Vacation ~ Wednesday

I woke up at 9 AM (lazy!), and my first thought was that is was one of my mom’s and my best friend’s birthday. Lydia was still in bed, so I got my pink sport jacket on and headed upstairs with my Bible. I found Dad reading his Bible. We were the only ones awake. I sat down on the couch and read for a while and then picked up my needlework.

Everyone eventually made their way upstairs and we ate cereal for breakfast and then got showers. Dad and Joe played a car racing game on Dad’s laptop, and Mom and Lydia were still getting ready for the day, so I took the opportunity to do a little exploring out back in the woods. Mom and I had seen a red squirrel earlier. It was so cute! I took some pictures of the pretty nature and discovered a play house and swing in the woods. Had we been younger, we would’ve had a blast.

By the time I was finished snooping around outside, everyone else was ready for the day. We had family devotions, ate a quick lunch, and then left to see about go-carting. Dad and Josiah were totally into it. We had passed a place we thought looked promising as we drove to our chalet on Monday. Let me tell you, Durbuy Adventur is a boy’s heaven! Go-carting, rock climbing, paintball, kayaking…you name it! There were even teepees around a beautiful pond that one could rent. Neat!!! Mom used to go camping a lot when she was a girl, so she thought that was really cool.

We entered a building with animal heads adorning the walls (the wild pig was creepy!) and got our tickets to go go-carting. The boys were all excited and wanted us girls to go, even though we weren’t super thrilled at the prospect. But, you gotta make them happy, right? I haven’t had any driving experience, and due to childhood nightmares about driving, I must admit I’ve never cherished the idea. As the driver, the responsibility of my life and the lives of those driving with me resting solely on my shoulders is a terrifying thought.

Anyway, we had to put on these disgusting-smelling helmets. Ugh, they reeked! Mom said they smelled like dirty feet, and they did!!! My bangs were getting crunched flat. My poor bangs!!! I soon realized why we needed those helmets though! The race track was quite real, as were the racing cars. It was terrifying turning corners and feeling like the car was going to flip like a toy.

Unfamiliar with the racing track, I had a minor accident when I missed a turn and smashed into the side rails. I wasn’t expecting such a sharp turn around the bend. I scraped up one of my fingers a little but kept on going. I was getting the hang of it and really having a blast. I love speed and the feeling of air rushing into my face. I guess I was getting tired and didn’t really realize it though. I was on my last lap when I messed up in the same spot that I had earlier. My arms were weak with the intensity of holding onto the steering wheel for dear life, and I was losing control. It all happened so fast. I went crashing into the side of the track. This time I didn’t only scrape a tiny spot on my hand though. The black side rail thingy went up and I barely missed the tires flying at me. Our time was up, so I headed back to the starting area. All the fingers on my right hand were scraped, bleeding, bruised, and already swollen. Mom let out a cry when she saw me. The guy who ran the car racing place got out a first-aid kit and tended to my hand. He cleaned my fingers as well as he could and then bandaged them up and we left.

We walked to a nearby restaurant on the grounds. I sat on the steps and began to cry a little. I was pretty shaken up. I also felt like an idiot. My hand was throbbing, and my arms were too weak and shaky to hold anything heavier than a Kleenex. Everyone was really sweet to me. Mom happened to have a plastic bag in her pocket, so she asked a lady in the restaurant for ice. That did wonders for the swelling and the pain. Dad got me some apple juice. Lydia had to hold it for me because my left arm was shaking uncontrollably.

As I tried to recover, I realized what had happened. The first time I crashed the car because I was unfamiliar with the course; the second time I crashed because my arms were exhausted; the steering wheel was unbelievably hard to manage. That would explain why my arms were as weak as a baby’s. I think it was just too much. It’s too bad, because I was really enjoying myself. I felt a little sad that it had to end that way.

Mom suggested we hike up the trail and walk a little in the woods, so that’s what we did. From the hilltop one could view the whole area below--the racing track, the ticket office, the parking lot, and, in the distance, horses grazing, trees, and the rolling hills. We tried to make a birthday call, but we couldn’t use the phone out of the country. Too bad!

Then the guys wanted to go racing again. Josiah talked Dad into it. Believe me, it didn’t take too much convincing. Ha! So, the three of us girls sat around on big rocks and waited for a long time and then watched them race. It was fun to see them having fun. I ate a nut/fruit bar, which Dad had bought specifically for our trip. My arm was still weak, so Lydia took a video of the guys racing with my camera. At first it looked like Josiah was going to win. Then Dad knocked Josiah off, and he was ahead. In the end Josiah won because he bumped Dad off course. Mom, Lydia, and I were glad when the guys were done; the weather had changed from sunny and relatively warm to cold and overcast. I was glad I had worn both my jackets and a scarf. I think it’s unusually cool for September!


Dad stopped by a little store on the way home and bought firewood. Josiah began chopping some more wood once we got home, and I soaked my hand in water. Yikes! It’s a good thing I’m not a wimp, because it really hurt to clean my wounds. Poor me! It was nice to get attention, though. (grin) Since it was supposed to be vacation for everyone, Dad promised Mom he’d help her with dinner. He mashed the potatoes. For dinner we ate mashed potatoes and carrots, salad, applesauce, and Dutch worst (sorta like sausage). It tasted good!

The table talk was fun. We spent some much time on this trip just reminiscing. It was nice to remind each other of the past--the good old days. We have so many nice memories. I’m thankful for God’s great goodness towards us. To think we deserve hell, and then I look around and see what God has done for us. It’s astonishing!!!

I really wanted to wash my hair after wearing that gross helmet, but my fingers were raw from my accident, so Mom offered to wash it for me. We went downstairs, leaving the others to clean up dinner. Mom washed my hair in the tub like she used to do when I was a young teenager (12 or 13). After Mom finished, she and Dad went on a walk around the neighborhood, and Lydia and Josiah both worked on the fire.

It was pleasant and homey to hear it crackling in a friendly manner. I love fires! The house and our clothing smelled like wood smoke; I love it! My brother may not be the only pyromaniac. Ha! Sometimes I think I should have been born in centuries past. I imagine what it was like having a fire as the only source of heat on cold, wintry nights. The guys would chop wood and haul it in. Things were so much simpler back then, but I guess not everything was. One thing I wouldn’t like is having no shower. There are certain things I need! A warm shower to wake me up in the morning and my curling iron are two things I can’t do without! =D

Mom and Dad got home from their walk. They said they had two twin kittens following them all around. Cute!!! Mom bandaged my hand up, and then I cross-stitched for a while. We sat around and listened to the Marshall family sing and ate snacks--cheese doodles and pistachios. Dad and I played a game of checkers. He won…as always! (disgusted snort) There have only been one or two times in the past when I have won. I don’t know why I put myself through it! (chuckle)

We finished watching the movie we started watching last night, and then we played a game of UNO. I won the game, and Dad lost the game with 14 cards still left in his hand. I think he was confusing Apples to Apples with UNO…or something. He kept 7 cards in his hand the whole time, whether he needed them or not. Oh dear! We all had a good laugh about it. Daddy is a good sport. I went to bed with a sore throat.