The Coolest Museum in San Diego (where Lara gets to wield a deadly weapon)

While I came to California mainly with the intent to relax and spend time with my mom and sisters, I  also definitely hoped that we could also go do some sight-seeing while I was here as well.  Lucky for me, my sister, Heather, is a trip-planner who enjoys mapping out routes and finding new places to see.  Double lucky for me, my other sister, Kristina, is a local which means that she knows the ins and the outs of what is actually worth seeing.   

I was a young child the last time I was in Southern California, so my list of places I wanted  to see was pretty basic--including such places as the San Diego Zoo, the beach, the temple, Hollywood, and the La Brea tar pits. 

Thankfully my in-the-know sister decided that if we were going to spend the day in San Diego, that there was one place that we didn't want to miss....

The Mormon Battalion Historic Site in Old Town San Diego. 

While most church visitors' center have helpful missionaries standing by to answer questions about their interactive exhibits, the one there at the Mormon Battalion site left other museums and visitors' centers in the dust with its pure awesomeness.   Regardless of your religious affiliation, I highly recommend it as a fun and interesting place to take your family if you're ever in San Diego. 

So, why is it so cool? 

Let me tell you:

1.  It is totally free.

2.  It's in a very charming and beautiful part of town (Old Town San Diego) and has plenty of free parking.

3.  You walk in and you are greeted by missionaries dressed in period costume, who invite you to join them on a 30-minute tour to learn more about the Mormon Battalion* (see the end of the post to read more info about the Mormon Battalion).  

4.  This is NOT your average museum!  It starts off pretty normally  as the missionaries begin to introduce the story, but after only a minute or so, they are interrupted mid-sentence by the seemingly normal looking pictures on the wall beginning to talk and move.  (you should have seen our jaws drop at this unexpected change from the norm)   From there, the missionaries start talking to the pictures and it is decided between them that the "characters" in the pictures can tell the story much better themselves.    The audience is then invited to follow them into the next room where they can continue their stories. 

We arrive into a room decked out pretty authentically to resemble  where a company of 19th century Mormons has camped on their trek west.  Movies are projected onto the sides of the tents and the story is begun in a personal and moving way. 

5.  There is no chance of falling asleep during this tour!  The presentations are interesting, interactive...

 and take place in several different authentically decorated rooms. 

6.  The fun doesn't end when the tour is over! 

7.  They take pictures of your group with an old-fashioned background. 

8.  You can climb into  a covered wagon and see how little space they actually had to carry their belongings.



9.  The architecture of the building is gorgeous and done in authentic California mission style!

10.  You can pan for gold!

And if that hasn't convinced you to visit yet...

11.  Then just think of how cool you can look when your sisters so kindly volunteer you  to get outfitted in authentic battalion clothing and gear! 

Just think of it....you could be almost as fashionable as me. 


A very brief summary about the Mormon Battalion:  Under the direction of then US President James Polk, the Mormons were asked to gather 500 volunteers to march from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Mexico to help support the troops fighting the Mexican war.  They marched nearly 2000 miles to San Diego without ever seeing a moment of battle.  Their march was one of the longest military marches in US history and proved instrumental for forging the first passable wagon route through the southwest.  Additionally, after arriving in San Diego, the battalion's veterans proved to be very helpful in building up that part of California.  

For the Kids

It was my intention to do a detailed blogpost each day I was gone, so that my family could keep up with my happenings while I am in California.  Unfortunately my jet-lagged body wants to sleep far more than it wants to blog, therefore consider this a teaser post. 

My kids were jealous when they found out that I was going to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park today and really wanted me to take pictures of koala bears for them.  Alas, there was nary a koala to be found in the Safari Park, but I'm hoping that this picture of a mama gorilla and her baby might suffice instead.  We watched them for nearly 20 minutes oohing and aahing over how snuggly and sweet they were with each other. 

And it might have made me a tad bit lonely for my own "babies" too. 

**********

Good Hands

We have been blessed to have had a lot of visitors this year. 

My parents, all my siblings, Glen's mom, a few old friends, and an uncle and aunt

have all made the trek to Virginia to spend time with us over the last several months.

I consider it a great blessing to be a part of a family that values spending time together despite the distances between us. 

With Spencer's illness and Glen's job loss, we haven't been able to do much of our own traveling this year.  We did go on a budget friendly trip to Williamsburg in August and Glen kayaked in Maine with friends, but other than that have stuck pretty close to home this year. 

Shortly after Glen got home from Maine, feeling renewed and refreshed after the time away,  I got the idea that I would like to take a trip to visit my sister in California.  I had never been to their home in Southern California and I was frankly itching for a little time away too.  We had a bunch of frequent flier miles that Glen had accumulated from his business travels and so it was that one random day I very spontaneously made a ten dollar plane reservation to visit my sister.  Instantly my sister Heather and mom made their own reservations at the same time and so it was that our rather impulsive Girls Weekend in California was born. 

Although I already miss Glen and the kids, I am thrilled to be here and hoping that a little sightseeing, girl bonding, and relaxation will do me some good!

 In the barely 24-hours since I left home,  I've already read an entire book and done far more than our fair share of laughing and being silly...

The only thing that would have made these next few days more perfect...

                       
                  was if my sister,  AnnaLisa, and sisters-in-law Karey and Mika could have come to   practice their fish faces with us too! 

********************************

And just in case you were worried....

Ellie has informed me that the kitchen is in good hands in my absence. 




*************

still looking...

Although Glen going through his first ever experience with unemployment this year has added to our already stressful 2012, being unemployed while Spencer was in the hospital was a huge blessing in our lives.  It allowed Glen and I to put forth more of a team effort into taking care of our family during those long months.   Additionally, Glen was also able to go to youth conference and Spencer's high adventure trip this summer without worrying about whether he might have been able to get the time off of work.  Knowing that Glen could be with him in Spencer's first few weeks out of the hospital and away from home, was a huge comfort to both of us.

With how perfectly the timing worked out at the beginning of all this sick child/getting laid off adventure (read here if you don't remember the details), we just assumed that as soon as the need for him to be at home had passed, that he would find a new job easily.    He didn't really start looking in earnest until late summer, but since then we've discovered that job searching does not come easily and the hunt itself has turned out to be a full-time job.  Over the last few months, he's gone to employment workshops, networking events, met with head hunters, gotten in touch with long-lost colleagues, sent out his resume a million times, gone to mock interviews to help improve his skills, etc. and still he's had nary more than a couple of nibbles.

We are not discouraged yet. 
We have felt the hand of God so constantly through this entire journey, we have faith that the right opportunity will present itself eventually.  While we hope and pray that it's sooner rather than later, we also recognize that our timing is not always the Lord's timing. 

In the meantime, if you're in the financial world and think that you might have an opportunity for Glen, please feel free to get in touch with us.  He has a master's in tax and has several years of experience with corporate accounting, but he is looking to stay more involved with the business side of finances, which is more congruent to his most recent experiences working for about seven years as a fund manager at a private equity firm.   We strongly prefer a job here in the DC area, but would consider relocating to other locations if the opportunity was just right.


******************

While unemployment is not a fun thing, it does present unique opportunities. In addition to being able to spend the time Glen needed to spend with our family this past year, he has also been able to participate in some other opportunities he otherwise probably would not have if he were working.  Enjoy these pics of Glen from a recent getaway to Maine he took with a friend--a getaway he never would have been able to take with his previous job. 

This is a picture of a wild bald eagle doing some fishing while Glen did some fishing of his own. Glen said this sight in and of itself was worth the trip up to Maine.

Fly fishing so happens to be one of Glen's favorite past-times in the entire universe and I love this picture that captured the art and the beauty of the sport. 

Most of their days were spent kayaking on Moosehead Lake in Maine (one of the largest freshwater lakes in the US) and he loved the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors,

Although there were some harrowing moments on the lake with 4-5 foot waves tossing his kayak around out in the middle of the lake miles from land, the weather was largely ideal and made for some great photos:

One of the days, Glen was out fishing and this little hitchhiker landed on the under side of the bill of his baseball hat and just hung out for a while. I laughed at the fact that Glen didn't mind a bit about having a large insect so close to his face.  Although I admire dragonflies from afar, I am fairly certain that if a dragonfly ever lands on my hat that the dragonfly along with the hat would probably be thrown unceremoniously to the ground, most likely accompanied by a whole lot of screaming! 


Unfortunately, the dragonfly, eagles, and fish didn't have any job leads for him and now Glen is back home, nose to the grindstone searching for the right job opportunity.  Although we are very ready to have Glen back to work, it was a welcome treat for him that he was able to tag along on this trip. Going back to his childhood spent in the Rocky Mountains, Glen has always found solace in the outdoors and loves opportunities to explore them. 

Next week it's my turn for my own little getaway!

Birthday Boy by the NUMB3RS

Here's a little glimpse at our birthday boy: 

10-years old today!!!! 
9-thousand "what-if" questions he asks per day
8- days past his due date when he was born
7-minute mile, he can run! 
6-times a day he makes jokes about going to the moon
5-outfits that he will wear and if one of those is not available he refuses to get dressed
4-main hobbies include Legos, bird-watching, rock collecting, and reading
3-musical instruments--cello (1st year), piano (2nd year), recorder (3rd year)
2- his APGAR score when he was born
#1-math whiz / bird identifier / puzzle solver  / homework avoider in our family! 

Happy birthday Adam!
 

An up-close glimpse at his 10th birthday:

Birthday dinner:  Spaghetti and Meatballs
Birthday cake:  Andes Mint cake--made by Cami (cake and ganache),  Glen (frosting), and me and Ellie (putting it all together)
Birthday treats to share with class:  Mud and worm cupcakes
Birthday Crepes made by Daddy:  coming on Saturday morning
Birthday wish list:  Nintendo DS, motorized Lego kit
Actual birthday gifts:  light up Lego kit (which we thought was a motorized Lego kit) and Lord of the Rings Lego kit

Some past posts about the birthday boy:

• Birth story and baby pictures

• Another glimpse at his personality

• Last year's slightly crazy birthday

• Best worst planned birthday party ever  

Big Brotherly Teasing

Those of you who know Spencer well, will not be surprised to learn that he is somewhat of a tease.   Of course it is his siblings that get the brunt of his good-natured big brotherly teasing, but he is definitely not above also teasing his mother.   Luckily, in this instance,  I am glad for the fact that I'm usually the one holding the camera, so that there are no incriminating pictures of our semi-frequent nose tweaking duels. 

Cami, being the closest in age to Spencer, gets the vast majority of his teasing, 

that includes a fair amount of her own nose tweaking.

She puts her dukes up when he starts teasing about boys....

and reacts dramatically enough to ensure that the teasing will continue...

After Cami, the sibling who gets teased the second most is Ellie.   She is also a good reactor who enjoys his teasing affections.  Her favorite is when he calls her his cookie and pretends that he's the cookie monster. 

I try not to get irritated by the noisy squeals that always seem to accompany his teasing...

but then I remember it's their strong friendship that fosters this oft obnoxious teasing...

And, to be honest, I don't really mind the opportunities to play paparazzi  while they're too distracted to shoo away the camera. 

For the record, Glen wants it to be known that this teasing personality trait definitely does not come from his side of the family. 


My family pleads the fifth.


**************************

Willpower and Rainbow Cakes

A number of years ago Stanford University performed a study that tested the self-control of preschool age children.  Each child was given a marshmallow and told that they could eat it now or if they waited a specified amount of time that they could have two marshmallows instead.   They followed the children for a number of years and found that those children who were able to delay gratification and resist eating the marshmallow (about one-third), were more likely to be effective, positive, contributing adults.  The children who ate it the most quickly were more likely to be troubled and less successful as adults. 

I was disappointed that I never heard of this study until my children were too old to try it out on, but I've speculated probable outcomes for each of my children based on how I remember them at that age.    (I think most of them would have waited.  Two I am unsure about.) 

Although Glen and I aren't much into dieting (please don't start laughing maniacally about what a shock that piece of info isn't), we do regularly go through periods of time that we avoid sugar.  At one point we went several months without.    In all those times, however, we never have felt the need to inflict the same restrictions on our children.  We just simply didn't want to make sugar the forbidden fruit.     

So this past Monday, when Ellie told me that she was having a sugar-free week,  I nodded my head and assumed she would forget about it the second a treat was presented to her.   It's not that I doubted her willpower, but rather figured that since the decision to do it was made 100% by her and she was the only one in the family doing it, that it would be easy to "forget" her goal.  That and the fact that she is only seven. 

On Thursday I had to bring all the kids with me to YW,  where we were learning how to make rainbow layer cakes (in the YW value colors).  We spent the entire time baking and frosting and waiting in anticipating for the finished product! 

It turned out beautifully....

And the girls were so, so excited to sample the finished product! 

Look at Ellie's face as she caught sight of that first piece being cut...

And look at her face when they handed her her own piece...

That is a look of consternation and disappointment as she realized that she was in the middle of her sweet-free week and couldn't indulge if she wanted to stay true to the goal she had set for herself.

All of the YW, the leaders, and her siblings were eating their pieces and yet she utterly refused to cheat on her commitment and decided instead, that she would wrap up her treat and put it in the freezer for another day.  Yep, I'm pretty sure she would have done just fine on that marshmallow test. 

She may only be seven-years-old, but her determination and willpower (among other things) are an inspiration to me! 


*************************

Pink Out

Although it is a well-known fact that the seven-year-old in our house has a thing for wearing pink....

it's a bit stranger to wake up one morning and find my high school kids decked out in pink from head-to-toe.

For as much as Ellie would think it was pretty sweet if her fashion tastes are rubbing off on her older siblings...

in reality they were just a small wave in a sea of pink students at school that day, who had bedecked themselves in a "pink-out" in honor of breast cancer awareness month. 

Although wearing pink may not necessarily seem all that helpful of a gesture toward those with cancer, the school also donated proceeds from sporting events over the weekend  to fund breast cancer research.   Additionally it got my kids to asking about who we knew that had had breast cancer, which sparked a good discussion. 

Spencer posted this to his twitter account after that discussion: 

800th goes out to my Great Aunt Linda and anyone else currently or done fighting breast cancer #StayStrong #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth

And that's coming from someone who knows a little about fighting...

Cancer in its many faces, is horrible no matter the type. 

To those of our friends and family affected by breast cancer,
our hearts go out to you and we pray that you find
the same peace and support that we found through our own cancer journey.

A special shout-out to my high school friend, Monica, who is finishing up treatment
for her THIRD bout with cancer--each occurrence fought with grace and positivity! 

You inspire us!

*************************