New York – A Birthday Wish

What do you do when your child asks you for something that is impossible to give? Our kids are still at the age where they believe the impossible and that nothing is beyond reach of their daddy. I love their hearts and do all I can to not place boundaries on their possibilities, teaching instead that with God all things are possible.
During the planning of our 50 state challenge, our precious Chloe came to me with a birthday wish. It had Funhog written all over it, so I got out the video camera to capture her thoughts. So, watch the following clip and let me know how you would handle her request.

Beauties by the Falls

It was fun to finally be at Niagara Falls. Chloe wanted to get her life jacket out and suit up before seeing the falls. I convinced her that we would want to look at the falls first to make sure we could find the safest spot to float over it. As we walked down the path to Niagara Falls, Chloe complained that she couldn’t see anything because the mist was so thick. Then standing on the brink of the falls her eyes widened as she realized the enormity of her task. I helped her scout all her possible routes down it, but in the end we decided that it would not be safe due to all the rocks at the bottom. 🙂
We were all mesmerized watching Niagara Falls. I loved the rapids above and below the falls, wondering how much trouble I would get into if I unloaded the kayak to play for a bit. We were also a bit of celebrities at the falls which was fairly surprising to us. It seems that our family is considered large these days, thus a lot of tourists asked if we would pose for a picture with them.

Elijah scouting his options

Leaving Niagara we started looking for a campground for the night. I followed the signs to one and pulled up at their registration post. They asked if I had reservations and I told them no, so they got me registered. They told me it would take them a minute to calculate how much it was going to cost me for the night’s stay, so I asked for a ball park figure to start getting my money out. I honestly thought they were kidding me when they told me a couple hundred dollars. I started laughing and said no really. They were not joking!!! It turned out that their campground was attached to a theme park and staying there includes access to the theme park. We decided to keep looking and made our way to Darien Lake State Park. When we drove up, the lady curtly informed me that I would not be using my kayaks in their lake. I told her we only needed a place to sleep. Then I went inside to learn of the countless rules New York state parks impose on their guests. The funniest one to me was, due to a fire hazard, you are only allowed six people in your campsite. I started joking that New York was the land of “no”, as all the rules were about what you were not allowed to do.

[Helpful Hint: The New York State Park rules taught me that it is much nicer to hear what you are allowed to do instead of a litany of things you are not allowed to do. It made me notice that I tell me kids “no” more than I do “yes”. Look for the positive in life and be sure your children hear “yes” with a smile. Also, look for things they can do and invite them into some adventure you have created just for them.]