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 70th, 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
1 comment:
I wish we could have made it up for Becca's grad party - it sounds like you had a fab time! It is difficult to raise a family so far from our extended family - especially when they are as supportive & fun as they are. My coworkers generally don't understand what it's like to have a large extended family and don't understand the pull we feel back to upstate NY. I do feel bad that Zach is missing out on so much cousin time as he grows up. Thanks you for putting in perspective all of the great things we do have!
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