everywhere warned against getting off the boardwalk, lest you fall through the thin crust of the earth and be literally boiled alive.  Okay – I was a little nervous  as my kids ran headlong down the walk.  Breathed a sigh of relief when we were out of that part!

This looks like a winterscape, but it is actually a tree in a field of travertine that has, over time, been sucked up into the tree’s system, and has hardened it with minerals until the tree is practically petrified.  These trees can stand like this for years, even though they are dead.  Amazing!

Picnic lunch at the park.  Notice the bear-proof trash cans in the background.

The kids got a real kick out of this magpie who found a grape that someone dropped in the picnic area.  it does sort of remind one of a pig with an apple in its mouth!

Along the Blacktail Drive – it was lovely!

We just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to dip our tootsies in the chilly waters of Lake Yellowstone!

Some people {ahem} threw rocks instead of wading.

We really had a good time together, just driving around the massive park and looking at all the beautiful things God has created.

Yellowstone Adventure– Day 1

Having had a few days between meetings, we decided to take a vacation.  As Paul and I planned this, we realized that it would be the first time we have ever taken a family vacation.  Granted, we have taken time to do some museums and local sight-seeing when the opportunity arises, but these trips are always scheduled around our meetings for the week.  Usually our time off consists of staying at home, getting ready for the next trip.  The typical evangelist has no income when he is not in meetings, so vacations just aren’t in the budget.  Besides, with all the traveling we normally do, getting in the truck to drive somewhere is not on our list of things we really want to do.

However, Yellowstone was calling.  We were only a few hours away, and had nearly a week of time. We took the plunge.  Paul and I both wanted to see the park, and the kids were excited too.  We knew there were so many things to see, and beautiful vistas to enjoy, so I made sure to take the camera.  We were not disappointed.  I did not realize how HUGE Yellowstone National Park is!  We ended up taking two days just to see the main attractions at the park, and another day to visit the Grand Teton park that butts up to the southern side of Yellowstone.  Here are some of the things we saw.

Entrance to the park

Sylvan Lake

Josiah at the scenic overlook.  Many of the trees behind him were killed in the forest fires several years ago, hence the lack of foilage.

Overlooking Lake Yellowstone

Bison grazing in the meadow

Beautiful rolling hills

The Upper Falls – over 100 feet tall

Munchkins on the trail

A beautiful day, blue skies and puffy clouds

The Lower Falls, over 300 feet tall – notice the rainbow?

At the Lower falls

Did I mention the 344 steps we had to climb to see the Lower Falls?

Some of us almost didn’t make it back up to the trail!

Observation deck at the Upper Falls

Hot springs – the water is crystal blue, but the surrounding ground is covered in mineral deposits.  There was also a pervading aroma of sulphur.  Ick!

Geysers

Waiting for Old Faithful to erupt

There she blows!  We saw a great eruption of about 100 feet!  It was worth the wait… I think. :)

Ready to head home after a long day.  Guess who forgot to put on sunscreen?

Afternoon sun over Lake Yellowstone

When we finally got back to Wapiti (pronounced Woppity) where we were staying, we were exhausted.  All the hiking and driving had worn us out entirely!  We headed to bed, tired but satisfied with our first day at Yellowstone.

To be continued…

Funny Bone

One of the things that makes life easier is a sense of humor.  Many times, it is hard to see the humor in a difficult situation while you are in the midst of it.  However,  if you can distance yourself from the  difficulty for a moment, many times, the objective view can be amusing.  Sometimes distance only comes with time. 

One of my goals is to cultivate a sense of humor in my children.  People who cannot laugh at themselves really take themselves too seriously.  At least, that is my oh-so-humble opinion.  :)

There are some amusing things that do not really need distance to appreciate them.  Daniel’s jokes, for instance.  The kids have, for some time, enjoyed riddles, jokes, and the terrible puns that they find on the back of Laffy Taffy.  Example:  “How do you keep a lion from charging?”   Answer: “Take away his credit cards.”  You get the idea.  A parent can only take so many lame jokes in one day, especially when you are all trapped in the cab of the truck together.

Daniel has taken this method of amusement to a whole new level.  He makes up his own jokes.  It really is funny to hear the riddles with which he treats us.  Most of his jokes have a similar theme – either something is crossing the road (what do you expect from an evangelist’s kid?) or they are jumping on top of something else.  Another point to note is that no matter what my answer is, it is always deemed correct, no matter how absurd it is.  When the other family members try to answer, their answers are always wrong (unless he has specifically directed the joke to them).  It is nothing short of blatant nepotism and favoritism.  It cracks me up!

Here are some actual jokes that he told recently.

Daniel:  “Why did the bison cross the road?”

Me:  (looking in the back seat and noticing that his shirt and tie were all askew) “Because he wanted his mama to button his shirt and put on his tie.”

Daniel:  “Yeth!” (he has a slight lisp on his s’s) “Okay, now this one is for Daddy – Why did the ice cube jump on top of the Popsicle?”

Paul:  “Hmmm… Why did the ice cube jump on top of the Popsicle?”

Daniel: “Yeth!  That’s right! Daddy got it!”  (This is where I start laughing, since Paul didn’t even attempt to answer the question and still managed to get it right.)

Daniel: “Okay, this one is for Mama.  Why did the carrot cross the road with the Popsicle (Popsicles are also a recurring theme)?”

Me:  “Um, because they were both orange.”

Daniel:  “Yeth!  Now this one is for everyone – Esther, Abigail, Josiah, Daddy, and Mama, and I can answer it if no one else knows the answer!”  Once again, I crack up at the totally crazy way he entertains us.

And on and on it goes, until we can’t take any more.  We have to limit him to about a dozen jokes, or it just gets out of control.  Like I said, you can only take so many jokes, especially when you have to make up all the answers on the fly.  But I love the fact that he is learning to appreciate humor.  It will come in handy.  Although at this point, I would still advise him to keep his day job.  :)

Magnificent Creatures

Well, while we have been stranded in Sheridan, WY, we have not been without things to do.  While the truck was being repaired, we hung out at a local RV park and took in a few sights.  The city park has an enclosed area that houses a great variety of the area wildlife.   We went over to view up close some of these animals.

Prairie Dogs – these cute little guys are actually considered a pest by most of the ranchers out west.  They dig holes and have underground colonies where they multiply rapidly.  They eat crops and their holes pose a serious threat to livestock walking around on the prairie.  But – they are so cute!

Ever so curious!

Bison – These wooly beasts are enormous!   I read that in spite of their huge size, they are capable of a six foot vertical leap!  Wow!  This bison family was composed of a papa, a mama, and a baby.  The kids all said, “Awww!” and I was inclined to agree with them.

Papa Bison – the average height of a bull is about 6.5 feet at the shoulder (top of the hump).  This is one seriously big dude.

He looks rather mild, but looks can be deceiving!

Here is Mama Bison and Baby.  They like to lie in the dust to keep cool.

Elk – these magnificent creatures populate the western part of the USA, and are a coveted game species.  Elk meat is one of the best game meats available, with a mild taste and plenty of it!

This bull elk is what hunters would say, “in velvet.”  That means that his antlers are still growing and are covered with skin that delivers blood and nutrients to the antlers.  This covering resembles velvet, hence the name. Later, he will scrape off that outer covering and expose the full-grown rack.

Paul already dreams of going on an elk hunt – I think it will be hard to hold him back now!

I really think this elk was taunting my husband – notice his tongue sticking out as we watched from behind the fence.  Sort of like a “Na-na-na-na-boo-boo!  You can’t shoot me!”,  don’t you think?  :)

It really is amazing to see these magnificent creatures that God has made!