The White Family Blog

June 2010 Fun!

2010-06-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

Card House

2010-05-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

Victoria is writing "instructions" for a school project. She chose "How to Build a Card House." I happened to catch this shot one day while she was building it on her lap. Talent.

Victoria's 9th Birthday

2010-05-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

Victoria created a "goofy, silly" outfit for her birthday. (She DID just finish reading Pippi Longstocking.)

Tickets to professional Wizard of Oz for her present.

Peanut butter cheesecake!

A beautiful day for Victoria's birthday!

Izzy's Paintings

2010-03-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

Christmastime!

2010-02-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

Annual trip to pick out the tree always involves hot cider and cookies.

2009 Christmas tree.

Making Gluten Free Sugar cookies.

A wonderful MN snowfall.

Always trying to stay warm (new feetie pjs!)

The loot! Joan Jett barbie for Victoria and a microscope for Isobelle.

Izzy & Tori Make Dinner

2009-11-25T14:59:00.001-08:00

As part of their at home learning, I've asked the girls to plan and prepare a balanced meal each one night of the week. It's been a great success! I got a big kick out of this one though: Victoria made spaghetti tacos.

(Perhaps 2 starches don't count as balanced, but she did serve it with meatballs and broccoli on the side.)

All Hallows Eve 2009

2009-11-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

A very merry Samhain was had by all: Izzy was a pop star, Victoria was Judy Garland from the movie roll "Get Happy," John was Van Helsing, Joy was Sweeney Todd and mom was a pirate. Cadence was a butterfly and a marshmallow peep, Liam was a "piece of candy corn" and Rowan, a giraffe.

Jetta Gets A Fat Flat

2009-11-01T15:33:00.000-08:00

The jetta got a flat one evening. Snapped this shot.

Izzy's 10th Birthday!

2009-10-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

Wow. Isobelle is 10 years old!

She had a couple friends over to celebrate on the weekend. Isobelle invented Littest Pet Shoppe themed games for them to play. Brownies were her choice of "cake" with buttercreme frosting. They had snacks and prizes. A good time was had by all.

Today, October 12th, is her actually birthday. We are taking the day off of school. She enjoying her new presents with Victoria.

Winter Arrives In Cloquet

2009-10-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

I'm SO NOT ready for winter to come this year. And to top it off, it's settling in nice and early. We had our first snowfall October 10th and it DIDN'T melt! Ugh! Usually the first few melt away. Winter, ready or not...

John's Rendezvous

2009-10-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

Sometime in late September, John was asked to participate in Duluth's Lester River Rendezvous. Here he is depicted showing his skills to a interested boy. A most excellent festival!

John has been trying to sell the truck for many months. Finally, this fall is sold and is going to a good home that will use it exclusively for it's plowing talents and not it's reliability (though it was none too shabby in that department either, if you minus the carbon monoxide poisoning you fast approached while riding long distances.) Here John waves around the cash. Victoria was very put out he would not share.

Burning Down The House

2009-09-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, I almost burnt down the house. Well, I suppose that's a bit of an exaggeration. I just burnt something IN the house, but it was by far the worst kitchen mishap to date.

Twice I week I've been browning up expensive lamb patties for Joony (the dog) for her allergies. This particular morning, I forgot until about 9am that the girls had swimming lessons at 9am. They were still in pj's and didn't have any breakfast yet. We rushed out the door and DID make it in time, as the pool is only 2 blocks away.

An hour later, we return home. The smoke that fills the entire house along with the fire alarm screeching reminds me of the fresh, expensive lamb I was cooking on the stove top for Joony. Needless to say, I won't be feeding her the lamb and I probably ruined my nicest pot....

The bright side of things: the house is nice and airy today (because every last opening is wide open, we had to find something fun to do while the house was clearing (so the girls went to friends houses and I went to the lester park rendezvous) and lastly and most importantly, the house didn't burn down and nobody was hurt.

No flames were inspired today. At least not by me. ;)

Anniversary Trip to the Ren Fest

2009-09-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

In honor of their 9th anniversary on Sept 22nd, John and Emily make their way to the Ren Fest alone for another day of debauchery and drunken stupor. Oh yeah, and empty pocketbooks.

Ren Fest With The Family

2009-09-15T04:54:00.000-07:00

John, Emily, Izzy, Tori and Emily's sister Joy spent a long, wonderful day at the MN Ren Fest in early August.

Great Dane Puppy!

2009-09-14T16:38:00.001-07:00

Nope! Not ours. (We wish!) Pops and Busha were puppy sitting and we happened to spend most of the afternoon there that day.

A...N...D... Just so they don't feel left out, Sam and Joony. Joony has been having terrible allergies, for those of you who do not know. She's just itchy and scratchy! She's on lamb and rice (human quality) and benadryl. We have tried going without either, but there is a seasonal allergy AND a food allergy component. Hopefully once we get a nice frost, her allergies will lessen. She's wearing a cone because she won't stop scratching. Poor girl.

New Chore Chart

2009-09-14T16:09:00.001-07:00

To go with the new change of lifestyle (homeschooling) I anticipated I might need a little more help around the house. The girls and I came up with this new "chore chart." We all worked on painting and coloring it.

Labor Day at Lake Superior

2009-09-14T16:04:00.001-07:00

We had a lovely Labor Day on Lake Superior. The girls buried each other in the sand. John and the girls played in the water. We enjoyed being outside on such a hot day. I will admit, I was a little cold by the lake, and that was WITH a long sleeved shirt. John thinks I'm crazy.

Homeschooling: Day 1

2009-09-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

I've decided to dedicate a blog to the homeschool. Not that I need to really, but I know there will be those out there who just want to read on that. *wink*

The Homeschool Blog

Their first day last year 2008-2009:

Kiddy Artwork & New School Loungewear

2009-08-27T11:59:00.001-07:00

Victoria in her new outfit: Be sure to read the shirt. lol

Isobelle in her new school garb.

Victoria's watercolor: "Robin In The Rain"

Isobelle's rendition of Harry Potter:

A Day in Hayward, WI

2009-08-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

We spent a LONG day in Hayward, WI yesterday. We started off with a 2 hour lunch at Huong's Vietnamese Restaurant where John delivers. He thought their deliveries were above average (fresh product, not prefab, frozen stuff) and the owners are very nice. We ate there and it didn't disappoint! Gluten free friendly! Which is such a relief for me. They gave us a bunch of free things to sample. Yum.

We walked around downtown Hayward and window shopped. There is a chocolate store. Which is also an old-fashion candy store. Candy pack to the gills and here and there and everywhere! The girls were very impressed that such a thing existed.

We drove past a "hobbit hole" earth sheltered vet. LOVE IT! Also by our favorite mead place, White Winter Winery, but they were closed by the time we arrived. :(

Park Point Excursion

2009-08-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

A pit stop at the Country Store by the Lake. That's so my place! Another day trip to Park Point. We went to the end and walked a ways past the airfield into the woods. We ended up playing in Lake Superior on the walk back.

Amnicon Falls, WI

2009-08-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

Just a little day trip out to Amnicon. A picnic, spashing and fun was had by all.

I Like Big Mutts and I Cannot Lie

2009-08-27T08:47:00.001-07:00

Izzy and Emily (and Emily's Dad Andy) volunteered at the Duluth Dog show this summer. It was wonderful to see all the different kinds of dogs.

Isobelle The BlackSmith

2009-08-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

Izzy tried her hand at Blacksmithing, to follow in her fathers shoes. She made a beautiful hook! She managed to keep her hands clean, but dirtied them up on purpose, because she didn't feel they were dirty enough to feel like a true blacksmith. Her father is her basis for comparison. :)

American Girls Get Pampered

2009-07-21T06:09:00.001-07:00

After the long, exhausting, at times tramatic trip west, the girls needed a little fun and pampering time. The American Girls, that is. We all took a trip to the Cities last Thursday. I picked up some high end markers for an art project I'm doing (Copics really are the best) as well as checking out a drafting table at Ikea. We didn't get that, but we picked up a few kitchen odds and ends there. Right across the way is the Mall of America. We popped in there, heading to the American Girl Doll Store. Goldmine! As in, who ever owns that is making A LOT of money.

The dolls both had their hair done, a scrubbing up, and Victoria's Felicity got her ears pierced. Elizabeth got a toothbrush/bathroom kit. They looked as good as new!

Isobelle, Victoria and Emily went on one of the roller coasters they have in the center area of the mall. This was the first time for either of the little girls. Isobelle loved it, as I knew she would. Victoria when through all emotions during the 1 minute ride. She loved it, then worried her head was going to get pulled off from the g-forces, and then panicked and hated it. Mixed reviews on her part. I guess she's not such an inherent adrenaline junkie that Isobelle or I are.

Our Badlands/Yellowstone/Grand Canyon Trip 2009

2009-06-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

The 16 entries that follow are from our trip in June 2009. I have entered them in reverse order, so you, the reader, can follow our trip along as it happened (instead of backwards as most blogs would have you do.)

The states we hit on this trip: Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska and Iowa. Totalling 5,061 miles.

As many have asked, we only had one tank of grease for the car, which we filled before we left home. Running a greasecar requires filtering of gathered grease, plus settling time. Unfortunately we didn't have the capacity to do either on this trip.

As you will read and see, this was a jam-packed trip, with many wonderful and terrible things. We're happy to have gone and happy to be home. (Our home was very tidy, as we cleaned it all up to put on the market before we left. What a treat to come home to an extra clean house!)

Click on the photos to view them closer. When you get to the bottom of the page, you will need to click "older posts" to continue reading about our vacation. The last entry is titled "She lost her Head in the Land of Oz under an Alien Cloud."

First Night Away From Comforts - Except One!

2009-06-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday: First stop in Willmar, Minnesota. We left home around 10 am. Passed a large windfarm this afternoon. Isobelle smells pencil usage in the car. ;)

Camped first night at Lake Vermillion Recreation Area. Nice birding on the lake. And had some fun with the air matress for the first time (my one requirement for the trip.) The rain help off the whole time, but was overcast. For a photo opp, I asked the girls to run down the hill like Little House on the Prairie. Victoria tripped down the mountain...

Badlands & Hot Water!

2009-06-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

Sunday: Up nice and early. Stopped at Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. Refuel as well. Haven't yet run grease. 444.4 miles so far! There was another 1/4 tank left or so, but we were in a convenient place to fuel.

11:30 AM CST: Potty break that turned into a mini excursion. There was a Louis and Clark Museum/Visitors Center overlooking the Missouri River Vally. First "beware of poisonous snakes" sign on the trip.

Noon: Crossed into next time zone! Saw an antelope, sheep and the beginnings of the Badlands - 15 minutes out.
3PM: Set up at Badlands camp. Going to explore the park. Neighbor campers borrow camp stove. The Badlands camp has hot water!

Carvings, Cosmos, Collisions, Oh My!

2009-06-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

Monday: We tooled around Badlands last night in search of the buffalo that allegedly were only viewable from a remote pass - after visiting the Visitors Center. We walked the nearby path early in the day, ate dinner the drove out. One lone buffalo.

Sleeping was cold - windy really. We all climbed into the large mattress together. Slept eventually. Quick breakfast then head out to Rushmore, etc.

6:55 CST: In a little of a shock and serious mood - the auto accident.
We left Badlands and up to Rushmore. That was a wonderful and beautiful area. Victoria was very excited to see Mt. Rushmore in person. We then headed to Crazy Horse, but entrance fee of $27 seemed too steep, even though we would love to support. We saw it from the side though. Then proceeded through Rapid City, where we picked up some expensive dinner and breakfast groceries.

Just past the Wyoming border, we had the accident. A motorcycle stopped short (quickly) in front of us, I braked hard, realized I was going to hit them, swerved into the other lane and proceeded into a fishtale where I lost control. We hit them in back (the saddlebag and rear tire,) but had already slowed greatly. The man and woman spoke only french, so no one yet knew their side of the story. The man was bleeding from his head with a possible broken wrist or arm; the womans knee skinned, from what we could tell. I called 911 right away and they came fairly quickly. The cyclists seemed like they would be okay.

I got a call from Pop as I was dialing 911, just to say "hi" and see how we were, according to his message. (I check it hours late when I remembered he'd called.)

I talked with Billy the trooper, calmed the kids who were very upset and John and I assessed the damage to the car. It seems fine. We found the Keyhole State Park in Wyoming for the night.

We visited the Cosmos Sight today too! We all keep forgetting that with the accident excitement. The girls had a complete blast there. Definitely fun.

I'm running on empty and feel like I want to cry, but not sure why. The girls are bouncing back a little, now that we've set up camp and there's burgers and Doritos in their future. The weather turned up today too.

9:03 CST: We hit Wall Drug first thing this morning. The girls each got a piece of fools gold and a couple of post cards.

This evening the trunk wouldn't shut. Izzy's seatbelt wouldn't work yesterday, but then started working again. I'm hoping the trunk is just in a mood. I know I am. I ate junk to feel better - Doritos and chocolate.

The Mood Hangs By A Trunk

2009-06-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

Tuesday: Seeing the Rockys for the first time (10:30 CST.) The trunk broke last night - not good for the moods. (We've collected another warning light on the dashboard.) Seeing more antelope in Wyoming.

We stopped in Sheridan to gas up and get groceries for the couple of days in the park. In the crossing of Bighorn we saw a moose off in a field. We caught a couple lousy pics but he wouldn't present anything other than his backside - even after we turned around and circled to get a better angle. We saw a lone goat right off the right side just outside Yellowstone. The trip today provided numerous antelope, which have been fairly hard to spy thus far.

As we went through the tunnels in the mountain just before Yellowstone, I told the girls that they could now say they had been through a mountain! Isobelle replied, "Yeah. Mountains with concealment!"

Dinnertime: Arrived in Yellowstone after a long, uneventful drive. The mountain Pass was spectacular, but a little unnerving for Victoria and I. So I drove to focus on the road ahead and John could sight see. We took highway 14 through the Bighorn. There were large piles of bison dung everywhere. Started a fire for dinner, with purchased Yellowstone wood that was very wet! It was a trick to start. (Everyone around us was having a hard time with it too!)

Bears And More in Snowy Yellowstone

2009-06-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

Wednesday: Wednesday morning we woke to snow on the tent and trees. I was wearing everything I brought, so I was warm enough (it wasn't really that cold.) Victoria slept in our bag with all our heads a little downhill. Isobelle slept the other way in two sleeping bags and was nice and toasty and comfy.

We did the loops of Yellowstone. The lower in the AM. We visited some stinky sulfur pools and hit Old Faithful, where we got rained on significantly for the first time.

Talked with Cousin Tim, who kindly invited us to stay the night. So we did the upper loop on our way to Bozeman, Montana. We were surprized to find the Mammoth Hot Springs dried up and kind of a disappointment from Johns pictures of a previous visit. We saw all the Yellowstone wildlife goodies - bison right on the road and their little calves, a grizzly bear foraging off the side of the road, a velvet-racked elk right on the curb, a bighorn sheep perched atop a cliff munching and magpies all over the place in Northern Yellowstone and Montana. Many antelope, mule deer, osprey, canadian geese and a mystery waterfoul, taht was reminicent of a loon - only duck sized.

In Montana we got to meet Jennifer and Robbie - the first of the White's to meet the little one! The grownups showered and slept in a warm, cozy bed. (The girls on an air matress.) A nice change from the cold, windy nights. We had yummy pizza and salad. In the morning, hot eggs and toast with coffee and o.j. Tim and Jennifer were preparing to leave for Andy's wedding in D.C. Pippin [the dog] wanted to play ball the whole time we were there.

Driving Through Salt Lake City

2009-06-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

Thursday: We left Bozeman a little late, around 11 am. We're hoping to get to Salt Lake City, Utah by night, but that's a healthy distance. We're taking 191 to 20 to 15 through Idaho. It's starting off warm and sunny. Just perfect really.

Death by Mountain Cliffs

2009-06-19T12:29:00.000-07:00

Friday: We stayed at Scofield State Park, arriving very late. We had a quick campstove meal of hot dogs and beans and hit the sack around 11:30 CST. Upon arrival, the sprinklers were going and we had to dodge 20 yards of potential drenchedness. There were sprinklers set to 360 degrees and 180 degrees, so timing was critical. We made the first 360 but had to hand for a beat so the 180's could reset and we could make our run. The girls and I made it there and back without much dampness. I think John "cheated" by watching up go before him. ;) The bathroom was heated, with running hot water. Score!

In the morning the city of ground squirrels came alive. We dropped a couple peanuts while Izzy was making more trail mix, and one little brave one got pretty chummy to us once he realized there were scraps of food falling from us like dandruff. Eww.

We awoke after a very cold night to frost on the ground and the tent wet. We got going fairly quickly - off to Arizona!

7:00 pm CST: Passed through the Red Monument Valley, which is stunning! The drive was long, uneventful and like yesterday, interspersed with frequent bathrooms stops requested by Victoria.

As recommended by Erins friend, we check out Lockett Meadow Campground across from Sunset Crater. It's not for the "feint of heart or the low-slung of car." ~ John White (the getting to of the campground, that is.) A single wide dirt path winding up, up , up the mountain, with seemingly heavy traffic! I managed to survive the passing of a small car, but next came a extra-large 4X4 and I quickly hopped out to walk behind the car. (There was plenty of room to pass from my new vantage point, but as the passenger passing on the outside of the mountain, it looked very shady.) Needless to say, the Jetta and Emily can't make that trip even once daily, let alone more. We're headed to Homolovi Ruins State Park outside Winslow, AZ, where we will meet the Nelsons.

The Nelsons, Erin and Aaron and Wind

2009-06-19T12:12:00.001-07:00

Saturday: Last night we met [The Nelson Family] at Homolovi Camp. It is warm, sunny and windy. The wind died down and we were able to have a nice, leisurely dinner with the moths. They brought amazing goodies for dinner, complete with drinks! Phoebe and Izzy bonded over their American Girl Dolls, the boys played Lacrosse and helped out with dinner and Victoria "check out" with the Nintendo in the car.

We went to bed late, but got to sleep without the fly on the tent. The stars were amazing.

We woke to nice, warm weather. The camp had a shower so I hope that the girls can be refreshed, as I was. We had leftover steak hash, pancakes with bacon and fruit.

We found cool pottery shards at the Homolovi site.

We visited La Posada Hotel, which was awesome. Beautiful flowering grounds and art and furniture overflowing. We met Erin and Aaron there.

We headed over to a Root Beer Float and Burger joint to catch some lunch. Quite literally, with all the wind there was! Then fun begins. On the way to Meteor Crater, the tire on Erins truck blew! Their jack broke, ours didn't "fit", Nelsons is inaccessible, but the nice officer that is on the scene should be able to help...and he did!

Meteor Crater turned out to be too expensive, so we all opted out. We popped over to the Homolovi 2 site, which was cool too. The Nelson's and Izzy took off quickly because Cyrus was very bummed about the news from his baseball tryouts - presumably - and wasn't in the mood to look at Ruins. The site had a room excavated and more wonderful artifacts. Erin found carbonized corn and corn cob. Victoria and I walked down a path and saw hoof prints and a lizard, who was quite amenable to closeness of humans.

We went back to camp and the Nelsons made a yummy, easy dinner while we hung out and B.S.ed - and drank.Upon return from the ruins, we both found our tents blown over from the incredible wind and theirs ripped. Erin and Aaron rook off around dusk, knowing they had a long drive home. We stayed up pretty late, sitting around the fire. Time returned a call Liz had made to inquire about Andy's wedding. We all chatted with Andy and wished them well on their day.

The four of us saw a few satellites, shooting stars and amazing star gazing from our tent. The girls fell asleep quickly, as it was exhausting in the wind and heat. John and I chatted about stars and bonded about the desert sky.

The Grand Canyon Isn't So Grand

2009-06-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

Sunday: We awoke to clouds, but no rain. The wind died down at dusk (thankfully) and remained settled today. I made oatmeal (GF!) promptly, but the Nelson's offered a train of tasty bacon, eggs and fry toast to follow. Does that count as second breakfast?

After they packed up camp, we all headed to the Grand Canyon where we stopped at Grandview Point and had a quick tailgate lunch. Amazing. Victoria is claiming she's unimpressed, but I don't buy it. She's just pushing Dad's buttons. :) Isobelle was most looking forward to this, and seemed to think it's neat. The Nelson's "peeled off" at the second overlook, with a quick, sad goodbye (for my part surely.)

We traveled to the Yaki Point entry and took it by foot. We cut across rather than going all the way down. the little path through the wodds we took back offered many purple lupines, among many other cool things. At the Visitors Center, I saw a humming bird. Not a good look (to tell which kind) but a clear, lengthy sighting. More deer on the side of the road - but these were fuzzy-antlered Grand Canyon deer, eating flowers off the shrubs.

It's a tired bunch in the car now. We're going to drive through Williams on the way back to camp to check it out.

Flagstaff, Sedona and It's Cold Food From Now On

2009-06-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

Monday: Today was Flagstaff and Sedona day. We ate a quick breakfast and headed out. We walked through historic Flagstaff for a couple hours, catching lunch at a little deli. We drove around the residential areas to get a feel for it all. Then headed down 89A to Sedona for the afternoon. We were hoping to hit Slide Rock State Park for the girls to cool down, but we drove past, realized it was a zoo. Maybe not the kinds with animals, but as crowded as it was, that would depend on the definition of "animals." Sedona is nice, but almost too perfect. Cute, rich tourist town. The firls and I dug the misters on of the restaurants dosed out to their patrons and passers by. We drove around for a little bit to see where the locals live. Nice, but nothings too surprising. I imagine the crazy homes are a little further out. The "Tool" sticker we saw on a car in Sedona (the same as I had in the black Camry all through high school) had new meaning as Maynard reportedly lives around there. ;)

There was an alien store, that must have drawn us in with the "X-files" theme. The girls and I really wanted to check it out and Dad didn't object. It was tacky, with a 4-wheeler supped up like a spaceship, an alien recovery vehicle and completed by plastic life-sized alien mannequins. Inside had UFO info, kitchy shirts and stickers and other alien themed things to buy. We popped across the way to the mystic store, where there were "pretty" smelling things, to the usual standards (burned my throat,) info on vortexes (which I don't want to be in to, but must admit I feel the draw *smirk*) and other magical/spiritual paraphernalia.

The afternoon we pulled off the side of the road somewhere close to Slide Rock and played in the river for a good while. There was a large crayfish poking around, followed by the spotting of a smaller blue one.

Seeing as our camp stove seems to be leaking with the addition of the brand new, higher pressured propane tank, dinners will be quick, simple and probably cold, henceforth. We managed some ground taco meat, reheated refried beans and warmed tortillas for dinner. We all went to bed early after reorganizing in preparation for leaving in the morning, reading our books until dark.

BTW: We LOVED Flagstaff!

Carried My Cross and Dashboard Souvenirs

2009-06-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Tuesday: It was colder last night. My earplugs fell out, so I didn't sleep as well as the past couple nights. Victoria did NOT get a bloody nose last night, as she did the previous two. We figured her delicate, little nose is probably drying out in the desert heat and humidity (or lack thereof.) We put a little medicine in there before bed and that seemed to do the trick!

I awoke at a "respectable time," according to me: 7:30 am CST. We slept until 9:30 yesterday, and knowing we had a long day of driving today, I wanted to get going early. We did! John and I were sad to go but looking forward to being home. Missing the dogs, among other things.

We stopped for groceries in Gallop, New Mexico. The lava rock and Painted Desert we could see from the freeway were cool. I personally hate all the trucks that are on the road. Hopefully going north will find the roads less populated by semi's.

Our drive today found a man walking on the side of the highway with his bags tied to a life sized crucifix. A sight I've never seen.

We picked up a junkie McDonald's lunch in Albuquerque and some fuel. The interchange was expansive and adorned with some pretty decorative blue painted accent. The town also has a wonderful amount of trees visible from the freeway. That's nice to see after several days in the barren desert of Winslow.

The break pad light decided to add itself to our dashboards souvenirs from the trip, this evening. Brakes are working fine - just another things to get fixed. It WAS a nice car...

The Long, Dark of Wednesday

2009-06-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

Wednesday: Stayed at Jackson Lake State Park in Colorado. We arrived late, as expected, but it took atleast 1/2 hour to find the grounds. The signs were missing from on direction! When we eventually DID find it, it was spendy. We got very spoiled by our Winslow/Homolovi camp in Arizona, with cheap prices, hot water and showers and a water faucet at each site. This park was lovely and large. We arrived at dusk, so the mosquitoes and other bugs were thick. We ate a cold meal of torillas and beans (or lettuce torillas for me) and no air matress, for the first time - which was uncomfortable and painful. But we all did sleep anyhow. I figured that it would motivate us out of bed nice and early.

The Road Whines Beneath our Tires

2009-06-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

Today's driving has been interesting, but thankfully uneventful, up to this point (if you know what I mean.) Nebraska was actually nicer than John and I remembered (not that I've ever been there before.*grin*)Unfortunately the roads were grooved for MANY miles and therefore whined under the tires. Perhaps they cried. The girls said it sounded like creepy ghosts.

Bug-Free Days Are Gone

2009-06-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

It was a bit shocking for all of us to feel the humidity again. And the bugs! I've enjoyed the bug-free days in the desert very much. Iowa is hot and humid as well, but gain very pretty. The landscape is lush green again with flowers galore (not that Arizona was locking in the flower department.) The rolling hills with farmhouses are just quaint, and speak to me. Will MN too be hot and humid?

Alien Spaceship in the Clouds

2009-06-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

Most of the way through Nebraska we could see a strange cloud formation - John ponders it for a long while. I told hime it looked like the outline of a (an enormous) spaceship. It did! I've been joking about aliens this whole trip. Victoria told him the same thing about the cloud. :)

Lost Her Head in the Land of Oz under an Alien Cloud

2009-06-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

8:30 pm: Those alien clouds turned out to carry mass destruction weapons - otherwise known as reported golf ball sized hail (we witnessed quarter sized) and multiple tornadoes. John noticed the alien clouds were turning a touch green, which I thought would only support my alien theory. Alas. We drove on into Northern Minnesota, past Blooming Prairie. (John made a joke about his British look on that name.) I turned on my cell phone radio and immediately found the local station, reporting a touchdown EXACTLY where we were. We were 3/4 mile from the exit, and got hail on the ramp. We gound shelter under a gas station awwning (packed with cars.) The local siren started, so we decided to head into the building. The girls were a little nervous with the hail but freaked with the sounding alarm. Isobelle scooped up Elizabeth and ran with me the few feat to the building. John and Victoria (who were both on the other side of the car) were a little slower. Victoria grabbed her Judy doll and Felicity. As she got out in a panic, spilling colored pencils and miscilanious toys everywhere, Felicity's head rolled out of sight. I didn't know it had happened until I saw Victoria shaking and crying hysterically and coming in with a headless American Girl doll. The storm passed within 10 minutes. We found her head under the car and I was able to stick it back on. Once it's dry, we'll fix her up tight. So much for an uneventful trip through MN. However, I did see a few green men; I was a little sick to my stomach myself.

There was a second scare, but appears to have passed South. The clouds still loom overhead. They're coming...

But we made it home, safe and sound around midnight!

Spring Piano Recital 2009

2009-06-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Isobelle and Victoria had their Spring Piano Recital Thursday May 28, 2009. They each played two songs and mom accompanied each girl on one. They did a wonderful job!

2009 Memorial Weekend in Rhinelander, WI

2009-05-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend in Rhinelander, WI. This is Busha's childhood home, and she and Gramps now own. Busha's sister Cathy, brother Don and mother Ann stayed the weekend as well. They were amazing hosts, with gobs of wonderful food! No chance of going hungry, even for a raw foodist! They were gracefully sympathetic to all our different dietary needs. Above and beyond guys!

John and I stayed in the room with the air bed. Considering that we need a new mattess in the worst way, this was amazing. I was happy that we tested mattresses a while back, so I wouldn't have eyes for this one. It sure was comfy though.

Izzy and Tori spent every possible moment swimming in the lake. It was kind of chilly. John and Pops (Gramps) put the docks in the water and dug out the canoe and kayak. The girls started off picking up sticks and pinecones so the lawn could be mowed.

The White Family took the canoe out Sunday morning, while everyone was away at Church. "Aunt" Cathy and "Uncle" Don took Izzy and Tori to see Night At The Museum 2 that night. Thanks!

The girls went fishing in a little stream Monday morning. We put the worm on the hook (my first time doing that - I didn't enjoy it.) They dropped it in the stream and immediately we getting hits. It would have been hard NOT to catch a fish. It was an excellent first fishing experience, if I do say so myself. Victoria's pole wouldn't release the line very well, so she had to stand almost in the water, but was the first to catch one. Izzy caught one a minute or so later!

Isobelle & Victoria Create!

2009-05-04T11:13:00.001-07:00

Victoria really loves Martin Luther King Jr. Almost as much as T-Rex and Judy. Here's a picture she did in his honor.

Isobelle drew the turtle and fish a few months ago. Also, the Christmas picture is from a movie we watch every year around Christmas, Home Alone.

Victoria's 8th Birthday

2009-05-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

Littlest Victoria turned 8 years old April 12, 2009! I can't believe how time flies. And she's the littlest of the two. Wow. That means Isobelle is 9 1/2 that day... Geez!

Victoria had a low key birthday, which was just fine for all. She had a couple friends over, ate peanut butter chocolate cheesecake (made by mom) and got sick that evening. Victoria and Mom are both lactose intolerant, and the raw whipped cream in the cheesecake sassed back when Victoria had a huge piece. :) I warned her, but she's didn't care. She was wonderful too. John was up with her in the night because her tummy hurt, but she was a wonderful sport and said something to the effect of "you can just go back to bed Dad. I chose to eat it, so I chose a belly ache." She's a hoot.

She got a new bicycle and didn't know how to ride (if you can believe that!) We all went out yesterday and she learned to ride in about an hour. Great job Victoria!

After years of solid conviction against getting her ears pierced, Victoria claimed a few days after her birthday that she wanted to get them done. Mom had placed a "you must be atleast 8 years old to get your ears pierced in this house" requirement. She was a little shakey after it was done, but they look wonderful! She chose the same studs as her Judy Garland Summer Stock doll has.

Victoria's American Girl Doll Felicity gets a flute! Boy can she play well! Mom finds a little humor that she's playing a song about how much she loves the piano on a flute. :)

Spring School Pictures 2009

2009-04-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd throw in last years, so you all can compare.

Art from Izzy & Tori

2009-04-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

I just did a post about Isobelle winning an coloring contest. Here's a drawing she did of herself as a baby.

Isobelle was inspired by the "making of the Lord of the Rings" DVD's John and I were watching a few days ago. She decided to make herself a suit of paper armor and an orcs mask.

Here's one Victoria did with her true love as the theme.

Crossbills and other Beings

2009-04-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

We were so pleased when our feeders started being visited by crossbills in late March. The first couple arrived. One male (red/orangish) and one female (greenish.) The following days, more and more came to join our usual clan of redpolls and pine siskins, with the occasional nuthatchs and chickadees.

This is a video of last years pileated woodpeckers. We are lucky enough to have one that is around annually, for the past several years now. This day, we caught two of them dancing around on a tree.

Here's Joony catching a little nap.

And here's Joony being bugged by Dad.

The Snow Fort

2009-04-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

I'm guessing around January sometime, John snowblowed the yard into one big pile. Good fun! Then he and Isobelle carved out a snow fort, that the girls played on and in for months. Unfortunately, but inevitably it flooded when spring hit. The dogs also used it frequently, if you get my meaning.

Isobelle Wins Art Contest!

2009-04-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

Our local coffee shop had a coloring contest for the holidays. Isobelle won 1st place, which was a $10 gift certificate. Way to go Izzy!

A Bunk Bed

2009-04-04T13:56:00.001-07:00

The girls sharing a room has been going well. Beginning last September, the girls moved into what was Victoria's room and John and I took Isobelle's room. We squeezed two twin beds in there, with only a 12 inch (or so) path in between. It was tight - they didn't seems to mind. All this left for very little room to play. So downstairs, where our room was previous, we turned into a play room. They liked it for a while, but then it got cold. And stayed cold. It's Minnesota, after all. They definately didn't enjoy being down there when the cement floor makes your feet ache with cold. It became a toy dump!

With homeschooling beginning soon, we needed a place for a class room. The play room is it! There is heat (we didn't keep it on regularly, but will now!) and a window air conditioner for the few hot days Minnesota hands out.

The girls got a new bunk bed, so they can reclaim a little of their room for playing!

Isobelle's Tae Kwondo Brown Belt Testing

2009-03-31T03:40:00.000-07:00

Isobelle's ice cream treat after testing!

The White Family YouTube Page

2009-03-31T02:52:00.000-07:00

The White Family videos are being hosted at YouTube. Why not?

Emily's 30th Birthday

2009-03-31T02:19:00.000-07:00

My birthday was fairly uneventful, as it was my 30th. I'm just fine with that!

Here are my birthday flowers, cake, and Isobelle behind the decorated cake. It was a gluten free white cake, with tons of frosting, and it was yummy. I was joined by my friend Hope, sister Joy, Stokes and Anne, GG, Aunt Casey, and Pops and Mary Jo at the chinese restaurant. Victoria was sick, so she missed out, and John stayed with her. (I brought take home for him.)

Baby Rowan

2009-03-31T02:04:00.000-07:00

My brother Stokes and his wife Anne had their third child: Rowan Joseph was born 6 weeks premature on January 17, 2009.

The Greasecar Lives

2009-03-31T01:50:00.000-07:00

The Greasecar Jetta is finally here! As of February 8 2009, we're running our 2002 Volkswagen Jetta on grease, straight from a restaurant frier. Filtered of course, and with a greasekit from greasecar.com (just to make life simple) we're one step further from the man.

Things have been going well...overall. The car is working wonderfully. It has handled the grease like there's nothing different. The switching from grease to diesel is easy, with a flick of a switch. You have to purge before you park- our system takes 13 seconds or so. So far, we haven't forgetten to do that.

I did try to switch it on one day when it was about 0 degrees out... it didn't like that. I THOUGHT the engine was warm enough. Guess I was wrong. It was just a minor hiccup though. I realized in an INSTANT that something was not flowing properly. (Let's just say I was ready for it, and thinking about how COLD it was outside.) I switched it off immediately, drove 10 more miles to ensure the engine was warm enough, and tried again. This time it worked fine. I cannot detect any difference between driving on regular fuel and grease.

Here's more photos.

Here's my "Stupid" song (nothing to do with the grease car, but just a general frustration with a diesel car in the winter.)

Xmas 2008

2009-03-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

The White Family Website; Xmas 2008

Through the air wafted the holiday scents of warm sugar cookies and peppermint hot chocolate. The pine tree was expertly trimmed and carolers wove a wonderful melody while Mrs. Claus paged through Martha Stewski’s magazine Cookie Living. It was tea time at the North Pole. Joe and Juniper Jingle, two elves from the Lego division, snuck outside the toy factory and quietly raced behind the reindeer barn.

“You got it?” Joe asked. Juniper pulled out the papers she had absconded with and smiled slyly.

“Yep,” she winked. “Got it.” They huddled together as Juniper unrolled the papers.

“So who are we reading about today?” Joe asked anxiously, trying to peer over Juniper’s shoulder. Santa was a stickler for not wasting electricity at the North Pole, which meant entertainment was mainly limited to watching reindeer games and playing hockey. Joe and Juniper were bored of both. They decided they should drum up a little fun of their own. So the two had hacked into Santa’s computerized “Naughty and Nice” list to read about the lives of the faraway people who awaited annual judgment by the red-suited man.

“Let’s see. Today we’ve got… some folks from Cloquet, Minnesota” Juniper said.

“Wow! They’ve got potato sausage and lutefisk there!” Joe said. Joe’s dream was to live in Minnesota and pursue his Nordic culinary ambitions. “I bet this one’s gonna be good!”

Juniper’s eyes skimmed the paper. A frown spread across her face. “Sorry. Don't think so. Doesn't look too exciting.”

Joe’s face fell. “Well, might as well read it anyway,” he shrugged. “We don’t have anything better to do.” He leaned against the red barn and stuck his tongue out to catch the plump snowflakes that had started falling.

“Let’s see,” Juniper murmured. “John, Emily, Isobelle and Victoria White are their names. Isobelle and Victoria have a few marks in the Naughty column, but they still have a Nice rating.”

“Darn. Nice people are always so boring,” he complained.

“Well, it’s not all bad,” Juniper rang. “Says here that they took a few trips this year – the annual Renaissance Festival, camping in Jay Cooke State park with their dogs, a trip to Lake George in Rhinelander, WI with Emily’s brother Stokes and his family, their dad Andy and step mom Mary Jo, and of course the big cruise John and Emily went on. Florida, Belize and Mexico. That was Emily’s first trip out of the country. She had to get a passport.”

“Hey, that’s not too bad. What else?”

Juniper’s eyes continued down the page. “They also got a new dog. She’s a one year old chocolate lab/springer spaniel they named Joony. They still have their dog Sam and cat Vinny. He’s a little crotchety about it all. Joony ate his beloved catnip monkey of 9 years the first day she arrived!”

“I’m sure Santa will bring him a new one,” Joe encouraged.

“Isobelle turned nine this year, started horseback riding lessons, loves reading Goosebumps and got her purple stripe belt in Tae Kwon Do. Victoria turned 7 in April, got her first short haircut, and lucky for Santa, still loves Judy Garland,“ Juniper winked.

“They started sharing a bedroom this year. It’s going very well, which earned them a few more checks in the Nice column. Both girls started piano lessons this year too.”

“I only know jingle bells on the kazoo,” Joe blushed.

Juniper gave him an incredulous look and continued reading. “Seems John was pleased his whole family came to Cloquet for the first time since their wedding 8 years ago to celebrate his 40th birthday. And Emily went cross-country skiing for the first time very early in the year!”

“What?! ” Joe yelled, forgetting all about catching snow on his tongue. “How else would you get around in the snow?!”

Joe went back to his snowflake catching.” I guess these people aren’t as boring as I feared.” He leaned his head way back to catch a snowflake and his green elf hat plopped into the snow with a soft jingle from the bell on top. “What else?”

"They got a new car - a diesel Volkswagen Jetta that gets 45 MPG! John is converting it to run on vegetable oil! He also went kayaking, packed in frequent sailings on the Great Lake Superior with Emily’s Uncle Bruce, built a new deck and installed a pond, solar powered.”

Joe raised his eyebrows. “Santa would approve,” he offered.

“He’s still doing blacksmithing too! He’s making a sculpture for his mom Cynthia’s house in Maine. Umm…Looks like Emily’s raw food restaurant didn’t happen, but it seems she is still teaching raw classes and has started selling Sunrider natural products.”

Joe looked sideways at Juniper. “What’s that?”

“Organic raw, live-enzyme foods and health care products,” Juniper read. “She also put together another CD of original songs, won “People’s Choice” for a local songwriting competition, is still doing web design, including one for John’s metalwork and is enjoying her last year in her twenties. Emily has some vague health problems. Mostly being really tired. Wow! She’s met a lot of doctors this year! Seems her symptoms are like Lupus, but they can’t say for sure. They figured out she’s gluten intolerant (flour) and lactose intolerant (milk) and should avoid sugar. Tough break!”

Joe took a breather from trying to catch snowflakes and looked at his watch. “Hey! We better get something to eat before we get back to the toy factory.” They were hoping for a 2nd degree sugar buzz to get them through the rest of the day, because the workload had tripled due to the holiday rush.

“Anything else before we grab some grub?” Joe asked.

Juniper skimmed the list. “It also says Emily lost an aunt this year - her mom Sheila’s youngest sister, Aunt Kim. They all really miss her. But it looks like they’re going to have another relative join the family - Emily’s brother Stokes, his wife Anne and their children Cadence and Liam are getting a new baby boy sometime next year. And speaking of next year, the White’s plans to put their house on the market in the spring. They want to live in the country. They are also looking into home-schooling! Oh! Says here they have a Christmas wish list, but otherwise request a charity donation in their name.”

“Makes our job easier.” Joe swiped at one more snowflake with his tongue. “Hey June! You think you can get another list tomorrow?”

“Sure. No problem. Santa will never know.” Juniper and Joe turned and headed off to the magical North Pole Cookie Kitchen to get some almond milk and fresh gingerbread cookies.

They never even saw the man in the red suit who was quietly adding their names to his Naughty list.

This seasons greeting is for the happiest of all holidays from the White household to yours.

We wish you all the joys of a great Holiday Season, a festive Solstice and the very best for the

coming new year.

John, Emily, Isobelle & Victoria

THE WHITE FAMILY

Halloween 2008

2009-03-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

The White Family Website; Halloween 2008

Izzy's 9th Birthday

2009-03-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

The White Family Website; Izzy's 9th

Family Outtings 2008

2009-03-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

The White Family Website; Family Outtings 2008

October 2008

2009-03-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

The White Family Website; October 2008

July 2008

2009-03-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

The White Family Website; July 2008

Star Wars at the Science Museum 2008

2009-03-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

The White Family Website; Star Wars 2008

June 2008

2009-03-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

The White Family Website; June 2008

Judy Garland Museum

2009-03-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here's some media from our latest trip: Judy Garland Days in
Grand Rapids, MN.

This year, there was a Judy Garland collector who displayed is
collection of Judy's dresses at the museum. Isobelle & Victoria
tried on her fur coat!

Here's the videos and pics from that day on our Website. Enjoy!

April Birthdays 2007

2009-03-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

The White Family Website; April Birthday Pictures

Joony Arrives!

2009-03-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pics of the latest addition to our family: Joony! (We call her Joony-B, Joon-Bug or Loony Joony.) She's an 8 month old chocolate lab/springer mix (we're guessing,) around 50 pounds. She's been here a week and fits right in!

The White Family Website Link; Joony

All Hallows Eve 2007

2009-03-30T13:52:00.001-07:00

The White Family Website Link: All Hallows Eve 2007

Caribbean 2008

2009-03-30T13:12:00.001-07:00

The White Family Website Link; Caribbean 2008

Parasailing in the Florida Keys.

Tulum Ruins in Mexico.

Towel buddies.

Formal Night.

The dolphin escort.

Snorkeling in Belize.

Emily under a coconut palm.

Enchantment of The Seas. "...the fish under the seas dance."

The Florida shoreline.

Enchantment of the Seas main area.

The room with a view.

Emily on Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas.

John on Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas.

Blog Launch

2009-03-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

Way back when, not too long ago, I resisted blogging. Now, I do it almost daily. I believe keeping the family website on a blog instead of a traditional website makes sense. So.... we're here, making the switch. Hope you all like it!