Cincinnati 2020

Chuck's dad, Rich, died on May 25th.  But because we were in the middle of a pandemic, there was not an immediate funeral.  Judy decided on having him cremated with a memorial service in July thinking things would have calmed down.  Because we have not spent much time in Cincinnati we decided to spend a week.  Things were still crazy due to the pandemic but we made the most out of our trip.  

We left VERY early on a Monday morning.  We had a short layover in Dallas and by the time we got to Cincinnati we were VERY hungry.  So our first stop was to Skyline Chili.  We spent the rest of the day with Judy at her house.  Once we got the kids settled in bed, Chuck and I went for a short run.  Our late night runs from a hotel are always interesting.  

On Tuesday we spent the day at Kings Island.  We were there from open to close and the pandemic worked in our favor.  There were very few people there so we (Chuck and the kids anyway) were able to ride almost every ride with little to no waiting.  But we did have to wear masks the whole time.  It was a little hot and humid but as long as we were in the shade or the sun was behind the clouds, it wasn't too bad.  The boys said it was better than Disneyland.  I would have to agree.

Wednesday was the day of the memorial.  We picked up Judy and went to lunch at the old family restaurant, the Echo, before going to the memorial service.  The memorial was small with just immediate family and a few close friends.  We went to Graeter's for ice cream with Tim, Grace and their boys following the service. That evening Chuck, Cameron, Hannah and I went out for a run.  Chuck and Cameron ran ahead.  I was going to run with H for a while, take her back to the house, turn around and meet up with Chuck and Cameron who would probably be on their way back.  However, H wanted to run longer so when we didn't know which way the boys went, we went down a road that had a locked gate.  We decided to go around the gate because we thought the boys might have done that.  Up ahead was a lake that we decided we should run around.  I thought it would make a circle back to  where we started.  But when we couldn't complete the circle, we started to look for a shorter way back since it was getting dark.  H suggested we go off road for a bit and I took a little fall.  Fortunately I did not break a hip.  We couldn't find a shorter way back so we went back around the lake.  I knew Chuck would be worried and out looking for us, so I made H run more than she wanted to.  Sure enough after we went around the locked gate we saw Chuck up ahead running towards us.  H was getting a little nervous thinking we were lost.  We were never lost, but it was getting a dark and there were no lights around other than lightning bugs, so I was also getting a little nervous too.  But nobody got lost or hurt and it ended up being a memorable run.

Thursday we didn't have any plans so we hung out at Judy's house.  The kids got restless so we went to have lunch at Skyline and we drove around Lebanon.

On Friday we went to the Cincinnati Museum.  We got off to a rough start with H getting upset then Chuck getting upset and then not being able to find a quick place for lunch. But the museum was really cool and Tim, Emmett and Nash were able to join us.  After the museum we went to Tim's house and the kids had a great time playing with each other.  

On Saturday we canoed and kayaked down the Little Miami river and had lunch at Skyline Chili.  Emmett and Nash spent the night at Judy's with Cameron and Christian.  They brought a game console and played video games until Judy made them to go bed (at 10pm!).  Chuck knew how to make a complete circle around the lake, so Hannah and I went for a run around the lake with him.  

Sunday was a rather uneventful day.  We spent the day at Judy's house but when the kids got restless  we went for a drive to Germantown.  Chuck graduated from high school in Germantown.  We saw the church where his dad was the minister, which was for sale, and the house they lived in.  It is now an accounting office/residence.  We also got ice cream once again at Graeter's.  

On Monday we flew home.  We didn't have an early flight so we took our time packing up and saying good-bye to Judy.   We were all ready to go home.  A week in a hotel room is a long time.  We had a layover in Charlotte, NC which was just enough time to grab dinner and take it on the plane but then we ended up sitting on the runway for over an hour because there was lightning.  Apparently the ground crew could not work if there was lightning.  It was a long flight home and we were all happy to be back in our own beds.

The funny things they say....

Years ago at the bottom of my blog I kept a running list of the funny things the kids would say or do and I would include those entries for the year in the blog book.  As the kids have gotten older, they aren't doing or saying as many cute things so I got out of the habit.  But lately the kids have been cracking me up.  Here are a few things worth remembering...

The Presidential elections are this year, as we are watching ads on television Hannah says, "I hope we get a more handsome president than Donald Trump."  After a Trump supported ad against Biden, she says, "I am not voting for that guy, he wants to defund the police."  Then she decides she is going to vote for Mark Kelley.  However, he is not handsome nor is he running for President.

We were getting in the car (it's July) and it was really hot.  Christian made mention of the fact and I said that hot cars are very dangerous and that kids can die in hot cars.  We then stopped by the store and I asked if the kids wanted to go in or stay in the car and Christian says, "You just told us kids die in the car!"  Of course I was going to leave the car running.

I was tucking Christian into bed and he said, "I don't want to grow up because I won't love my stuffed animals or my blanket as much and you'll get older and die and I can't live without you."

When I told Hannah she took too much money for an hour of easy work, she said, "I have a motto, when someone offers you money, you take it."

I overheard Cameron's World History teacher tell the class that if they watched the presidential debate and wrote a summary he would give them extra credit.  Christian overheard me asking Cameron if he was going to do that and then Christian said he really wanted to watch the debate.  About 10 minutes into the debate Christian said, "If I was Joe Biden, Trump would have a black eye by now."  

When I was putting Christian to bed one night during the election season he told me he loves me more than I love him, he loves me more than his blanket, etc.  (He does this every night.)  Then he says, "I know, I love you more than Mark Kelley loves money."  He has been watching too many political ads!

Christian was complaining about a bad headache, so I had him lying on the coach with a cold cloth on his head.  I had the news on and during some political commercials, he said, "When did this world become so corrupt?"

At church our bishop said that if the high counselor didn't take the remainder of the time, he would ask someone from the congregation to come bear their testimony.  Hannah leans over to me and says, "I hope he doesn't call on me.  I am not prepared."  Then she looks up a scripture and says, "If he calls on me, I'll read this scripture and talk about setting goals.  I am good at setting goals."  Oh how I wished he would have called on her!

During an evening prayer Hannah prayed that we would elect a good president.  After the prayer she said, "We aren't going to get a good president.  And even if they get shot, the replacements are no good either.  But it's good to have hope."

Again with the prayers.  Hannah recently read they Twilight Series.  As she finished each book, we watched the movie where she developed a major crush on Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).  One night when it was her turn to say the prayer she said, "Thank you for Taylor Lautner."  

Hannah has become very sensitive to noise.  Especially noises made when people are eating.  And let's be honest, Chuck is a LOUD eater.  So first he sits down and eats popcorn while she is watching a show.  Then he lies down on the couch next to her to rest while she is practicing the piano and proceeds to snore. She gave up and said, "I must have done something really bad for Dad to be eating popcorn while I watch a show and snore while I am practicing piano."

Chuck really likes to quote lines from movies.  One night during dinner (I don't remember what the topic of conversation was) he said, "You know there is a line from a movie."  Christian says,  "Of course it's a line from a movie."

Summer Backpacking 2020

This year's backpackers included Chuck, Cameron, Christian, Durrant (his first) and Archer Williams, and Tim Woodward.  Hannah stayed home with me.  They spent the week in the Uncompahgre Wilderness in SW Colorado.  Day 1 and Day 2 they hiked up East Fork Creek to the head waters.  Day 3 they climbed Uncompahgre Peak, which is 14.300 feet.  Cameron, Durrant and Chuck made it to the summit and Christian and Archer made it to the final approach.  The next day (Day 4)  Chuck and Cameron climbed Wetterhorn Peak, also a 14,000 footer.  On Day 5 they hiked to Middle Fork Creek.  Day 6 they hiked down close to the wilderness boundary.  Day 7 they hiked out and down the access rode to the car.  The scenery was beautiful and the company amazing.  The only mishap was Chuck getting in to some poison ivy on Day 6.  Something that continued to plague him a month later.  After perhaps what was a re-exposure thanks to a rain jacket that had the oils on it, Chuck's whole body turned red, swollen and itchy.  I insisted he take some anti-histamines and steroids to get it under control. 

* as I edit this post for publication, I should mention that there was never a re-exposure to the poison ivy.  We don't know what was going on, but Chuck was having a severe reaction to something.  Maybe it started with the poison ivy and his body over reacted.  He was red, swollen (his whole body) and itchy for a very long time.  

It was a hard re-introduction into society.  Perhaps harder than usual, thanks to Covid.  They had a hard time finding a place to eat but ended up at a place with amazing burgers.  They spent the night in Farmington, having dinner with the Palmers and enjoying some fireworks.  Coming back to the 110+ heat is always hard but this year they came back to football practice been cancelled (again), gyms being closed (again) and the start date of school being pushed back.

Hannah and I enjoyed our time together.  We didn't get to do much since many things are closed, but we spent time watching When Calls the Heart, reading, running, and doing yoga.  It was SO quiet and wonderful.

Happy 13th Birthday Hannah!

Hannah turned 13 on the 30th of May.  We went to Kneaders for breakfast and she had a very small party that evening with two of her best friends, Marley and Briana.  We had homemade pizza and devil's food cake.  The girls (plus Cameron and Christian) painted a lighthouse/ocean scene and we watched 13 going on 30.  Chuck's dad (Papa) died the Monday prior, so he was in Cincinnati for the weekend which was also his birthday.  But we saved two pieces of cake and Hannah and Chuck could have cake when he got home.  To help her celebrate, Hannah got an IOU for a bicycle.  The Covid-19 pandemic has been good for bike sales so we have one on backorder.  She will also be getting a ukulele that she can assemble herself and paint.  But it didn't get here before her birthday. Again, the pandemic.

Hannah is so talented and motivated!  She has been drawing and painting for years now and she continues to be in her room much of the time painting.  She earns money by painting canvas paintings for anyone who wants one.  She has been working on becoming a better person through the Personal Progress program (although the church is no longer using it).  She sets goals, reads scriptures and journals.  She is hard working and is always willing to help when asked.  She even offers to clean the kitchen and takes out the recycling when she sees it is full.  She likes to be in the kitchen helping to make dinner and she also likes to make her own creations.  She made Crepes for my birthday that were amazing!  She has been taking online guitar lessons during the pandemic and is also learning to play the ukulele.  She is a very talented pianist as well.  When she is not developing her talents she can be found tormenting her brothers.  And the mood swings are extreme with this one.  At 13 she is 5'1 and weighs 104 lbs.  It will be interesting to see what her 13th year will bring. We love our princess!

Happy 15th Birthday Cameron

Cameron turned 15 on the 2nd of May.  It will be forever called his Quarantine Birthday due to Covid-19.  Two years ago Cameron's birthday fell during the teacher's strike.  He thought that was the best birthday present ever.  But two months without school, not a single activity being held and everything but essential businesses being closed did not make for a very fun birthday.  He was able get an ice cream cake (yellow cake with cake batter) from Cold Stone. We had Cincinnati chili dogs and/or chili cheese fries for dinner.  He got wireless headphones and a Nerf gun.  He also got to go backpacking with his dad, Christian and Carson.  They went to Hannah Hot Springs located in the Blue Primitive area right on the border of NM and AZ.  It was 350 miles of driving each way (They had to take a detour to Eager to pick up Carson.), 11 miles of "bush whacking" up a remote creek, and finally swimming through a slot canyon to a desert oasis with a 104 degree hot tub.

Getting pictures drawn by Hannah.

Getting a birthday hug from Christian which went a little better than the birthday punches from Hannah

Sometimes it was easier to carry Christian rather than have him take his boots off.  The water would have gone over the top of his boots, but not so for the older boys.

Christian said it's the hardest hike he'd ever done.

At 15 Cameron is still obsessed with football.  He can watch clips, scroll Instagram, and talk stats all the day long.  He also still loves to watch TV and play video games.  He got a smart phone at the beginning of the year and despite having time restrictions, it seems like he is on that phone ALL DAY LONG.  Even though he can be a perfect couch potato, all the cancellations caused by Covid-19 have been very hard on him.  He does like to be active.  We like him to be active too.  When he is not doing something active or on a device, he is playing the same songs on the piano or the Ukulele over and over and over.  Or he is whistling or making some other type of noise which drives Hannah and me nuts.  Since there has been no school, he has not picked up his flute, French horn, or trombone (all residing in the family room) in months.  He's not what I would call a self-motivator.  But when you can get him to work, he is a very hard worker. At 15, Cameron is 5 feet 9 inches and weighs 146 lbs.