And I thought Wal mart was bad.
Can I just tell you a little bit about where we are? I do know it's 12:25 a.m. And it's 84 degrees. I do know we are at a "Flying J Travel Plaza", where there is an area for professional drivers to shower and lounge. I'm pretty sure we are still in Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain and Texas is not too far away. I do know that my eldest is ready to hop on a plane home. She is completely over the drive home. It doesn't help that she has 28 bug bites on the back of her legs and we have no Benadryl cream. I keep trying to tell her we are making memories......
Sweet dreams!!
xo
Lynn

Never in a million years did I think we would ever be back in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Doug and I came here two weeks after we were married, so he could begin medical school. That was 25 years ago. Our marriage was cemented through some very difficult years here. We made life-long friends, found the group called Adult Children of Alcoholics that pretty much saved our lives. I was one miss- placed southern California girl. We experienced more weather in the four years we were there than in our whole 25 years together! Our big night out was pizza from Mazzio's and the Dollar Movie Theater.
I'm grateful for our time there, and even more grateful for the years that have followed.
Now it's off to drive another 200 miles and see what surprise we have in store for tonight's sleeping arrangements.

Catching fireflies at a KOA campground in Missouri...a whole lot better than parking for the night at Wal Mart!!!

Oops. Here is the photo that goes to the last post!!

I must say, things are looking up. We have moved through Indiana, and are in the middle of Illinois.
I think.
Next stop, Eureka, Missouri.
We are moving up in the land of cross country driving and instead of a Wal Mart, we will find a KOA camp ground to spend the night in!!
Life is good..

I'm in Brighton, West Virginia and we are spending the night in the Wal Mart parking lot.
Really.

Three thousand miles until we get home. Any advice for me when I get just a little testy over my husband questioning my navigation abilities??
Xo
Lynn

One of my favorites. The team decided to jump into the water here at the dock, where the finish line is. From the Pacific to the Atlantic!!!
Thank you for coming along this journey with me, it has meant so much to have your support.
We will pile into the motorhomes and begin the long drive home in two days. I will announce the winner of the t-shirt on my first post on our way back.
Love to you all!!
Lynn

Full crew with the team. I might be partial, but I think they should get medals as well!

Sisters reunited!

I wish I could figure out how to post more than one photo at a time on this phone, but one at a time will have to suffice.
Here are our boys at the FINISH LINE!!! Seven days, 18 hours and 15 minutes.
These guys are some of the finest, supported by an awesome crew! The goal has been accomplished, and we will see Special Education begin at the high school level at Arrowhead Christian Academy.

Well, hello, Annapolis!!!!! We woke up at 4 a.m. To catch our flight and landed on the East Coast in the afternoon. After a VERY eventful shuttle ride that ended up being close to 2 1/2 hours long with a driver that yelled at us (he ended up at the wrong hotel) to the point of making Brenna cry, we are all snuggled into our beds. Moral of the story: NEVER. Make. My. Child. Cry. Suffice it to say there will be one shuttle driver in time out pretty soon.
We spoke with Captain Doug and they are 500 miles away, e.t.a. Of 4-5 am Sunday. He asks for prayer for wisdom as they come onto the finish line....
Sweet dreams!
Xo
Lynn

I have to say we at the O.K. Corral are doing pretty well. Our team? They at the halfway mark!!!! They entered Pratt, Kansas this morning and will continue the journey. Continue to join them in the blog posts at www.teamlearning4life.org
Xo
Lynn

Sweet photo sent from Lauren!! She and her Dad are in Colorado.

The Long Road Home

Morning, everyone!

It sure is hard work holding down the fort while Doug and Lauren are on the RAAM.

Not.

So far the hardest thing we have done is get out of the pool and decide where to go for dinner.

Lauren, on the other hand, texted me this morning after finishing EIGHT HOURS in the follow vehicle. This consists of driving behind a cyclist at all times at no more than 20 m.p.h....at night. 

Like this:

Doug called me this morning after finishing a mere FIFTEEN HOUR shift of riding. Apparently, the motor homes had to take a different highway than the cyclists, so they had 130 mile separation before they could all meet up and change the cyclist rotation. That means 15 hours in a Yukon with three other cyclists, riding a 10 mile shift, trading out, sleeping/sitting in the car through the other 2 rotations and then getting back on the bike. All the way through Arizona. 

Lauren posted a great blog about it HERE.

Tonight, it's Doug back on the bike with his crew and Lauren and her fearsome team back in the follow vehicle through the Rockies. Yep, at night.

 I happened to look up the weather for Wolf Creek Pass.

Kinda wish I hadn't.

It's an elevation of over 11,000 feet and there's a chance for rain with a low of 33 degrees.

Right now, the guys are riding through Monument Valley, Utah and the sunrise is gorgeous.

Back at the O.K. Corral, we have huge plans of an Orthodontist visit and a movie.

Don't tell the team, o.k.?

xo

lynn

Don't forget!! Best comment from the beginning of the race until the finish line wins a Team Learning 4 Life t-shirt!!!!

Team and crew fully assembled before the race

I'm hoping the video I took will post, but until then, here is a photo of the guys at the start of the race. They are off!! I talked to Doug and he is in " sleep cycle" and lauren is in the follow vehicle , no sleep until tomorrow morning!!!!
More to come...
Xo
Lynn

Just a peek of what this team is in for the next seven days... Tony is one of our crew members!

It's today, it's today!!!!
Join us at 1:45 for a LIVE webcast at the start line. Go to www.teamlearning4life.org
It will be on the main page.
Xo
Lynn

One last photo for the day.
These guys rock!

From the Pacific to the Atlantic....

(linked to Soulemama for "This Moment Friday"

Have I mentioned how much I adore this man? Three thousand miles on a bike so his daughter can go to a school of her choice.
Teamlearning4life.org

Next order of business:
INSPECTION!!!
I am getting so excited! There are teams from Austria, Ireland,Belgium,and good 'ol USA. All our bikes, vehicles, lights,jerseys, you name it, it gets inspected and checked in.
DON'T FORGET!!! The best comment from now until the finish line will win an official Team Learning 4 Life Tshirt and you know, a couple of other goodies for fun!!!!!
Xo
Lynn

Next order of business:

First order of business: Acai bowls!
Acai smoothie, fresh fruit, homemade granola. I so live in the wrong town.

Who would have thought it would take an hour and twenty minutes in a restaurant to get this delightful pizza? Who would have thought it would take another twenty minutes for the last two people in our group of ten to get the same exact pizza? Oh wait. Would you ever have expected the waiter to look at you and wave nonchalantly toasted the first pizza and say, "why don't you just have a piece of that one?" (which by the way we did offer them a piece)

No? How about one of the two that didn't get their pizza to look right back at the waiter and say, "I'm calling Chef Ramsey!"
Such are the memories of the RAAM...
At least the pizza was good!!
More tomorrow!
Xo
Lynn

Well. Hello Oceanside!

The adventure begins.
We are stuffed into this car, driving to get the motor home then on to Oceanside. I will be keeping you all updated until the finish line. And to keep it fun, I will have my sister (lucy) pick the best comment from now until Annapolis. Whoever she picks will win an official Team Learning 4 Life Tshirt!!!!! Woo hoooo! Are you all exited now?
Let's hope I can do this through my phone as lauren is taking my beloved camera.
Ready for the adventure?
Hope so!
Www.teamlearning4life.org
Xo
Lynn

All things RAAM this week... Five days until the race of a lifetime! Check in with us at: www.teamlearning4life.org
Xo
Lynn

Just For Today

Just for today I will not be perfect.

Well, maybe just in this MOMENT I will not be perfect.

Ahhh. Feels better all ready.

I bought a new IPHONE yesterday.

It's going to revolutionize my blog.

Yeah, that's it.

Especially since I couldn't figure out how to load a post with pictures onto the blog.

I had a great photo, profound words and everything.

Imperfection....gotta love it.

I will use old photos (again) and say that I'm tired of holding it all together at times and waiting to try something until it's just right.

I really hope I let this thought sink in for a while and stew.

I tend to ping pong around like a pinball machine, and I'd really rather STOP and have coherent thoughts for more than a day.

I'm beginning to realize this might just be the way to get through this phase of life.

Embrace imperfection today.

xo

lynn

Bliss

Yesterday, bliss.

Glue, paint...

sweet words,

fun colors...

a day FULL of art!

Today?

This:

And this:

As my wonderful, kind blogging friends reminded me,

Right where I should be for the moment.

Thank you.

xo

lynn

Just Life.

In case you haven't noticed, posts have been a little scarce around here.

Part of it is due to the time of the year. The last two weeks of school and the first two are usually my hardest times of the year in terms of busyness. This year, with the Race Across America, we have been in busy overload.

I know it's bad when I wake up on a Sunday morning and don't want to move.

 And then I don't.

This week, Brenna is finished with her freshman year of high school. Next week, the team takes off for the race. Lauren will be part of the team again this year. Brenna and I leave to join them at the finish line on the 25th, and then help drive motor homes back across the country. That takes us to the fourth of July........

....and whoosh. Just like that, a month has flown by.

This is where I fight off the feelings of panic. 

I still have NOTHING done about my etsy shop.

I have not touched my art room in at least a week and a half.

Summer will fly by, and I long for lazy days.

Which is why I'm pretty much laying here, fairly paralyzed in bed.

Then I recall my word for the year:

And I tell myself:

I'm going to try my best to focus on the present moment, not panic about an etsy shop.

I'm going to try my best to schedule in artwork, and love the moments I have with it.

I will NOT panic because I'm not where I think I "should" be with my blog, art, Brenna, the house, the yard, etc.

I will NOT give in to feelings of not doing enough with art, or anything else for that matter, because I cannot do it ALL!

I WILL be intentional about enjoying each day-even if they are crazy busy- because I won't ever have another one quite like it.

Let's enjoy this day, this week, my friends, no matter what craziness lies in it!

xoxo

lynn