Wednesday, September 23, 2009
An evening on the beach.
One of my favorite thing to do is go and hang out on the beach with my family. I love the joy my kids get just from running on the sand breathing the fresh saltly air. I love that there are millions of rocks and most of them end up in my pockets because some little person really wants to keep them ALL. I love that it brings out the adventure in all of us. I love the beach. Just a few thoughts. about the beach.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Is this really what I signed up for?
So any of you that know both me and Jesse know that we are two very different people. He is the calm reserved yet adventurous one and I am the excitable cautious one. Well when we first met one of the main things I loved about Jesse was his ability to make me get outside my comfort zone and have an "adventure". Over the last six years with this man there has been many "adventures" that usually ended in me either stranded in the woods, walking through the deep swamp, or trudging through the thigh high snow. So why should tonight be any different. After mowing the lawn and weed eating, I sat exhausted in the fresh cut grass. The next thing I hear is "honey will you help me a minute and bleed these brakes for me." I thought sure I can handle that, no energy required. Now the beast of a vehicle that has been consuming all of Jesse's time, focus, and energy is a rusty 1972 ford Bronco that someday will be the "an awesome moose buggy". For now he is just trying to get it in running order so it will make it to hunting camp next week.
Once the brakes were functioning like they should I hear "OK load up...we are going for a ride". Now the kids were super excited because they have had many rides in this "bonkco"(as Brahm would say), but I had yet to take a spin. I found myself hesitant as the past six years of "rides gone a rye" came flooding back to me in vivid snapshots. With two little kids jumping around me edging me on, I crawled in. And we are off! With the two bumpkies on my lap I brace myself as we take not the road but the ditch. It was going smoothly until we turn into one of the many gravel pits that surround our home and come to a bridge that spanned the North Fork of the Anchor River, but the metal gate told me we would not be using it. Yup, I was right! With a quick left turn we plowed through a few small trees and there was what I was afraid of...the river bank. As if she could read my mind Auden pipes up and says "Look mommy, that is the river we go through!" All I can think is "OH CRAP", but instead I say "oh wow, really?" Looking over at my husband, while I squeeze my babies for dear life, all I see is a smile from ear to ear...now I know I am in trouble. Closing my eyes and hugging my children I pray "Dear Lord get us through" when I opened them we were.across..Yay..that was not so bad. After lots more tree slashing and bumping we got back to the forbidden road. Once on the gravel road my pulse returned to normal and I chatted with the kids about how pretty the rising moon looked and how breath taking the mountains were.
Now my kids are just as different as Jesse and I are. Auden is always up for an adventure were as Brahm is OK with just playing it safe. It was really funny to hear the difference in their comments. Auden was "Wow mom, look at that" or "Yay a bump" and Brahm was giving me a play by play almost seeming to mark each thing passed as a triumphal obstacle "oh no, big hill" "Tree!" "Bump". Well it was getting dusky by now so we turned around and headed back down the level lovely gravel road, back through the tree "path" and back to the river bank. I was not too worried this time, we made it last time and it is the same crossing so what could go wrong! Well you know there is a point in a situation that you can tell things are going to go south pretty quick, well that moment was when we were half way across the river and Jesse says "hey lets go down river a bit". OH CRAP. Not twenty feet down the river we pass a spot were Jesse informs me there is a hole on the other-side,and I am just thinking "Glad we aren't over there!" A few feet later my gunghoe daughter informs daddy that we really should not go much further. So he listens and starts to turn around. Now this whole time I am sure my grasp on the kids is getting really tight and I feel Auden getting pretty ridged herself. Just as we are broadside in the river I am reassuring them that "Daddy knows what he is doing and he would never hurt us". Just then we go a little deeper onto the other side..the same other side with the hole! Yup and before we know it we are in the hole! All of a sudden I feel very wet and very cold water creep up my pants legs, now it was also filling my shoe...OK now it is almost to my knees! We are in deep....water it is to the hood! I look around for the door latch, I am about to bale while I still can get my babies to safety. Jesse pulls me back in and told me to stay put and I realize we can't get much deeper. So there we sit. I think to myself "least the motor is still running" just then it quits. Now you remember what I said about my kids being so very different well I now find out that in a crisis mode they are the opposite. Auden is wigging out and shaking and crying all she could say is "we shouldn't go for bronco rides we should just stay home" and then there was Brahm who was just sitting back almost lounging and calmly saying "Oh God, please" (which I realized I was saying as a prayer as we slid into the hole) and "Dang it". At that point I realized that this is a time when we need a lesson in faith. So while Daddy tried the key yet another time. I decide to sit calmly (which is NOT my style) and pray with the kids. At that moment I felt cool as a cucumber. Auden was still shaking, Brahm was following along with my "Oh God please start the bronco" and pretty soon it sputtered to life. Yay! We backed up so that we were out of the hole and the water rushed out of the cab but not far enough for us to be out of the river.
We were still in about thigh high water, and the engine gave out again. As we sat there I kept telling the kids that God would help Daddy get us out, and I believed it with all my heart, but I was also thinking..."Will it ever change! I can't go anywhere with this man without getting into a predicament!" So as I once again looked at the now very quite Jesse, smile gone, I knew we maybe walking home. Trying the key a few more times it seemed to be telling us that there was not much more life left in this beast. As the turning-over of the engine faded into a faint groan. We all stopped and prayed one last desperate prayer and out of the blue...the engine roared to life! Now this was no freak coincidence this had to have been a true act of God because there was no way that motor should have started let alone sound so strong and powerful. As both kids and I were screaming "Yay! Thank you God", Daddy got us out of the river and on to the road home. Jesse and I looked at each other and laughed and I reassured him yet again that I would never go anywhere with him again. However, I am sure that is not true because secertly I love our "adventures". I think the whole evening can be summed up with what Auden said on the way home: "We were stuck in the river and God helped Daddy get us out. Mommy, God is really Good!" I agree Auden I agree.
This is the beast known as the bronco...notice on the door panel there is a water line...well if you follow that water line and imagine if you can a front panel and normal hood being there you will see that the whole front end was emerged in water. The engine was underwater for a good ten minutes...it should not have started...God is good indeed!
Once the brakes were functioning like they should I hear "OK load up...we are going for a ride". Now the kids were super excited because they have had many rides in this "bonkco"(as Brahm would say), but I had yet to take a spin. I found myself hesitant as the past six years of "rides gone a rye" came flooding back to me in vivid snapshots. With two little kids jumping around me edging me on, I crawled in. And we are off! With the two bumpkies on my lap I brace myself as we take not the road but the ditch. It was going smoothly until we turn into one of the many gravel pits that surround our home and come to a bridge that spanned the North Fork of the Anchor River, but the metal gate told me we would not be using it. Yup, I was right! With a quick left turn we plowed through a few small trees and there was what I was afraid of...the river bank. As if she could read my mind Auden pipes up and says "Look mommy, that is the river we go through!" All I can think is "OH CRAP", but instead I say "oh wow, really?" Looking over at my husband, while I squeeze my babies for dear life, all I see is a smile from ear to ear...now I know I am in trouble. Closing my eyes and hugging my children I pray "Dear Lord get us through" when I opened them we were.across..Yay..that was not so bad. After lots more tree slashing and bumping we got back to the forbidden road. Once on the gravel road my pulse returned to normal and I chatted with the kids about how pretty the rising moon looked and how breath taking the mountains were.
Now my kids are just as different as Jesse and I are. Auden is always up for an adventure were as Brahm is OK with just playing it safe. It was really funny to hear the difference in their comments. Auden was "Wow mom, look at that" or "Yay a bump" and Brahm was giving me a play by play almost seeming to mark each thing passed as a triumphal obstacle "oh no, big hill" "Tree!" "Bump". Well it was getting dusky by now so we turned around and headed back down the level lovely gravel road, back through the tree "path" and back to the river bank. I was not too worried this time, we made it last time and it is the same crossing so what could go wrong! Well you know there is a point in a situation that you can tell things are going to go south pretty quick, well that moment was when we were half way across the river and Jesse says "hey lets go down river a bit". OH CRAP. Not twenty feet down the river we pass a spot were Jesse informs me there is a hole on the other-side,and I am just thinking "Glad we aren't over there!" A few feet later my gunghoe daughter informs daddy that we really should not go much further. So he listens and starts to turn around. Now this whole time I am sure my grasp on the kids is getting really tight and I feel Auden getting pretty ridged herself. Just as we are broadside in the river I am reassuring them that "Daddy knows what he is doing and he would never hurt us". Just then we go a little deeper onto the other side..the same other side with the hole! Yup and before we know it we are in the hole! All of a sudden I feel very wet and very cold water creep up my pants legs, now it was also filling my shoe...OK now it is almost to my knees! We are in deep....water it is to the hood! I look around for the door latch, I am about to bale while I still can get my babies to safety. Jesse pulls me back in and told me to stay put and I realize we can't get much deeper. So there we sit. I think to myself "least the motor is still running" just then it quits. Now you remember what I said about my kids being so very different well I now find out that in a crisis mode they are the opposite. Auden is wigging out and shaking and crying all she could say is "we shouldn't go for bronco rides we should just stay home" and then there was Brahm who was just sitting back almost lounging and calmly saying "Oh God, please" (which I realized I was saying as a prayer as we slid into the hole) and "Dang it". At that point I realized that this is a time when we need a lesson in faith. So while Daddy tried the key yet another time. I decide to sit calmly (which is NOT my style) and pray with the kids. At that moment I felt cool as a cucumber. Auden was still shaking, Brahm was following along with my "Oh God please start the bronco" and pretty soon it sputtered to life. Yay! We backed up so that we were out of the hole and the water rushed out of the cab but not far enough for us to be out of the river.
We were still in about thigh high water, and the engine gave out again. As we sat there I kept telling the kids that God would help Daddy get us out, and I believed it with all my heart, but I was also thinking..."Will it ever change! I can't go anywhere with this man without getting into a predicament!" So as I once again looked at the now very quite Jesse, smile gone, I knew we maybe walking home. Trying the key a few more times it seemed to be telling us that there was not much more life left in this beast. As the turning-over of the engine faded into a faint groan. We all stopped and prayed one last desperate prayer and out of the blue...the engine roared to life! Now this was no freak coincidence this had to have been a true act of God because there was no way that motor should have started let alone sound so strong and powerful. As both kids and I were screaming "Yay! Thank you God", Daddy got us out of the river and on to the road home. Jesse and I looked at each other and laughed and I reassured him yet again that I would never go anywhere with him again. However, I am sure that is not true because secertly I love our "adventures". I think the whole evening can be summed up with what Auden said on the way home: "We were stuck in the river and God helped Daddy get us out. Mommy, God is really Good!" I agree Auden I agree.
This is the beast known as the bronco...notice on the door panel there is a water line...well if you follow that water line and imagine if you can a front panel and normal hood being there you will see that the whole front end was emerged in water. The engine was underwater for a good ten minutes...it should not have started...God is good indeed!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)