Follow the River

Spring is here. The temperature actually climbed into the 80 degree range last weekend, so I got to take my bike out for a ride. This time I tried a path that runs south along the Maumee River. It wound past Fort Meigs and right out of Perrysburg. Though the wind was against me, the sunshine encouraged me along. The trees were so beautiful with their pastel blooms and tiny green leaves. I kept thinking, I am so lucky to live by this river (even if it is polluted)!

The girls in my ward have a book club, though I've never taken the opportunity to go. This month, I didn't even read the book that was the focus of the group's study. Fortunately, my girlfriends encouraged me to attend last Thursday's meeting, even if only to hang out and eat our friend Leah's yummy cheesecake.

I was so glad I went! It was a great way to get to know some of the girls better and it was nice to do something just for me. They discussed the book, Follow the River, by Jame Alexander Thorn. By the end of the night, I knew I had to read it. I started up Friday afternoon and could hardly put it down. It was totally heartwrenching, graphic, disturbing, and engrossing. I couldn't say I enjoyed a minute of it, but it affected me deeply. What added to the reading was my surprise trip to Oak Openings with the 11-year-old Scouts. The other Scout leader canceled last minute, so I went along as Rick's 2nd leader. Emma and Shelby joined us too. Our site was up on a little ridge that hovered above a little stream. While Rick taught the boys how to build fires, I parked my camping chair overlooking the water AND READ.

Isn't this a perfect spot to help envision Mary Ingles as she struggled along the river? Someday I hope to hike her trail.

The boys worked hard honing their skills with a hatchet. Part of their requirements included making an ax yard.

They learned several different ways to start a fire. Rick wouldn't let them start a fire with matches, they had to do it the hard way using batteries and wool or flint and steel.

Dryer lint works perfectly for these situations.

Jacob, and his buddy Michael, set up this 2-man backpacking tent by themselves. They said they slept quite well (unlike this girl). I guess frog songs and creaking trees don't bother them much.

We left fairly early the next day so I could make it back for my Women's Conference. Before we left though, we took a little walk down the stream. We found a couple of old stone bridges.

Wasn't Emma a good sport about camping with the Scouts?

My exercise workshops went pretty well. As I look back, I would have done a few things differently. I'm still working on my pacing as a teacher. Everytime I teach this is a problem for me. Maybe I'll have a chance to present this material again someday. Heaven knows I have enough stuff for a 3 hour presentation!

At the end of this busy Saturday, we joined some new friends, the Cornell family, for pizza. We drove down to Grand Rapids, OHIO and ate at a place called Snyder's Pisanellos Pizza. It was fabulous! Later we walked along the river and peeked in some of the shops along main street. I would venture to say that this little town is one of the most charming I've seen yet. I can't wait to take Papa and Lala there when they visit next month!

I regret that the warmth didn't last past the weekend. We're in the low 50s today with rain and wind. It's pretty chilly out there. We were supposed to have an outdoor cookout tonight with the ward. I hope we don't get rained out! I'm fairly certain that we'll have great weather for any summer visitors who'd like to come visit though. What do you say readers?

Join my Brain Trust

Hello!

I have a REAL need for your stories and tips concerning exercise. I've been asked by my stake to present a 45 minute workshop on sneaking exercising into every day life next weekend as part of our Stake Sisterhood Day. I've got a lot of great material on why we should exercise and how to keep safe. I also know how to demonstrate typical exercises for muscle strengthening at home, etc. I'm looking for help in some other areas too. Can you respond to any (or all) of the questions below?

What are your biggest obstacles/concerns for consistent excercise? How do you overcome those challenges?

Do you have any entertaining/humorous/interesting stories of how you successfully (or unsuccessfully) made exercise part of your day?

Do you have any life-changing testimonials about the benefits of regular exercise?

What works best for keeping you motivated to exercise?

Do you know of ways to think "outside the box" when it comes to exercise?

How do you involve your family in fitness activities?

ANY help you can offer would be great! You can respond to this post, e-mail me at asaunde@hotmail.com, or call me at home.Thanks for making time for me! Love you!

Celebrity Sighting

Today the YMCA hosted its annual Healthy Kids Day in partnership with the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library and Fit For Life Toledo.

Our entire family took part in activities that included games,

health education,

raffles,

crafts, animal encounters,

fingerprinting, physical activities,

and dance instruction sessions with actress/dancer Alyson Stoner. She's an up-and-coming Disney channel star who has appeared in many films (Camp Rock and Cheaper by the Dozen 1 and 2). During her appearance, Stoner, who was reared in Toledo and now resides in California, promoted her Alyson Stoner Project (http:www.alysonstonerproject.com), a dance instructional DVD with emphasis on health and nutrition. The kids even got her autograph!

New Traditions

The Easter Bunny forgot to move the kids' baskets from Arizona to Ohio, so he gave the children new Lego sets instead. The basket tradition hasn't died out altogether though. Jake and Emma have been planning a special surprise for us for months. We received this lovely basket from them...

Little by little, they've created sweet cards, origami egg holders, and drawings. Everytime we've gone to the dollar store, they've bought a secret something for the basket.

Emma made several of these cards at Activity Days:

She lined the basket with homemade Easter Egg cutouts.

We now have a soft cuddly bear for our bed...

...and Easter statues for next year. Jake has decided that we will now have a family tradition of making baskets for each other every year, even the parents. We will also eat Easter dinner with Dad if he has to work at the hospital.

The kids and I got to attend church this morning. The Institute Choir presented an Easter program in Sacrament Meeting that featured some beautiful music. Later in Primary, the three of us sang a special musical number as part of the Sharing Time program. We sang, I Wonder When He Comes Again. I was very proud of them for singing in front of their peers. After an afternoon of playing Legos, we drove up to Toledo. Here we are in the lobby of St. Vincent's Mercy Medical Center, waiting to eat with Dad:

Don't they look spiffy?

Our Easter spread was quite delicious and filling. We gathered around the coffee table in the resident's lounge to enjoy a meal of ham, sweet potatoes, collard greens, and rolls.

After the feast, the kids played their own version of pool.

Time to go home and get ready for your first day back at school!

Castles, Caves, and Close Calls

The kids and I joined our future neighbors, the Dworczyks, on a road trip to West Liberty yesterday. This little town is "famous" for its castles and caves (not much else). It was a windy, rainy day which made driving a little treacherous, but I was intrigued by the whole American castle idea. On the 1 1/2 hour drive there I narrowly avoided a car accident. I happened to follow the Dworczyk's mini van as they approached some train tracks. They slammed on their brakes to allow an approaching train to pass, but at the last second changed their minds. I too slammed on my brakes which caused my tires to skid and slide on the rain-soaked road. I stopped before the train tracks, but nearly drove down an embankment in the process. As the train whizzed by, the reality of what happened sunk in. It really was a close call!



Once we safely arrived in West Liberty, we were surprised to find this castle in the middle of farmland:



We were free to take a tour inside the beautifully preserved Piatt castle. Many of the rich furnishings were still in tact and on display. This odd chair sat in the library:



The Piatt family loved art and music, though none of them really played instruments. Here is one of the many instruments in their conservatory:




And another...



This particular sofa was made of horse hair!



Many of the frescoes had been stenciled by a Swiss artist named Oliver Frey.



This "lawn jockey" was used in the underground railroad. Mrs. Piatt would put a scarf in the statue's hand to signal safety.

This was the master bedroom (I believe). Notice the chamber pot at the foot of the bed.

I thought the pram and cradle were so sweet...

It was very popular for ladies to collect seashells for their home in Victorian times.

Emma was a perfect little nanny to little Quinton.

Dallin (age 6) though Jake was pretty cool.

Here is the second Piatt castle. We didn't go inside this particular site because the kids were fed up with the history portion of our trip.

Instead, we stopped to play and picnic. The fun on the playground lasted 5 minutes. The picnic took place in the car. The weather sorta ruined our fun.

Always with the karate...

Next we took a tour of the Ohio Caverns.

We had to wait in the gift shop for quite awhile before our tour began. Emma and Jake were happy to entertain the little guys...

The rocks around Dallin's neck are held together by magnetic power. Pretty cool, eh?

My guess is that they have you wait in the gift shop so that your kids will beg you to buy stuff. I held strong though!

We learned that stalactites hang from the ceiling and stalagmites form from the ground up. This particular cave is unique because of the variety of color.

The path is fairly unchanged since it was created a hundred years ago. We walked single file most of the time.

When stalactites and stalagmites grow together they're called columns. Some of the stalactites are called straws because they are so slender and delicate. They're also hollow like a drinking straw.

The Crystal King...

Once outside, the temperature dropped in comparison with the cave. Look at those rolling hills in the background! Beautiful!

Easters of Old

My visiting teacher came over today. When she asked about my Easter plans, I had the terrible realization that the kids and I will be all alone this Sunday. Rick has to work a 12-hour shift at the hospital. He won't even be able to go to church with us. So, it is with great nostalgia that I present a few photos from Easters past:

In 2002, we lived with my parents in Glendale. What should have been a 3-4 month stay while our house was being built, turned into an 18-month long adventure. Fortunately, our time with my folks (and siblings) was a great experience. Every holiday was special because Jake and Emma were the only grandkids at the time. This picture shows Jake (age 4) and Emma (age 2) coloring eggs with Daddy:



This picture always makes me laugh because we all look so awkward. Emma appears to be quite ticked off about something...



My dad's side of the family usually gets together for an Easter picnic every year. The kids hunt eggs while the adults lounge around in lawn chairs. I'd like to draw special attention to Jake's outfit. Rick just informed me THIS YEAR about how much he hated it when I'd dress Jake in overalls. Oops! Why didn't he tell me then?



This was our first Easter spent in our home on Sands Drive out in Sun City. The kids are wearing their Sunday best. Emma's dress used to be one of Aunt Bonnie's when she was a little girl. Isn't she sweet? You wouldn't catch her wearing a dress like that now, especially with her hair all curled up.



Another Colyar picnic...



When Rick was in medical school, we used to attend the many family functions they'd hold on campus. This was J&E's first picture with the Easter Bunny. They also got to play games and hunt eggs.



Yet another Colyar shin-dig...That year, the hunt was very competitive. I believe Rick had to reign Jacob in a little bit.



Check out Emma's haul!

Ummm...Rick? I think you may have something in your nose.

Ho hum. I'm afraid those picnics and Easter Egg hunts are a thing of the past. Our kids aren't believers anymore and it's still too cold to picnic in Ohio. I'm trying to look on the bright side this year. No one expects me to cook an Easter ham! Any day I get a break from cooking, I'm happy. I think I can get away with making sandwiches since Rick will be working. Or, better yet, we can join him for Easter dinner in the hospital cafeteria. Won't that be special?