The Tale of the Numbers

6,500 (give or take a few) - number of miles so far travelled

64 - days we've been away from Saranac

8 - number of states we've "touched"

6 - number of National Parks/Forests/Monuments we've visited, Glacier National Park being the favorite

10 - percentage downward grade on the pass outside of Jackson, WY into Idaho. I (Evie) was shaking so badly at the bottom that I had to pull over and let John drive.

8-10 - number of pounds John and I have each gained since leaving on June 22!! That's the price we pay for living in the land of cheese for five weeks.

212 - Evie's highest cholesterol reading EVER - see reason above!! Time to get back on the program when we return. :)

16 - hours until we are scheduled to begin the drive back east

1 - trip of a lifetime for our family

The kids have been enjoying the pool very (x1000) much,and the animals. Their two dog's names are Brody, the 11 week old, adorable puppy, and Zepher, their rat terrier. The cat's name is Hemi, because she purrs so much. Even though Zephy and Brody DO NOT get along they are still fun to play with. Hemi, on the other hand will take over one of the chairs out at our table, and if you try to move her, she will bite or scratch you. We have been having a lot of fun "touring the pools of Hilmar" We can't wait to see all of you!

Time Flies

Our time here in Hilmar is flying by. We've been here three weeks already and have immensely enjoyed our visit. Our trips back usually consist of fly in, race around, fly out, so to have the gift of time to spend with people we enjoy so much has been such a blessing. Dinners, day trips, desserts and lots of lounging by pools all thrown together makes for a great month of August so far.

Sarah thoroughly enjoyed her experience at Mission Springs (that's her with her counselor above, the Covenant Bible camp for this part of California. She had a great counselor, made some new friends and didn't mind at all that just about every part of Mission Springs, sleeping included, is done outside (solid roofs, but open on the sides for almost all buildings). In her usual "I am afraid of nothing" style she rode mini-bikes, jumped off of Little Ben (25ft platform), climbed across the suspension rope bridge and tackled the climbing wall. I hope she tackles middle school with as much gusto as she attacks climbing walls. :)

Nathan discovered that friends of ours kept their sons' Lego sets and has been putting together many Lego creations. Once built, they often end up going for a test float in the pool. He also continues to create with everday objects - the styrofoam cup turned into a boat that also ends up in the pool. Toothpicks are a favorite building material as well. So far we owe Mike and Margaret at least one box of toothpicks to replace what Nathan has used. It is amazing what creative minds can do when you simply have time to let your mind create.

I (Evie) am enjoying this temporary life of leisure and trying hard not to think about how much yard work is waiting for me. (Not to mention finding a new job - yikes!!) No sense in focusing on that now - just enjoy the time left! I've read many books and sprouted many more freckles thanks to the constant sunshine and thanks to many invitations only had to cook about 50% of the time. Can't beat that.

Wheel..of..Fortune

Wheel of Fortune was great fun! It certainly offered a unique perspective of an everyday part of many people's lives. The sound stage is much smaller than it looks on TV, as is the wheel. We enjoyed solving lots of puzzles that day as we watched the taping of six shows. Our friend Jenn was in the last group of the day (we were not allowed to know her schedule, so just had to keep waiting for her to appear) and was certainly the best puzzle solver in her group. Nathan was a little trooper as he sat quietly through the tapings and clapped, clapped, clapped when we were instructed. My hands felt swollen by the end of the day from all the clapping they ask you to do.

The show is filmed at Sony Studies in Culver City, CA which was formerly MGM. We saw the sound stage where Esther Williams filmed her swimming pool movies! Adam Sandler has an office there as well, although we didn't see him that day. Chris saw Mike Tyson on one of the sound stages, but that was about it for celeb spottings - with the exception of Pat and Vanna, of course!

Now that I have had the chance to be in a studio audience for a game show I can cross that off my life list (JK). After hours of clapping, I really don't think I'll have the need to do that ever again. But, we do thank Chris and Jenn for taking us along and giving us a chance for another unique experience on this journey.

Sorry I have no pictures for this - cameras were definitely a NO-NO inside the studio gates.

I'll take an "s", Pat

We (minus Sarah who is still at Mission Springs camp) are in Los Angeles this morning to watch our amazing friend Jenn Handy be a contestant on "Wheel of Fortune"! She has already been whisked away from the hotel to start her adventure and we are quickly packing up so we can head over to Sony Studios in Culver City to watch. They tape five shows in one day, so we may get to see all five or she may get chosen right away - that's up to the luck of draw.

Jenn had the "Wheel of Fortune" game on her iPhone and was practicing as we drove down yesterday evening. Nathan was helping her practice. :) He's a pretty quick study and solved the puzzles just as fast as his mom in some instances.

We've been very fortunate to have some amazing opportunities on this trip and send a great big thank you to Chris and Jenn for inviting us along today. Good luck, Jenn!!!

Back to Work

We've arrived safely here in Hilmar, California. As anticipated, we were warmly greeted by friends from years past. It's fun to pop in some place and have people recognize you and be excited to see you. We are especially blessed with a wonderful place to stay thanks to Mike and Margaret Wickstrom, complete with a washer and dryer (oh, and a swimming pool, too.) Sarah and Nathan are working on fantastic tans as they spend hours in the pool, either here or at the homes of friends, each day.

John played bass in the worship band on Sunday and enjoyed that. Yesterday (Monday) he started work with his project consultant and will continue with that for the next three weeks. He did get to end the day with some fun - the demolition derby at the county fair. He is really excited about working with Chris and learning more about going from idea to finished project.

Sarah is at camp at Mission Springs this week (the Covenant camp for this area). She was a little nervous on the way there and at first arrival, but was feeling more confident by the time we had to go. I am guessing that by now she has loads of new friends and new stories to tell. We pick her up Saturday morning and we'll give her a go at the blog to talk about camp.

Despite John's mantra to not talk about work, we've spent many hours talking with people about the state of the church institution in general. When you've spent so much time reading, meeting and studying and then meet up with others who do the same it's almost impossible NOT to talk about it. The conversations have been very interesting and come from many different points of view. There is definitely a feeling that this is a critical time for the church in America.

I'm sorry we don't have pictures for this section. While we love the people of Hilmar, it is not the most (how do I say this delicately?) picturesque of the places we have visited on this trip. :) Hopefully Sarah will have some camp pictures to share with you next week.

Can you believe it is August already? We've been on the road for six weeks now - past the halfway point. The time is flying by.

Feeling Small

The world is a big place, with far more years on its shoulders than we sometimes care to imagine. We've visited some spots that if you just allow yourself to stop and think and wonder, you can feel the smallness. It's not a scary thing, just a reality thing.

Crater Lake was one of those places. To stand there and imagine this huge mountain that is no longer there being blown to such bits is to really use your imagination. Then to imagine what was left of the mountain collapsing into the empty magma chamber creating a crater takes imagination as well. So now close your eyes and picture year after year of rainfall and snowfall accumulating in the lake and the level slowly starting to rise until it is over 1,900 feet deep in places and containing incredible shades of blue.

Walking among redwoods was also one of those places. You can only see a teeny-tiny bit of Sarah and Nathan on this tree. The span of their little lifetimes is so small compared to all this tree has seen. One tree we visited had enough board feet to build three 3-bedroom homes. I am so thankful that at some point in the past folks decided to protect some of these giants for future generations to stand beneath and feel small.

We often think of feeling small as a negative, but in these places we have visited it is a chance to better appreciate our place in the world. We are a small part of a much larger creation, and we all have a part in making it a better place.