Valley Orchards, Hebron, Kentucky

Rebekah and I were heading out to McGlasson Farms to buy pumpkins earlier today and when we got to the end of Tanner Road, where it meets River Road, I saw signs pointing the way to another Farm Market we've only visited once. I thought I'd give it a try because McGlassons has gotten very expensive in the short span of years since we've lived here. They have a "corner on the market" so to speak. But Valley Orchards has now won me over. 

Their market season doesn't last as long as McGlasson's (or any other local farmer's markets) and that is one reason why I've not often thought to visit. In fact, we pass Valley Orchards every time we drive to Giles Conrad Park and we've often wondered if it is still in use. Abbey and I had some delicious apple fritters there about three years ago but I've never seen it open since. Apparently, we just haven't been driving by at the right time because right now, Valley Orchards has all of the pumpkins, mums, apple fritters and apples you could want. It's actually a little early in the apple season for them, but the owner Marcia Hempfling assured me that there are more to come and that the pumpkins have been quite prolific this year.

You can follow them on their Facebook Page to get updates about when the apples arrive. Prices will vary with demand, but here's what we paid today:

• $4 for 1/2 peck (about 1 gallon or four quarts) of small but beautiful Jonathan apples
• $15 for a 1/2 bushel  (about 4 gallons) of good looking Golden Delicious
• $3 for 1/2 peck of not-so-pretty pears...but who cares what they look like when I turn them into pear butter! They weren't bad or have any soft spots, they're just not the wax-polished kind you find in the store.
• $1 for three very yummy large donut-hole sized apple fritters made fresh
• $5 each for two pumpkins that would be considered "large" in a grocery store. She said they had bigger ones for $8 or $10. I saw some out in the pumpkin patch that looked like I wouldn't be able to carry them.

Valley Orchards accepts cash or check and Marcia said she will give people discounts for larger quantities. For instance, the Golden Delicious were $5 for 1/2 peck. She placed about 4 1/2 of these bags in my $15 1/2 bushel bag. She also estimated (because prices could vary) that a bushel would be about $25!!

Yes...I will be back! Looks like I get to make applesauce this year.

They still have Winesaps, Jonagolds, Honeycrisps and one more variety I couldn't recall to come in over the next few weeks. Check them out, buy local and support the growers you can actually talk to!

Valley Orchards is located at 7029 River Road, Hebron, KY, 41048. They are open weekends 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. On weekdays, you can call them at 859-689-9511 first to make sure they're not out in the field (I just love buying from someone who actually works in the field where the food is grown!).

Don't Ever Discount What's Happening On the Inside

I am blessed to know some pretty wonderful ladies. God uses them again and again to encourage, challenge and grow me in ways that I sometimes I don't even realize I need until He provides it through them. One such lady is Chandra. I've had the opportunity to sit down with her twice in the last month or so and have come away blessed each time. Last Thursday we had a great conversation, as usual...but the message she sent me the next day was exactly what I needed...when I needed it.

"One other thing that kept popping in my head yesterday and I kept forgetting to say is that...all of these great works we desire to do are awesome and I think He will keep leading us there/showing us the way/providing for, etc. and that I think it's good that we keep striving toward them but we can't lose sight of the fact that the eternal work He's doing inside of us along the way in teaching us to be more patient/loving/wise/courageous...is far more important. Obviously we need to continue to serve, love, and bring people into the Kingdom and that's our most important work...but this life is so very temporary and short and He is preparing us for WAY more than we could ever begin to imagine in our works that are yet to come."

There it is again...this recurring theme that this life is not all there is. It came up in discussion at our home school co-op last week and I read about it again as Rick McKinley referenced Randy Alcorn's book Heaven in his own book This Beautiful Mess. I can let go of the guilt and frustration of unfulfilled dreams because I have all of eternity to complete them with a perfected body on a perfected Earth. I do not need to suffer any angst that my children will not be complete if they don't __________ (play sports, take music lessons, travel, speak five languages, have a Mensa IQ) because again, they have all of eternity to learn how to play basketball or Bach and travel to a perfected China, Australia or Germany.

While flipping through these previous posts regarding this topic, I was reminded one more time that God will not be done with my adventures, gifts and talents when I close my eyes to this current life. In fact, with eternity in view, it's more like that will be just the beginning of all good things. The only part I don't get a second chance at is His perfecting work in me and the joy of bringing as many people along as He gives me the opportunity to include.

I don't really have any desire to take anything with me when I breathe my last in this crumbling shell. I have no baubles, trinkets, knick-knacks, or "stuff" that concerns me as to what will be done with it when I close my eyes here and open them to see my Savior. So why would I want to take along all of this other baggage that can't be seen? If the only "work" that gets accomplished by me for the rest of this Journey is that I allow Him to systematically and graciously pry my fingers from the yuck in my heart and the bad habits I cling to then that is enough.

This may sound like heresy to some. After all, the Great Commandment and the Great Commission are to 'Love God with all your heart, mind and soul and your neighbor as yourself' and 'to go into all the world making disciples of all men.' Yet, I see these as inexplicably unseparatable (that is a word right?) from His purging and refining Spirit drawing me to Himself. As I allow Him to mold, shape, challenge and teach me, that can only be accomplished by loving Him with everything that is in me. Loving my neighbor and myself will naturally overflow out of the depths of this redeeming work. And since God is Love, that is precisely the only option on the agenda for making disciples of all men. Without Love, it cannot be of God since Love is God.

All these dreams I have had for decades of doing big things for Jesus...and as my amazing friend Chandra helped me remember...the greatest thing I do, might only shine forth out of the work that is done first in the hidden places.

This Beautiful Mess- A Book Review

Rick McKinley's This Beautiful Mess is just the book I didn't know I was looking for. What does a life of Kingdom living look like as lived out daily in our personal journey and with other believers? McKinley gives profound insight not only into how to live out a Kingdom-focused life, but raises some reasons as to why we have fallen short and are content to repeatedly do so.

Jesus said, 'Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.' He invited His followers to not just dream of the eternal hereafter, but to embrace what God, through His Holy Spirit is already doing in the here and now.

Drawing from examples of his faith community, Imago Dei, in Portland, Oregon, and presenting challenging references to other authors I hold dear (like Shane Claiborne and Randy Alcorn), McKinley's book has compelled me to no longer just ask the tough questions about how to think outside the box, but to actively look for how to participate with God in bringing His Kingdom to those who seek Him.

While the message may seem simple, I often found myself limited to reading a few pages at a time in order to digest and process through McKinley's writing. That's when I know a book has the fingerprints of God upon it.

If, like me, you are no longer content with the "American Dream" and you long for a life of Kingdom living...sit down (preferably with other Kingdom seekers), crack open your Bible, and using this book and the discussion questions as a guide, prayerfully allow the Holy Spirit to begin painting the picture of how you can participate in living out His Kingdom "on earth as it is in Heaven."

I Know Hope

In an ongoing effort to spend the money God has given us in the way He would want us to spend it, I am constantly on the lookout for companies or ministries that are 

• environmentally friendly
• practice Fair Trade with their growers, farmers, craftsmen, laborers, etc.
• are not abusing, enslaving or traffiking anyone...or turning a blind eye to such practices
• work toward helping communities and individuals instead of padding the pockets of a few CEOs of multinational corporations

I still have a long way to go, but God is empowering me to one purchase at a time, stop the hopeless, helpless feeling that "I am only one person, so what can I do?" For me, that has become a cop-out that I can no longer excuse. Yes, it means research, diligence, delayed gratification and persistence but it also means my life and spending directly contribute to the well-being of others. I think that's a life Jesus would say is well-lived. Shouldn't that be my goal?

Which brings me to my latest purchase. A purse. I've been looking for one for about three to four months. I could find nothing on Stop Traffick Fashion's website that would fit my needs and budget, but they are usually my go-to place for this sort of thing. I've been babying the free Thirty-One purse that I won a few years ago because the zipper pull kept breaking. Then yesterday, the kids and I served at session for the Hands Against Hunger Million Meal Pack and I had time to peruse their small shop in the factory. I was beyond thrilled to find a messenger style bag (my favorite), upcycled from a used coffee burlap sack, that supports a ministry that is "Meeting the needs of the orphan, the hungry, and the hopeless by providing food, shelter, and other humanitarian efforts both locally and abroad."

Can't beat that, can you?

Sure I paid probably about $10 more than I typically would for a bag like this, but I consider that an investment in someone else's future. I Know Hope has several vendor locations in the Cincinnati area, but you can also order directly from them online. Oh, and by the way...the bag is exactly what I've been looking for and amazing quality too!

I have a friend that tomorrow is also hosting an open house for Redeeming Gifts brothel ministry. 

I am certain that I will spend money that some would say I should save for a "rainy day". But if I can get a jump start on some Christmas shopping and help a woman who currently can only support herself by selling her body for a dollar or two...why would I not do it! 

The point of all of this is not to strive for perfection...but improvement. 

See also, related post A Good Steward, 

2013 Gardening, a Review

I have become convinced that if you should so desire, you can grow food almost anywhere. My patio garden is proof. Earlier this spring, I shared the start up and also gave an update. Here's the rundown of what I grew and how it did:

Cherry tomatoes- started from seed; used pots; did great and still going
Yellow pear tomatoes- used topsy-turvy; did well
Habanero peppers- quite prolific; tore up plant in early August because I had frozen enough for a year and couldn't get anyone to take them
Sweet green/red peppers- took a long time to turn red, but did well
Lilac peppers- interesting plant; small ones were a deep purple but turned green as they ripened
Tomatillos- used a topsy-turvy; massive plant with hundreds of blooms; very small and minimal fruit until I removed half the plant, now the fruit is growing well
Collard greens- Fed the bearded dragon all summer with these
Salad bowl lettuce- lasted most of the summer when trimmed at baby green size
Swiss chard- just three plants have provided baby greens for several weeks
Mesclun greens mix- easy to plant and harvest as baby greens
Green onions- started these from grocery purchased organic green onions; have trimmed all summer and two plants still going strong
Big boy tomatoes- started from seed; these are the largest tomatoes I've ever grown in a pot
Arkansas Traveller (Heirloom) tomatoes- a very large, potted plant; have had a lot of fruit but no huge tomatoes
Sweet basil- prolific and yummy; continues to provide fresh herbs when trimmed regularly
Chocolate mint- huge plant that I have dried and used a lot of, but still producing
Celery- started from organic, store bought celery; still trying to figure out how to grow this; small stalks are okay for juicing but a little tough and bitter to eat
Annual flowers- these were great for bringing in the much needed pollinators
Zucchini- probably the biggest fail of the season; grew in a topsy-turvy; plant started off great, produced two fruit and then they started to rot before they matured; gave up babying the plant by mid-July and used the top of the planter for celery instead

I'm not done though. I have been keeping Seeds Now in business and have all of the following started for fall:
Collard, Georgia southern
Red salad bowl lettuce
Spinach, bloomsdale
Endive, full heart barbarian
Kale, premier
Parsley, dark green Italian
Cilantro, slow bolt
Rosemary
Pea, sugar snap
Swiss Chard, orange
Beet, Chioggia
Cauliflower, all-year
Swiss Chard, hot pink
Radicchio

All also have more seeds to start soon:
Turnip, purple top
Mustard, tendergreen
Basil, three different varieties
plus loads of herb and lettuce greens seeds to spare!

My hope is to continue outside as long as possible. Last year, I had lettuce greens until December and only stopped because I got tired of watering the plant and let it die. Our patio is protected from most inclement weather, yet receives full sun for the entire winter...that's a pretty good combination for continuing outside.

I also have plans to move things indoors when the weather necessitates. I'm becoming so passionate about growing some of our own food that I'm hoping to move around furniture in our dining area to take advantage of a great window that will extend our harvest even longer. I'm still learning the ropes with my small aquaponics tank too, but I think for now, wheat grass is the best harvest to keep the contained system operating smoothly.

As I hope you can see from the photos, this is nothing fancy and yet it serves a need. Am I feeding our entire family from it? No. With all of the juicing and smoothie making that Abbey and I do, we go through greens too fast to not supplement with purchases from the store. But I have not had to buy a tomato, basil, mint or any form of pepper since May. I have also fed Noah's bearded dragon since May with the greens from our back patio. I think that's pretty good compensation for doing something I love.

**Note: The photos in this post are all from my current garden. For photos from spring and summer, please click on the highlighted links in the first paragraph above**

Hands Against Hunger Million Meal Pack

Almost exactly two years ago, I had a specific mission given to me by the Holy Spirit to involve our family in some effort to raise awareness and money for the Horn of Africa which was then experiencing a devastating famine. Through the Spirit's leading, friends and family fasted for 24 hours and raised enough money to feed nine children for a year (roughly $1000). You can click on any post from mid-July through September of 2011 and it probably has something to do with our famine relief efforts.

The organization that we were led to turn over our fundraising dollars to was Kids Against Hunger. We also had seven of us assist in a food packing event. The CEO of the organization personally contacted me and provided encouragement throughout the entire process. It was an amazing experience for all of us. Over the last two years, I've seen status updates and photos of other families that have had similar opportunities to pack food and be blessed. Every so often Hands Against Hunger (their new name) has a specific push or marathon that will benefit a part of our world that is suffering greatly.

This coming weekend, HAH will attempt to pack one million meals that will, in turn, be shipped to Kenya and Sudan. They need over 3000 volunteers and $250,000 in donations to make this happen. I love that they dream big!

I am grateful to the family in our co-op that shared this information and to a God who reminded me that we need to pick up our serving game again. This is a wonderful place for families to serve together...how often does that happen? Children as young as two or three can help pack. By simply serving for two hours, you can pack enough food to feed a child for a year.

'Ohana (Polynesian Resort, Walt Disney World, Florida)

I normally like to keep all of my vacation posts together, but it's been a busy week trying to get back into the swing of things and catching up on stuff around home. In the past, my one post about The Magic Kingdom is all I would have offered. But starting with our trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in June, I wanted to offer more details about sights to see and places to dine when you travel. For years, I've thought that planning Disney vacations would be a dream come true and even though I'm not getting paid for sharing this information, I want you...the consumer, to be armed with as much information as I can offer to assist you when you head out on your own adventure.

I will admit, up front that I am a Disney-phile...yet, I know I pale in comparison to many. Believe me, if we had the funds, I would struggle deeply with the tug of a yearly vacation to Disney-Mecca versus spending travel funds in a more edifying way such as mission trips and supporting organizations like we did with The Simple Way. It is difficult to be altruistic when it comes to my Disney addiction. I'm hoping the thirst was quenched for a few years now and I can get back to funding great organizations doing Kingdom work if we have opportunity to travel again in the foreseeable future.

Don't get me wrong, Disney is magical and I delighted in every minute of it...almost. In an effort to give our third child an opportunity to have experiences different from her siblings, we tried new things like Sea World and hanging out at Cocoa Beach for a day (post to follow soon). One of those attempts on my part resulted in a scheduled character breakfast at 'Ohana in the Polynesian Resort. I thought dining with Lilo and Stitch would be a blast. They are very cute and star in one of our favorite Disney movies. But I'm uncertain that the total character encounter (which included visits from Mickey and Pluto too) of about 10 minutes accumulated was worth the $25 per person price tag. Yes, you read that right.

That's the other thing about Disney that has always disgruntled me...at 10 years old, you begin paying adult prices for children. Now, I could concede on the parks that a 10 year old would ride just as many rides as an adult. But none of my 10-15 year old children (including my son) could ever eat as much as an adult. And to be honest, I don't eat $25 worth of breakfast either.

In the past, we have enjoyed the Crystal Palace breakfast in Magic Kingdom with Winnie the Pooh characters and the buffet meal has been delicious and well worth the price. The family style Princess breakfast at Cinderella's castle and the Belle Princess buffet breakfast at Akershus in Norway at EPCOT may have been comparable in price (although we were paying child prices for our kids at the time), but there were many more characters and the food was far superior to 'Ohana. Bacon, sausage, eggs, very small biscuits, small Mickey Mouse shaped waffles, juice, fruit and roasted potatoes are not something I would normally pay this price for. I know the buffets mentioned above also include multiple bread choices and omelet bars cooked to order.

You don't know how it pains me to give a negative review to something Disney. But considering the "magic" was probably lessened considerably for a 13 year old and the food just wasn't on par with what I've come to expect from Disney,  I would want others to know that going in. If you have a child that is a die-hard Lilo and Stitch fan, this might be just what you family would enjoy or if you have a dining plan option that includes character meals for the same price, I could see where this would be a fun diversion from the hustle and bustle of eating in one of the parks. But for this situation, when the cash had to come out of my pocket (instead of the new handy-dandy wrist bracelets Disney is using for resort guests), I'll confess...it hurt a little to hand over the greenbacks.

It was still a fun experience though because of the characters and the company and the reason why we were there...to celebrate Rebekah. Next time, I know though to do a little more research and to stick with some of our tried and true dining options.

Oliver Twist (Cincinnati Shakespeare Company)

Last Wednesday, all four of our children and I attended a matinee performance of Oliver Twist at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. I was delightfully surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Being more of a musical theatre fan, and having both performed in Oliver! and seeing the 1968 Oscar winning film adaptation too many times to count, I wasn't certain going into it how well it would be received by any of us. Oliver! is also Leah's (10 years old) favorite musical and she has half the soundtrack on her iPod Shuffle.

But I had confidence in Cincy Shakes. They have wow-ed us with two Jane Austen adaptations (Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility) and Romeo and Juliet, plus the touring production of The Tempest. I knew the quality would be good...as it was. Honestly, the presentation wasn't my concern. I just wanted the story to flow well so my children would have a good experience and not be bored. That is no easy task with today's YouTube driven culture. Let's admit it, all of our attention spans have shortened quite a bit over the years.

My worries will ill-founded though. Cincy Shakes did it again...they impressed me...deeply. In fact, there was music. Not any big show-stopping production numbers, but appropriate to the tone and mood songs that furthered the storyline, gave insight, were by no means distracting to the plot and helped break up some of the heavier drama from this sad tale. The accompanying violin music was beautiful as well.

All of the actors gave solid performances. We have seen several of the them repeatedly now and they consistently exceed my expectations. I will highlight one though. Sara Clark as the Artful Dodger, doesn't just play a young boy, but turns in the best performance I have seen from her and that is saying something. In the past I've seen her play my favorite heroine, Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice) and Marianne Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility). Abbey also told me she played a great Juliet last year, but so far, for me, this is the best one to date.

Oliver Twist runs through the rest of September and if you have a chance to take in a great show and support the local arts at the same time, this is the one to see for September.

A Lesson for Us All

Even on the days that I don't take the time for the daily liturgy of Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, I like to read the references to our Church ancestors. It is deeply comforting to me to know that this Journey is so much bigger than me. Because I have been spending some time on my new Beth Moore study and have also been highly distracted, I had to do some catching up today.

Here is what I read from the September 12th entry: "Tatian the Assyrian, a second-century theologian, wrote, "Die to the world by renouncing the madness of its stir and bustle. God created nothing evil. It is we who brought forth wickedness. Those who brought it about can also do away with it again.""

Second-century "stir and bustle" is something I can only dream of. Regardless of comparing the differences of an age long gone by, there is nothing new under the sun and humankind has always been guilty of the ease with which we are distracted.

How can I see where God is working and join with Him if I don't stop and look up long enough to acknowledge Him? Liturgy and Bible study are just two of the many ways I can centre my day around Him instead of me. I am being challenged to go much deeper with Him and have been running away from the challenge.

In the wise words of Rafiki, the baboon from Disney's The Lion King, "It is time."

I extend the challenge to you as well.

Every Article I've Read in the Last Six Months Regarding McDonalds...

...mentions Chipotle and Subway as their biggest competitors. Now, Subway still uses processed meats, full of nitrites and nitrates, but Chipotle has been attempting to prove (very successfully, I might add) that a chain restaurant does not have to use factory farming to feed people. I love that we are all waking up to healthier choices and that other fast food chains are no longer dominating the field.

One thing I appreciate deeply about Chipotle is that when their supplies are low on naturally raised pork, chicken or beef, they will post a sign at their restaurants sharing that information with you up front, where you order your food. Then, you, the consumer are allowed to make an informed decision about what you are putting into your body. What other company does that?

Over the last eight years since we first began our Chipotle addiction, I have read from various sources that Chipotle always attempts to use as much locally grown and organic produce, beans and sour cream as possible. When it is not, they are honest about that too. Most recently, I noticed they have taken the pork out of their pinto beans so vegans and vegetarians who have very few affordable options in the restaurant-dining-world can have yet another one to choose from. On my recent trip with Rebekah to Florida, I intentionally planned a Chipotle stop during our driving. I'm learning to take these extra measures because I enjoy reaping the benefits of eating healthier foods when I'm away from home too.

My timing for sharing this though was this link that a Facebook friend shared.(Thanks Deanna!) It is an amazing animated short that shows the future of our food chain. But if you really do your research, you'll realize that this is not too much of a gross exaggeration as to what our food sources already look like. Watch the clip, support Chipotle and start making changes today that will benefit you...your health...and this one planet that we all share.

[If you're a little confused at the end, apparently, there is an app game you can download as well.]

This Disgusts Me

Came across this article today regarding Pat Robertson and a documentary about his fundraising efforts for the refugee people of Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. PLEASE know where the money you are giving is actually going...especially if the organization claims to be charitable...or Christian. No wonder our culture turns away from the gospel we proclaim, when self-promoting leaders cozy up to men committing human rights violations and oppression of their own people, in order to make a profit raping the land of its natural resources.

I have had no respect for Robertson for many years, but this truly makes me ill. I am certain his supporters could claim that this is all fabricated...but as Christians we are called to live above reproach, (a lifestyle that could leave no doubt as to Whom we serve)...in a manner that only glorifies God...not ourselves.

Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World FL

Our original trip plan included meeting some friends on our first day in Orlando at Downtown Disney. I can never imagine travelling to Central Florida and not making a Disney stop somewhere. Sad...but true. I was content with Downtown Disney though. We had also scheduled a couple of meals on Disney properties, so my "fix" could be satisfied.

As we were travelling and I still hadn't heard a final confirmation from our friends, I mentioned to Rebekah that if they couldn't meet on the only day we had available, would she be willing to change up our plans and head on over to the Magic Kingdom instead? 

Really? What kid would say no?

It has been six and half years since Bekah was there...half of her lifetime ago. And for the last year or so, when Abbey has pined away at how much she has missed going there the last few years, Bekah has always added how she likes Disney...but not as much as the rest of us (specifically, Abbey and I). I can't describe to you my joy at seeing her create new memories. She wanted picture after picture in Fantasyland and Main Street because they were "so beautiful". 

One of the questions asked by our ticketing cast member was "Is this your first time here?" He still gave Rebekah a First Time button because it had been so long, but the button she chose to wear read "Happy Birthday" with space to write her name. Having cast members all day tell her "Happy Birthday," "Happy Birthday, Rebekah" and the most cherished by her, "Happy Birthday, Princess!" had her beaming from ear to ear for most of the day.

This was our first visit to the newly expanded Fantasyland and it was quite enjoyable. Abbey kept following all of the updates and didn't want them to "destroy her childhood memories". But the only ride to close was Snow White...and it was time. New rides, including The Little Mermaid and an interactive storytelling with Belle are great additions.

My child that is torn between kid-dom and adulthood even took a stroll through the water play area! Another fun side I don't often see of Rebekah was her desire to shop. Out of my three girls, she hates it the most...so her constant requests of  "Can we look in here?" were beginning to put me off a little...because I too, don't like to shop. When I kindly asked why the sudden interest, she said, "Because it's not clothes...it's fun stuff." I think having birthday money from the grandmas helped too.

The first ride we rode was Buzz Lightyear's Space Command and for the first time, one of my children promptly skunked me. Half way through the ride, she had the maximum 999999 points. I blamed it on being forced to use my left hand to shoot because of my seating location. Yeah...she didn't buy that and promptly took a photo of the score with her iPod as proof for her siblings that she's finally better than Mom at rides like these. Have I ever mentioned how competetive I am? And that a few of my kids have picked that up from me?

She really didn't have a great desire to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but accomodated me with the caveat "As long as we can ride in the front of the train". It was too busy to be given a choice and we ended up in the second from the back row. But she loved it and we went back again later. She really enjoyed Splash Mountain too. The hill scared her quite a bit, but the complete ride of the Song of the South story more than made up for the brief plunge into the briar patch. She was enthralled with the whole ride because she never knew Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear were all inside the mountain before.

Something else Disney has added since I went with Abbey almost four years ago is two different interactive adventures throughout the park. One is a treasure hunt throughout Adventureland with Jack Sparrow. It's difficult to describe, but you are given a map and a cardboard "key". You get registered and find your first location on the map. You go there, use your key and something happens...either a cannon fires, water sprays, a skeleton rises out of the water or all three! There were at least three different adventures and the one we did was a lot of fun.

Much later at night, we found another Villian interactive game on Main Street. There are multiple adventures and they could include every part of the park, except Tomorrowland. Ours was in Adventureland again. Merlin needed us to stop Jafar. Rebekah was again given a map, a "key" and this time some spell cards. When Merlin (or Genie) asked you to cast your spell, you simply held up the card and something would happen. For example, if you used Flynn Rider's card, multiple frying pans would be thrown at Iago or Jafar. The spell for the elephant from The Jungle Book meant the villian would be trampled by a herd of elephants. We had a little difficulty getting some of the "spells" to work, but she loved every minute of the adventure. She was really getting into it...or so I thought, until I saw another child walking up to one of the interactive areas (which happened to be in a fireplace!) carrying a large, leather-looking portfolio with pocket dividers (similar to baseball collecting) and he had multiple pages of spell cards to choose from. This kids was a pro!

Both of these adventures are free and could easily consume hours of your day. Rebekah did the villian adventure for about 30-40 minutes and when some of the cards weren't working, I finally asked if we could move on to the rides as the park would be closing in about an hour anyway. I could see though that if you were there for multiple days, you could easily take an afternoon when the ride lines are long to do these fun, interactive games.

The last fun part of the day was seeing the park decorated for Fall. The only other time I've been there in September was in 2005 when Hurricanes Charlie and Francis had recently struck and Hurricane Ivan was on its way. Ivan missed us, but either Disney wasn't doing their big Halloween party yet or just weren't decorating as early. This time though, it was September 3rd and on Main Street, it was already Fall. When Abbey and I went in November 2008, all of the Halloween decor was down and our timing of her birthday (November 10th) coordinated with the first day of their Christmas party.

The decorations were beautiful and I can see why people would return year after year for the Halloween party. But this much more northern, Southern girl found the 90+ degree temps a little difficult to get in the mood for crispy leaves and Autumn colors.

I knew we'd have fun, but my girl who had recently proclaimed herself to "like Disney, but not as much as the rest of you," left the park with tired feet, but a huge smile and a whole new batch of memories. I don't know if we'll return anytime soon or ever...but to be able to spend this day with her was nothing short of magical.

Sea World, Orlando FL

My little girl's thirteenth birthday seemed to come far too quickly...yet, come it did. Interestingly enough, although she's the third of four, from day one her nickname (at least one of them) has been "Baby". Nothing was cuter than when her baby sister as a toddler would look up and call her "Baby". But she's not a baby anymore and as time drew near for her special trip, we found a little difficulty choosing a place she'd enjoy visiting. She wanted to see Harry Potter world at Universal Studios in Orlando, but as we did the research and discovered that most of the park was roller coasters, she...not being a roller coaster fan, opted to look elsewhere.

I think it was an idea given me by the Holy Spirit to suggest Sea World to her. I personally have never wanted to visit there, but Bekah is our animal and outdoorsy girl. She always has been. Also, when you are the third of four children, it is rare that you get to have a "first" of anything. Being the first Barthauer kid to visit Sea World just made it that much more special.

Seeing the animals was great and the rides and 3-D movie experiences were fun too. She still didn't get on either of the big roller coasters, and although she wanted to ride the Atlantis log flume ride, we missed it due to a thunderstorm in the area for an extended period of time.

A couple of things that caught me off-guard about Bekah on this trip was, one...how often I forget that although she's looked like she's 18 since she was 11...she is still just a kid that loves to have fun. She doesn't show that side of herself a lot at home. She's always the first to suggest playing a game, but she keeps to herself so much that I forget sometimes just how funny and fun-loving she is.

The second thing is that she hates to have her picture taken, but I prepared her before we left that she would have to accommodate her camera-wielding mother on this trip at least. Surprisingly, without any complaint...she complied.

She said her favorite thing of the day was petting the sting rays and seeing the baby ones trying to climb up the side of the tank, flapping their sides.

My favorite was the Shamu show. It bothered Bekah more than a little that out of the five killer whales, we didn't know exactly which one was Shamu. I finally left it at, "Use your imagination," and that seemed to appease her. At least she stopped asking. I wanted to take pictures, and they would have been wonderful. But she wanted to sit in the splash zone.

As you can see, it was a good choice to put the camera away.

My overall review of the park is difficult to assess because I am such a Disney-phile that being in Orlando, I naturally compare everything to them. I just finally had to force myself to stop doing that. I will make these few observations though:

• The park is difficult to navigate, even with a map. I was not alone in this. I saw multiple confused faces throughout the day staring in bewilderment, pointing in conflicting directions as to where they were headed next. I have never been more thankful for my superb map reading skills. I know some directionally-challenged people that probably would have thrown in the towel by noon. And although there are signs throughout the park, they are mostly for the big rides and shows. It took us the better part of wandering around for two hours to find the harbor seals. Granted we stopped along the way to see the things we did find, but it was still a lot of time and energy spent trying to find the right direction. And interestingly, even when we encountered employees and they saw us with our map out, no one offered to help. We always had to speak up and ask to get assistance.
• Food, as with all amusement parks, is very expensive. Sharing would be the best option.
• Basically, this is a huge zoo unless you're going to ride the roller coasters. If not for my soon to be last point, I would have been very disappointed in what we were able to do compared to the price of the ticket. Bekah had no desire to see all of the shows, but I can see where a family that enjoyed doing those would find the park worth the expense.
• The Shamu show! Okay, we tried to go about 15 minutes before the 12 p.m. show and could not find a seat. We took an associate's recommendation to arrive at least 30 minutes early for the next one. We did, and we had great seats! By the end of the show, I was in awe. I have told everyone who has asked, up until that 2:30 p.m. show, I could not think of Sea World as anything more than a glorified zoo. Shamu (all five of them!) changed my mind. They won me over. I would gladly pay the full-price ticket again, just to see them. And I'd probably watch them more than once.

Overall, if you love a more relaxed pace than a Cedar Point, Kings Island or Disney adventure and at least one in your family loves animals and you enjoy more shows and interacting with animals than rides...I really think you'd have fun. I was pleasantly surprised and look forward to returning someday. I'll admit though...I will probably eagerly search for some great discounts though!

Chuy's, Florence KY, (A Tale of Three Restaurants, part 3)

I have been trying to catch up on some restaurant reviews that I've missed. I have already shared my reviews of two Mexican restaurants, including El Rio Grande of Florence and El Mariachi of Hebron. But I have since learned that the third, Chuy's of Florence, is in fact a chain restaurant. Not that I'm opposed to those who review them, but in an effort to promote locally owned businesses that will support our local economy, I have chosen to not give free advertising to those that do not fall in the category of "locally owned". Sure, it may have local investors or be a franchise, but odds are there is someone still far removed from our local area that is making decisions for the restaurant and sending money elsewhere. Worse case scenarios include large mega-chains that encourage factory farming.

I will just say this. While Chuy's has beautifully distracting decor that is not typical of most Mexican restaurants, I did not see what all of the hype was about. I've seen lots of photos posted on Facebook from people dining here and honestly, I thought at best it was a mediocre meal. Nothing stood out to me as worth the near 20 minute drive for us. Also, with no lunch menu even on a weekday, the cost was far and above what I would normally pay for myself and two of our children to have lunch.

So while I apologize to the die-hard Chuy's fans if I've offended you...I also challenge you to find a place that supports your local community because it is locally owned. Once you do (if you're in the Cincy/Northern KY area), send me a comment about how you like it. If I have a chance to check it out and give it a review, proper credit will be given to you for the recommendation.

El Rio Grande, Florence, KY (A Tale of Three Restaurants, part 2)

My birthday was almost three weeks ago and for my birthday dinner, I really wanted to go to a Japanese steakhouse. But alas  my big day fell on a Sunday and opting for lunch was the plan...hoping a more affordable lunch menu would be available. It wasn't. Our favorite Chinese restaurant is no longer open on Sundays, my parents were in town just a few days before and taken the kids and I to one of my favorite chain restaurants (Abuelos), the two younger girls and I had eaten at another local Mexican place just a week before, so I really didn't have my heart set on Mexican food. But it was conveniently located next to the Japanese steakhouse we were choosing not to frequent in order to save money and we had eaten there a few times before and thought that it would be doable for our family.

To summarize, it wasn't the best birthday meal I've ever had.

Now I know people are loyal to their favorite Mexican food, but out of the three restaurants I'm rating here, I would place this one at the bottom (but it's a close call with second place). They do offer a lunch menu but for our family, it was still too expensive, averaging $10 per person (including tip). It's been a few weeks, but to the best of my memory, we had two teens ordering nachos (as usual), I had a chicken chimichanga (which was just okay), Abbey ordered veggie fajitas (pricey and were doused in corn oil and she barely touched because of it), don't remember what Dale had, but he did like it and one kids meal of chicken fingers and rice that she really didn't care for. The water here is also tap and not very tasty. 

Three things that will have me think twice before I go back are these: 

• The teen who ordered beef nachos ate very few because he said "they smell like poo". They apparently didn't taste like poo, but he couldn't get past the smell. 
• The cost, even for lunch was too much for the quality of food, compared to El Mariachi.
• And lastly, I went along with the big sombrero on my head and everyone singing to me for my kids laughs, but when you bring out the free fried ice cream in honor of my special day, please be certain that it is not wrapped in stale corn flakes and laying on a stale tortilla and definitely don't stick your finger into the dessert you just brought me and proceed to put whip cream on my nose. Not cool, dude...not cool. (Note: I did not complain and we all sort of nervously chuckled in shock that he would brazenly do that. In our family Noah and I are probably the only two that could somewhat laugh that off. If it had happened to the others, not so much.)

So there you have it. I don't really like to pan a place and we have eaten there a few other times with better experiences, but never as a whole family. I don't think it will be high on our list of priorities to return, especially with a much better alternative that we have closer to home.

El Mariachi, Hebron, Kentucky (A Tale of Three Restaurants)

Our daughter, Rebekah, and I were heading out to Florida on her birthday (see post here), so the night before we left, the whole family went to a restaurant of her choosing. El Mariachi was an obvious choice for our Mexican food-loving girl.

As we were dining, I realized I'd eaten at three different locally owned Mexican restaurants in the previous month and had neglected to review them. I guess I just sort of take them for granted. But, I shouldn't. They are not all the same, although their similarities may sometimes prevent me from thinking there are any stand outs.

El Mariachi is the closest Mexican restaurant to us and yet, we have often chosen to drive to others much further away. I'm uncertain why. I think one reason was that only within the last year have they disallowed smoking. Yes, this is Kentucky! And although smoking was limited to the bar, it pervaded the whole store. Well, not anymore.

One other reason for not going there as often has been the expense. It costs Dale and I at least $20 to eat there, but I usually have leftover beans or rice for someone else to enjoy. At that rate of expense though, it would cost our family over $60 for a meal...which is just ridiculous. But...I have two kids that order nachos no matter what Mexican restaurant we go to and at El Mariachi, from 3-7 p.m. all appetizers are half off...including nachos.

So the rundown for our family was this: chicken nachos, bean nachos and a large queso bowl (all half price), a kid's meal of chicken fingers and rice (including drink), Dale's Santa Fe burrito, and Abbey and I shared veggie fajitas with rice (and didn't finish it all), two drinks and tip for $45. I know, still quite a bit of money, but much cheaper than any other birthday dinners we've had in the last year. In fact, when I post the reviews of the other two Mexican restaurants, I think you'll appreciate the cost difference.

I should add quickly that all of the food was delicious too. Sometimes veggie fajitas are covered in corn oil at other restaurants, but not here. I have only two "complaints" and both are more than tolerable...our server was a bit overwhelmed and didn't seem to have a lot of assistance delivering food, with refills, etc. Other visits have been better. And when I ask for water, as I should...in an attempt to avoid pop, it is tap...and not tasty tap either. I've noticed a similar taste in their pop in the past, so I am assuming they do not use a filter. This is easily remedied by bringing my own water from home.

Overall, I have to rate this my favorite locally owned Mexican restaurant in Northern Kentucky right now. I do still love Abuelos (but cost-prohibitive for our family and not locally owned) and On the Border will always be our family favorite, but there are none currently in the Tri-State area.

Next time you're in the mood for a little more authentic Mexican food (Americanized as they all are) come up to Hebron and try El Mariachi. I think you'll like it.

**Two more Mexican restaurant reviews to follow soon**