The Chesleys go to Washington...

A few months ago, Mike and I decided to take some much needed time off and take our little family to our nation's capital. I had been in high school but none of the others had ever been. We figured now would be the absolute best time, not too hot, not too cold, leaves changing, everything dandy. Well, we were absolutely right! Here's a little travelogue (with pictures) about our trip....

Tuesday...pick up kids from school, hit the road. All goes well, thank heavens for a portable DVD player. We stop a few times for bathroom breaks, eat dinner and stuff. The best thing about this day is that we don't get to DC area until late at night so hardly any traffic. Mike makes the observation that the highway system in DC looks like a plate of spaghetti. We only get lost twice.

Wednesday...The first adventure with the metorail system (we all survived and loved it although Mike found out he can't ride backwards). We ended up heading to the National Zoo. If you've never been and you're in the area, go, it's so cool and free!

You've got to see the pandas! They really are a beautiful animal. I read somewhere once that they are nature's most evolutionary inefficient animal. There were a ton of school kids there on a field trip and all we heard was "Panda! Panda! Come back Panda!". Jared remarked to me "Mom, I'm sure that panda's got a name besides hey panda!" We felt like the pioneer children in the Primary song at church because we walked and walked and walked but it was a good time.

This isn't the best picture of this little guy, but he was the coolest frog! He was about as big as two keyboard keys, maybe three. Very tiny but very colorful. By this time we were just about too pooped to do anything else but say, oh look! An animal!

At this point in our story, let me digress. I had read that food in the zoo and museums was atrociously expensive and I shared this fact with my family. We took our own water (I refuse to pay $4 for a bottle of water) and snacked on trail mix (the homemade kind). But we were HUNGRY! We ended up buying a couple of cheeseburgers and splitting them (hey, we're on a budget here!).

Really, what can I say? He's Mike's son. He was super excited and all we heard the whole day was, "I want to take a picture" repeated over and over and over and over again. We decided that day to go and find him a camera as part of an early Christmas present. He actually did really well with it. He took a lot of pictures of pigeons.

The two monkeys outside of the zoo. I just want to say that although it doesn't look like it, Kiersten does actually have lips. She just hates to have her picture taken. After we got back to our hotel, we went to find a place to eat (thank heavens for Texas Roadhouse). Even one bite left Kiersten ate her ENTIRE dinner (plus a salad).

Thursday was the air and space museum... home of the Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo moon landing stuff, rockets galore and the most expensive McDonald's in Washington D.C. There is no dollar menu there folks! Mike was in charge of the camera during our trip so we got bunches of pictures of planes and rockets. This, however, is my favorite picture....

Can't you just hear the teenager in her saying, "Daddy! I can't believe you're making me do this, how embarassing!"? I was asked numerous times where the big field that they kept all the airplanes was located. Apparently some people in my family believe everything they see in Transformers 2.

We also went across the mall to the National Gallery, which was really beautiful, but we were again very tired so we just meandered for a few minutes and then back to the metro. Have I mentioned we all LOVED the metro?

Friday was tour day. We booked tours on the trolley tour (the orange and green ones, I can't remember what they're called) and had a great time. We were able to hop on and off (really that's the only way to do a decent tour) and take our time. We went by most of the monuments, even if we didn't stop. They really are quite beautiful.

The Jefferson Memorial---it really is one of the prettiest places I've ever seen built by man. We didn't go in but it's still an awesome sight just to ride by. I wanted to go to the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial and the newish World War II Memorial, which is what we did.

The Lincoln Memorial is just huge, and again, beautiful. While we were there, the National Park ranger played Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, and it was all the more powerful because you can stand where Dr. King stood and look down the reflecting pool and think about all of the people that have marched for a cause in that place. It really is a vast place. On to my favorite memorial....

The Vietnam War Memorial. It's really hard to believe that the Wall is in the middle of a busy city. It's so quiet. There were people there doing rubbings of names, a few veterans looking for lost friends or family members seeking to reconnect with a lost loved one. It really is my favorite. This is where I wonder about the stories, behind the names on the Wall as well as the stories of people that come there to pay their respects or just to see it.

We did get to the WWII memorial and it really is another beautiful place. Walking from The Wall to the WWII memorial, Kiersten and I were stopped by a squirrel. Apparently it was a tourist as well because he looked a little lost and seemed to be asking for directions.

Saturday was our coming home day, but we had one more stop to make. A few weeks before our trip, Jared told me at dinner one night that he thought we should go to the Holocaust Museum and Memorial. I wasn't too sure, but they outvoted me so we went. Let me tell you, that brought even me to tears. You're given the identification of someone who actually was in a concentration camp or lived during that time when you go in so it personalizes the story for you. Pictures aren't encouraged there, but what we saw there was seared into my brain. We saw the cattle cars, the bunks from Auschwitz, and in one hallway, thousands of pairs of shoes from prisoners that were never heard from again. Jared gave out pretty early, so I went with him into the Hall of Remembrance, where we lit candles for those that were lost and talked about why people do awful things and how we can stand up for others.

Then, we were on our way back home. It was a wonderful trip. We have to go back so catch those things that we didn't get the first time. It was a great experience to take the children---they of course think we're the coolest parents on the planet for getting them out of school for a couple of days for an educational trip.

I have plenty of other pictures, but just don't have room to share them with you. The pictures that are the best ones are really in my mind and heart of spending time with my family.

By the way, sorry if this doesn't format quite right, I'm tired and needed to get it done.

Peace and love y'all!

Just a thought

Today it's rainy and somewhat chilly my dear readers. I'm getting everything finalized for our little family getaway next week and have suddenly felt the urge to pick up my knitting again. It could be because of the weather. It's probably because I've got a 7-8 hour ride ahead of me next week (Mike likes to drive and who am I to tell him no?). I've also got a whole bunch of yarn from last year's knitting frenzy that I never used. Note to self---get Heather to teach me how to make socks (again).

That's my thought for today.

The Driveway From H-E-double hockey sticks...

Hello dear readers!!!

A few matters of blog business...since a squirrel fried our transformer at work yesterday and the IT people had to put in our new firewall, I am unable to view my blog there. Yes, it's a travesty I know. What do those people expect me to do? Work? So, I am not ignoring you, I'm just unable to "see" you. And if you're a FB friend, you guys are banned as well. This makes me unhappy but I'll adjust.

Anyway, on to the matter at hand. In my last post, I mentioned the driveway from hell and some of you expressed an interest in hearing about it. Well, I finally have time so I'll tell you about it. The weekend in question, the DH and I were in Chimney Rock, NC for a family wedding (which was absolutely gorgeous and fun-never laughed so hard in my life). We moseyed to the appointed place early that day so we could take in the sights and just explore. This is something we love to do, especially when we don't have little people telling us, "we're bored", "my feet are about to fall off", "are we there yet?". Anyhoo, as we were driving through the quaint little tourist trap of Chimney Rock, Mike spied a lovely covered bridge with a sign on it that said Home Sites for Sale. Oh goody! We love looking at house we would never be able to afford, so we turned in. Little did I know that we had just passed the threshold of the land of the crazy driveways. Now, let me just warn you, if you can't see the top of the driveway---DON'T GO!!!

This is a picture of the little car going up just the bottom part of the first driveway....

Do you see the incline? What is virtually invisible is that there is a turn at the top of this little incline that is the sharpest thing I've ever seen in my life. It was like this >. Yes, that symbol is what the turn (and the incline following it looked like). After much twisting and turning and praying we reached the top.

Which looked like this. It's beautiful, right? What you don't understand is that the width of this "driveway" is about as wide as I am tall (5'4" on a good day). Now don't get me wrong, the view was lovely and serene. And all I could think of was "Holy crap! We've got to go down that stupid thing!" There was much discussion and I'm ashamed to say that I was thinking about walking-it's good for you, you know. But, I would not leave my DH to fight it alone. So, off we went---slowly! All I can say is thank heavens, all the holy angels and whatever Saints you can name off the top of your head that Mike was driving.

We did end up going up another driveway that was was even worse than the first, because it lulled you into a false sense of security through not showing you the top. Even Mike the Fearless was a little worried about that one. He said once we got to the top, "I thought the car was going to tip backwards!" It's a miracle we survived. But survive we did. Here are some more pictures that were taken after our encounter with "the driveway".

All in all, it was a lovely trip. We plan to go back when we can take the childrent and spend more time hiking around Chimney Rock. This trip was like a brief "get to know you" trip. Hope you enjoy the pictures and our adventure. I don't think I'll be buying any mountainside home site in the near future.

Peace and love y'all!

Bring it....

Hello dear readers!
Living in the sunshiney south all of my life has real advantages. It's not really COLD during the winter, the spring is beautiful and full of flowers blooming, summer is a time for sipping lemonade and going to the beach and fall is full of color (leaves and football abound). That being said, this morning I was looking at our Bradford pear trees and noticed an ever so slight color shift in the leaves. WOOHOO!!! I'm ready for fall to arrive. Mike and I were in the mountains of NC this weekend and the air was just a tad crisp with the wind blowing (more including pictures and a story about the driveway from hell later). I was listening to the radio this morning and the Paul Walker song "Cool nights" came on and I thought "self, you are SO ready for fall! You're thinking of sweaters and jeans, boots and the smell of dead leaves". So, in honor of my ever so slightly changing leaves, here are some things to think about:

-The crunch of leaves as you walk through them (I'm one of those people that kick them and scatter them all over the place)

-The smell of smoke as people start burning said leaves and firing up their fireplaces

-That crazy "turning the heat on for the first time" smell that always freaks me out just a little

-College football (I had to put that in there, I'm not a football fan but friends are) and all the sounds, sights and colors of tailgating and the games

-sweaters and jeans!!!!!! With boots!!!!!

-pumpkin hunting and carving

-seeing all the little ghosts and goblins on Halloween (CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!)

-Orange, red, yellow and brown

-That really cool tree on I-20 that turns the brightest yellow every year

What are your favorite things about fall?

Til next time....

Peace and love y'all!

It is enough....

Hello all,
This has been running through my head since last week and I've finally got a quiet moment to sit down and put it down "on paper". I have phrases that I use a good bit when I'm talking to myself. Phrases like "Let go and let God", "I don't have to, I GET to..." and now I have a new one...."It is enough.". This is probably more powerful to me than anything else I can think of. Case in point, a few weeks ago, I was commiserating to my mother that I never did this or that or the other that my friends were able to do before, during and after college for some reason or another (is that vague enough?). The same day, Mike the wonder dude came home and was complaining about not having this or that or the other. Well buddy, did I set him straight and got myself to thinking. This is what I came up with....

-I may not have a big fancy house decorated all fancy dancy. However, I have a home where my family laughs, cries, fights, loves, learns and occasionally works.

-I may not have my dream car (this is something I complain about often). However, our little car is almost paid for. It gets everyone where they need to go safely.

-I don't have my dream job, but in this time of employment uncertainty, I work and earn decent money. If I had kept on track with my education, I would not have my beautiful daughter or be married to a great guy and have a precious boy.

-I may not wear cool clothes (believe me, I don't---I'm more of a tshirt, jeans and flip flops kind of gal). But, I have clothes and they keep me warm when it's cold outside.

-I may or may not agree with the politics of the season, but I live in a country where I can speak my mind freely without fear.

What I have is enough. This isn't to say that I don't WANT things, I do, I want a lot of things. But, I have what I need.

I have a loving, gentle, kind, respectful husband. I don't ever worry about what he's doing or who he's with or in what state he's going to come home. Our relationship is strong, we've gone through a lot and we've come out better on the other side.

I have smart, talented, beautiful children who most of the time think I'm a pretty good mom. They are friendly and loving, scary funny and deeply perceptive. I love seeing them in the mornings, I've memorized their faces and see little changes every day. I have friends who can't have children or have lost a child and I can't imagine the pain and anguish they go through on a daily basis.

I was raised by loving parents. We didn't have much, but we knew that we were loved. They taught us right from wrong and when we messed up, they were supporting us through whatever trial we had to face.

So, my dear readers, I'm standing up today to tell you, I don't need a big house, fancy cars or clothes. I have enough.

Peace and love y'all!

p.s.---Mike, if you read this, I still would like a Porsche convertible for my 45th birthday. Hey, a girl's got to have some goals in life :-)

We survived....

As many of you know, yesterday was the first day of school for my kiddos. It was also the first day that Jared would be getting off of the bus by himself at our little abode. He was under STRICT instructions to come in the door, let the dog out and call me at work-in that order. I knew about what time he was going to get home, so I waited, and waited and waited, developed an ulcer, waited, called the house, called the babysitter's house just in case, waited some more. Kiersten finally called to tell me that she was home and that Jared was also at home and alive.

When I asked Jared what happened, he said that someone had erased the numbers from the board on the fridge. Well, I had moved the numbers to a more manageable level for him---read eye level for him, right beside the fridge door handle. We talked about looking for things on the fridge and giving mommy a panic attack, and all was well. I reminded him again this morning where the numbers were and again today sat by my phone waiting for him to call---and he did! I've never looked so forward to a phone call (except when Kiersten first started staying at home by herself) all day. It seems to make the day go by so much quicker.

Anyway, a report on the first day...Jared had a blast! He loved it and was excited about going back today (this never happens and briefly made me wonder what alien race had taken over the small boy child). When he called this afternoon, he was happy and upbeat and talked about torturing me with homework. Loved his teachers and is adjusting well. All in all a great day. For Kiersten the day was great as well, she looked cute and had a pretty good hair day. Her teachers are good and she was excited about English I especially. I looked at the book list for her and told Mike that we're going to be shelling out some cash for her books, but all is well. It's all literature books, not a vampire book in the bunch but hopefully she will enjoy them. She has PE and health for related arts 1st nine weeks (she is her mother's daughter and the only time she runs is if someone is chasing her). But she has a positive outlook, she's getting them over with. She's very excited about 8th grade and I'm excited for her.

Well, that's all from my end of the world. I just wanted to let you all know, especially my western readers (big wave to papa and granma C) that the babies survived, and so did I (barely).

Peace and love y'all!

Where has the time gone?

Last night on the way home, Mike and I were talking to Kiersten about not growing up too fast, and how this stage of her life is seeming to fly by (for all of those who are just tuning in, Kiersten is 13 going on 20). It doesn't seem like this tiny child that was just itty bitty yesterday should be going to 8th grade today. It's even worse for Jared (who is 9 and perfectly happy not to go to school), because he's the baby that we just brought home it seems like just a few hours after Kiersten. During our own late night conversation, Mike and I realized that pretty soon (to us), Kiersten would be going to dances, driving, dating, going to college, getting married and then all of a sudden we would be grandparents, with Jared right behind her--starting Boy Scouts, dances, dating, mission, college, married and more grandchildren! Where have our babies gone? They are the teenager in her room writing a story or 15. They are the boy that is fast losing his "baby face" and becoming his own person.

I took Jared to school this morning for the first day of 4th grade. Usually these occurrences are traumatic for all involved simply because he can't stand to go to school. But today, it was easy. Of course, he wouldn't let me hold his hand, even though I needed it more than he did. I got the "mom, you've already told me this a thousand times, don't make me roll my eyes at you" look when I told him something for the 1001 time. I remembered on the way to work that first day of Kindergarten when he was excited but the closer he got to the door, you could see him walking slower and slower until we got to his classroom and he refused to budge. We were all crying that day, it just about killed us to leave him with someone we didn't know while he was crying. This morning he asked "so, you're going to walk in with me?" and I told him yes, unless he didn't want me to do that. He said "no, that's okay, I don't mind". There may be just a little bit of the little boy still in there. I hope so.

I've got to go now so I can go sit in a dark room and cry for a bit. I'll post an update on the first days for the kids maybe tomorrow.

peace and love y'all!