Another trip to Anchorage on a C130

So, I had to go to Anchorage again to get my hearing tested. I won't go into the same old song and dance about how much I can't wait to live in a place that's civilized...where people DRIVE to such things...but I'll spare you. You're welcome. :)

I took the kids with me. We went to Chuck E. Cheese's and had the entire place to ourselves! It was crazy and so much fun!

Here are some pictures of all the action.

Joanna Hope: Little girl, big mind.

So, every night, Jake and I each individually spend a few minutes with each kid while tucking them into bed. We sing songs, reflect on the day, repremand Manny Bunny for hiding 5 minutes before we say "Time for bed!" (kidding!), talk about Star Wars, school or whatever is on their little brains before they go to sleep.

Well, lately, Joanna has been asking all of these really deep questions. She's asked such doozies as:

"Who were the first humans on earth?"
"When I was a teeny, tiny baby, how did I get into your tummy?"
"How does _______ (insert any body part or function) work?"
"Who invented the first fan?"
"How is fabric made? Why are some soft and others not so soft?"
"How does a(n) __________ (insert any non-human animal)'s body work?"
"How does a cow make milk?"
"How does a lightbulb work?"
"Why do we carve pumpkins on Halloween?"

I won't go into how I answered the first two, because they're personal, and because my main point is that my daughter has an amazing mind. She really does. I told Jake that we definitely need to make sure we have enough money to send her to a great college, because she is destined for great things, I can tell. She is always thinking. She's a thinker. Sometimes I can see that it burdens her and causes anxiety. I worry that she will struggle with anxiety when she's older. I've seen the signs in the past and I try very hard to make sure she knows that she can always talk to me and Jake about anything. We will always try to help her with her questions and problems, and if we don't know the answers, we'll make sure we find someone who does.

Last night when all of the above questions came pouring out of her sweet little mouth, I suddenly remembered that she had a small notebook in her nightstand drawer. I got it out and said, "OOH!! I know! We'll write down all of your questions so we don't forget them, and tomorrow we can look them up on the computer! We'll see what we can learn about all of these things!". (Well, except for the first two, because I gave her my own personal answers to those.)

So, as I sit here with her little notebook full of questions, I feel so blessed to have this little girl with rhe big mind in my life. She is so precious, and I really am feeling the calling to do all I can to nurture and support the big mind AND the little girl that holds it.