Out With the Old...

Solstice Blessings

Last night, I tried to stay awake all night long, waiting for the winter solstice to arrive. I "woke" up around 4:30 AM and bundled up to head out to Red Rock Canyon to watch the sunrise. When I arrived shortly before 6 AM, it was still completely dark. The snowy landscape was quite eerie, but I relished the rare moment of quiet. The sun finally broke the horizon around 6:51 AM. It amazes me how long "dawn" lasts, in contrast to the speed at which the sun climbs above the horizon once it first peeks over.

After the sun rose, I continued to enjoy the solitude of a peaceful Sunday morning in Red Rock. I marveled at the snow-covered desert and decided to go for a short hike. I chose the Willow Springs Loop Trail and it did wonders to soothe my soul. I was treated to the rare site of a pair of bighorn sheep high on White Rock Hills and the fluttering wings of a mountain blue bird. Part of the trail had not been disturbed since the recent snowfall, so I enjoyed forging my way through the knee high drifts.

I left the trail with a calmed spirit and clarity of thought. I felt renewed and exhilarated, despite my lack of sleep. My goal is to carry that through the coming weeks until we are settled in our new home. I am truly blessed to have partner that regularly gives me the gift of time and is an amazing father to our children. Other than his love, no other gift could make me feel so blessed.

Winter Wonderland

This afternoon, I took my three little ones out to Red Rock Canyon to explore the results of yesterday's storm. We played in out 8" of powdery snow. My spirits are noticeably lifted after spending a few hours communing with nature. We're expecting another storm tomorrow, so I'm already making plans for Thursday.

On the Hunt

November is more than half over, thanks to Election Day excitement and a whirlwind family trip to New England in search of our next home. We spent over a week looking at properties in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Over the course of three days, we looked at 29 houses and then we made second visits to a handful of houses. We chose the one we thought was best and put in an offer.

Our offer was for a typical suburban house on a cul-de-sac; a house we initially thought would work for our family. It had gorgeous hardwood floors and a stream running down the property line. The inspection came up with a lot of issues that we would be unable to correct quickly with our budget, so we signed a standard release form yesterday. We are now looking at a contemporary house in a more urban environment. The interior decorating is not my style, but I can work with it. Mr. Q will likely head back east in a few days to get the ball rolling on that one.

It was very overwhelming, but Mr. Q and I learned a lot about the home buying process. Touring all of those homes and towns helped me solidify my priorities for our next home and the community where we will likely spend the next 20 years. Trying to find the perfect home for a large family under so much pressure was a bad decision on our part. We should have gone with the idea that it was okay not to make an offer while we were there.

The stress level here is still quite high. The kids need a lot of attention, after missing too much mommy and daddy time last week. I'm trying to get back into our regular routine and take care of the mail and email that accumulated while we were away. At least the laundry is done!

Lots of Living

The past few days have been filled with the types of things that make my weeks speed by: doctor visits, a spontaneous trip to the mountains, feeding the geese at the park, grocery shopping, etc. I have been sewing, too, and finished four totes over the weekend. It's not as much as I had hoped, but I've started on at least a half-dozen more.

I've also been sleeping a lot more than usual. My husband traveled for work last week and my youngest daughter has been having trouble sleeping. I hope that I am just tired and that I am not coming down with something!

Days Like These...

...fill my heart with joy. The sun is shining, it's in the mid-60s and the sky is an amazing shade of blue. I love autumn!

Happy Mabon!

Last Day of Summer

And So It Begins

Mr. Q is a government contractor here in Las Vegas and his contract is almost complete, which means some major changes are in store for us this winter. We've been looking at real estate in the Boston area for months now and dreaming about a house of our own. We've never owned our own home before, so we're a bit apprehensive. It's been a goal for a long time, but just looking at MLS listings hasn't made our upcoming leap seem "real" to me.

Earlier this week, we were pre-approved for a mortgage, which is both exciting and scary and adds something very tangible to our lives. Making one community "home" is a huge decision that is quite different from the adventure we've been taking for the past seven years. Committing to a house note is a bit frightening with today's economic and political climate. Trying to buy a home 2,500 miles away will certainly keep it interesting, too.

I'm trying to trust that the that universe will see fit to work everything out, but I've decided that now is not the best time to give up caffeine, as I have been trying to do for the last month!

Four Lovely Days

If you include the days of travel, our family vacation lasted six days. Out of those, the middle four were quite wonderful! We had a few problems, but I think that's to be expected when you take four kids camping 300 miles from home.

We left Las Vegas at 9 AM on Tuesday morning, headed for Great Basin National Park. We anticipated six hours of driving on a long, lonely road into a desolate part of Nevada. Before we'd reached the halfway mark, we had two calamities: the passenger-side window in our van broke while in the down position and the baby got carsick. We changed his clothes and taped plastic over the window in the little town of Caliente. We got a few miles outside of Caliente and realized that we might not have enough gas to make it all the way to our destination, so we turned around and went back. That set us back a few minutes and then not long after that, the rain started, which further slowed us down. I did see a badger on the side of the road, which was a first for me, but the heavy rain prohibited us from seeing the mountains as we approached the park. Then the baby got sick again on the park access road.

We reached Wheeler Peak Campground before dark and set up in the rain. Spruce and fir trees towered over our campsite, so we couldn't really see Wheeler Peak, but I had the sense it was hiding back there. We had a cold dinner, scrambled around to get everything ready and then hunkered down in our chilly, damp tents for the night. My oldest had her own tent, and spent the night shivering.

Wednesday, we didn't leave the campground at all. We organized blankets differently and found all our warm clothes. The kids explored, crossed Lehman Creek, jumped in the mud and shook their sillies out. I burned dinner on the campfire, but at least it was warm. The baby's tummy was still upset and we went through a lot of diapers. We got a glimpse of the mountain, which reaches 13,061 feet and has a permanent snow field.

Thursday, we went into the town of Baker to do a load of laundry (see above). We wandered around looking for a phone book and pay phone, as we needed to attempt to get the van window fixed. We had a picnic in the parking lot of the public laundry and kids got snacks at the local market. We bought some firewood and more ice. It wasn't a very exciting day and we chewed up most of it driving around in circles. The highlight of the day was the tour of Lehman Caves. The two little girls were concerned about the dark, but they got used to it and seemed to enjoy the 60-minute tour. They behaved very well, were quiet when the park ranger talked and didn't shine their flashlights in people's eyes. After the tour, we picked free apricots from the Lehman Orchard in front of the visitors center. Some of the trees are over a century old. The apricots were very mild and everyone tried them. The weather was still cool and rainy.

Friday morning was very chilly and it rained off and on. Mr. Q drove to the nearest big town, Ely (80 miles from the campground), to get the window fixed. I kept a fire going all morning while we watched a 10-point buck eat his breakfast and the girls worked on their junior ranger booklets. I tried making grilled cheese on the camp stove, but burned most of the sandwiches. Amazingly, the kids ate them without complaining. Mr. Q came back with a fixed window just as we started to see some blue skies above the mountains. We took the girls to the visitors center to get their junior ranger badges and then walked the short, handicapped-accessible Island Forest Nature Trail. The little ones were disappointed that it wasn't a "real" hike, but it was still enjoyable. Despite the teenager's protests, we made the decision to stay an extra day so that we could hike and relax a bit after using two days taking care of the van.

That evening, I slipped away and walked a few hundred yards on the Lehman Creek Trail. As I walked through a stand of aspens, I saw five mule deer, including a set of twins. The sky was incredible, with the moon sitting above Wheeler Peak. Later that night, Ray and I walked to the meadow to look at the stars and Jupiter. I saw a couple of Perseids. It was the best Friday night that I have had in a long time!

Saturday morning, we set off with the three little ones to hike the Alpine Lakes Loop Trail. The teenager stayed at the camp site to enjoy some peace and quiet. We intended to hike half of the loop trail, but the kids were in good spirits, so we decided to attempt the entire 3-mile loop. It felt great to be in the wilderness, in the shadow of Nevada's second highest mountain. Hiking above 10,000 feet was a bit challenging, but both Mr. Q and I were rejuvenated by the experience. The baby slept in the backpack and the little girls hiked the entire trail! I made a yummy dinner of chicken sausage, peppers and tomatoes that evening and we started packing up.

Sunday was another gorgeous day and I was sad to have to leave the campground. Breaking camp is always a daunting task, but it went smoothly. We snapped a few family photos and were headed down the mountain by 11 AM. Thankfully, the trip home passed without problems. We stopped once for gas and once to eat and arrived home before 6 PM. After being in the wilderness, I almost cried at the ugliness of Las Vegas.

We're Home

We spent most of last week camping at Great Basin National Park. I'm trying to catch up and get back into the swing of things.

Traveling Music Mix

We're planning a camping trip that involves a six-hour car ride with four children. Most of the area we'll be traveling through is barren desert, so I'm a little bit nervous about keeping them occupied. I've started making lists of songs to make mix CDs. The first one I've compiled is for the little ones:

• L-O-V-E - Nat King Cole
• Life is a Highway - Rascal Flatts
• Pennies from Heaven - Louis Prima
• Shake My Sillies Out - Raffi
  
• Garden Song - John Denver
• The Grease Megamix - Olivia Newton-John
• Rum Tum Tum - Jo Jo's Circus
• Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - Alan Jackson
• Superstition - Stevie Wonder
• Dela (I Know Why the Dog Howls At the Moon) - Johnny Clegg & Savuka
  
• Jump in the Line - Harry Belafonte
• Rainbow Connection - Kermit The Frog
  
• Crocodile Rock - Elton John
• Get Up Offa That Thing - James Brown
• Put a Little Love In Your Heart - Mary Mary
  
• Istanbul - They Might Be Giants
• Octopus's Garden - The Beatles
• Dancing Queen - ABBA
• Alligator in the Elevator - Rick Charette
  

Thanks to the magic of iTunes, I was able to fit them all onto one disc!

Joie de Vivre

This week's joie de vivre is rain. Pure, sweet, desert rain! We have been blessed with five consecutive days of rain, starting Saturday night in our tent. Today's downpour was the best yet, as the kids were treated to both puddles and mud!

My three youngest children do not remember what it is like to live in a rainy climate, so a rainy day is a rare treat that they celebrate to its fullest. Twice this week, we have been outside in our pajamas splashing through puddles. My son yells "puddles, puddles, puddles" while jumping. I love that the rain cools things off long enough for a few blissful minutes of outdoor play and open windows.

Weekend in the Mountains

Over the weekend, I took my three little ones up to the mountains for an annual camping trip with our friends. It was wonderful to get away from the desert heat! The kids enjoyed being outside and playing with their friends.

It was a bit of a long weekend for me flying solo with the three little ones. I think I would have had a great time if the campground had not lost water pressure, and therefore the showers and flush toilets, which added to the challenge of juggling the kids. Thankfully, we still had water from the spigots and vault toilets! Saturday night was the longest of all, when a thunderstorm rolled in shortly before midnight. Thankfully the kids slept through the downpour, we did not get wet and I eventually fell asleep.

The important thing is that the kids got to go on the trip they've been anticipating for weeks and we went on a couple of short walks that temporarily satisfied their desire to go hiking. They enjoyed themselves enough to already be asking when we can go again! Next time, we plan to take everyone.

Hotter Than Blue Blazes List

The temperature in Las Vegas topped out around 109° F today, meaning that the "heat" has officially arrived. I have an annual tradition of making a list of things for us to do when the weather is too hot to go outside and I figured today was a good day to share it.

Here are some things we could do this summer:

• install a ceiling fan in the living room
• visit the mermaids at the Silverton
• play Ring Around the Rosie
• make our own popsicles
• finger painting
• go to story time and get a free carousel ride
• go camping at Mt. Charleston
• play hide-and-seek
• make milkshakes in the blender (or almond milk with crushed ice)
• work on numbers larger than 13 with my 4 year old
• have friends over each week to play
• create a reading list for my teenager
• work on lowercase letters with my 4 year old
• potty train the 3 year old
• sleep naked
• teach the baby colors and shapes
• watch a family movie with everyone
• sew something for myself
• take the teenager to the Adventuredome
• help my 3 year old with numbers and counting objects
• make fruit salad
• go to the Silverton to see feeding time at the aquarium
• go to the atrium at the Bellagio
• make ice cream in our new ice cream ball
• celebrate the summer solstice
• make kabobs on the grill
• paint t-shirts with fabric paint
• do a photo shoot with the four kids
• play Chutes and Ladders
• make Dirt Cake

Seven (Weird) Things That I Love

Thanks to Thimbleanna for tagging me and putting an interesting spin on the "seven weird things about me blog meme."

In no specific order, I love these things:

1. McDonald's sweet and sour sauce
2. the smell of wintergreen Skoal (smokeless tobacco)
3. fabric scraps
4. wearing wool socks
5. cumin
6. my husband, in all his geeky glory
7. grammar

I've Forgotten So Much

Over Thanksgiving weekend, we moved into the fifth home of our marriage. It wasn't by choice; the home we were renting was foreclosed upon. I call this house "Cozy Peak" and it suits us quite well. We miss some of the storage space we had before, but overall, we've settled in nicely.

We had a beautiful solstice tree and rang the new year in quietly. The teenager got a new computer in December and is thrilled. Mr. Q got new cymbals for his drum kit. The littles got a great set of wooden blocks. My youngest girl turned three and the baby cut six teeth. The big kid (she's four) learned her entire alphabet and can write many of them. The youngest girl surprised me by writing the letter H on the living room wall.

I'm trying to get into a weekly routine. We have music lessons in our home on Mondays; in the afternoons, I hope to go to the library. Tuesday is an at-home day. Wednesday is pottery for the teenager and errands for me and the littles. Thursday is reserved for social activities and Friday will be another at-home day if we aren't busy with appointments. I'm hoping to hike or spend a significant amount of time in the wilderness twice a month.

My nights are filled with work and house hunting. Every week, I get more and more anxious about moving home. My heart is starting to ache for the green of New England, the snow that I am missing this year and the change of seasons.

So many wonderful things have happened over the last two months; most of them were the little expressions of love that melt my heart. Unfortunately, I didn't write many of them down, so I can't share the stories. They are forever tucked away inside my heart and hopefully they'll carry me through.