Ohio! {Visits to Kirtland and Sandusky}

Last Monday and Tuesday the dental school had Fall Break, so we decided to take a little jaunt up to Ohio. Road trip! Our trip had two different facets:

First on our trip was a stop at Punderson State Park, where we camped for the night. We could not have asked for better weather that afternoon, and the place was beautiful. That is, until it began to rain mercilessly from sundown to sunup. Our friends, who were traveling with their three little girls, had brought a comfortable-sized tent for their family. We had also brought a tent--a two-man, that would have been okay, except one of the poles was broken and we just weren't so sure how it was going to hold up in the rain. It was standing okay, but it looked kind of like a Charlie-Brown's-Christmas-tree tent, and it seemed like it could've given way under the slightest pressure. So the 7 of us piled into the Laus' tent and posted up for the night. My favorite quote of the evening was when I asked Eliza how many people she thought could fit in their tent. We were all already sitting in the tent. She looked around thoughtfully (no doubt practicing her math skills) and said, "Well, probably all of us minus the two of you." Nothing like the honesty of a 4 year-old.

 

Waking up untouched by rain felt like such a miracle. We packed up camp, hopped in our cars, and drove to Kirtland, OH. Kirtland is home to some pivotal and very interesting LDS Church history sites, including the Kirtland temple, the Newel K. Whitney Store, the School of the Prophets (housed in the store), and some of the living quarters of early saints. It was all very cool.

After spending a few hours in Kirtland, we hopped back in our cars. . .

. . .and landed at Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, OH! We spent the rest of Monday and all day Tuesday cruising around the indoor water park like a pack of 10 year-olds. It was soooo fun. 

I just love vacations. I really feel so blessed to be able to pack up and go relatively easily. Here's to another string of hard-workin' weeks!

Wanna link-up to talk weekends? Check out Sami's weekend linkup.

Self-care.

I am writing this while sitting in the car outside someone's house--a no-show, as I (not-so)  affectionately am calling this person right now. Maybe if I sit and write for awhile she will show up so I can do my job.

I thought I would like more of the blogtember prompts. The prompts I looked at doing this week were on personality tests (you take one and give your response to the results) and on how social media has changed you. I just didn't really feel interested in talking about either of those things. My own thoughts are faaaar more interesting. (Kidding. . . well, am I?)

Yesterday in my MFT supervision group this girl was talking about self-care and how important she thinks it is in order to contitnue doing quality therapy work with clients. I have been thinking about some of the self-care things that I have neglected to do lately. Why do I neglect these things? Because I am busy maybe, or lazy. Not to be a downer, but sometimes when you are in a "giving" or "helping" profession, I think it feels like you just don't have anything left to give to yourself. Self-care would really have to be a high priority, and a very conscious and intentional effort has to be made. I'm sure this is true for just about any busy lifestyle, regardless of it being a "helping" profession or otherwise.

My current self-care regimen consists of watching House with Chad before bed a few nights a week, and trying not to say no when invited to hang out with friends. Actually, those two things seem to go a long way in keeping me buoyed up and going during the week. But I have several others I would like to get back to doing (these are all things I have done in the past, so there's no reason I can't start again).

• Playing and listening to live music. This is healing for my soul, and I need to stop glancing over at the piano/guitar and then aimlessly back to my computer screen. I need to create, and as much as I love blogging, and home decor, and crafty-stuff, songwriting is the best way I've ever found (well, and maybe journaling, too) to express myself. Maybe it's because I am allowed to put my thoughts all down at once, and unless someone is very rude, I usually don't get interrupted mid-song. And no one interrupts my journal, that's for sure.
• Journaling. See above.
• Being outside intentionally. In other words, not just walking five feet between my house and the car and appointments. Not just happening upon my daily dose of Vitamin D. This means eating my breakfast out on the porch, or taking a walk through a park (instead of Target or Family Dollar) when I find myself with time between sessions during the day. (Ahem, maybe instead of sitting in the car writing blog posts. Although, this is good for me right now.)
• Running. Or working out regularly. I ran last night for the first time in at least a week, and I know I need to make time for it more often. It feels good and there seems to be no quicker way to de-stress.
• Reading scriptures & praying. Chad and I almost always read together before bed, and we always pray before bed. But I need my own time to really soak it in, and I need to be having my own personal conversations with my Heavenly Father. That's just how I feel about it. There is something more candid and real when I study something out on my own or express my thoughts in prayer. Not that I don't LOVE when Chad and I do it together, because I do, but I just know I seem to regress in my own personal relationship with my Savior when I don't make it an individual priority. Plus then, our gospel conversations are usually better anyway, because I have some of my own thoughts to bring to the table.
• Going to the library. One final self-care item that I stopped doing several months ago because I accidentally kept a bunch of books for way too long and racked up some fines, and I felt so dumb about it I just dropped the books off and never went back. But I love books, and I love libraries. I need to pay my fines so I can make that part of my life again.

I think that's pretty much it. What do you do for self-care? How do you keep yourself motivated or on track for doing those kinds of things for yourself?

Aruba, Again. Also, Christmas 2012.

Being in Aruba for Christmas was awesome in some ways. I can't say there is anything particularly magical about the island during the Christmas season. Yes, there were Christmas trees at every roundabout, and we made a visit to the Cas di Lus (a fake little traditional house they build up on a hill and decorate with lots of Christmas lights). We also noticed it was Christmas when our beloved pan keshi (cheese bread) was sold out by the time we got there at noon on Christmas Eve. But otherwise, it felt a lot like being in Aruba at any other time of year (which is AWESOME, by the way).

The perfect part, though, was going to Church on Sunday, and going to the branch Christmas party on Sunday night. Several people performed Christmas musical numbers, we ate great food, and TONS of people were there. I have never seen that branch building so full before. Chad and I sang, "Merry Christmas, Baby," with Chad playing guitar and me playing piano. I'm really good at agreeing to musical numbers and forgetting that I get really nervous and embarrassed when I actually perform. But overall, the party was great.

Going back to Philadelphia on Christmas Eve was a great choice. We had so much fun being there for Christmas morning. I spent most of the day Christmas Day playing music with Kaitlyn and Ainslee--Kaitlyn got a ukelele for Christmas, and Ainslee plays guitar. We did some mad Taylor Swift and Ingrid Michaelson covers. It was so fun!

This was my first year not going home to Colorado for Christmas (other than on the mission). I definitely missed my family, but altogether, I'd say it was a great Christmas. Also, Chad and I decided a couple months ago to celebrate Three King's Day (Dia de Reyes) like they do in Latin countries, so that we wouldn't have to lug all of our presents with us to Philadelphia. So the season continues! Except, we lost our reserve to save the presents and have opened one or two every day, pretty much. Now I think there are...two left. Good thing Dia de Reyes is tomorrow!! :)

Aruba, Part 3

Warning: Lots of pictures today. I could spend the rest of my life documenting this trip on my blog if I only go 2 pictures at a time.

So our second day in Aruba, we woke up and drove to Bright Bakery to pick up one of my favorite treats of all time--pan keshi (cheese bread). It's got Gouda cheese stuffed in the middle of a loaf of slightly sweet bread. (side note: I'm glad we got it that day. We tried a day or two later, and Christmas Eve, and both days they were sold out by the time we got there.) Anyway, bread in tow, we headed to the Hooi Berg (which I had always believed to be the highest point in Aruba, until we went to Arikok National Park on this trip and found out that the highest points are actually within the national park. Boo.) There are stairs all the way to the top, and it takes about half an hour if you don't stop for breaks. It's worth the hike, in my opinion, because you get a good view of most of the island, including the shorelines, the refinery, all the red-tiled roofs, and the cactus. 

The Hooi Berg looks much less puny in real life. Bad angle, I guess.

A view from the top.

Another look from the top.

Made it!

After our hike, we decided to stop by "the Waf." I don't know if I'm spelling that right, because I've never seen it written out. The Waf is where you would probably spend a lot of time if you were a tourist on a cruise ship--it is a strip of little outdoor shops near where the cruise ships come in for the day. It feels just about like any other flea market with trinkets and souvenirs. We stopped by to pick up some gifts, but mostly in hopes that we would run into my dear friends Carlo and Jela, who I got to teach as a missionary years ago. And we were not disappointed! Jela and her son, Carl, were there running their shop. They sell beautiful hand-painted canvases. It was fun to see them again.

Across from the Waf, in front of a fancy shopping area.

with Jela and Carl! 

 We spent some time taking silly pictures and trying pastechi--a typical local food. A pastechi is basically a fried calzone filled with Dutch cheese, or sometimes with cheese and meat. Yum.

pastechi. tastes better than it looks here.

And finally, we headed off to do more snorkeling. As mentioned in an earlier post, we first snorkeled at Baby Beach, which is a fairly popular spot to snorkel. On this, our second time snorkeling, we went to the far west end of the island (before you reach Arashi Beach), which was a spot recommended to us by Bill (a native). Chad was more impressed with the snorkeling here than at Baby Beach, but I got kind of cold and my mask wasn't working great, so it wasn't my best day. But we also stopped by one of the shipwrecks on our way back to San Nicolas, and snorkeled there. It was pretty awesome to snorkel right around the ship, where lots and lots of fishes like to hang out. 

While I'm talking about snorkeling, I'll share what I learned about snorkeling in Aruba. Just in case you're ever in Aruba, or snorkeling in Aruba. :)

Where and How to Snorkel in Aruba:

1. Ask local people where to go. There are certain places marked on the map that attract a lot of tourists, that don't seem to actually be the places where you can see the most fish. A good example of this is Baby Beach. Lots of tourists snorkel in the cove there, and you can see a fair amount of fish. However, someone recommended that we drive just past the Baby Beach parking lot to an area where this is a narrow channel flowing towards Baby Beach. We hopped in and just floated down for half a mile or so. We saw SO MANY FISH. 

2. Sometimes, just stay in one place and stop swimming, but keep your head underwater. I'm not sure if the fish forget you are there, or decide you're not a threat, but sometimes they come out from their hiding places if you just idle for a minute or two.

3. It seems like you find more fish closer to the reefs, so if you are swimming in an inlet with a barrier reef, you might just swim along the reef. 

4. Our favorite places, in order: 1. The channel just east of Baby Beach (tons of fish, NO swimming required, but you do have to walk through some rocks to get to some deep-enough water). 2. Mangel Halto (feels like a neighborhood beach, big area to cover and plenty of fish in some areas). 3. Baby Beach (nice area, especially if you want to lay on the beach when you're done snorkeling). 4. The beach between the shipwreck and Arashi Beach, near the west end of the island (I can't remember much about this one, but I think there was a nice beach area to lay out on and plenty of fish).  

5. It would be so awesome to have an underwater camera. We saw so many amazing fish and we wished we could get pictures. Although, sometimes it is nice to just enjoy something without focusing on documenting all the time. 

6. Your experience could be totally different than ours depending on the time of day, the weather, or your personal preferences. Just explore and have fun!

Aruba, Part 2

So, where was I? Snorkeling, right?

Much of our trip was spent going to church functions and also visiting people I had gotten to know as a missionary.

I had a blast introducing Chad to Sister Dowling. I had explained to him before we went that she is sort of... mean. Okay, not really. She just pretends to be mean, most of the time. But you know she secretly loves you, because after she spends one or two hours delivering berating comments, she'll usually say, "I love you, dushi," as you're on your way out the door. (You can guess why, when I described her that way, Chad wasn't sure how excited he was to meet her.)

Anyway, her advancing age and continued health problems have taken their toll, and she is now confined to her home most of the time. She uses a walker to get around the house, and a wheelchair if she ever leaves the house. So visiting with her was bittersweet, because it is hard to see someone with so much spunk be so limited by her body.

The first day we visited, the exchange went something like this:

Sister Dowling: Who's he?
Me: My husband!
Sister Dowling: Your husband?!
Me: I told you I was bringing him to meet you.
Sister Dowling: You told me you was bringing someone special, you didn't tell me about no husband.
Me: Oh, well, the special person was my husband. This is Chad.
Sister Dowling (turning to Chad): Oh, so you love the ugly woman?
Chad: Er, I think she's pretty...
Sister Dowling: Well, I see you does wear glasses, so I can forgive you for that.

She totally won him over, though, in spite of (or because of?) her sassiness. The hardest part about being there was hearing her repeatedly express the feeling that no one (particularly people from church) cared about her enough to visit. While I know this may have been exaggerated somewhat (several church members reported having some contact with her, if not frequently), it made me sad to think about her living out her old age a lonely, bitter woman. I think I needed the reminder that there are probably people around me who feel no one cares. These pictures aren't the greatest, but the hours spent in her home with Chad will always be a special memory for me.

Our First Taste of Philly

We started and ended our Christmas vacation in Philadelphia with Chad's sister, Deanna, her husband, Mike, and their 5 awesome kids. When we got to Philly, we enjoyed horsing around with the kids and participating in their Christmas happenings. As mentioned in my previous post, Deanna is an amazing mom. I was in awe of her abilities--really. Such a fun, loving mom and wow, what an amazing cook! We ate like royalty at her house. Mike is finishing up his residency at a hospital there and I was impressed with what an involved, fun dad he is, especially considering his busy schedule. And those kids are a blast! We took some pictures on Christmas day, so I may post some of those later.

Chad and I headed to the city on Monday morning to tour the city a little. We planned on being out just that morning but ended up making a full day of it--there was so much to see and do. We saw the Liberty Bell, and the rooms where the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were drafted. We went to Reading Terminal Market (a huge indoor flea market), and tried Philly Cheesesteak--the honest-to-goodness real deal. Yum! We walked around in China Town briefly, and tramped around the city looking for the "LOVE" statue until we found it.

The Liberty Bell, with its famous crack. Apparently it cracked two or three times before they gave up fixing it. 

I believe this is where the Declaration was drafted.

Chad, sitting in Congress Hall.

I actually don't know who this guy is, but he looks like he should be singing, "Young Man. Are you listening to me?"

Hulk Hogan was in Philly! At least, we're pretty sure that was him. ;)

City Hall--beautiful, no?

City Hall again.

We found that darn statue, and it only took us several hours!

First experience with a legitimate Philly Cheesesteak. We really felt like we got our money's worth, since the guy serving us looked like he was straight out of the movie Rocky.

China Town! It really was like stepping into China. Not much English going on in there.

In short, Philly was awesome. I was so happy to have the chance to get to know Mike & Deanna's family better, since I had only briefly met Deanna and the kids at our wedding. After a few days in Philly, we woke up at the crack of dawn to catch our flight to Aruba (and our gracious hosts also woke up to get us to the airport). More on that part of our trip, later. For now, a single picture to drool over.