Pikes Peak Cog Railroad with Grandpa!

So excited for the train to start.

She was just a little toddler the last time she rode a train.

On the way up the mountain, the tour guide informed us that around 90 years ago, a woman gave birth here in this house. That was one tough lady. Obviously. Look where that poor woman lived.

That baby grew up and worked on the cog railroad.

View from the top of Pikes' Peak.

The views that inspired the song "America the Beautiful".

Our train ready for the trip back down the mountain.

The cogs that the train grips all the way up the steep terrain.

"Diamond Rock".

Apparently I've Been Hiding Under A Rock

Because y'all are on Facebook!! I knew about it, but never really checked it out. Do you twitter too?

So I finally look around with Brian's account and see my Dad there. I thought parents, especially retired ones, were supposed to be behind the times (like me, for instance).

For goodness sake, my grandmother used to ask me if I had an internet. I thought it was impressive that she even knew of the existence of the internet. Explaining that I did not own THE internet didn't get very far, however.

So, let me ask you- do you really like Facebook? Do you actually care what your friends had for breakfast or what color they just painted their toes?

Let's Go Fly A Kite

With the past week feeling more like fall than late summer, Jacob and Hope were able to take advantage of the breezes by flying kites.

It's nice to be able to do this in the open fields without worrying about getting the strings caught in tree branches.

We were thankful, however, for a tree and its branches close by for Jacob to repair his kite the old fashioned way.

Interview with Aunt Jewel

Brian's Aunt Jewel stopped by for an overnight visit in July and we enjoyed the chance to ask her questions about her life and get to know more about the family history. We even discovered a few family skeletons in the closet! (Today, though, the circumstances would not be considered scandalous). Here is part of the interview with Aunt Jewel. (I need to download the pictures we took while Aunt Jewel was here).

Jewel's paternal Grandfather, James P. moved from England to Grafton, Australia to find a job. Once he found employment, he sent for Sarah Woods, his fiance, who arrived from England. They were married by the ship's captain in Australia. While they lived there, they ran a store selling fresh produce. In fact, their son (Jewel's father) has a memory of getting food on a truck from the warf when he was a toddler.

All together, James and Sarah had thirteen children with three dying in infancy. Their oldest child was named Jim and their youngest was named Ethel.

When Jewel's father, Reginald, was two years old, the family moved back in England (in 1896). The reason given for this move was that Sarah was homesick. In England, they also ran a produce business.

In 1910 or 1911, the whole family moved again, this time to America. The came into Montreal, Canada, and then into the US. They first went to Arkansas and tried to buy land there, but it didn't work out. So they went to Benden, Michigan near Traverse City and bought land for a farm. There they raised cattle, wheat and vegetables. Jewel said they would listen to the radio to find out good farming practices for that area of the country. (Too bad they didn't have the internet back then!).

Jewel remembered going to visit her grandparents on their farm, having to drive all night to get there, and getting to sleep in her Grandmother's bed (her brothers had to sleep in the barn!). She remembered her cousin Johnny who would drive his Model T into the nearby bay and pull the cousins on a raft around the lake. She also remembered when her brother Stoney had scarlet fever, the doctor recommended fresh air, so he lived at his grandparent's farm during the summer for his recovery.

After Grandpa James died, Uncle Tom took over the farm. Grandma Sarah stayed with her children, Aunt Ethel especially. Aunt Ethel was a nurse who took training to help people with polio, then later worked at an Elizabeth Arden beauty salon. Grandma liked to visit Ethel's fancy apartment.

Jewel's father (and Brian's grandfather) Reginald was born in Australia. He met his wife Charlotte Adams at the Methodist church where she was the Sunday School Superintendent. They married when they were both 28 and together they had three children, Stoney, Jewel and Lloyd.

Reginald, Charlotte and Lloyd

Reginald worked for the University of Chicago Press where they published books by professors. He set type at the press and corrected the type after the first run through. He worked three days a week during the Depression and had another job selling shoes during that time.

In retirement, he worked at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago setting up their printing exhibits. He would set up the antique printing machines and used them to print out menus and invitations to museum events. He loved talking to people and teaching them about printing. Reginald also enjoyed gardening in his victory garden and singing in a group called the "Glee Men".

Jewel met her husband Jim in high school English class and she liked that he was sociable and that he paid attention to her (!). They liked to go to movies together. They were married in the early 50's and he was in the Navy. Jim was stationed in Cuba during the Viet Nam War for three years. Jewel lived with Jim in Cuba for 6 months on a naval base. Jim and Jewel had three children, Dana (who is currently a librarian), Jimmy (who is an engineer) and Pam (who is a college Chemistry professor). Jewel has three grandchildren (her daughter Pam's children).

I asked Aunt Jewel in what ways she resembles her parents and this was her answer:

Like her father, Jewel has a love of learning. She likes to sing and she thinks that her personality is similar to his.
Like her mother, Jewel was a good housewife and enjoyed cooking and sewing. She thinks she resembles her mother physically.

Charlotte, Jewel's mother

Now that Jewel is in her 80's, she remains active and continues to enjoy traveling and camping. Her life has been full of both academics (Chemistry, especially) and with rafting, camping and outdoor adventure. Her goal is to continue to travel with the other women in her camping group.

Aunt Jewel's camping gear

Finally, I asked Jewel what advice she would give to someone else. She answered, "Be sure you know how to have meaningful discussions with people, your spouse, your children, and to know how to communicate with others. Relationships are of primary importance."

It was wonderful to sit down with Aunt Jewel and learn more about Brian's side of the family. I learned a lot and enjoyed hearing about the exciting and adventurous life Aunt Jewel has led!

Bits and Pieces

Hannah has been making more cards from her paper flower collection. She enjoys making them after her schoolwork is done and she can unwind while listening to music.

Since the weather has been feeling more like late summer/early fall, I made a fall wreath for the front door. Hopefully this act will change the weather patterns and we can get back to summer.

This book was a good read. Although I didn't agree with everything the author said, I appreciated his thoughts and viewpoints. (My brain isn't working well enough right now to compose a summary of the book!)

We have completed our second week of school. So far it has been going well and we are enjoying our group/history time of studying the Middle Ages. The kiddos are reading books from this time period for their independent reading/English as well.

Jacob hurt his ankle and we tried all kinds of things to help it. We finally went to the doctor who said to put ice on it. So we did and the ankle feels better. Now he says his knees hurt. Grrr.

And finally, Hannah got her driver's permit and is ready to start driving around. I'm not sure I'm ready for *this* stage of parenting.

Book Review

I read "The Unhealthy Truth- How Our Food is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It" by Robyn O'Brien this past week and learned a few new things.

I have read a few books on food, how it is produced, preserved, flavored, colored, etc. and found my views on how our family eats forever changed ("In Defense of Food" and "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan are a must read). However, "The Unhealthy Truth" added one more tidbit of knowledge on the subject.

After her daughter's severe egg allergy was discovered, the author Robyn O'Brien, began studying up on food allergies, as we mothers do when we realize our children are allergic to something.

However, Robyn's sleuthing led her to discover the political connections between the large food corporations and the "doctors" who write for the allergy groups giving advice to parents. For example, due to the genetic modification of the soy bean in recent years, many children now have cross-reactions from peanuts to soy, which is in probably most of all processed food. Peanut allergy has been rising at a rate of about 20 percent a year, with statistics showing this fast rise beginning a year after the introduction of this modified soy entering the market. (In 1998, the year that genetically modified soy was introduced in the United Kingdom, the U.K. rate of soy allergies jumped 50 percent). When people began to question this connection, the allergy organizations poo-pooed it. When one looks at the sponsors of these allergy groups, one finds they are funded by the very corporations producing or selling products made with this modified soy.

The most informative part of the book for me came in Chapter 5 when Robyn delved into more detail on genetically modified food and what scientists are attempting to do now. In order to produce crops that can fend off insects and diseases by themselves, the plant DNA is being manipulated with DNA that could never combine in nature- for example, a tomato with a scorpion. And as the author points out,
When we insert foreign genetic material into a host gene, we might know what happens some of the time, or even most of the time. but nobody yet knows what happens all of the time. There are just too many variables."

When you have genetically altered proteins, say in wheat, you can have a reaction to it although you are *not* allergic to wheat. Some companies are inserting peanut DNA into the wheat DNA so a person allergic to peanuts could eat something they think is safe and it can make them very sick.

As a personal example, when Hannah was a toddler, we attempted to determine what she was allergic to by doing a food elimination diet and challenge under the supervision of our doctor. She showed an allergic response to EVERY food we gave her. We were then told to feed her the most exotic foods we could find and rotate them every four days. We ate a lot of boring, weird food for awhile. However, about six years ago we made the switch to all organic food and discovered that Hannah is allergic to very few foods- mostly nuts and soy. She was reacting to the pesticides/herbicides and whatever else was on/in the conventionally grown food, not the food itself.

Now that I read about genetically modified food, it makes me re-think our position on eating out. We are very strict at home in regards to making sure our food is organic, but when we go on vacation or eat out (just a handful of times a year), we give ourselves a lot more freedom. But if we eat at a place that uses genetically modified wheat in their products and Hannah reacts, how will we know what is causing the reaction so we can avoid it in the future? The label would just say "wheat", not "wheat DNA manipulated in a lab so that your body will not recognize it as food".

This book was not the most well-written thing I have ever read. The way Robyn whines about how shocked and horrified she felt over each new discovery wore thin after the second chapter. I almost didn't finish reading the book because of the (almost constant) focus on her feelings. But the facts that she presented were needed information and for that, I am grateful that I stuck it out and read the whole thing.

Happy Birthday Hope!

A hoola hoop from Jacob so she can join Hannah in her love of hooping...
Markers and paper so she can draw to her heart's content.

A thinline Bible from Abby. Now she has a smaller pink Bible instead of the huge brown one she carried before.
Hannah gave her a necklace with her birthstone.

And delicious gluten-free treats to enjoy.
Her reaction when she tasted the chocolate covered strawberries- "Oh, My!"

Taking a Blog Break

To enjoy the wildflowers

And the cute kids

The sunshine

And the shade.

See you in August!

Highlands Presbyterian Camp Video- Sorry for the poor quality!

Why So Many Great Stories Were Penned by Pioneers and Homesteaders?

Because they had so much to write about.

Those people in the cities, they had interesting things to write about, too.

But when you live out in the country, every day is an adventure.

Since we have moved out here nine years ago, we have been snowed in for days at a time, taken one trip in an ambulance, had run-ins with elk, lots of rattlesnakes (not as many these days), tornadoes, flash floods in the nearby canyon, fires, hail storms of Biblical proportions, rodents of unusual size...

And we don't even own livestock, grow wheat or live near hostile Indian tribes like in days of yore.

Today Jacob and I were just hanging out waiting for Brian and the girls to get back from Lowes so he could finish another home maintenance project and we smelled smoke. Our neighbors' stacked hay bales were on fire from a lightening strike. Thankfully the fire department came quickly, but the rain wasn't enough to put it all out I guess because another fire truck carrying water just drove down our road.

When we lived in town, sometimes I took a nap in the afternoon. Now afternoon is when all the action starts.

When I read the "Little House" series these days vs. those quiet days living in suburbia, I find myself relating more and more - and looking for helpful hints on survival from the seasoned pioneers!

Have you seen this yet?

Summertime

Jacob graduated from the Junior Ranger program today along with his friends.

The boys were cheered on by their brothers and sisters.

We stayed for a bit afterwards to have more time for visiting and reconnecting (and for the kids and Brian to have the biggest fight with acorns as ammunition this side of the Mississippi).

"Make new friends but keep the old.
One is silver
And the other's gold".

Job Update

Brian is still employed as of this week. He has sent his resumes out but we haven't heard back from any of the "headhunters" he has contacted. We continue to pray for a good job while being thankful that he hasn't been let go yet.

Around the House

Eleven duck eggs in the field.

Eggs discovered while mowing with the neighbors tractor.
(No eggs were harmed in the mowing- for all you animal lovers out there).

The back porch before.

During.

And after. See those posts?? Starting to rot (sob). Brian put in new posts (twice because the first time he did it wrong per his architect brother). Now we have mosquito curtains up and we are spending as much time as possible outside. We have even slept outside the past two nights. I don't have any pictures, but just imagine children bundled up on cots watching "National Treasure" on the laptop late at night with the cricket noises and gentle breezes blowing.

In the Sewing Room

Abby finished the hand sewing portion of Hope's quilt- yeah!

It only took a year and a half and two people to finish it! Next time I'm in a fabric store and think to myself , "That doesn't seem too hard"- I'm going to remember this quilt.

In other sewing news, I think *everyone* should sew with elastic thread! How fun and easy to smock a little summer dress...

or a nightgown for a teenager...

No elastic thread on the slipcovers (sigh. It would be a lot more fun if I could use it...). I need to add the trim around the bottom and sew the cushion cover (times 2 since there are two chairs) and then I'll be done. If I have the desire to sew any more this summer, which is doubtful, I'll see about the pile of quilt tops waiting to be quilted!

Pictures of the Camp and Retreat Center- Estes Park area (Family Reunion Info)

I concentrated on taking video of our visit, so these pictures are not the best! But perhaps you can get an idea from them.

The deck outside the eating area.

The hallway leading to the meeting rooms and eating area.

The eating area/meeting rooms.

Juices, teas, coffee available all the time.

The drive to the retreat center.

On the way to the retreat center.