Saturday, August 21, 2010

We just about froze to death last night; I knew I needed to bring extra blankets, but we’re questioning whether we brought enough.  Finally, this morning, I woke Jaden up and had him come snuggle with Mommy, since he was cold too; he always manages to get out from under his blankets no matter what.  Those sleeping bags we have definitely don’t make the cut.

When we were brave enough to climb out from the covers, it really wasn’t that bad outside; it gets down in the 40’s at night, but the sun was shining right on our campsite, so it was warm this morning.  There were mountains all around us, and we were basically on the side of a wooded hill with tent sites up in the cliffs and rocks.  The boys have actually made a little fort up in the woods; I think they’ve just added on to what other kids have done.:) Jacob was feeling sick from eating greasy food the day before (he gets tummy aches like this after eating certain foods) and ended up losing his breakfast….but now he’s fine, having munched on some biscuits. After making sure he was ok, we left out, plastic cup in hand, just in case.  He ended up fine as a whistle, though, so we’re thinking it was a combination of greasy food and a long trip the day before.

We decided that we’d take the Trail Ridge Road this morning.  This road is supposed to be a highway to the sky, and it definitely was.I found myself covering my eyes at times, but to tell the truth, this road was nothing compared to what we’d find climbing Mount Evans in a few days.  However, the views were sensational; this park is just so beautiful.  We stopped at several places just to take pictures, as we climbed ever higher into the tundra.

This road wraps around the mountains from Estes Park over to the west side of the park at Grand Lake.  We were up over 12,000 feet when we reached the Alpine Visitor Center and store, where we took in the view and grabbed a few souvenirs.  The ice and snow were up at this point, and we could see lakes both close and off in the distance….mountaintop lakes.As you cross the treeline, it seems as if you’re crossing the point between Heaven and earth; the trees stop, and the tundra starts, as up in the tundra, there are no trees.  It almost looks as if you could touch the clouds, as the shadows form the clouds are so much closer.

We noticed both on the road and around the builings, these tall wooden poles that looked like branches.  They were just in the ground, sticking straight up into the air several feet.  We finally figured out that they must be markers for when the snow hits.  This way, they can tell where the road is and where buildings are?  Can you imagine being a construction worker on this two-lane road to the sky?  In the wintertime, this road is closed, as can be expected.

We ended up going over to where we could view the Continental Divide and the Colorado River.  It was neat to stand in the Continental Divide at Milner Pass (pictured below) and realize where we were….that water flows both east and west from that point.We took one little hiking trail, but we decided to come back down, as it was basically all uphill, and we had no idea where we were going.  The drive back was gorgeous, and even Dan was freaking out a bit by the drop off the road and no guard rails in places, not that guard rails would have done much good at that point.  If you went off, well, you were going to meet your Maker for sure.

We spent the better part of the day just exploring this road and finally went back down into town for ice (the local grocery store, Safeway, is awesome…) and ended up riding back to the campground.  On the way into our campground, we noticed several cars stopped alongside the road, and down in the pasture was a herd of elk. We ended up going out, sitting on a boulder, and just watching them.  They were so beautiful and peaceful.

There was a stream flowing through the field, so there were fly fishermen around; Dan wants to learn how to fly fish.  As we sat and watched the elk, there was one mama who had lost her baby; we could see her baby looking for her across the stream, but she hadn’t found him yet, and she kept running back and forth, trying to find him or get to him. It was a sight to see….even animals feel that adrenaline when they know their child could be in danger.  It’s just built in by a Divine Creator.  I don’t know how anyone could see all of this and not feel a Divine handprint on all of it.  I was dying to see some bighorn sheep or moose or even a bear with the boys, but we’ll have to wait and see.After getting back to our campsite, Dan and the boys got a fire started; I actually got some reading in; it was just peaceful to watch the other kids and families around the campground….our site is very private, but we have two other families who are close by, and the boys actually played with their kids some tonight. They had a great time.  I guess Jaden got hit in the head with the frisbee at one point, and I heard one kid say, “Man, he’s tough; he got hit in the nose with a frisbee and didn’t even cry!”  LOL  Oh, he has no idea how stubbornly tough that little guy is.  LOL  He has his moments, but he’s definitely mule-headed, as my dad would say.:)  Another set of campers (two guys) came into the park, set to camp at the next campsite over from us, but for some reason, the rangers chased them out of the park; they were searching their vehicle and bags, doing sobriety tests, etc.  To tell the truth, when they left, we weren’t disappointed….the rangers are so diligent and on top of things.  They are so nice too, always ready to talk or visit.  If there ever was a dream job for me, this would be it.  Yeah, I know the winters would be extremely tough, but to be in this beautiful place through all the seasons….well, that would be a true gift.

As we rearranged sleeping bags and blankets, and I put my 3-5 layers on, including knit hat and woolly socks with blanket literally wrapped around my feet, we drifted off to sleep in this peaceful place we now call paradise….this truly must be what Heaven is like.

To be continued….

We received Adventures in Odyssey- Take it From the Top for review from Tyndale.  With over 5 hours of audio full of different stories, as well as bonus material, this CD set is definitely worth listening to over and over again.  We usually listen to audiobooks and CDs in the car on our trips out for errands and things, and this was a set that not only entertained my boys but also taught them valuable lessons.  Here is a listing of the tracks/stories, as well as values they taught, on this set:

1. The Inspiration Station (Inspiration)
2. Clutter (Storing Up Treasures in Heaven)
3. Game for a Mystery (Procrastination)
4. Target of the Week (The Folly of Revenge)
5. For the Birds (Responsibility)
6. When You’re Right, You’re Right (Pride)
7. Grandma’s Visit (The Importance of Family)
8. Finish What You… (Responsibility)
9. The Jubilee Singers (Perseverance)

I think that one story that resonated with our family was the Clutter story.  The Parker family had to part with different “treasures” that had honestly become a source of clutter and frustration, as they were having a yard sale.  Our family sometimes struggles with clutter, as well, especially when it comes to those “treasures” we all seem to put on the shelf and never take down for months at a time.  Is this clutter really true “treasure,” though?

You can purchase Take It From the Top from Tyndale for $24.99.

(Disclosure: I received this CD set, free of charge, from Tyndale Media, for the purposes of this review.)

For more Friday Funnies, visit Kim at Homesteader’s Heart!

Is your child picking up more than the ABC´s in school? While you´re packing your child´s backpack with the pencils, notebooks and tools they´ll need for a great school year, don´t forget the supplies they´ll need to stay healthy and germ-free, too.

With nearly 22 million school days lost each year due to the common cold and flu (CDC) and as many as 2.7 million bacteria found per square inch on common school surfaces (NSF International), it´s no wonder that 82 percent of parents with kids in grades K-5 fret about the germs in their children´s classrooms (according to a survey conducted by Seventh Generation).

This school year, Seventh Generation is sharing tips from best-selling author and pediatrician, Dr. Alan Greene, to help parents protect their child´s health during back-to-school season. Dr. Greene suggests taking the following precautions:

Optimize the immune system

* Reap the benefits of probiotics like those found in yogurt. A recent study showed that children who received enough probiotics daily throughout the cold and flu season had a significant reduction in the number of illnesses they had and, when they did get sick, the symptoms were both milder and didn’t last as long.

* Be sure your child is getting plenty of vitamin D from the sun, from food, or from a supplement.

* Build a strong foundation. Good food, good sleep, and good physical activity all help the immune system to flourish.

Be wise about reducing unnecessary exposure to harmful germs

* Teach children the key times to clean their hands in the classroom. The most important times include after sneezing, coughing or using the restroom, upon leaving “high-risk” places (recess, naptime, play stations) and before meals or snacks.

* Sixty percent of teachers surveyed said that they request that parents donate disinfecting wipes to the classroom. Seventh Generation´s disinfecting wipes kill 99.99% of germs* naturally using the active ingredient thyme, a component of thyme oil which is derived from the herb thyme.

* Stress the importance of not touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

* Demonstrate to your children how to cover their mouth and nose for every cough and sneeze. This simple maneuver has spectacular results in decreasing the spread of viruses and bacteria floating about the room, waiting to be inhaled.

*Refer to disinfecting product labels for full details

My Blog Spark recently invited me to review a few of the Seventh Generation products, as well as share a giveaway with my readers.  The focus is how to be germ-free in this back to school season.  My review pack came with a backpack, first of all, that is eco-friendly, made out of recycled material.  It’s really a cute pack with a zipper and ropes to put your child’s arms through.  It’s the perfect little bag for a walk in the park with the kiddos.

We also received a bottle of their Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner, which kills 99.99% of germs botanically.  It kills germs like Influenza A, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli.  This spray is good for things like toys, countertops, the highchair, etc.  It has a Lemongrass and Thyme scent, which really isn’t strong at all, at least in my opinion.  It’s a fresh, clean scent.

Another product that came in our pack was the Seventh Generation Paper Towels and a box of Seventh Generation Tissues.  The paper towels are made from 100% recycled paper, hypo-allergenic, and unbleached.  They are brown, and they’re a bit rough, but they really are tough, strong towels, in my opinion.  One roll comes with 120 2-ply sheets.  The tissues are also made out of 100% recycled paper, hypo-allergenic, and whitened without chlorine bleach.  One box comes with 175 2-ply tissues.  Personally, I like a tissue with a bit of lotion to soothe runny noses, but these tissues definitely do the job and are eco-friendly.

Lastly, we received two bottles of Disinfecting Wipes, one to give away to a teacher I know.  These wipes also have the power to kill 99.99% of household germs, including Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Influenza A.  I like the wipes because they’re nice for quicker clean-ups, but I also feel a bit safer using them on toys and things, rather than a bleach or other sprays filled with harsh chemicals.  The wipes also have a Lemongrass & Thyme scent.

You can win a whole Back to School kit, with the products mentioned above, from Seventh Generation and My Blog Spark!You can enter to win by doing one or more of the following; just be sure to leave me a separate comment for each way that you enter.  I’ll draw the winner, via random.org, on Wednesday, September 22.  This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  Good luck, and have a wonderful day!

1. Leave a comment, giving tips for keeping your kids healthy and germ-free.
2. Leave a comment with ways that you keep your household clean during the school year.
3. Visit Seventh Generation, and tell me your favorite product.
4. Like Seventh Generation on Facebook.
5. Follow @SeventhGen on Twitter.
6. Tweet about this giveaway, being sure to link back to @SeventhGen, #myblogspark and @missmalu; in fact, you can tweet daily to earn extra entries.
7. Follow Real Heart Prints, or subscribe to my posts.
8. Follow @missmalu on Twitter.
9. Blog about this giveaway, being sure to link back to Real Heart Prints.
10. Digg or Stumble this post.

(Disclosure: The Seventh Generation product, gift pack, and additional gift pack to give away were all given to me, free of charge, by Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark.)

Jaden and I are working on the letter A this week, so we’re making this Acorn Craft from No Time for Flashcards.  She has some great books listed towards the bottom too….our library book basket is pretty full this week.

A great site to get your creative juices flowing is The Crafty Classroom.

Confessions of a Homeschooler has a free downloadable set of A-Z Tracing Worksheets.

Take a look at 1+1+1=1.  She has a great post this week Raising Rock Stars Preschool- Letter Yy.  At the bottom of her posts, she lists resources and tools that they use….I’ve found this tremendously helpful in finding ideas for our own homeschool activities.

Homeschool Creations also lists tools and resources in her posts, and she has wonderful ideas from teaching your youngest littles to science experiments with your older littles.

Finally, Passionate Homemaking has a wonderful post, Contentment in All Circumstances.  Read and be encouraged.

Link up your giveaways!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

and the book:

The Berenstain Bears and the Gift of Courage

Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)

***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***

Stan and Jan Berenstain introduced the first Berenstain Bear books in 1962. Mike Berenstain grew up watching his parents work together to write about and draw these lovable bears. Eventually he started drawing and writing about them too. Mike is married to Andrea, and they have three children. They live in Pennsylvania, in an area that looks a lot like Bear Country.

Visit the authors’ website.

Product Details:

List Price: $3.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (April 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310712564
ISBN-13: 978-0310712565

PRESS THE BROWSE BUTTON TO VIEW THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Z

Browse Inside

Browse

Info

Add

It was a long trip, but we finally started seeing the mountains about 5 or 6pm, off in the distance.  The excitement started to mount.  Dan had never been to Colorado, so he’d never seen the Rockies.  Neither had our boys.  As we got closer and closer, Denver finally came into view, and we crossed into Boulder, then on to Estes Park.  The drive to Estes was breathtakingly beautiful. Wow, there are some very cool houses out here.  Houses below the mountains, on top of them, on the sides….and a river flowing right through town.  Town was full of cute, little shops and tons of tourists shopping, eating ice cream, and just having fun.As we entered Rocky Mountain National Park, it was dusk, and darkness was falling fast in the shadows of the mountains (pics were taken the next morning).  We entered our campsite, our name on the late list as we went through the empty ranger station at the entrance of Moraine Park Campground.  We had to watch closely for our campsite on all the signs….we knew ours would be off the road a ways.  Finally, we found our campsite; thankfully, families were still up and about, having fun, playing with glow in the dark frisbees, sitting around campfires.We quickly got our bearings, gathered our things, and made several trips back and forth on the trail from our van to our campsite.  By the time we had our tent up, it was getting quite late, so it was time to just eat a quick sandwich, make a quick trip to the bathroom, and head to bed.  Quiet hours are enforced in the campground, so we didn’t want  to be a disturbance.

We couldn’t yet see the splendor that we’d wake up to the next morning….(continued Wednesday with tons of pics from high mountaintop roads and hiking trails galore).

I really enjoyed this book, especially because of the setting and the time period in history.  Tricia and Ocieanna have written a very captivating story that is filled with tidbits of history, as well, just from their research and interviews with some of the women whose lives inspire this story.  They also have made the story very real, entertaining, and sometimes very humorous. You can purchase Love Finds You in Victory Heights Washington for $9.35 from Amazon.  I highly recommend it.  Read more about the story below.

About Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington: The war has stolen Rosalie’s fiancé, Vic, from her forever. But rather than wallow, Rosalie distracts herself by cramming her days full of activity—mainly by shooting rivets into the B-17 bombers that will destroy the enemy.

When a reporter dubs her “Seattle’s Own Rosie the Riveter,” even more responsibility piles up. Her strong arms bear all this, but when intense feelings surface for Kenny, the handsome, kind-hearted, and spiritually unwavering reporter, the fear of losing another love propels Rosalie to leave.

It’s only when Rosalie realizes that God has brought her to this place—and this person—for a reason, the sparkling grace of God compels her to let go of her own strength and lean on His, as well as open her heart to love.About Tricia Goyer: Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty-four books including Songbird Under a German Moon, The Swiss Courier, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer’s Conference in 2003. Tricia’s book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like MomSense and Thriving Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife. For more on Tricia visit www.triciagoyer.com.

About Ocieanna Fleiss: Ocieanna Fleiss is a published writer and has edited six of Tricia Goyer’s historical novels. She lives with her husband and their four children in the Seattle area. For more about Ocieanna visit her blog.

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Finds-Victory-Heights-Washington/dp/1609360001/ref=sprightly-20

Contest info: Tricia is giving away 5 Victory Prize packs during the blog tour. This contest is open to both you and your blog readers so please share it in your blog post too. That info can be found on this blog post (which will be live on August 14th). http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com/2010/08/win-victory-prize-pack.html.

Find more reviews here: http://www.litfusegroup.com/Blog-Tours/love-finds-you-in-victory-heights-washington.html.

(Disclosure: I received a copy of this book, free of charge, from Litfuse and the authors, for the purposes of this review.)