Home Sweet Home & Easter Thoughts
It's been a very busy 2 weeks for me. My sister-in-law, Pam Harmon, and I left Harper's Ferry, West Virginia on Monday morning, March 29th. We drove and drove and drove for 3 days straight - all the way across the country, and I finally made it home on April 1st around 5:00 p.m.
(Sunset in Sidney, Nebraska during our travels)
We drove a central route across the United States for two reasons: Gordon & Pam said the toll fees up north were ridiculous and would add up to about $100; and also there was more risk of wintry weather up north this time of year.
So we drove north and west through Maryland for a while, then over to Morgantown, WV before heading south and west toward Huntington, WV (home of Marshall University). We continued west through Lexington, KY and Louisville, KY and on through southern Indiana, passing several places I had previously visited in 2014 doing family history. It was really hard to just drive on by without even stopping!!
Louisville was home to dozens of bridges! I lost count of how many bridges there were in a short span of miles.
The KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville
I stayed in Corydon, IN for 3 days in 2014 while doing family history in the nearby vicinity. It is close to Santa Claus, Indiana and Lincoln State Park, boyhood home of Abraham Lincoln. But this time, no stopping. :(
We cut across a portion of Illinois and over through St. Louis to arrive at our lodging for the first night in St. Charles, Missouri. There were less than 5 cars parked in their parking lot, so that was promising as far as having the lowest possible risk factor. Pam and I geared up in our gloves and masks and went in to sanitize our room before moving all of our belongings in for the evening.
I talked to the lady at the front desk while checking in to find out their methodology for cleaning during the coronavirus. She showed me the hospital grade wipes that the cleaning staff uses, explaining that as they clean a surface (light switches, phone, remote controls, etc.), it has to stay on for 2 minutes before wiping it off. That sounded very promising to us, but we still wanted to do it again for our own peace of mind. Pam had packed a little spritzer bottle that used to hold eyeglass cleaning fluid, but now it held rubbing alcohol instead. So I went around the room, spraying any cloth surfaces - such as the sitting chair, the couch, and even the pillowcases and bedding. She was busy wiping every surface down with Clorox wipes.
Once we finished, we went on a short walk along the Missouri River that ran along behind the hotel. It was nice to get out of the car and walk, however slowly our legs decided to move. We ordered dinner and had it delivered to our room, then settled down to sleep.
The next morning, we left bright and early once again, heading west across Missouri toward Kansas City. Once again, I was disappointed that we could not stop to explore the church history sights that were right there!!
I loved seeing all the farmlands in the middle of our country. It really comforts my soul. God bless all of our farmers!!
We traveled briefly across a little corner of Iowa. Not much to see there. I'm sure later in the season the fields will be filled with corn though, and much prettier.
Something Pam and I noticed was that there were hardly any cars on the roads coming across the country. Just a handful of cars, but lots and lots of trucks. We remarked that they are some of the unsung heroes during this epidemic, working long hours to transport important groceries and goods to stores and homes across the U.S. We are so grateful for their tireless efforts and hard work to keep America going. We even took to waving at some of the drivers as we passed by them. They would smile and wave back.
Coming across Nebraska we noticed the first evidence of snow. But the clouds were so fascinating that I enjoyed taking pictures whenever I was the passenger.
As we passed by the Grand Island area of Nebraska, I was overcome with emotion as I thought back to the early pioneer days of the church and their travels across the country to Utah. They had to cross the rivers there multiple times with all their heavy wagon loads and family members. As I drove by, I saw a sign mentioning Mormon Island State Park. Later, I looked it up and apparently the Saints stopped over for a brief time here on their westward trek, and that's how it got its name. Just imagining all of them in the same area so long ago, as I was driving by now in my comfortable car with my gum and snacks, well, it really hit me. I'm so grateful that they didn't give up and that they trudged on and on until they made it.
Once again, we made it to our hotel after 12+ hours in the car. This time, we stopped over in Sidney, Nebraska. And once again, we detoxed our room before settling in.
Sidney is really tiny, so we had to go out to pick up our food after ordering it ahead. After I picked up the food, I found a spot to pull over to capture the beautiful sunset.
And then, just a few minutes later, after filling up the tank with gas, the sunset was even more spectacular. What a beautiful gift at the end of a long day!
When we woke up early the next morning, we were greeted by a very pretty sunrise as well. Time to head off for our last 11 hours of driving.
We drove across Wyoming, passing through Cheyenne, Rock Springs, and Evanston before arriving in Utah. I've heard a lot of negative comments about the bleakness of Wyoming and how boring the drive can be. While it certainly doesn't compare to the beauty of Virginia and West Virginia, it had its own ruggedly handsome beauty.
Note: We decided to head toward Ogden, Utah on our final stretch because of the bad weather and bad roads predicted through the Star Valley, Wyoming area. It added more time to our overall itinerary, but we felt it was important to be safe rather than sorry.
I dropped Pam off at her sister's house in Layton, Utah, with plans to meet up later with her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter for their drive back across the country to West Virginia. I drove the last 3 hours north by myself. But it was just fine. Pam was worried and felt like she was ditching me. But because I'm 50% social and extroverted, and I'm also 50% quiet and introverted, I just used those last few hours to adjust to my quiet side and it was great. I cranked up the music and had a good time!
And finally, this was what I'd been waiting for . . .
Once I got home, I had to get to work cleaning around the house. I cleaned for 3 days straight. And each night I fell happily into my newly made bed.
Jacob and Hannah came up to help me for several days, moving furniture around, taking down bunk beds that aren't needed right now, wiping out cupboards and drawers, hauling things out to a storage unit, and getting things ready for the Whitworths to arrive in a few days. Amber and Weston are driving up from San Antonio, Texas and will be moving in. Weston has three optometry externships all over the country and there is only housing arranged for him at each place. So Amber and the girls will stay with me for an entire year. I'm excited to have time to spend with them and that they will be here for birthdays, holidays, and the changing of the seasons.
Jacob happily took over the cooking during their stay, which is always a wonderful thing. He loves being in the kitchen and always cooks up something amazing.
He and Hannah also helped build my new king-sized bed frame in between keeping up with their online BYU classes and even working from "home" with their laptops up in Idaho.
I think I may have worn them out.
Scott and I are purchasing Amber and Weston's king-sized mattress once they get up here. But in the meantime, this is my sleeping arrangement, ha ha. (A twin mattress on top of a king frame) So far, so good.
After I got the house all clean, I have been going from room to room, sorting through and downsizing everything in each one. If anyone is having trouble getting rid of stuff, I highly recommend leaving your home for several months, only pack what you can fit into the trunk of your car, and make do in small spaces for a while. Then when you do come back home, you'll realize that you don't need a whole lot of stuff and you'll be able to get rid of it. :)
One of the rooms I cleaned out was Benson's room. He's on the other side of the world now, is married, and is living his own life. I double checked a few things with him along the way before I got rid of stuff, but here is the before and after.
Before: (we took down the bunk bed first)
After: (The quilt is just temporary here. Once I get my king mattress, it's mine!!)
Yesterday I cleaned out the office. It looks much better now. And tomorrow I will attack the craft room downstairs. It feels amazing to get rid of stuff. I highly recommend it!
My kids in Italy are doing pretty well. They are a little under the weather, and can't seem to break out of that cycle, but overall they're okay. They are trying to stay as sane as possible even when they still can't go for walks outside. The weather is getting really beautiful there, but they can't go out and enjoy it yet. In the next couple of weeks, they are hoping for some of the restrictions to be lifted in Italy. I hope that goes well.
Someone in Kylie's family sent them a mini-version of corn hole and they had fun playing it while I watched them on the video chat a few days ago.
And after they finished, (I'm not sure exactly who won), I got a cute picture of Benson carrying Kylie on his back. :)
Benson says that the Air Force is being more lax about their grooming standards lately because barbers are not working right now with the restrictions in place. So his hair is a little longer than usual.
Meanwhile, Scott is doing very well in spite of some minor difficulties:
He climbed up on top of his wardrobe to change a light bulb. To me it looked like he was on top of a skyscraper!
He can't go swimming in the outdoor pool for exercise anymore because of the COVID-19 restrictions, so he has reverted back to running. But it's really hot over there now. 90's during the day and 80's at night. It takes forever for it to cool off enough that he feels okay to go running.
They have all been issued masks to wear. But I don't think they are enforcing it. At least not yet.
He still keeps busy on his days off by doing calculus. It still looks like gibberish to me.
And he has been frustrated with the red apples in the chow hall lately, saying they aren't crispy enough. He switched over to the golden delicious apples, and is enjoying at least one a day now. They make him very happy!!
And as if I didn't have enough to do already, I decided to try my hand at making some fabric masks. This one turned out very well:
However, after I finish just a couple more, I am moving on to greener pastures. I have a house to finish getting ready before a whole family arrives in just a few days!
Lastly, today being Easter, I would like to express a few thoughts. I am so grateful for a loving Savior who willingly chose to be The One. The One to save us, to help us through all the ups and downs of this life, and to be our Advocate with our Father. I'm grateful that because of His Atoning Sacrifice, I am able to repent and be changed. I am able to be clean again from my daily errors and mistakes. I have His perfect example to look up to, making Him the very best big brother anyone could ever have. I am so grateful for the miracle of His Resurrection, and the knowledge that we, too, will be resurrected because of Him. I look forward to the day when I can kneel at His feet and thank Him in person.
I am grateful for my wonderful family. My husband is the best husband in the world and we really have something special in our marriage. We are the best of friends. My children are all doing such wonderful things in the world and I am infinitely proud of them. I love them all so much.
I am grateful to be home. I am definitely nesting. Even though there is a ton of work that needs to be done, I am appreciative of the motivation I am being blessed with every day when I wake up to get up and get stuff done. I am grateful for my good health. I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how it keeps me grounded and content.
I am happy.
(Sunset in Sidney, Nebraska during our travels)
We drove a central route across the United States for two reasons: Gordon & Pam said the toll fees up north were ridiculous and would add up to about $100; and also there was more risk of wintry weather up north this time of year.
So we drove north and west through Maryland for a while, then over to Morgantown, WV before heading south and west toward Huntington, WV (home of Marshall University). We continued west through Lexington, KY and Louisville, KY and on through southern Indiana, passing several places I had previously visited in 2014 doing family history. It was really hard to just drive on by without even stopping!!
Louisville was home to dozens of bridges! I lost count of how many bridges there were in a short span of miles.
The KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville
I stayed in Corydon, IN for 3 days in 2014 while doing family history in the nearby vicinity. It is close to Santa Claus, Indiana and Lincoln State Park, boyhood home of Abraham Lincoln. But this time, no stopping. :(
We cut across a portion of Illinois and over through St. Louis to arrive at our lodging for the first night in St. Charles, Missouri. There were less than 5 cars parked in their parking lot, so that was promising as far as having the lowest possible risk factor. Pam and I geared up in our gloves and masks and went in to sanitize our room before moving all of our belongings in for the evening.
I talked to the lady at the front desk while checking in to find out their methodology for cleaning during the coronavirus. She showed me the hospital grade wipes that the cleaning staff uses, explaining that as they clean a surface (light switches, phone, remote controls, etc.), it has to stay on for 2 minutes before wiping it off. That sounded very promising to us, but we still wanted to do it again for our own peace of mind. Pam had packed a little spritzer bottle that used to hold eyeglass cleaning fluid, but now it held rubbing alcohol instead. So I went around the room, spraying any cloth surfaces - such as the sitting chair, the couch, and even the pillowcases and bedding. She was busy wiping every surface down with Clorox wipes.
Once we finished, we went on a short walk along the Missouri River that ran along behind the hotel. It was nice to get out of the car and walk, however slowly our legs decided to move. We ordered dinner and had it delivered to our room, then settled down to sleep.
The next morning, we left bright and early once again, heading west across Missouri toward Kansas City. Once again, I was disappointed that we could not stop to explore the church history sights that were right there!!
I loved seeing all the farmlands in the middle of our country. It really comforts my soul. God bless all of our farmers!!
We traveled briefly across a little corner of Iowa. Not much to see there. I'm sure later in the season the fields will be filled with corn though, and much prettier.
Something Pam and I noticed was that there were hardly any cars on the roads coming across the country. Just a handful of cars, but lots and lots of trucks. We remarked that they are some of the unsung heroes during this epidemic, working long hours to transport important groceries and goods to stores and homes across the U.S. We are so grateful for their tireless efforts and hard work to keep America going. We even took to waving at some of the drivers as we passed by them. They would smile and wave back.
Coming across Nebraska we noticed the first evidence of snow. But the clouds were so fascinating that I enjoyed taking pictures whenever I was the passenger.
As we passed by the Grand Island area of Nebraska, I was overcome with emotion as I thought back to the early pioneer days of the church and their travels across the country to Utah. They had to cross the rivers there multiple times with all their heavy wagon loads and family members. As I drove by, I saw a sign mentioning Mormon Island State Park. Later, I looked it up and apparently the Saints stopped over for a brief time here on their westward trek, and that's how it got its name. Just imagining all of them in the same area so long ago, as I was driving by now in my comfortable car with my gum and snacks, well, it really hit me. I'm so grateful that they didn't give up and that they trudged on and on until they made it.
Once again, we made it to our hotel after 12+ hours in the car. This time, we stopped over in Sidney, Nebraska. And once again, we detoxed our room before settling in.
Sidney is really tiny, so we had to go out to pick up our food after ordering it ahead. After I picked up the food, I found a spot to pull over to capture the beautiful sunset.
And then, just a few minutes later, after filling up the tank with gas, the sunset was even more spectacular. What a beautiful gift at the end of a long day!
We drove across Wyoming, passing through Cheyenne, Rock Springs, and Evanston before arriving in Utah. I've heard a lot of negative comments about the bleakness of Wyoming and how boring the drive can be. While it certainly doesn't compare to the beauty of Virginia and West Virginia, it had its own ruggedly handsome beauty.
Note: We decided to head toward Ogden, Utah on our final stretch because of the bad weather and bad roads predicted through the Star Valley, Wyoming area. It added more time to our overall itinerary, but we felt it was important to be safe rather than sorry.
I dropped Pam off at her sister's house in Layton, Utah, with plans to meet up later with her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter for their drive back across the country to West Virginia. I drove the last 3 hours north by myself. But it was just fine. Pam was worried and felt like she was ditching me. But because I'm 50% social and extroverted, and I'm also 50% quiet and introverted, I just used those last few hours to adjust to my quiet side and it was great. I cranked up the music and had a good time!
And finally, this was what I'd been waiting for . . .
Once I got home, I had to get to work cleaning around the house. I cleaned for 3 days straight. And each night I fell happily into my newly made bed.
Jacob and Hannah came up to help me for several days, moving furniture around, taking down bunk beds that aren't needed right now, wiping out cupboards and drawers, hauling things out to a storage unit, and getting things ready for the Whitworths to arrive in a few days. Amber and Weston are driving up from San Antonio, Texas and will be moving in. Weston has three optometry externships all over the country and there is only housing arranged for him at each place. So Amber and the girls will stay with me for an entire year. I'm excited to have time to spend with them and that they will be here for birthdays, holidays, and the changing of the seasons.
Jacob happily took over the cooking during their stay, which is always a wonderful thing. He loves being in the kitchen and always cooks up something amazing.
He and Hannah also helped build my new king-sized bed frame in between keeping up with their online BYU classes and even working from "home" with their laptops up in Idaho.
I think I may have worn them out.
Scott and I are purchasing Amber and Weston's king-sized mattress once they get up here. But in the meantime, this is my sleeping arrangement, ha ha. (A twin mattress on top of a king frame) So far, so good.
After I got the house all clean, I have been going from room to room, sorting through and downsizing everything in each one. If anyone is having trouble getting rid of stuff, I highly recommend leaving your home for several months, only pack what you can fit into the trunk of your car, and make do in small spaces for a while. Then when you do come back home, you'll realize that you don't need a whole lot of stuff and you'll be able to get rid of it. :)
One of the rooms I cleaned out was Benson's room. He's on the other side of the world now, is married, and is living his own life. I double checked a few things with him along the way before I got rid of stuff, but here is the before and after.
Before: (we took down the bunk bed first)
After: (The quilt is just temporary here. Once I get my king mattress, it's mine!!)
Yesterday I cleaned out the office. It looks much better now. And tomorrow I will attack the craft room downstairs. It feels amazing to get rid of stuff. I highly recommend it!
My kids in Italy are doing pretty well. They are a little under the weather, and can't seem to break out of that cycle, but overall they're okay. They are trying to stay as sane as possible even when they still can't go for walks outside. The weather is getting really beautiful there, but they can't go out and enjoy it yet. In the next couple of weeks, they are hoping for some of the restrictions to be lifted in Italy. I hope that goes well.
Someone in Kylie's family sent them a mini-version of corn hole and they had fun playing it while I watched them on the video chat a few days ago.
Benson says that the Air Force is being more lax about their grooming standards lately because barbers are not working right now with the restrictions in place. So his hair is a little longer than usual.
Meanwhile, Scott is doing very well in spite of some minor difficulties:
He climbed up on top of his wardrobe to change a light bulb. To me it looked like he was on top of a skyscraper!
He can't go swimming in the outdoor pool for exercise anymore because of the COVID-19 restrictions, so he has reverted back to running. But it's really hot over there now. 90's during the day and 80's at night. It takes forever for it to cool off enough that he feels okay to go running.
They have all been issued masks to wear. But I don't think they are enforcing it. At least not yet.
He still keeps busy on his days off by doing calculus. It still looks like gibberish to me.
And he has been frustrated with the red apples in the chow hall lately, saying they aren't crispy enough. He switched over to the golden delicious apples, and is enjoying at least one a day now. They make him very happy!!
And as if I didn't have enough to do already, I decided to try my hand at making some fabric masks. This one turned out very well:
However, after I finish just a couple more, I am moving on to greener pastures. I have a house to finish getting ready before a whole family arrives in just a few days!
Lastly, today being Easter, I would like to express a few thoughts. I am so grateful for a loving Savior who willingly chose to be The One. The One to save us, to help us through all the ups and downs of this life, and to be our Advocate with our Father. I'm grateful that because of His Atoning Sacrifice, I am able to repent and be changed. I am able to be clean again from my daily errors and mistakes. I have His perfect example to look up to, making Him the very best big brother anyone could ever have. I am so grateful for the miracle of His Resurrection, and the knowledge that we, too, will be resurrected because of Him. I look forward to the day when I can kneel at His feet and thank Him in person.
I am grateful for my wonderful family. My husband is the best husband in the world and we really have something special in our marriage. We are the best of friends. My children are all doing such wonderful things in the world and I am infinitely proud of them. I love them all so much.
I am grateful to be home. I am definitely nesting. Even though there is a ton of work that needs to be done, I am appreciative of the motivation I am being blessed with every day when I wake up to get up and get stuff done. I am grateful for my good health. I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how it keeps me grounded and content.
I am happy.
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