We got to go on a vacation last week!
We spent the week in Hatteras, NC.
And we had so, so much fun. We just really had a good time.
We celebrated our anniversary while we were gone. Our destination was special in part, BECAUSE Hatteras is where we honeymooned. It was so fun to go back. And so fun to introduce our kids to the ocean. Renae was to the Pacific when she was two, but of course, doesn’t remember it. This was the first time for both of them to go to the Atlantic. We loved it. Ocean blog posts on my blog schedule! I only took 1,428 pictures on our trip. I texted my husband the other day and said, “Only 1428 pictures of our trip. Don’t think I’ll blog them all.”
I love home. I love being home a lot. But it was hard to say good-bye to the ocean. Harder than I thought it’d be. It was just a really good time and special memories. Very relaxing and beautiful. Beach life is just a different rhythm. I am so grateful we were able to have this time.
I am also grateful to get out of bed and walk and move. A year ago I was flat on the floor in pain. Debilitating pain. Changed plans. No visiting my sister for her birthday. Staying home, because there was no doing anything. I am so thankful to God for His healing and care. For the husband and family He gave me and for all the care they’ve given me. I re-read a blog post from last year, and this line popped out to me, “And I hope to heal and one day this will be PAST instead of PRESENT.” Here I am. Past the present. Past much of the pain. I never, never would’ve chosen to walk through that experience, YET neither would I trade the lessons I’ve learned and the relying on God and growing in knowing He can JUST SO HANDLE it all. I don’t like bad times or hard times. I pray for peace and thank God for every good day. Yet, the things I learn in the hard times are priceless. Valuable treasures. Worth it. They just are, even though it hurts.
We talked some last year about taking a trip to Hatteras, but things weren’t working out and we didn’t. I thought about it as we traveled. Last year, I would not have felt very good if we would have gone or even possibly would have had to cancel. I often can’t see ahead, but when I look back I can see so many ways things work out so well. I am grateful.
I am also grateful, today, on Memorial Day, for the many who have given their lives in service to God and to a country they loved and stood to defend. I am thankful to live in America and pray for our good country to give glory to God and to stand up for truth.
I got my wedding dress out the week before we left. I hung it on the china cupboard and was struck with this inspiration. “Why not leave it out for a while?” I love my wedding dress and it’s fun to look at. I have it hanging in our bedroom now, for a while. RIGHT after I did this, I saw a post on IG and another blogger mentioned that she’d had her wedding dress hanging in her bedroom for almost a year. It was fun to relate!!
Pictures of returning-home-from-an-ocean-vacation piles….
Bags of shells~
Beach bag and swimwear and beach towels to put away…
Cute kids’ book I picked up earlier at garage sales…
That Kitty! He just shows up every day! {Click on That Kitty if you want to go hop around to all the posts he appears in.} The ONE kitty I let in the house!!! 🙂
We had lots of rain while we were away. And still rain when we got home. The creek’s up and there are puddles and ponds. When we got home on Tuesday evening, we had three inches of rain in the gauge and it was COLD out!! We thought we were freezing!
My Instagram picture of our gauge!
I took a bunch of the shells we brought home from Hatteras and put them in the birdbath and scattered some in the rocks around the roses. It’s such a fun memory to add to our Kansas landscape. I like having things with meaning and memories attached.
This cool weather will hold off harvest, but June is approaching!
You know you have a twelve-year-old son about, when you hear words like this, called up the stairs, “Mom, I’m going to go blow up a cup.” And you simply answer, “Ok, be careful.”
Black Cats. Red Solo Cups. Boys.
Go over here and see my small son setting off Black Cats…. Really? Clear back in 2012??? Wow. Time. That’s all I have to say about that.
SSMT for May
Galatians 1:10
For am I now trying to win the favor of people or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.
Hebrews 5:14
But solid food is for the mature who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
