Wings to Grow On


Colin has 'discovered' Buffalo wings on this trip. He loves them and orders them whenever he can. One of the other instructors is from Buffalo and was visiting home last week. When she returned, she brought a HUGE box of wings for the kids. Here are some of the few we have left. They are by far some of the biggest wings I've seen. And yes, the kids eat them with blue cheese dressing, carrot sticks and celery.

Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer


We made another trip to Burlington yesterday. School is right around the corner and as we will return home two days before opening day, I need to buy the girls clothes now. This time we hung out at a typical mall not the cool Church Street one. Then we had dinner out at Adria's current favorite restaurant.
We swung back into town in time for me to visit the art fair on the town Green. I picked this up as a gift for the house. I just painted my kitchen and dining area in yellow and blues.


After Liam and I hit the art fair, we met back up with the rest at the library. While waiting outside, we sat on a stone wall along the sidewalk. Liam decided to jump out at unsuspecting passersby and "scare" them. With arms held up by his head in the shape of claws, he would jump and yell, "Raarr!". Some people just walked by, but one nice couple pretended to be scared. This just encouraged him. Next he decided he would try to "trip' people by sticking his little leg out. Where do they learn these things?


Five bucks if you can name the title reference. And, no, Adria as my daughter you are disqualified.

On the Sidewalk

Okay, okay so I've been a slacker. It has been almost a week since my last post. We seem to have fallen into a rhythm here. One that involves walking downtown to the library every few days, getting ice cream and skipping rocks at the creek. The kids and I will go exploring a bit in afternoons. It has been raining a lot, and Adria has been babysitting in the mornings which will end this week. So stay tuned for longer adventures like visiting the Ben & Jerry's factory.

We've recently observed a number of frogs on the sidewalks. They are always belly up, all stretched out and flat and dehydrated. There must be an excessive amount of frogs in Vermont plus a large amount of bugs(Colin found a blue, fluorescent fly) for them to eat. I'm not sure how they end up squished on the sidewalk. It's not like a car drove across them. Did that many people not see the frogs and step on them? Pedestrians do have the right of way in Vermont, and it is a state law that you must stop to let them cross. I think the frogs need better lobbyists.

Lake Dunmore, Redux

I was able to take the kids to Lake Dunmore today and didn't forget the camera this time. Liam keep saying, "Aargh, Aargh" (his word for pirate) everytime a boat went by us. It was a great day. Isn't it nice how easily kids can be pleased.











Finally! An activity that tires Liam!

Liquid Manure

Last night, we came home to an unusual smell. Horses. It smelled just like horses outside and the fans sucked that smell right indoors. I happened to ask about it at church this morning. Seems the local farmers spread liquid manure on the crops a few times a season to promote growth. Thankfully, it rained today helping with the smell. Unfortunately, they will probably spread it one more time before we leave. Liquid manure. Who knew.

Wildflowers and Wildlife



Chicory is one of my favorite wildflowers. I love the color and they can grow anywhere. They are a native to Europe, but can now be seen all over. In Vermont, the roadsides are covered with wildflowers. Marsh marigolds, larkspur, Queen Anne's lace, wild lilies, baby's breath looking the way it should, flea bane, milkweed, crimson clover and of course, chicory. I love it!

They mow a small strip along the road and leave the ditches full of flowers. Makes for a beautiful drive. There is a wildflower farm north of here that I am going to stop at and pick up some seeds. I'll try to find those that will do well in Missouri. The gardens here tend to be on the English variety with a mass of the same flower in one spot. I love this 'careless' way of planting, appearing beautifully unorganized. Much like a house should be.

On the other hand, we have seen quite a few critters along or on the road. Mainly, squirrels. Most of you know that Adria detests squirrels. Thinks they are rodents with tails and believes all are rabid. Most of the ones we've seen are belly up with their front paws in a death pose. Aside from those and the odd mop we saw, I contributed to the road art with a silly bird. On a busy highway, he just sat there not moving until the last second. Colin looked behind to see feathers flying and said, "Man, what a way to go!"

All A Place Needs is Great Food

We have discovered all sorts of yummy food. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, we walk to the Farmer's market for cheese, fruit and vegetables and, of course, BREAD. Our favorite is from the Good Companion Bakery, www.goodcompanionbakery.com. It's this little farm nearby where they use organic ingredients and bake the bread in a brick oven. In the picture is a baguette and chocolate filled croissant from the bakery. Colin loves the baguettes and insists that we keep stocked up on them. We have also discovered Green Mountain Mustard especially their horseradish variety that is slightly sweet with a kick. It's great on the baguettes. Also Blue Ledge Farm cheese, www.blueledgefarm.com, has become a staple. They have mostly cheese from goat's milk. In the picture is the Pepper Chevre(the colorful one) and the Lake Edge. And we have enjoyed all the fresh strawberries and, now, raspberries are ripe. These are black raspberries. I didn't know there were so many varieties and shades of raspberries. Yum!

Adirondack Mountains and Chair
On the west side of campus we can see the beginnings of the Adirondack Mountains and on the east we have the Green Mountains. Here's the Adirondacks.


Around campus they have all these Adirondack chairs under trees and in courtyards. Students are encouraged to sit and study and commune with nature. This is Vermont after all where a recently viewed T-shirt said "Vermont: We were green before green was popular."


The kids have been enjoying rolling down hills, walking for ice cream and skipping rocks. What a great way to spend a summer!

Otter Creek

Otter Creek runs through the center of Middlebury. A working mill once stood there which the town built up around. Today it's a great place for the kids to explore. It's located off a street called Frog Hollow. As you can see from the pictures, it isn't like any 'creek' that I'm used to seeing. A foot bridge spans the Creek and connect to the Marbleworks area of town. A great farmer's market is there on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Fourth of July Parade and Outhouse Race

We've been in Vermont almost a week. I took the kids to Lake Dunmore on Wednesday and unfortunately my camera was out of batteries. We'll definitely go back and take pictures. The lake was beautiful and clear, not too cold. There are hiking trails nearby that we plan to explore.
Today, we spent the morning in Bristol, a little town not far from here. They are famous for their outhouse races. They take the frames of outhouses, place them on wheels and decorate them. One person sits inside while to others push and pull to the finish line. Four outhouses raced at a time with the winner in each heat going into the final.







After the races we watched the parade. Liam loved all the fire trucks until he realized that candy was being thrown.

Church on Sunday, Church Street on Monday

Yesterday, we attended the Middlebury branch. Such a warm spirit there. They are breaking ground for a building expansion on Tuesday. Andrew and I enjoyed all the lovely people although I probably talked too much in Sunday School
Adria is impressed with the youth. And the youth speaker was one of the best I have ever heard. She was a little reluctant to really participate in the youth program(little shyness, perhaps). Now she is excited and will go to youth conference with them and is trying to decide about camp. They have graciously invited her to attend everything. She has already been to our stake's youth conference, but this one is at Camp Joseph. It's on church owned campgrounds adjacent to the Joseph Smith birthplace in Sharon, VT. How often can YW go to camp on church dedicated land? The boys just came back from Scout camp last week.

We spent today up in Burlington on Church Street. It a large pedestrian mall with a brick street running down the center. The kids needed shoes and we wanted to do some exploring with Andrew before he starts teaching. We had a great time and would love to go back. We ate at a Japanese place there. I was really proud of Colin. He is getting more adventurous. He ate tempura with udon noodles. The noodles came in a fish broth something he wouldn't have tried before. Then he wanted to taste my sushi. No fish in these, just california rolls, but again something he wouldn't have done in the past. Hopefully, this bodes well for the future.

Next up on my agenda is to scout out farmstands, farmer's market, places to buy Vermont cheese and maple syrup.

Middlebury!
We made it into Middlebury this morning. I've been busy getting the place set up so I haven't had time for any pictures today. We are all a little tired from three days of driving. I will say it is beautiful. Gorgeous, green, rolling mountains all around. Adria and I spent twenty minutes in a nearby town looking for a particular store because mapquest. com was WAY off on its location. A big thanks to Aunt Kelly and her looking at an aerial view of the town online. As always, she comes through in a pinch. Tomorrow is church and hopefully we can take some pics. On the road: did you know that raccoons in the East have browner fur than those in Oklahoma and Missouri?

On the Road
Some are asking about my 'what's on the road' game. In the last two days, beside the usual dog and cat, I've seen more deer. The live animals have been a hedgehog, heron and something fuzzy, bushy and black. It didn't have a white stripe so not sure what it was. Alas, no furniture today. That must be an Ohio thing. The drivers in NY are a little crazy especially around the toll booths.

Day Three: Palmyra and the Hill Cumorah

Today we left Buffalo for Palmyra, NY and more church sites. The Hill Cumorah was fantastic. Such a calm, peaceful spirit there. We all enjoyed climbing to the top.





At the Sacred Grove, we again enjoyed walking the trails. We learned from yesterday and opted out of the guided tours.



As our apartment in Middlebury won't be ready until tomorrow, we are spending tonight in Johnstown, NY. Our place is a brand-new Microtel and a great improvement. Tomorrow we'll take a short drive to Middlebury.

Day Two: Seeing Kirtland, Liam-style

Yesterday, we spent several hours in Kirtland, Ohio touring church historic sites. We started at the Visitor's Center for a 30 minute video followed by a tour of the Newell K. Whitney store and home, Johnson Inn, sawmill and ashery.


Liam made it halfway though the N.K. store which was our first stop on the tour. He and I spent the rest of the time throwing rocks off a bridge and chasing butterflies before rejoing the tour at the sawmill. (There were huge logs for him to climb)



We finished the time with a visit to the Kirtland temple.


The night was spent at a place outside of Buffalo, NY. You'll have to ask the kids how it was. Needless to say, we won't be back again!

Vermont or Bust, Day One

We started our trip to Vermont yesterday, starting early in the morning and staying in Mansfield, Ohio. The trip was uneventful until we hit Dayton, Ohio. There we encountered heavy rainfall and wind and lightening. All told, the storm had us arriving an hour later than planned.
The kids were great. Adria and Colin sat in the back and played Uno for most of the trip. Occasionally, we could hear "You didn't say Uno", followed by giggles. Liam and Eva were content with coloring books and video IPods.
I've invented a new car trip game. "Guess What's in the Road" Along the way we've seen three deer, two racoons, a sofa and something totally unrecognizable.

It's summertime so it must be Ted Drewes!




We took time out from packing for Vermont and headed down to Ted Drewes in South St. Louis. This St. Louis tradition serves frozen custard in a multitude of ways including concretes. During the summer there are usually a hundred or more people milling around the stand; ordering, talking and kicking back with friends. We met our good friends, the Ereksons, and spent a couple of hours talking while the kids jumped around in the van. Kate, the world's greatest babysitter, will be going to college before we come back in August. What a great way to spend a Monday night!

Master Monkey, Jackson Rhys



This is one of my many wonderful nephews. It's amazing that a family full of girls would have so many sons. Rhys is a character. When I last saw him, he was busy calling me "Aunt Julie" with a mischievous grin. He also likes to get on the phone and say, "Hi, Aunt Amy" then promptly hang up the phone or punch all the buttons. This picture is classic Rhys. Here is is trying to be one of the characters from the movie Kung Fu Panda. This is also typical of all of my crazy nephews.

Trouble in the Nursery

Well, it has happened twice in one month: Liam was kicked out of the nursery. The first time he was hitting a child. Today, he just couldn't stop running. Part of me is frustrated and then the other part realizes that life just isn't normal with Liam. His speech delay frustrates him especially in those 'that kid took the toy, but you didn't see it and I can't tell you situation'. His sensory issues come to play when he gets overtired, overstimulated, or hungry. All of the above send him into tizzy. It can be just as frustrating to him as it is to whomever happens to have the joy of taking are of him at that moment. He is a great kid, but even I am exhausted by the precarious dance each day. God must really trust me.

Girls Camp

Adria came back from Girls Camp and as usual had a great time.
Here's a shot of the lake. Camp is held at a Scout camp south of St. Louis.



The girls sleep on cots in the tents on platforms. In Adria's they set up a tent within this tent. This helps to keep out the brown recluse and northern widow spiders. Of course, as you can see, there is still plenty of room for raccoons to crawl underneath and hiss at you at night.



Adria took her good friend, Megan, to camp with her. In pic below, Megan is third from the right and Adria is in the purple shirt for those you can't remember what she looks like.