Too weird!

If I wasn't sitting here watching this, I would think that it was impossible. Katelynn is sitting here, playing Mancala with HAILEY!!! Hailey is actually following Katelynn's directions. Katelynn will finish her own move, then ask Hailey which cup she wants to play. Then Katelynn will instruct Hailey on how to move her stones. It is quite humorous! These girls never cease to amaze and amuse me.

This week, the Stringer Zoo is trekking to church every morning (way too early) for "Game Day Central", our annual VBS (Vacation Bible School) program. I'm teaching the 4th and 5th graders first thing in the morning, so I've been staying up too late preparing for the next day's lesson. On our first day, I had 27 students, today I had 31. Whew!

Tomorrow, Wednesday, I'll be teaching about the ABC's of salvation, and adults from the church will meet with anyone interested in knowing more about Jesus and his gift of life. I'm excited about tomorrow. Emily is the only person I've lead to Christ. (Scott had the privilege of leading Katelynn to Jesus.)

Your prayers are coveted! May God be glorified today.

The other male in my life.

I sure hope that last night made it real evident how positively IN LOVE with Scott I am. :) However, I have an admission. There is another male in my life, and there has been for the past 11 years.

Today was yet another momentous occasion for the Stringer Zoo. My fabulous, red, golden retriever, Eli, arrived at his eleventh birthday. We celebrated by singing "Happy Birthday" to him and sharing the remainder of our spaghetti with the dogs. I swear they were smiling tonight.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am absolutely smitten with my pups. I truly enjoy sharing my life with these furry companions. They make life so much richer, and I love to observe them and their absolute zeal for life.

Nearly 11 years ago, Scott and I arrived at a trailer in the back woods of Northern Florida to look at a litter of golden retriever puppies. It was raining, so we donned a pair of black ponchos to shield us from the weather. I had my heart set on coming home with a blond female puppy, but as Scott and I tromped through the mud in the yard, this little, damp, dark red male puppy kept following us. I think it is appropriate to say that Eli chose us, we didn't choose him. :)

Eli is one special dog. He loves everyone he sees, and greets our visitors with a true doggie smile. He loves to cuddle with me when Scott is gone, and will often sneak up on the bed in the middle of the night when I am too dead to the world to reprimand him. He loves to play fetch with anything lying on the floor, and wrestles with Abbey like he was still a puppy.

Eli and I share a bond that I doubt I'll experience again in my lifetime. He seems to read my moods, and will change his behavior as he anticipates my reaction in any given situation. Eli and I have worked together over his lifetime on obedience and flyball. He just wants to please me and find the closest tennis ball. He is a joy to work with.

I'm so thankful to have had this amazing dog in my life for the past eleven years. I'm thankful for every day I have with him.

12 years ago

I can remember the excitement as we drove into the church parking lot. I couldn't keep from grinning. My cheeks hurt because my smile was so large! California's "June Gloom" hadn't yet broken, so the sun's light was diffused by a low layer of clouds. Looking back, the day appears to glow in my memory.

Scott and I met in Math class, our junior year in high school. Nearly six years later, we were getting married. Against all odds, the Lord had carried our relationship through the end of high school and four years of separation during college. Here I was, about to gain my heart's desire.

I remember seeing Scott at the end of the aisle, waiting for me. His deep, brown eyes reflecting his love for me. I wanted to run to him, but I bowed to tradition and walked arm in arm with my Daddy. My heart felt as if it would burst out of my chest, how in the world could this day get any better?

Most of the memories from our wedding day are a blur. I look at the pictures and flashes come back to me, but the details remain fuzzy. Yet, what does remain strong in my memory bank are the emotions, the strength of my feelings and the overriding joy.

On that day, twelve years ago, I felt so blessed to be Scott's wife. I was amazed that a man like him would honor me in this way. I was so thankful to the Lord for giving me my hearts desire. Scott and I had been through some tough times during our five years of dating, but I knew that we were well prepared for the challenges that would come our way in marriage.

Now, those feelings of blessing and honor are still with me, they have just grown with the passing of time. Once in a while, I'll just watch Scott from across the room, as he interacts with our daughters, as he puzzles over an Excel spreadsheet, or even as he lays in bed at night. As I gaze at him I feel physically touched by the depth of my love for him. I really don't know how to describe it, my breath is taken away, I can't help but smile, and I'm amazed at how our love has grown and deepened with time.

I'm constantly learning more about him. (Case in point, I never realized he HAD to wear a watch. I just knew he always did. *grin*)

I love to see how Scott's respect for others plays out in a day to day basis. Sometimes it shows up as time spent cuddling with a daughter on the couch, reading a book, or watching "Dora". Often it will be revealed as Scott talks to someone. Or should I say, as he listens to someone. Scott listens, a quality that will be sorely tested as he returns home in a few months. All of his women will have seven months of stored up words to spend!

Scott has a fabulous ability to put up with my odd quirks. He has supported me in my cloth diapering addiction - only once in a while teasing me about the amount of fabric stored in the sewing room. Scott loves to build me up, encouraging me and complimenting me on a job well done. I love to show off my latest diaper creation to him, and he'll "ooh" and "aah" at the workmanship. Never once will he sigh and remind me that they aren't designed to be works of art.

Our marriage is such a team effort. Scott helps me out when I'm feeling weak. He'll take over when I'm needing help. A friend even commented once that Scott seems to anticipate what needs to be done, and steps in without being asked. Here I thought that I was the only one to notice that awesome trait!

I am so thankful to God for giving me this man, who desires to love God and to show our daughters how to love Him too. Scott is such an example to me of wanting to do God's desire. Scott isn't perfect, but his heart is turned toward our Father, eager to learn and grow. That eagerness excites me, and spurs me on to grow and learn as well. I love to watch as the Lord challenges Scott. I know that even through the trials that Scott will deepen his relationship with God.

Lord, you amaze me with your ability to show your love to me through Scott. Thank you for giving me Scott as my husband, and for blessing us with four fabulous daughters. I'm in awe. Thank you for the past twelve years of marriage!!!

Scott, I'm proud to be your wife. I love you!

Once in a while.

Yesterday, Friday, was an extremely tough day. Hailey cried - unless she was asleep. I'm not positive, but I think she is getting molars. However, they are coming in the way far back of her mouth, not right behind her first set of molars. I'm not quite sure what to do with her.

However, today was a FABULOUS day!!! I was cooked a delicious hot breakfast. I didn't have to make my daughters lunch, and I spend 2 1/2 hours at the pool. Wahoo!! Heather, Holly and Hope Beane have joined the Zoo for the weekend, and I was spoiled today. My girls love the Beane girls, and as far as I can tell, the feeling is mutual. :) I'm amazed at the Beane's patience with my family's quirks, and I so enjoy just spending time with the girls.

I'm so amazed at how quickly the weekend is passing. Before I know it, we'll all be heading up to Northern San Diego County for flyball practice, and the weekend will be over. The next two days are momentous ones for the Stringer Zoo. On Monday, Eli turns 11 years old. My distinguished boy is definitely slowing with the years, but his heart still thinks he is a puppy. I think he is currently cuddled with Hope in bed. :)

And tomorrow marks the start of 13 years of marriage for Scott and I. Even though we are currently apart, we will be celebrating our twelfth anniversary. It was fun to look through some pictures of that Saturday morning in 1995 when Scott and I exchanged vows. Boy, did we look a lot younger!!! I really loved looking back at the pure joy on our faces. I can hardly believe that Scott and I have been together as a couple for 17 years, and married for 12. Time sure does move quickly!

I love my husband dearly, and I'm eager to celebrate with him next month in person. For now, I'll enjoy our e-mails and the surprise phone call this morning. It was wonderful to hear his cheerful voice in my ear. :)

My final thought for the night is a "funny" from the humorous mind of Todd Wilson at www.familymanweb.com. (Check him out if you have a moment, he is great!) In case anyone ever wondered how I get any schooling done with the girls, here is a glimpse at my day...

YAHOOOOOOOOO!

OK, is is plain that I'm excited? I just spent a ton of money over the past 24 hours.

Last night I purchased 6 tickets to a Rascal Flatts concert that will happen in our hometown in September! My sister, Melissa - or Auntie Mo, has slowly converted me into a country music listener. Last summer, she and I, plus all 5 of our girls, trekked north into Jackson Hole, WY for a family reunion. During the 6 days of driving I was introduced to Rascal Flatts, and had to admit that I enjoyed their songs! She just happened to leave the CD "Me and My Gang" in the truck, so I "borrowed" it permanently.

Auntie Mo driving to Wyoming

When I discovered that RF would be playing at the Coors Amphitheater here in Chula Vista, I knew we had to go. So, the 6 tickets purchased are for Mel, her daughter - Hannah, Katelynn, Emily, myself, and Scott. Yup, poor country-music-detestor Scott is going to take 5 women to a country music concert. It truly must be love!!!

The other large purchase I made was for a plane ticket. You guessed it, I'm going traveling again. This time, my trailer will stay in storage, and the girls will stay with Nana. I'm heading West to get to the Far East. (Boy, doesn't that sound weird?) I am blessed to be able to join Scott at his next port visit! We'll have almost 5 full days together exploring a new country. I'm so excited!!!!!

I think I'm done spending money!

Building memories.

I love lavender. I love the plants, I love the scent, I love its effects. So last year, when Scott and I read about a local lavender field, we were off. We packed up lunch, the girls and the dogs into my Mother's Day present - the Suburban, and headed north. We picnicked at Kit Carson Park in Escondido, where Eli and I had learned flyball back in 1999. Then into the back country we headed.

I don't remember how much time we spent at the Lavender Fields, but I do remember the pure enjoyment of the day. Sitting near the fountain at the Serenity Garden while the girls wandered around the lavender labyrinth, hiking up and around rows of fragrant, blooming plants, inspecting the distillery where the essential oil is harvested, and visiting the gift shop. It was a day full of new adventures and memories to build upon.

So this year, as I began to get e-mail newsletters that the Lavender Fields were in bloom and open for business, I was eager to recapture some of the joy from that May weekend in 2006. Katelynn and Emily remembered our visit and were eager to see if the decorated sugar cubes would be available for tasting again. This year, Scott would not be able to join us, for obvious reasons. However, we invited my parents to join us in our excursion and they were game to try the adventure.

It's funny how time dulls my memory! I had forgotten how far off the main road the lavender fields are. Then, my GPS was determined to get me from point A to point B via a road that didn't exist. But, moods were up, and everyone handled the two u-turns without complaining. We enjoyed our picnic lunch in the back of my parents Roadtrek van, with only one small hitch - Hailey fell out of the back of the van. (We had left the rear door hope while we ate.) She tumbled about 4 feet to the ground, but only has one small bruise on her chin as evidence of her stunt. (I think my heart finally started beating again about an hour later - I feel like the world's worst mom!)

With Hailey firmly in my arms and the giggle of girls in tow, Mom, Dad and I headed up the hill to the Lavender Fields. The bright sun quickly heated us up, turning the girls cheeks pink from the effort of climbing uphill. We watched as bees helped to pollinate the various lavender plants - did you know there are loads of different varieties of lavender? The girls enjoyed using the cool water of the serenity garden fountain to cool off.



Hailey is deep into the "Monkey see, Monkey do" mentality that toddlers have, so I was thankful she followed her sister's lead by playing with the water instead of copying the llamas on the other side of the fence. The llamas were rolling in the thick dust in the center of their sunny pen to cool off - nature's first sunscreen I guess.

We made our way around the fields to the distillery, and were lucky enough to catch one of the experts as he began to distill the lavender. He was kind enough to answer my questions, and give a brief overview of how they get the lavender essential oil and hydrosol they use in their organic products.

Next stop was the wool shed, where we tasted some iced serene lavender tea. (A mixture of chamomile, lavender and other herbs.) YUMMY! I had purchased a small tin of this tea last year, and have slowly enjoyed it over the year. Usually I drink it hot, with a touch of lavender infused honey mixed in. This year, I splurged and purchased two tins, so I can enjoy it more often.

Last stop was the gift shop. I so love small, personal businesses. Even though there was a constant flow of people in and out, I was able to get some one-on-one time with a woman who knew her lavender. She showed me several of the products, and was kind enough to give each girl a scented soap to take home. My parents patiently waited and kept the girls entertained while I browsed.


Then, all too soon, the day was over. Mom and Dad were on their way to Grandpa Mack's for dinner, and the girls and I headed south for home. The Stringer Zoo did stop at a Cold Stone Ice Cream in Mira Mesa for a cool treat. It was fun to see Hailey toddle around the courtyard, she really enjoys finally being mobile!

Oh, one "funny" about today... I accidentally left Hailey's diapers sitting on the stairs at home. So I arrived at the Lavender Fields with no diapers. Hmmmm. Fortunately, I had a spare roll of paper towels behind my seat! Little Miss Hailey, who can't stand paper diapers, had her diaper cover stuffed with several layers of VIVA paper towels. Poor girl. How's that for a mother's resourcefulness?

I think I'm going to go brew some serene lavender tea and head to bed. Have a great Father's Day everyone!

Time flies when...

no one is whining at me! :)

It has been a typical third quarter of cruise for the Stringer Zoo. I don't remember much from Scott's first deployment. (Eight years and 3 children ago.) However, I DO remember that the forth month of cruise was the worst part. This deployment has definitely followed along those lines.

My depression and lack of organization (funny how the two go hand-in-hand) really began to take hold toward the end of May, and I feel as if it is only now that I am beginning to come out into the sun again. My house is still a complete disaster - clothes, toys and THINGS are stashed in the oddest of places as we rearrange the entire upstairs. Tomorrow is slated for a full house Crisis Cleaning. Katelynn and Emily are even on board, I think they are tired of not knowing where any of their precious possessions are.

One thing that so far seems to have helped me shake a portion of my foul mood was to finally get away from the house for a little while this evening. I was on orders to go out, without children, and relax. That was extremely hard for me to do. I've tapped out my babysitter list with all the appointments the Stringer Zoo has had lately, and it has been tough to get any new "blood" willing to watch 4 kids for any length of time. Tonight, my regular babysitter was able to come over for four hours! As tempting as it was to use the time to get caught up on housework, I obeyed my command and left the house.

I sat in a darkened theatre for over two hours and watched "Ocean's 13". Not an academy award winner, but entertainment! I splurged on a popcorn and soda, and settled into the third row - the screen seemed as large as an IMAX. After enjoying the movie, I headed out to our new mall and hit the Barnes and Noble. (And of course the Starbucks as well.) My four hours was over way too quickly, but I feel a bit more prepared to be a mom again.

Keep praying for us! I know that the remainder of this month will probably get long for us. We are all looking forward to mid-July and beyond. There is much to look forward to!

Weary...

I can hardly believe that it has been over a week since I updated the blog. Hhhhurumph is all I have to say about that. Well, OK, I'll say a little more.

I think I can speak for Scott as well as myself when I say that if our blogs are quiet for more than 48 hours, please up your prayer frequency for our family. I'm noticing that the crazier life is, the more fires I have to put out in a day, the more running around I do, then the less likely I am to spend my few minutes alone putting my thoughts onto the web. It is a pretty safe assumption that if I have been pretty quiet, then I'm overwhelmed with life. I'm beginning to think that overwhelmed is now a constant state for me. I feel as if I'm not ever going to get my head above water.

The girls and I have had some fun over the past few weeks of being home. I really do want to share those special moments with you. I will, soon. Right now I think I'll enjoy a bowl of ice cream (diet, what diet?!?) and watch a funny movie. Early service at church is over-rated anyway, right? We can go to late service instead. Chocolate sauce, here I come!

Full Day.

Once again, I'm exhausted, and the house is still trashed. Well, OK, maybe trashed is too strong of an adjective. It definitely looks better than it did when I woke up this morning, but there is still a bunch of work to do to dig out from under the chaos. At least the girls rooms are almost finished. I just have to rearrange closets so the clothes are in the right rooms, and they'll be done. Then on to the playroom!

Normally I would take my time - like over a month - to get something like this done. However, right now all the playroom stuff is stashed in my sewing/guest room, so I can't sew and there is no place for my sister to stay when she comes down tomorrow night. Plus, my room is clobbered with extra clothes the girls grew out of or don't need, plus a large bookshelf and a toddler bed. Hopefully tomorrow afternoon we can get the playroom fairly well put together. As long as I can find a place to sequester the toddler bed and crib for the meantime, I think I can get everything else put away.

As promised, here are a couple of pictures of the girls and their "new" rooms. It is hard to take pictures in a 10'x10' room! I hope they show a little bit of what life is like now.

What a day!!!

Have you ever felt like you worked extremely hard during the day, and yet you sit down at night and when you look around you realized the house is still a disaster? Today was definitely one of those days for me. I look around at the pack-n-play in the living room (Hailey's quiet-time space), laundry on the rocking chair, school books all over the school table and all sorts of furniture in th oddest places upstairs. ARGH!

We had 3 deliveries today: groceries, bunk beds and dog food. It was really weird to have so many people in my home today. Joseph is now my "regular" delivery guy from Vons. I have decided that the delivery fee is well worth the two hours of my time that it takes to do the actual grocery shopping. What a blessing this has been!

The bunk beds arrived around 2:30 this afternoon. It took a few minutes for me to convince the two delivery men that the bed WOULD fit in the intended room. It is a tight fit, but I was right. It took them about an hour to assemble everything and bring up the dresser. It isn't the most beautiful furniture I've ever seen, but the utility is great! Both twin beds are up, on the loft, with a full-size futon on the bottom.

During this assembly, I was in the next room wrestling with our older bunk bed set. It took me a few tries, but that bed was finally set up, and Hailey was put down for her afternoon nap in her new bed. When she caught sight of her "new" bed with her "nani" on it, she exclaimed "Ma Be!" I took this to mean "My Bed." :) She's very proud of being able to get out of her bed all on her own. I see some training in line for her this week.

My order of dog food was also delivered during the bunk bed assembly. Yeah, I think my precious mutts are going back to kibble after over two years on the raw food diet. I will still supplement their meals with raw treats of chicken and beef. With the girls taking over the meal prep. for Abbey and Eli I realized that we were all spending too much time feeding them. So, even though I'm still convinced that the Billingsly "BARF" diet is best, my pups won't be eating it.

Whew! I'm tired just reading about this. I didn't even mention wrangling 2 twin mattresses upstairs, sliding bookshelves and beds around, or the time we spent in school this morning. Fortunately, I did have a fabulous treat in store for myself this evening. I was able to sit under the teaching of Pastor Tim LaHaye! The famous author of the Left Behind series was at my friends church this evening, so the girls and I ventured up to Vista Calvary Chapel.

It was a great time of fellowship, worship and learning. Even though my house is still a mess from today's craziness, I don't think I would change a thing. Tomorrow, I'll just jump right in where I'm at, and get things done a little at a time. In between school subjects, of course! :)

Oh, sorry for no pictures tonight. I was too embarrassed at the condition of the rooms that I didn't get any taken. Tomorrow night!

End of an Era

Tonight is the last night that my "littles" are so little. Starting tomorrow night, Beth and Hailey will be sleeping in "Big-girl beds". It is wild to see how these two are growing up so quickly.

I knew it would happen soon, I just wasn't quite prepared for it. Hailey, even in her non-walking state, is eager to do everything her older sisters do. Including sleeping outside of a crib. Since returning from our cross-country journey, she repeatedly tries to snuggle into bed with Emily or Katelynn, and cries when I remove her to place her into the crib. Tonight, as I tucked her into the crib for the last time, I told her that tomorrow night she would sleep in her new bed with Emily. I'm positive she understood, she didn't fuss at all after I kissed her, and she seemed eager to get to sleep.

Beth is super excited at getting to share a room with Katelynn, in their new loft beds. Delivery is slated for early afternoon tomorrow (Wednesday), and the playroom was cleared out today in preparation for the new beds. Lots of changes are in store. I'm sure Scott's head will be spinning when he returns home at the end of the summer!

Pray for the entire Stringer Zoo please. Scott is under a large load of work (ie. stress), and the girls and I are really missing him now that we are home. Emotions are running high for all of us.

I'll post pictures of the girl crew in their new sleeping arrangements tomorrow night!

BFF

When I stop and think about it, I'm just floored at how well the Stringer Zoo gets along with the Gough family. The Lord truly has blessed our family by bringing Melody, Rich, Kaitlin and Alec into our lives. The two families just mesh together so well! There is no one else in the world that I can even imagine spending almost four weeks with, day in and day out. More than that, I can't envision anyone willing to put up with me and my chaos for that length of time! :)

One fantastic result of this close friendship is how Beth relates to Auntie Mel and Uncle Rich. Beth practically grew up in their home! She teases Rich while getting spoiled by Mel. During our visit in April, Beth kept telling Rich that she was going to sleep with Auntie, and Rich would have to find another place to sleep.

It has become apparent that Beth is in love with Alec. If she couldn't get her way with Rich and Mel, she would would ask to sleep with Alec. So, a bed was made up on his floor, and there she would lay. Alec must have the patience of a saint with her, as she often talks A LOT while falling asleep. He would even locate her "nani" (blankie) in the middle of the night if she needed help. I always loved hearing Alec recount all the crazy things she said in the wee hours.

I teased Alec that he has to wait until Beth or Hailey grow up, then he can marry one of them. He took the teasing well. I can only pray that I will be so blessed to have someone like Alec for a son-in-law! :)

One night as all the kids were preparing for bed, Rich managed to take an awesome little snippet of video:


In case you can't hear it too well, Beth pronounces that she and Alec will be "Best Friends Forever." Alright, my heart is officially melted!!!

Accomplishment

The girls and I have LOTS plans for the time until Scott returns. Hailey wants to move into a big girl bed - meaning we have to buy another bunk bed set. The playroom will swap with Katelynn's room - so new paint and sewing projects. I really want to park my fabulously clean truck in the garage soon (I had it detailed this week), so I have to figure out what to get rid of in the garage.

After living for 11 weeks with only what I could pull in the trailer, I have realized that we have way too much STUFF!!! The girls and I do not NEED 90% of what we live with. So, a purge has begun. Don't worry, I've promised not to get rid of anything of Scott's while he is gone. :)

With a renewed declutter purpose, the girls and I spent some time at IKEA on Friday night. This led to my first declutter project - the downstairs closet. For those who have not been in my house, we have only one closet downstairs. It is directly across from our school room, and is L shaped to fit under the stairs. We've had a bunch of school work, craft supplies, cleaning supplies, coats, and bags hiding in there since we moved here. I do clean it out once in a while, but it still quickly fills up.




With the help of some IKEA shelves, a ruthless purging spirit, and some time the closet now looks brand new. I was finally able to put almost all of the girls art supplies in the closet, as well as a few items I need on a semi-regular basis for our homeschool group or my own craft projects. Several art projects were finally moved to a "home" in the closet instead of sitting on the side of the school cabinet, gathering dust and spiders.










































I also built a new bookshelf for the girls and filled with books - I even managed to get them to part with a few books in the process. It is amazing to see how my love of books has passed on to them!

All in all, I feel proud of my hard work and very thankful that the girls played well today. Even Hailey was in a good mood today. That truly IS a miracle!! The only downside to this adventure was that the closet shelves are made from pine. I'm allergic to pine. :( So now, my upper lip is swollen and I itch all over. Hmmm, I hope the swelling goes down before church tomorrow!!!

It's the little things.

I'm sure I am not the only wife to take my husband for granted. While Scott is gone, I've realized how much his presence means to me and the girls. It's funny, but the smallest little things will bring about a feeling of melancholy.

I really hate taking out the trash, its one of those necessary evils. Scott kindly usually takes over that task when he is around. So, now with him halfway around the world, I keep stuffing trash into the bag until it is about to burst. Then I have to wrestle with it to get the trash container to loosen its hold on the overstuffed bag.

As you can imagine, laundry is pretty much a daily, ongoing chore around here. I don't mind washing and drying the stuff, I just really don't enjoy folding. I miss having Scott around in the evenings to talk to me while I fold. I also am in the habit of tossing T-shirts in his direction to fold. We are rather odd in our T-shirt folding. We still fold them in the manner Scott learned while a plebe at USNA. It takes a bit more effort, but they really do fit in the drawer better. And that is important in this house, we have way too many T-shirts. :) Having his help in this area of laundry makes the chore go just a touch faster.

Anyone who talks to me for any length of time will quickly understand that I am smitten with my darling husband. I know that he is the BEST man in the world, and I am so thankful the Lord has blessed me with him. Even in a marriage, it is the little things that mean so much. I always feel sad that when Scott is gone my toothbrush is all alone. Silly, I know, but I guess that it is a visual reminder of his absence. So after Scott learned of this silly quirk of mine, he decided to leave his toothbrush in the holder so mine wouldn't get lonely. How considerate is that!!! I still smile every time I see his toothbrush standing next to mine.

The girls and I will all be ecstatic when Scott returns. He is sorely missed. Four months down, just over 3 months to go.

Num3ers

We are surrounded by numbers. I even like the TV show by the same title. :) Here are a few numbers from our trip...

27 states
79 days of travel
6 families hosted us (many more visited with!)
19 campgrounds
7 National Parks
1 dry tank of gas
1 broken tongue jack
1 leaking trailer window
3 days of rain while traveling
19 meals prepared and stuffed into trailer freezer for Westbound trip
15 of those meals were eaten on Westbound trip
4 pound of Red Vines
5 cases of water
4 girls
2 golden retrievers
1 crazy lady
OVER 11, 200 miles covered
Memories that will last a lifetime? PRICELESS!!! :)

There's no place like home.

The Stringer Zoo has landed, at HOME!!! After visiting with my grandmother yesterday and this morning, the girls and I headed south for the last time. We have arrived to a HUGE home, amid screams of joy. Even Hailey was sure excited to see all her toys again. My emotions are bittersweet. I'm excited to not have to step over or around things/kids/dogs/etc. every time I want to move, but I LOVE being out on the road. Scott isn't here, so the house still feels empty. Traveling around the country without him is much easier than real life at home without him. Funny, eh?

Don't worry though, I have many more crazy stories of our antics while we traveled around the country. I hope to share the "missing" stories with you over the next few days and weeks while I plan my next trek. :)

'Night all!

Visiting the Smiths - Wyoming and Colorado

I had such a great time reuniting with the Smiths last week. It was great to see how Kayla and Sierra have grown. They did have school while we were there, but that didn't stop them from introducing my girls (and me) to DDR. Actually, Jenn turned it on for us while the girls were still in school. DDR stands for Dance, Dance, Revolution.

In Dance Dance Revolution, a player must move his or her feet to a set pattern, stepping in time to the general rhythm or beat of a song. During normal gameplay, arrows scroll upwards from the bottom of the screen and pass over stationary, transparent arrows near the top (referred to as the "guide arrows" or "receptors"). When the scrolling arrows overlap the stationary ones, he or she must step on the corresponding arrows on the dance platform. Successfully hitting the arrows in time with the music fills the "Dance Gauge", or life bar, while failure to do so drains it. If the Dance Gauge is fully depleted during gameplay, the player fails the song, usually resulting in a game over. Otherwise, the player is taken to the Results Screen, which rates the player's performance with a letter grade and a numerical score, among other statistics. The player may then be given a chance to play again, depending on the settings of the particular machine (the limit is usually 3-5 songs per game).

OK, a lot of words to describe a relatively simple game. Until you actually try it! I had so much fun laughing at my complete lack of coordination. I actually earned a letter score of "B" for a song, but it was on EASY. Katelynn was quickly enthralled and often would be found there, dancing to Barbie's Princess and the Pauper music. When Sierra returned home, she and Katelynn had lots of fun dancing side by side. Many of the pictures turned out blurry, due to the fact that the girls were moving so fast. :)

Eli and Abbey had fun getting out of the truck and trailer and stretching their legs. They quickly made friends with the Smith's newest addition - Milo. I'm ready to steal him away!! Milo is the perfect dog for the Smith's, laid back, but definitely seeking attention, and so attached to his people. I enjoyed getting to know him. Beth declared that she was going to buy Milo, so it was pretty easy to figure out what she thought of this gorgeous gray dog.


Abbey and Eli also charmed the girls and Kraig. They kept bringing various dog toys to the captive audience so the objects could be thrown, REPEATEDLY. Kraig enjoyed playing with them, because they bring the ball back, I guess Milo hasn't mastered this yet. Eli kept trying to snooker Jenn into throwing things for him, but she seemed immune to his "puppy dog eyes."

The only portion of our trip where we had company was from Cheyenne, WY to Colorado Spring, CO. Once Kraig and the girls returned from work/school on Thursday the entire troop of Stringer/Smiths headed south. Jenn and the girls joined us in the truck, while Milo kept Kraig company in the van. How GREAT it was to have 3 hours of ADULT conversation!!! All 5 girls in the back watched Cinderella 3, constantly telling the Moms "You're too loud."

We made it to camp at the US Air Force Academy and said farewell to Kraig and Jenn - we knew we would see the girls later in the weekend.

Jehovah Jireh

God is my provider. I know I need to update with pictures and tales from our trip to Cheyenne and Colorado Springs, but something more pressing happened as the girls and I packed up to leave the Air Force Academy yesterday morning. There are plenty of moving parts on the trailer, some to get us hitched, some to make living areas larger, some to stabilize us when we camp, and one very important moving piece that helps me get hitched up to the truck - the tongue jack. This is the part on the very front of the trailer chassis that raises and lowers the tongue of the trailer to level us while parked, and to lower the trailer onto the ball of the hitch so I can pull the entire rig.

Yesterday morning, the internal screw for the tongue jack died. By God's grace it did not break until the very last second of hitching up, so we were physically able to move. However, without the tongue jack, I could not unhitch to go sightsee in our last two stops (Arches National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park). The gentleman in the site next to us kindly came over to see if he could help, but it was not repairable. So, I began calling around to see what could be done.

Most places all I could do was leave a voice mail message. No one was answering their phones. Those who did answer could fit me in for a service call - the first or second week in JUNE!!! ARGH. The campground on the USAFA did have phone numbers for two mobile repairmen, one would be able to help me after dinnertime, and the other said that he didn't carry the jack in stock, but would be willing to help me put one on if I purchased it.

Of course, I was a dummy, and tried to solve this myself - as I was getting nowhere on the phone, my frustration was growing. Finally, at the end of my rope I remembered my "secret power" - prayer. This should have been the first thing I did, but I'm still growing and tend to try and do things my way first. I got down on my knees in the doorway of the trailer, bowed my head and asked God to work it out and to forgive me for trying to run the show myself.

How awesome it would be to say "then the phone rang and my problems were solved." Yet, God doesn't always work in those ways. However, after praying, MY attitude was improved and I was ready to follow instead of trying to lead.

The girls and I headed south to a Camping World, and upon arrival we were told that there was no way they could fit us in for a service call. However, Mike told me to check around the corner with the service manager, Phil, as he would have a better idea how long the fix would actually take. Phil skipped his lunch to help arrange the repair for the jack, Lonnie took his time to do the repair, and now I am the proud owner of an electric jack! No more manual cranking for me - I get to push a button now.

It was a long day, we didn't leave Colorado Springs until almost 3pm, and didn't arrive at the KOA in Moab, UT until midnight. Sugar and caffeine are fabulous to help keep one going, but they sure do upset my stomach that late at night. :)

The girls and I are taking it easy this morning, and we'll tour some of the Arches this afternoon. I have an honest to goodness wireless connection here, not my cell phone this time, so hopefully I can update with photos of getting to ride horses at Kraig's sisters place and other various adventures we've had. I just had to journal to remind myself how the Lord does provide for me in such tangible ways.

An unusual Mother's Day.

I know Scott said it didn't feel like Mother's Day on the ship, it didn't feel too much like Mother's Day out here either. :) The girls and I have been camped on the US Air Force Academy for the past 3 nights, and are definitely enjoying a slower pace. We haven't seen half of what we had planned on while in Colorado Springs, but we have really loved our time here.

Today the girls and I woke up to a gorgeous blue sky containing a few puffy white clouds. We quickly dressed for church and hurried off to Lucky Dog Daycare. Huh? Yeah, the dogs had an appointment for play group and a grooming while the girls and I did other things today. After a successful drop-off, the Zoo headed back to the USAFA for services in the pointy chapel. The entire USAFA is built with 70's architechture, so it takes a bit of getting used to.

I thought we were headed in to the contemporary service, but it turns out we ended up at a traditional service. Attendance was low due to the cadets coming up on finals week. I did enjoy the service though. The pastor spoke on 1 John 1:1-7 - he paralleled it to a spiritual road map for our journey of faith. He was very passionate, and it was obvious that he loved the Lord and knew Jesus. I enjoyed being fed again. The girls sat fairly still, and didn't seem to disturb those around us too much. :)

We ran a few errands at the BX (Base Exchange) and Commissary (groceries), then headed back to the trailer for lunch, and NAPS! I even enjoyed cuddling under a cozy purple blanket for a few minutes of peace. Hailey and Beth slept like champs, and Katelynn and Emily played or read outside. It was so nice to just relax and not hurry anywhere.

Eventually, we headed out to pick up the dogs. Boy do they smell MUCH nicer now. In fact, their bedding is in the wash right now, because it was so dirty, I didn't want them to get dirty just from sleeping on it. They had a good time in "play group" and seemed content to rejoin the family.

The rest of the evening was not anything like I had hoped for. We drove through the Garden of the Gods, and definitely liked the beautiful rock formations. However, both cameras were out of batteries, so we have no pictures. We tried to head to a craft store to pick up some supplies for a project, it was closed. (Wal-Mart worked instead.) I was craving a good steak, so we headed in the direction that my GPS said we could find a Lone Star Steakhouse. Hmmm. It was vacant, with weeds growing in the parking lot. So we settled for Bennett's Bar-B-Que. It was yummy, but not the steak I had wanted. Next stop was Cold Stone for dessert. The line was out the door, and after waiting for about 15 minutes people begin to come out - without ice cream. I guess the store had run out of chocolate ice cream. That wasn't going to work, I needed CHOCOLATE!!! So, back to the trailer we headed for some cookies and cream Dibs. No, not much worked out for me this evening.

However, the Lord prompted Katelynn to remind me to look at the good in it. :) I was with my four gorgeous girls, we were well fed, healthy, relatively happy, and we are on the journey of a lifetime. Katelynn and Emily had even decorated our campsite picnic table with wildflowers, pine cones and homemade cards in my honor. They were so proud of their gift to me, and I am so grateful to have received it. They really are growing up into great girls. They love to give.

So, today wasn't what I expected, but it was another Mother's Day with the Zoo. I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles.

Well, last night I alluded to a situation where the Lord was truly protecting me. I just love creating an air of suspense! What a cliff hanger, were you drawn back, hoping I'd elaborate? *giggle*

The Lord is truly my protector, I will trust in HIM, and him alone.

Kraig took my Suburban to the auto shop on base to get the oil changed. It has been about 5,000 miles since my oil change in Durham, NC, and it was time to prepare for the last push south and west to home. He called shortly after taking the truck in to ask "synthetic or regular". Hmmm. Whatever was done last time, I don't know. Only a few minutes later, he calls again. I watch Jenn's face as she listens, and responds to what she is hearing. I soon learn that the oil cap had been left off when I had the oil changed in North Carolina, and I've driven all over the country without it.

At the moment, this doesn't mean too much to me. But as I talk with Jenn, and later to Kraig, I learn that without the oil cap, usually the oil will spurt out, causing a large mess under the hood and over the engine, often resulting in the oil burning on the hot engine, causing smoke and sometimes a fire. Of course, if I lost too much oil, the engine could seize, and I'd need a new engine. However, the engine was clean, and apparently I had not lost any oil. WOW! Also, the technician found the oil cap sitting in the fender well, just hanging around waiting to do its job.

Now, I am not a rough driver, but there have been some pretty good bumps along the way. Michigan roads are extremely rough, most campgrounds are not paved, and I do recall one large bump that caused a corelle plate to leap off the shelf and shatter on the floor. How in the world did the oil cap manage to stay in the fender well?

I've done some further research and this article gives a good explanation of what could happen without an oil cap. How awesome is it to be able to see the hand of God in this? Jenn and I have been chuckling as we envision an angel sitting on my engine block, one hand over the oil cap, keeping it in place, and the other on top of the open hole to contain the oil. I have prayed for God to put a hedge of protection around the girls and I as we drive, to provide his angels to guide and protect us. He has done that, and more. What an awesome God I serve!!!

This trip has been an amazing journey for me. I have been so blessed by friends, strangers, sights and experiences along the way. God has given me such a sense of peace over this trip. I have a bad habit of telling God "OK, here's the plan, here's what I'm going to do, please bless it." And I was a bit concerned that I hadn't gone to Him enough in prayer, and was hoping that I hadn't gone off on my own as I began to plan the trip. God filled me with his peace, there has been no fear involved in this trip, just excitement and wonder at the honor he has given the girls and I. What a privilege it has been to travel through so much of this country, to reunite with friends (and meet new ones through the blog), and to be face to face everyday with God's intimate desire to be a part of my life. Every experience through this journey has pointed me to Him. One of my prayers when we began this trek was that the Lord would please use this excursion to point others to Him. I never knew he would use it to draw me closer to Him as well.

I am in awe at the Lord's creativity, creation, protection, and His strong desire for me to know him. Pray that He will continue to teach me, and that I will continue to listen and learn!