Ro-dee-OH!

What trip to Texas would be complete without a visit to a cowboy's favorite sport? (Well maybe it isn't really a sport, but at least a hobby or pastime or something- right?)  In order to make this Texas experience complete we felt the need to visit the famous Fortworth Stockyards.  Of course it helps that it was Free Friday for children under 12.  I was a little leery of taking the kids to an event an hour away that didn't start until 8pm.  (That's about the time we are usually getting our kids to bed- on a good day :)  But it turned out to be a lot of fun.  Luckily it was pretty casual so the kids could wander from chair to chair and jump up and down the stairs without bothering anyone.  

My favorite part was when they let the kids all gather in the arena for a calf or sheep chase. Lauren was a good sport and went to join into the Calf Chase for the 8 and older kids without really knowing what she was in for.  Unfortunately she had on flip-flops and it wasn't so fun to chase a calf through a manure littered dirt floor.  I think she was just glad to come back and clean off her feet.  Ben watched Lauren's group and mourned that he wasn't 8, until they announced a sheep chase for the 7 and youngers.  He couldn't wait.  I don't think he understood the point of the game was to get the ribbon off the sheep, he was just happy to have free reign to run through the arena with an animal and a bunch of rowdy kids.  All that bull riding and calf roping got his adrenalin rushing.  It was so funny to watch Ben go at it.  Of course he was in his own world- throwing (what I hope was) dirt clots, talking to a few friends, random jumping jacks, whatever.  He was happy to report that he touched the sheep. Yeah Benny! Katie was sad I didn't let her join in the chase, she still tells me that she wants to chase the sheep when we go back.

The kids thought the bull riding was fun, but were a little concerned about the calf roping. Lauren and Dallin thought it was mean until I explained that it was a game for the calfs- kind of like when they wrestle with their dad.  To someone watching it may look mean, but it's all in fun. Well, I'm not sure if it's really that nice, but I didn't want any tears of sympathy shed for the calf amidst a crowd of "Good 'ole Boy" cowboys. Of course I didn't bother to explain to them why the bulls buck the cowboys- well at least not in detail :)

So in spite of the late night a good time was had by all!

Mission Accomplished!

Yesterday we attended our first of an 8 week Habitat class at the Bear Creek Nature Park.  

As we were walking on the gravel path toward the class I looked down and thought, "Wow, that rock looks a lot like a turtle shell." I picked it up and low and behold it WAS a turtle shell and there was a turtle in the shell.  Dallin was thrilled! We bought an inexpensive cage and a container of turtle food and here we are.  

He's a tiny little guy- Dallin measured him and he is about 1 and 1/2 inches.  He's a red-eared slider, which is supposed to be a pretty hardy breed, but it's not looking good so far. We are hoping that he starts eating soon.  He doesn't seem interested in what we've given him- turtle pellets, bacon, lettuce... Any turtle experts willing to give us some pointers? I'm afraid this may be a short lived first pet :(

Today we went to the Dallas Arboretum for a Pioneer Adventure Field trip- which was basically a brief tour through a teepee, sod hut, and 2 pioneer cabins- not so exciting, but the field trip allowed us access to the entire park at 1/2 price admission, so it was worth it! 

What a beautiful park- fountains, flowers, ponds, statues, 66 acres of natures best.  

Luckily they had a fun storybook playhouse event- so here is our guessing game... 

What storybook is represented in this picture? If you click on the picture it should show a large version.  For answers check the comments.

Sooner... or Later

Have you ever wondered what an Oklahoma Sooner was?  Honestly? I never gave it much thought until today.

My kids were so sad they missed the annual kid biz fair in Cedar City this year, but I saw that a homeschool group north of Dallas was doing an activity that looked similar with an Oklahoma twist.  Every year this group does a simulation of the 1889 Oklahoma Land Rush (evidently this is a common activity in the schools in OK) A homeschool mom from OK started the tradition in Texas 15 years ago.  

It was pretty fun.  They have all the kids line up and then they read a little speech explaining what was happening and why and then they blow a bugle and let the kids rush to "claim" some land.  They file a claim at the land office and then must "improve" the land (ie set up blankets, chairs, etc). Then the children can set up "businesses" to sell and/or barter with each other.  So even though they missed out on last weeks Kid Biz Fair in Utah they were still able to put their business sense into practice.

When the gal in charge was sharing the history of the Land Rush, 12,000 claims and 50,000+ people racing to claim it, I remembered the frenzied Easter egg hunt and shuddered to imagine the intensity of that day April 22nd at high noon. We also discovered that some people snuck onto the land early and hid so that they could "claim" it during the rush and these people were called "Sooners," because they went too soon.

As an FYI  I thought this was an interesting snippet from a local paper regarding the growth

"Unlike Rome, the city of Guthrie was built in a day. To be strictly accurate in the matter, it might be said that it was built in an afternoon. At twelve o'clock on Monday, April 22d [sic], the resident population of Guthrie was nothing; before sundown it was at least ten thousand. In that time streets had been laid out, town lots staked off, and steps taken toward the formation of a municipal government."

Many settlers immediately started improving their new land or stood in line waiting to file their claim. Many children sold creek water to the homesteaders waiting in line for five cents a cup, while other children gathered buffalo chips to provide fuel for cooking. By the second week, schools had opened and were being taught by volunteers paid by pupils' parents until regular school districts could be established. Within one month, Oklahoma City had five banks and six newspapers. Pretty cool eh? 

I always find it interesting to watch kids figure out the money/trade system. 

Dallin set up a shooting gallery, 

Lauren a bakery/sweet shop, 

and Ben established a cold drinks/ice pops establishment. 

They did great work and made about $14 along with acquiring several new toys through bartering. It was fun to see other kids ideas. One little girl brought a bunny and guinea pig and had a petting zoo, and another kids set up a golfing game (he was one of Ben's best customers as he had to run through  a hot field gathering up all the golf balls after each participant). My kids had learned from last years Kid Biz Fair that less expensive goes over better with a kid sized customer base so they made smaller popcorn balls, cookies, muffins and soda cups and sold them cheap. Of course Ben is so cute many of the older girls and moms gave him a quarter and told him to keep the change so he made bank! Lauren sold out of most things and all the kids had fun! Unfortunately the drive home through Dallas during rush hour was not so much fun!

That night I attended a game night for a local woman's group- I met a gal at the park last week and she invited me to join them.  I was definitely the oldest one there. It was a great reminder of how much I've changed.  These women were trying to figure out who they were and who they wanted to become.  I remember the transition from ME to wife and mom, it's a toughie- but it's so nice now to have a clear vision of who I am and what I want from life. I love being a wife and mother!

Why we are in Texas

I guess I wasn't really clear on why we are here in Texas or how long we will be here.  Because of the economy most of our investments are tied-up in real estate which means our source of income has been considerably diminished.  Unfortunately the economy also made the need for a full time admissions person at George Wythe unnecessary, so we re-entered the job world.  

We were hoping to find something in the So. Utah area so we wouldn't have to move, but there wasn't anything readily available.  As we prayerfully considered our options we decided that we would look into traveling Physical Therapy jobs.  These are usually short term positions 3-6 months that fill a gap when companies have immediate/temporary needs (generally when someone is out on maternity or medical leave).  The pay is comparable to what we would receive for a full time job, however they pay for housing, utilities and some other living expenses.  This allows us to pay our mortgage and expenses in Enoch, yet still have enough to live on here.  

I think of it as an extended vacation, except of course Rusty has to work :) This way we can see all of the sights and experience the area without the pressure of fitting it all into a week, and without paying for our housing. Besides it gives us time to try and figure out what/where the Lord wants us to go. 

Anyway our first assignment is here in Texas for 13 weeks.  Rusty's last day here is July 2nd.  We don't have anything else scheduled as of now.  We will probably come home for at least a little while so Lauren can get her braces off and Dallin can get baptized, besides seeing everyone we miss and love! If the job market is still bleak then we will look into other traveling jobs.  It's been an interesting experience because Rusty could get a permanent position in a number of places.  He has had offers, but we haven't felt that it was the right thing or the right time yet.  So for the time being, we are just being.

Snakes, and Frogs, and Turtles - Oh My!

Last Thursday was free day at the Trinity River Audubon Center so we decided to check it out. It was so much fun.  Evidently the area used to be an unofficial dumping ground and the land was pretty polluted so Dallas city decided to clean it up and create an educational center and nature preserve.  They buried the trash under hill, planted indigenous vegetation, built some hiking trails and a cool visitors center- which I was told looks like a giant bird from the aerial view.  

They had nature/craft supplies out and my ever "projecty" kids went right to work.  Now we have an acorn mouse, bunny, bear and squirrel

on our fireplace mantle. Of course, Ben rushed over to observe the animals before he was done, so Rusty finished up for him.  They had a snake, turtle, some lizards and a few birds that are found in this area on display. They even let us watch them feed the snake a pinkie (which is a baby mouse)- not my idea of fun, but Ben thought it was "so cool."

After spending time enjoying the exhibits and exploring the grounds one of the workers took us on a guided night hike down to the Trinity River, accompanied by the serenade of cricket frogs and whippoorwills. It was just beginning to storm so we were cut short, but the drive home was accompanied by spectacular "fireworks" provided by God.

  

Friday we attended the Ellis County Homeschool Expo where we found a used math book for Lauren- she's only 10 lessons away from finishing Saxon 3 and was so happy I got her the next one - (Ha, Ha, Ha - I wonder how long it will take for her to decide new math books aren't a joy and privilege.)  While we were there we met a couple of boys who were showing off their snakes and turtles.  Dallin was astonished when they informed him that all of the critters were caught locally by the boys themselves.  Dallin has always wanted a turtle, so he came home motivated and began some serious research on where and how to catch a red-eared turtle. 

We spent Saturday afternoon at Waxahachie Lake and nearby ponds searching for a good turtle catching location. All we came home with was a beautiful butterfly Lauren rescued from the water. She released it once the wings were dried out and it could fly.

Sunday we attended our own ward at 9am and we were on time!!  It was great and I really like the people here.  When we came home the kids found a snake in our "backyard" and they

determined it was a Rough Earth Snake, quite common to the area and fortunately non-venomous. Ben begged me to go buy a pinky to feed him, but luckily it was the Sabbath and I told him we couldn't shop. :)  In fact, we even convinced the kids to let him go! Phew! I'm a big fan of catch and release.

Give Me Liberty, Not Debt!

Dallas TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party

We had a great opportunity to exercise our freedom of speech yesterday and express our unhappiness with the current financial policies of the government.  After Rusty got off work we joined others at the capital who were gathering to join in this effort.  The event was well attended with people coming and going all evening.  I'm so glad we went.  It feels so pointless to sit on the couch and complain where no one can here.  Although we can't change things just by protesting, at least I felt better about doing something and voicing my concerns with a group of like minded people.  As Edmund Burke said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." My favorite speaker at the event was a gentleman who had escaped from communist Cuba.  It was very inspiring to hear someone speak who really knows what it means to have freedom.  

The event also gave us a good opportunity to share with our kids how we feel about freedom. We talked about the Plymouth Colony and how they tried to live in a communal/socialist community for the first two years. We discussed the results of starvation, confusion, and discontentment.  We also talked about the changes that came about when they turned to private property and free enterprise.  We shared with them our concerns about government power and taxes and debt.  They've seen the School House Rock video "Tyrannosaurus Debt" so it wasn't hard to explain that to them. 

Of course most of it was beyond their understanding, but they all understood that in America we have the right to voice our opinions and change things peacefully.

After reading War and Peace and studying the various revolutions and wars in Europe I'm so grateful to live in a country where others have sacrificed so much to give us the freedom to make change peacefully.

We didn't have any supplies to make signs, but as people were leaving they gave us signs to hold. I had to laugh at the one Kate decided was hers.  Ben was entranced by the "Don't Tread on Me" Flag and Lauren and Dallin decided that the two part sign saying "You're Spending MY Money" and "Don't Make Me Pay for Your Mistakes" was their mantra.

Easter

Darn, already I'm falling behind.
The day before Saturday we decided to do the unthinkable- participate in a community Easter Egg Hunt. Typically we have avoided these events as candy frenzied parents frantically shove treats and prizes into their infants Easter basket, but we decided that maybe things would be different here and wanted to give it a try.
Upon arrival there were some striking differences. From a central trailer Christian Rock music was being played and flyers were available to inform community members of Easter services available in the area. There was of course an undercurrent of competition as parents and children stalked the fenced off area in search of the infamous "prize eggs" that contained tickets to claim awards such as bikes, Easter baskets, etc. Prior to the actual "hunt" everyone was gathered together for a prayer and spiritual message from the Mayor reminding us that Jesus Christ is the reason we are celebrating. He told parents that just as they made an effort to bring their children to an egg hunt they should make a similar effort the following day, Sunday, to take their children to church to worship. He said, "I don't care which church you attend, but be in church tomorrow." WOW! That doesn't happen in Utah. Everyone is so worried about offending their neighbors by suggesting something as simple as attending church. (Of course I haven't been to a community egg hunt for a few years so maybe things have changed). It was refreshing. Of course that moment of inspiration was quickly set aside as the anxious parents shoved their children to the front of the egg area and stood on the side screaming instructions. It was like we were at some sort of significant sporting event.
I was laughing as I observed the confusion on my children's inexperienced faces- I think they need a little more training in competition. Ben of course caught on quickly and being one of the older kids in the 3-5 year old group did pretty well. Katelyn didn't seem to grasp the concept initially, but after quick observation realized she could have the eggs on the ground and promptly proceeded to collect any and all eggs in the pink color scheme. Dallin took time to shake each egg, just to be sure there was something in it, and was blown out of the water as the experienced egg hunters gathered eggs by the armful. Lauren was the youngest in her competitive age group of 9-12 and being a little timid/passive didn't get many eggs, but seemed okay with that.  She had been inspired by an article in the Friend Magazine and was searching for some sad child that didn't get any eggs with whom she could share.

Sunday morning we did our typical non-competitive egg hunt at home (which we may need to modify as per our observations the previous day).  The kids requested that the difficulty of the egg hiding be increased so the Easter Bunny did a stellar job and it was a good challenge for the big kids to find all 10 of their eggs. 

That morning our neighbor stopped by to invite us to church- so cool! It was so casual and comfortable, he just said, "Hey I know you just moved in and there are a lot of churches in the area so I thought I would check and see if you have a place to go to church today.  We go to the Oaks Fellowship on .... if you'd like to come with us." I love that the people here are so open and willing to share their faith with others.  We attended church at what we thought was our ward, but unfortunately it was the wrong one.  There are a lot of great people here and of course Rusty "ran into" someone he knew- well two people.  One of the physical trainers from work and an old friend from BYU. Everywhere we go he meets someone from his past.  After church I got my Easter gift, a nap.  We missed celebrating Easter with our extended family, but it was a nice weekend to remember and celebrate the gift of our Savior and his love and sacrifice for us. 

Dallas Zoo

Yesterday we joined some other homeschoolers at the Dallas Zoo. We didn't see much (just the children's section), but we bought a discounted season pass so we can go back anytime. We found that 4 is a lot of children in Texas- the other families only had one or two kids and usually one was a teen and one about 10. I guess we'll have to keep searching for younger families. The Dallas Zoo was beautiful. I'm loving the trees and flowers. In the morning it was rainy and windy and cold so I had everyone put on pants, shoes, socks, and jackets- by lunch it was hot and the kids were getting into the water fully clothed.
After the zoo we stopped at the closest Costco and once again found that 4 is a lot of kids here- I received a bunch of comments. My favorite was an older gentleman who said, "Wow you've got four children, God bless you." I almost said, "He already has." But I just smiled. I also found that people don't purchase much at Costco here. I finished gathering my groceries- which compared to most trips was rather conservative considering we will only be here 12 more weeks- and had three separate people comment on how much I was buying- maybe it was the 4 kids I was toting along :)

Waxa-watchie?

Monday I took the kids to the county courthouse- which is evidently one of the most photographed buildings in Texas? I'm not sure how they determined that. Katie calls it the castle, but I think she was disappointed with the inside. 

We also visited the Ellis County Museum.  Here we learned that Waxahachie is an indian word that means Buffalo Creek.  I'm glad we cleared up that mystery.

At the museum we also learned that Ellis County was once known as the Banner Cotton County of the World, and that they still produce a lot of cotton. We saw some cotton plants and the tools used to clean the cotton.  Ben liked the guns with knifes on them (bayonets). The museum is pretty small and simple, but it got us out of the house and it was free. 

Today- Wednesday we explored the field of wild

 flowers behind our townhome.  The littles had a great time discovering bees, butterflies and ladybugs. Katie couldn't get enough flowers and Dallin found that Bluebells have fuzzy little seed pods that he collected and "planted" in our mini-yard. Lauren chose to stay in and email her friends. :( When did she start growing up?

Making a home

April 4&5

Waxahachie is beautiful- tons of trees and birds.  We went to a local park to hike and enjoy the warm weather. It will be nice to be here for the spring.

We spent the first day getting settled into our home. The kids drew pictures for the walls or cut them out of the Friend magazine.  We g

ot a couple of cots for the kids to sleep on and bought a couple of chairs so we could eat dinner together.  The kids room is small, but their closet is big so we set up Dallin's cot in the closet. Lauren is sleeping downstairs on the couch so she can stay up and read a bit at night. So far so good.

When we checked in the apartment man

ager said, "I hope it gets warm enough to swim before you have to leave."  I told her I didn't think I could keep my kids out of the pool. Sure enough Saturday the kids insisted on swimming.  The weather was warm but breezy and the pool is not heated, so I decided not to join in.  As our neighbors were walking around in jackets and hats my kids were splashing in the swimsuits- warm is a question of perspective. 

We were able to watch conference over the internet and

 the kids were excited to see that there were three donut shops near our home. Unfortunately when we went to get donuts between sessions we realized they all close at noon, so we had to get donuts from Walmart instead. Luckily we were able to continue the family tradition of "Donut Sunday" for conference on Sunday. Of course conference at 9AM in California was good for breakfast, 10Am in Utah was a stretch for breakfast, b

ut 11AM in Texas is more like lunch :)

The journey begins

April 1st-April 3rd 

After dosing the kids up with Dramamine and setting up the TVs we were off. A couple of stops to attempt to fix TVs a few close calls on the car sickness we made it through the canyons to Glenn Canyon Dam in Arizona.  10 hours later we arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  

The next day we took it easy. The kids played at the park until the zoo opened and then we spent the morning exploring the Rio Grande Zoo.  Lauren liked the parakeet exhibit (she was missing her bird) and the Koalas. Dallin liked the playground best with a close second of dodging vulture poop as we ran through their exhibit. Ben loved the seals and the prairie dogs. Katie liked the

 baby and the mommy monkey. A few hours later we arrived in Amarillo, Texas. We took a late night swim and a trip to the local hot dog shop (corn dogs are now Kate's favorite).

The next morning we set off for the final leg of the journey.  Unfortunately Dallin fulfilled the Clarke family tradition of throwing up- in spite of the Dramamine.  Luckily that was our only "incident" and we arrived safely.