trip, trip, Hooray!

Oh, my Lord! Where ever do I start!?  We have finally returned from what was the most wonderful, relaxing and bonding vacation J 

I loaded my 3 girls into our van and headed to Rochester NY, leaving Josh and Ian home.  I cannot begin to compliment my kids on how absolutely great they behaved!!  I mean, 3 kids strapped into car seats for 14 hours 2 days in a row!!  That’s a 6, 5 and 15 month old, not teenagers.  It was truly memorable, for me and for them.

We spent our first day relaxing and catching up with Grampi and Mimi (my dad and step-mom).  Cousins Sophie and Sydney came for dinner with Aunt Amy (my sister in law) and you would have thought these girls have grown up together.  Not one bat of an eyelash, they were playing and running.  Mind you, it’s been 3 years since we’ve been home, so they were all 1, 2 and 3 yrs at the last visit.  But they are good about writing and drawing pictures to mail each other. 

Friday, we all loaded up with Grampi, Mimi, Aunt Amy and the girls and headed to Hamlin Beach State Park for a day of swimming (Lake Ontario), sandcastle making and a picnic lunch.  It was a beautiful day, the water temp about 68 degrees. Dinner was a huge fish fry and Abbott’s frozen custard for desert.  We were all stuffed by the time we got home!

Saturday was family filled as my cousin Becca graduated HS from Aquinas Academy!  Great Aunts, Uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews…you name it.  It was such a true blessing to see everyone.  My 90 yr old grandma looked fantastic.

Sunday was a Templar gathering J  It would have been my Grandma’s birthday, so it was a bittersweet celebration.  Yes, it’s been 10 years, but it’s still hard sometimes.  My Great-Aunt Eve was there, so we all had an extra beer in her honor!  Nothing better than fellowship with family J Then, I later had a great night out with Amy.  A much needed girls night enjoying some of Upstate NY’s finest Microbrew selections! Might I suggest Rohrbach’s Scotch Ale?

Monday was a day for the girls…took them all to the Strong Museum of Play and WOW!! Talk about over-stimulating!!  I needed an extra cup of coffee and some Tylenol to get through that place.  So much for them to do, but far too much for this OCD/Near-anxiety-attack mom!!! Wish we had a place like that here in Texas.  

Tuesday…ah Tuesday. We FINALLY had the chance to be home for my step-mom’s birthday!!  It was her 70^th, I know she will kill me for giving it away, but I love her no matter how young she is!!  A great big family dinner, complete with cake, pie and ice-cream.  I sat back in my chair that night and realized again just how much my kids are missing out on.  But I then realized that if I make family a priority in their lives, they will hopefully be that much more inclined to stay closer and raise their kids together.  I want to re-start a new generation of family, one that leans on each other, supports each other and fellowships together…regularly. I do wish I had more time to share the Gospel with them all.  I hope I made a small impact with my actions and conversation!

 

I’m not uploading pictures to this.  I have a few posted on FB, but most are in an album.  Something we can open, talk about, touch and feel. 

If there is one thing I can recommend, take your kids on a road trip.  Forget the DVD player and just talk, read and enjoy each other’s company.  Not one of us is promised tomorrow.  My goal was to give my kids another set of memories to revisit when they grow up, or when I’m gone.  A reminder of how blessed each and every one of us is to have another human to call family.  It’s when we don’t have those relationships that we realize just how lonely life is.  When we lose the bond that only a spouse, parent or sibling can offer do we realize how empty our lives really are.  It’s not the proximity, it’s the depth of love and lasting bond.  Even I came to see just how isolated I am.  How desperate I am to have the bonds that my closest family can offer.  I have Christ.  I have Salvation.  I have my Redeemer who pours out his love, surrounds me with his presence and embraces me each time I bow my head or am on my knees.  He loves me.  And that is so much more than some people have.

 

Foerver Blessed,

Jenny

 

Once Upon a Time

I was reminded tonight of the luxuries of life we have come to expect, dare I say, are entitled to.  What started out as an "*sigh*...well, I guess I don't have any choice" to thinking how blessed I truly am, how wonderful my life is and how much I miss the simpler days.

Josh finally had time to call and the decision was made that we would have the small repair done on the van before I leave Tuesday morning.  That means either arranging to drop it off first thing tomorrow morning or tonight utilizing their drop box.  (I was very comfortable doing this, Christian-family owned company)  So after trying to figure out how I was going to get the van there and get home, I made my choice.  You see, Ian was home so I had another driver, but Ashlynn was asleep.  My neighbor is out of town.  I'm trying to figure out how to get home. Mind you, it's all of maybe 2 miles. 
So...walk.  Really, Jenny, just walk.  How hard is that?  What would your grandfather have to do? Or your grandma with her 5 kids?  They would walk.  Because that was the only choice.  So I did :)

It was a nice walk, I might add.  Not only was the weather cooling off a bit, but in my first 1/2 mile I saw a loose steer, a Shepard guard dog, the sweet horse on the corner, barbwire fencing, overgrown fields, straw along the gravel roadside, and little critters.  I missed not seeing the big gardens, but unless it rains, then the gardens die.  That's how it used to be done.  You want water on your veggies?  Pray for rain.  There weren't "sprinkler systems" and fancy irrigations.  You collected rain water. God was in control of what grew and what crops would benefit.  You planted to allow for shading in the heat and built your houses according to direction.  North and South so that you had minimal window exposure on the East and West, kept the house cooler.  Not based on the best lot in the best neighborhood.
Oh, how I was being humbled and reminded of where my priorities should be.
Then...back to reality.  I pass Fire Station (lucky) number 7 and it's back to manicured lawns, common areas with regurlarly scheduled watering by irrigation systems. *sigh*.  Are we really that shallow?  Is it that necessary to have a large waterfall as your neighborhood entrance?  Aren't we on a water restriction? Funny thing is, I have neighbors that water religiously every other day (against restriction) and I haven't watered mine in a month, yet you can't tell.  Our lawns look the same.  It's Texas, people.  Let the Bermuda die and reseed in September.  Seriously.  It's cheaper. And who really cares what your lawn looks like?  You are never outside for your neighbors to acknowledge it!!
I'm grateful my grandparents (and their generation) were not as shallow, not as entitled and much more engaged with their neighbors and communities.  Without the need of a political HOA board.

I am grateful for the many blessings my God pours down on me, each and every day.

Oh, my lord.

I am the world's worst procrastinator!  I officially have 1 day and a few hours to start getting things together for our trip.  I have nothing packed.  I did however, get the oil changed and tires rotated today! 
Here's the scoop. 
1.  My phone is broke and I'm awaiting a replacement in the mail. PRAYING it gets here by Monday.
2.  My mom is not going to be able to travel with us.  That leaves me and 3 kids to make the journey.         BOTH ways.
3.  The van needs a replacement part.  $180.00. 

Why do I feel as though I'm not supposed to go?  Eh. I can do this!  Gratefully, the part/labor is only $180.  Grateful I have a back-up phone if mine doesn't come, thanks to my awesome son who just got a new one Thursday and has not had his old service discontinued! And I've made the drive before and many trips to NOLA which is 10 hours for me. 

I recall a phrase on a church sign in Lakeside, Tx (outside Azle).  "Be grateful for stumbles, they prevent falls" How true.  My God will protect us, and he will take us through it all.

Now, on to that packing......