A Very Hatch Vacation

Vacation-- a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel/ freedom or release from duty, business, or activity.

Ahh, yes. The joys of suspending responsibility for a full week. I cannot, however, say that our vacation was exactly 'suspension/freedom from activity.' There are always a few things that we do as a family that tag our vacations as being extremely "HATCH." A lot of activity/movement (from swimming to dance parties with the whole family), a lot of food (mom said we spent more in one week on food than the entire month of July), and a lot of noise (talking, laughing, screaming, singing).

Monday on our way down it was pouring down rain and thundering so it took longer than usual to get there (Ocean isle beach-- on the Outter Banks of NC) That night we all ran over to the beach to say "hello" as we did improvised dance moves on the sand and breathed in the salty fresh air. I remember when I was like nine-years-old, Sarah telling me that air was fresher than any other air you could breathe because it traveled 5,000 miles over the ocean to get there. Not exactly true, but I like it anyway :)

The following day we swam against the current and crashing waves. We got this great idea to take our goggles and swim caps and walk to the pier (which is 1.2 miles from our beach house) and then swim back. I must have swallowed a gallon of salt water. It was a little more awkward than I thought to try and swim while the waves were pulling us into shore and crashing in our mouths as we tried to breathe, but it went faster than I thought.

One morning I got up early and asked my dad to take me down to the sound (where the freshwater meets the ocean around the tip of the island) and I took the inflatable kayak out for a bit. It was so beautiful! The sun glistening on the water and a few white cranes in the green rushes swaying back and forth from the waves! I felt like I was on one of those cheesy movies like "A Walk to Remember"-- then we came back and made blueberry pancakes before the rest of the family got up. Okay, so I'm ending this post before I bore you all. I could go on forever.

Ocean isle

My Patchwork Palette

This is the quilt I finished making. . .I don't have a picture of it
done, but I just finished it yesterday. It looks so cool! This is me
sewing (above) and pinning it (below).

At the zOo

So lindsey and I had our 'day-o-fun' on friday. We woke up and
left for Asheboro, NC. This drive is RURAL, but so beautiful.
we stopped in three thrift stores and got some wicked finds, then on the
way back we got hooked up at this 50's soda shoppe and had a
banana split the size of my head (which, even the hatch girls who are
infamous for dessert consumption, couldn't finish).

Oh, it's nothing really

Yesterday was sa-weet! Deaner and I (lindsey) have been chillin' ever since she went chipmunk style and got her wisdom teeth out last week. She finished her job and now I have the chance to do any non-impact-eating-soft-foods-only activity I want. Yesterday it was a cloudy cool morning (rare in the Carolinas) and a bit breezy, so we pulled out the inflatable kayak and headed over to the lake. . .our only disturber yesterday was a sailing class. It was beautiful! I put my swim cap and goggles on and started making my way across the lake through the green water. . .following lindsey on the kayak. I hadn't really noticed that the wind was blowing in my favor as I swam across, but when I turned to swim back it was definitely treadmill style.

Last night I went to the best restaurant I have ever eaten at. I've never tasted salmon and red peppers quite that good before. I even ate a little octopus (with all of it's tiny legs) without flinching (last time I tried on my mission, I screamed by accident and ended up tossing it across the entire restaurant. . .much to the embarrassment-- or amussment really-- of Raquel y Rex). I also sent a package to the sisters on my mission. I've almost been home an entire transfer! Wowzers.

A post from the pulpit

I was reading a talk by Elder Scott this morning. I've been thinking a lot lately about priorities and what it is exactly that the Lord expects our priorities to be at our age (in our 20s). Not wanting to be "a 20 something Peter-Pan stuck in an adolecent Never-Never Land and postponing adult responsibility, " (Oaks' talk 2005) I figured I'd look around for a bit of guidance. Not reaching really any conclusion, I figured I'd share a bit of whatever I found (feel free to do the same with me), assuming that it could help you guys too. . . I was talking to Jo the other day and mentioned this quote by Elder Scott that says, "the adversary would have good people fill life with "good things" so there is no room for the essential ones. " He then asks, "Have you unconsciously been caught in that trap?" I feel like this is IT for people our age. We fill our time with things that really are good. . . but we tend to crowd out the essentials.

I remember Scott Wood telling me once that our religion is what we think about most. Loosly put, our passion is our religion. . . but is our religion our passion? I've never forgotten that. I remember thinking, "so that means that Scott must think more about gospel principles than about the moutains, climbing, biking and the outdoors!" And then it hit me. . .I hardly EVER pondered gospel subjects. I hardly ever searched for missionary opportunities or craved reading my scriptures and serving others like I did searching National Geographic Adventure for new adventure ideas and planning what I was going to do that weekend.

Before the mission, my passion lied in conquering new physical heights. . .what I could discover in this beautiful world we live in and adding new places to my "where I've been and what I've seen" lists (granted it wasn't that big). During the mission, my passion lied in conquering new spiritual heights and in discovering a whole new world of beauty in the ugliest place I've ever been, and adding to my "people we're teaching, where we've knocked and what we need to do" lists. Now that I'm back, I feel so confused as to what I'm supposed to do. What are my priorities? What should I be doing? What is good and what is essential?

signed: lost in transition. . .again.

Pirate Marie Yellow Salmon

Yesterday I went sailing in a wooden ship on a sea of green, with pirate Dewey Blue Whale and Florence Purple Jellyfish. I went all the way to Mars in a space shuttle powered by one double A battery shoved between two large cushions to rescue kidnapped parents, made a batch of ineddible green spaghetti and I discussed burried treasure while savoring root-beer floats. That's right. . . I was babysitting. I learned all about how to pick pirate names (which is your middle name, favorite color and favorite fish), I remembered how it felt to have a very short attention span and also just how heavy an imaginary person can be.

Tonight it hit me just how great it is to have friends. And not just any friends, but those kinds of friends who know what you're going to do even before you do it-- even when maybe you don't. The kind of friends who talked to you before you ever held more than $30 in your hand at once, before you could "spend the night" without parental guidance and the kind of friends that you imagined this stage of life with, long before it ever came along. . . and they still manage to stay friends even when it didn't turn out at all like you had planned.

Travel Log:

This is my tribute to the mid-west. Sunflowers, bales of hay, and cruisin' down long stretches of highway with a single bend in the road. After days of trying I finally got Jerry and Em to agree to a photo on top of a hay bale. I ended up with scratches all over my legs and arms from trying to make it up on top before the timer went off!

Feeling Free

Okay, I'm back and broadening my horizons. . . this is my newest thing. I feel like I've recently realized how much we can learn and become interested in. I feel like these little parts of me stuck in the corners of my fingertips and the outer-most parts of my mind are slowly surfacing. Climbing mountains, painting pictures, sewing clothes, running through trees, eating foods that are still warm inside from the sun, getting dirty, swimming in the ocean, taking photos, learning to drive a stick, writing articles, learning about the Senate, developing a taste for classical music. . .It never ends!

Yesterday after weeding for two hours, my dad and I decided to go sailing at the lake (it was a little breezy), so we headed off in his little '89 Toyota truck only to find the boat rental was closed due to "inclement weather" . . .so ignoring the "no swimming sign" we threw off our shoes and jumped in (although I must admit feeling guilty at not being "law abiding citizens"). It took about a half an hour to get to the middle, so we decided not to swim all the way across. It was a great feeling to do breaststroke and feel the layer of hot water and then hit the cold water below before coming back up for air. . .all the little hairs on me were covered in algea by the time we got out.

Omaha. . .somwhere in middle america

So, here I am at the public library of Salina, KS. This weekend was really fun! Emily and I met Jerry in Linchon, stayed the night and then headed off to Winter Quarters temple the next morning. We came back the same night and since have been chatting almost no-stop trying Jerry's patience :)

I really like the mid-west. . .I was driving em's Cavalier with the windows rolled down (no AC) listening to banjos and fiddles as I drove past the white houses and barns.

"there's no place like home"

Heading off for Kansas in 15 minutes. . . I am so tired. I always have this feeling on the plane. An unearthly exhaustion, a swimming head, black under my eyes and feel a little detatched from everything around me. I don't know if Em has a computer, but I'll try to post at least once so ya'll can keep updated on my highly-amusing life (okay, not really).

I've had an interesting past couple of days. . . I spent most of my mid-afternoon yesterday in the world of crafts, fabric and thriftstores. . .it brought back a world of memories. I was amazed at how quickly I fell back into it. All these knew ideas and inventing all sorts of ideas in my head as I walked around. It's like a treasure hunt. Kind of like missionary work actually. Finding something a bit off colored among everything that's there. . . looking at it, analyzing it and seeing that with a bit of work, there lies a tremendous potential. Okay, so I'm a dorky RM. But I talked to Irene from Hildalgo, Mexico yesterday. She told me about job descrimination and how much she misses her country. A common story and a rather sad one. Invited her to come to church but what I pity I had no pass along card!