Harambee Day 5 - Wednesday

DAY 5 – WEDNESDAY

The weather has been up and down. We began with hot, followed by a couple cloudy days, and now we are steaming hot. It is wonderful!

Today was the same as everyday: BUSY!! I am run off my feet. We stay up late the night before, wake up and hit the floor running.Cassidy gives the kids breakfast while I run to the Parent's Meeting. You wouldn't believe how many things there always are to run over in the mornings. I then come running from there to pick up children and deliver them to classes. Many of the classes overlap, so I have to figure out ways to cover babysitting with the four young ones, while I go to my Attachment Therapy classes.

The boys have had oodles and oodles of freetime, so they are not losing out. But I have to tell you I am getting my exercise! And there can't be a nicer way to do it! Running from activity to activity.

Cassidy took part in the World Cup Event as part of the African team.


Then all all the boys and girls did their workshops for Marimba (music), Drumming with Fana, West African Dance, and Hip Hop.

Today was the first time I headed to the beach. I had thought it was farther away, so we hadn't made time for it in our busy first few days. I am so glad we did this day! I had a teen attachment class today and I passed on it so that I could keep the kids at the beach. That was a sacrifice because I CANNOT believe what I have taken from the parenting class for teens!! Parenting classes are a topic for a separate post. That was powerful!


At the end of the day we hurried home to shower up because tonight was MUM'S NIGHT OUT!!! YEAH! I was a little concerned about leaving all six kids alone, but I knew Cassidy was capable. I let Austin have the run of the campground while I was out, and I knew I would be back by 9:30, so Cassidy could go to his Capture the Flag with the youth on the beach. And so off I went!

Austin in a Tree With Friends

It was wonderful. I ended up in a car with a bunch of ladies I did not know. Friendships were formed and it was a great way to make new connections! What I love about camp is that it is not a bunch of 20 year old mums and dads. This camp is *extremely* diverse. There are all kinds of families, and all kinds of sizes of families, how they are built families, and all kinds of ages from young in their early 30's to up to their 50's. And what I love is that my children have learned about all kinds of families and made new friends from all walks of life. And when you consider that there are 60 families here, you should be amazed to see that I have not heard children fighting *anywhere, anyhow*. New friends have been made and old connections have been rekindled.


After I came home, Austin had fun taking off with his friend’s and watching a movie on a friend’s laptop. They have set up a small movie cinema in front of one of the cabins. And then after Cassidy came home I went across to the fire that they have set up on the South Side. It is great fun. We all sit around and gab, while the little ones sleep nearby. The chips and drinks are passed around and it is a nice finish to each day.



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Here We Are at Harambee 2010 !!!!!

I never expected to be able to blog from here. I was not aware there was internet access, then last night a girl told me that she had found a hot spot over by the gym. So here I am!

So coming to you LIVE FROM HARAMBEE 2010!

Day 1 Harambee:

I left home a little later than planned this morning. We were on the road by 9:00 am.


It was a bit nerve racking, at the beginning. I knew I needed my Tim Horton's Decaf Mocha Heavy on the Hot Chocolate to calm my nerves as I began my Maiden Voyage. My plan was to drive directly to Naramata with no side trips, since I had no clue how to get myself out of a backing up situation. So I versed Cassidy on what he was to buy me, gave him my Tim Card, and dropped him off on the highway in front of my coffee shop. The plan was for me to drive around the block once and pick him up on the return. It didn't work that way. Of course! When does anything happen simply?

I came around and he wasn't there, so I went around again. Then I decided to park on the side of the highway with my blinkers on. Soon enough I saw him coming with my delicious morning coffee. But when he arrived it looked like he had been attacked by the coffee! Seriously! The whipping cream was all over the lid, and streaming down the side and all over his hand. There was no way this coffee was going to calm my nerves. I would be trying to not get it everywhere. I asked him what happened? He told me the server had given him the coffee and the lid. She had not put the lid on. No kidding! It was way too tall for the cup and perhaps she didn't want to get covered in whipped cream? He being on the shy side, didn't want to say anything, so he did his best to get the lid on (her job) and in doing so had covered himself with whipped cream. I asked him to please go back and get a clean cup. He arrived back and the next girl had given him a clean lid.... Oh well. It still tasted good. Sticky, but good.

I had told the children that I needed them to be absolutely silent. I was really quite nervous. They are wonderful, amazing little travellers, and so I knew I would not have a problem. Sure enough, by 10:30 they were all sound asleep! I had played some relaxing children's songs, and one by one they had dropped off to rest time.


I was still nervous and paying very close attention to my driving. Every so often I would peel my fingers out of the grooves I had created on the steering wheel. (grin) We always pray before we travel and I truly believe in doing so! God is so good. I have a long list of issues where we were taken care of while driving. This last week is an example of that. I was driving home from town the night before I was to leave on a road trip to Mehaber and I heard a noise under my van. A few minutes later something came flying out from under it. We picked up the part, drove home, called Kal Tire (my favourite mechanics!) the next morning and asked them if they could fix it cause I was leaving the following day for Mehaber. They couldn't get the part until the following day, and so I would be late for my last camp. But wonderful service that they provide, they scrambled to get the part and had it fixed that same day, which meant I could leave on time. But you see, the point is, the problem came to light *before* my trip! It would have been a very expensive fix if we had kept on driving. As it was it was $500!

During my driving I just 'happened' to be looking out the window at the very moment something white and large went flying down the road. I was pretty certain I had not driven over something on the road, which meant it must have come from me. Thankfully, within a mile or so there was a rest stop. I pulled in there with the intent of turning around and going back for it - forgetting I was a trailer!

There were two cars there and I decided to run over and ask them if they knew if there was a rest stop to turn around in back in the direction I had come. We ended up talking and one of the men offered to drive me back to the plastic. In doing so I found out he was a 'city cop from Edmonton, as he called himself, and he said he liked to help people. He and his buddy, who was with his family, also, were ex-military buddies. I told him about my two boys and he was interested to hear. They were celebrating on holiday because in that very week he had had one child graduate college, one graduate highschool, and one get married! They were on a road trip to visit family. Well, I say they were angels in disguise! I found the vent and did not put it back on my van, thanked the families and then headed on my way.



I had been given advice to go this route as the other route took the Coquihalla and was considered a very fast freeway, and since I was new to driving, I decided to take the slower route. I had a wonderful drive. It was stressfree and I was feeling pretty good. The roads became quite countrylike, and there was a river on one side. Sometimes the roads were narrow and there were cliffs on the side, but overall, I figured I could handle it.



Then I suddenly came out of Merritt and entered the Coquihalla Connector. I had no clue about this road! It was a four lane road.I liked the four lanes, but I did not like the constant up and down climbs. The hills weren’t that steep, but they were constant. I was doing fine with it all, and I knew I had about 120 km to drive on it. Then the rain began. Seriously! I didn’t’ want to drive in rain my first time. Then it began to hail!

An Ominous Sky!

I got on this down hill road and it had a 6% grade. That would have been fine if the hill had stopped. But it didn’t stop. It kept on going. I had to totally think about how to slow down the trailer and the van, cause I didn’t want the trailer pushing me down this hill. So I kept trying to bring myself to about 60 km or even 50 on this steep slope. Then my van started vibrating whenever I put on the van brakes. The steering wheel would go nuts. I had to ease off the brakes, and use the manual slider for the trailer brakes. If I used no brakes and just coasted or used the gas, I was fine. So I knew it was probably my van. It was incredibly freaky. It was like driving with no brakes!

This ‘hill’ was over 20 km long without a brake. I passed a runaway lane and ignored it. By the time I passed my third one I was seriously considering taking it. I *had* to take a break from this constant running down hill.

Thankfully, right after this I came to an information booth and the road leveled out and I pulled in there. My legs were just shaking and they kept shaking for the next half hour! That was the Ride From Hell! The girl told me where Kal Tire was and I planned to see them. Some guys at the information booth thought it could have been my brakes were worn. Who knows! I headed down, got to Kal Tire and by then I was hearing a grinding noise where my van attached to the trailer. Ey Yi Yi!! Gone was my carefree, I can drive anywhere feeling!

At Kal Tire I poured out my story and asked if they could help me. They said they were all booked up today. I asked them if they could help me phone around and see if someone else could help me. They said yes. I told them I was going to the Adoption Camp for our Ethiopian girls and it was so important. Then I simply prayed silently: Please God!

Then after the guy left the room he came back in, and said, “What time is your camp tomorrow?” I answered him, and then he said, “I can let you spend the night in my parking lot, and then I can fix your van tomorrow morning at 8:00am.”

Oh the stress lifted off my shoulders! I had somewhere to stay safely, and they would look at my van the next day. Another guy came outside and helped us unhook the van from the trailer, and then very kindly backed up the trailer into a spot for the night. What gallant treatment! That is why I love Kal Tire!


I then loaded the kids back in the van and headed out to see if we could go to the movies, since we had our evening free. After I had gotten off that big hill my van started to act normal again, so I am not sure if my rotors are warped as Kal Tire suggested, or if they were getting too hot, as someone else suggested, or WHAT? But after this, I drove around all evening and I never had a braking problem again.

So then I headed to the movie cinema and saw there were basically two choices for movies: Toy Story 3D or another one I forget the name too. I didn’t really want to spend so much money on the 3D movie and I would have loved a movie *I* would also enjoy, so I ran into the movies and asked the guy about the alternate movie. I still couldn’t figure if it would be appropriate, so I figured I would use my computer and go online to www.pluggedinonline.com my *favourite* movie site. You can find out exactly what negative or positive content it has without spoiling the movie.

I see the manager and quickly give him a run down and ask if I can link up to his internet. He is run off his feet with franticness (short staffed?), but tells me to come into this room. Well, one minute later there I am, wishing Cassidy had my camera to get a picture for my blog. I am in the box office of the movie house using the managers computer, while he is beside me taking cash from movie patrons. What a hoot! I got the information I needed: The Last Airbender – was not appropriate; we would see Toy Story 3D instead.

Now, I needed to feed my children before I had to be back at the cinema in 45 minutes! Thankfully! I had seen a Little Caesars $5 medium pizza sign, when I drove into town. I dashed in that direction, parked, ran in, asked for two medium pizzas, and was ready to dash out, when the server did a very kind thing!

He reached into the warmer and grabbed a bag of cheese buns, added them to my pile, and told me, “You look like you have had a hard day. I’m going to give you this for free.” How incredibly kind!


My children could not believe I could run into a pizza store, and be back in the van in about 3 minutes flat *with pizzas in hand*. I told them – this is the big city! It was a hot pizza ready to go deal.

We dashed back to the cinemas had our dinner, packed our pockets with licorice, and then headed in to watch our movie. Well, as we sat there we heard French voices behind us. I explained to Raine that daddy’s family speaks French, also. She had never heard French before. I told her again. You are in the big city.


When our movie was done for the night, we grabbed a water bottle, headed to the gas station, filled it up, and then headed ‘home’ to Kal Tire for the night. We had a fair bit of work to do to make the inside inhabitable, since we had beach inflatables shoved in there, plus a bike, cooler, and many odds and ends.


In the end, the children all ended up in jammies, in bed, while Cassidy, my helper, jacked up the trailer and got it settled for the night.

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May Road Trip - Part 3 - Field Trips

After we left the Glass House we headed back to town. One more of the items that I had on my list was Twin Bay Cove. This was supposed to be a beautiful little white sandy beach, but I had no clue where it was. Well, wouldn't you know it, someone pointed me in that direction, not even knowing it was on my list! She just mentioned that there was a nice beach for the children to run on.

It was truly a gorgeous beach! I took so many pictures and it was so hard to pick and choose, so you will have to bear with me, as I am going to load a ton!

Click on the picture to see Briton and Cooper's expressions. They say it all!

As we are walking down to the beach the boys are playing with the football - the same football that gets Austin in trouble later - and it accidently ends up on someone's lawn. My little boy, Cooper, read the sign of "No Trespassing" and knew the ball could not be saved. Briton, on the other hand, had an impish grin, as he crawled under the rope and dashed to get the ball. Cooper looked horrified that Briton would do such a naughty thing. lol. Meanwhile, big brother, Cassidy, walks on having a laugh at the words and actions of the little people!


As soon as we got to the beach, Colt starting tossing around this football. Austin began playing with it and while throwing it, inadvertantly tossed it into the water. We all said, "You better get it. It's going further out."

He didn't move fast enough and it kept floating. Colt and I are saying, "You better move it! You are going to have to swim if you don't hurry!"

Well, that boy! He kept procrastinating cause he was in his shorts and he didn't want to get his feet wet in the cold water. Now, I think, he would say it would have been smarter to have moved in the beginning when it first hit the water!

He had no option but to plunge in and get the ball, as it slowly floated out to the middle of the lake! Austin quickly stripped and threw himself into the late spring cold water!


The funny thing is that as soon as Austin got out of the water with the ball, Colt threw it right back in again. Cooper immediately volunteers to get the ball! He strips down to his skivvies and then throws himself into the icy water!

Out he comes, and big brother, Colt, having a wonderful time with these nutty kids, says, "Who wants to get it this time?"


Savannah drops her clothes and races for the water.

It Looks Like Her Sister is Thinking - Are You Crazy?

She dives in headfirst and swims out to the ball! Now, if you remember her introduction to water last summer, you will remember it was not a quick process! Goodness, it took a long time to get her comfortable in *warm* water, let alone cold water. But she was up for the game. lol


The kids (with my suggestion) decided that big brother Colt decided to be thrown into the water. I told them the story of Gulliver and the little people. I figured there were enough of them to gain control. lol.

Escaping the Little People!

Briton was *not* getting wet! But after a while, he succumbed to the peer pressure of all these children running around the deserted beach in their underwear, and he joined the crowd. They had a blast for the next hour just digging holes, rolling in the sand, and running and jumping in the water.


I had fun sitting on the beach with my eye to the viewfinder of my camera, just snapping wonderful shots of my brood. I am very blessed indeed!

I made a joke to the kids that I felt like paparazzi sitting on the beach snapping away pictures of my older son and his girlfriend, but I couldn't help it. They looked so sweet together. (smile)

We all had a laugh when he put up his hand pretending to be a celebrity holding off the paparazzi. lol.

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May Road Trip - part 1

We have a relatively quiet summer planned. We have a house to begin building at some point this summer, and we are also recovering from the Recession. The Recession alone stopped me from doing some of my road trip plans of last summer and then again this spring.

My oldest son, Colt, has been living about ten hours from our home in another town. We have not seen him since Christmas. That has been a long time! His 19th birthday was also approaching and there was no way that I was going to let that go by without his family there to celebrate!

Also, Colt's girlfriend, Tyler, lives in a town near to where he is staying, and I had not yet met her.

Colt is intending to come home in July to spend the summer. He has plans to go to a technical school to become an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer this fall. Tyler is going to Cadet camp again this summer, and then her future is uncertain, as she makes plans for her college options. I knew my only opportunity to meet her would have to be this May before they parted ways.

I headed out on this road trip on Cash Fumes. I know you have heard of Gas Fumes, but this is different. Same idea, different issue. We packed a lot of bread, jam, sandwich meat, cheese slices, cans of beans and tomato sauce, and fresh fruit. My intent was to not eat out except where I really needed to. Of course, we had to stop at Tim Hortons and buy some Timbits and "a large decaf mocha, heavy on the hot chocolate, don't forget the whipped topping," for the road!

Our first stop was to have lunch at a playground. This is one of the few (if not only) pictures you will see of me on this trip. This is at the beginning of my 10 hour journey that turned into 12 hours.

After we left the playground we were driving down the freeway when I saw all these motorbikes lined up in this guy's yard. I was going to check it out on my way back, but then decided to turn around and go back. I am glad I did, cause I know I would have been too tired on my return trip. We stopped to look and the guy showed us a dirtbike that would suit Austin just fine. It was already sold, so I told him if he got another one in like it, to please give me a call.

The Girls Were Surprised to See Goats on the Road!

We spent the night in that town and found ourselves a nice little motel. Previous to the girls coming home I am used to travelling with only four or five boys and I can squeeze into a nicer hotel in one room. When I travel with Ray (rarely) we have to use two rooms and it is very expensive.

This was the first of what will probably be many roadtrips with six children and me. That means we will not fit into one nicer hotel room. So that leaves us with a nicer motel room. I refuse to pay for two rooms when I travel with a pack of small people! When the boys and I did more local roadtrips we have often 'camped out' in motel rooms, because it was so much cheaper.

So camping out was the way to go: We found a husband/wife owned motel that was very clean with a kitchenette. They were willing for us to camp out with sleeping bags on the floor. The price was also very reasonable. I will certainly recommend them to anyone going in that direction: Travellers Lodge, Cranbrook.


We ordered in pizza and had a quick bite, before the little ones hit the bed and the big ones began to read. Then the big ones and I hooked up the computer and found the new movie How To Train Your Dragon free online. Cheap entertainment!


First Stop Next Day: Walmart. We have no Walmart in our town and I love being able to find what I want! In this case - beads for the girls hair, plus organizers to put them in. And Cassidy took his wad of cash shopping. Our children begin earning wages from their dad as soon as they are able to clean up the job site. They don't begin putting away money in their House Funds, until they are about eleven. Until then, they spend 90% and tithe 10%.

When they hit thirteen they are expected to begin buying their own clothes. Cassidy has been fortunate in that he was blessed with clothes being given to him by a couple of friends of ours! Colt and Dane were never so well-off! lol Cassidy rode it easy until just recently when he decided that he really wanted some cozy sweater/sweatshirt type shirts. So he packed up his cash and headed to Walmart, where he commenced to try on and price check his items, until he came up with the best deal.

The thing I appreciate about this is seeing how different children are. You really see their personalities emerge. Colt wanted clothes, and so he bought them, beginning at thirteen. Dane preferred to live in a couple sets of clothes until just this last year, when at age 16, he finally went shopping. Before that he managed with t-shirts from cadets, gifts, and hand me downs from his brother. Last fall, before he took his trip to Guatemala, he decided it was finally time to spend some hard cold cash.

After Cassidy's weekend with cash and coin burning a hole in his pocket, he realized how quickly money goes! He enjoyed the feeling of blowing it on candy, clothes, a baseball hat, but when he came home he was quick to tell me he would not be spending again for a while, because he is saving for a dirtbike.

Cassidy in His New Duds

Do you know, when I brought the hair beads home I had boys begging me to allow them to be the ones to sort out the 4,000 multi-coloured beads into the organizer! Must have been relaxing. (smile)

The children also made birthday cards for Colt, since it was to be his 19th birthday the following day. Before we headed to our son's town, we stopped to visit a friend who had adopted Raine's best friend. He doesn't know he is Raine's best friend (smile), because he is so much older than her (about 12), but she considers him that.

Once we left there, I headed to Colt. The kids were so excited to see him.


They had a ball playing football and tackle and soccer in the yard of where he lives.


After we had been there for a while, it was time for Colt to go meet his girlfriend, Tyler, and bring her back to his place to meet us. I know it must have been very intimidating to have to walk up to our crowd! When I met her she was everything I had envisioned: quiet and sweet, and very kind to the children. I know in time she will become more comfortable around us and begin chatting and I really look forward to getting to know her more.


We had a makeshift Save-On Foods style dinner (cheap! lol) and then headed out to the park for some late evening fun.



Later on, when I drove her home, I had the pleasant opportunity of meeting Tyler's mum and her sister, Rebecca, before we headed home for the evening. It was a relatively quiet day, but my plans for the next day were more in style with a real road trip. This time I would be taking along Colt and Tyler. Thank goodness I have this wonderful 15 passenger van!

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