Our First Family Vacation

Our girls have been talking for years about renting a cabin in the mountains for a big family weekend vacation. A weekend of togetherness, for the Lichtenbergers, this will be a weekend to remember! Our worst nightmare at this point was getting caught in a sudden downpour, with 13 children ages 1-10, in a cabin, in the mountains, stuck in the middle of nowhere.

They finally set the date, July 10-12.
Once a farmer, always a farmer. There was hay to make that very weekend! We had the weathermen's promise that we would have a three day break from the rain. While Rob worked in his hay fields, I took a drive to see this cabin in the mountains. It was a gorgeous drive. I love Path Valley!

 

The cabin was charming. It was actually big enough that you really didn't notice that there were 13 children under foot...most of the time!

 I was supposed to take a picture of this little guy eating his snack, but I really wanted a picture of the goose egg on his forehead. The children had a contest going on that the parents didn't know anything about...I think they finally caught on after they ran out of bandaids. Each child was trying to see how many scrapes and bruises they could accumulate till the weekend was over. This little guy got his goose egg when his bike ran into the handle bars of another bike.

I couldn't stay the whole day so I went home to feed my calves. Rob and I went back over for supper. We took the scenic route. The mountains were just beautiful.

 

 

 

 

               These pictures were taken as we drove through the valley on Rt 75.

                                                                Timmons Mountain

 

We actually surprised most of them. They weren't aware that we were coming back. That was the beauty of only being 1/2 an hour away. Here are the chefs of the evening.

 

 

 

 

Six on the couch!! There is a new attraction at our family gatherings.

Everyone wanted to sit beside him!!

 

 I didn't take many pictures, I was waiting to add a few of Leahs here too, but that didn't happen.

Even though we didn't get to spend the whole weekend with the family, we enjoyed the time we had. Will we do it again next year? That is yet to be determined!!

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

I love to write about my grandchildren. I try not to put their names in my blogs. As they grow and learn to read, I like to see if they see themselves in the stories. This little girl will definitely recognize herself, so will all her siblings!!  I tried not to make this too gory. I had to write it down so I would remember exactly how it was told to me. I have a blond haired granddaughter, I don't know how the blond jokes started but I am pretty sure they originated from a story similar to this one.

This little blond haired girl was mowing her family's yard with a riding mower. They have chickens of several different sizes that are supposed to be in the pasture. As she was mowing along the pasture fence which is woven wire, she came upon a half grown chicken that was standing outside the fence. As she got closer to the chicken, it tried to fit through the fence but then it became bewildered and crouched down in the grass, and "I just had to run over it!" she told me later.  When she realized what she had done, she yelled "Get Mom!!". We asked her if she knew what the brake pedal was for. She asked. "What brake pedal?"
 As she was telling me the whole sad story, she said, "Grandma, It was sooo Gross!, Its eyes looked like this.." and she gave me a half hooded look. I asked her if that was before she ran over it or afterward. She gave me another half hooded look.

Now we know why her chickens cross the road. They see a certain little blonde haired girl mowing the lawn!!

Blessings in Disguise

Our three year old grandson clung to my hand after church, after asking if he could  “go to youse house.” His mother was coming to milk in the afternoon, he was going to end up there anyway, so it was decided.

On the way home sitting in his car seat he announced that “doclat” ice cream was really good for his “domach.” That was the only thing that afternoon that he and I actually agreed on. Whether it was his plate versus bowl, which spoon he wanted, how he was going to eat his chicken and potatoes, we kept having a difference of opinion. Finally it was time for chocolate ice cream, I looked high and he looked low but we kept coming up empty. I told him I could make him chocolate ice cream and proceeded to mix tin roof sundae ice cream with Hershey's syrup. That did nothing to improve his attitude, he looked at it and said “you eat it,” went out to the back porch and searched the freezer again. He came into the kitchen and proudly displayed the carton of chocolate ice cream.

Now my disposition took a downward spiral. I was being outwitted by a three year old. After we finished our ice cream his mother arrived with his three siblings. Every five minutes they would ask, “Is it time to feed calves yet.” Finally, about half an hour before the appointed time, I decided it was “better to dwell in the calf barn, than in a farm house with three whining children”, so we loaded the baby into the stroller and off we went.  As I stood out there watching the three year old terrorize the cats, the five year old walk around questioning everything that was out of place, and the six year old mimic the way I start the feeding process, my attitude continued to worsen. Then my mother-in-law arrived with a spring in her step and in a cheerful voice said, “Oh we have lots of helpers today.” And I in a less than charitable voice mumbled, “This is not my idea of fun!” She chuckled and went on her way. But I was immediately stricken with guilt. This WAS my idea of fun. This is what I had looked forward to for many years. 

As I looked at the children again, I saw them making memories with their grandma and great grandma. I saw a nine month old with arms and legs waving with anticipation, and a gleam in her eye, as she visualized herself following in her big brothers footsteps..terrorizing cats.  This grumpy old grandma was begrudging them the one thing they had looked forward to all afternoon. Thankfully they didn’t pick up on my rotten attitude so I hadn’t ruined their afternoon, but I came mighty close to it. I wish I could say I learned my lesson, that I never have uncharitable thoughts when I have too many little hands helping me feed calves, or trying to help me in the kitchen, but this grandma continues to battle with impatience and has to be reminded daily to look for blessings in disguise.
                                                                                                                                              4/30/2012

Old Age...not what its cracked up to be!

 I often wondered how I would know when I had reached old age. They say it creeps on you, you feel it coming little by little. I did see some signs of it over the last several years but it wasn't anything that I thought I needed to worry about. Well let me tell you, one morning it took one running leap, and jumped on me with all four feet and has been hanging on ever since!

It all started on a Sunday morning after church. One of our ministers came up to me with a wide grin and said, "Becky, I have had the same last name for the past 40 or so years, and I'm not about to change it now."  Oh dear, what have I done? I grabbed the bulletin and sure enough, when I wrote he and his wife's' name for hospitality, I used her maiden name! I tried to use the excuse that I wanted to see how many people actually read the bulletin, but that just didn't cut it. I have made quite a few mistakes on the bulletin before but that's the first time I changed somebody's name.

Two days later I received an email from a business that I had recently sent a check to. The statement said I owed them 30.00. We never owe them 30.00. The trip out here costs us more than that. Looking at the statement closer, I saw that I had changed the numbers around. Instead of paying them 496.00,  I had written the check out for 469.00. I often wondered if I had dyslexic tendencies.

To top it off twice that same week somebody asked me a question and I answered them with what I thought they said. It was definitely the wrong answer but I didn't think they had to laugh so long! I was quite offended when, talking to my daughter on the phone, she asked me if I was dressed... at 2 in the afternoon!!...only to find out she asked me if I was resting!

There are times when I wonder if my Grandmother in exasperation might have said to my mother, "I hope you have a daughter that is just like you!" Well I haven't lost my teeth, but I did lose the milk check!  That was the scariest three days of my life. After much intercessory prayer, I found it..in the phone book! Don't even ask...

I remember back when Mom would lose something she would say, "Don't tell Daddy, I'll find it!"
I have now attained that spot in life. I think I have figured out why its called the "Golden Years."
By the time you find what you have lost, it has turned to gold.