Some kind of Wonderful: Flora, Indiana

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Flora, Indiana

Saturday we took a little trip. About an hour north of us is a little town called, Flora Indiana - imagine that! And, much to our children's amazement - the people that settled this little area are distant relatives! Amazing! There were so many 'Flora' signs that I just had to capture them on the camera. Flora has an annual run, sponsored by local Lion's Club and St. Vincent hospitals. J.D. ran in the annual 'Hog Jog' this year ... named for the hog farms that you apparently run past in the 10K. Yes, J.D. ran in a 10K and yes, I think he is CRAZY, but I also think I'd like to do it with him next year ... ok, maybe it was just for a moment in the hot and humid heat of the day, but that is more desire than I've ever had to run longer than necessary to escape danger, which is saying something. This is J.D. crossing the finish line! Yeah!

And this is him with Master S -- doesn't it make you want to run for an hour too!?! J.D. beat his personal best for the 10K, under 60 minutes - amazing - we were all so proud of him!

They had all kinds of things going on to celebrate the annual run - one was a classic car show. I'm beginning to realize that anytime anyone does anything to celebrate anything in Indiana there is usually a car show involved somehow - if it is at all important :) This is a picture of the kids as we were waiting for J.D. ... normally I'm reminding the kids every second 'don't touch the cars!' or 'don't breathe too close to the cars ....', but there was a 'grandma' there who knew that the kids would love it and they hadn't restored the inside of their car yet, so she let us hop in for a pic.

After the race we went to Lafayette, only about 20 miles west of Flora. There is a great FREE zoo that was the perfect size for the kids, especially Big D. They had some great hands on exhibits and the cutest baby goats to pet - Miss Lilly and Big D hugging the penguin statue ...

punk-rocker chicken ...

There was also a train that ran through and around the park - Big D was so excited...this is a picture of him just as the train blew its whistle and started moving forward.

me ...

And Steak 'n Shake for lunch...yum! Who doesn't need grease and ice cream after a long run?!?

4 comments:

Tonya Mae Wilson said...: Looks like good times... All but the 10k. I did a 5k a couple of years ago (mountain terrain) and I felt just like I was going to die and I was afraid I wouldn't. :~S

I love that rooster/chicken thingy, too. That's going to be my new idol now. ;) I want one to hang on my rear view mirror.; June 20, 2010 at 8:06 PM
Claudia said...: That is so unbelievably cool - the town name and the 10K. Wish I was motivated to run that far....; June 21, 2010 at 1:42 PM
Heathelyn said...: You guys always find such fun things to do here. I have lived in Indiana most of my life, and I never find all the fun things that you guys do.; June 22, 2010 at 6:55 AM
james and bess said...: yay, josh!!! way to go!!! i'm so happy you went to lafayette - we SO miss it!

bess :); June 27, 2010 at 2:58 PM

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Words to live by . . .

“I Really Lived”
By Sister Marjorie Hinckley
“I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenck’s lawn.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden.
I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really there and that I really lived.”

Funny things kids say . . .

Jan. 2012 - Big D, pointing to a sore in his mouth, "I have a kangaroo sore".
Dec. 2011 - I pulled out a book at church to keep Miss Lilly entertained that had a picture of the old LDS Tabernacle with the chior in it, and she exclaimed, "Mom! It's the Acle-Tabel Chior!" (Tabernacle Chior)
Feb. 2011 - Big D asked, "Can I be a dog for my whole life?"
Dec. 2010 - Funny things we've heard around the house regarding drinking ... Master S, as we were getting ready to leave for KY to visit counsins and discussing lunch options, "When is Happy Hour?" in hopes that Steak and Shake was on the list of places to go and Big D as we were getting into the car, 'I need my sippy cup for Drinking!'.
Dec. 2010 Miss Lilly had a candy cane in her hot chocolate - after drinking it she said, 'Now my stomach is striped inside
August 2010 Seen on a homework assignment that had quesitons to answer about his summer and his likes/dislikes ... Whom do you most admire? Why? Master S' response "I admire myself, because I'm really cool." Ah, the confidence of an 8 year old!
May 2010, Miss Lilly noticed I was emotional, she asked me why and I told her it was because I felt the spirit, that I heard Heavenly Father talking to me right here and pointed to my heart. She replied so sweetly, 'it's like a tickle in your heart mommy".
April 2010 As we left a department store Miss Lilly saw a man in his leathers getting onto his motorcycle, "Looks like he's all patched up and ready to go, Mom!" and "He looks like a guy so he might as well be a guy." She makes me laugh!
February 2010 Miss Lilly "Mom, when I'm 5 I'm going to listen to everything you say!"
February 2010 Miss Lilly "I didn't buckle my seatbelt because something crazy happened when I was born ...."
January 2009 Master S: "Do they just give you a car to drive when you get your license?" I wish!
December 2009 Big D in response to what does Santa say? "Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry, Merry!"
November 2009 I was talking to Miss Lilly about her snack day at preschool, what to bring etc. She insisted on cottage cheese (apparently they are trying new things, she said) and then said, "And we need lots of bowls" and I said, "Oh? How many?" Miss Lilly responded, after thinking for a moment, "thousands mom! we have so many kids in preschool!"
October 2009 Big D is saying this everytime he takes a bite at mealtime, "mmm good"! I love it! Wish my other kids would catch on!
Oct. 12th, 2009 Master S says a bedtime, "Mom, I want you to surprise me with something for breakfast" I responded, "How about oatmeal" to which I got glares and screams of no. He then clarified and said, "You have two choices, crepes or panackes!" Some surpise it's going to be ...
Oct. 12, 2009 Miss Lilly said, "I wish I could sleep with Mommy and Daddy" as we are putting her to bed. I said, "well, when you get older and get married you can share a room with your husband." Her response was, "My husband is going to be cranky". To which I was dying to ask, "Why? Because he has to live with you?"
Sapt. 13, 2009 Master S came out of the bathroom and very seriously said, "Mom, the toilet is paralyzed!" (apparently the toilet wasn't flushing ...)
Sept. 7, 2009 Extremely random and very serious thought by Miss Lilly, "Do your ears get bigger when you get bigger?"
May 21st, 2009 We are trying to keep the windows open and the AC off, or the windows closed and the AC on ... so when I went to bed I checked on the kids and noticed a window open. Miss Lilly was still awake and as I closed the windows she said, "Mom, I'm hot!" and I said, "well, the AC is on, we need to close them." To which she responded, "But my neck is hot and I can't feel it!" Wish I couldn't feel my neck when it was hot!
May 10th, 2009 J.D. was put in as the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric today, which meant that he also became a high priest. On the way home from church, Master S said, "Yeah, Daddy is a whole priest now!"
April 22nd, 2009 J.D. told Miss Lilly that it was Grandpa Flora's birthday. She asked how old he was. When J.D. told her she said, "Wow! That's a lot of miles!"
April 13th, 2009 We were discussing Family Home Evening and who was going to do what tonight (i.e. lesson, music, activity, treat) Master S had an activity ready, J.D. volunteered the lesson, Miss Lilly asked to do the music, then she said - "No, I don't want to lead the music, I'll just do the dancing!" It was fantastic dancing by the way!
April 10th, 2009 I was trying to get the kids to clean up the mess they had made (pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, rubermaid lids, etc. all over the floor) and Miss Lilly turned to me and said, "Guess what we made? We made a contraption!"
March 27, 2009 Miss Lilly begged to call her Daddy at work today, but I put her off, knowing that J.D. was really busy. As soon as he walked in the door tonight she ran up to him and said, "Daddy, we need to get on a plane tomorrow and go visit Grandma in Florida!" I guess our days at home aren't as exciting - or as liberating as Grandma's house!
March 27, 2009 In the car (is that where all our funny moments happen?) I actually saw a cardinal flying in the woods near our home and was so excited - I was telling the kids and Master S says, "Are they eternal?" There was a pause, as we tried to figure out what me meant ... then he said, "do they sleep when we sleep?" (nocturnal)
March 26, 2009 In the car, Miss Lilly asked if we were going to live here until she grew up. When I replied, "Probably." She said, "Will there be a concert to sing at?" Confused I said, "Concert?" She responded, "So when I'm grown up and a singer I can sing at it. Becuase I want to be a singer ..." then there was a pause and, "I want to be a singer, a ballerina and a mommy when I grow up!" Sounds like a full plate to me!
March 22, 2009 Master S and J.D. were playing a game (another creation of Master S' - this one was trac-go-golf) and he says to J.D, after a pretty good throw "standing observation"! J.D. and I kinda looked at each other -- then started laughing -- I said, "Do you mean, Standing Ovation?"
Feb. 9th, 2009 on the way to the library, Master S stated, "Food is an economic need." And I'm thinking, where did he learn that?! And then he says, "And a nintendo DS, that is red and black, that your mom says you can't have, is an economic want". The things they learn at school!
Jan.30, 2009 In the car I was joking with the kids about all the funny business going on. A few minutes later Miss Lilly piped up, as she and Master S weren't getting along and said, "He took all my funny business!"

Some kind of Wonderful

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Flora, Indiana

4 comments:

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