Baxter Family Vacation - Nov 2010 - Travel Home To OR 1

We got the special treat of spending our last day of vacation with our wonderful friends the Seables. We left the hotel at a WAY too early hour so we could make it to church with them. Thankfully they had a later start time (esp after we took a 30 minute "detour" and had to be talked in from Holly :). The streets in Grants Pass are crazy - named totally different things at different places even if you are still on the same road.
The kids all paired up perfectly with the Seable kiddos and went off happily to their classes - even Ky & Kels - which was so wonderful. Ceana & I chatted about how wonderful it is to know the church is the same no matter where you go, and that we were made to feel so very welcome being in a different ward. I think all the kids had a total blast at church being with friends.
After church we went back to the Seables for an awesome lunch. It was fun to watch all the big kids help out in the kitchen together. All the kids got along so well and it is extra fun that we both have kids that are almost exact same ages all the way down the line. Ky & Naomi really hit it off and it was funny to walk to the bedroom to check on them to find Ky playing with dolls and things in Naomi's doll house. That just cracked me up. Caiden & Henry got a big kick out of playing football with each other by throwing the ball to each other OVER the top of the house. We had a wonderful visit and it was fun that Adam and Preston finally got to meet each other.
Ceana & Sabrina made our famous PB Fingers to take to the family fireside. I think they have found a new favorite cookie too :)
After dinner we had been invited to Grandma & Grandpa Seable's house for a family fireside. At first I think the kids felt a bit awkward, there were TONS of cousins. They soon found that there was someone there for each of them to hang out and play with and soon they were all just having a blast.
It was wonderful for me to see Adam's sisters and mom again after spending time with them at TOFW last month. It was great to see their faces as they saw me at church - complete shock and suprise and then happy hugs - they didnt know we were coming, so it was a fun surprise for them. Kirsten's face was the best - she just stared at me, like she couldnt believe I was really standing there and then she laughed out loud and gave me a huge hug - it was so awesome for me to know that I was so loved even after just knowing each other for such a short time!

Kathleen (Grandma Seable) got this darling picture of Bro Seable helping Kels with her shoes when we were getting ready to head home. Just so darn cute of the both of them!
Grandma Seable had planned a special family fireside for the older kids and adults. The little kids got to have a special movie and playtime with Grandpa Seable. It was a sweet lesson about remembering the true reason for Christmas and I think gave us all alot to think about for this month and this special season. The cousins got introduced all around and the older cousins really hit it off with the girls. They had a blast just sitting and talking and getting to know each other. We had a really hard time loading everyone up to head home. In this pict are our girls, Keenan and a couple of the older Jarvis cousins.

We were so blessed to have this special time with the Seable, Jarvis, and Savage families. We were made to feel so welcome and so loved. It really was the best way to end our wonderful vacation! I had to laugh about this pict too. Kathleen took our picts just before we left, and this is the best pict we have had taken of us in the whole 2 weeks of vacation. The best family pict in the last 5 minutes of the last day of our whole vacation...funny...so glad to have it! Thanx again to the wonderful and sweet Seable, Jarvis and Savage families! Love ya all tons!

Baxter Family Vacation - Nov 2010 - Travel Home To OR 2

Kaeli is becoming quite the awesome photographer herself. She got all of these amazing shots while flying down the freeway too. So beautiful!
We both took lots of picts of this peak. if you look really closely at the clouds, it looks like there is smoke coming from the top like a volcano...it really was just the heavy clouds, but it kind of gave you the creeps to think about it being an erupting volcano...

I totally love this image - most would say "oh, it's ruined.." - but to me, it is very creative - esp with the blur in the front and the focus in the back

The views really were breathtaking. We were so blessed to view such beauty and to have safe, dry roads to drive home on.

Baxter Family Vacation - Nov 2010 - Travel Home To OR 3

Just thought this was kind of a cool angle - glad it came out too, considering I was shooting through the windshield...
Castle Crags in Mt Shasta National Park Area

Mt Shasta

I posted this to give the kids another good laugh. This was a result of me sticking my head out of the window at 75 mph to get picts of all the gorgeous scenery rushing by us.

Rory update

Anybody that hasn't heard about Rory's fight with myriad medical issues must have also sat in the back row at all their classes and been happy with a "D-" on the report card. START PAYING ATTENTION ALREADY.

This week she had another acupuncture session, which I'm sure she will write about when she comes out of shock. As that same appointment, however, her doctor did go over some lab results from some testing they did. Turns out that her Vitamin D level was OFF THE CHARTS. Off the BOTTOM of that chart, that is. This is a strong indicator of a reason for her depression, so we're hoping that the Vitamin D supplements she is starting will help her make the turn.

Another lab result was low selinium (or something like that) which is probably causing her sleep issues. All she has to do is figure out a way to stomach fish oil (remember "cod liver oil" from your parent's growing-up stories?) and oily Brazil nuts every day. If it helps her sleep through the night it's totally worth it. Maybe I can even include the nuts as a medical expense come tax time.

Thursday was also Kaeli's birthday, and she and Rory had been planning a trip to the coast for forever. Sounds like the weather was perfect, and they had a grand time. Watch for updates from her, hopefully to include some photos.

Today was also the ORCA lottery. For those who are only just now starting to pay attention, we've been trying to enroll the kids in a virtual public charter school (a home-based public school program). After weighing all the factors we decided as a family that this was our best choice because of all the awesome courses to choose from, and 99% of the negative stuff kids have to go through at regular public school would be avoided. Then we found out the state legislature was pushing a bill through to basically shut down virtual public charters. After many phone calls, emails, letters, and even a trip to the capitol building, the bill that was finally passed only limits the school's enrollment to the number enrolled at the end of last year. Still not great, but much better than what the teachers' union was asking for. Anyway, Oregon Connections Academy (ORCA) is limited to about 2600 kids for the upcoming school year, but only 500 of those would be available "slots" to new students (the rest are reserved for those returning from last year). Since they had about 1000 applications, they used a lottery system to determine who gets in. One good thing: if a child was selected in the lottery, all his/her siblings would automatically be enrolled too. Well, I got an email saying that WE WON THE LOTTERY. School starts August 27 right here in our kitchen.

I'm still hopeful we can be on the road Saturday headed toward Utah. It's going to be a long day Friday to get everything packed, bulletins printed, Sunday meeting agendas prepared, work wrapped up, etc. Wish us luck!

Preston

Once in a Lifetime Experience

For me, that sums up what happened today. What happened today will be the one and only time in my lifetime. :+)

(Preston commandeers the blog while it's Rory's turn to take the kids to the pool...)

As you've all read, Rory and I lost our minds and participated in the Pocatello Marathon today. How did it go? In Rory's words:

1. We finished!


2. We finished with time to spare (ahead of our goal)!


3. We weren't last!
   

The day started way too early, squeezed tightly into a school bus that took us up into the hills. It was cold and dark and scary - I was having flashbacks of my first ride in a cattle truck at Basic Training. They kicked us off the bus and we all sat around trying to stay out of the wind. Then all too soon they were announcing "10 minutes ..." "5 minutes ..." "5, 4, 3, 2, 1" and BANG the gun went off. They actually did use a starter's pistol. Probably woke up a few horses on the ranches nearby.

The first 12 miles or so were downhill. According to the chart prepared by the race committee, the elevation change was from 6000 down to 4500 feet! Based on previous training difficulties I was expecting to have some issues with my ankles, which did start up. By about mile 7 I had taken some ibuprofen and the ankles started feeling better. It was either the meds or the fact that my quads, thighs, calves and feet were hurting too much to notice the ankles.

By the time I got to mile 13 (where Rory started her race) I was definitely not part of any "pack." I had been passed many times (even by a 12-yr-old kid!), passed nobody at all, and was wondering what in the world I was doing out in the desert all by myself. As I rounded a turn onto the flat part I looked back up the trail and didn't see anyone at all. I was pretty sure that meant I was the last-place marathoner. But hey, I was still running! I did notice a group of 3 guys ahead of me that were walking, but they were pretty tall and their walk was almost as fast as my run.

Anyway I pretty much kept with those three guys for the next 7 miles or so. I would pass them for awhile, and then they would all "kick it in" and run just before the next aid station. One of the guys was wearing a shirt that proclaimed he had finished a marathon in each of the 50 states, so I didn't feel too badly about my position overall.

Close to mile 20, Doug and his kids pulled up for a chat. For those who don't know, Doug ran a marathon several months ago and afterwards decided he was going to run the Pocatello. That started the insanity within my family that caused several of us to also sign up. Then Doug went and pulled a hamstring or something, so there he was driving his truck and asking how my marathon experience had been going.

After a couple more miles my walk was probably faster than my "run" so I started alternating. About 1/2 mile walking, then 1/2 mile running. Eventually I caught up with some more people who were part of the half marathon (all the races ended at the same point, so we shared part of the course). I was pretty sure I could see some familiar orange shorts walking 100 miles an hour up there, and knew it must be Rory. By the time I got to mile 23 (her mile 10) I finally caught up to her. She was doing great!

We were able to walk the final 3 miles together, and finished about 30 minutes earlier than we had anticipated. Rory's toe was bleeding and my feet were on fire, but we made it!

As we went through the finish line our kids, my parents and brother were all there to greet us. They were already doing the awards ceremony, but stopped the announcements to tell their audience when others were crossing the finish line. Probably 200 people gave us a cheer as our names were read over the loudspeakers! And sure enough, the 3 guys I had kept pace with and then two other marathoners finished after we did. (Finishing was our goal, but actually finishing ahead of someone else was just "icing.")

Some really awesome news was that my baby brother Bart (who is getting married in 5 weeks, but he's still the "baby") finished first in his age group in the half marathon! Way to go!

As I mentioned earlier this was my first and last marathon. You only need to finish once to be able to tell people you're a "marathoner." I can't imagine why I would ever want to put my legs and feet through this again. I wish my other family members well who have plans to compete again in the coming months and years - I'm going to pump up my bike tires and get my exercise THAT way. :+)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAIDEN! Caiden got to have an extra fun birthday because he got to share it with his friend Zachary Tuggy! The boys' birthdays are only a few days apart and happened to fall into the AT (active duty training - military concert tour)schedule this year. We had a swim party at the hotel and then we celebrated together with pizza, ice cream cake and presents in our hotel suite. We were so glad that our good friends the Tuggys, Worleys and my brother's family were able to join us for such a fun time!It was organized chaos for sure but I know everyone had a great time - esp the birthday boys!


KY LOVES CARS! As you know Ky LOVES cars! While we were on AT Ky had his own personal bag of cars. When we were in our hotel room or in the car they were constantly in his arms. It became an adventure for everyone each time we changed hotels though - we had to search every inch of the hotel rooms to be sure to not leave any cars behind - he sleeps, eats, walks, swims, etc with them! We found cars in some very unusual places and we are not sure they all made them back home with us...but he seems content with those cars that are his favorites and we are thankful to know we got all of those! :)


KY IS GOING FOR A SWIM? Ky wasnt too sure about the pools at the hotels. It took lots of coaxing by Ceana before he finally allowed her to take him into the pool and then would usually only let her hold him. He eventually warmed up to the idea though and seemed to enjoy having the big girls hold him and zoom him around.


RARING TO GO! Colton was not too thrilled to get into the pool at first either. I was expecting him to sit on the sidelines and hang out in all his gear (like last year). I think he finally got brave enough after he watched everyone having so much fun and got pretty fearless jumping into the arms of our friend's daughter from the edge of the pool. It was fun to watch him take on a new adventure, even though he was scared at first, and be able to enjoy the time with his friends and siblings.

YOU GO GIRL! The big girls had no qualms whatsoever of jumping into the pool and being grand drama queens in the process. This pict of my girls and their good friend Angelina is one of my favorites and really shows off their personalities. We took TONS of picts of the kids jumping off the side (may post more soon)and had a good laugh at all their antics and just enjoyed the kids having so much fun together.