I had an 'incident' this morning with one of my children. As they have almost all entered into the teen years, these seem to be coming at me more frequently. Parenting is difficult. We all laugh when they are born and ask, "why didn't they come with an instruction booklet". But there is instruction. This is the one most notably remembered: Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. (Eph 6:4) This is how I hope that I have raised my children. Teaching the love of their Heavenly Father. Giving them strength and courage. Teaching them to be in the world, but not of the world. But I know that I fall short most days. Most days, the world gets the best of me. It is an exhausting time that we live in. I went on to read all of Ephesians 6 and these are the words that caught my heart: 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes....18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. I think verse 18 is worth repeating, 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Prayer....something that I lean on every day. A day does not go by that I do not pray for my children. Everyday since I knew that God had placed them in my womb I have prayed for their protection. Most days my prayer goes something like this, "Father, God, I lift my children up to you. I ask that You hold them close. Give them strength and courage. Keep them healthy. Protect them...." On days like today, those words are often followed by the words, 'even from me'. Because I worry about the damage that I am doing to my children. The changes in their hearts and who they are that my words and actions are making in them. I know that I am imperfect and I am just doing the best I can and so I pray for wisdom.... and patience. Life is hard and I am grateful for a God who already knows that I am imperfect. And so on a day like today, my prayer goes up to The Most High and I ask for strength to stand strong in the things that I know to be right. To not become complacent. I ask for wisdom to know what is right and I ask for forgiveness when I fail and strength to carry on.
All that being said, I actually came here today to reflect on this blog. Mother's Day is right around the corner and it has been almost 5 years since I wrote those words. Little has changed for me. My mother's and my relationship still suffers. Her health has declined greatly over the years. I have done my part to care for her during this time, but as I type the words, I know that my care for her has only been for her 'physical' health. Our relationship is a very unhealthy one. Mother's mental health is unstable and most of the time I feel that am in a constant battle just trying to remain 'respectful'. The words "honor your father and mother" weigh heavy on my soul and forces me into self reflection. How does my relationship with my mother shape my relationship with my own children and when does the cycle end? Like my parents, I am not a mother full of hugs. I do not embrace my children. Sure, I did when they were little, but once they pulled away from me, I respected those boundaries. This choice comes with reasons that I hold deep in my heart and scars that run deeper, but it was never my intention for those scars to carry on as a reflection into my relationship with my children.
I guess in the end all we can do is pray for wisdom and guidance. Our children, like us, have free will. If we have lead them down the right path and they have gone astray, we can only pray that they will find the way back to that path.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Saturday, November 28, 2015
November 28, 2015
Today there is much sadness in our home. Today we are mourning the loss of a wonderful companion. Three years ago, I posted this, http://krazykflyinginformation.blogspot.com/2012/09/thinking-of-chewie.html?m=0, and I remember crying my heart out then.
A couple of days ago TJ called me to let me know that Chewie was not doing well. They found out that he had a tumor and the vet gave him two weeks to two months. Last night, as his heart broke, TJ called me to let me know he would be taking him to the emergency vet and would have to let him go. Today I was supposed to take the kids over to visit with him one last time.
TJ has always been a part of our family...even before Chewie came into it. One of my first memories of Chewie is when that silly puppy chased down a fishing lure and got a hook stuck in his lip. TJ was there with Cameron and they all had to hold that silly dog still while Danny shoved the hook through his lip. Later in life, when we would go on vacation, TJ would come to the house and stay with Chewie. It was during our last vacation that Danny likes to say that "Chewie turned". Chewie wasn't eating well and Danny told TJ to put a raw egg on Chewie's food to get him to eat. That was all it took. Danny said that Chewie chose sides that day and became loyal to TJ. I don't know that that is true, but in 2012 Chewie officially became TJ's dog. Interestingly enough, I remember that TJ wasn't sure that it was going to work out. He told me his girlfriend, Jessica, had a cat named Georgia and that Jess was pretty protective of that cat. It really all hinged on Jessica saying it was okay. As it turned out, Jess and Georgia and Chewie all grew to love each other. This a picture of Chewie coming to visit me on Mother's Day 2013, he brought TJ and Jess. :)
I will be forever grateful to TJ and Jess for taking Chewie into their home. They loved him as well, if not better, than I could have. He had a good life filled with love from so many people. He will be forever remembered.
Today there is much sadness in our home. Today we are mourning the loss of a wonderful companion. Three years ago, I posted this, http://krazykflyinginformation.blogspot.com/2012/09/thinking-of-chewie.html?m=0, and I remember crying my heart out then.
A couple of days ago TJ called me to let me know that Chewie was not doing well. They found out that he had a tumor and the vet gave him two weeks to two months. Last night, as his heart broke, TJ called me to let me know he would be taking him to the emergency vet and would have to let him go. Today I was supposed to take the kids over to visit with him one last time.
TJ has always been a part of our family...even before Chewie came into it. One of my first memories of Chewie is when that silly puppy chased down a fishing lure and got a hook stuck in his lip. TJ was there with Cameron and they all had to hold that silly dog still while Danny shoved the hook through his lip. Later in life, when we would go on vacation, TJ would come to the house and stay with Chewie. It was during our last vacation that Danny likes to say that "Chewie turned". Chewie wasn't eating well and Danny told TJ to put a raw egg on Chewie's food to get him to eat. That was all it took. Danny said that Chewie chose sides that day and became loyal to TJ. I don't know that that is true, but in 2012 Chewie officially became TJ's dog. Interestingly enough, I remember that TJ wasn't sure that it was going to work out. He told me his girlfriend, Jessica, had a cat named Georgia and that Jess was pretty protective of that cat. It really all hinged on Jessica saying it was okay. As it turned out, Jess and Georgia and Chewie all grew to love each other. This a picture of Chewie coming to visit me on Mother's Day 2013, he brought TJ and Jess. :)
I will be forever grateful to TJ and Jess for taking Chewie into their home. They loved him as well, if not better, than I could have. He had a good life filled with love from so many people. He will be forever remembered.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
The Untold Story of My 50th Birthday
Many of you have seen the photos from my 50th birthday celebration. It was an amazing vacation. God blessed us with perfect weather, wonderful adventures, and family to share it with. The stories you have heard and the pictures you have seen paint a perfect vacation. But there is one tale that few have heard. One that I wanted to share, but even now, don't know how to properly put it in words. There was such a whirlwind of emotions that day...
It was my birthday (yes, the actual day), my sister, her husband and their two grand-daughters had come for the day and planned to stay the night. The next day we would need to rise early to go on a waterfall tour. It started out as a great day. The weather was nice and the kids had gone for a hike when they first arrived. Our house was situated just a mile up the road from a state park with waterfalls. They were safe. They had their cell phones to stay in contact with us and there were five of them. At some point, Hannah sent me a text asking if we could drive up... "Gracie was getting tired and cranky." So Vicki and I drove up.
Although the park entrance was just a mile from our house, once you got in, the road to the welcome center was another 2 miles, give or take. We found the kids and they informed us that they had not even made it to the falls. They had been hiking for what seemed like forever (we figure they hiked about 8-9 miles total) and never even saw the falls. They had gone in the direction that the ranger had told them, but somehow had managed to miss a turn. We drove the way they were told and found the right trail. We all hiked back and found the 'look out' where we could barely catch a glimpse of the fall. The kids hiked off the path and Vicki and I waited. They found the base of the waterfall. I don't think that they felt it was as wondrous as they had hoped; especially after hiking for so long and not finding it. After that, we went back to the house and I started making dinner. I had planned tacos for the kids and Danny was going to grill steaks for the adults. After the kids were fed, Danny and Richard went out to fire up the grill and Hannah asked if she and McK could hike to 'the lake'. I told her NO, that was too far to go and she didn't need to be on the main road. She took off outside and I told Danny to make sure that she understood that she was not to go far.
Time passed and Danny finished up the steaks. We shared a wonderful meal and great company. Still a perfect day...
After sitting at the table and talking for a bit, I decided it was time to go out and check on the girls. I went out back and couldn't see them on the stream. I yelled a couple of times, fully expecting to hear a response...even from the distance...but nothing came. I waited a few minutes, and then yelled again. I am a fairly trusting mom. I have good kids. God has blessed me beyond what I deserve. After a few more minutes, I decided it was time to go in and get Danny involved. It was about 7:45 and nightfall would come around 9:00. Danny decided to get in the car and drive up the road. I had Gracie come out and tell me what she knew about the situation. She seemed to think that the girls had headed up the stream; said she had seen them enter through a path. I called Hannah's phone and headed into the house to make sure that she had not left it inside. Sure enough, I found the phone ringing in her room. I knew that Hannah had her suit on and the fact that she had left her phone, confirmed to me that she had probably planned to get wet, so the stream seemed like a good bet. Vicki and I decided to head up the stream. Richard played Boy Scout for a few minutes, trying to see if there was any indication of footprints or a break in the path. There was nothing to indicate which way the girls might have gone, so Vicki and I headed in the direction that Gracie had indicated and Richard headed into the house to pull up a Google image of the land and stream. Under the canopy of trees, it seemed dark. There were spiderwebs that needed to be broken down for us to proceed and we really couldn't see where we were stepping. At some points the water was thigh-high. I carried a stick and tried to poke my way through. Vicki held a flashlight and tried to light the way. We finally came to a point where there was just no logical way that the girls would have continued on that path. At this point, my mind was filled with so many thoughts, so many emotions. Were they lost and just staying put waiting for someone to find them? Were they hurt? My mind went to other thoughts also. Thoughts that perhaps someone had taken them. Thoughts that I did not want to entertain.
Time seemed to pass slowly and I knew that in situations like this, time is of the essence. Danny called me (Vicki and I were still deep in the stream) and said he was at the fire department and that no one was there, it must be a volunteer station, did I want him to call 911? I said, YES! I knew we needed help from people who knew the area and I was becoming very worried. Vicki and I had headed back and I took a moment to send out a text for prayer. It might seem strange to some that I would take the time to text in a moment like that, but I am a huge believer in the power of prayer, and I needed to know that there was someone else out there in unity with me and at that moment, I gave it all over to God. I thanked Him for keeping the girls safe and praised Him for being with them at that moment. And I moved forward...
I didn't cry (although I feel the emotion whirling up inside of me now). I was truly unsure how to feel. Part of me wanted to break down and cry and be afraid, but a bigger part of me was holding on to faith...a faith that I felt I had to hold true. If I was truly to believe that God was keeping the girls safe, then how could I give into fear? I felt that by allowing the fear into my heart, I was denying God. And so I kept breathing...and kept moving forward.
As Vicki and I stepped out from the stream, I could see lights coming into the driveway. It was Danny and he said that the Fire Dept. was on their way. It wasn't 10 minutes before they were pulling in the driveway. There were five of them, I think. Four men and one woman. They started asking the standard questions. How long had they been gone? What were they wearing? (I didn't know the answer to that question.) They asked if one of them was wearing hot pink. Vicki excitedly said "YES!". McK had been wearing a hot pink shirt. They had seen them on the road!!! Two of them left in the rescue truck and the others stayed behind. Within 10 minutes they radioed that they had the girls and that they were fine. When they arrived back, I was still holding the stick. The lady told Hannah that she hoped that wasn't for them. :) She told us that she hoped it was ok, but that she had given them a pretty stern lecture about being on that road. I hugged Hannah and she gave me that '13 year old look" of, "really?". I informed her that we had been afraid and that she might want to change her attitude and act like she had been afraid also or she might want to be afraid of me...or something like that. I sent the girls inside and we thanked the rescue team for being there. They tried to comfort us with the fact that if you don't know the area, it is easy to go down the wrong path and get turned around. It does seem that the girls knew where they were and that they were heading home. Hannah said that while they were under the trees, it was always dark and it wasn't until they broke from the path that they realized it had gotten so late and that they were, in fact, running home. She said that she never felt that they were lost.
For the rest of the evening, I still didn't know how to deal with the way that I was feeling. I couldn't look the girls in the eyes and chose to avoid them as much as possible. At one point, Hannah noticed that my shorts were wet and asked why. I informed her that her Aunt Vicki and I had been trudging through the stream looking for them. I sat outside alone and talked to God; trying to get a grip on things. After awhile, I went in and got cleaned up. Hannah came into my room and said she was 'sorry for ruining my birthday'. I replied, "You didn't ruin it, you came home" and as I type those words, I am filled with emotion again. I remember that on that night, in that moment, all I wanted to do was be grateful. It is difficult in times of fear or tragedy to give our trust fully over to God but it was what I held onto that night. I would be lying to you if I told you that it was easy. It was a deep, internal struggle from the moment I feared they were lost, until the moment that they were delivered safely home.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:10
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults, and with my song
I give thanks to him.
Psalm 28:7
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
It was my birthday (yes, the actual day), my sister, her husband and their two grand-daughters had come for the day and planned to stay the night. The next day we would need to rise early to go on a waterfall tour. It started out as a great day. The weather was nice and the kids had gone for a hike when they first arrived. Our house was situated just a mile up the road from a state park with waterfalls. They were safe. They had their cell phones to stay in contact with us and there were five of them. At some point, Hannah sent me a text asking if we could drive up... "Gracie was getting tired and cranky." So Vicki and I drove up.
Although the park entrance was just a mile from our house, once you got in, the road to the welcome center was another 2 miles, give or take. We found the kids and they informed us that they had not even made it to the falls. They had been hiking for what seemed like forever (we figure they hiked about 8-9 miles total) and never even saw the falls. They had gone in the direction that the ranger had told them, but somehow had managed to miss a turn. We drove the way they were told and found the right trail. We all hiked back and found the 'look out' where we could barely catch a glimpse of the fall. The kids hiked off the path and Vicki and I waited. They found the base of the waterfall. I don't think that they felt it was as wondrous as they had hoped; especially after hiking for so long and not finding it. After that, we went back to the house and I started making dinner. I had planned tacos for the kids and Danny was going to grill steaks for the adults. After the kids were fed, Danny and Richard went out to fire up the grill and Hannah asked if she and McK could hike to 'the lake'. I told her NO, that was too far to go and she didn't need to be on the main road. She took off outside and I told Danny to make sure that she understood that she was not to go far.
Time passed and Danny finished up the steaks. We shared a wonderful meal and great company. Still a perfect day...
After sitting at the table and talking for a bit, I decided it was time to go out and check on the girls. I went out back and couldn't see them on the stream. I yelled a couple of times, fully expecting to hear a response...even from the distance...but nothing came. I waited a few minutes, and then yelled again. I am a fairly trusting mom. I have good kids. God has blessed me beyond what I deserve. After a few more minutes, I decided it was time to go in and get Danny involved. It was about 7:45 and nightfall would come around 9:00. Danny decided to get in the car and drive up the road. I had Gracie come out and tell me what she knew about the situation. She seemed to think that the girls had headed up the stream; said she had seen them enter through a path. I called Hannah's phone and headed into the house to make sure that she had not left it inside. Sure enough, I found the phone ringing in her room. I knew that Hannah had her suit on and the fact that she had left her phone, confirmed to me that she had probably planned to get wet, so the stream seemed like a good bet. Vicki and I decided to head up the stream. Richard played Boy Scout for a few minutes, trying to see if there was any indication of footprints or a break in the path. There was nothing to indicate which way the girls might have gone, so Vicki and I headed in the direction that Gracie had indicated and Richard headed into the house to pull up a Google image of the land and stream. Under the canopy of trees, it seemed dark. There were spiderwebs that needed to be broken down for us to proceed and we really couldn't see where we were stepping. At some points the water was thigh-high. I carried a stick and tried to poke my way through. Vicki held a flashlight and tried to light the way. We finally came to a point where there was just no logical way that the girls would have continued on that path. At this point, my mind was filled with so many thoughts, so many emotions. Were they lost and just staying put waiting for someone to find them? Were they hurt? My mind went to other thoughts also. Thoughts that perhaps someone had taken them. Thoughts that I did not want to entertain.
Time seemed to pass slowly and I knew that in situations like this, time is of the essence. Danny called me (Vicki and I were still deep in the stream) and said he was at the fire department and that no one was there, it must be a volunteer station, did I want him to call 911? I said, YES! I knew we needed help from people who knew the area and I was becoming very worried. Vicki and I had headed back and I took a moment to send out a text for prayer. It might seem strange to some that I would take the time to text in a moment like that, but I am a huge believer in the power of prayer, and I needed to know that there was someone else out there in unity with me and at that moment, I gave it all over to God. I thanked Him for keeping the girls safe and praised Him for being with them at that moment. And I moved forward...
I didn't cry (although I feel the emotion whirling up inside of me now). I was truly unsure how to feel. Part of me wanted to break down and cry and be afraid, but a bigger part of me was holding on to faith...a faith that I felt I had to hold true. If I was truly to believe that God was keeping the girls safe, then how could I give into fear? I felt that by allowing the fear into my heart, I was denying God. And so I kept breathing...and kept moving forward.
As Vicki and I stepped out from the stream, I could see lights coming into the driveway. It was Danny and he said that the Fire Dept. was on their way. It wasn't 10 minutes before they were pulling in the driveway. There were five of them, I think. Four men and one woman. They started asking the standard questions. How long had they been gone? What were they wearing? (I didn't know the answer to that question.) They asked if one of them was wearing hot pink. Vicki excitedly said "YES!". McK had been wearing a hot pink shirt. They had seen them on the road!!! Two of them left in the rescue truck and the others stayed behind. Within 10 minutes they radioed that they had the girls and that they were fine. When they arrived back, I was still holding the stick. The lady told Hannah that she hoped that wasn't for them. :) She told us that she hoped it was ok, but that she had given them a pretty stern lecture about being on that road. I hugged Hannah and she gave me that '13 year old look" of, "really?". I informed her that we had been afraid and that she might want to change her attitude and act like she had been afraid also or she might want to be afraid of me...or something like that. I sent the girls inside and we thanked the rescue team for being there. They tried to comfort us with the fact that if you don't know the area, it is easy to go down the wrong path and get turned around. It does seem that the girls knew where they were and that they were heading home. Hannah said that while they were under the trees, it was always dark and it wasn't until they broke from the path that they realized it had gotten so late and that they were, in fact, running home. She said that she never felt that they were lost.
For the rest of the evening, I still didn't know how to deal with the way that I was feeling. I couldn't look the girls in the eyes and chose to avoid them as much as possible. At one point, Hannah noticed that my shorts were wet and asked why. I informed her that her Aunt Vicki and I had been trudging through the stream looking for them. I sat outside alone and talked to God; trying to get a grip on things. After awhile, I went in and got cleaned up. Hannah came into my room and said she was 'sorry for ruining my birthday'. I replied, "You didn't ruin it, you came home" and as I type those words, I am filled with emotion again. I remember that on that night, in that moment, all I wanted to do was be grateful. It is difficult in times of fear or tragedy to give our trust fully over to God but it was what I held onto that night. I would be lying to you if I told you that it was easy. It was a deep, internal struggle from the moment I feared they were lost, until the moment that they were delivered safely home.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:10
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults, and with my song
I give thanks to him.
Psalm 28:7
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
...that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Psalm 31:12
Friday, May 3, 2013
Day 223 - May 3, 2013
I have left many of you hanging and I am sorry for that. I wrote this post (note, this is a jump to a previously unpublished post, in case you want to read it) some time back, I just never published it. It never felt right. It was a forced blog; something that I don't like doing. I like to blog when the mood hits me. "SLAM! Wow, I really need to write that down." But unfortunately, those thoughts usually come when I am nowhere near my PC and when I finally do get there and want to write them down, they are lost to me. I have also been known to be blogging away...great thoughts coming out of my head (or at least I think so) and my fingers will do something terrible. I don't know what or how, but everything will be gone from the page; as if I had deleted it all. And that is all it takes. I can never recreate my thoughts.
Danny and I have decided that traveling on the road fulltime is just not a doable adventure at this time in our lives. There are many factors; some more prevalent than others, but all adding up to the same conclusion. We are not cut out for this life.
The children are excited. When we told them of our decision, you would have thought that we had just scored the winning touchdown. It was not quite the reaction that I was expecting. But this has not quite been the trip that we had painted it to be either.
For me, I have my own personal struggles with our choice. The one that weighs heaviest on my heart goes all the way back to this post. If I truly believed that this was a God driven plan and I 'trusted in God with all my heart', then what does it say of my faith when I back away from the plan? Does it mean that I was wrong; that I really did not hear God's voice in the first place? Or worse yet, does it mean that I am no longer trusting in God to lead in my life? I continue to pray over this. I pray that God show us His plan for us. That He be with us as we make decisions about our future. I pray for wisdom.
For now, we will continue to live in Apopka. We hope to find a home in the Conway area again. Conway is mostly for the children's sake. They want to get back to where their friends are. Danny's business requires us to stay in the Central FL area or you would hear me pushing for a completely different state. I do tend to want to please the children a little in our decision. I feel like they made a huge sacrifice in taking this trip. They gave up much and they have been troopers. I laugh when they tell me they want their own rooms. They have slept in such confined quarters that they are going to be very lonely when and if that day does actually come.
Danny and I have decided that traveling on the road fulltime is just not a doable adventure at this time in our lives. There are many factors; some more prevalent than others, but all adding up to the same conclusion. We are not cut out for this life.
The children are excited. When we told them of our decision, you would have thought that we had just scored the winning touchdown. It was not quite the reaction that I was expecting. But this has not quite been the trip that we had painted it to be either.
For me, I have my own personal struggles with our choice. The one that weighs heaviest on my heart goes all the way back to this post. If I truly believed that this was a God driven plan and I 'trusted in God with all my heart', then what does it say of my faith when I back away from the plan? Does it mean that I was wrong; that I really did not hear God's voice in the first place? Or worse yet, does it mean that I am no longer trusting in God to lead in my life? I continue to pray over this. I pray that God show us His plan for us. That He be with us as we make decisions about our future. I pray for wisdom.
For now, we will continue to live in Apopka. We hope to find a home in the Conway area again. Conway is mostly for the children's sake. They want to get back to where their friends are. Danny's business requires us to stay in the Central FL area or you would hear me pushing for a completely different state. I do tend to want to please the children a little in our decision. I feel like they made a huge sacrifice in taking this trip. They gave up much and they have been troopers. I laugh when they tell me they want their own rooms. They have slept in such confined quarters that they are going to be very lonely when and if that day does actually come.
Day 181 - March 22, 2013
Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Latitudes...
This post has been on my mind for quite some time. I feel like I have left everyone hanging...wondering...
We have been in Central Florida since late January. We did a little "park hopping" when we first got here. Finding a spot to park one's house can be a little daunting at times. You would be surprised how packed the parks can be. Things we didn't consider: school holidays, national holidays, bike week, SNOW BIRDS!!! Currently we are sitting in a park in Apopka, FL. It's not too bad. It has all the amenities we need. We have full hook-up, our internet hub works here, there are laundry facilities (which I really don't use much since I am only 10 minutes from my mother's home), there is a pool and even a putt-putt golf course. It is really set up more for 'permanent' living. Two of our neighbors have been here for 30 years!!! Best of all, it's exceptionally inexpensive and we can stay for as long as we need. NO park hopping!! The things I miss: deer, trees, nature. Hmmm...seems a little redundant. :) I really, really LOVE the great outdoors!
We are in a period of transition. It is interesting to me that this time has come during the Lenten season. It has given us lots of time to think...to reflect...to pray. Dan has been working his business. This trip has been draining in so many ways, but business is picking up again and Danny has been given time to train some new guys. It has been a difficult life. But one that comes with so many positives. However, I am not sure that we are cut out for it. We are old. We have physical limitations and health issues. Did I mention that we are old???
When we first settled here (in Apopka), I had committed myself to a few months. Living in a 30' travel trailer with four kids gives us very little (read, NONE) time to ourselves. Danny and I are used to getting up and having coffee together...talking about our day...what has passed and what is yet to come. We haven't had that in some time.
Things have not really moved quite the way we had hoped. I have always known that Hannah was not happy with the move, but I really thought that she would come around...and she has... or at least she has tried. In many ways I feel as though I have failed the children. I have not really had a set "educational plan". It was my plan to "un"school for the first few months. Let them enjoy the ride. And we had some really good experiences in the beginning. Maybe our first mistake was taking the month off at Christmas. Sitting idle for such a long time stalled our progression...or maybe that's just an excuse....
I have started to do some schooling. Hannah is taking some online courses and the other three are doing some book work and they are reading. There is a wonderful community center not too far up the road and Gracie and Samuel have taken a "painting" class. I have had an opportunity to talk with the children individually in an attempt to see how they were feeling. Jacob is bored. Gracie misses her friends. When asked directly, both Jacob and Gracie admitted to missing school and their friends; they would be happier back in school. Samuel misses his friends also.
Danny and I had an opportunity to talk a couple of days ago. We both spoke openly about what our hopes were. It's hard for me to say, in fact, I really haven't said it out loud...but we are planning to settle down again...in a house. Things could change over the next few months, but I doubt it. I am actually settling into the idea; reveling in the thought of having what is seen as a normal life.
I still feel like I have failed, but at the same time, I see it as a new beginning. Goodness knows, we can't really go back to life as it used to be. Heck, we don't own anything. It will be a good time to start fresh...start new. Do things the way we know they should be done. We hope to still travel. We would like to see DC before the kids go back to school. I want to plan as many long weekends and all our summer vacations around travel. I don't want our lives to go back to what they used to be. I need them to be better. More family...less worldly stuff.
The kids don't know. I feel guilty every time I hear them or anyone ask about our next adventure. In fact, until I hit "publish", no one will know. Maybe if I just don't say it out loud, if I just don't hit "publish", it will all turn out okay.
I found this quote by Laura Ingalls Wilder, "The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." I don't know if it really applies to what is going on in my life right now, but it spoke to me. It took courage to step off of that cliff when we felt we were led to it and I know that God has been with us through it all. It will take courage to hit the word "publish"...to let you all know what is going on...where we are in this journey, but again, I know that God is always with us. We will continue to love and serve Him. We will raise our children in His light and we will grow along the way. We will stumble and we may fall, but we will get up and rise to a better day.
This post has been on my mind for quite some time. I feel like I have left everyone hanging...wondering...
We have been in Central Florida since late January. We did a little "park hopping" when we first got here. Finding a spot to park one's house can be a little daunting at times. You would be surprised how packed the parks can be. Things we didn't consider: school holidays, national holidays, bike week, SNOW BIRDS!!! Currently we are sitting in a park in Apopka, FL. It's not too bad. It has all the amenities we need. We have full hook-up, our internet hub works here, there are laundry facilities (which I really don't use much since I am only 10 minutes from my mother's home), there is a pool and even a putt-putt golf course. It is really set up more for 'permanent' living. Two of our neighbors have been here for 30 years!!! Best of all, it's exceptionally inexpensive and we can stay for as long as we need. NO park hopping!! The things I miss: deer, trees, nature. Hmmm...seems a little redundant. :) I really, really LOVE the great outdoors!
We are in a period of transition. It is interesting to me that this time has come during the Lenten season. It has given us lots of time to think...to reflect...to pray. Dan has been working his business. This trip has been draining in so many ways, but business is picking up again and Danny has been given time to train some new guys. It has been a difficult life. But one that comes with so many positives. However, I am not sure that we are cut out for it. We are old. We have physical limitations and health issues. Did I mention that we are old???
When we first settled here (in Apopka), I had committed myself to a few months. Living in a 30' travel trailer with four kids gives us very little (read, NONE) time to ourselves. Danny and I are used to getting up and having coffee together...talking about our day...what has passed and what is yet to come. We haven't had that in some time.
Things have not really moved quite the way we had hoped. I have always known that Hannah was not happy with the move, but I really thought that she would come around...and she has... or at least she has tried. In many ways I feel as though I have failed the children. I have not really had a set "educational plan". It was my plan to "un"school for the first few months. Let them enjoy the ride. And we had some really good experiences in the beginning. Maybe our first mistake was taking the month off at Christmas. Sitting idle for such a long time stalled our progression...or maybe that's just an excuse....
I have started to do some schooling. Hannah is taking some online courses and the other three are doing some book work and they are reading. There is a wonderful community center not too far up the road and Gracie and Samuel have taken a "painting" class. I have had an opportunity to talk with the children individually in an attempt to see how they were feeling. Jacob is bored. Gracie misses her friends. When asked directly, both Jacob and Gracie admitted to missing school and their friends; they would be happier back in school. Samuel misses his friends also.
Danny and I had an opportunity to talk a couple of days ago. We both spoke openly about what our hopes were. It's hard for me to say, in fact, I really haven't said it out loud...but we are planning to settle down again...in a house. Things could change over the next few months, but I doubt it. I am actually settling into the idea; reveling in the thought of having what is seen as a normal life.
I still feel like I have failed, but at the same time, I see it as a new beginning. Goodness knows, we can't really go back to life as it used to be. Heck, we don't own anything. It will be a good time to start fresh...start new. Do things the way we know they should be done. We hope to still travel. We would like to see DC before the kids go back to school. I want to plan as many long weekends and all our summer vacations around travel. I don't want our lives to go back to what they used to be. I need them to be better. More family...less worldly stuff.
The kids don't know. I feel guilty every time I hear them or anyone ask about our next adventure. In fact, until I hit "publish", no one will know. Maybe if I just don't say it out loud, if I just don't hit "publish", it will all turn out okay.
I found this quote by Laura Ingalls Wilder, "The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." I don't know if it really applies to what is going on in my life right now, but it spoke to me. It took courage to step off of that cliff when we felt we were led to it and I know that God has been with us through it all. It will take courage to hit the word "publish"...to let you all know what is going on...where we are in this journey, but again, I know that God is always with us. We will continue to love and serve Him. We will raise our children in His light and we will grow along the way. We will stumble and we may fall, but we will get up and rise to a better day.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
“Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?"
There were plenty of headlines to choose from this morning....Terror in the Streets of Boston...many that warn of graphic scenes. However, this is the one I chose... Boston Marathon explosions attract an outpouring of help from city's residents. I wanted to read about the good in this world, not the evil. But in a world where we are afraid to send our children to school or take public transportation...where evil lurks in our government and in our churches, sometimes it can be hard to see the good. But it is there. It is more abundant than we realize, it's just that we tend to allow it to be overshadowed by the bad.
Casting Crowns has written a song, Jesus, Friend of Sinners. The words speak loudly to me...of me. How many times have I been the righteous one ready to cast the first stone? I especially like the line, "the world is on its way to you, but it's tripping over me." It resonates in my soul, reminding me that I am but a sinner.
Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying, "Be the change you wish to see in the world". I understand that what he really said was, “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do.” Hmm...it still works for me. But if you are a stickler for technicalities, how about this one: "You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean: if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." ~Mahatma Gandhi
There is evil in our world. There is no denying that. But our world is not evil.
Like Abraham pleading for his people, we must plea for our world. But as we do, we need to be careful to not forget the plank in our eye.
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. ~Mahatma Gandhi
Casting Crowns has written a song, Jesus, Friend of Sinners. The words speak loudly to me...of me. How many times have I been the righteous one ready to cast the first stone? I especially like the line, "the world is on its way to you, but it's tripping over me." It resonates in my soul, reminding me that I am but a sinner.
Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying, "Be the change you wish to see in the world". I understand that what he really said was, “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do.” Hmm...it still works for me. But if you are a stickler for technicalities, how about this one: "You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean: if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." ~Mahatma Gandhi
There is evil in our world. There is no denying that. But our world is not evil.
Like Abraham pleading for his people, we must plea for our world. But as we do, we need to be careful to not forget the plank in our eye.
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. ~Mahatma Gandhi
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Day 130 - Just Catching Up
I am up late tonight. Don't know why. I am really mad at City Data Forum and I guess that is what has my brain spinning. I had posted a question on each and everyone of the individual 48 contiguous state forums asking what time of year and where I should visit. I had gotten some feedback and was looking forward to reviewing it and using it to help guide us on our travels. Well, it seems that I did not follow the rules. There's this little thing about 'cross posting', very specifically, "Do not post the same message to multiple forums, this is cross posting and multiple posts will be removed". Oh, yeah, it's in there. They sent me the link. I'll be honest, I'm one of those people that rarely reads 'the rules'. I mean, who does? At least not when it's for something that seems so irrelevant. If I was enrolling my children for something or applying for something, say, financial...I'm all over every last word. But social networking? Nope, can't say that I have. Well, they deleted it all! Every last stitch of well intended advice and kindness. I got back out of bed and voiced my thoughts on the whole thing. Not that it matters, it's just a social internet forum, right? Hence, my not reading the rules.
Anyway, here's what we've been up to since my last post...
After the trailer was ransacked, we spent a couple sleepless nights worrying about the 'what ifs', then we gave it over to God and started getting some rest. Seems the guy was 'identified'. I'm still not sure if he was arrested. Things don't work quite the same way in TN as they do in Orlando, FL. The father of the homeowner actually spotted the guy that stole everything out riding on the 4 wheeler. He confronted him and called the police. He got the 4 wheeler back that day, but we haven't heard anything since we left town. Suffice it to say, they just don't move that quickly up there in them mountains.
We left North Carolina and headed to our good friend, Debbie's house in Virginia. We could not have asked for a better hostess. Martha Stewart ain't got nothing on her!! The day we arrived, Debbie had prepared pork tenderloin with half a dozen sides and fresh, homemade rolls. For dessert there was chocolate cake and oatmeal cookies. A day didn't go by that Debbie didn't cook for us. Oh, what a treat!
It rained the entire time we were visiting, but we still managed to make it out to Bristol, TN. Or was it Bristol, VA? Wait!! It was both. Who would have imagined a town with a street that ran right down the state line? How much fun is that?
Danny didn't make it out with us that day. He had not gotten much sleep the night before and was tired. It is a good thing that he stayed back. Poor thing was in bed with a fever the entire time we were gone and ended up with a stomach virus. Worse part of that was that we were due to head out the next morning and really needed to get gone. There was a 'winter weather advisory' that snow was heading our way.
Well, we did manage to get out and made it all the way into Columbia, SC. We spent one night in a hotel and then another couple at Sesquicentennial State Park in SC. We did not make it to the Capitol Building, but we did eat at Lizard's Thicket and I got to the laundry mat.
On our way back to Florida, we had a tire blow out. Danny was driving at the time (thank goodness). We all heard it blow. We couldn't have asked for better circumstances, we were right on I-95 at an exit. For a brief moment, I was concerned about Danny having to change the tired on the shoulder of the Interstate, then I remembered that we were member's of Good Sam Club. One phone call and an hour later we were back on the road.
We stopped in Jacksonville for the night, stayed in a Redroof Inn and had breakfast at Cracker Barrel before heading back to Orlando. Since we were coming in on a holiday weekend, we had trouble finding a campsite. We ended up at Magnolia Park in Apopka, FL - my hometown. This gave me some time to catch up with my mom and abuse her washer and dryer.
We are taking some down time to do some necessary 'business' and plan the next trek of our trip.
It is good to be back on the road and in the trailer. I will tell you, after about two weeks in that house in NC, Danny and I started to feel like we were being held hostage. Having paid for a month's rental, we were stuck in one spot and it wasn't really sitting right with us. After the break-in, it only got worse. There is a wonderful sense of freedom to the life that we have chosen. I plan to sit back and enjoy it for however long God sees fit to allow us to live this dream. Your prayers are appreciated and I truly enjoy that you are following along on this journey with us.
Praying God's blessing on each of you.
Anyway, here's what we've been up to since my last post...
After the trailer was ransacked, we spent a couple sleepless nights worrying about the 'what ifs', then we gave it over to God and started getting some rest. Seems the guy was 'identified'. I'm still not sure if he was arrested. Things don't work quite the same way in TN as they do in Orlando, FL. The father of the homeowner actually spotted the guy that stole everything out riding on the 4 wheeler. He confronted him and called the police. He got the 4 wheeler back that day, but we haven't heard anything since we left town. Suffice it to say, they just don't move that quickly up there in them mountains.
We left North Carolina and headed to our good friend, Debbie's house in Virginia. We could not have asked for a better hostess. Martha Stewart ain't got nothing on her!! The day we arrived, Debbie had prepared pork tenderloin with half a dozen sides and fresh, homemade rolls. For dessert there was chocolate cake and oatmeal cookies. A day didn't go by that Debbie didn't cook for us. Oh, what a treat!
It rained the entire time we were visiting, but we still managed to make it out to Bristol, TN. Or was it Bristol, VA? Wait!! It was both. Who would have imagined a town with a street that ran right down the state line? How much fun is that?
Danny didn't make it out with us that day. He had not gotten much sleep the night before and was tired. It is a good thing that he stayed back. Poor thing was in bed with a fever the entire time we were gone and ended up with a stomach virus. Worse part of that was that we were due to head out the next morning and really needed to get gone. There was a 'winter weather advisory' that snow was heading our way.
Well, we did manage to get out and made it all the way into Columbia, SC. We spent one night in a hotel and then another couple at Sesquicentennial State Park in SC. We did not make it to the Capitol Building, but we did eat at Lizard's Thicket and I got to the laundry mat.
On our way back to Florida, we had a tire blow out. Danny was driving at the time (thank goodness). We all heard it blow. We couldn't have asked for better circumstances, we were right on I-95 at an exit. For a brief moment, I was concerned about Danny having to change the tired on the shoulder of the Interstate, then I remembered that we were member's of Good Sam Club. One phone call and an hour later we were back on the road.
We stopped in Jacksonville for the night, stayed in a Redroof Inn and had breakfast at Cracker Barrel before heading back to Orlando. Since we were coming in on a holiday weekend, we had trouble finding a campsite. We ended up at Magnolia Park in Apopka, FL - my hometown. This gave me some time to catch up with my mom and abuse her washer and dryer.
We are taking some down time to do some necessary 'business' and plan the next trek of our trip.
It is good to be back on the road and in the trailer. I will tell you, after about two weeks in that house in NC, Danny and I started to feel like we were being held hostage. Having paid for a month's rental, we were stuck in one spot and it wasn't really sitting right with us. After the break-in, it only got worse. There is a wonderful sense of freedom to the life that we have chosen. I plan to sit back and enjoy it for however long God sees fit to allow us to live this dream. Your prayers are appreciated and I truly enjoy that you are following along on this journey with us.
Praying God's blessing on each of you.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Day 106 - January 6, 2013
A fun fact - We spent 100 days in 2012 'on the road'. That makes keeping up with 'what day it is' in 2013 much easier.
On December 15th, we moved into a home for a month. I have felt like a 'cheater' since then. Posting that I am on day 106 doesn't seem like much to brag about when I have spent the last several weeks living it up in a real home. I have had the luxury of a king sized bed, children's rooms further than arms length away, a washer and dryer that don't require quarters, a dishwasher, a large shower with Jacuzzi tub, a separate bathroom for the kids, a full sized oven that I have utilized for baking goodies for the kids and some fairly decent meals (if I don't say so myself), television with cable, and unlimited wifi. Outside there is a firepit that we have enjoyed a few times and a hot tub that has also been utilized. It has all been rather nice...until today....
Today was a lazy day. It was well after noon before Hannah and Samuel decided to go outside for awhile. It wasn't long before Hannah was back at the house announcing that the doors to the 'barn' were all open. Danny went down to check it out only to find out that the barn and our trailer had been robbed. The home that we are renting has a few outbuildings. One of them that we refer to as the 'barn' has a full kitchen a some other things stored in it. We have been in it and were familiar with some of the things that should have been there. The obvious, the homeowner's 4 wheeler was missing and also a chainsaw that Danny had used to take down our Christmas tree and a battery charger that we had used. The cabinets had been left open, but I don't know if anything else was missing. Our trailer, which was parked right in front of the barn, had also been ransacked. Thankfully, what little we do own was, for the most part, at the house with us. It is shocking to realize how brazen the people who did this were. It looks like they actually pulled a cooler over and sat around and drank for awhile. There was some beer and a vodka bottle. I don't know, maybe that stuff was already down there and they just pulled it out. They would have had to take a flashlight into our trailer to search around because there is not power to it right now. They pulled out a couple of drawers and tossed them out. They got my 'laundry' quarters!! They took some pretty insignificant stuff. We will have to go through it and clean it well and figure out what all they got. They took some of my clothes that I had left out on the bed. I guess they had a 'big woman' to clothe. I keep imagining them saying, "Mama's gonna be happy." It looks like they got some of our personal checks (we will have to call the bank first thing in the morning) and the biggest worry that I have...it looks like they got an external hard drive that I had stored under the dining seat. It had A LOT of stuff on it from my old PC...pictures, personal info, who knows what. There was nothing of real 'monetary' value.
I keep thinking of 'what could have been' or 'what could still be'. From the house, we cannot see the barn without going out on the front deck. However, you can see the house from the barn. I would imagine that they were keeping an eye on us. It had to have been after we were in bed. They must not have come up near the house. The car was unlocked and it doesn't appear that they went into it. But our minds are reeling with thoughts of days past. Danny had told me one day after we had had some snow that he felt that there were some large footprints out back around the house. He had also seen some deer tracks and some dog prints, so we wrote it off to a hunter tracking a deer. The 4 wheeler wasn't an easy steal. They would have had to have a trailer or a truck to load it into. And I keep thinking, "what if they come back". I can understand how people feel violated after something like this happens.
The homeowners are out of town on a sky trip. I felt really bad when I phoned her with the news. Her parents came up to check on things. They were here when the sheriff arrived. As it turns out, a sheriff lives up the road 'just a bit'. We are truly in the middle of nowhere. This was no easy feat. No, "hey, lets run around the corner and rob the neighbors". I'm a little befuddled. We'll keep the lights on outside tonight. I keep wanting to go out and look down on the barn and the trailer, but I don't want to alarm the children. I don't want them to feel my anxiety. The sheriff said that he would have the other sheriff drive by a few times tonight. I don't like it. I don't like the way it has left me feeling. We have camped in the middle of nowhere in the last few months and I have felt safe. Tonight I am uneasy.
On December 15th, we moved into a home for a month. I have felt like a 'cheater' since then. Posting that I am on day 106 doesn't seem like much to brag about when I have spent the last several weeks living it up in a real home. I have had the luxury of a king sized bed, children's rooms further than arms length away, a washer and dryer that don't require quarters, a dishwasher, a large shower with Jacuzzi tub, a separate bathroom for the kids, a full sized oven that I have utilized for baking goodies for the kids and some fairly decent meals (if I don't say so myself), television with cable, and unlimited wifi. Outside there is a firepit that we have enjoyed a few times and a hot tub that has also been utilized. It has all been rather nice...until today....
Today was a lazy day. It was well after noon before Hannah and Samuel decided to go outside for awhile. It wasn't long before Hannah was back at the house announcing that the doors to the 'barn' were all open. Danny went down to check it out only to find out that the barn and our trailer had been robbed. The home that we are renting has a few outbuildings. One of them that we refer to as the 'barn' has a full kitchen a some other things stored in it. We have been in it and were familiar with some of the things that should have been there. The obvious, the homeowner's 4 wheeler was missing and also a chainsaw that Danny had used to take down our Christmas tree and a battery charger that we had used. The cabinets had been left open, but I don't know if anything else was missing. Our trailer, which was parked right in front of the barn, had also been ransacked. Thankfully, what little we do own was, for the most part, at the house with us. It is shocking to realize how brazen the people who did this were. It looks like they actually pulled a cooler over and sat around and drank for awhile. There was some beer and a vodka bottle. I don't know, maybe that stuff was already down there and they just pulled it out. They would have had to take a flashlight into our trailer to search around because there is not power to it right now. They pulled out a couple of drawers and tossed them out. They got my 'laundry' quarters!! They took some pretty insignificant stuff. We will have to go through it and clean it well and figure out what all they got. They took some of my clothes that I had left out on the bed. I guess they had a 'big woman' to clothe. I keep imagining them saying, "Mama's gonna be happy." It looks like they got some of our personal checks (we will have to call the bank first thing in the morning) and the biggest worry that I have...it looks like they got an external hard drive that I had stored under the dining seat. It had A LOT of stuff on it from my old PC...pictures, personal info, who knows what. There was nothing of real 'monetary' value.
I keep thinking of 'what could have been' or 'what could still be'. From the house, we cannot see the barn without going out on the front deck. However, you can see the house from the barn. I would imagine that they were keeping an eye on us. It had to have been after we were in bed. They must not have come up near the house. The car was unlocked and it doesn't appear that they went into it. But our minds are reeling with thoughts of days past. Danny had told me one day after we had had some snow that he felt that there were some large footprints out back around the house. He had also seen some deer tracks and some dog prints, so we wrote it off to a hunter tracking a deer. The 4 wheeler wasn't an easy steal. They would have had to have a trailer or a truck to load it into. And I keep thinking, "what if they come back". I can understand how people feel violated after something like this happens.
The homeowners are out of town on a sky trip. I felt really bad when I phoned her with the news. Her parents came up to check on things. They were here when the sheriff arrived. As it turns out, a sheriff lives up the road 'just a bit'. We are truly in the middle of nowhere. This was no easy feat. No, "hey, lets run around the corner and rob the neighbors". I'm a little befuddled. We'll keep the lights on outside tonight. I keep wanting to go out and look down on the barn and the trailer, but I don't want to alarm the children. I don't want them to feel my anxiety. The sheriff said that he would have the other sheriff drive by a few times tonight. I don't like it. I don't like the way it has left me feeling. We have camped in the middle of nowhere in the last few months and I have felt safe. Tonight I am uneasy.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Day 99 - December 30, 2012
WHAT A DAY!!!
We got some snow during the night and it was 24° F when we woke up. We had already decided that we would go to 11 o'clock mass in Mountain City, TN. That is on the short side of the mountain, about 17 minutes away according to google maps. However, it is also the steep side of the mountain. The entire time that we have been here, we have planned our trips into town around the snow, never having to venture out after or during snow. Surprisingly though, there has always been a lot of traffic on those days and we see the snow plow pass several times. Danny went out to the car early. He had to defrost the windows and scrape the snow off. He turned the heater on and got it warmed up. We were allowing ourselves about 40 minutes to get there...just to be on the safe side. We got everyone loaded and buckled. There was a thread hanging out of the glove box so I opened it to see what it was and shove it back in there. I was a little startled (OK, maybe slightly terrified) to find a nicely laid nest in the glove box. Seems something had found its way into the car and out of the cold. I quickly shut to glove box and said something like "oh, that's not good". Danny agreed with me and all of the kids were now curious. "What? What? What is it?" Because I knew that we needed to get down the mountain and really didn't think there was much that we could do about it, I tried hard to appear calm, all the while trying to keep my feet off the floor. (I should tell you, I am TERRIFIED of mice. Rats even more so. Logical me knows that there is no reason for this insane fear, but illogical me really doesn't give a crap what logical me has to say.) Danny knows how afraid of mice I am and stopped the car and told me to get out. I did...and went very far away. He proceeded to sort through the glove box. Whatever was there was gone...or at least not in the glove box anymore. I loaded back up and we headed off to church. Our trip down the mountain was uneventful even though the road was obviously frozen over in many spots.
We enjoyed mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church and then headed home. We didn't make it far up the mountain before Danny started to slip and we realized that we would not be going up the mountain. Danny started to back down and a truck came up behind us. The children informed him of the obvious. "Daddy there's a truck behind us." Yes, Daddy had already seen the truck. The ice got the best of us and our front driver's side wheel slipped into the ditch (mountain side...whew). The gentleman behind us pulled around, stopped and proceeded to pull a chain from his truck. (I guess everyone on this mountain drives 4X4's and carries pullin' chains.) Since Danny was pinned in the Suburban, I got out (seemed the proper thing to do)...I slipped and slid and almost fell on my butt. When I got myself in an upright position, I said, "I was going to say hello and thank you, but I think I should just get back in the truck". He agreed that that was probably best. Danny rolled down his window and thanked him for his help. He hitched his truck to us and tried to pull us out of the ditch. He was unsuccessful. He told Danny that he was going to try to pull us out backwards. My biggest fear was that he would get us out and then we would just slide into him. As he began pulling us backwards, we actually started moving, but in the wrong direction...our rear wheel was now in the ditch. He was persistent. He kept pulling and we kept hearing our truck grind against rock. Danny tried to signal to him to stop, but he was determined. He got us out. We were grateful!!! Danny was able to back down and let the gentleman pass us. We then turned around to head home the 'long way around the mountain'.
We stopped in Boone and had lunch. We met a nice man who was a 4th generation native to the area. He shared many stories with us. He told us that when he was in high school, they didn't 'hire' bus drivers. The junior and senior high students drove the buses. Can you even imagine? Of course, he said, these were boys who had been driving tractors and such since they were young and he felt that they were much better drivers than the bus drivers of today.
We got home around 3PM. I felt bad for the kids. When we left there was a beautiful amount of snow on the hillside, but the sun had pretty much melted it all. They still headed out to see what fun they could find. The lake looked pretty much frozen over and there is always the backside of the mountain...loaded with rocks and other treacherous hazards...But they're kids and it's always fun until someone gets hurt or mom puts a stop to it.
I mapped our route for you. You really must see it to appreciate it. 17 minutes to church...almost 2 hours back. You'll have to click here to enjoy it. "E" is both our beginning and ending, "B" is church, "C" is lunch, and "D" is where we attended mass on Christmas Eve.
I always say, "There's always a rainbow." Sometimes you just have to look a little harder for it. There were plenty of rainbows in today's eventful day. 1) God kept us safe heading down the mountain. I believe that had we slid while heading down, it would have had much worse results. 2) The gentleman in the truck...with a chain. Who would have guessed? 3) Lunch out with good conversation. 4) Surprisingly little damage to our Suburban, 5) A drive that Danny had already said that he would like to take during the day....beautiful country, amazing sights, HUGE icicles hanging from the rocks...things the kids have never seen. 6) A warm house to arrive home to. And lastly, NO MOUSE in the glove box!!!
God is good. Life is good.
We got some snow during the night and it was 24° F when we woke up. We had already decided that we would go to 11 o'clock mass in Mountain City, TN. That is on the short side of the mountain, about 17 minutes away according to google maps. However, it is also the steep side of the mountain. The entire time that we have been here, we have planned our trips into town around the snow, never having to venture out after or during snow. Surprisingly though, there has always been a lot of traffic on those days and we see the snow plow pass several times. Danny went out to the car early. He had to defrost the windows and scrape the snow off. He turned the heater on and got it warmed up. We were allowing ourselves about 40 minutes to get there...just to be on the safe side. We got everyone loaded and buckled. There was a thread hanging out of the glove box so I opened it to see what it was and shove it back in there. I was a little startled (OK, maybe slightly terrified) to find a nicely laid nest in the glove box. Seems something had found its way into the car and out of the cold. I quickly shut to glove box and said something like "oh, that's not good". Danny agreed with me and all of the kids were now curious. "What? What? What is it?" Because I knew that we needed to get down the mountain and really didn't think there was much that we could do about it, I tried hard to appear calm, all the while trying to keep my feet off the floor. (I should tell you, I am TERRIFIED of mice. Rats even more so. Logical me knows that there is no reason for this insane fear, but illogical me really doesn't give a crap what logical me has to say.) Danny knows how afraid of mice I am and stopped the car and told me to get out. I did...and went very far away. He proceeded to sort through the glove box. Whatever was there was gone...or at least not in the glove box anymore. I loaded back up and we headed off to church. Our trip down the mountain was uneventful even though the road was obviously frozen over in many spots.
We enjoyed mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church and then headed home. We didn't make it far up the mountain before Danny started to slip and we realized that we would not be going up the mountain. Danny started to back down and a truck came up behind us. The children informed him of the obvious. "Daddy there's a truck behind us." Yes, Daddy had already seen the truck. The ice got the best of us and our front driver's side wheel slipped into the ditch (mountain side...whew). The gentleman behind us pulled around, stopped and proceeded to pull a chain from his truck. (I guess everyone on this mountain drives 4X4's and carries pullin' chains.) Since Danny was pinned in the Suburban, I got out (seemed the proper thing to do)...I slipped and slid and almost fell on my butt. When I got myself in an upright position, I said, "I was going to say hello and thank you, but I think I should just get back in the truck". He agreed that that was probably best. Danny rolled down his window and thanked him for his help. He hitched his truck to us and tried to pull us out of the ditch. He was unsuccessful. He told Danny that he was going to try to pull us out backwards. My biggest fear was that he would get us out and then we would just slide into him. As he began pulling us backwards, we actually started moving, but in the wrong direction...our rear wheel was now in the ditch. He was persistent. He kept pulling and we kept hearing our truck grind against rock. Danny tried to signal to him to stop, but he was determined. He got us out. We were grateful!!! Danny was able to back down and let the gentleman pass us. We then turned around to head home the 'long way around the mountain'.
We stopped in Boone and had lunch. We met a nice man who was a 4th generation native to the area. He shared many stories with us. He told us that when he was in high school, they didn't 'hire' bus drivers. The junior and senior high students drove the buses. Can you even imagine? Of course, he said, these were boys who had been driving tractors and such since they were young and he felt that they were much better drivers than the bus drivers of today.
We got home around 3PM. I felt bad for the kids. When we left there was a beautiful amount of snow on the hillside, but the sun had pretty much melted it all. They still headed out to see what fun they could find. The lake looked pretty much frozen over and there is always the backside of the mountain...loaded with rocks and other treacherous hazards...But they're kids and it's always fun until someone gets hurt or mom puts a stop to it.
I mapped our route for you. You really must see it to appreciate it. 17 minutes to church...almost 2 hours back. You'll have to click here to enjoy it. "E" is both our beginning and ending, "B" is church, "C" is lunch, and "D" is where we attended mass on Christmas Eve.
I always say, "There's always a rainbow." Sometimes you just have to look a little harder for it. There were plenty of rainbows in today's eventful day. 1) God kept us safe heading down the mountain. I believe that had we slid while heading down, it would have had much worse results. 2) The gentleman in the truck...with a chain. Who would have guessed? 3) Lunch out with good conversation. 4) Surprisingly little damage to our Suburban, 5) A drive that Danny had already said that he would like to take during the day....beautiful country, amazing sights, HUGE icicles hanging from the rocks...things the kids have never seen. 6) A warm house to arrive home to. And lastly, NO MOUSE in the glove box!!!
God is good. Life is good.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Day 94 - Christmas Day
It is Christmas Day. I didn't want this day to pass without making a post. It has been a beautiful day. We began our celebration last night at St. Francis of Assisi in Jefferson, NC and then today was spent with gifts and family. Mostly just a quiet day. The kids are already in bed. I can hear the boys laughing and giggling. Something they do almost every night. I have always loved watching them...listening to them. They get along brilliantly 97% of the time. Of course when they don't, it can be ugly. The girls are a totally different story. The oldest, born an adolescent, always mature beyond her years and longing to be independent. The younger, always a little girl, not wanting to grow up, but longing for her sister's love and acceptance. Rarely do I get a glimpse of shared love...usually what I do see is simple tolerance. But we are family and this trip has forced us to be closer. I long for the day when tolerance becomes acceptance and one day, sisterly love. Until that day, I will pray for understanding.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Day 86 - Dec. 17, 2012
It's Monday. I didn't realize that until I dated this post. I don't know how I didn't know what day it was, but I didn't. We left Red Top Mountain in Georgia around 11AM on Saturday. According to google maps we had a 6-1/2 hour drive. We were heading to Creston, NC. We have rented a home for Christmas. Gracie still wasn't feeling well. We had to pull over often for restroom breaks. We still haven't updated our GPS, so we were traveling according to the map I had printed. It really wasn't a bad drive. The kids enjoyed all of the new sites...terrain that we are not used to. The homeowner (of the house we are renting) had called us around 4PM to see how we were doing. Danny told her he thought we had another 2 hours, I figured 3. The route took us from Georgia, to Tennessee, into Virginia, and back into Tennessee. When we crossed back into Tennessee, it felt like we were getting close and the sun was starting to set. I swear, the further north we get, the quicker the sun seems to set. One minute it's dusk and the next minute it's pitch black and you can't see 50 feet in front of you. I noticed that when we started driving in the mountains at night, Danny started flipping the brights on. Funny, I can't remember the last time I had to use my brights. There were a lot of turns...a mile on this road, a mile on another. Finally, we took a left on the road that was OUR road. According to the map, we would drive about 2 miles and take a slight turn, then drive another mile. The road was narrow and there were a LOT of curves. We were definitely heading UP a mountain. The suburban was doing its best to pull the trailer and Danny was doing his best to navigate the road. I don't remember what caused us to come to a stop. I can't remember if there was an oncoming car or a curve or what, but we stopped. When Danny tried to get going again, the tires slipped and the truck refused to move forward. I was a little panicked. There was nowhere for us to go. As far as I was concerned, we were stuck. Danny had me get out of the car and get the lanterns out. I tried to light up the road behind us so that he could maybe back up and get a better start. It was impossible. There was no way of seeing where he was going. We had the kids get out of the car. I had Jacob and Hannah both hold a lantern while I tried to yell directions to Danny. I was nervous... terribly nervous. I instructed the kids to pray. On one side of the road was a mountain and on the other side of the road was a cliff. The road was not wide. We finally came to the conclusion that we were stuck. I tried to reach the homeowner. (Little did I know that she did not have cell service at the house.) My phone rang. It was the husband (I have only dealt with the wife). He was calling to check on us because his wife had sent him an email asking him to call. I explained that we were stuck and tried to explain where we were...you know, we turned on the road, drove awhile, went around a bunch of curves, passed a couple of houses. "Oh," he said, "you aren't that far." "NO!", I said, "we are stuck. We can't go forward. We can't go backwards." Once he realized exactly what I meant by 'stuck', he said that he would get a message to his wife and also call his father-in-law. I knew from conversations that the in-laws only lived 10 minutes from the house. About 10 minutes later, a car came from around the corner ahead of us. It was the homeowner. I walked up and started talking to her, discussing the situation and within another 5 minutes, another set of lights showed up behind our trailer. I could hear that it was probably a diesel and could see their headlights starting to come around the trailer. Now mind you, there is not a whole lot of room beside the trailer and what is next to the little, tiny bit of room is a cliff. I guess when you drive these mountains all the time, that cliff just isn't as threatening to you. The truck makes it around Danny and hollers, "you need a little more power?" It turns out that the man in the truck is the homeowner's father. He parks his truck in front of us, asks me if 'the young man' (Jacob) could get in the truck and put his foot on the brake, to which I express that "I would be much more comfortable doing that myself". He hooks a chain up to our suburban and proceeds to pull us up the mountain. I'd say that we had a mile to go. He didn't have to pull us the whole way. There was a point where we crossed into North Carolina...the road changed. It became wider and the pavement was much nicer. We made it. The homeowner gave us the keys. Told us to relax and she would get back with us in a few days. I will tell you, I was shaken! It took my nerves some time to settle down.
Today, Danny and I had to run out to find a Christmas tree stand. He decided that we needed to go down the mountain the way that we came up (there is another way to this house...an easier way...through NC...the way we will leave). I decided today that it was God's grace that it was dark the other night when we drove up that road. There is no way that I would have been able to make it as far as we did if I could have seen where we were. That road is scary during the day. I took pictures today. They don't do it justice. But maybe, you will get a glimpse of just what I am talking about.
Today, Danny and I had to run out to find a Christmas tree stand. He decided that we needed to go down the mountain the way that we came up (there is another way to this house...an easier way...through NC...the way we will leave). I decided today that it was God's grace that it was dark the other night when we drove up that road. There is no way that I would have been able to make it as far as we did if I could have seen where we were. That road is scary during the day. I took pictures today. They don't do it justice. But maybe, you will get a glimpse of just what I am talking about.
Looking up the road...
Side of the road (cliff side)
Where we are heading...
Still heading up...
Taken as we were moving...my side.
Just a fun house on the side of the road. Nice patio furnishings.
This is the point where we were stuck.
Looking back...(the two houses we had passed)
Friday, December 14, 2012
Day 83 - Dec. 14, 2012
Time passes so quickly. There is so much that I have not written down. My head is a buzz constantly with things that I would like to tell you. Things that I want to remember. We have done so much since my last post.
Today we will go to Atlanta. We hope to visit the Capitol Building (capital two off the list) and to see the Georgia Aquarium. We are currently on top of Red Top Mountain Georgia State Park. It overlooks Lake Allatoona. It's a beautiful place, but one that I don't think we will be rushing to come back to. Getting the trailer parked was C-R-A-Z-Y. Danny's Facebook status read, "Only a very strong, loving marriage can survive parking a trailer in a difficult spot. Camping is not for wimps."
Today we will go to Atlanta. We hope to visit the Capitol Building (capital two off the list) and to see the Georgia Aquarium. We are currently on top of Red Top Mountain Georgia State Park. It overlooks Lake Allatoona. It's a beautiful place, but one that I don't think we will be rushing to come back to. Getting the trailer parked was C-R-A-Z-Y. Danny's Facebook status read, "Only a very strong, loving marriage can survive parking a trailer in a difficult spot. Camping is not for wimps."
The pictures really don't do the site justice. There were so many obstacles we had to overcome besides the obvious backing over the mountain. I wish I could have video taped the whole process. Danny's a very patient man with some unbelievable driving skills. (Even if occasionally I close my eyes.)
Backing up a little and trying to catch up on the memories...
When we left Suwannee River Florida State Park, we did an amazing job of getting up and getting out. We were actually out of the park by 9AM. I was so excited!! However, that excitement was short lived. We have come to rely on our GPS and as I was trying to punch in the coordinates of where we were heading...GEORGIA...a state other than Florida. The GPS would not acknowledge the address, would not acknowledge the zipcode. Nothing, nada. I even tried to enter New York, NY. Nope! There was nothing outside of Florida. The world ended at the Florida line. We spent another 50 minutes trying to get our 'smart' phones to help us out. We don't have paper maps in our possession; that would be taboo. Well, I have an iPhone and Danny has the 'other'. My good friend Siri (whom I adore, mind you) was refusing to listen to me and kept coming up with all sorts of things that I was just NOT saying and Danny was getting frustrated. He finally pulled up a MAP on his phone, got us turned around and we were at the intersection of I-75. There was a gas station and a restaurant (much to Hannah's dismay). We decided to go ahead and fill up the tank, eat some breakfast and regroup. As it turns out, the food was excellent and quite reasonably priced and, in not time, we were back on the road again!!
We made it to F.D. Roosevelt GA State Park in record time (or at least before the sun went down, which was a nice change), got everything set up and headed out to get some gas and groceries. We were running on fumes and Danny had asked the park rangers where the closest gas station was, so off we went. HA! With no GPS and just some "go this way and take a left, then another and you'll be there" kind of directions, we found ourselves driving around in unknown country again. Danny finally flagged down a passing vehicle and they directed us 'around the bend' and we finally made it to the gas station. After filling up we made it to Columbus, GA a HUGE town filled with all sorts of wonders like, restaurants and actual stores. It was truly a sight for sore eyes. BUT, getting back up the mountain was a whole other story filled with twists and turns and 'turn arounds' that I will just leave to your imagination. We did laugh a little. There's a point where things are just so out of the realm of what you had hoped for that delirium sets in and you find yourself laughing and making jokes just to get through it.
We had pre-purchased tickets to go to Callaway Gardens 'Fantasy of Lights' on Sunday night, so we had all day Saturday and Sunday to explore. FDR is a beautiful park. We were right on a lake. On Saturday the kids spent hours hiking and I spent hours doing laundry. (Danny has joked about putting a washer and dryer on the back of the trailer.) Saturday night we went to the vigil mass at Christ the King, a beautiful church. Rev. Fr. John R. Madden was quite personable. I am sure that the congregation is very small. That night there couldn't have been more than 75 parishioners total. On Sunday morning they were planning on blessing their "Stations of the Cross" that had just been completely refurbished and placed in a new pathway outside the church. We had noticed it on our way in. It was beautiful. A young parishioner had done all of the work as his Eagle Scout project. We had hoped to make it to the blessing or at least to get by during the day to take some pictures, however, that was not to be. Maybe on our next trip through Pine Mountain.
Sunday Danny rented a kayak and we spent time on the lake and did some more exploring. It was a great time, filled with the making of great memories. Sunday night was "Fantasy of Lights". I had reserved a space on the "Jolly Trolley" to ride through the lights. If we ever do again, I will ask about riding through in your own vehicle. The website suggests that you can, but I really thought the "Jolly Trolley" was the way to go. I couldn't have been more wrong. It took us 45 minutes to get through the line and since our reservation was for 8PM, it was getting late. The kids did well. No real 'crankiness' going on. Just tired kids. Poor Jacob actually fell asleep while driving through. My complaints: they drove too quickly, the road was bumpy (enhanced by the fact that I felt the were hurrying), and I could not get decent pictures. Most of my pictures were of other peoples heads! Maybe, just maybe, I would have been more enchanted if we had not just been to the Suwannee Lights. I will admit, there were a few times that I felt the lights were brighter and more beautiful (definitely more professionally done) than Suwannee, but not worth the wait. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not suggesting to anyone reading this that you don't go to Callaway Gardens to see the lights. I have heard countless numbers of people tell me how beautiful it is. In fact, the people that we were camping next to said that they got onto the trolley an hour early (their reservations were for 7PM and they got on at 6PM). However, if you are looking for some fun and amazing lights and you are closer to Suwannee Lights, that would be my choice.
Speaking of the people that we camped next to while at FDR, they were an older couple who were getting ready to celebrate their 53rd wedding anniversary. They were out by their campfire the evening that we pulled in and again the night we got back from church. Danny spoke to them more than I did, but when they were packing up and heading out, the man made it a point to come over and shake Danny's hand. He told us that he and his wife wanted to "thank us" for doing such a great job with our kids. I found it odd, but very pleasing. Occasionally you get a chance to realize that what your doing, you must be doing right.
We stayed at FDR a couple more days, actually extending our time there. I am finding that we really enjoy the parks. The kids are having so much fun exploring, that we aren't getting a chance to do the historical stuff that we have planned, so the day before we left, Danny and the kids headed out to see FDR's "Little White House" and also Dowdell's Knob (I stayed back to get some much needed cleaning done). Everyone came back raving about "having a good time". There was beauty and history and scavenger hunts and they seemed to enjoy it all.
Tuesday night (after all the excitement of exploring history and dinner out), Gracie got sick. She was up all night and not feeling much better in the morning and it was time to pack up and leave. :( Thank goodness we only had a short 2 hour trip to our next destination, which takes us back to the beginning of this post......Red Top Mountain.
I am sure that I have missed a lot. I have LOTS of pictures to post. I have been trying to figure out how to link back to picasa so that you can see the whole album. I will get to it. Until then, God Bless and I hope you are enjoying this Advent season. Christmas is right around the corner.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Day 74
Got up yesterday and planned to head out early. Why is it that that never happens??? No matter how hard we try or how much we pre-plan, we are always leaving the park around 11AM.
I had spoken with Fr. Roland on Sunday evening about stopping in to have the trailer blessed. We had agreed on 11 o'clock. Needless to say, that was not going to happen. He had a few appointments beginning at 11:30 and wouldn't be back at the church until around 1:30. We still had a few things to do in town before leaving, so that actually worked out well for us.
Fr. Roland did a beautiful job. I'm pretty sure that he was just 'winging it'. I don't think there are any 'standard' blessings for travel trailers, but he managed to bring a tear to my eye.
I had spoken with Fr. Roland on Sunday evening about stopping in to have the trailer blessed. We had agreed on 11 o'clock. Needless to say, that was not going to happen. He had a few appointments beginning at 11:30 and wouldn't be back at the church until around 1:30. We still had a few things to do in town before leaving, so that actually worked out well for us.
Fr. Roland did a beautiful job. I'm pretty sure that he was just 'winging it'. I don't think there are any 'standard' blessings for travel trailers, but he managed to bring a tear to my eye.
Yes, Gracie is being an absolute poop in the photo. She and Samuel were having a very difficult time getting along and she had just been yelled at. Fr. Roland did finally get a smile out of her (just not for the picture).
I think we left town at about 3 o'clock and it is generally a 5 hour drive for us. We had already had lunch, so that was one less stop that we would have to make. Danny drove the entire way. I'm afraid that everyone is terrified to let me drive. :) I am really glad that I didn't give it a try. There were a ton of tractor trailers on the road and they were ruthless. Danny was riding in the middle lane and one of them sped past us on the left and whipped in front of him. I could see them lined up behind us on our right and while the one had made his point, there was no getting over. Two more passed us on the right and then the third proceeded to yell at us and tell us to get over. We did and made a potty break at the next rest area.
Back on the road again and it was starting to get dark. Traffic seemed to slow a little and we finally made it to the park. It was probably 7:30 before we were completely set-up, but it all went really smooth. It didn't hurt that we have the handicapped spot which is completely paved and level...a real blessing.
Today was a quiet day. The main reason we came back to Suwannee was to see the lights and that did not happen until 6PM. Danny washed the trailer and the truck, both of which were in desperate need of it. I did laundry (a never ending chore) and Hannah worked on some Christmas crafts. (She has become a pinterest queen.) The other kids played and hiked. It was just a good, lazy day.
After dinner we headed off to the Spirit of the Suwannee. The first portion of the lights is for 'driving through' and then the 2nd portion you walk through; which leads you to the shops where they have set up more fun, family stuff to do. All in all, it was a great evening. The kids got ice cream and Danny bought me some candied pecans.
Tomorrow morning we will head out again and I am hoping for an earlier start. :)
Monday, December 3, 2012
A New Plan Unfolds...
Day 71
I can't believe that we have been back in Orlando for almost two weeks now. I have really settled into this life and I am anxious to get back on the road. I sat and made reservations for our next jaunt last night. We will head out Wednesday morning. (I spoke with Fr. Roland last night and we will be stopping by the church first to have the trailer blessed.) We will head back up to Suwanee and spend two nights there. While we were at the Spirit of the Suwannee, sitting at the Ice Cream Parlor, the owner told us about Suwannee Lights. He really talked it up and Danny was convinced that we had to come back (not to mention that it is just a crazy, beautiful place to visit). They advertise over 5 million lights and displays. The owner said that all of the shops are open late and everything is really done up nice. Also, Santa and his elves will be there!!!
After Suwannee, we will head to Pine Mountain, GA. We will stay in FD Roosevelt State Park. Our main goal while in Georgia is to see Fantasy of Lights at Callaway Gardens. I couldn't be more excited to have the freedom to do 'whatever we want' this time of year. I have NO idea what else we will do while in Pine Mountain. It appears to be pretty close to Alabama's state capital, so we might very well head over there and mark another capital off of our list. If anyone has any suggestions, don't hesitate to share. :)
We have made reservations through VRBO and will stay in a cabin for Christmas. While I am truly in love with my life and am shocked at how easy the transition to life in the trailer has been, I just could not imagine spending CHRISTmas in a campground somewhere. Maybe next year. :) I am sure that it happens. There is one camper with a tree set up outside of their RV in the park now. I am assuming that they will be here through the holidays. I just wasn't prepared to do it this year.
Look for more updates and pictures as we get back on the road. May we all feel the hand of God as we enter into this Advent season and prepare for the coming of our Lord.
I can't believe that we have been back in Orlando for almost two weeks now. I have really settled into this life and I am anxious to get back on the road. I sat and made reservations for our next jaunt last night. We will head out Wednesday morning. (I spoke with Fr. Roland last night and we will be stopping by the church first to have the trailer blessed.) We will head back up to Suwanee and spend two nights there. While we were at the Spirit of the Suwannee, sitting at the Ice Cream Parlor, the owner told us about Suwannee Lights. He really talked it up and Danny was convinced that we had to come back (not to mention that it is just a crazy, beautiful place to visit). They advertise over 5 million lights and displays. The owner said that all of the shops are open late and everything is really done up nice. Also, Santa and his elves will be there!!!
After Suwannee, we will head to Pine Mountain, GA. We will stay in FD Roosevelt State Park. Our main goal while in Georgia is to see Fantasy of Lights at Callaway Gardens. I couldn't be more excited to have the freedom to do 'whatever we want' this time of year. I have NO idea what else we will do while in Pine Mountain. It appears to be pretty close to Alabama's state capital, so we might very well head over there and mark another capital off of our list. If anyone has any suggestions, don't hesitate to share. :)
We have made reservations through VRBO and will stay in a cabin for Christmas. While I am truly in love with my life and am shocked at how easy the transition to life in the trailer has been, I just could not imagine spending CHRISTmas in a campground somewhere. Maybe next year. :) I am sure that it happens. There is one camper with a tree set up outside of their RV in the park now. I am assuming that they will be here through the holidays. I just wasn't prepared to do it this year.
Look for more updates and pictures as we get back on the road. May we all feel the hand of God as we enter into this Advent season and prepare for the coming of our Lord.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Just some 'mom' thoughts on a day of THANKS...
Day 60
Thanksgiving Day
Two years ago I didn't know that a few weeks later I would find myself in the hospital in a total relapse of MG. It's hard to believe that it has only been two years. So much has happened. So much has changed.
Tonight, I count my blessings, because I am truly and richly blessed.
I am blessed with a God who loves me unconditionally, despite my many failings.
I am blessed with a faith that gives me strength to move forward every day knowing that my God is in control and that there is nothing that I cannot handle through Him. With HIM, all things are possible.
I am blessed with a loving, supportive husband. Without him, my life would be incomplete.
I am blessed with 5 beautiful, healthy children. Each with their own personalities. They give my life purpose.
I am blessed with extended family, not only my own, but those that I gained when I married Danny. They have shown me love and acceptance.
I am blessed with friends. Some I have known 40+ years, I value the memories that we have built, some I have known for far less a span of time, but their's is a friendship that I value more than time can bring, and then there are those friends whom I have never actually met, they have blessed me with a gift unknown before the advent of social media. I feel blessed to call so many 'friend'.
I am thankful for the gift of life. I am thankful for the gift of memory. Less than two years ago I was unsure what life held for me and I was unsure how much of it I was going to be able to hold on to.
Life is a blessing. Live it well.
Thanksgiving Day
Two years ago I didn't know that a few weeks later I would find myself in the hospital in a total relapse of MG. It's hard to believe that it has only been two years. So much has happened. So much has changed.
Tonight, I count my blessings, because I am truly and richly blessed.
I am blessed with a God who loves me unconditionally, despite my many failings.
I am blessed with a faith that gives me strength to move forward every day knowing that my God is in control and that there is nothing that I cannot handle through Him. With HIM, all things are possible.
I am blessed with a loving, supportive husband. Without him, my life would be incomplete.
I am blessed with 5 beautiful, healthy children. Each with their own personalities. They give my life purpose.
I am blessed with extended family, not only my own, but those that I gained when I married Danny. They have shown me love and acceptance.
I am blessed with friends. Some I have known 40+ years, I value the memories that we have built, some I have known for far less a span of time, but their's is a friendship that I value more than time can bring, and then there are those friends whom I have never actually met, they have blessed me with a gift unknown before the advent of social media. I feel blessed to call so many 'friend'.
I am thankful for the gift of life. I am thankful for the gift of memory. Less than two years ago I was unsure what life held for me and I was unsure how much of it I was going to be able to hold on to.
Life is a blessing. Live it well.
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