When You're Young You Do Crazy Things.

Last Saturday morning Jennie and I were feeling like we could conquer the world. We had slept almost the entire night without a crise (as the French would say). Corban only had one asthma attack. Anyway, as I was drinking my fresh Starbucks Verona coffee in my reformerware mug, I told Jennie that I just didn't think it was right that the two brothers would be so close without having the distinct pleasure of the eldest among them. We actually thought about driving up and back in one day - Saturday. Common sense ruled that out.

Instead I asked Jeremy to prepare something for Sunday night and we took off after the morning service (actually around 3PM) to surprise the Dan and Tim Bixbys. We sort of got lost in Burnsville, but we didn't want to call Dan and ask for directions so we ended up knocking on the blue door around 10 PM. Their kids were just settling into bed. Circumstances radically changed for them and when we left to go to our motel room a couple hours later some were still awake.

We philosophized the evening away trying to resolve the issue of nationalism, patriotism, the difference between the two, and what the right stance is toward flags as symbols in the Christian pilgrimage. It was quite pleasant and we all came away from the conversation happily persuaded that we each have found the right balance even though a careful listener would have noticed three distinct applications.

Next day. Monday. Brenda produced the mother lode of delicacies in a breakfast/brunch one-two punch that knocked us off our feet. We were dazzled. And stuffed.

Lazed around a bit. Pontificated some. Then we took our clan to the Mall of America to burn mammon on the altar of ephemeral pleasures like the Paul Bunyan Log Chute and the Tornado Twister at the covered theme park. It was fun to waste money as a family. As they say, the family that wastes money together stays together.

I still owe Tim twenty bucks.

Pizza from a place called Figaro's capped the night. I told the folks that if we didn't roll out of there by 8PM we would have to accept their invitation to spend the night and leave early the next morning. We rolled out at precisely twenty-some minutes after eight.

Kids and dog (Milou came along) slept the entire way. We only stopped to stretch our legs, circulate our blood, and do twenty jumping jacks in desperate attempts to keep awake so we made record time. The Bob Bixbys of Rockford were snuggling into their own beds at 2AM on Tuesday morning (Corban's ninth month birthday)after having spent approximately 23 hours with the Burnsville and Greenville Bixbys.

Good times.

Pooped.