Westward Ho!

Yesterday, Sept. 27, Emilie-Rose's 17th Birthday (eldest grandchild) we left Elkhart IN around 3 in the afternoon. We celebrated a year of retirement, living in the MH full time by having it get needed repairs and upgrades (new captains chairs) for three weeks.

We visited my parents and made use of the guest apartment at Rest Haven. Dad and mom are doing as well as expected for both being in their 90 s. Dad is an involved resident as he keeps up with staff, prays with them and participates in the programs. Mom is about the same in the memory wing. We had one good time with her when she was alert and talkative.

From there we traveled to Cedar Campus, the sight of our family camp. We attended the Cross Cut Loggers weekend. We are a group that donates time, money and prayer for the staff and programs. Without the MH, we were housed in Beach cabin which was the first housing we had when our family camp years began. The deer still come in the evening to chomp apples from the trees outside the window.

Returning to Elkhart we found we could sleep in the MH. During the day, they did the repair work.
We spent the days with Dave,Cathy, Anna and Aunt Alma (Dave's mom and Jim's aunt) Some of our favorite people! While there, Alma suffered a heart attack and was in inrensive care for the rest of our time. She is bright and chipper though we are still finding the extent of the damage done to her heart.
As we leave for Western lands, our prayers will continue for her.




We drove into a gorgeous sunset wondering what adventures await us on the journey.

THE REASON FOR IT ALL

Amara-Lise Beatrix, this sweet little bundle weighed only 2 lbs., 12 oz when she arrived in this world at 30 weeks gestation. Yesterday, when I held her she had topped the 7 lb. weight mark. She's been in the NICU since birth on April 2. By the time she is discharged, it will be almost three months!

Easter Sunday, I drove Christelle (strong Mama She-bear) to the hospital for a consultation that lasted longer than expected. I was able to spend some quality cuddling time with Amara-Lise. I thought about how this Little One has never seen or felt sunshine on her face - or a gently flowing breeze - has not seen her wonderful siblings for more than a brief visit - has had tubes and monitors on and in her body all the time - these come with a myriad of caretakers who must check and monitor all the monitors - prodding and poking as they must to keep her safe. She has heard all the alarms going off, at all times, day and night and the commotion that all this entails. Such a life we never imagined or wanted for her. We are grateful for all the professionals who have kept her safe with care and technology that was not possible in earlier times.

Mom, Christelle, has been her only consistent presence. She has had to disengage dramatically from day to day life with Chris and the children in order to be the engaged nurturer for Amara-Lise. She's allowed us and Gram and Pups Kallio to watch over and care for the children at home.  I think she has had the harder role to play. She has had to witness the trauma that a NICU baby endures. She's had to speak her mind to the professionals who dismiss her years of wonderful mothering and teaching as a prenatal instructor and certified lactation counselor.  She has had to comfort and console Amara-Lise after procedures and interruptions. She is one remarkable woman.

We all just want AMARA-LISE TO COME HOME!  Maybe next week!

DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE

Five years of planning is what it took for us to realize our dream of retirement. Grandchildren in the MOTORHOME for extended time. So lovely to see the dream in reality.

LIFE ON CLARET FARM

Once again, I can't believe I did no blog updates while at the farm with Christopher's family! Currently, we are on the road heading for Chicago for a week of annual medical appointments. Also hoping to touch base with good friends. These next posts will highlight some of the wonderful things that farm life allows us to experience.

The first is the quiet. Only the best sounds invade the space: Birdsong, hollow wood pecking, goat bleats, roosters crowing, hens clucking, frogs croaking, pheasant calls and children playing.

Gram Kallio is the homeschool teacher while Christelle spends the day with Amara-Lise at Children's hospital. Gram Kallio has many talents. One day, we happened on the scene to see Gram's hair salon!

 

BERM BUDDIES AND CROIX STUDY

Boys and water mix together in a variety of ways. They burn up energy with all out play - berm busting,  boogy boarding, digging holes, sand castle building and searching the tide pools for ocean treasures.

Sweet Croix-boy 

Study

CAMPGROUND AND PLAYGROUND

Two nights ago, we camped in Las Cruses, NM. I talked about it in an earlier post. These pics are the view we enjoyed, in daylight and at night.

D

When in Ojai, go to the playground. It's a great playground and a great place for 'posed' portraits. 

DAMAGE ASSESMENT

On facebook, I posted some about the recent storms. A day later, we walked the roads in the campground and were surprised by the damage. Here's a few pics. The eucalyptus trees, we learned, have very shallow roots and are vulnerable in areas where the ground is saturated.

GUSTY WINDS IN THE DESERT

Our second night we landed in Tucson, AZ. Since Tucson was a night in a truck stop, we were ready for a campsite with some utilities. When we made the reservation, the clerk warned us that these pullthrough sites were for overnighters and were very crowded. Rigs have to be staggered to let everybody get their slides out. You can see there was about 6inches clearance between slides. For one night, it was OK.

The road from Tucson to Las Crucas NM was long, straight, desert, and blowing sand. Signs along the road (I 10) warn you of decreased visibility. They suggest not stopping in the traffic lane (duh), and turning off your lights. We decided that was so other cars wouldn't see your lights and think you were a moving vehicle and end up plowing into you. We could be wrong tho. We went through 2 small dust areas. Amazing amount of sand in the air. I was driving when the winds got very gusty. Still not comfortable enough in that drivers seat to handle adverse weather. Glad Jim handles them well.

Our campground in Las Crucas is a KOA on top of a hill. The MH is headed front end first to take advantage of the unobstructed view of the city. The mountains on the other side of the valley wer invisible because of the dust in the air. Imagine breathing that stuff into your lungs. Bet they have a larger percentage of asthma and other chronic lung deseases.

The other shocker was in crossing the Rio Grande River. There is no water in it! When did that happen? How can a river that forms the boundaries between Texas and Mexico be totally dry? No wonder people can cross it to get to the US. I'd always pictured it with roaring waters.

MN OR BUST

Three weeks ago, we welcomed a new granddaughter into the family. Amara-Lise came early to this world at 30 weeks. She will reside in the NICU for at least 2 months. You can pray that her lungs would hurry up and develop so she can lose the CPAP. Otherwise she is doing well. So, that prompted an SOS call from Chris. With mom still recovering, babe in NICU, a business to run, and six children at home, they need assistance to help keep family on an even keel. This means an early departure from CA-about 6 weeks early.

Didn't want to leave before we had our dental work (3 crowns between the two of us) done. So Feb 21, we brought up the leveling jack, pulled in the slides, started up the big diesel and said goodbye to Lake Casitas. We had the hard goodbye the previous evening when after a wonderful meal at Serena's we had our last hugs from her wonderful family. We pointed the MH towards the east and followed the road to Blythe, CA for the first night. On to our second wonderful family, the Chris Hagens in MN.

How do you camp in Feb. in MN?  Not easily. When we've been at Chris' before, we had to run the generator a lot because we only have 15 amps of power-not enough to run even one of our two furnaces. So, we are adding a 50 amp box next to the existing box in the barn. We also have made arrangements for services to pump out our waste water and sewage. Another service will come and refill our propane as needed. But we will not be paying any camping fees which balances the cost. In addition, we are praying for a mild March/April!

Amazingly, the joys of being involved in the life of the CA grandchildren, meant less time for things like blogging! In these next few travel days, I'll be posting highlights of our time in CA and interesting stuff from this drive. This first one people my age will associate with the old Sinclair gas sign.

DROUGHT

After reading a post by Cindy Crosby on winter prairie delights, I realized that here in Ojai, we are  in a very non-prairie environment. It's a mountain valley environment. With the severe drought, the dryness is easy to see. So much 'deadness'. The silent branches speak loudly because there are so many. Whole mountainsides. Entire meadows. A reservoir/lake that has watermarks 80 ft above current water levels. Marks clearly visible on the mountainsides that used to be underwater. I'm reminded of how scripture describes creation as groaning for the touch of Christ that will bring it to full Glory. I can almost hear the groan.

Yet this month we are above normal in rainfall. The yet-living plants are quick to respond. Green grasses, that beautiful bright spring green. Trees turning a deeper green. Roadside flowers budding anew. New blades of  grass growing in the middle of dead ones. The landscape seems to shout HOPE!

Lord, help my often parched soul yearn for your Living Water. My hope will not be in vain.

OJAI DELIGHTS

We feel like we are living in the country. The closest largish city is Ventura, about  a twenty minute drive. Ojai is a valley town. Nestled between high hills (not quite mountains) with wide meadows and  windy roads. Lots of horses and a few cattle dot the landscape as you drive along. It's a wealthy area. Most homes are estates with locked gates and camera security. Even the houses in town block their front yards, either with wooden fences or tall thick bushes. My Midwestern mind wonders why they cover up the front door. What are they hiding? In the Midwest, the front porches and doors are welcoming. Feels much more friendly, or maybe I'm just missing home.

The campground feels miles away from civilization. Most days our loop has only three RVs, one being the camp host. We overlook a once water filled canyon that has filled in with greening shrubs. The small birds love these bushes and flit from one to another all day. They make little chirping noises. Yesterday, a Great Blue Heron was about 20 feet away in an empty site. I swear, he was as tall as I am. We watch the antics of squirrels, gophers and bunnies. In the skies above, turkey vultures soar, often harassed by smaller red tailed hawks. A camp host out on the border of the park reported a mountain lion crossing the road.

Casitas has Bald Eagles! A nesting pair has been in the area for 7 years. They took over the largest Heron nest left after the herons left the rookery. You have about a 3/4 mile walk to be able to see them. We've seen them building up the nest. They often soar over the Lake. They have a website chronicling their life. The eggs should be laid later in January and hatch around Easter. I hope we are still in the area.

CHRISTMAS CATCHUP Part 2

CHRISTMAS CATCHUP 2016 PART1

I'm way behind! Partly because of the Christmas busyness and partly due to no internet access. So this will be a blitz of our Christmas season.

Christmas cook

ies 🍪 got everyone involved. The boys did the entire process by themselves! Caelan showed off his new mouth without two front teeth. Coralei just wanted the cookie cutters. 

 Christmas Eve service was an adventure.  Dan had added Serena to his worship team as no one else was able to. But as often happens in young families, Coralei began running a fever and was not well. Being the trooper she is, Serena secured her in the carrier and played percussion with babe-at least for rehearsal. For the service, guess who got Coralei duty!  Coralei was fine till about half way through the set. I took her in the cry room, cause she was screaming. She did settle down and was almost asleep when Serena came to take her. Seems another baby interrupted the normal on another Christmas Eve.

The highlight of the evening for the boys was helping pastor Christian snuff out all the candles.