Jonathan took the car to work; I slept in, but not too much. I had to get laundry going and assemble my stuff for packing. Poor Viktor got woken by me vacuuming dirt out of a suitcase. He's a night owl and it was 10 am!
Ken & I took him this afternoon to a little grocery story closer to our home than Walmart. We wanted him to have a place to go shopping closer to home if he needed anything. It's not cheaper than Walmart, but one pays for convenience.
By day's end I'd pretty much finished packing except for the last-minute things: pjs, pillows, etc. Even though Southwest Airlines allows for 2 bags checked in, we're trying to consolidate, and it's a week-long trip! We have to squeeze all of our luggage plus Aunt Cathy's in the rental van, which is tricky.
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
We awoke at 4 am and were out the door by 4:30. Viktor got up with us to see us off...I imagine he went right back to bed the moment we were out of sight. Our flight was at 6:50 and we got to the OKC airport with an hour to spare.
Our trip had two legs, even though we didn't have a layover. Our 737 SW airplane
Cathy landed in Portland nearly the same time we did and met us at baggage claim.
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Jonathan & Ken might have got up early (Analiese stayed in Cathy's room), but I slept in and then took a luxurious shower before heading to the hotel breakfast. We all lingered and relaxed until we had to pick up the van at noon and then headed for Fishermen's Bend.
One thing about Oregon: Moss.
We arrived at camp around 3:30 in the afternoon. Wilcox family members were just started to assemble together in our group campground.
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| Sweet little Macie. She's a very happy baby! |
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| Rare photo of Ken with baby Ryker. I remembered baby names much better than people's! |
This evening I wrote by the river as the sun was setting. It's a beautiful view. It's been a hot day, but by the river it's very comfortable. Peaceful.
Most everyone just hangs around playing games, that being the main activity. Cathy, Ken, Jonathan & I made a trip to Salem to buy what we needed for our turn at group breakfast tomorrow. Analiese stayed behind to get in on the games as soon as possible!
Thursday, July 26, 2018
I did manage to sleep, even though this "princess" felt "peas" under that thin mattress. It wasn't a full night (the heat didn't help), but it was enough to keep me going.
After breakfast, Analiese and I took a walk down the river trail. You can hear the river lightly in the background from our campsite and it is easy to follow that sound down to the water. There are several spots to access the river, some less treacherous than others!
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| I loved this long grass with yellow flowers. Very delicate! |
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| Top of the trail, looking down on the pool. Difficult to get up and down there! |
After dinner, Jonathan and I had another nice restful visit by the river. I stuck my feel in - cool & refreshing! The day had been plenty hot, but the riverside was shady and cool. Maybe I'll sleep better tonight.
Friday, July 27, 2018
I DID sleep better, which was a good thing. We had to be up early to cook sausage and eggs for breakfast burritos for the whole fam. I haven't done camp cooking (and cleaning) in many years...
I took a nap after cleaning up breakfast. I know it seems early (it was around 9 am), but it's too warm in the afternoon to be able to sleep. And I was so tired.
After lunch, most of the camp headed to Detroit Lake - 30 minutes from camp.
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| Of course we find wild rabbits! |
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| Analiese loves any time she can go to the water! |
When everyone came back from the lake, we had dinner and then I took a shower!!! I hadn't had one since Wednesday morning. It was a camp shower - you know, two minute intervals, slightly warm. But at least I was clean!
Saturday, July 28, 2018
I awoke before breakfast was ready, so I dressed and took a walk along the river trail to the end of the park. Then I backtracked a bit, found a comfortable-ish bench, and read my scriptures by the river. What a delightful place to study and pray!
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| These little man-made ponds are attached to the river in the park for safe splashing! |
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| Small tree-filled island in the middle of the river. |
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| Queen Anne's Lace |
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| Field of Queen Anne's Lace |
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| Rough Rapids |
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| Wild blackberries |
It got crowded in our camp as more families came up for the weekend. A couple of dogs came up, too. Poor Analiese, she was dying to touch the golden retriever puppy!
I got into a five-person game of Ticket to Ride...a version that had boats as well as trains. The board was huge and it seemed like a lot to keep track of. I've played the original and can usually hold my own. But my brain couldn't get past the traditional way to play and separate the boats from the trains...and do the docks! So I ended up in last place. Oh well, it was fun and NEXT TIME...
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| This is Murphy. Sorry he's upside down. He is so much fun! |
Sunday, July 29, 2018
It was another cool morning. I actually wore a jacket and drank some cocoa and ate breakfast by the fire.
Camping is always strange to me on the Sabbath day. The group didn't have any plans (they don't beyond meals and the lake trip) and we didn't have any Sunday clothing with us to go visiting; we didn't have room in our luggage. Ken and I took some time with our kids and the scriptures, using the opportunity to hear testimony and give thanks for our family (including our newfound ones), our vacation, and the beautiful part of the country we got to visit!
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| Bathing babies! |
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| Jonathan & cousins playing Magic |
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| Ken & Analiese teaching cousin Chupacabra. It was a hit with the young ones! |
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| Ryker has breakfast! |
Today really heated up. I think we brought the OK temperatures with us! Jonathan and I tried to find a cool place to sit beside the river, but it was difficult to find a good place to sit that was in the shade. We ended up sitting on a log in a parking lot about 20 feet from the river. It was not comfy for long (the creosote on it stained my pants) and it wasn't as cool as I would have hoped. My only respite came after dinner when I took a shower again.
Monday, July 30, 2018
This morning camp was hustling and bustling as we packed up and cleaned up so we could leave the campground no later than 9 am. The kids were no slackers - Jonathan took down his and Cathy's tend all by himself!
We made a few stops on our way back to Portland
: souvenir shopping, a rest stop break, and lunch. Then we unloaded the vat at the hotel and Ken went with Cathy to return the van. I was happy to be resting a cool, air conditioned comfortable hotel again!
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| Happy Valley is Boring! HA! |
Ken, Cathy, and Analiese took off for the pool; Jonathan and I took naps. Then we walked a couple of blocks to a diner for dinner. They had an awesome blueberry lemon sour cream pie! We spent the evening chilling and watching TV until I called a 9:30 bedtime. After all, we have to get up at 3:30. Got a plane to catch!
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
WAY. TOO. EARLY. The shuttle left the hotel at 4 am. We boarded the plane at 5:20 and left at 5:50. I sat next to a couple with a four week old baby. She fussed a little at first then fell asleep. I dozed myself quite a bit on the first leg of our trip.
We had a layover in Denver for at least two hours. We spend some time walking up and down the corridors, past the gates: partly out of curiosity, partly out of the need to stretch, and partly because we were hungry! We ended up settling for McDonalds - not because we love it (I don't) - but because it was our cheapest option. Airport food is expensive!
Gratefully, our last leg was pretty short - only a couple of hours. But the turbulence from Denver to OKC was awful; I had to do a lot of deep breathing and hymn-reciting (in my head) and did not sleep this time. I had to work too hard to remain calm. My anxiety did not like it!
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| Will Rogers Airport, OKC |
We drove home to find that Viktor had dinner ready for us. What a sweetie! But there was little time to rest after dinner; I had laundry to do, plus I needed to do some grocery shopping. Bread and milk are important! Back home, back to the grind.
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
It was another early morning: not as bad as yesterday though. My alarm went off at 6 a.m. But I was leaving at 6:45 with Analiese and a sister in the Branch to go to Norman. Re-root canal time!
I had to take two "stay cool" pills 45 minutes before my appointment - around 7 am on the road. Boy, did they loosen me up! By the time we arrived, I was starting to feel a little wobbly. They took me right in, slipped the nitrous oxide on my nose and...I don't remember.
I vaguely remember getting into a wheelchair afterwards. But I don't remember getting into the car, driving home, or getting into bed. I awoke around 2:30 p.m, got up and dozed in the recliner until Jonathan came home after 4. I was floppy and loopy for the rest of the day. I think I did make a couple of necessary phone calls. I think. It's all very fuzzy...
Thursday, August 2, 2018
There's pain and inflammation in my mouth this morning. I had a banana and mac and cheese to eat yesterday; this morning I had a protein shake. I'm tired, but it's not that drugged-out foggy feeling from yesterday.
I called my allergist because I had finished my last vial set the Sunday before we left for Oregon. I'm not supposed to go more than 14 days without it. So she asked me to come in today. Day two in Norman. But I could drive this time.
WHINE TIME: My mouth hurts. I don't want to chomp down on anything especially tough or hard, not with an uncrowned tooth. I'm trying to find the softest foods I can that aren't too bland. Not an easy task.
This evening, Jonathan and Viktor went with me to pick up the bunnies in their country vacation spot. It's hard to tell if they missed us or enjoyed their time. Analiese was glad to get them home, though!
Friday, August 3, 2018
I slept in this morning. I was sick in the night (infection, medication?), so I hadn't slept well until very late.
Busy day! The sisters have a soon-to-be-baptized investigator and they're all coming over here - along with the elders, one of whom will interview her - to have dinner and do the interview. Our building is undergoing some construction and, while they clean up for Sunday services, during the week they've asked us to try and not use the building. Hence, my house. So, I had to make cookies (VERY important 😉) and prep for mock tacos, which is a crowd-pleaser. I'm also prepping for tomorrow's dinner, because I'll be in Norman for most of the day then for Seminary training. I also had to bunny-sit for a while so Analiese could clean cages. She's going to the temple in Dallas, TX with the youth tomorrow and they had to be cleaned today!
Dinner was crowded, but fun. We had a total of nine people squeezed around the table. They liked the mock tacos very well and adored my chocolate crinkle cookies. But I left my kids to clean up the kitchen. I'd spent all day there and I was tired!
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Another early morning for another trip to Norman. But first, some side trips. I dropped Analiese off at a Branch member's home to hang out until they went to the temple
, got gasoline for the van, dropped off Jonathan, and then - with Viktor tagging along - drove to Paul's Valley (1 hour +) to pick up another Seminary teacher. On to Norman - another 45 minutes!
Viktor went along because he was going to catch a bus to Dallas later that afternoon. He accompanied us to the Institute and I'm pretty sure he learned a lot! As it was, our group (four stakes - it was crowded!) had three different get-to-know-you games interspersed with our discussions. I know Viktor enjoyed participating and meeting all of the teachers. They were fascinated with him!
I was very uplifted by the training, as usual. I came back with some new thoughts and ideas to use in my class this year. I certainly felt renewed energy and enthusiasm. I am looking forward to teaching my second year of Doctrine & Covenants!
After that, I dropped him off at his bus station, took the other teacher back to Paul's Valley, and made the long trudge home. I was so sleepy! But I had to get Jonathan, who was waiting for me at TB, and then drive home. I kind of flopped on the sofa and didn't manage to make dinner until after 6 p.m. I was too tired.
Sunday, August 5, 2018
Going to church with me: a thank-you note for the sister who drove me to and from Norman Wednesday; a thank-you gift for the couple who watched our rabbits when we were in Oregon; and cookies (from Friday) for after the baptism that's after church. Busy day of rest 😏!
Besides all the stuff I had to take with me, I had some talkin' with people to do. Because...cat's out of the bag... I will not be teaching online seminary this year. I WILL be teaching seminary, just in the Chickasha Branch. Yesterday, the sister from Paul's Valley I took with me to Norman - she's my online replacement. Even more, she graduated from my online class last year. Yep, she's a young 'un! But she was one of my most amazing students and demonstrated that capability yesterday in our breakout groups. I'll be going to PV again this next week to train her and will be her mentor throughout the year. They're even keeping me on the online course as a consultant so I can look at her stuff if she has any problems. I'm confident she'll be amazing.
We were going to stay after church for the baptism. In fact, we got as far as the baptismal talk. But then we had to leave. I had been feeling ill all throughout church and it only got worse. By the time of the baptism, I was dehydrated and had a headache on top of a stomachache on top of the usual mouth pain. Exhausting! We came home, I took some medication, got in my pjs, drank up a whole Gatorade, and went to sleep! Guess it needed to be a day of rest!
I had to take two "stay cool" pills 45 minutes before my appointment - around 7 am on the road. Boy, did they loosen me up! By the time we arrived, I was starting to feel a little wobbly. They took me right in, slipped the nitrous oxide on my nose and...I don't remember.
I vaguely remember getting into a wheelchair afterwards. But I don't remember getting into the car, driving home, or getting into bed. I awoke around 2:30 p.m, got up and dozed in the recliner until Jonathan came home after 4. I was floppy and loopy for the rest of the day. I think I did make a couple of necessary phone calls. I think. It's all very fuzzy...
Thursday, August 2, 2018
There's pain and inflammation in my mouth this morning. I had a banana and mac and cheese to eat yesterday; this morning I had a protein shake. I'm tired, but it's not that drugged-out foggy feeling from yesterday.
I called my allergist because I had finished my last vial set the Sunday before we left for Oregon. I'm not supposed to go more than 14 days without it. So she asked me to come in today. Day two in Norman. But I could drive this time.
WHINE TIME: My mouth hurts. I don't want to chomp down on anything especially tough or hard, not with an uncrowned tooth. I'm trying to find the softest foods I can that aren't too bland. Not an easy task.
This evening, Jonathan and Viktor went with me to pick up the bunnies in their country vacation spot. It's hard to tell if they missed us or enjoyed their time. Analiese was glad to get them home, though!
Friday, August 3, 2018
I slept in this morning. I was sick in the night (infection, medication?), so I hadn't slept well until very late.
Busy day! The sisters have a soon-to-be-baptized investigator and they're all coming over here - along with the elders, one of whom will interview her - to have dinner and do the interview. Our building is undergoing some construction and, while they clean up for Sunday services, during the week they've asked us to try and not use the building. Hence, my house. So, I had to make cookies (VERY important 😉) and prep for mock tacos, which is a crowd-pleaser. I'm also prepping for tomorrow's dinner, because I'll be in Norman for most of the day then for Seminary training. I also had to bunny-sit for a while so Analiese could clean cages. She's going to the temple in Dallas, TX with the youth tomorrow and they had to be cleaned today!
Dinner was crowded, but fun. We had a total of nine people squeezed around the table. They liked the mock tacos very well and adored my chocolate crinkle cookies. But I left my kids to clean up the kitchen. I'd spent all day there and I was tired!
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Another early morning for another trip to Norman. But first, some side trips. I dropped Analiese off at a Branch member's home to hang out until they went to the temple
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| Branch youth at the Dallas temple. (I did not take this photo. Obviously.) |
Viktor went along because he was going to catch a bus to Dallas later that afternoon. He accompanied us to the Institute and I'm pretty sure he learned a lot! As it was, our group (four stakes - it was crowded!) had three different get-to-know-you games interspersed with our discussions. I know Viktor enjoyed participating and meeting all of the teachers. They were fascinated with him!
I was very uplifted by the training, as usual. I came back with some new thoughts and ideas to use in my class this year. I certainly felt renewed energy and enthusiasm. I am looking forward to teaching my second year of Doctrine & Covenants!
After that, I dropped him off at his bus station, took the other teacher back to Paul's Valley, and made the long trudge home. I was so sleepy! But I had to get Jonathan, who was waiting for me at TB, and then drive home. I kind of flopped on the sofa and didn't manage to make dinner until after 6 p.m. I was too tired.
Sunday, August 5, 2018
Going to church with me: a thank-you note for the sister who drove me to and from Norman Wednesday; a thank-you gift for the couple who watched our rabbits when we were in Oregon; and cookies (from Friday) for after the baptism that's after church. Busy day of rest 😏!
Besides all the stuff I had to take with me, I had some talkin' with people to do. Because...cat's out of the bag... I will not be teaching online seminary this year. I WILL be teaching seminary, just in the Chickasha Branch. Yesterday, the sister from Paul's Valley I took with me to Norman - she's my online replacement. Even more, she graduated from my online class last year. Yep, she's a young 'un! But she was one of my most amazing students and demonstrated that capability yesterday in our breakout groups. I'll be going to PV again this next week to train her and will be her mentor throughout the year. They're even keeping me on the online course as a consultant so I can look at her stuff if she has any problems. I'm confident she'll be amazing.
We were going to stay after church for the baptism. In fact, we got as far as the baptismal talk. But then we had to leave. I had been feeling ill all throughout church and it only got worse. By the time of the baptism, I was dehydrated and had a headache on top of a stomachache on top of the usual mouth pain. Exhausting! We came home, I took some medication, got in my pjs, drank up a whole Gatorade, and went to sleep! Guess it needed to be a day of rest!
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