A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

This picture accurately depicts their relationship.

Riding the Rails

Last week the kids and I drove up to Jim Thorpe, PA and rode the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway with some friends from church. We learned during our visit that at one time this town was the second most popular tourist destination in the country. The little bit of the town that I saw reminded me of Disneyland, not because it had rides (I believe the train was the only ride available), but rather because of the quaint shops.

It was a warm, sunny day. Also, someone in our group didn't want his picture taken.

We sat in the open car, which was fun and terrifying. It was fun because the cool air came into the car and we felt closer to the woods outside. It was terrifying because my kids don't have a great track record for following instructions like "keep your arms and head inside." But good news, after a few reminders, they stayed inside the car.

Topher and I were there too. And check out that fun painted ceiling.

We were encouraged to stand and walk around while the train was in motion. My kids found the padlocked door in the side of the car. That part was exciting, at least for me.

We passed several pretty waterfalls.

And we drove through beautiful green woods.

Sophie got tired of watching the woods and river that we were passing, so she retreated to the backpack of books that I had each child bring. She sat and drew for a little while.

Halfway through the ride, we stopped long enough for the engine to unhitch and drive to the opposite end of the train. There were also a few people that left the train with their bicycles to ride those back. Peter thought that was amazing and has decided that the scouts in our ward should do the same bike ride.

A freight train passed us while we waited.

When we returned to the beginning of the line a friendly bear was available for pictures.

We crossed the street and had lunch. That made the long drive back home much more pleasant.

On our walk to the car we stopped for a picture by the river. The kids all wanted to get closer to the water. I opted to keep our clothes and shoes dry.

We haven't had many adventures this summer, so I was glad that this one was so successful.

Weight Lifting

She just discovered that she has the ability to pick him up without help. She looks pleased, eh?

Happy Birthday to Us

On Saturday we celebrated our family's 17th birthday. In other words, Bryan and I had our 17th wedding anniversary. I love that we make a family day out of it and call it our birthday. When we were discussing how to mark the day, Bryan had a novel suggestion. He said we should each pick a food that we loved and we would eat them all at the same meal. So we did. I chose watermelon (of course), Bryan picked roast (it was delicious), Peter selected sushi, Cooper opted for cookie dough ice cream, Phoebe wanted crepes, and Sophie asked for macaroni and cheese.

I loved it. Just like each member of our family is unique, each food was distinct. But, unexpectedly, the foods complemented each other. The flavors went together well. And so do the individual members of our family. We're all different from each other, but we go together to make a whole.

I think this will be a new tradition.

A Smile From the Wee Man

Who Wore It Better: Topher vs. Peter

Just kidding, they're both adorable.

A Manly Tea Party

Read My Words

I was recently called to teach Peter's Sunday School class. They're a talkative, active bunch. On Sunday our lesson was about journals. I decided to begin by reading a few selections from the blog since it doubles as my journal. (I do have a separate journal as well, but it gets very little of my attention.) 

On Saturday night I sorted through old posts, looking for stories and experiences that would speak to the ten tweens and teens that I would be teaching. After an hour of review, I had eight pages of possibilities. I ended up only using three of them. After the lesson I was reminded about how much I'd like to print the blog, a goal that I've had since the beginning but has been pushed aside for more urgent projects.

Then last night for Family Home Evening, Peter, who was teaching the lesson about the Holy Ghost, asked to use one of the stories I'd read in Sunday School. Again I thought that I finally need to have a physical copy of these words.

My lesson included this quote from President Henry B. Eyring:

I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done... The years have gone by. My boys are grown men. And now and then one of them will surprise me by saying, “Dad, I was reading in my copy of the journal about when …” and then he will tell me about how reading of what happened long ago helped him notice something God had done in his day.

Not everything I post is a spiritual experience, but many are, and all are things I want to remember. And I want my children to remember. That means I need to make these words available to them.

I guess I know what my next big project will be.

Ten Seconds Later

See this picture? This is on Sunday afternoon, just after Topher rolled over for the first time. He's been working on it for a few days and he finally got his arm out from under him. What you see is his futile attempt to return to his former position on his back. I think we were more impressed than he was.

It's Hard to Say Goodbye and Let Go

Part of getting ready for the new school year means saying goodbye to your old, tattered, stained backpack. We feel things strongly.