Looking Out on a Better Point of View

Every year as winter wears on into February, I start to feel a bit gray. I mean, at this point, we've only seen the sun for a handful of days in the past 2 1/2 months and there's really no end in sight -- regardless of what Punxsutawney Phil predicts. Springtime in the Inland Northwest is a wet and cloudy affair.

This year I decided to find my own Vitamin D in Mesa with two of my most favorite people. 

Oh! Glorious SUNSHINE! It was heavenly! 

Clancy and I flew into 75 degree Phoenix last Thursday to spend the weekend laughing our heads off with our beautiful friend, Lynsey, resident Arizonian. Clancy and I have been friends since Nels and I first moved to Idaho Falls in 2006. Lynsey and I have been friends since introduced in 2002 by our to-be husbands (Nels and Ben) - who were roommates at the time. Lynsey and Clancy became friends through blogging and facebook, via Moi, so this was the first time meeting for the two of them. Fun, fun! The three of us have been trying to plan this meeting for the past 2+ years - only to be interrupted by pregnancy, babies, and moving.

But oh boy! it was worth the wait!

Lynsey, Clancy, Me

Thursday, after flying in, we spent the afternoon getting to know Lynsey and Ben's three beautiful children and trying to acclimate to the 60 degree temperature shift. :) That evening we headed to a hotel so that we could stay up until 4:00 in the morning laughing and talking without Lynsey still having to play mommy.

The next afternoon was filled with shopping in Tempe. Gyros, hippie shops, Urban Outfitters, and thrift stores. No heavy coats or boots. Aaaaaahhhhhhh . . .

Friday evening, we met up with Andrea to eat dessert for the first time in a month! and cry our little eyes out watching Les Miserables. 

 These next pictures need no explanation for their awesomeness.

Saturday was a day full of Firsts.

First massage . . . WOW!

First hike in the Arizona desert. I'm in love!

We hiked up to a lovely stream running down through the warm rocks.

There are petroglyphs all over the area and I'm guessing that at least some of them are original --- many clearly were not. :)

First time eating at Cheesecake Factory. Yum!

Clancy is a first rate Cartwheeler.

First time ordering a drink in a bar --- a drink called Ice Water, for which one must show your ID to a crabby female bartender.

This is our friend Grayson that we met at the bar. I'm guessing one of the only mostly-sober people there at 1:00 in the morning. He had a hard time believing that we have 12 kids between the three of us, was born in the Virgin Islands, and has some serious skills singing Bob Marley.

And first time singing karaoke --- in said bar. Terrifying, exhilarating, and our purpose for being at a hole-in-the-wall bar in the middle of the night! Two things: it is ridiculously difficult to find anywhere to sing karaoke on a Saturday night AND I honestly thought that I was going to pass out from fear and adrenaline at one point. Thankfully we all survived our anxiety, the creepies in the parking lot, and the hilarity of being in a dive bar after midnight. :)

singing Queen's "Somebody to Love"

Pat Benetar's "Hit Me with Your Best Shot"

and Clancy St. Crancy singing "Any Man of Mine" by Shania

Another "friend" HER name is Alex! :) She loved our song selection.

With two hours of sleep under our belts, we tearfully sent Clancy back to I.F. early Sunday morning and then spent the day napping, chatting, walking, and laughing at the Strader home. I'm so thankful that when Nels scheduled my flights he gave me one extra day. It was really, really great to get to spend some time with Dr. Benjamin! Both Lynsey and Ben have been two of mine and Nels's dearest friends over the years. I love them both so much and cannot wait to see them again.

The only thing that could have made the weekend better was if Nels had been able to be with us . . .

. . . particularly when, at about 10:00 at night we thought we heard a tomcat out in front of the house . . .

. . . only to discover that it was actually a drunk neighbor, who'd been stabbed repeatedly in the arm by his drunk father, crying for "help!" on the sidewalk!

No problem! First Responder Ben to the rescue with his sterile gloves and gauze . . .

. . . while the cops, firemen, and paramedics all looked on. LOL!

Oh, don't mind Ben . . . he's just bleaching a stranger's blood off the walkway . . .  WHAT?!

Monday morning dawned, having spent the entire night laughing and crying. Sleep deprivation at it's finest! My flight left at 6:25, while I desperately attempted to remain conscious enough that I could manage the 1 1/2 hour drive from the Spokane airport back to Sandpoint upon landing.

Thank you so much, Lynsey and Clancy, for an unforgettable and much needed weekend! You are two of the sweetest, funniest, and most fabulous women I have ever known and am so thankful to have you both! Thank you for loving and sharing so much with me. I have learned so many things that will help me be a better mother, wife, and Rachel.

And to Ben, Dustin, and Nels who all played Mr. Mom for the weekend to make this happen, we are forever in your debt!

Picture Heavy and Swollen Ankles

This month has been incredibly busy for Nels at work. It's been fine, for the most part, because it's been expected. The weeks preceding Melaleuca's big, yearly Convention are always VERY packed for Nels.

However, this last weekend, we decided to take an impromptu vacation of sorts. Nels's sweet mother and sister offered to take the three oldest girls to Mountain Home for a few days and we couldn't help but take a little escape ourselves among all the stress that the last few weeks have been.

Friday afternoon, as Nels was gearing up for his third all-nighter in a row, I met up with my mother-in-law at a good halfway point along I-84 and swapped my little rascals for her peace and quiet. I'm not sure who got the better end of that stick, but regardless, I really enjoyed the ride back home with no more "how much longers". Honestly, I think we all made out pretty good. -- Especially the girls, who were SO excited to get to spend the next 5 days with cousins and grandparents and NO PARENTS! :)

It had been a crazy day, trying to plan for our last minute excursion and then spend four hours driving to Declo and back. After kissing the Chickies goodbye, I ran inside the gas station to refill my water bottle and empty my bladder. I had pleasantly noticed a State Patrolman chatting with the cashier and his car parked right next to mine as I waved off my little ladies. As I exited the building, looking for-ward to some good old singing-to-myself-at-the-top-of-my-lungs time and my keys, the State Trooper was backing out of his parking spot. About the time I realized that (in a moment of pure genius) I'd locked my keys in the car -- along with my cell phone -- the State Trooper (who'd been parked right next to me!) was leaving the parking lot. I contemplated chasing him down, but figured that my pride was worth the hour wait and $40 the locksmith were going to cost me. So I spent the next hour sitting on a bench in front of a gas station. People watching.

I wasn't mad. Just thankful that my kids weren't with me for that hour.

Three hours later I arrived back home. I picked up Violet from Nels's studio, where she'd been reminding his bosses that he isn't actually a robot. We ate dinner, watched an episode of "Hoaders", packed up (did you know that packing for 2 1/2 people, as opposed to 6 is WAY easier???), cleaned up, and went to bed.

Four hours later, at 3:00 in the morning, Nels pulled into the driveway. We loaded the car, packed in a sleepy Vi, tucked Nels into the passenger seat with his pillow and blankie, and hit the road.

We made it to Sandpoint, Idaho before noon and spent the next two days just enjoying the beautiful town, the gorgeous lake and mountains, our sweet little one year old, and each other. Totally worth all the driving!

SO happy to be out of the car! and dipping our tired feet in some nice cool lake water.

 She would have continued this game all night long. Unfortunately swollen ankles and legs can only swing 23 lbs. up and down for about 10 minutes before they risk dropping her in the water. :)

Sandpoint, Idaho is a tourist town of about 7,000 people located about 45 miles north of Coeur d'Alene and about roughly 40 miles from the Canadian border. It's sandwiched right between beautiful Rocky mountains and Lake Pend Orielle (pronounced Lake Pond-uh-ray. gotta love French).

The community has made a BEAUTIFUL beach area and park right in the middle of downtown.

I've learned to get used to being the model for Nels's incessant picture taking. I just pretend he's not there. :) As a result, there are MANY pictures of me looking absolutely ridiculous (most with my yapper half open). Lucky for me, I get to decide which ones make it onto my blog. :)

Sometimes I just wish he'd put the darn camera away and actually join in being an active part of whatever we're doing. Funny enough, most of the time I have to remind him to actually take pictures of people. Often we get home, only for me to discover that most of his pictures and video are of moving water, random fishermen, trains, bugs, you name it. :) He reminds me of my dad in that way. At the same time, he does such a great job and I love some of the sweet moments that he captures of our family.

However, every once in a while, I do steal the camera away. Mainly so that someone else can lug around that luscious little one year old we have, but also so that I can occasionally prove that NELS WAS THERE! :)

Sadly, when I take pictures of his handsome mug, the top of his head sometimes disappears. :) I don't know how to work his camera. And even though he's tried to show me a hundred times how to adjust the ISO and such, I'm just not that interested . . . Much easier to have an excuse when the picture isn't perfect. :)

A few pictures from the Schweitzer Ski Resort - above Sandpoint. SO beautiful!

We headed home Sunday afternoon, driving through Montana. At one point, there were a lot of warning signs along the road.

Apparently these fellas like to frequent the highway.

Of the 15+ hours we spent in the car last weekend, I probably drove about 12 of them. As I'd vaguely mentioned before, Nels had spent all three of the nights before we left working until anywhere between 3:00 and 9:00 in the morning. At which point, he'd come home to sleep for about 4 hours (tops) before heading back into work. Needless to say, anytime we were driving, he was snoozing. He did however drive the last 4 or so hours home on Sunday night while Violet and I slept. I was apparently more tired than I'd acknowledged to myself, because I have an incredibly hard time sleeping in moving vehicles but I barely remember anything between Missoula and Idaho Falls. :)

It was a quick trip up to the Northern reaches of our country with two of my very best friends, but it was such a nice reprieve. Violet, as the fourth child, rarely gets to be an only child for any extended amount of time and I think she enjoyed being with just Mamadaddy (her phrase, not mine) for a couple of days. And as for me and Nels, it was so nice to spend the time together - contemplating the future. :)