One night we had a nice bowling tournament using the Lambert family’s Wii in St. Clair! I think our champion was Chuck . . . . surprise surprise . . . Mr. Competitive.
Another evening we had the family talent show. I had never experienced a McClellan Odell talent show before so I was in for an experience. The “original” McClellan and Odell families had some inside jokes, so the talent show was very fun for them. Many, or almost all of the acts included singing. Cade is not a performer so he didn’t want to sing (which is what he is good at), but at the end he did stand on Curtis’ hands (as did Joel). I did not share any talent . . . . obviously because I have NONE!!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
St Clair, MO Odell Family Trip
The Odell and McClellan families planned a fun weekend near St. Louis, MO July 15-18.
The Odell and McClellan families became friends when Curtis was a child in Duncan, Oklahoma. The two families were neighbors, went to the same church, and became great friends. Though both families have moved from Oklahoma to new locations, they have remained friends for years. The kids have grown up and now have families of their own, and the moments they have together are less and less but the bond between the two families remains. Tom and Diane McClellan have two children, Nichole (Nikki) and Ryan. Nichole is married to Mickel and they have one son, Brooks. Ryan was married to Lindsey just a few years ago. Tom, Diane, Nikki, Mickel, and Brooks reside in the Bentonville, Arkansas area. Ryan and Lindsey live in Oklahoma City.
The McClellans have visited Illinois for the past few summers while the Lambert family has been in town, but this year we decided we would all meet in a more central location and enjoy time together. Nikki and Diane found a hotel that had a “cottage” with 6 rooms. The hotel looked very nice on the internet and having this “cottage” (house) would allow us to fix meals and have a resting place for all of our little one’s heads.
When arriving at the hotel, I was a bit taken back because it was a motel and didn’t look as classy as I expected it would. The “cottage” was a little house in the back of the motel. When I ventured inside the house, it was very very nice. This house was probably the owner of the motel’s back in the day, but the management had remodeled the house and made it into a very nice “cabin” look of a cottage. The furniture was the rustic woodsy look. Each family got their own room, with the families with children getting the rooms that connected to the kitchen/living room of the house. Tom and Diane, Tom and Bev, and Ryan and Lindsey, stayed “out back” in more hotel like rooms (not as nice), in which you had to walk outside to get to. These rooms were probably the former garage of the house.
We didn’t do anything in the area that we were in, but just spent time together at the home eating, laughing, and talking. The motel also had a really nice outdoor pool, so we spent a lot of time swimming with the kids. It was great for Cade because he had just finished up swimming lessons and could put many of his lessons into action. The best part of the weekend for Cade and Joel was playing with their cousins, Caleb, Aly, Jake, and Anna. Cade does not call them his cousins, but refers to him as his friends. And they really are his friends. He talks about them often and wants to spend as much time with them as he can. He doesn’t want to miss out at all on their conversations, games, or events. He loves them with all that he is.
We also celebrated Joel’s 2nd birthday in Missouri! Aunt Kim wanted to make the occasion special for him, so she frosted a few brownies and everyone sang happy birthday so he could blow out a few candles. Diane brought fun goodie bags of toys for the kids, which topped off the little birthday party.
On our way home from St. Louis we stopped at a Toys R Us for Cade to spend his birthday money on a Playmobil Pirate or Castle set. The store we stopped at didn’t have much variety, and Cade got extremely distracted by the Star Wars Lego sets. He is really loving Star Wars and Legos, but he is not at the age yet where he is really building with the Legos or is he responsible enough to keep all of the small parts together. Hopefully by next summer we will be a bit more responsible to pick up all of the small pieces off the floor and put them in the correct Lego contained (here is to hoping!!). We ended up talking him into two different sets, one with three riders and horses (not a castle or pirate set, but it worked) and the other had 2 pirates and a row boat. He plays with these Playmobil toys almost everyday. I am in need of a brain transplant so I can play with Cade and have the imagination he does!!
The Odell and McClellan families became friends when Curtis was a child in Duncan, Oklahoma. The two families were neighbors, went to the same church, and became great friends. Though both families have moved from Oklahoma to new locations, they have remained friends for years. The kids have grown up and now have families of their own, and the moments they have together are less and less but the bond between the two families remains. Tom and Diane McClellan have two children, Nichole (Nikki) and Ryan. Nichole is married to Mickel and they have one son, Brooks. Ryan was married to Lindsey just a few years ago. Tom, Diane, Nikki, Mickel, and Brooks reside in the Bentonville, Arkansas area. Ryan and Lindsey live in Oklahoma City.
The McClellans have visited Illinois for the past few summers while the Lambert family has been in town, but this year we decided we would all meet in a more central location and enjoy time together. Nikki and Diane found a hotel that had a “cottage” with 6 rooms. The hotel looked very nice on the internet and having this “cottage” (house) would allow us to fix meals and have a resting place for all of our little one’s heads.
When arriving at the hotel, I was a bit taken back because it was a motel and didn’t look as classy as I expected it would. The “cottage” was a little house in the back of the motel. When I ventured inside the house, it was very very nice. This house was probably the owner of the motel’s back in the day, but the management had remodeled the house and made it into a very nice “cabin” look of a cottage. The furniture was the rustic woodsy look. Each family got their own room, with the families with children getting the rooms that connected to the kitchen/living room of the house. Tom and Diane, Tom and Bev, and Ryan and Lindsey, stayed “out back” in more hotel like rooms (not as nice), in which you had to walk outside to get to. These rooms were probably the former garage of the house.
We didn’t do anything in the area that we were in, but just spent time together at the home eating, laughing, and talking. The motel also had a really nice outdoor pool, so we spent a lot of time swimming with the kids. It was great for Cade because he had just finished up swimming lessons and could put many of his lessons into action. The best part of the weekend for Cade and Joel was playing with their cousins, Caleb, Aly, Jake, and Anna. Cade does not call them his cousins, but refers to him as his friends. And they really are his friends. He talks about them often and wants to spend as much time with them as he can. He doesn’t want to miss out at all on their conversations, games, or events. He loves them with all that he is.
We also celebrated Joel’s 2nd birthday in Missouri! Aunt Kim wanted to make the occasion special for him, so she frosted a few brownies and everyone sang happy birthday so he could blow out a few candles. Diane brought fun goodie bags of toys for the kids, which topped off the little birthday party.
On our way home from St. Louis we stopped at a Toys R Us for Cade to spend his birthday money on a Playmobil Pirate or Castle set. The store we stopped at didn’t have much variety, and Cade got extremely distracted by the Star Wars Lego sets. He is really loving Star Wars and Legos, but he is not at the age yet where he is really building with the Legos or is he responsible enough to keep all of the small parts together. Hopefully by next summer we will be a bit more responsible to pick up all of the small pieces off the floor and put them in the correct Lego contained (here is to hoping!!). We ended up talking him into two different sets, one with three riders and horses (not a castle or pirate set, but it worked) and the other had 2 pirates and a row boat. He plays with these Playmobil toys almost everyday. I am in need of a brain transplant so I can play with Cade and have the imagination he does!!
Pampered Chef National Conference
The second weekend in July I went to the Pampered Chef National Conference. I don't like being away from the family anytime, so being gone fore 3 nights and 3 days was rather hard. Especially because just the day before I left we took Joel to the doctor to find out that he had rosella - a high high spiking fever and red bumps all over his body. Curtis reassured me that everything would be taken care of while I was gone, and he did a FANTASTIC JOB holding down the fort! The next day he had to take Cade to the doctor because he was showing many of the same symptoms that Joel had been experiencing. Both boys fought off the virus without antibiotics and without their Mommy there to hold them all day.
The one thing I really appreciated was that my three days away were not very costly. We stayed in Chicago with my cousin Barb, so we didn't have to pay for our lodging. We went out to eat a couple of nights and then ate at Barb's home one night. Between gas, parking, food, conference registration, and my 2 Pampered Chef t-shirts I walked away under $200 spent!!
Another PLUS of staying with my cousin Barb was getting to ride on her sailboat. I have never been on a sailboat so it was a first time experience. We went directly after our conference on Thursday, so I was a bit (a lot) hungry. I enjoyed the adventure out onto Lake Michigan, but I wasn't feeling so good on our journey back in. The wind wasn't too strong so our sails didn't take us very far, but I got to see how a sailboat works! Thanks Michelle and Barb for the fun adventure!
I didn't have any big "ah-ha" moments at the conference concerning my business but I had many great reminders to keep on keeping! It is very easy to get overwhelmed after hearing so many great motivating talks. You want to do everything everyone says and you feel like your business is going to be the best. I am a realist more than a dreamer, maybe a pessimist more than an optimist too, so when facing situations like this I try to really analyze and pull a couple of important pieces of info that I can use.
I have had great success in my business since conference so I guess I choose the right pieces of information to take with me!! Thank you to my Lord for all of the great successes He is giving me!!
Angie and I sailing on Lake Michigan!
The one thing I really appreciated was that my three days away were not very costly. We stayed in Chicago with my cousin Barb, so we didn't have to pay for our lodging. We went out to eat a couple of nights and then ate at Barb's home one night. Between gas, parking, food, conference registration, and my 2 Pampered Chef t-shirts I walked away under $200 spent!!
Another PLUS of staying with my cousin Barb was getting to ride on her sailboat. I have never been on a sailboat so it was a first time experience. We went directly after our conference on Thursday, so I was a bit (a lot) hungry. I enjoyed the adventure out onto Lake Michigan, but I wasn't feeling so good on our journey back in. The wind wasn't too strong so our sails didn't take us very far, but I got to see how a sailboat works! Thanks Michelle and Barb for the fun adventure!
I didn't have any big "ah-ha" moments at the conference concerning my business but I had many great reminders to keep on keeping! It is very easy to get overwhelmed after hearing so many great motivating talks. You want to do everything everyone says and you feel like your business is going to be the best. I am a realist more than a dreamer, maybe a pessimist more than an optimist too, so when facing situations like this I try to really analyze and pull a couple of important pieces of info that I can use.
I have had great success in my business since conference so I guess I choose the right pieces of information to take with me!! Thank you to my Lord for all of the great successes He is giving me!!
Angie and I sailing on Lake Michigan!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
July 4th Weekend
Our family took an unexpected trip for the July 4th weekend to Kansas! Tom and Bev were planning on going to Kansas for the weekend, with Tom coming home on the train on July 4th for work. After my Pampered Chef show was cancelled, I mentioned to Curtis just 12 hours before we left, that it would be fun to go! We made it happen, though pulling everything together was a bit stressful (I had Pampered Chef show the night before we left and we only decided a few hours before my show that it was a go).
We had to get our immunizations done on Friday, July 1st in Peoria, so we didn't leave Princeton until 1pm on Friday. Tom and Bev left about 4 hours prior to our departure time, so we were both on the road at the same time. Unfortunately, Tom and Bev had car trouble near Des Moines. The transmission on the car went out, and they were given a loaner by the dealership that was rebuilding the transmission while Bev stayed in Kansas for the next week. It was a very unfortunate event, not to mention rather expensive, but God worked every detail out so that everyone was safe. From Des Moines to Sterling we traveled together, arriving in Sterling around 1am!! The kids did not know we were coming so it was really exciting to wake them up with the BIG surprise of our arrival.
Caleb had a big baseball tournament on Saturday and Sunday, so we spent our days at the diamond! Jake, Cade, Anna, and Aly enjoyed playing at the fields. Caleb is just amazing! He is so mature for a 10 year old and has such a passion for sports. He is so much fun to watch and in a sense "live" through. I loved my days of childhood sports, and am so thankful for the opportunities my parents gave me to play and play and play. Kim and Chuck are giving Caleb wonderful opportunities!! Unfortunately Caleb's team lost all 3 games on Saturday and had very long rain delay in the third game which extended the evening into night. Our family left early so that we could get the boys to sleep, and the rest of the family arrived close to 11pm from the diamond. We had to awake early the next morning for church and then possibly more games at the baseball park. Tom went with Caleb to play his morning game, and surprisingly they won! And they didn't only win that game, but went on to win the whole tournament in the 10 and under age divison! It was so cool!
There is one thing to note about our days at the baseball diamond - HEAT!!! It was so so so so so so HOT! The temperature in our van registered at 114 on Saturday at the baseball tournament. This added an element into the event as well!
On Monday, July 4 we celebrated the birthday of our nation at the big town festival in Sterling! There are many many activities to participate in throughout the day in Sterling, and the location of Kim and Chuck's home made it perfect to come and go as we please. Cade and Joel were both very very tired from our long travel, long days, and the heat continued to boil us!
The first event we wanted to attend was the sandpile dig. A local church in Sterling had three different sandpiles dumped in a parking lot and then they threw lots and lots of nickels into the sandpiles. The chidren would then dig for "treasure" (or nickels). Cade was very excited to dig, but when we were about 10 seconds away from the "go" signal, he freaked out and ran away. The children got closer and closer to the sandpile and it made him nervous, so he didn't want to participate. He doesn't fear much, but people is #1 on the list, especially large groups of people and people he does not know. We had to take a break back at Uncle Chuck and Aunt Kim's after this breakdown (and it was just 8:30am!!).
After a bit of relaxing and just playing back at the house, and a good talk from Pop, we ventured to the swimming pool for the next event of the day - another "treasure" hunt! I was nervous that he would not do well with this event either because there were a good 10 kids in the baby pool waiting to dive for the treasure, as well. He had one little mishap with a boy, but we were able to smooth over that and he dove rather well making a whopping $3.00!! The googles were key in this event!!
We enjoyed a parade past Kim and Chuck's in the afternoon with some yummy candy, and then back to the pool for playtime! Curtis stayed home with Joel, and I ventured to the pool with many of the Lambert children and Cade. The pool has a fun fun waterslide, which occupied Cade very easily for the 2 hours we were there! I had to stand at the bottom because it was a bit too deep for Cade once he came out. It was so good to see joy on his face!
During the evening we went to Chuck's brother's home, which was just out in the country. Chuck's brother, Andy, has 4 children, and then also his other brother, Tim, was visiting, who has 6 children, so there was plenty of entertainment for Cade all throughout the day. He enjoyed Emma, one of Andy's daughter's, the most because she took Jake and him on fun adventures out at their farm. Andy also let Cade ride on one of his horses, which was a special treat! Cade still asks when we can go back. (FYI - Andy was Curtis' football coach at Trinity!).
We slept well for a few hours and then got up around 2-3am to drive back to Princeton. I had a Pampered Chef show on the 5th and Tom had to drive his mail routes, so it was back to work for us. It was nice traveling through the night and having a FANTASTIC driver (TOM!). If Curtis and I could function at 3am, this would definately be the way to make the 10-11 hour drive to and from Kansas (and we might do it more often than once every 2-3 years).
Thank you Kim and Chuck for having us in your home. We love you and appreciate your desire to honor the Lord in your lives.
We had to get our immunizations done on Friday, July 1st in Peoria, so we didn't leave Princeton until 1pm on Friday. Tom and Bev left about 4 hours prior to our departure time, so we were both on the road at the same time. Unfortunately, Tom and Bev had car trouble near Des Moines. The transmission on the car went out, and they were given a loaner by the dealership that was rebuilding the transmission while Bev stayed in Kansas for the next week. It was a very unfortunate event, not to mention rather expensive, but God worked every detail out so that everyone was safe. From Des Moines to Sterling we traveled together, arriving in Sterling around 1am!! The kids did not know we were coming so it was really exciting to wake them up with the BIG surprise of our arrival.
Caleb had a big baseball tournament on Saturday and Sunday, so we spent our days at the diamond! Jake, Cade, Anna, and Aly enjoyed playing at the fields. Caleb is just amazing! He is so mature for a 10 year old and has such a passion for sports. He is so much fun to watch and in a sense "live" through. I loved my days of childhood sports, and am so thankful for the opportunities my parents gave me to play and play and play. Kim and Chuck are giving Caleb wonderful opportunities!! Unfortunately Caleb's team lost all 3 games on Saturday and had very long rain delay in the third game which extended the evening into night. Our family left early so that we could get the boys to sleep, and the rest of the family arrived close to 11pm from the diamond. We had to awake early the next morning for church and then possibly more games at the baseball park. Tom went with Caleb to play his morning game, and surprisingly they won! And they didn't only win that game, but went on to win the whole tournament in the 10 and under age divison! It was so cool!
There is one thing to note about our days at the baseball diamond - HEAT!!! It was so so so so so so HOT! The temperature in our van registered at 114 on Saturday at the baseball tournament. This added an element into the event as well!
On Monday, July 4 we celebrated the birthday of our nation at the big town festival in Sterling! There are many many activities to participate in throughout the day in Sterling, and the location of Kim and Chuck's home made it perfect to come and go as we please. Cade and Joel were both very very tired from our long travel, long days, and the heat continued to boil us!
The first event we wanted to attend was the sandpile dig. A local church in Sterling had three different sandpiles dumped in a parking lot and then they threw lots and lots of nickels into the sandpiles. The chidren would then dig for "treasure" (or nickels). Cade was very excited to dig, but when we were about 10 seconds away from the "go" signal, he freaked out and ran away. The children got closer and closer to the sandpile and it made him nervous, so he didn't want to participate. He doesn't fear much, but people is #1 on the list, especially large groups of people and people he does not know. We had to take a break back at Uncle Chuck and Aunt Kim's after this breakdown (and it was just 8:30am!!).
After a bit of relaxing and just playing back at the house, and a good talk from Pop, we ventured to the swimming pool for the next event of the day - another "treasure" hunt! I was nervous that he would not do well with this event either because there were a good 10 kids in the baby pool waiting to dive for the treasure, as well. He had one little mishap with a boy, but we were able to smooth over that and he dove rather well making a whopping $3.00!! The googles were key in this event!!
We enjoyed a parade past Kim and Chuck's in the afternoon with some yummy candy, and then back to the pool for playtime! Curtis stayed home with Joel, and I ventured to the pool with many of the Lambert children and Cade. The pool has a fun fun waterslide, which occupied Cade very easily for the 2 hours we were there! I had to stand at the bottom because it was a bit too deep for Cade once he came out. It was so good to see joy on his face!
During the evening we went to Chuck's brother's home, which was just out in the country. Chuck's brother, Andy, has 4 children, and then also his other brother, Tim, was visiting, who has 6 children, so there was plenty of entertainment for Cade all throughout the day. He enjoyed Emma, one of Andy's daughter's, the most because she took Jake and him on fun adventures out at their farm. Andy also let Cade ride on one of his horses, which was a special treat! Cade still asks when we can go back. (FYI - Andy was Curtis' football coach at Trinity!).
We slept well for a few hours and then got up around 2-3am to drive back to Princeton. I had a Pampered Chef show on the 5th and Tom had to drive his mail routes, so it was back to work for us. It was nice traveling through the night and having a FANTASTIC driver (TOM!). If Curtis and I could function at 3am, this would definately be the way to make the 10-11 hour drive to and from Kansas (and we might do it more often than once every 2-3 years).
Thank you Kim and Chuck for having us in your home. We love you and appreciate your desire to honor the Lord in your lives.
Water Fun!
Summer time always brings fun water time!
Cade is getting to the age that the kiddy pool gets boring rather quickly, but I am hoping that Joel will keep him young for at least one more summer!
The slip n slid has been a hit the past summers, but didn't hit the spot this summer. It is still a bit too advanced for Joel, so he is not interested and I am usually trying to keep him out of Cade's way while Cade is using it. Next summer we will have a both boys on it and they will love it!!
We have visited a few area pools this summer, trying to fulfill Cade and Joel's love for water. Unfortunately, Curtis does not love going to public swimming pools, so it makes our family outings few and far between. I attempted one public pool by myself with the boys this summer, and I didn't enjoy the experience because I couldn't help both boys as they needed it. I am still not confident in Cade's swimming ability and Joel needs me with him all of the time in the deep water. The baby pool at our local pool is boring for Cade now that he is 5, but is perfect for Joel. I just find myself in the middle no matter what circumstance we are in, so it is better if I have Curtis there so we can both focus on one!
I visited the YMCA in Peru (about 25 minutes) away, and I was not very impressed for the money I paid. The pool was very loud because it is an indoor waterpark. The lifeguards were stalking us as we tried to play. I felt like anything Cade did they blew the whistle at him, which gave him no confidence and discouraged him from having fun. I appreciate their desire for safety, but relax people!!!!!!
As a family we visited the Peru Public Pool (about 25 minutes away) the day before Curtis and I left for Africa. The pool had a BIG water slide that Curtis was able to tread water at the bottom of and wait for Cade to go down. It was a lot of fun for the two of them. In the shallow part of the pool there were waterpark like squirters and fountains. It was a very nice pool and the price was just right too - $6 for all of us!!
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