Yesterday we left Iowa and drove 5 hours to Minneapolis. We wanted to take the boys to Legoland in the Mall of America. I’ve never been to the Mall of America, but, though I’m not much of a shopper, I have to admit that it was impressive.
Legoland itself was a bit of a disappointment. There were really cool large structures built with Legos, but it was much more a store than anything. There was also an area where you could build with Legos and race the cars you built. However, looming just beyond that area was a huge indoor amusement park. We were not able to keep the boys at Legoland very long with the screaming roller coasters calling to us.
We had decided ahead of time that we would do just a little at the amusement park.
But on a whim, we decided to do more. We’re so glad we did.
I love amusement park rides. If it weren’t for the cost and the fact that mature adults just don’t do it, I would ride the rides all day long at the 4-H fair. It’s great that my kids are just old enough to enjoy cooler rides than the merry-go-round, but are young enough to need me to ride with them. It’s been years since I’ve been on a roller coaster.
So we bought tickets and started to ride. We started out with a roller coaster that flew around above the amusement park. No huge hills, but enough high-speed twists and turns to make it exciting. Kendall is not fond of heights, nor is his oldest son. Kendall said he just about soiled himself. (Not his exact words, unfortunately.)
The second ride was a water ride. Not sure why we would take a water ride in Minnesota in March. But since it was indoors, we did. It was one of those log rides that are almost roller coasters. I looked closely at the people getting off the ride. They looked as if they had been very lightly sprayed with water. That’s all. It looked safe. Eli was begging for that one, so off we went. Well, it wasn’t so safe after all. By the time we got off that one, Eli, who had been in the very front of our log boat, was drenched. I was second in line and my legs were quite wet. So what did we do? Went on it again, of course! We were already wet, after all! Then we went out to the car, changed, and came back for more rides.
The highlight for me was a wacko ride that just Eli and I took, or, more specifically, Eli's enjoyment of the ride. Kendall and Evan sat it out and watched the madness. As we were flying around in circles, Eli and I were laughing. He kept yelling over and over, “This is awesome! This is awesome! Completely awesome! This is awesome!” I loved it.
After a fun afternoon and evening, Evan and Eli took a long shower at our hotel. I was listening to them review the day together as they stood in the spray. They were discussing all the rides. “What about the log ride?” And they were off on that one. From ride to ride. It was great. In fact, I heard Eli announce to Evan that this was his best day ever. How fun to do something so special.
Happy.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Lao-tzu
July 1, 2008
This journey so far has taken me one thousand and four miles from my hometown, but I’m having trouble putting my finger on the single step that began it all. Was it Monday afternoon at the border when they gave me my official document allowing me to pass? Was it Saturday morning when we started the car and drove out of Goshen in our funny little caravan? Was it in February when we came up to Red Lake for a job interview at the hospital? Was it two Christmases ago being up here with Kendall’s family and all of us rating our desire to live up here? (I can’t say my number on a scale of 1 – 100 was high, but it was the highest of all the in-laws, so I guess I’m the chosen one.) Was it three years ago almost to the day that Kendall first said, “What if we’d move up here?” (I tried to ignore that one for several months, thinking surely it would go away.) Or was it June 10, 2000 when I married Kendall and made some solemn promises before God and all these witnesses? Was it a night before Kendall and I were married when we talked about moving to Red Lake? (It was a far off and romantic possibility at that time.) Or was it living in and visiting different cultures at different times in my life? Could the first step have been when my parents brought me as a baby to this same area for a year of voluntary service? (Kendall wasn’t born yet, but I surely saw his parents as they chatted with mine from time to time.) What about when my dad lived on a nearby reserve for two years before he was married? Or when my mom visited this town with her family as a teenager? Or maybe it had something to do with choices my grandparents made? Or other ancestors farther back?
At any rate, moving into this house where I slept for a few weeks as a baby and where my dad stayed as a teenager, has made me very aware of roots. And how they affect our lives and choices and passions.
I suspect there is no single step that began our move a thousand miles away from Indiana. It seems, rather, to be a coming together of so many different factors. (Not the least of which is marrying a man who has taken this land as a very part of his being. And for all the ways I can tease him and get annoyed at some of his woodsman ways, I really do mean that in a reverent and respectful way.)
So here we are, a thousand miles from nowhere. (Oops…I meant a thousand miles from Goshen.) I know that we safely made the journey here, but mostly our journey is just beginning. And mostly I’m excited.
This journey so far has taken me one thousand and four miles from my hometown, but I’m having trouble putting my finger on the single step that began it all. Was it Monday afternoon at the border when they gave me my official document allowing me to pass? Was it Saturday morning when we started the car and drove out of Goshen in our funny little caravan? Was it in February when we came up to Red Lake for a job interview at the hospital? Was it two Christmases ago being up here with Kendall’s family and all of us rating our desire to live up here? (I can’t say my number on a scale of 1 – 100 was high, but it was the highest of all the in-laws, so I guess I’m the chosen one.) Was it three years ago almost to the day that Kendall first said, “What if we’d move up here?” (I tried to ignore that one for several months, thinking surely it would go away.) Or was it June 10, 2000 when I married Kendall and made some solemn promises before God and all these witnesses? Was it a night before Kendall and I were married when we talked about moving to Red Lake? (It was a far off and romantic possibility at that time.) Or was it living in and visiting different cultures at different times in my life? Could the first step have been when my parents brought me as a baby to this same area for a year of voluntary service? (Kendall wasn’t born yet, but I surely saw his parents as they chatted with mine from time to time.) What about when my dad lived on a nearby reserve for two years before he was married? Or when my mom visited this town with her family as a teenager? Or maybe it had something to do with choices my grandparents made? Or other ancestors farther back?
At any rate, moving into this house where I slept for a few weeks as a baby and where my dad stayed as a teenager, has made me very aware of roots. And how they affect our lives and choices and passions.
I suspect there is no single step that began our move a thousand miles away from Indiana. It seems, rather, to be a coming together of so many different factors. (Not the least of which is marrying a man who has taken this land as a very part of his being. And for all the ways I can tease him and get annoyed at some of his woodsman ways, I really do mean that in a reverent and respectful way.)
So here we are, a thousand miles from nowhere. (Oops…I meant a thousand miles from Goshen.) I know that we safely made the journey here, but mostly our journey is just beginning. And mostly I’m excited.
8 comments:
That sounds just wonderful.
I'm glad you heard their conversation at the end of the day, in the shower!? Love, Mom
Karen, I'm glad you got to hear your sons' conversation at the end of the day, in the shower!? Love, Mom
Sounds like fun!! That was great to hear the conversation at the end of the day. That seals the deal for being a wonderful time:)
Awesome! glad it was worth your stopping, sounds fun, I love roller coasters also, wonder if I'd be to old to go on one?? Glad the boys enjoyed their time.
Mom H.
Good memories made, for both you and your boys. The best kind, MADE TOGETHER!!! Glad your home safe and sound. And I hope too that the snow doesn't last too long. I rather enjoyed laying on my deck in a teeshirt soaking up the sun's warmth just a week ago!~~Iris
karen, that sounds like so much fun! do you have any pictures of you guys at the mall of america? i'm sitting here "studying" and smiling like a fool to myself as i read your blog. :) i wish i could have heard the boys' conversation in the shower and i can just hear eli exclaiming on the ride how awesome it was. :)
i love you guys, and i'm so glad i got to spend time with you over break!
love, kirst
I vaguely remember going to the Mall of America when I was like 18 or 19. I abhor shopping so, not impressed. BUT I bet I would have if we went on the rides. Can't wait to see these kids sometime. Ever think of trying for a 3rd - a girl maybe?
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