east to west

(Once again, a post that I'm publishing looooong after I've written it--this was originally written on January 23rd, but it's taken me a while to gather up the pictures and finally load them all in.  Regardless, I'm glad to finally get this trip documented for posterity...)

Well, after an extended Christmas break with family, we have finally finally arrived at our destination in Los Angeles.  For the next four months, our family will be living in community with 12 others, as we all prepare for our three years in overseas mission.  While four months may not seem like a lot of time to most people, we are so very thankful for the chance to unpack our bags and settle into one place for a while.  I hope to keep up with my blog posts on a more regular basis now that we are staying put for a bit.

Our journey here was a long one.  That's an obvious statement, I know, since we did travel literally from the east coast to the west coast...in our minivan...all five of us together...for hours at a time.  But all in all, I'd say that everyone did great.  And thanks to lots of books, art supplies, more "I Spy" and "20 Questions" games than I can count, a well-used DVD player (one movie per day maximum!), well-timed breaks, and yummy snacks, we emerged smiling and excited at all of our wonderful stopping points.  And boy, did we ever enjoy those little layovers.

Our trip began a little over a week ago, when we left my parents' home with some tears and lots of thanks for a great and relaxing time with them over the three weeks since we had arrived from Greenville.  That time was much needed and much appreciated after the whirlwind of activity we had experienced in closing up our home and storing our few belongings with wonderful friends in Greenville.  And we also needed some time to just decompress--and, as always, my parents joyfully provided just what we needed.  Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Our first stop was in Pearland, Texas, at the home of our dear friends, the Davises.  These sweet people were our neighbors when we lived in Houston and we will be forever bonded with them after we jointly experienced the drama and aftermath of Tropical Storm Allison in June of 2001.  Early one morning (specifically, about 3am), we awoke to find the first floor of our little two-story town home completely flooded with close to two feet of water.  My husband immediately called our neighbors to alert them, but we all soon realized that there wasn't much to do other than wait for the flood waters to recede, which they eventually did--leaving in their wake a mess of trash, mud, photographs, food items, books, and furniture.  Luckily we were all safe and unharmed, but you don't live through  something like that without forging a close bond with those with whom you experienced it.  I'm happy to report that even as they approach and enter their later years, Ray and Jerry are as spry, warm, and witty as ever.  It was a privilege to spend such quality time with these precious people.

After our time there, we headed into San Antonio, where we bunked with our former Army buddies, the Narayan family.  With four kids ranging from age 2 through 9 (and all their accompanying toys and entertainment), this was a total funhouse and our kids had a blast!  It was great to spend time there, catch up with the goings-on of their sweet family, and compare notes on post-Army life.

While there, we also spent a great afternoon at the Witte Museum, where the kids learned about mummies, dinosaurs, and the gastrointestinal system.  But I'd venture to say that they had the most fun at the hands-on kids area, where they banged on drums, rode a bike on a cable suspended in the trees, and did some pretty cool rock-climbing.

Our weekend in San Antonio was capped off with a fun and fabulous reunion with several families whom we had grown close to in our time there during my husband's fellowship training in the Army.  These years hold especially fond memories for us, as Joshua was very young, and the births of our girls bookended our years in the city (Madison in 2003 and Caroline in 2006).  So to reunite with dear friends, to meet kiddos who for years we've only seen growing up in Christmas cards, and to watch our kids connect with their kids without skipping a beat, was a true joy.  Additionally, for us to realize that as much as our lives and situations had changed (and none of us have been stellar about keeping in touch), and even though life had given us all great gifts and great challenges, our connections have remained very much the same.  The gift of truly "picking up where you left off" was not wasted on me or my husband.  Being with this gang and sharing our collective stories was truly food for the soul, and we are sincerely grateful.

The next leg of our journey was spent in El Paso, our home from 2006-2009.  We were so lucky to be able to stay with our dear friends, the Lunas, whose friendship with us began when our kids played soccer together.  You know how every once in a while people enter your lives and you just sense that they are meant to remain not just for a "reason" or a "season", but rather for life?  That's these folks for us.  We were welcomed just like family into their home, enjoyed Angela's spectacular gourmet cooking everyday, and relished in watching our kids soak up every single moment with their kids.  Lucky for us, they were willing to enjoy a little break from school one day and accompanied us up to White Sands National Monument, which is a breathtaking area in New Mexico where white gypsum covers miles of land as dunes and hills.  All the kids--big and small--enjoyed plenty of awesome sledding down those hills.  Like their daughter Madison observed, "it's like snow sledding without getting all wet and cold!"

One of my favorite memories of our time there was the chance to see their oldest daughter, Miranda.  When we last saw this young lady, she was fighting the battle of her life as she endured months of powerful chemotherapy to treat the acute leukemia that had invaded her then 10 year old little body.  Although she and her entire family endured that painful time with more grace and faith than I can describe, no one can truly know the suffering of that season of their lives.  Imagine then my incredible joy at not only seeing her healthy and thriving, but then watching her absolutely school my children and her siblings at their Wii game of "Just Dance."  She rocked and rolled and set new records with both accuracy and stamina.  Once again, food for my soul.  Brava, Miranda!

While in the city, we had one more opportunity to gather with a few Army friends and reunite our kids at one of our favorite parks.  Not only was the El Paso weather picturesque as ever, but we experienced that same connection as with our San Antonio friends--other than the growth and changes in all of our kids, it almost felt as though no time had passed since we had last met for a park date and catch up.  It was again such a great time to hear where life had taken them and share our experiences as well.

And I can't possibly close without a shout out to our buddies, Suzanne and Joaquin.  This little guy was Joshua's absolute best friend in El Paso and leaving him was probably Joshua's biggest challenge when we moved to Greenville.  Despite almost three years since seeing each other or communicating, these guys did not miss a beat when we visited with them last week.  As Suzanne and I happily caught up for a couple of hours, I kept looking over to these boys, expecting them to take off for an impromptu game of touch football, or frisbee, or tag--something!  But instead what I witnessed could be likened more to a couple of old buddies at a nursing home: they were catching up, reminiscing and laughing hard at old memories, sitting quietly for a few seconds and then starting their breathless chatter once again--for close to two hours!  Joshua left that time with a huge smile on his face and his takeaway thought was, "Joaquin really hasn't changed at all!  I'm glad."  I don't know how common this sort of bond is for 10 year old boys, but I am full of gratitude that our boy gets to experience that gift, and I pray that he will always have it.

And after all that fun, we landed in Phoenix for a couple of nights at the home of some former MDA missionaries, who could not have been more gracious, honest, or warm in their sharing of their home and their experiences.  Not only did we have a great time learning so much about life in missions, our kids got a fabulous pottery-making experience right in their dining room.  Thank you, Tim and Sheila, for a great last leg of our long journey.

A friend loves at all times...

Proverbs 17:17

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. 

Marcel Proust

we're here! we're okay!

So much for trying to keep up with blog posts on a regular basis.  This morning I received an email from a friend in Greenville saying that he'd noticed that we haven't updated the blog recently, and he guessed that meant that life in L.A. was keeping us busy.  How right he is...

So, in a nutshell, I want to let our friends know that we are doing well and that we are so happy to be fairly settled here in our new home in Los Angeles.  We arrived on the afternoon of Sunday, January 22nd, after a long and fun-filled trip across the country (blog post on that coming soon--I hope).  Once we spent a couple of days unpacking and getting set up in our new living arrangements, we were free to check out the city of angels.  We enjoyed a beautiful bike ride along Venice and Santa Monica beach, visited a cool science museum, had some delicious Thai food with friends, and learned more about our kids' school and our surrounding neighborhood.

Our arrival here at the Mission House confirmed the wisdom of and need for our extensive downsizing before we left Greenville.  Our life here is simple living, indeed, and we love it!  My husband and I reside in a small room that contains a bed, a desk, a sink, and a very small closet.  Our room is connected to Madison and Caroline's room by a bathroom and shower.  Joshua has a similar set up and he shares a bathroom with another boy close to his age, whose family is also here for mission formation and preparation.  We've had to be creative with our unpacking and our storage, satisfied with existing in mighty tight quarters, and fairly obsessive with keeping things clutter-free (there's just no room for extras!).  This house was, after all, a convent in years past.  Despite these apparent limitations, however, we are truly loving our time here, and are so grateful that we still have over three months to soak in the experience.

Our fellow missionaries-in-training all arrived later that same week and we slowly got to know one another.  Slowly, that is, until our first week of classes began on Monday, January 30th, and we were all asked to take turns and essentially tell our life stories to our fellow classmates.  At that point, our knowledge of one another grew from superficial to deep, surface to very meaningful, in just a matter of days.  It was one of those retreat-type experiences where you speak with absolute authenticity and vulnerability, sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly, taking the risk that you might be judged, but not really caring since you'll all go your separate ways at the end of the retreat weekend...except we are all  sticking around here for a while.  I have to say that that time of opening ourselves up and learning so very much about the others number as my favorite days here thus far.  Our group is a beautiful motley crew of individuals, including two families of five, two couples, and three single gals.  In our adult class of eleven, our ages range from 21 to somewhere in the 60s.  Our group includes marrieds, singles, newlyweds, divorced, and widowed.  The stories that we heard (and continue to hear) brought peals of laughter, gasps of astonishment, and many, many tears.  It is a true privilege to be walking this journey with such a diverse, interesting, and faith-filled group.

Another experience that has been filling our days has been negotiating the basic survival details of occupying a house with 17 other people (there is also a house caretaker who lives here and has become a good friend of ours).  Over the course of the first week, we managed to make schedules for the cooking and cleaning responsibilities, grocery shopping each week, and the use of the washer and dryer.  So far communication on the inevitable bumps in the road has been good, but we know that we are all human and therefore so very far from perfect.  But we also know that we are in this community because of a Call much greater than any of us, and we are committed to growing and learning through this experience.

I know that many dear friends are also wondering about our sweet kiddos.  By the grace of God, they are doing wonderfully.  Despite some resistance before we left our lovely lives in Greenville, they are thriving both at the Mission House and in their new school.  Though the transition to a local Catholic elementary school has had some challenges, they are all making lots of new friends and have great teachers to guide them into the new semester.  They are also very lucky to have playmates right here in the house with them: the other family that is here has a boy and two girls, all of whom are very close in age to our kids, and that has made for lots of fun (and sometimes pretty loud!) evenings and a much easier movement into their new school setting.  Again, we know that it won't always be smooth sailing, but we are grateful for the many blessings, small and large, that we see each day.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

a cozy close out to 2011

Anyone who knows us in real life knows that while we love people, we are not big late-night partyers. At all. So it should not come as much of a surprise that the entire family will be ringing in the new year in our pajamas, likely sound asleep.

However before the kids went to bed tonight, I had a special experience with them that I don't want to forget. We have had a great Christmas season so far, with lots of quality time with family and friends and fun reunions. Today, however, was spent with just the five of us, on a nine-hour-long road trip, as we traveled from my parents' home to see my husband's parents in south Georgia. And because we are here, our kiddos are all sleeping on the floor together for a couple of nights. After the expected grumblings about the inconveniences of sleeping on (carpeted!) floors, my attempts at reminding them that baby Jesus--God incarnate--took his first breaths surrounded by stinky animals and had a feeding trough for a bed, and my husband and I exchanging knowing looks about the upcoming challenges of mission life, it was time for these tired little people to get to bed.

Before we said nighttime prayers, I asked them to each try and recall a favorite memory from this year. Initially I got generic answers like "my class," and "Stone," their awesome school, which of course they are missing. But as I prodded a little further and reminded them of some of our many fun experiences in 2011, all three kids really got into this little trip down memory lane. We recalled the freak snowstorm in January that knocked out our home heating system for several days, during which time we moved in with our incredible neighbors, who have since become like family to us. We spoke of sledding in the winter, and road-tripping to NJ/NYC (via VA and Baltimore) to visit dear old friends for spring break. We remembered the glorious trip we enjoyed to Newfoundland in the summer, with a few days on the coast where we enjoyed hiking, relaxing, skipping stones, and catching glimpses of whales; then Caroline's debut performance as a flower girl in my cousin's wedding. We recalled summertime fun at my parents' pool, Caroline's entry into kindergarten (no more naps!), and kooky Halloween costumes. We spoke of great birthday celebrations and a few of the fun performances that they enjoyed participating in throughout the year, including Madison's ballet and Indian dances, and Joshua's violin and swim meets. We thought of our yummy Thanksgiving dinner and the chance that we had to share it with good friends and family. Caroline reminded us of how, towards the end of the year, "we sold all our stuff." And we didn't have to stretch too far back to recall the joys of Christmas in 2011 :)

And as our babes snuggled up and I prayed with them, I reminded them (and especially myself) that the same God who brought us through this year of joys and disappointments, of expected and unexpected gifts and challenges--that this same God will be with us through the new year that begins in just a little while.  2012 surely holds lots of new experiences for us all, and I wanted the kids to be reassured that we will be okay, despite the countless transitions that are coming our way. Our Lord has been faithful in all things, big and small, and we rest in His promise to continue to keep us safe, in the new year and always, in the protection of His loving embrace.

Happy 2012 everyone.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

leavings are hard

(This post was originally written on December 11, 2011--then with all the moving details, it got shelved until today.)

This phrase, "leavings are hard," is one that our parish priest used in a message some time ago, and the words really stuck with my husband.  He's been repeating them to me these past few months as I've pondered the difficulty of leaving the beautiful community of friends we have found here in Greenville.  And in these last several days, these words have come into my mind again and again.

It first happened when I had to say goodbye to many sweet friends who also happened to be colleagues at the pediatric practice where I worked.  Although I love to think and reflect through my writing, public speaking is not my forte.  Nevertheless, I felt moved to say a few words at the lunch that was given on my last day of work, and found myself speaking through many, many tears as I said a collective goodbye to that special group of people.  It's a very unique and wonderful experience to work side-by-side with people who not only love what they do, but treat others (including and especially patients) just as they would treat a family member--with enthusiasm, respect, understanding, and extraordinary kindness.  It made for many enjoyable work days, and no matter how challenging or busy we were, it was such a privilege to be in that setting.

For the weeks since then, our days have been so full that I've not had a whole lot of opportunity to feel the impending loss of our move away from here.  While I've talked about how hard it will be to leave, the busyness of the holiday season (kids' choir recitals, church pageants, swim meets, family visits), along with the endless list of things to do in preparation for our move, have kept me distracted enough to hold it together...until recently.

Last Friday night was Joshua and Madison's final children's choir concert.  This community choir is led by our school's music teacher and her husband, and Joshua was invited to be part of it within weeks after our arrival here, with Madison joining on a year later.  My husband and I have delighted in watching our kids develop both an impressive knowledge of and keen appreciation for music through this experience.  They've learned not only a number of technical aspects of music, but have also developed much discipline, stage presence, and the important lessons of truly working as part of a larger team.  It has been one of their most treasured activities, and so to realize that it was coming to a close after their Christmas program was almost too much for me.  After the spectacular concert, I so wanted to capture a picture of the kids with their remarkably talented and giving directors--but I was simply in too much of a puddle to talk to anyone.  Luckily my husband swooped in and brought everyone together for me.  I don't think I'll ever look at this wonderful picture without remembering how grateful and emotional I felt as I captured it:

The following Thursday, I had to say goodbye to my favorite instructor at our wonderful YMCA.  I know, an exercise instructor hardly seems like someone who'd bring tears to my eyes, but nevertheless, when I handed her a prayer card and she promised to put it on her fridge and keep us in her prayers, I could hardly speak.  I was suddenly struck with the realization that even in the place where I exercise, I am surrounded by supportive and faithful people...and how many people can say that?

Last Sunday evening was the children's Christmas pageant at our Methodist church and it was the first chance I had to share our plans with a few of our friends there.  Just watching their reactions of surprise, and then understanding, and then, inevitably, sincere support along with some kind words about how much we will be missed--all these were enough to start the waterworks yet again.

This morning at our Catholic parish, I was again a bit of a mess.  Just talking to friends, old and new, saying goodbye to our dear Sister Catherine who was on her way out of town this week, beginning our goodbye to our beloved Father Pat--all these made for more emotions than anticipated early this morning.

And then we proceeded on with our normal Sunday morning routine, which includes heading over to our Methodist church for the kids' Sunday school and then to the worship service as a family.  What made today so difficult was the fact that we knew this would be our last Sunday there.  Our plans are to pack up the house and drive out of town next Sunday after Mass, so today was the (dreaded) day for real goodbyes to our sweet friends at St. Matthew's.  When I went to gather the kids after their Sunday school classes, I as met by a number of friends who asked if this was, in fact, our last day there.  And then the tears began for many of us.  A couple of my friends (who are the kids' teachers) stated that they couldn't even look at the kids because it made them so emotional to realize the difficulty of our separation.  Joshua's class gave him a really nice daily devotional, made even more special by the personal inscriptions by his teacher and each member of his class.  We hugged goodbyes with promises for penpal-ing, emailing, and even Skype-ing if possible!  The worship service wasn't much better for me--I was constantly reminded of how warmly we have been welcomed into the fold of this loving church community, the friends we have made and the support we have received on so many levels.  This is where my kids have grown to know so much about the Lord and His holy Word, where they've been nurtured through fun VBS experiences and solid Sunday school curricula, where we've made great friends, and where we, as a family, had our first opportunity for local missionary work--through our participation in the city-wide interfaith hospitality network that hosts homeless families at our church twice a year.  And as if all this weren't enough to be filling my mind, the closing hymn was none other than "Blest Be the Tie That Binds."  Suffice it to say that I was unable to get through the song.  So very many emotions, thanksgivings, and poignant realizations all at once.

I've often been asked why (and how) we choose to worship with two faith communities every Sunday.  That is a subject for another post on another day, but the bottom line is that my husband and I desire to share with our children the richness of both of our faith traditions.  This morning I realized that along with the ongoing growth along our journey of faith, one of the greatest blessings of our "double belonging" is that we have the gift of twice as many precious friends in Christ!

Blest be the tie that binds

Our hearts in Christian love;

The fellowship of kindred minds

Is like to that above.

Before our Father's throne

We pour our ardent prayers;

Our fears, our hopes, our aims, are one,

Our comforts and our cares.

We share our mutual woes,

Our mutual burdens bear;

And often for each other flows

The sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part,

It gives us inward pain;

But we shall still be joined in heart,

And hope to meet again.

africa--some details

The wonderful director of Mission Doctors Association, Elise Frederick, went on a site visit to Tanzania early last month to evaluate whether a hospital community there might be a good place for us to be stationed.  During her two weeks overseas, we prayed often for her, wondered what she was seeing and thinking, and hoped that she would be able to answer at least some of the questions on our "what is it really like over there?" list.  When the date for her return came and went and we hadn't heard anything that weekend, or for the week after, we almost couldn't stand the anticipation.  And by "we," I really mean "me."  My husband has the patience of a saint and would likely be quite happy still waiting for an update.  Anyone who knows me well, however, must know that I operate not just on a need-to-know basis, but on a need-to-know-right-now thankyouverymuch basis.  Anyway, all that to say, once Elise got over some of her jet lag and reacquainted with her life in the U.S., she and I sat down for a wonderful phone reunion and I learned more than I anticipated about our likely new home for the next three years.  Here are some of the pertinent (and I think interesting) details:

• we will be living among a Benedictine community of brothers and sisters (monks and nuns), roughly two hours from the southeastern coast of Tanzania.  On that campus there is an abbey as well as living quarters, and some shops where the brothers train local people on various trades (woodworking and metallurgy are two that I remember).
• the Benedictine church there is over 106 years old and apparently beautiful and somewhat contemparary in its style and artwork
• because we will live in that community, we will have some exposure to other international volunteers (I'm not sure of the number, but I know that Elise mentioned a family from Sweden and both Dutch and Swiss doctors, and possibly another doctor from the U.S.)
• also because we will be part of the community, we will have access to a swimming hole that is a mile or so up a hill from the hospital.  Swimming?  Really--in Africa?  She said that every afternoon at about 4pm, she'd see a contingent of people heading up the hill, each with a towel under his/her arm, for an afternoon swim. Wow.  Didn't I just say something about Joshua having to hang up his goggles for three years?
• the hospital there is a 300 bed facility with a large range of departments, with a busy outpatient clinic, and serving a wide catchment area.  She mentioned that they somehow manage to treat around 400 patients in that 300 bed hospital.  Clearly, a busy place with many needs.
• she also shared that since Swahili is the national language, MDA would be sending us to language school for six weeks upon our arrival in Tanzania.  That was completely unexpected, but very good news for us all.  We're excited at the opportunity to immerse ourselves with the local population whom we will serve, and we trust that having some fundamentals of the language will go a long way towards helping us truly become a part of that community.
• she described the housing as simple and clean--cinder block walls and cement floors, and she was so excited to share that electricity is reliable and the water is wonderfully clean ("good enough to drink right from the tap!").  That is huge news, as we had been advised earlier that we'd likely need to invest in a water filter for our time there. 
• and most significantly (for me anyway), she shared that there is no primary school in the immediate area.  I've since wondered (and had friends ask) where the children of all the patients and hospital workers and the surrounding community get an education, but all such questions are really moot, in light of the fact that there simply is not a school option for our kids.  Now the old me (that is, really just a year or so ago) would have balked at the fact that I am about to turn into a homeschooling mommy.  The new (and I hope improved) me is honestly kind of excited.  This has been a transformation that has been ongoing for some time now.  Having done lots of reading, asking questions, researching, meeting wonderful examples of both homeschooling parents and children, and attending a great homeschooling conference with my husband this summer--all have worked towards preparing me to not only accept, but to welcome, this new phase.  The kids reactions have been split--Madison is over the moon excited, Joshua is withholding judgement until we get started (but I think secretly kind of pleased), and Caroline hasn't really had the chance to hear or grasp the details.  We know that the options for homeschooling curriculae are seemingly endless, and we've got lots of legwork ahead as we navigate this new course.  But the bottom line is that we are doing this--we're saying yes to the many unexpected challenges and joys, and in return we get much more time with our precious kids, get to take part in their education, and get to serve God in a way that we've not had the opportunity for in the past--and we are thankful for every part in the process.

So, reliable electricity, clean water, a swimming hole up the hill and homeschooling everyday for three years.  All good news, but who could have predicted it?

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

                                                                                                                    

the swimmer

Because the girls have each had a birthday since we started this blog, both of them have had posts dedicated to their histories, unique personalities, and such.  I must admit, however, that the [justice-seeking, always-wanting-to-be-fair] first child in me has been feeling a little guilty that our firstborn has not had the opportunity to shine in our little corner of the blog world.

Well, we're about to change all that right now.

My husband is skilled in many things, only one of which includes his exceptional swimming ability.  Even now, far-removed from his days on his small town’s high school swim team, he enjoys great swim workouts at our YMCA at least two or three times per week.  He always says that in his triathlon days, swimming was far and away his strongest event (he was apparently the “second one out of the water at Callaway Gardens" back in the late 80s).

And now we have learned that Joshua has inherited his father’s (thank goodness!) great swimming talent and has thoroughly enjoyed participating in a year-round swim team here in Greenville.  He started back in 2009, after a swim teacher in El Paso deemed him “ready for swim team,” and he’s absolutely loved it since.  This kid who had been just fine with YMCA soccer for years, suddenly found a sport where he could shine.  The individuality of swimming, the discipline of multiple practices each week, the rigor and reward of pushing his body a little more each time, and the huge energy burn that he experiences with every practice--all these have been gifts for our little man's wonderful and somewhat intense personality.

He is thriving in this sport, and is understandably a little bummed that he'll have to say goodbye to it while we are overseas.  And as he has matured both physically and emotionally through this experience, I have found my own growth as well.  I finally get the whole parental pride in kids' sports now.  Not a haughty idea that my kid is better than others, but rather an amazing satisfaction at seeing Joshua's sense of accomplishment.  What a gift to see him be so focused, work so hard, do something he loves so much, and enjoy the benefits of it all.

 

 Joshua has always been a great student, one for whom academic stuff seems to come fairly easily.  And while he's certainly got (his dad's) genetics on his side, swimming is neither natural nor easy for him. Of course I would never wish unnecessary hardships on my kids, but I think it's an awesome experience for Joshua to be truly stretched, challenged, and sometimes humbled in this endeavor.

And finally, with full knowledge that I am far from objective when it comes to our little ones, I've gotta say that this boy's butterfly is something to behold!

 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 3:13-14

october beach memories

My love for the beach has been well-documented on this blog, so I'll refrain from the usual verbosity here.  I just want to record some of the wonderful memories we made when we visited a lovely beach on South Carolina's coast during the kids' fall break in mid-October.

The weather was spectacular the entire four days we were there.  Beautiful cool mornings gave way to warm, sunny days.  It was a peaceful, relaxing, much-appreciated time to both slow down and have some fun. 

Because we were well into the fall season (even though we are in the south), the water was too cold for sane people to swim.   

Smart people stayed on the warm sand and enjoyed things like walking, relaxing, building sandcastles, reading, sunning, and snacking.

A highlight activity of our trip was biking.  This is something that we'd hoped to enjoy as a family for a while now, and it was such fun to share this activity with the kids.

Our rides took us through neighborhoods and quiet streets, near a small airport, and along the main drag through town--all just a stone's throw from the beach.

We especially enjoyed the rides that took us to mealtime destinations...both breakfast and lunch.

Yummy hot chocolate after a slightly chilly morning ride 

And delicious brick-oven pizza after a 20 minute jaunt through the city streets

Our fearless leader (wearing his "you are the best daddy in the world" necklace from Madison)

 Our very first biking expedition took us to lunch at a very nice, open air market.  And, back by popular (Powers kids) demand, we dined on the water at Joe's Crab Shack.  The food was actually quite good--fresh seafood and all the brown paper towels you can get--but the entertainment was even better.  No, since we were there in the middle of the day, we didn't get treated to the hourly dance by the servers.  Instead, we delighted in our girls' creativity and freedom with the bibs we were given with our crab plates.  Who knew that those flimsy pieces of plastic could transform you into dancing, flying, smiling superheroes?

Such fun!

A surprising freedom that my husband and I have enjoyed as our children have gotten a bit older has been the opportunity to take early morning walks on the beach.  We leave them a note and a cell phone, take the other phone with us, lock 'em in the condo, and keep our walking radius within about 7-8 minutes.  Most mornings, the kids slept right through, and my husband and I got not only the gift of a glorious sunrise, but also an hour of brisk walking and much-needed talking.  What a gift... 

Mingled with the joy of this vacation time for our family was the realization that this was the last beach trip we'd enjoy for a long time.  While I don't think it dampened our fun, I think it did help us to relish our time there all the more.

One of my goals (I know, I shouldn't have "goals" on vacation, but it is what it is) on this trip was to get a nice family picture.  Armed with little more than a tripod, my basic point and shoot camera, and a whole lot of enthusiasm, we set out one evening as the sun started to set.

I won't soon forget the challenges inherent in getting five people with five strong personalities and a whole bunch of distractibility to sit still and smile pretty for the camera.  My little Caroline led the charge of people-wanting-to-quit-before-we-even-started.  Somehow, however, when it was me (and not the 10 second timer on the camera) taking the picture, she was capable of results like this sweetness: 

And those boys were able to produce smiles this great:

 

And my loving Madison even captured one of us that I really liked:

 In the end, we did get a couple of decent shots, but it taught me a lesson that I learn over and over as a parent: my well-intended plans are no match for my children's moods and needs and desires.  Unless it is a matter of life or death, I need to make some space for their wishes as well as mine.  Learning flexibility and patience is an ongoing journey for this mommy.

And just a glimpse at what happened when the pressure to force a smile was gone, and the true spirit of these kiddos had a chance to shine.

A spontaneous show of affection

And an oft-witnessed scene these days--Madison in full, energized, bouncy cartwheel form :)

WIthout a doubt, there's a whole lotta joy in this gang...

It was a great time.  We loved the fun, the discoveries, and the chance to enjoy lots of new activities.

 And of course, sometimes the very best activity was no activity at all...

Have I mentioned how very much I love the beach?