Days Away!

A little over Forty-eight hours spent at the cabin at the lake, and a fun time was had by all! The children all had early morning dentist appointments on Thursday morning, (like 7:30am. Early). On our way back from the dentist, Roger called me to tell me that he had hurt his back at work. Roger lifts and moves hundreds of packages every day, and on Thursday he happened to move a small box (probably less than five pounds) and something was misplaced in his back. He was miserable! By the time we arrived home, he has laying on the floor in the living room with some ice. He was in a lot of pain, and he was hardly moving. We debated about whether or not I should still go to the lake with the kids, but somehow Roger felt that he would get more rest if we all left! Hmm...definitely true! I was hesitant to leave Roger at home, and even writing this makes me sound like I’m a terrible wife, but anyways, we decided that I would go to the lake.

We loaded up the car, and off we went to the lake. Of course, we had to make a quick stop at Sams Club to pick up a few groceries, but we were at the lake by mid-afternoon. The boys helped carry stuff into the house, and then it was a mad dash to put on swim clothes. The rest of the afternoon was spent with fishing and swimming ...and eating!! 

I had a great time with the kids, and because Roger was not there to play in the water with them, I did. Actually, the water was quite warm and nice, and it was fun to swim and play in the water with the paddle board. All that activity made for an early bedtime for all of us. Time does not exist at the lake. We eat when we are hungry, go to bed when we are tired, and get up when we are refreshed (which is early for the boys!). 

On Friday the boys were all up by the time Emma and I got up by 6:45am., the boys were already busy fishing. I had coffee, and I read my Bible while the boys and Emma drank coffee too. The boys were eager to keep fishing, so they all fished while Emma and I watched and relaxed. Actually, Emma decided to fish also, which is unusual for her. She was happy to actually catch a fish. The neighbor next door was watching the kids fish and pull fish after fish out of the water. They certainly weren’t being overly quiet, and there was not a lot of organization to their fishing. The neighbor decided to also try to fish, and he spent quite a bit of time trying to catch a fish. He never did succeed, and it’s not like we had some magic skill over on our side. His frustration was quite humorous, but I didn’t have any advice to offer as I had no idea why the kids were catching fish! 

We spent most if the day outside on Friday, and we enjoyed lots of water time together. We made s’mores in the evening, and then washed off the stickiness in the lake. After Bible time and book reading, the kids were ready to settle down. The boys enjoy sleeping on the screened in porch at Teri’s cabin, and Emma enjoys the opportunity to sleep with mom. I’m glad I made the effort to go with the kids, and it was so fun to soak up the memories with them...wrestling on the paddle board, jumping off the dock, making s’mores, reading books. It was nice to be without distractions for a few days, and everything seems “normal” at the lake, and that’s what I’ve been missing! 

We packed up on Saturday after a morning swim and some fishing time. Everyone was happy to head home to see Dad, and to tell him all about their adventures. It was a tired but happy brood of children on the way home. Travis’s hair continues to turn more and more blond as the sun bleaches it, and they are all sun-kissed from days of summer activity. August marks the beginning of the summer wind down as we head back towards the fresh start of a new school year. I am encouraged and thankful for God’s continued guidance and direction. I just know that He has great things in store for this school year. Please keep praying with us! 

Roger’s back is feeling a bit better, but he’s not at 100% yet. I’m optimistic that he will continue to get better, but he may need to see a chiropractor as he currently walks a bit like an aged man (don’t tell him I said that! I’m kidding). I can tell it bothers him to not be as active as he wants to be, and the kids have been very careful about not being too rough. Not being rough is a challenge for these boys sometimes! 

I’ve seen God at work this past week, and He’s encouraged my heart. I am so thankful for His faithfulness to us, and that He grants us new morning mercies. I was talking to one of my friends this week, and mentioned that numerous times this week I’ve felt like God has opened doors of opportunities, clear direction and answers to prayer. It certainly does not always feel that way, but my spirit is encouraged and my fervor to press on in Jesus name is stronger. How blessed we are to serve such a mighty God even in the midst of such turbulent and chaotic times. We serve a mighty God!