Telling Stories

It's the End of the World...

It's what they say. You know "they"...the Christians. 

Before Hurricane Irene struck the East Coast, my Facebook wall was filled with comments like "Come, Lord Jesus, Come." And verses quoting how there will be earthquakes in the last days. Pointed comments meant to impress upon the social media world that this is all part of it. The End. The final countdown. The pre-rapture...

Instantly, I'm transported back to our little country church with its hard wooden pews and nasal-voiced worship leader. I'm a kid again hearing the preacher warn about the end being near. 

And the same fear that filled me then fills me now. My heart kicks up a notch and I struggle for a good deep breath...because the end is so final. It's...the end. 

And I wonder if I should be feeling this fearful.

I've been a Christian since I was five. It isn't breaking news to me what the Bible says about the End Times. Heck, I even read most of the Left Behind series, and let me tell ya, that did nothing to stave off my fear. 

And as that fear rumbles in the pit of my stomach, guilt seeps in and that nasty idea that I'm not a good Christian if I don't long for heaven and home...but I don't. Not yet. Not right now. I'm not overly anxious to discover heaven because I'm still so captivated by what's here on earth. I mean, God's creativity is all around us...and I still have so much to learn...

If I truly longed for heaven, wouldn't that mean I wasn't content with the life I have now? Wouldn't that make me thankless and not "living for today"? Wouldn't that mean I'm not occuypying until he comes? 

But the comments continue...people pointing out the irony of the earthquakes in states that normally don't have earthquakes and now a hurricane all the way up in the Northeast and my eyes are glued to the TV as I wait to see the twinkling of an eye, and I'm filled with fear again that Jesus will forget me. 

And then I'm ten, sitting in the den of our gray house on Peoria Avenue. Outside, I see something in the sky and it's gone in a flash. Of course it could've been a shooting star or a UFO, but I jump to the conclusion that Jesus just came back for his people and he forgot me. The fear intesifies when, for a few too-long moments I can't find my parents. They've gone. They've all left me. 

Ever since I was young, people have been saying these are the last days. And I turn away, unwilling to entertain the idea because the truth is, I don't know what heaven will be like. Will I have my family there? Will we do any of the things we love to do now? Will God have a huge art room waiting for us? Will I even make it through the gates? It's hard now, to admit that this core part of my faith causes me angst, but it has and it does. And my guilt over my lack of faith multiplies my unworthiness. 

I want Jesus to come back someday...but maybe, you know, later...down the road awhile. After my kids grow up and get married. After I've been to Italy. 

How do you feel when you hear people talk about the end times? Excited? Worried? Anxious? Elated? Or maybe you're completely indifferent?...I'd love to hear.

Loveland, Colorado Corn Roast Festival

I sometimes have to step back and remind myself we now live in a much smaller town than we used to. Sometimes that is blatantly obvious, like this past weekend, when we headed out for Loveland's Annual Corn Roast Festival. 

Adam joined the "corn shuckers" at work and took part in the corn shucking contest. I'm told he was the weak link on his team...which I think is funny considering we're from Illinois. 

So, they serve corn all throughout the weekend (and it's GOOOD), but I'm told that years ago someone came up with the idea of a contest to shuck the corn...

Because seriously, that IS the most annoying part.

Adam did step up his game, and the rest of his team gave a valiant effort, but they just couldn't shuck enough ears to win. 

We didn't care...we were there to take it all in, regardless...

The whole set-up reminded me of The Petunia Festival in my hometown of Dixon, Illinois. It's over the 4th of July every year and it's so much fun. Many of my best memories of living in Dixon center around that week in the middle of summer. 

I hope the Corn Roast Festival is similar for my kids. 

After shucking, Adam made a good point..."I can't leave the Corn Festival without eating some corn..." so we tried it on for size. And let me say, we've got high corn standards having grown up in the middle of a corn field and all...

I won't even tell you how they put butter on it. 

Ok, I will. They have crock pots FULL of melted butter and they dunk the ear in, spin it around and then slosh it down in a piece of tin foil. Seriously. Paula Deen would be proud.

For some of us, corn wasn't enough...which is fine because there was a whole line-up of food choices...Ethan chose well, the perfect fair-food...

Sophia got this greasy mess:

My stomach hurts just looking at it. Tater twists. They're basically potato chips straight out of the grease. Yow.

Even still, the real star was the corn...

Everyone loved it. Even this random person that Adam took a picture of.

This is why I don't give him the camera very often. 

During the shucking content, the kids spotted an inflatable and bungee jumping thing. They begged and pleaded and wore us down until finally we relented. 

It was worth it...

They had a blast. 

Ethan studied Sophia before they strapped him in...

And then took the reins. 

A huge, huge success! 

We are definitely fans of The Corn Roast Festival...next year we'll add even more activities to our itinerary...and that's saying something for this homebodied family!

 

Winner!

It's been a super long day around here, filled to the brim with sickness and rescheduling dentist's appointments...still have cupcakes to bake and lunches to make and children to put to sleep, but I couldn't let the day pass without announcing the lucky winner of Deb's books! 

I used the random number generator and this comment is the one that popped up:

Jenn Nichols said...

Favorite way to relax?
For me its scrapbooking. Thats my outlet. . .everything else fads and its just me, the paper, the photos and memories. Stress and worries all just melt away!!

ReplyAugust 20, 2011 at 08:38 AM

Jenn! You are sooo gonna love these books! Send me your address!

And if you didn't win, you should still add them to your wish list...they are amazing! 

Thanks to everyone who entered! Back tomorrow with a real post! :) 

Hugh Hefner Loves Estes Park and so do we...

 It dawned on us about two weeks ago that we live in a place people drive or fly to vacation and yet, we weren't fully taking advantage of all the beauty within driving distance. It was the last weekend before school started, the last weekend before I started my job (which I love, by the way), and we needed to escape. 

So we drove about 35 minutes up into the mountains, doubling our elevation. The air is thinner and if you aren't careful, you can definitely make yourself a little woozy, especially with all the weaving roads. Thankfully, no one got sick...

Downtown Estes Park is the kind of place novelists photograph in their mind and save to draw on for a later date.  

Even when you forget to bring jackets and have to shop the sale rack at one of the overpriced tee-shirt stores meant to swindle tourists out of their wads of cash, you can still find so much to love in this place. 

I'm especially happy with the way Sam's taken to the camera...

I know, you want a better look at the best photo of the day, don't you? Well, here it is...

Someone please tell me whose child this is.

Standing on the edge of downtown near town hall, this is the view:

...okay, that photo does NOT do it justice. Let me just say, it's stunning. And I'm so curious about the people who live there. What brought them to a touristy type town, why do they stay, how could they ever leave? 

We started with breakfast/lunch at a little restaurant called Claires:

Nothing fancy, but it served its purpose. And my fruit plate was divine. 

(I would never say that in real live, fyi. I sometimes throw words into my blog that I would never say in real life. Just for fun.) 

When you walk down the street, you see all kinds of nifty things. Like a candy shop making salt water taffy right in the window...

Eventually it becomes this:

...which I would've bought in a heartbeat if I thought I could save it until my pseudo sugar fast is over. (I say pseudo because I'm starting to relax a little bit on it, it's been about 45 days...but that's a story for another day.) 

I quickly discovered this was not the place I wanted to be if I had any hope of escaping sugarless.

(Adam actually got one of those caramel apples on the left!) He left about two bites so I tried it and said "apples are totally fine for me. This is actually health food." To which he responded with that knit together eyebrow thing he does so well.

While he enjoyed his caramel apple, the kids enjoyed handmade ice cream...

And it started to rain a little...

But if there's one thing I've learned about Colorado, it's that seriously, the rain doesn't hang around for long. 

I found this to be the most brilliant thing I spied all day:

An all-day cereal bar? 25 kinds of cereal and 25 kinds of milk?? Are you serious? Why aren't these more common? It took me back to college and the long counter of cereal choices. Ah, those were the days...(hey, cereal is expensive!) 

I also discovered there are Cubs fans everywhere...

Sam discovered the drinking fountain. (This is my favorite picture of the whole trip, I think...)

And we discovered that yes, we do have something in common with Hugh Hefner. A pretty startling realization for this prudish work-from-home mom from the Midwest. 

We were walking along and this pulled up along the curb. Clearly they weren't trying to be discreet...

The Playboy insignias all over the windows gave me pause, but it wasn't until I spotted the license plate that I knew this was the real deal. And my maternal instinct to preserve the innocence of my children kicked in. I wanted to throw my arms over them and usher them into a store but thought that might be going a little overboard. 

Just a little. 

I braced myself for the parade of boobs, but oddly, the limo just sat there, its driver running back to the back, getting in, then running back to the driver's seat...

Look at the men gawking in this picture. Geesh. 

I think they were sad when the limo pulled away, boobies and all. 

Anyway, that was the first part of our day. And we had a blast. If you ever get the chance to visit Estes Park, go! It's gorgeous! And so worth it. 

Don't forget, today is the last day to enter to win two signed copies of Deborah Raney's newest books (scroll down two posts and leave a comment!) Someone is going to be very happy! :) 

 

When your first novel gets cover art...

I know a lot of people who say things like "I'd love to write a book one day." It reminds me of that movie, Last Chance Harvey when Emma Thompson's character tells Dustin Hoffman she wants to write a book. She says something like "I think I've got one in me, a beach read, nothing too serious." 

I think a lot of us feel that way. And we do all have stories inside of us...but the truth is, writing a novel takes, more than anything, perseverance. Even sensational storytellers have editors (and we all know editors make our work better.) The way it worked for me, when I got my book deal the release date was over a year and a half away. That's a long time. So as I worked through my deadlines, it started to feel like this whole book thing was sort of a myth.

Did I really have a contract? Would my books really show up on the shelves? 

You write, rewrite, edit...edit some more...and then finally, finally, your book is heading to copyedit, which is the next stage in the process. And then, one day, you open your email to find rough samples of cover art waiting for you and suddenly you realize This is real. Oh my heck. This is real! 

That happened to me yesterday. After months of working and now in rewrites on the second book in my Sweethaven series, I had artwork to look at. My editor graciously asked me a week or so ago for some thoughts on the cover art, and I sent her my ideas, and let me tell you, they incorporated lots of them. I was beside myself giddy when I saw the way they'd transformed my novel into a visual image, one that will hopefully capture readers' attention. 

The town I'd created is fictitious, but based in reality. So, I had images in my mind, along with smells and sounds. I know this place now like I grew up there. 

Downtown, buildings rich with history, deep with stories waiting to be told, adorn either side of the brick road. 

Their charm may be lost on new visitors of Sweethaven, but those who really know the town understand that details like these make it unique. A little bit of the modern world mixes in nicely with the world of yesteryear, the world my protagonist, Campbell, is looking to unearth. 

...A world she knows only after her mother's death when she finds an old scrapbook buried in a hope chest in their living room. It's filled with stories of three best friends Campbell has never heard her mother mention. Stories of a place called Sweethaven pique the young woman's interest and Campbell decides to piece together the past to discover what other secrets her mother is hiding--namely, the identity of her father. 

Sweethaven is instantly charming...On the edge of town, Lake Michigan sings, a sweet red-roofed lighthouse jutting out into the water and reminding weary sailors there's a place nearby to rest. 

The lighthouse is surrounded by a Boardwalk, where the four girls in my story originally meet. Just barely teenagers, they agree upon one last childish indulgence and spend the evening riding on the wooden carousel just up the beach from the lighthouse. 

Each of the handpainted wooden horses is as different as the girls themselves, girls who later begin to preserve the memories of their summers in Sweethaven by keeping them in a scrapbook. 

Summers spent hiding in the rafters of Old Man McGuffrey's barn, talking about boys and keeping secrets, one of which would end up splitting the best friends apart. 

Their clapboard cottages line the streets of the little town, homes that have been passed down through the generations...

Homes that ache in emptiness for months at a time, waiting to be filled with the happy screams of sand-covered children when the weather warms and the days grow longer. 

Homes that fill their inhabitants with peace, transporting them from the hustle and pressure of life in the city...

...near enough to the shore that the sound of water lapping the sand rocks tired bodies to sleep each night. 

It's all captured now in the images they've pulled together for the cover of my very first novel. I can't put into words the way this makes me feel. It's like a huge dream is coming true before my very eyes, but I've stepped outside my body and am watching from the distance. 

I can't wait to share it with you...and, come February 15th, to share what it feels like to see your first novel released!

This is one exciting day!

 

 

Five on Friday...(And a GIVEAWAY!)

I know I've mentioned her before on my blog, but in case you're new, I want to introduce you to my dear friend (and mentor)...Deborah Raney. 

If you haven't discovered this author, I can tell you, you are missing out. Her books hook me right from the start, generally thanks to lovable, but realistic characters. And thanks to her generosity, I get to offer her two latest books to one lucky reader! 

Before we get there, I decided it might be fun to do a quick "Five on Friday" with Deb. None of those boring questions, just the fun stuff, thankyouverymuch. 

And this will give you a little insight into the fun side of the woman behind the fabulous stories...

 

1. What's your favorite way to relax?

I LOVE leafing through decorating books and magazines...which usually leads to rearranging furniture or creating a new "tablescape"––which isn't quite as relaxing, but I still love making the smallest changes to our house or my office, and feeling like I have a whole new place, which gives me a whole new perspective.

(Deb's studio...she really does change her furniture around on a consistent basis. I have photographic evidence in my inbox!) 

 

2. What's something most people don't know about you?

My husband rues the day, but I was on the debate team in high school and as a senior novice, I won many top speaker awards. I still LOVE putting those debate skills into practice––especially in my marriage. ; )

3. What inspires your stories? 

Real life! When our youngest son's fiancée (now wife) "guilted" him into reading one of my books for the first time, he called me to tell me how much he enjoyed it, but more than that, how much of OUR family he saw in that novel. And it's true. I often use bits and pieces of conversations and events that have happened in our real lives. Of course, most of my stories come completely from my imagination, and for the most part, you'll have to guess which is which. I will say that the story about the blue cup in A NEST OF SPARROWS is all true, and my kids still won't let me live that one down! : )

 

4. Describe yourself in three words.

Happy. Content. On-the-edge-of-ditzy. (Sorry. Had to hyphenate that last one because I'm really not a TOTAL ditz, but definitely lean that way!)

 

5. If you could break one writing rule and get away with it, what would it be? 

What a great question. You know, I LOVE the rules of writing. Learning "the rules" helped me become SO much better at writing, that I really have NO desire to break any of the rules on a regular basis. But I suppose if I were FORCED to break one, it would involve adverbs. I love me some adverbs and would use them a LOT more if it hadn't been forcefully, relentlessly, arduously, convincingly, yet lovingly hammered into me NOT to use them. There! I did it! ; )

And because I am long-winded and this is just too much fun, I added two bonus questions. But "Seven on Friday" has no alliteration and is therefore not nearly as fun to say, so let's pretend there are only FIVE questions!

6. If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? (Only one?) 

That is SO easy! Homemade ice cream!! I trust that I could try various flavors? But if not, peanut butter chocolate wouldn't be a bad way to spend the rest of my days!

 

7. What's something you're really looking forward to?

You must know that I "collect" things to look forward to! I'm a very happy and content person, and I can be happy staying home with nothing on my schedule for weeks on end, but I do love having fun things on the horizon. Great dates on my calendar in the next few months include a trip to Iowa where all our kids and grandkids AND Ken and my parents will be gathered. Then in September the ACFW conference will not only allow me to see my critique partner and dear friend, Tamera Alexander, but I have dinner and coffee scheduled with YOU! : ) And mixed in with those events, two fun author retreats here in Kansas! My life could not be more full and wonderful right now! Thanks for asking! : )

Today, I am thrilled to have these two books to give away...

They are the first two in Deb's new series, and they are absolutely wonderful. 

All you have to do is leave a comment answering one of the seven  five questions I asked Deb! Leave it here in the comments section, though, not on Facebook!

I'll leave the comments open until next Wednesday, August 24th. Also, I really can't wait to hear your answers! If you don't win (sorry!), make sure to add Deb's books to your must-read list...you will fall in love!

 

 

I've got some big news!

When you're trying to get used to a new life, you spend a lot of time kicking around ideas of what you're supposed to be doing.

Does this fit into my new life plan?

Is this what I want my life to look like?

 And you also hit on a lot of practical ideas like...

Should I cross my fingers for new freelance work?

Should I teach drama at the kids' new school? 

 
The bottom line is, you weigh your options. Adam and I have been weighing my options for a couple of months, and while I've been incredibly fortunate to work on some amazing freelance projects, they are somewhat sporadic. (I one time spelled that word "spurratic" and a friend of mine oh-so-gently corrected me. And then laughed. I've never spelled it wrong again.) Of course, I love freelancing and hope to continue, but I was in the market for something more stable. 

Adam and I agreed that if I could find some sort of job from home, that would be best. We do still have a Hobbit home all day. But jobs, by and large, are hard to find...and at home? What was I going to do? Cold calls? I'd pass by editor positions at magazines I'd love to work for, but they were always in-house and not in Colorado. 

Long story short...miraculously (does anyone else realize there's really no such thing as coincidence?) a scrapbooking company that had jumped on my radar in searching for product to use for my new papercrafting book, was hiring. 

They are Webster's Pages. 

So I applied. And I got the job. And while my kids were off having a brilliant first day of school, I was home having my first day of work. And loving it. The owner, Brandin, is not only smart but completely relatable...and that goes a long way. My only complaint is that she doesn't live next door. I think we could rock some morning coffee.

Here's the big announcement on the WP blog!

Their products are gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous and I am already loving going through all of the collections, mostly drooling. Great for scrapbooking but also for mixed media...and I've got an idea for some wall art that might get the Webster's treatment! 

(Aren't they beautiful?) 

I love that they are vintage, but still vibrant. I am, after all, a color girl! 

So, yes, I'm going to be working with the crack team at WP and I am one blessed girl for it. 

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. - Psalm 37:4

 

 

 

 

First Day of a New School. Again.

 Yesterday we went out to the school to meet Sophia's teachers. I didn't want the tears we endured last year...neither one of us could handle it, I don't think. She has a wonderful teacher. We hung out in her room and met the music teacher and another 5th grade teacher and when we left Sophia said, "I feel better now." 

Phew. 

Last night, the nerves kicked in again and she cried over being "the new girl." Ethan snoozed peacefully in his bed. We prayed. She prayed. We went over some important notes: (Just be nice to everyone. That's your goal.) And eventually, we calmed all of our nerves and went to sleep.

This morning, they were up with the birds...

We'd gone shopping for some new clothes and this is what she picked to wear:

 

This is what I picked for Ethan to wear...

 

They were both excited to get going. 

I decided not to go with them to drop them off. I wasn't sure if it was my presence there last year that drew the tears out of Sophia, but I couldn't risk it. I wanted her to have a great morning... so Adam took them... 

 He called me as he pulled away with a full report: They did great. 

Seriously, that's like, all he said.

"No tears?" 

"Nope." 

"They seemed happy?" 

"Yep." 

"Glad we had this chat." 

I've been praying on and off ever since. I want this year to be an amazing year of growth for them--both academically and spiritually. I'm praying they find life friends this year. Ones who encourage and lift up...without competitiveness or any of that dumb girl drama that never seems to go away.

I'm hoping that when I go to pick them up, they're both giddy and chattering on about all the great things they got to do...

Let the school year begin...

Back to School

My kids start school tomorrow. (We're taking a step of faith and sending them to the Christian school...) For a month now, I thought it was Wednesday, but it's not. it's tomorrow. And I'm glad I realized it before tomorrow. 

How did that happen, though? How did it get to be mid-August? We were looking at our summer, full of moving and renovating and while we did go on vacation, that was really the only purposely fun thing we did. 

The other day Adam came up with a weekend plan involving grilling out and hanging out and going on a day trip. "We live in Colorado but we don't do anything we couldn't do in Illinois." 

Touche. 

He was so right. We spend our weekends playing catch up...whereas most people out here spend their weekends relaxing...and you know what? I think they're on to something. 

As a sort of "last hurrah" before heading back to the grind, we took the kids to Estes Park yesterday. I know that it's not possible to go "away" every single weekend, but if we could, I think we'd consider it. Getting out of cell range...away from the reminders we still have trim to paint...without access to the work hidden inside the laptop...it was the best thing for us. 

But I think it made me acutely aware that in just one more day, we'll be shoving the kids out the door at 7:30 to go to their new school (again) and I'll be home without their chatter. 

Don't get me wrong. I won't miss the arguing. Or the constant questions or the "Mom, can you do this...?" which seems to happen at fifteen minute intervals. 

(Dear Courtney, please correct your posture. Signed, your backbone.) 

Back to school time is sort of a love-hate thing for me. My kids thrive in school. They love it. They live for it. It's their favorite. And I love seeing them happy. But I really do miss them when they aren't here, wrapped in our little home-cocoon. 

(Dear Courtney, please get some quality sleep. Signed, the puff under your eyes.) 

This year, I'm determined to be utterly organized. To stay on top of permission slips and paperwork. To pack lunches and lay out clothes the night before. I'm determined, I tell you. I won't let homework get away from me. I won't forget they don't have school and take them anyway. I wake up late and rush around trying to throw them out the door with a Pop-Tart.

I have better things in mind this year and I hope I can pull it off. So, come tomorrow, my house will be eerily quiet. Just me and the Hobbit. 

And I'm going to miss them...

A lot. 

What about you? Do you love or hate sending your kids back to school? What will you miss most? What are you determined to do differently this year? 

 

Five People I Get to Work With (in my dreams...)

The last time Adam and I went out on a date night, I pulled one of my typical conversation starters. Usually they are like, "If you were an appliance, which one would you be...?" or something lame like that, but this time, I came up with one that raised his eyebrows. He was impressed. 

If you could work with anyone, who would it be?

"That's actually not a bad question," he said, disarming his ammo of insults. "I won't even make fun of you for that." 

I limited it to five people, and I don't remember who his were, but I sure do remember mine. So, because I know you're dying to know...this is my dream list of people I would one day get to work with. 

1. Jason Katims. The creator of Friday Night Lights and Parenthood. 

What I admire most about Mr. Katims is his ability to create real characters, put them in real situations and make the viewer feel something unexpected. His ability to create dialogue for so many people in one scene and still make it believable is brilliant, and I know some of the credit goes to the actors, but it is his amazing writing that brings some of my all-time favorite characters to life. In truth, I'd be happy just watching him at a roundtable of writers, listening to his process and learning exactly how he does what he does. In my mind, this man is a genius. 

2. Emma Thompson, actress, screenwriter

This woman amazes me. I don't know if everyone in Hollywood fully realizes her versatility, but it absolutely astounds me. Knowing that she wrote the screenplays for the Nanny McPhee movies as well as Sense and Sensibility my respect for her only multiplied. But when you take that talent for bringing stories to the big screen and match it with her willingness to fully transform herself into the characters she's created, you've got pure gold. What I wouldn't give to sit down with her and study how she works...

3. Tina Fey, actress, comedian & author of Bossypants. 

 

Seriously. What's not to love? My favorite thing about Tina Fey is her ability to not take herself too seriously. She's dry and sarcastic but quick-witted and clever. These are things I admire in a writer. I know that if I ever were to meet her in real life, I'd probably make a complete idiot of myself, but I'm putting her on my list because, you know, this is pure fantasy here.

4. Nora Ephron, screenwriter and author

 
It's not just When Harry Met Sally that makes me love Nora Ephron. It's a bunch of her movies... and the fact that she's so versatile. She writes these great stories with sharp dialogue, but she also writes for the stage and of course, traditional books. I love that this is a woman who has a brilliant sense of humor and a keen eye into the relationships that enrich our lives. I think any writer, especially one with interests in a variety of genres, (like me) would kill to sit in her presence for a day. Who am I kidding? I'd be happy to just run and get her coffee. 

5. C'mon you've gotta know this one...he needs NO introduction...

There is absolutely no way I could stay coherent in a room with Robert Downey Jr. but that wouldn't stop me from wanting to try. I saw an interview with him once and I got the distinct impression that in at least some of his movies, he is a huge creative force. In fact, I think he was talking about Ironman and how he just crumpled up pages and they started over. Adam actually reminds me a little of RDJ, and it's that blatant creativity that I admire so much. I'd love to observe the creative process of someone who I think is pure talent. 

I told you this was a dream list. 

What about you? If you could work with anyone who would it be? (Or am I the only weirdo who thinks of these things?)

Canoeing with Kids

One of Adam's favorite ministry memories was the summer he (and a few other fearless leaders) took fifty-some kids canoeing as part of the summer activities we'd planned that year. I think I'd just had Sam so I didn't go, but ever since then he talks about taking our kids (and me.) 

I'm the type of person who hears "kids on the water in a wobbly boat" and thinks "Certain death." But last week, Adam challenged me. 

"Colorado Courtney would do it." 

It was a low blow, let's be honest, but it did the trick. 

So he made the arrangements and my sister and brother-in-law and Adam and I gathered our broods for some fun on the river. 

After so many humid days, we somehow ended up with the perfect afternoon. The kids were excited and despite the nerves dancing in my belly, I was excited too!

I relaxed a little knowing we'd have a guide to take us on a lovely tour down the river and save us from the swirling whirlpools and imaginary crocodiles, but when we got there and they handed us maps outlined with with route we needed to take my nerves didn't so much dance as Krump. 

Me? In a canoe? With my sister and two little girls? Are we insane? Upper body strength is not my forte. 

But we had life jackets. What could go wrong? 

We got them all strapped in and headed out--and I was determined not to A) lose an oar or B) lose a child. We got in the boat and Carrie and I steadied ourselves. The guy at the dock--Shane--was super nice and gave us a quick paddling lesson. After our crash course, off we went. 

Fakest smile ever alert:

Sophia and my niece Emery were in our boat. Two important things to note here:

1. I think the guys set us up by putting all the girls in one boat.

2. It became instantly clear that we could quite possibly be the entertainment on this trip. Carrie and I had no idea what we were doing. 

Turns out the person in the back (Carrie) steers the boat. The person in the front is like tech support. (Me.) I should also point out that the guys' canoes each had 8 year old boys as tech support...and they were doing a much better job than I was. 

We set off all leisurely and nonchalant and within the first few minutes we had to make a wide turn. Picture Carrie and I in a boat with two girls asking questions like "What if a fish bites the paddle?" "What if I fall out of the boat", "What if we get turned around and go the wrong way?" 

We're happily paddling and then, like in a movie, the soundtrack kicks in with the scary music and we realize we are NOT going to make that turn. 

The boys were way over to the left in their canoes and here Carrie and I are, frantically paddling.

"Put your oar on the left," Carrie yells from the back... but I can't hear her because Sophia is saying "Are we going to die?" and Emery has started screaming...that high-pitched girl scream. (Moms of little girls, can I get a witness?) 

I am trying to hear what Carrie's saying and I'm afraid if I turn around I'll knock someone out of the boat (I do things like this all the time.) 

I glance up and Adam's yelling something at me about which way to paddle and my brother-in-law, Matt, is laughing. 

All the while I am envisioning, you know...Certain Death. 

"Everyone stop yelling!" I yelled in unison with my sister who I'm sure had also started wondering why the two of us were in charge of a boat on our own, and we dug in and made the turn. 

Good chance I'm never going to live that down. Let's just say Colorado Courtney needs to work on her inner zen.

For the next ten minutes Ethan and Adam thought it would be fun to play bumper boats with us (this is part of Adam being in a good mood being just as annoying as Adam in a bad mood...) 

But we finally got the hang of it. 

The tour down the river was about two hours long and even though we found one spot that was basically a whirlpool and a few other difficult turns, we made it back in one piece and everyone had the best time. 

For some reason I don't have any shots of this guy in his life-saving garb:

But he was very much present and also had a blast. 

If you have the chance, I highly recommend T.J.'s bait and tackle (and canoe rentals) for a fun summer activity. I think each boat is $35 and it's just such a different thing to do. 

Definitely one of our favorite summer highlights!

Today on the Crafty Power Blog

Today I'm over at the Crafty Power Blog talking about this layout...

Which is based on this post...

Which is still one of my favorite stories ever. 

Come check it out!?

Musings from the Road

(Otherwise known as "Things I Learned on our Latest Roadtrip...")

In no particular order. 

1. Kids can pee their pants even while they are sitting on the toilet.

2. Courtney-coffee=Satan (That was one Adam learned.)

3. Adam in a good mood is almost as annoying as Adam in a bad mood. (He knows this. I told him many times.)

4. The real reason Adam won't let me drive is because he doesn't want to have to deal with the kids. 

 

5. Three year old boys have to go to the bathroom every twenty minutes. Which happen to alternate with the times that 10 year olds and nearly-8 year olds have to go to the bathroom.

6. If the Stormchasers' Tiv ever breaks down, they could use a Buick Terrazza. 

7. Spending the money on an indoor waterpark? Totally worth it!

8. The way there is quicker than the way back.

9. The things you've heard about rural Greeley are true. It literally STINKS. (And here's why:)

10. Iowa has the NICEST rest stops. (Sorry, Nebraska, but it's true.) 

11. 90 degrees in Colorado feels like 90 degrees. But 90 degrees in the Midwest feels like 90 degrees and a shower in a scalding hot fire hose.

12. "Everyone else on the road is an idiot..." --Adam

13. Sometimes a Happy Meal toy can entertain a kid for hours (which totally redeems the nastiness of the food he just ate.)

14. If you think you're being all rebellious by buying Mike's Hard Lemonade coolers to drink with your sister & mom, you most likely won't drink them...then you'll try and take a couple home with you and if you do, they'll break inside your cooler and make the whole van smell like alcohol, which you will all regret the entire 15 hours in the car. You'll come to the conclusion that some people simply weren't born to know what a margarita cooler tastes like...and that someone is you. 

15. It's ridiculously hard to find a good salad on the road. 

16. If a fly gets trapped in your car, it's all over. Call in the guards.

17. You CAN get sunburned in goofy looking circles right on the tops of your knees. Just go canoeing. 

 
18. Late night farts are funny for weary travelers. Especially for 8 year old boys doing the farting. 

19. Double rainbows really ARE so intense. 

20. Construction sucks.  

21. Mosquito bites suck.

22. Iowa sucks. (Sorry, Iowa...but you're a very long and horizontal state!)

23. My dad doesn't know how to whisper in the movies. 

24. Leaving is hard. The sadness lingers and sometimes sneaks up and surprises you...especially when it appears in the form of a seemingly strong 10 year old girl. 

25. There's no place like home...the one you came from and the one you're going back to...

 

 

Out to Lunch...

This week, I'm taking a much-needed break...and that's going to include blogging. I'll be soaking up time with my husband and kiddos and preparing myself mentally for the fact that school starts in just a couple of weeks. 

Sometimes you just need an internet vacation! 

I'll be back in about a week!