Every time I think about that quote, it makes me want to watch The Patriot again, haha.
Our first day in Ohio was quite an adventure! Scott, Suzie, Em & I decided to bike down to the river. Solon is a very peaceful, pretty neighborhood, full of trees and even has a few rolling country hills to go along with it! --> a nice continued break from the endless apartment buildings and skyscrapers towering over a flat plane. We had heard that the river was clear, gently flowing & peaceful: a perfect simple of the tranquil suburban lifestyle that surrounded it. However, our hike down to the water revealed a raging torrent of muddy water! At first we were relishing the surprise of our violent discovery, but then we realized that, given the imminent probable downpour of the dark grey clouds overhead, we had better make our way to safety.
I have always loved watching the Black Riders get swept away by the enchanted Bruinen River, but I’d rather not be one of the Ringwraiths in that scene. It turns out we left not a moment too soon! The rain came down HARD as we made our way up the steep slopes back home. To add to our alarmed state, the tornado sirens began screeching as we crossed the main street! By the time we reached home it was actually hailing. This storm was intense! My eyes kept darting frantically between my family behind me and the tree line on my right. I kept expecting a tornado to burst through the trees like a T-Rex, ready to devour us all!
Thankfully, we survived. And so did my parents’ new home! It’s beautiful and we felt very much at home from the moment we walked in the door :). Of course, Reggie was there to greet us with characteristic explosive enthusiasm and snuggling. And then we got a tour of the place, really appreciating the forest view of the living room and backyard patio, and being reunited with much that was kept in storage for so many (nearly 6) years while my parents lived in The Netherlands & then near us in China :). Among the highlights of that particular collection of family comforts were our light brown leather reclining couches, the pool table, and the foosball table. Robert & I had to make up for lost time, so we played 29 games of foosball while I was there. I won 28 of them. Better luck next time, Robert!! Haha ;).
And of course, all of the usual comforts of home were the main joy throughout our stay: Mom’s home cooking (including cinnamon rolls & rhubarb pie!!!), lots of cereal (can’t get that in China), late night movies with my brothers, and great conversations and game times with family, including Guesstures, Dutch Blitz, Citadels, Pandemic, Bocce Ball & Badminton, etc. I was also introduced to Dominion, and I’m definitely looking forward to playing that game again! Last but definitely not least, we appreciated the time we got to spend with Suzie & Samantha – so valuable to get to spend some time getting to know the women my brothers love so much! (one a sister, and one soon-to-be!)
We were very blessed by the trips we took away from home base as well, exploring the nearby (and slightly less nearby) countryside. Our first was a day tip to legendary amusement Cedar Point – and it didn’t disappoint! Its top roller coasters are among the best I’ve ridden on, and its location cannot be matched. It’s on a peninsula, jutting out onto Lake Erie! Surrounded on 3 sides by water, the views just before you begin to plunge to the bottom of the coaster at top speeds are just as breathtaking! Our personal favorites were Millennium Force (affectionately re-named the Millennium Falcon), Maverick, and Magnum – we also enjoyed getting soaked by waterfalls on the rafting ride. There was a conflict of opinion between the four of us (Scott, Suzie, Em & I) who were there about the next best ride; I liked Raptor, while Scott & Em really liked the new Gatekeeper, and I don’t think Suzie liked either of them. Haha. But even the food there was incredible! Chick-Fil-A in the park!! And it was just as delicious as it is outside the park! Don’t worry, we got it outside the park a couple of times too ;). I can’t get enough of that Spicy Chicken sandwich & waffle fries :). Mmmm…
After Scott & Suzie had departed for their new home & the beginning of Westminster Seminary, the rest of us had a relaxing beach day on Kelley’s Island (not that they were stressing us out…;). Ferries back and forth, lakeside restaurants and a fair, warm summer waters, and a good book were some of the simple pleasures of the day. Speaking of the book, I discovered the mastery of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle over the summer; The Lost World is an excellent adventure with fascinating characters, particularly Professor Challenger. Not to mention that we have since ushered in many Sherlock Holmes mysteries this fall; the original tales are so well-written and entertaining! No wonder he became such a beloved character, haha.
A day in the world of the Amish was illuminating; it gave me a much deeper appreciation for their ways and the decisions they have made to follow Christ’s teaching the best they believe how. There is a brilliant Amish panorama painting out there that I highly recommend to anyone who ever has the privilege of visiting my parents or passing through the area. It tells the story (or rather, many stories) of the Amish from the very beginning, including their persecution and their heroes. The story that most impressed me was the one of the man who was being persecuted for his beliefs & pursued by bounty hunters when he (a thin man) crossed a lake in the chase and the fat bounty hunter fell through the ice! Rather than keep running, he chose to love his enemies & rescue his pursuer. Once safely on solid ground, the bounty hunter then led him away to be burned at the stake! The moral of the story: loving our enemies is not just a nice thought; it’s a command!
Our greatest adventure, however, was without a doubt our trip to Niagara Falls! The Limkeman family had visited once before, when we were very young – I was in upper Elementary school, I think. It was Emily’s first time – and while perhaps it has a bit more manicured surroundings than the waterfalls we discovered out in Jiuzhaigou, it is REALLY amazing. Awe-inspiring volumes of water thunder down over those falls. Dad got us the adventure pass, featuring the Maid in the Mist, the Aquarium, and the Cave of the Winds, to name the highlights in brief, the last of which was also the most incredible :).
The Maid in the Mist was just as epic as I remembered it to be – even more so come to think that the only falls I actually recalled were the Horseshoe Falls; while that is the most classic of the three falls, the great American (and Bridal Veil, if you can count as a separate waterfall, haha) Falls are also spectacular. I love going into the clouds of mist that rise high from where the falls crash down into that semi-circular pool below, being soaked by infinite droplets of water rising and falling all around me. After lunch at the Hard Rock Café, we went to a California seal show at the aquarium, followed by swimming at the hotel before Buzzy’s pizza. Then back to the American Falls that night for the light show on the falls (green, red, blue & white).
The next morning I got to lead worship for the family in the park overlooking Horseshoe Falls, and we liked the location so much that we came back to the café there for lunch! Worship was a most natural and heartfelt experience for all of us, given the magnitude and beauty of God’s creation before us. I love singing worship songs. If only my past self could have looked into the future and seen me now…he would have been shocked. But I digress, haha.
Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for – and my favorite part of the trip: The Cave of the Winds! This expedition featured an elevator shaft that took us a couple hundred feet down to the base of the falls. Once we arrived, we donned our ponchos and were actually able to walk up on some wooden scaffolding and stick our face in the American Falls! Now it wasn’t particularly windy in the actual cave, but you could truly feel the sheer POWER of the falls as winds rushed up to 60mph past you and the water came crashing down upon rocks, shooting out forcefully in our direction! It was incredible. And yet, standing at the top of the falls and peering out over the edge, we noticed that the water seems to slip so smoothly over the precipice in such a carefree manner that you would never imagine the beast that is unleashed upon unsuspecting tourists below!
We have missed and will continue to miss weekends and holidays with my parents in Suzhou and sightseeing around China together. But we are so grateful for the 1.5 years we were able to spend with them, and for the chance to live life together once more this past July :). See you again soon, Mom & Dad (and Scott, Robert, Suzie & Samantha) – we love you!
P.S. We did stop by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum one afternoon, in case you were wondering ;). I really enjoyed seeing some memorabilia and history of rock n’ roll throughout the last hundred years. There were some pretty interesting exhibits there! Emily got bored fairly quickly, but she put up with me til my curiosity was satisfied ;). One of our favorite parts was seeing original scraps of verse written by the artists back in the day, with scratch outs and re-writes, all in a hasty, mad artistic scrawl. For example, “The Boxer” by Simon & Garfunkel :).