Hot Springs, Arkansas

I might not have even known Hot Springs was on the map if it hadn't been for an article in Family Fun magazine about a year ago. I took note, tore it out, and filed it away for safe-keeping. A woman I met at a conference last fall told me that the Arkansas route from Dallas to Illinois was the prettier one, and when I looked at the map, I noticed that it went right by Hot Springs. Hmm...maybe we should plan a stop there? I'm glad we did!This is as close to real mountains as my kids have ever seen. While it was beautiful, I'll admit we'd best get them to the real thing as soon as possible.

A creek runs into a waterfall here in the middle of downtown. It is curious to watch the water running in it give off steam. The kids enjoyed playing in the water, but did so cautiously. At 143 degrees it is as hot as a cup of coffee. You can stick a finger in but it won't stay there for long! Our ideas of soaking our feet were quickly dashed.

The spring blossoms were stunning. Can't wait until we see this in Central IL!!!!

A park ranger recommended we tour a restored bathhouse. While not everything that took place here was above reproach, it was interesting to see credit for the healing waters given to God in this verse above the door. The kids had a great time earning a Jr. Ranger patch by completing a free workbook. We enjoyed it too as it had us look carefully at the architecture of each bathhouse (there are 8 altogether) and stop and read most of the signs. Very interesting!

Fordyce Bathhouse is now the Hot Springs Visitors Center. Other bathhouses are being restored and two are open to the public for business. A Hot Springs bath is $24, and if you add a Swedish massage it is $55. We didn't indulge, but it did sound tempting! There are also a few steaming fountains and places where you can collect water in a jug to take it home. Who ever knew you could make such fuss over water!?

the first half

I love road trips! There are certainly occasions when flying is the way to go, but if given the option, I'd rather drive any day. There is something in me that is always wanting to see what might be around the next bend in the road. Eric and I have explored every nook and cranny of Door County, WI, and really enjoyed our trip to Duluth, MN a few years ago when we drove the north shore drive of Lake Superior.

In high school our youth pastor did something that I now recognize must have been rather scary on his end...he put the plans for our mission trip into the hands of several of the high school students, me being one. This was the days before the Internet, so I remember looking up hotels in a book from our local library, trying to decide what might fit the needs of our youth group best. Yeah, right. We looked for what might be fun (keeping in mind some budget and location guidelines.) We booked a hotel in Arizona that had a heated outdoor pool. I remember swimming in it in 50 degree weather. It was a blast! We planned a trip to the Grand Canyon and Sedona, Arizona. Not everything went according to plans (we had to leave the Grand Canyon before sunset after all) but it did all turn out pretty well in the end.

I think that started my addiction with trip planning. This road trip was great fun to plan. Our first set of stops:

-Lambert's Cafe, home of the Throwed Rolls. A fun atmosphere for any age. They truly do throw rolls at you. Josiah even picked up quickly on what was going on and stood up with his arms ready to catch. Thankfully, they knew better than to throw a roll at him. My mouth is watering just typing the word, "roll." Good stuff!

-The indoor waterpark did not pan out. When we arrived, our room was not yet ready and wouldn't be for at least an hour and a half. It was 6:30 p.m.! A quick tour of the waterpark did not leave us very impressed, so we planned to move on. Not so fast! Our van wouldn't start. After several attempts, we prayed as a family and immediately the van started right up and ran smoothly the rest of the trip. It started us out grateful and watching for God's hand on our travels. We quickly found a new hotel and had an indoor pool almost to ourselves! An open Bible on the dresser in our room heightened our awareness that God was directing every step.

-Dallas, Texas. There was a sense of anticipation as we drove into the city. There we met up with Jared and Michelle. The kids and Eric enjoyed playing Nintendo.

This is for anyone who hasn't seen the JFK sights. The sixth floor window:

And an X marks the spot on the road where he was shot.

A zoo pass got us into the Dallas Zoo for free. The kids loved their first experience in a large zoo. Josiah loved the crocodiles, Rachel the tigers, Micah the Reptile House. Their favorite Donut Man video was filmed on location at the Dallas Zoo, so it's even more fun to watch now and see places that we've been!

On Sunday we attended church with Jared and Michelle. The people were warm and friendly, their faith vibrant. Icing on the cake for Leah: just before the sermon the pastor welcomed Elisabeth Elliot and her husband Lars, who stood for the congregation to recognize. I was in church with Elisabeth Elliot!!!! Jared taught Sunday school and did an excellent job. I am humbled to think that I've now sat under the capable teaching of both of my brothers!

there's no place like home, but the south comes close!

We returned last night from a one week trip to Dallas, Texas, to see my youngest brother Jared and his wife Michelle. While it may seem that putting 5 people in a mini-van for 8 days might share similar results with shaking a soda bottle and then removing the lid, we actually had a great time together!! Pictured below are a few memorable moments...


Josiah quickly extended the title of buddy-ship to his Uncle Jared, and preferred to be carried by him and no one else the entire visit. I lost my camera in the backseat of the van for most of this trip, so sadly have no pictures as of yet of Michelle or our time at the zoo.


A ride on the free Uptown Dallas trolley was a hit with everyone, even though it took us an hour to find the right place to park and wait for the trolley to come...it was worth it!
Looking over the site where JFK was shot was sobering for the adults and interesting to the kids who had apparently not encountered much about him as yet in their studies. Rachel quickly read through a children's book in the bookstore and became an expert on the events leading up to his death.

After a too short visit in Dallas, we traveled to Hot Springs, Arkansas, spa capital of the world. At least it used to be! We enjoyed touring a restored bathhouse, hiking on several trails, and taking in beautiful vistas that could only be enhanced with more green when the leaves truly bud on the trees. More pictures and details about our trip will follow. One blog entry is not enough to do it justice!

ode to spring

Last week as we went to BSF, Josiah was intrigued by the earthworms that were surfaced by the heavy rains. He looked for them in vain again this week, not understanding mommy's words that worms don't come out when it's sunny. But today he seemed to feel vindicated by learning a new song from his BSF children's leaders, below in his words:

Sping is comin', sping is comin',
hear the birds, hear the birds,
they are busy digging....
fig, bat worms!

"Oh, I love fig bat worms."

unwinding

Due to an 8 week basketball season and other various activities, this was the first free Saturday we have had since Christmas. It felt so refreshing to stay home, catch up on housework, spend time with the kids, and simply relax our routine for the day. Rachel, Josiah, and I spent the morning at the Discovery Museum. The spring-like weather was beautiful and we spent a lot of time outdoors this afternoon!

We are currently dog-sitting for my parents while they spend some time in Texas with Jared and Michelle. Sammy is a nice dog and the kids have loved the additional canine companion. If you would have told me 6 months ago that I'd be taking care of two dogs for 6 days, I would have thought you were crazy. You know, dogs aren't so bad after all...Eddie helping Josiah herd his balloon around the yard.


Sammy coming to say hi!

Micah spent the afternoon in Decatur for Awana Olympics. His team won first place!!!

what the vet says

Eddie may be part pug, though a very small amount, due to the shape of his tail. (It looks like it got slammed in the door.) He could have a little German Shepherd, but not much because of his size. He looks to be mostly...Rat terrier.

what's up

Since it seems I am able to post fairly infrequently lately, perhaps an update of what is going on at our house would be in order.

-Eddie is adjusting nicely to our family and us to him. He gets plenty of attention from three eager children who so far love having a dog and don't mind taking care of him, either. He is a very low maintenance dog and very loving.

-Micah finished Upward basketball. We enjoy the season and he shows improvement every year!

-Thanks to some help from Eric's parents and my dad (and even Josiah), the wallpaper is now off the main floor bathroom. Even the bare walls seemed like an improvement! I got the first coat of paint put on this afternoon and its looking a lot better. Perhaps as a result of all that time spent in the bathroom, Josiah initiated potty training this past weekend.

-We are planning a trip to Dallas soon to see Jared and Michelle!! With additional stops in Branson, MO at an indoor waterpark (a surprise for the kids), and a couple of days in Hot Springs, AR (depending on the weather), this will be our family vacation for the year. My creativity challenge: how to take food to save some money without getting tired of sandwiches every day, and how to provide entertainment enough to keep everyone happy in the van on the way there. For the older kids, I gave them a binder with a trip itinerary and maps. Rachel quickly expressed a desire to see how many miles we would be covering altogether: over 1700!!

-In BSF we are in the thick of the book of Numbers. It has been an interesting couple of months as we just finished Leviticus as well, but it has been well worth it. The New Testament explodes with meaning as the Old Testament background on the atonement is grasped. For BSF retreat we studied Revelation. It makes me long for the day we will one day see God face to face. Studying the life of Moses is a call to holiness, and a glimpse of our destiny as shown in Revelation gives hope that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."