God's Plan

For those that followed our blog, you know that we had a "plan". This trip taught us to appreciate those times when God sent us in a new direction. The blown out tire in Mississippi not only kept our family together, but it reminded us that there people out there...strangers...who are living as Christ would..who would impact out lives in ways that we could not imagine.

The "plan" as we headed for Vegas was for me to catch a plane home (so I could teach). Suzi was supposed to drive home with a stop somewhere in the middle of CA. My arrival would be Sunday and the family would drive into Woodland on Monday. There was something about this that did not sit right with me. I finally shared my heart with Suzi. "What do you think about going home together?" It would be a very long day of driving, but we would finish together. We talked about it as a family and reminded the kids that we would have to leave VERY early. Everyone was game and we got excited about the idea of finishing this trip as one family.

As we settled down for some sleep before out last drive home, we learned that the Grand Canyon was flooding. Yet another example of God's hand watching over us. The "plan" was for us to be in the Grand Canyon that night...yet He watched over us and directed our path!

We got up very early and headed off to Woodland. God gave us the most magnificent sunrise.....EVER. It was so spectacular, that people were actually pulling over to take pictures. The sun was rising over the mountains and the moon was setting on the other side. We spent time just thanking God. Whatever pictures we took would never be able to describe just how great this morning was....nor how great this trip was.

We arrived in Woodland in the late afternoon. This trip was better than we could have imagined. What was once a dream for Suzi became a reality for us and we will never be the same again. Even as I right these words, all that comes to mind is, "Praise God".

Hargadons Meet Las Vegas

No, we did not gamble and we did not take in any shows! We did manage to hit the pool (one of many). There was a family from France...at least they looked like they were from France and had French accents. There were two guys acting all macho trying to impress the girls that were with them. Wanting to get in on the action, I asked Suzi if she would be up for challenging them to a chicken fight. Despite my best efforts, I was not able to persuade Suzi to get up on my shoulders.

Bed-Head Sunrise

As we left Gallop, there was the most beautiful sunrise. Michael managed to stumble out of the trailer and even managed a smile for Dad!

Who Made this?

We arrived in Gallop, New Mexico. We actually spent time on Route 66 and even picked up a T-shirt. The travel is starting to wear on us as we are running out of energy to fix dinner. Thank God this campsite provided a BBQ dinner. We spent time in the pool and then headed to dinner. We were tempted to eat some of the peach cobbler.

Suzi and I commented on how good it was. I asked the kid (actually...he was more like a teenager), "How made this?". He replied, "I did." Turns out he wasn't to be a chef...he is well on his way. Despite all the razzing I get for asking questions...this is how you get to know people!

And what better way to leave Gallop than to take a picture with the Statute of Liberty! Onward to Las Vegas.

Amarillo Fun

The only thing better than having a water park inside the campground? Having one across the street! Once we landed our trailer, we walked across the street to a water park. They had water slides, a wave pool, and one of those rivers where you just float around. It was a great way to relax after a long trip.

Suzi and Courtney took the taco water slide head on - you know...the water slide that looks like a taco shell. The boys looked on and decided the floating river was a better place to be. Besides, the river had a lot of bubbles which gave me Dad the opportunity to pretend like he was letting off some gas....or was he pretending?

Then, you could the storm coming. We stayed as long as possible and then headed back to the trailer. We stayed inside as the thunder and lightening let loose. All I remember was thinking to myself, "Jiminy...that is real close."

Wall Drug Meets Meteor Crater

Somewhere along the trip, someone told us about all the signs we would see encouraging us to visit Meteor Crater. It was supposed to be similar to our experience in South Dakota with Wall Drug.

As we headed through Arizona, I started to see the signs. We didn't have time...at least that is what I thought. I was planning on driving right by - we had a long drive to Las Vegas. Just before we got to the exit, Suzi woke up and announced she smelled burning rubber. Oh no! The tires! I immediately took the next exit (Meteor Crater), stopped at the gas station, and checked the tires. They were fine. I figured we might as well gas up.

As we finished up, I suggested we take an adventure and check out the crater. It was pretty cook to see and learn about how astronauts used to train there. Turned out to be a good stop - we managed to get some walking/exercise...fixed some sandwiches...and hit the road again.

Related by relationship

We count it a blessing to have been able to spend time with Kirsten, Savannah, and Frank in Dallas, TX. They invited us into their lives for an afternoon/evening. We had such a good time just hanging out. All too often when friends/family get together, things can get complicated. We have to prepare special meals, get the good china out, and "entertain". Not so here...just good plain hanging out and pizza.

As we left, Savannah got in the truck and wanted to head home with us!

Man am I glad to have another girl to play with

We were so happy to be able to stop in Dallas and spend some time with Kirsten, Savannah, and Frank. We caught Savannah's soccer game and witnessed as she kicked an amazing goal from the left wing position. Then we headed to their house for some swimming and pizza.

Courtney and Savannah headed to Savannah's room, where the door closed and the talking began. I had to pry them away in order for us to eat! Courtney was so happy to have another girl to talk/hang with.

The great adventure

When our family embarked on this trip, we did so with a sense of adventure...not knowing if we would actually make it to Maine, but knowing all the time that God would care for us along the way. No matter what might happen, we knew God would direct our paths.

Nothing brought this home more than our flat tire in Mississippi. I am reminded of Proverbs 16:9, which says, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." We had made plans for me to stay in New Orleans and have Suzi make some headway towards Dallas. Little did we know that God wanted us to stay together as a family.

Realizing that our trailer could not be fixed in time (they told us it would take over a week), we decided to trust God and head on home together. This has truly been a great adventure.

I found a new job

When we embarked on this trip, we looked for job opportunities for me. When we visited the Creation Museum, I couldn't help but wonder if this was my calling. What could be better than working a K-9 at a Christian museum?

Before and After

After a little....OK a lot of encouragement, Courtney finally jumped off the high dive. Enlarge the second photo and take a look at Courtney's expression. What I learned about Courtney on this trip is that she is a little daredevil...just like her mother. When we were in Hershey, Courtney was the only child to go on one of those roller coasters that goes upside down. Anyone want to guess which parent went with her?

The ever-elusive license plate

By the time we reached Maine, we were down two license plates - Hawaii and West Virginia. We had written Hawaii off as unattainable....until we reached Shaw's for lobster. Joseph gets out and announces he has found Hawaii! Who would have figured.

Family/leadership application? Be careful what you write off. In case you are wondering....we picked up West Virginia in Hershy, PA.

A story told with smiles

This series of pictures tells a story...you fill it in. To me, it looks like some cousins went at it American Gladiator style!

We are family

There is nothing like a visit with Uncle Pizza and Aunt Ice Cream (my brother Geoff and his wife Patricia). The kids got to hang out...play miniature golf...and bake blueberry muffins. We are so thankful for the mark they are leaving with our kids. Courtney bakes gourmet muffins on her own and the rest have learned how to be silly in front of the camera.

Future Olympians?

Michael could be the next Phelps? Joseph in diving (pictured just before jumping off the high dive)? Courtney taking gold in trampoline? Trevor rowing?

I don't know...just thinking...amazed and humbled with the family God has given us.

No, this is not your brain on drugs...

This is what people do on a rainy day in Maine. Thanks to the Langhornes, the kids were invited to make sugar cookie creations. They could add any ingredient they wanted (lemon zest, Twizzlers, chili powder, herbs/spices...you name it). Once they were baked, Mary and Byrd came to judge the best cookie.

There is nothing like watching the judges' faces as they looked, sniffed, and then sampled these creations. All of the kids won on some level ("Most creative, Best in Gourmet, etc.).

What's Missing

Mr. Bucher....Mr. Wyatt...Mr. Clavelli...Mr. Freeman...Cap 'n Happy...Uncle Lee...Mr. Decker...Michael Hargadon...others?

Can you picture playing King of the Trampoline?

Hershey or Promotion

When I went back to Sacramento for the week to teach, they started the examination process for Lieutenant for Sac PD. Having been encouraged by Cap 'n Happy and others, I decided to "enter" the race. I knew it would be a long shot...not only based upon the competition, but also because I would be on vacation for the next three weeks.

Upon my return to Maine, I received the next phase of the examination (a written exercise where we answer 5-6 questions). I had 10 days to complete the questions and submit a resume. You would think I could find the time, but the reality is that there was so much "living" I had to do with my family. Suzi and I talked about it and we figured I would have time to complete and submit the questions when we arrived in Hershey, PA. Our "plan" was to arrive early into Hershey..Dad would have half of a day to work, then we would spend the next day at Hershey Park (amusement park). We arrived a little later than we expected and realized there was an opportunity to take a tour to learn how they make that wonderful chocolate. Needless to say, the questions did not get answered that night.

Suzi offered to take the kids to the amusement park the next day, but I decided that I wanted to make the most of this trip, which included going to Hershey Park with the family. It didn't take long at all the realize I had made the right decision. Sitting next to Michael on a roller coaster with a big smile on his face...dancing to Stevie Wonder with Suzi....I found that this time together was "priceless".

Haircuts in Mississippi

Since we had extra time, I decided the boys should get their hair cut for school. Amid much protest, I took them to Fantastic Sam's. They originally all just wanted trims (as little as possible). A boy was getting his haircut when we walked in and Michael thought he needed his hair the same way.


Trevor went first - I told the stylist to just shape it up and he didn't want much off. I told Joseph's stylist the same thing. Michael got the same stylist the boy with the cool hair had so she was good to go.


Joseph got done, then Michael. I looked over to Trevor and Canille was still working diligently on his hair. Trevor did not look happy. When he was finally finished (an hour after starting), I thought his hair looked good, but it was much shorter than he had planned. Oh well, he won't have to get it cut again for a while.

Divine Intervention

On Friday, we left Nashville for a long roadtrip to Picayune Mississippi. Our plan was to drop Dave off in New Orleans for a conference and the kids and I would leave Mississippi the following morning and take the next four days getting across Texas. Dave would fly to Amarillo to meet us.

God had a different plan for us. The trailer blew a tire in Laurel Mississippi, about 90 miles from our destination. Dave looked out the window and saw rubber flying from the left side of the trailer. There was no good way to pull over and change and left tire on the freeway. Blessing #1 was the trailer has two tires on each side so we were relatively stable. Blessing #2 was there was a truck parking area one mile from the blow-out, which we made it to safely.

Dave was able to get the tire (actually the rim and small bits of rubber) off, but our jack could not get the trailer high enough to put on the spare. In drives blessing #3. A gentleman by the name of Terry happened to stop at this parking spot (he wasn't even driving a truck!). He asked Dave if he needed help, to which Dave declined. Nonetheless he brought his jack over to our trailer and was able to raise the trailer enough to get the spare on. During the time of his helping us, the kids thanked him profusely. He replied that he liked to help people because you never know when the shoe will be on the other foot. He told the kids that maybe they would help his grandkids some day. Just before Terry left, he told us he was not a perfect man, but that he knew Jesus and that was why he helped people.

While changing the tire, Dave noticed the other tire on the left was extremely worn on the inside and looked like it would also go at any time. Even the two right tires were wearing on the inside. Blessing #4 is that the next exit had Break-Away RV which serviced RVs. Bubba, the mechanic, looked at the tires and told us the axle needed to be aligned, which they did not do. He also found a tire store about 5 miles away that had the four tires we needed in stock. While Bubba was looking at the trailer, we went into the air-conditioned office. There we met Kathy Lee, the office manager. When we left, she went out to her car and got a CD for us. Kathy Lee used to be a Christian Music artist and the CD was her singing. It is great and a great testimony for Jesus.

Blessing #5 was at the tire store. Jeremy and Bob were very helpful. The tires were changed immediately and Jeremy spent quite a bit of time on the phone trying to find a place we could get the alignment done (not an easy task). It turns out Jeremy's real calling is sculpting (web site to follow).

Of course, since the blow-out happened on a Friday, we couldn't even talk to a mechanic until Monday. The trailer is currently at Happy Camper and we are awaiting news on how long before we can leave Mississippi/Louisiana.

While our itinerary has changed (Grand Canyon will have to be another trip), we feel so blessed by how obvious God made it that we should stay together for this portion of our trip. We were hoping to be able to be good witnesses on this trip and were blessed by several great witnesses that God put in our path in Mississippi!

Go Rock Cats!

A few days ago, we spent the night in Connecticut. We got to meet up with our cousins Steve and Nancy and their children Lindsay and Joshua. We had a great dinner at their house and then went to a local minor league baseball game (The New Britain Rock Cats - a farm team for the Minnesota Twins). It was great fun. I think we will make this a family past time. Over the years, we have been to the North Carolina Knights, the Portland Seadogs and the Rock Cats. I guess when we get home we really should go to a Rivercats game!

It's a small world

We made it to Kentucky and found time to make it to the Creation Museum. We heard about this place from our friend's the Wyatts. This is a great museum, even for those that believe in evolution.

The guides said we should go the planetarium...we are so glad we did. I think this is the first time I have been in one. We left with whole new sense of how small the Earth is and how big God is. After that, we raced over to the petting zoo. I saw this guy trying to take a picture of his family with a camel in the background. They were taking pictures with their cell phones. I offered to take a picture with my camera and email the pictures to them. I snapped about 7 pictures, which in part, including this potential Christmas card photo. When the father went to give me a business card, I immediately recognized a badge on the card. I asked if he was in law enforcement and he indicated he was a chaplain. As it turns out, this pastor's name is Tim Grayson and he lives/pastors a church in Concord, CA. That is right...Concord, CA.

I told Tim that part of my coming to accept Christ occurred through the work of a chaplain in Sacramento, CA. So, considering the cosmos and our "chance" encounter with Tim and his family, it is indeed a small world.

Why watch a movie when you can Smore with Noah

We spent the night in Washington, PA (next to Pittsburgh, PA). We got there fairly early and had a chance to relax after some busy days in Hershey. The kids were playing, when a kid (Noah) came by and asked if anyone wanted to play catch. Turns out Noah lives nearby, and comes to the camp site to play with the kids that visit.

When it came time to either have smores or watch a movie, the movie won (initially). The kids voted 3-1 in favor of movies (with Noah standing outside wondering if he would get some marshmallows). Courtney figured it out on her own, and managed to get the others to see that it was better to smore with a new friend than watch a movie.

Turns out Noah has a pretty good gig going. He must net about 6-8 smores a week. We provided two....once he was done, he made his way to his bicycle and rode off into the darkness.

Special Bonds

One of our favorite things to witness is the relationships our kids develop with their relatives/cousins. In this case, Michael and Joseph got a huge dose of my sister Louise and her husband David.

It is so amazing to me how kids can see their relatives maybe 1-3 times a year, yet they carry on like they have been living near one another all along.

Pemaquid Memories

As a child, one of the things we would do in Maine is take a trip to Pemaquid Lighthouse. My grandparents would purchase lobsters at Small Brothers, bring them to the rocks at Pemaquid, and scarf them down. My grandfather would hold up lobster in his hand and the seagulls would swoop down and take the food.

With the price of lobster the way it is, we prefer to eat it at the store while it is hot. We take the kids to Pemaquid and they get to explore these rock formations (and tidal pools). As a parent, this is a scary place. One fall could mean a trip to the hospital, which I am sure is a long way away. These are some moments caught at the Pemaquid.

Pictured here is my brother Bob with his daugher Ellis.

Captain's Log

Star Date 8-3-03, 15:32:33 hours

About twenty minutes into Pennsylvania (5 hours into day #2), Suzi announced that she lost her mind. It is a very brilliant mind, which we are very fond of.

I am reminded of the day when we were driving out to Maine...we were in our 6th-7th hour of driving, and Suzi lets out, "I am so glad God gave me sisters!"

On a serious note, I am so thankful for Suzi's efforts as my co-pilot. She takes the brunt of all the requests, spills, questions ("What are we doing tomorrow?", "Are we there yet?", "Can I have a snack?"), and any other things that come up (including requests from the Captain).

Bobster the Lobster

Trevor went to town on his lobster....at least until he found out that Bobster was actually Lilly the Lobster. Lilly had eggs in her tail.

Ping Pong Victory

Two years ago, my brother Bob and I went to Gram's barn and duked it out on the ping-pong table. I crushed him the first game, choked heavily on the second game, then...as I recall we went to the very end. Bob beat me fair and square.

This year, it was all about pay-back. We had a crowd of 6 in the barn (including wives/girlfriends, kids, and Gram). It was looking like deja-vu. I beat him the first game, then choked the second game (gave up an 11-2 lead). Then Suzi encouraged me to play my game...I defeated Bob and became the new South China Ping-Pong Champion for 2008. I just booked my flight to China...the Olympic committee heard about the win and called my to play.

Why we come to Maine

Gram (my mom), walks her dog every morning and ends up sitting on this bench at the edge of the lake. This particular day, Joseph went with her. When they stopped at the bench, Michael ran down to be with Gram. I am thinking there is some sage advice being passed down from Gram.

I look down and can't help but think this is worth the effort to travel such a distance.

Uncle Geoff's Gift

Dave's oldest brother Geoff and his wife Patricia drove up from the Boston area one weekend to see us. We had a great visit with them and were able to celebrate Trevor's 10th birthday with them. Aunt Patricia (a gourmet cook) treated us with a home-cooked meal with all of Trevor's favorite food. Geoff and Dave took the kids miniature golfing and to Gifford's Ice Cream. It was a good time had by all.

Geoff is affectionately known to our kids as Uncle Pizza. Well, Geoff had a cool video device called a Flip that he and the kids had great fun with. Before they left, Geoff and Patricia gave us the Flip. We have had a blast with it! This video is to thank them.

Baba Bowl

There's just nothing quite like South China, Maine. There are "Lake Days" (when the weather is good for boating, skiing, tubing, canoeing, kayaking, etc.) when you spend all day on the lake; and then there are rainy days when you make your own fun (baking competitions, crafting, scavenger hunts, smores in the fireplace, etc.)

But one of the highlights is the Baba Bowl. Baba was Dave's grandmother. Uncle Rufus started the Baba Bowl about five or six years ago. This is a golf tournament at a local course. This year's runner-up was none other than (drum roll please) Dave Hargadon. His name will be engraved on the bowl. Oh, by the way, Uncle Rufus was the winner.

The Power of Jiminy

Imagine this: I am on the golf course with Uncle Rue and two of our friends (Mac and Kent). Early on, I whack the ball and it ends up in the woods....or maybe it was one of those shots where I didn't get it past the women's tee. Either way, I let out a "Jiminy".

Uncle Rue says something like, "Dave...I'd like to hear you swear at least once by the end of the 18th hole."

Dave: "I have worked too hard to clean up my mouth."

Results? No one swore the rest of the game. These guys came up with all sorts of good substitutes.

It reminds me of a captain I know who, on occasion lets out a minor swear word. He let one out one time in my presence...then looked at me and said, "Sorry...I meant Jiminy."

Jesus Freaks and Marmalade Jelly

One of my most cherished memories from this trip occurred during one our our drives. Joseph was sitting in the middle and at some point, Suzi started reading him some excerpts from the book Jesus Freaks. For those that don't know, this is a book done by a Christian music group called DC Talk - it has short stories of Christian martyrs (recent and long ago).

As Suzi read, you could just tell that Joseph was soaking in the information....there was something about the moment. Joseph seemed interested and wanted to know more about these people. I guess there was something too about Suzi just reading to him and explaining what these people went through. It really is quite humbling for those that want to read the book.

Where does marmalade jelly fall into this? DC Talk has a song called Jesus Freaks. I never really cared for it (not my kind of music). At some point, Trevor made a comment like, "It is a strange song....it says something about marmalade jelly. What does jelly have to do with Jesus?" I start thinking theologically, and I can't seem to make the connection. Thanks to Mr. Blackberry, Suzi looked up the lyrics to the song. The words penetrated my heart and taught me another lesson about judging a song or a person based upon limited information. Once we took the time to listen to the lyrics, we walked away with a whole new appreciation for the song. It is now Michael's favorite.

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/d.c.+talk/jesus+freak_20037735.html

Fishing Lesson

Another historic moment caught with the camera - thanks to my Big Bro. This is the first time (at least in recent history), that any Hargadon has taught someone how to fish! It occurred to me, as I looked at this picture, that I should increase my life insurance policy. Michael can consistently sling the line 25 feet.

In all seriousness, I thank God for moments like these.

The Maine Life

Thanks to the Langhornes, the Hargadon's have a boat to ride in or behind (in a tube or on skis). Anyone want to come?

It's a Bird...its a plane...no...its...

Dave on top of the high dive. For those thinking about coming out here, this is a must.

Look what Trevor Caught - Mr. Wyatt!

Here is the first catch for Trevor. Thankfully, the fish fell off the hook before Dad arrived. Everyone knows how much Dad likes to take the fish off the hook. What do you say Greg?

Maine!

Well, we made it! Our last night in the trailer for three weeks was spent at another Jellystone Park. This was very different from the first and we were glad to be staying only one night.

We left Sturbridge Massachusetts and travelled through Mass and New Hampshire and finally to Maine. The traffic in the last part of Mass and all of NH was horrible! We have now paid over $100 in tolls.

It was great doing the countdown crossing the line into Maine. Seeing Dave's face and listening to him tell the kids stories of travelling to Maine when he was a kid was priceless. It was so great we did it twice! Right after we crossed the state line, someone had to use the bathroom. We took the first exit that said "truckstop". Well, there was no truck stop and no place to turn around so we had to go back into New Hampshire to get back on I-95. I think I was way more amused than Dave, who was driving.

We are so happy to be here spending time with family. Yesterday was Dave's mom's (Lee) birthday. We had her and her brother Rufus and his wife Martha over for dinner. The lake was beautiful!

Trevor caught the first fish, and 18 inch Pickeral! (pictures will be posted later). We are enjoying relaxing, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, skiiing, tubing, and of course sleeping in real beds and taking non-camp showers!

All for now.

Niagara Falls

We left Ohio thinking this would be our shortest trip yet, only 269 miles. With roadwork and toll booths it actually took just as long if not longer than some of the other legs. To date we have paid almost $50 in tolls and we have several toll roads tomorrow.

We're staying at a KOA, which is really nice. We got into camp around 3:15 p.m. and decided to go check out Niagara Falls with the thought of finishing today. We ended up staying there until 10:20 because, much to our surprise, Wednesday nights there are fireworks over the falls. God is so good!!

Words cannot describe Niagara Falls. The power of the 675,000 gallons of water per second crashing down on rocks below is amazing. To see this part of God's creation is very confirming of His power and might.

We saw a family taking a picture so Dave offered to take it so they could all be in the photo. He then asked if they would be in our family photo (see above photo). They were quite accomodating and very friendly. They were visiting NY from Texas.

The first thing we did was go on the "Maid of the Mist". This was a boat that went quite close to the falls. They handed out rain ponchos which I'm sure kept us drier than we would have gotten, but our shoes were saturated by the end of the trip. It was an awesome experience.

Midway in our time at the Falls, we decided to have a snack. Six pretzels and waters came to $37.50. The water bottles had a beautiful picture of Niagara Falls, which will be our souvenirs, and was bottled in guess where........California! Needless to say, we opted to wait for dinner until we were back at the trailer. We then went to an IMAX film about legends of the falls. Michael, true to form, was asleep within the first minute of the presentation. When the film was over, he said, "Well, I missed another one."

Today, we went to the Niagara aquarium. There was saw many salt water creatures, from harbor seals to sharks to flounder, turtles, frogs, crab, etc. There must have been at least seven different groups of children on field trips there while we were there. We had to keep a good watch on Joseph and Michael for fear someone else would herd them with their group. After the aquarium, we walked across a bridge to the Niagara Discovery Center. On the top of the bridge, which went over a road, Courtney started waving at the cars going under. It wasn't long before the boys joined her and they would get very excited when the people would wave back, flash their lights, or honk. I think for the kids, this free entertainment was more exciting than any of the things we paid big bucks for.

Well, on to another Jellystone Park, this time in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.