Today, we traveled to Wemgo, Kansas, and perused all of the wonderful memorabilia at The Wizard of Oz Museum. It was wonderful. There was so much to see, and when I wasn’t looking, my sweet Maggie bought me a cool bookmark and the cutest squishy slippers!  During our browsing, I couldn’t help but think of being a kid watching the movie with my cousin, Ashley. We knew every word. I think we probably still do!

Then, we went next door to Toto’s Tacos and had lunch. We didn’t have a particularly evetful day, as much of it was spent driving, but we ended our day at Eskimo Joe’s in Stillwater, OK.

When Scott and I were dating, and he lived in Tulsa, he bought me an Eskimo Joe tee. The morning after we were in engaged, I took a picture with Scott, and I had on that shirt. It was so soft, and I wore it for the next 10 years, eventually delegating it a sleep shirt. It finally fell apart, and today I got a new one.

Tomorrow, we will finish the last 7 hours of our trip and will be sleeping in our own beds.

Until then, There’s no place like home!

  
The first item on our road trip extravaganza today was heading to Minden, Nebraska, to an enormous collection of pioneer antiques. Pioneer Village is situated on 20 acres, and is ONE man’s personal collection of anything you can imagine.  He (Harold Warp) even bought the original school, church, and mercantile store from the town, and during the 1950’s, he had them moved onto this land. He acquired so many originals, from the 1st Ford, to a car that could ride on water, to a bed that Napolean slept in, to the 1st edition of a mimiograph machine.  You name it; was there. There were buildings and more buildings that housed a washer from nearly every year, a sewing machine gallery, a television display, and the 1st phone booth. It was endless and  absolutely amazing. There are no words that could do this collection justice, and after a while, I just stopped taking pictures, and tried to take it all in.  We were there for 4 hours, and we left with sights unseen. Maggie and I were particularly impressed by the orginal schoolhouse, left untouched from the last day school was in session. The collector went to this school as a boy. 
   
    
    
    
    
    
   

There are just too many pictures to post, but hopefully I can get some on fb later, too. 

I love these of the kids. 

  
    
 One of my favorite displays was this huge case of pens and pencils that had different company logos on each one. There were thousands. I collect neat pens, too, but I will never do this! 
 
It was a good day, and now we are resting our heads in Manhattan, Kansas, home of Kansas State, and absolutely nothing else. We drove for hours, before stopping here for the night. Nebraska and Kansas are just farmland after farmland. Peaceful, yet mundane.  Maggie loves math, and for the past days she has been quizzing Scott and me on Roman numerals. I think I have them down pat!  Also, we did stumble on this little jewel, so the endless stretches of highway nothingness were all worth it! Lol The Largest Ball of Twine in the World!

  
 
Goodnight all! 

We left Broomfield today around noon and headed towards Kansas. Not long into our trip, we stopped in the little town of Burlington, CO. It was quaint and just lovely. They had a town museum that walked visitors through the decades of the town’s formation, and we saw some old pieces from the pioneer days into the present. This place was a hidden gem. 

At the start of the summer, I introduced Maggie to Little House on the Prarie, and she is now at the end of season 3. She was so excited to see this little museum. She loved the black wagon that looks like Dr. Baker’s on Little House. We are headed to a much larger Pioneer Village in Nebraska tomorrow. She is ready to see the 1 room school house and mercantile. Next year, she wants to road trip it Laura Ingall’s home in Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Thank the Lord for a full year until another trip! 

Kansas has been long, plain-filled roads of corn, wheat, and dairy cows. It is a drastic change from the mountains of Colorado, and each day we travel, I am consistently amazed at this country we call home. God is just so good. 

We have been gone for a week and 4 days, and it has been a trip full of blessings and thanksgiving. I am thankful, thankful that I get to do life with these people.  We are ready to finish this journey and make our way to our own beds. 

Until tomorrow…

 
Yesterday, we ventured into Rocky Mountain National Park. Ventured seems like such a minut word when I think of the misery that ensued! We drove up a one way old passage to the very top of the Rockies. It was a 9 mile drive that took about an hour and a half, ascending to over 14,000 ft. The view was amazing, but after we reached 2 miles above sea level, the turns, winds, and certain-death gravel road began to take a toll on me. I was so sick from the altitude. I couldn’t breathe, and I kept checking to see if my nose was bleeding.  I could not stop drinking water. There was no option of turning back and no bathrooms, so I did like any good adventurer would do. I winged it. Right there on a rock for all the elk, squirrels, rabbits, and insects to see.  It was the only good feeling I would have all day! 
Once we reached the ridge of the mountain, and I was able to get out and walk some, I felt no better. I wanted DOWN, but I didn’t want to get back in the car, either. I felt trapped up there. The anxiety, lack of oxygen, and almond butter and crackers about finished me off.  

The scenery was more than I could have ever dreamed it would be. I stood just a couple of feet from the largest bull elk I have ever seen, and Maggie finally got to touch snow. But, all my brain could think was, “Flat land, get me the heck to flat land. I miss home. I want gumbo and heat and humidity!” This is how I know I had officially gone crazy! Who would crave 100° weather, and life-sucking humidity? Me- in the Rocky Mountains. 

We made it back to the apartment at 10:30 last night, and every muscle in my body hurt. I am sure the tension of repeatedly imagining falling to my death off that slippery slope had set into my bones. The kids did have a good time, so I am glad we went, but now that I have pictures, who needs to ever go back? Not me- at least not until I can’t remember the beauty of the landscape. 

Today was a relaxing day. We woke late, took showers late, and left for a dinner date at 5:00. Scott works with a nice guy, Ron, who lives in the mountains near Morrison, CO. He doesn’t just live in the mountains; he lives in seclusion. He and his wife, Candy, smoked ribs, and their neighbors smoked a brisket. Candy made a delicious rhubarb cake from the plant she grew in their side yard. The leaves are poisonous, but the stems are tangy, almost like cherries. 

Their house has a gorgeous porch, and the weather was perfect. I cannot imagine living that far away from stores! But, I think I would love it. The dinner was tasty, the wine was awesome, and the company was perfect. 

Tomorrow, we head to Rocky Mountain National Park. 

On a side note, Samuel is having problems with his right eye again. He has seen an ophthalmologist at Texas Children’s, and the doctor told us to come back if we noticed any changes. He keeps closing that eye a lot when he is focusing on various things. I am thinking that he may need glasses, as his MRI came back clear last time.  Praying that is all he needs. 

 “Oh, what we could be, if we stopped carrying the remains of who we were.” Tyler Gregson

I read this quote this morning. It affected me differently than the many, many memes or quotes that I scroll through each week on the internet.  I immediately became solemn and began soul searching these words. With depression, there is a discontenment with life. Joy is a difficult state to possess, and activities that seem to be enjoyable are insurmountable at times. I often notice  myself thinking about my young adulthood before depression. I long for those days. But, I have never really thought that desiring that decade of my life could be holding me back from truly living in this decade. 
I pondered that thought most of the morning, but when Scott came in from the job site at noon, we all got dressed and headed out for some adventure. It didn’t cross my mind again. 

We decided to hike to St. Mary’s Glacier. We read about the glacier online, and the guide assured us that this nearly 1 mile hike was mild to moderate. We thought, “We can do this!”

So, last night, we bought a hiking child carrier for Samuel, we filled our new water bottles, and we laid out our hiking clothes (bought especially for this trip). Y’all, we are NOT hikers!  We are out of shape, overweight, and we try our darndest to park as close to the front door of Target as we can! Lol  

But, off we went, anyway! The view on the journey to the foot of the glacier was serene. Maggie loved the mountain tunnels, and the weather was crisp and cool. 

   
 We watched white water rafters along a creek, as we drove, too.  

When we parked to start our trek, Scott loaded Samuel in our handy dandy backpack, and Maggie and I grabbed our too cool for school water bottles. And, then we got to the foot of the “mild to moderate” trail. I took about 10 steps and nearly died from altitude sickness. My calves haven’t worked that hard since my college days at the intramural center. I looked at Maggie, and she said, “It’s okay if you and Daddy can’t do this. I know you are older than me, and I am worried about you.” I just laughed and pretended that I was the super star hiker that everyone else knows I’m not. 

It was rocky, and I kept thinking either I was going to break my ankle, or Scott was going to go tumbling with Sam. But, I kept moving. We all kept moving. I was in the lead, and we were about 1/3 of the way up, when that quote slapped me in the forehead again. I mean, I can hardly breathe, and THIS is what I am thinking about? So, I tried to push it away. But, God had other plans. I listened to my own shallow breathing against the sounds of wildlife and the trail of crackling rocks, and in those minutes, God spoke. He said, “You are an amazing person.  One whom I created. One who CAN do this. Just pray to Me. I will help you through. You are not the person you used to be. That is okay. I can make you who I want you to be. Trust Me. ”

And, I did. I labored forward, and I prayed my soul out. I prayed for the will to stay the course. I prayed for Scott to be able to make it, as I knew he wanted to so badly. I prayed that Maggie would be inspired to always keep moving, even when life is hard. I prayed that Samuel would be content.  I prayed for peace- for deep down joy. I just prayed- and climbed. And, I let God mold me into someone He wanted me to be, not someone I wished I still was. 

I made it! We all made it. And, my gracious, the view was spectacular. It was as if God had painted His landscape just for our viewing- for my soul. It was glorious. And, we are officially hikers! 

I sat on a large boulder and cried. I cried for who I will never be again, and I cried for the joy that I know God will bring in the years to come. But, mostly, I cried because trusting Him is the most freeing feeling in the world. Thank you, Lord. 

We are on VACATION! We left Katy on Saturday, the 18th, and we got to Broomfield, CO (near Denver) yesterday, the 20th. If someone would have asked me a year ago how Samuel would do on an 18 hour road trip, I would have cried at the thought of it. Talk about the 10th circle of hell! Even a week ago, Scott, Maggie, and I were still terified of this trip, although we all desperately needed time away together. But, as he usually does, Samuel surprised us! He was extremely content and pleasant. There was little head banging, and his stimming was bearable. We stopped 2 nights on the road, and we took 3 driving days to get here, but we made it with minimal insanity and a ton of thankfulness. 
We stopped in Decatur our first night, about 40 miles west of Fort Worth. And, we stopped in Dalhart in the Texas Panhandle the second night. There was a great old antique store on the way, and we went to Cadillac Ranch, too. Maggie had such a good time spray painting the cars, and Sam was content to playing with empty cans and lids. 

   
    
    
   
We have been playing the license plate game along the way, and Maggie has been keeping tabs. 

We stopped in New Mexico, about 1.5 hours from our destination, at the Capulin Volcano National Monument.  It was amazing! It erupted 60,000 years ago, during the Ice Age, and the solidified lava is still covering the land surrounding it. We drove to the top, at 8000 ft., then took a path to the center. The weather was cool, the humidity low, and the view was spectacular. Maggie came away with 2 lava rocks for her garden rock collection. She started her collection at just 3 years old, and every new place we visit, she finds just the right one. She even used to water them every day. Ha! Samuel decided he could climb stairs while we hiked the paths. We were stunned and oh so proud! PROGRESS is PROMISING!

  
    
    Maggie and Scott inside the volcano. 

We are staying at an apartment for the week, near Scott’s work job site. He is working some and playing a little, too. Today, the kids and I went swimming. The air was just warm enough, but not for long. We have an awesome view of the Rockies, and we are going to Estes Park, Pikes Peak, and St. Mary’s Glacier while we are here.  

The beauty of God’s creation surrounds us, and we are grateful for this country we get to call home. We are enjoying a not so Bland life. 

Part II to come..

I am up. It is late, and I know the sun will dawn before I am ready to start a new day. The house is quiet, except for the once in a while creeks of settling walls that reverberate with the happenings of our day. I imagine the anxiousness it would feel, if possible, from the disarray of toys, laundry, and mail left unopened. I, too, feel it.  

Samuel has missed a week of therapy because of this 3rd round of flu, and he has become so much more attached to me in these past days. It warms my soul, but it also foreshadows what returning to his facility might entail. He will struggle, as his routine changes once more. Even more so because of the autism and his need for intense structure. A large slice of me wants to keep him here with me, where his hugs and slobbery kisses abound, and where I know he is in his zone of limitless comfort. But, there is a sliver of my heart that pumps erratically and beats against the walls of my chest when I am reminded that he will not progress if I don’t send him. Oh, how I long for simple choices. 

But, alas, I do not have the luxury of lazy, park-filled, picnic, or pajama days with my wee one. It is ironic that he is developmentally behind but must grow up faster than most children his age. Therapy is constant, hard work. He is working 40 hours weekly at 2 years old. Things, I fear, will never be simple for my Sam. But, I am determined that LIFE will be good for him. There is this immense pressure that I carry with me, knowing that I am his advocate for a better, productive life.  And, even at just 29 months old, I am required to think much farther into the future when it comes to him. And, I will. It is taxing and demands a mind set of optimism. I am a pessimist/realist by nature, but God is molding me into not only seeing the glass as half full, but realizing that it can be filled over and over again by His grace and goodness.  

 
Maggie is so very happy and in love with her Waddles. He has become a normal, every day member of the Bland home. He sits on the couch while we watch TV, and he squeals when we walk into the room. He purrs when he is petted, and he hops and shimmies when he has clean bedding and lots of vegetables. Who knew!
   
 Just my random thoughts for the day. 

To my Maggie, on her birthday: 
I never dreamed in a million years that today, in 2015, I would have a little person who is 10 big years old. It was only yesterday that I was this age, right? Margaret Grace Bland danced into our lives on July 7, 2005, and made our days richer, our moments funnier, and our hearts larger. She is so very smart, silly, and witty. She redefined my life by making me a mother. And, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Happy Birthday, Maggie. You are the 1st most special blessing I have ever received. You make my days 1 billion times better. Thank you for hugs, kisses, night time ‘nuggles,’ and infinite amounts of giggles. Daddy, Samuel, and I are so very thankful for the gift that is you.

In just a few, short minutes her double digit birthday will come to an end, and with it, another day closes with the flu in our house. 

I worried last night that, although Maggie’s party was last weekend, she might have a miserable birthday today. I knew we’d be couped up in the house and that Samuel would be miserable with fever. But, she just made me even more thankful to be her mama. We watched Little House and ate lunch together, while Sam slept. It was such a good day, and she was content. 

Our sweet friends had a guinea pig that they gave to Maggie for her birthday. She has wanted one for years, and we have always said no, but for some reason my heart changed its mind. So, Waddles made his way into Maggie’s world today, and she is smitten. 

   
 
He is really cute and makes such sweet noises. I think I like him, too!  

Over the 4th of July weekend, we had our annual waterslide fun at my folks’. Maggie’s party was a lot of fun, and she got to spend a few nights at Granna and Grandpa’s with her cousin, Avery. They are fantastic friends, and there were plenty of giggles during our stay. 

   
    
    
    
 
Samuel is seeing an immunologist soon, as a lot of Dup15 kids have mitochondrial issues and weakened immune systems. Having the flu 3 times in 6 months is abnormal, and some of his blood work came back elevated, so it looks like he may need some immunoglobulin therapy to help fight illnesses that come his way.  We are praying continously for answers. 

Next week, Mag, Sam, and I get to join Scott for a couple of weeks in Colorado, while he works. We are really excited about having a semi-vacation and being able to enjoy new scenery for a while. I can’t wait for mountain air and views, along with a new zoo to visit, and the quaint shops downtown. It will be a much-needed change.