Chicaaagooooooo!

BLOG Post by Ben…as dictated to The Mom

I arrived safely at "the other" Jumpers' house late Monday night. I got to see some of the older kids who were able to stay up late to see me, but only to say hello before they went back to bed. Then I got to visit with my Aunt Ginger for a little bit, which was nice.

Tuesday morning the kids had to do a little bit of their home schooling since they'd been on vacation the previous week, so I went out running. I played with all seven of the kids a little bit before lunch. I had a wrestling match with the younger five kids - me against them - and they won one match, and I won the other. After lunch the kids went to the YMCA for a PE class with other home schooled families. While the kids were there, my Aunt Ginger and I went out to get coffee and talk and that was great! We went back to see the kids finishing up a hockey game on the gym floor, then proceeded back to the house to play and read and nap.

Ginger and the three boys and I went to meet my Uncle Mark at the church he pastors so they could show me their church. It was a nice, and the building apparently used to be a mansion. My Uncle Mark said that the second floor (which is all of the church offices now) used to be the living area with bedrooms and a kitchen, while the first floor was one giant swimming pool with a waterfall! I think church would be fun in a swimming pool! Too bad they didn't keep it that way! ;-)

Aunt Ginger went home, and Mark and the boys and I went on a little outing of our own. The first stop was a small little family winery so we could pick up a bottle of wine for Mark and I to share that night. The family who owns the place buys grapes from Sonoma Valley and mixes them themselves to get their own wine concoction. We tasted a few and they were all quite good! We ended up getting a cabernet sauvignon to go with the steak we were having for dinner that night. Then next door was a little candy shop so each of the boys got something, and Mark got a little something for Aunt Ginger. The girl at the candy shop had the most stereotypical northern Chicago accent I've ever heard in my life. It made me laugh a little bit! The final stop was a guitar shop because their oldest son, Andrew, is interested in learning guitar so Mark wanted to look at guitars and see about lessons. While we were out, the girls were home preparing dinner, which was delicious! *drools*

After the kids cleaned up and did dishes, I played with them until their bedtime. Once they were in bed, Mark and Ginger and I watched "An Officer and a Gentleman." It was a good movie...and good preparation for what's about to come!

Yesterday morning, I woke up early and got packed up so I could have breakfast and play with the kids one last time before I left. It had snowed during the night so I had to clean off the car before I got on the way. All the kids wanted me to stay one more day, but I couldn't because I had a long journey ahead of me. I felt bad having to go because they were fun.

I drove all the way to Akron, OH where I spent the night, and it snowed lightly pretty much the whole way there. This morning when I got out to the car, I guess the snow had blown in from one side because I had 2 or 3" of snow to dig through to get in my car, and the other side was clear!

I am currently driving through Pennsylvania on the way to Quantico, VA where I will spend the night and report to duty tomorrow morning! Wish me luck, and keep me in your prayers!