Maryland Crabs

Going to Buddy's Crabs and Ribs in Annapolis is getting to be a fun tradition every time we visit Maryland. The restaurant is really laid back, with crayons and balloons for the kids which gives it a nice family atmosphere.

How cute is that? Sometimes being a mom honestly rocks my world.

Ireland is a hard-core seafood lover. While we were waiting for the crab, she kept sneaking salmon off her little sister's plate. Finally, the big moment arrived.

Keep in mind this was meant to feed all 6 adults at the table, some of whom ordered nothing else. Ireland polished off 3 of them all by her lonesome. 

Like I said, hard-core.

I don't know what it is about this girl that she just doesn't get creeped out by all this. Ireland gleefully dismembered and disemboweled those suckers digging out the meat and dipping it in vinegar. The gusto with which she goes at it takes my breath away.

 Grandpa was incredibly entertained as she went after the claws with a mallet.

Reagan and Rockwell. She can be credited with teaching us all how to properly crack and clean a crab. Brent had the ribs (yum) and I had the crab cakes (YUM) and we tried the fried pickle chips. No matter what we ate, there was a hint of Old Bay Seasoning in it.

I just about died laughing when Josy pretended the mallet was like Thor's hammer and she whipped it around and pretended to fly with it. 

Afterwards, we walked around Annapolis a bit. You don't have to go far to see they are serious about their crab in these parts.

Can we talk about that Maryland state flag for a second? You go Maryland! You don't just do some boring state seal on a field of blue like everyone else. No, you adopt something that came right out of Medieval Times dinner theater! Go Maryland!! You do you Boo!!! I wish Illinois would spice it up a bit and do something more coat of armsy like this. Maybe in the colors of Gryffindor...

How adorable is this teapot? It makes me want to drink my chamomile while dressed in chain mail with my battle axe next to me before mounting my horse to deliver a message from the king to the next village. Super cute teapot.

 We had some seriously delicious ice cream just down the street from Buddy's. As you can see, no complaints from the kids.

 Along the harbor there is this collection of statues (explanation above). This inspired me to collect heritage stories.

 Again, I love how family-friendly this place feels.

How adorable are my nieces? Reagan and I love it when our girls are not just sisters but also friends.

Yet another wonderful evening at Buddy's in Annapolis with good food, and good company.

Thinkin' on Lincoln

This past year, Liesel has really become interested in Abraham Lincoln. Maybe it's because we live in the Land of Lincoln, but she's read several books and will recite little factoids to me every now and again. I looked into a visit to Springfield but 3 1/2 hours away with tiny kids makes that a difficult day trip. However, I promised her when we visited DC, we would make the day all about Lincoln.

The last time I was in DC, I happened to drive by Ford's Theater. I'd just spent a rather frustrating day with rude and pushy crowds at the National Archives, what seemed like half the day hunting down parking and exhausted from walking around the Mall. Seeing that the place where Lincoln died was just across the street, I made up my mind then and there Ford's Theater was on my bucket list. Brent graciously took the little ones, who wouldn't enjoy a day full of walking and reading plaques, so I had Liesel and Ireland to myself.

One side of this hallway details what Lincoln did on April 14, 1865 and the other side details what John Wilkes Booth and the conspirators did that day.

 An outside view of the Presidential box. I did not know Lincoln had seen Booth perform before (he was a well-known actor) and had even expressed interest in meeting him. Booth never responded to the request. I did not know Booth's family was respected and well-known. His brother actually voted for Lincoln and was a supporter of his policies.

Near this door there is a sign stating this is where Booth entered and suddenly the profound history of this place hit me. I was standing where he had stood, and this is where Lincoln sat, holding hands with his wife, enjoying the play Our American Cousin- a comedy. 

This tour guide was excellent. He spoke of how Booth was an actor so he didn't take a shot and then sneak out the back. Rather he stabbed army officer Henry Rathbone and then slid down to the stage, shouting something in Latin about tyrants (reports varied), and exited in front of the entire audience. Booth was an actor, after all, and would make a show of it. He broke his leg in the fall, but still managed to escape Washington. Liesel loved talking to the tour guide who was so kind to her, and so interested in all she has learned about Lincoln.

I was surprised to see how tiny the pistol was. It was a single shot derringer and was ideal for Booth's purpose because it could be easily concealed in a jacket. Booth knew the play well and so he waited for the moment which would elicit the most laughter from the audience, and thereby cover the sound of the shot.

 I love these words. As I read them, it struck me how applicable they are to our nation today. 

One of the plaques mentioned Mary Todd Lincoln received a letter of condolence from Queen Victoria- who had also lost her husband. I was not aware Mary Todd had to fight for a stipend which was customarily given to war widows. She argued the President's wife should be afforded the same rights as a soldier's.

I didn't know there was a massive two-week manhunt for Booth. He was finally tracked down to a tobacco farm in Virginia and federal agents burned the barn down around him to literally smoke him out. He was shot in the neck and died an incredibly painful death 3 hours later. I also didn't realize the original plan was to take out President Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William H. Seward. Even with the surrender of the South, Booth and the conspirators were hoping to save the Confederacy. 

Apparently the first woman executed in the US, Mary Surratt, was the one who helped the conspirators by providing a place to meet and passing along information. 

The house where Lincoln died was a quick visit. Apparently the actual bed where he lay is at the Chicago History Museum. Hmmmm, gonna have to put that on the list of places to visit. An elevator down the hall took us to another floor with more displays and information.

By this time, Liesel and Ireland had seen what they wanted to see and were growing impatient with my stopping to read everything. Everyone was getting hungry so I rushed through this last part but we all enjoyed this tower of books about Lincoln which stands 3 stories tall.

 I'm now more anxious than ever to read some of those books!

 After lunch, we headed to the Lincoln Monument. Liesel was crazy excited to see this and she took tons of photos on her tablet. I've heard the sculpture had a son who was deaf so he carved Abraham Lincoln's hands to make an A on his left and an L on his right. I love how his shoe peaks over the edge.

The girls with their cousin Paisley, Reagan, and Josy- one of her old mission companions from Chile. Josy is a big fan of Chris Evans and was thrilled to be in the spot where the opening scenes to Captain America: Winter Soldier were filmed. This is where Steve Barnes runs past Falcon, "on your left" in the early morning hours.

It is a pretty cool spot I have to say.

I challenged Liesel to memorize the Gettysburg Address. Here she is working on it.

Did you know the Lincoln Memorial has kiddie play equipment? Neither did I, but the girls had a blast doing this over and over. 

 Ireland insisted on this photo which turned my stomach a bit since it's a steep drop off on either side. That girl is fearless!

 I love getting a little more concentrated time with these two in such an amazing place like DC. I hope we made some memories.

If you are visiting the Lincoln Memorial, you might as well skip on over to visit the Vietnam Memorial. Here my mother is explaining to Ireland how people will bring a piece of paper and pencil to do a rubbing of the name of their dearly departed. I love this photo. Mom remembers the Vietnam War, and I'm grateful she was with us to talk about it a bit.

We really lucked out in terms of weather. It was hot and humid, but not unbearable. Because we just did Ford's Theater and the Lincoln Monument, we weren't stressed and rushing to get to the next thing on our agenda. This is my first visit to DC when there wasn't some kind of a rally or parade or something else that shuts down traffic. On our way out, we drove by the Iwo Jima statue (my favorite) and the White House. It was really nice to take DC in just small bites and I'm already contemplating our next visit. Maybe we will just do the White House, or just the Library of Congress. I understand if you are over 16 you can get a library card- how cool is that? I'm always a fan of Arlington and Mount Vernon- seeing the Eternal Flame and Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. There's always the Smithsonians which are fantastic and free. Who knows? But I'm sold on short and simple, for sure.

High Adventure

I've sat down to write about High Adventure so many times and found myself unable to even start. When I was in Young Women as a teen, High Adventure was THE pinnacle event for me. I'd heard they used to have them in this ward but the tradition had died out. When I was called as YW President, re-upping that tradition was at the top of my agenda. Many people told me about the problems with getting support behind one. Luckily, we had hard-working girls for our fundraiser and our bishop was completely supportive of the idea. I also have fantastic counselors who can move mountains if they want to.

Grocery shopping with my 1st and 2nd counselor. Love these ladies!

As we loaded equipment, what was a bit of rain turned into a torrential downpour. My 2nd counselor Annie had promised me the only reason I didn't love camping is because I hadn't gone with her. After being drenched (and I mean DRENCHED), I felt a little cheated this wasn't quite the fun and games she had promised me.

We made it up to Door Co., WI but I kid you not, there were times it was raining sideways. I have never, in my entire life, seen a storm like that one. Eventually, we all made it there in one piece, and the adventure began in earnest.

I can't say enough about the Mia Maids and Laurels who came. Not one whiner or slacker in the bunch. Often I would look up from what I was doing to find a girl asking me what she could do to help.

It seems all outdoor things in Wisconsin are run by young guys who look like they do weed as much as possible. Our itinerary had to be rearranged, and rearranged and the girls just went with the flow.

We were going to do walking tacos and then realized we'd forgotten a pan to heat up the meat and beans. One of the girls pointed out it could still be eaten since it was cooked, so they just ate it cold. No one complained, no one said "that's disgusting" and just chewed on some carrot sticks, every girl just ate cold walking tacos.

I'm not much of a camper. I like s'mores, but that's pretty much it. My 2nd counselor Sarah single-handedly took care of the agenda and booked everything. Two priesthood members are required for something like this and she took care of that as well. Annie took charge of the equipment needs and showed me the ropes (sometimes literally). I basically just showed up.

These photos are my absolute favorite. I told the girls they were all being too good a sports about everything and I wanted a bratty teenager photo. They all pulled a face but one just couldn't so she put her head down in a failed attempt to stop laughing. That got another one laughing and then photo after photo was ruined. Then the rest of the girls started legitimately getting annoyed.

We never did quite get it, and that is the best part.

Hiking was on the itinerary, but we stopped to skip rocks across the lake which for some odd reason was crazy fun. It's funny what kind of conversations are had along a trail, you know? I'll never forget some of those talks.

We actually went kayaking twice. Once was over a sunken ship which was beautiful and eerie all at once. The second time was on our last day and I was so sleep deprived, just about everything was hysterically funny. Even thinking about it makes me smile.

Headed back to camp one night the sun was setting over the lake and everyone just pulled over to watch. This picture makes me want to hug those girls to death. It was such an amazing time! Such amazing girls! Seriously, there just are no words.

Turns out everyone on the planet but me has been zip-lining. After climbing up to that tall, tall platform and looking down onto the tops of the trees, my own mortality hit me like brick and I begged to be let down. Everyone but Sarah had already gone and the guide did NOT inspire confidence! With his drug teeth and nonchalant attitude, I didn't trust him for a second when he told me it would be ok. The line wasn't even the thickness of my pinkie, and all I had was a carabiner to keep me from falling to my death. I knew for certain I could not jump off that platform.

The young women were starting to notice there was a holdup and Annie was trying to encourage me on. My whole body was shaking as I stammered that I had children and a mortgage and I really, really, really needed to live so please just let me down. I'll never forget Sarah looking me in the eye and telling me she had kids and a mortgage too and promising me it would be ok. I took the leap, screamed like a little girl, and on the next platform our two priesthood representatives were waiting to catch me.

Being YW President at this time in my life can be a lot to shoulder. My kids are still little. The need for Sunday lessons and activities every week can be exhausting. I love interacting with the young women, but I feel like I don't get to do it enough and I find myself frustrated with my lack of time. However, I kind of fell in love with my calling as YW President out there. It was hard to imagine doing anything else in that moment. Again, there are just no words.

Once we returned from Door Co., WI, I couldn't stop repeating, "We did it!" Something that hasn't been done in decades in this ward is now a recent memory. I really hope High Adventures can become a permanent tradition from now on. They are so great!

Christine's Fairy Garden

Last summer Christine invited us over to her house so the girls could visit her fairy garden. I didn't really know what that entailed, but once we had a chance to explore her acres, the girls and I fell in love. This summer, I unabashedly invited ourselves over to do it again. The place is just so magical, and Christine is one of the dearest people on the planet.

Sadly, I don't have many pictures because like the girls, I was running around exploring. The fairy garden is among trees which have little disco balls strung among them. Even in the shade, there are twinkling lights everywhere. Little bells at the entrance are to announce your presence (some fairies are shy), and then there are fairies everywhere! It's so fun to find them hidden among the flora and fauna. Christine also has a koi pond where the girls get to feed the fish, a "Froggy Corner" and a tepee. I think she knows everything there is to know about gardening, and her land is just beautiful.

Some of the adorable creatures in Froggy Corner.

This year, Christine outdid herself. She started out with games for the girls. They had a marshmallow race and once Sydney ran her marshmallow down to the end, she promptly ate it- along with a couple more from her opponent's bucket. After the games, they broke into teams for a scavenger hunt. Clues were all over the gardens, some even pinned up in the trees. At the end, each of the girls found their own adorable apron Christine made for them. Here they all are in their different aprons.

 The girls had so much fun, they didn't want to leave. 

 Christine was the fairy queen but just before we left, she let Ireland wear her cloak.

I'll have to get more photos next year, since Christine has already mentioned doing it again. I love that the girls get to experience a place with so much whimsy and imagination. It makes me want to create a fairy garden of our own!

Lake Michigan Love

I wasn't sure if we'd be able to do Lake Michigan this year. It's basically solid construction between here and downtown Chicago. Brigitta seems intent on drowning herself and it's nigh impossible to keep tabs on her and Sydney at the same time. Even thinking about it made me tired. Then my counselor mentioned she was overwhelmed with her obligations for Girl's Camp and I immediately plotted to take her two girls so sweet Rose could help me with the little ones. They'd never been to Lake Michigan so it was a win-win-win.

Even though prepping beach bags, lunches and actually getting to the shore is a process, the girls love, love, love it! It's amazing to me how some sand and water can keep them entertained for hours on end. There were at least a dozen kids just digging a hole in the sand. There's a simplicity to the beach that is beautiful.

Bubbles are a must for us when we go to the beach. It's always fun to see them blow away and then watching kids waaaay down the shore catch them. This might sound cheesy, but it kind of brings us closer to our fellow beach-goers as they shout for us to blow more. We will always have bubbles at the beach!

For whatever reason, photos always turn out beautifully at Lake Michigan. The water is clear and even 30 or 40 yards out, it only goes up to my hip. There are some gentle waves but nothing overwhelming for little ones.

My beach babes. 

Brigitta really enjoyed this trip. Again, the simple joy of just splashing around in the water is so perfect.

Brigitta informed me there are mermaids in Lake Michigan and she is one of them. Inevitably, the girls ask when we can go back the moment we've left. As exhausted as I am at the end of the day, I can't help but think about it too. Although we don't do it often, Lake Michigan is one of the best parts about living in the greater Chicago area.