Tick Tock

 Caeden says a prayer before lunch and snack time at school. It goes a little something like this:

Tick Tock Tick Tock 

This is the way we Pray

We thank our Lord Jesus Christ

For our (dinner/meal/snack) today.

Amen!

Dinner time was fast last night - 

Wayne was at the store,  Caeden was "starving!" and Claire was tired.

So I was whipping up dinner and fixing plates without time to think about much. Except, I should have thought about prayer.

Claire starting praying and looked at me as she did it. It was like she was looking right through me. I know that might seem weird to hear, but honestly, it was like the Lord was talking to me through Claire. "Pray Val."

Claire is 18 months old. She has 1 tooth. She does not walk. She says things like, "Daddy, Round and Round (ceiling fan), bye bye ..."

And now she says, "Tick Tock, Tick Tock ..."

I get choked up even now when I think about how powerful it was.  It's all I have been thinking about. 

Behind the Scenes

(Here's a picture from that awful photoshoot when Claire broke her arm.)

So ... would you like the behind the scenes scoop on our fairy tale yesterday?

Of course you would!

Caeden started to get really sick as we were driving to Durango. He was complaining of a stomach ache and had a bad runny nose. For those of you at Nikki and John's wedding this summer - a lot like that (Caeden felt so horrible that he refused to walk down the aisle (he was the ring bearer) so I had to bribe him with cupcakes (well before the bride and groom got one) just to make it down the aisle. He then proceeded to throw himself across the alter (at the feet of the celebrated couple) and lay there until Grandpa and Grandma rescued him.).

We arrived at the hotel 7 hours later and fed him some medicine and put him to bed. He didn't protest. That's when I knew he was not feeling great.

The next day we had grand plans to discover Durango's cute downtown area, have lunch at a great place, maybe some light shopping for a Christmas ornament and a souvineer, but poor Caeden was out cold. 

Instead, we went to Wal-Mart and scored the Wii (thank you Cassie for the great tip!!). We played Super Mario Bros. while the kids slept the day away. (But, really, who am I kidding? I snuck out and shopped. Scored a CUTE ornament (little snow village inside a clear ball ornament) and a hat for Wayne (wanted to add to his mountain town collection).

That night was the train ride, and Caeden, all doped up on medicine, rose to the occasion and had a wonderful time. I didn't get the photos I had planned on or imagined, but Caeden was such a trooper and indulged me while feeling not so hot.

On the way home from Durango, we hit 3 snow storms. Not a big deal for snow lovers like us. Wayne is a great driver (although we did get pulled over on the way there for speeding - Claire got us out of it by flirting with the Police Officer. Bless her!) and usually handles snow with the best of them. 

But when it is white out conditions every time a car or truck meets us, and we are 11,000 feet up - staring at a cliff that drops off without railings most of the time - it was unnerving to say the least. We were on pins and needles going through the mountains and we so happy to emerge!

Half way through the drive home, Claire scored a full cup of ice water from her brother's cup holder and it spilled down her and her blankets. The water soaked her carseat and everything else. We pulled over to change her, couldn't find any clothes, and put her in Caeden's shirt. Fed her Oreos to keep her mind off of the wet seat (covered with a wet blanket) - so miserable!

How is that for reality?! 

We finally got home and, believe it or not, both of us could not wait to do it again next year. Totally worth it.