Refreshment!

My heart is so full. 

And the sun is SO bright! 
And life is better than it's been. 

 For the past month, my mom has been here and the burden was lighter and my spirit regained strength. 

AND...when my Dad came for the week during the boys’ birthday, my parents decided they wanted to honor our year of success by holding down the fort so we could escape for two nights and three days.  

TWO NIGHTS! 

THREE DAYS! 

John and I left early Wednesday morning for downtown Portland, totally giddy. We spent our days wandering.

And it was amazing. 

We wandered through book stores, tea shops, malls and strange Portland streets.  We ate and drank our way through the city. 

                                                        Just the two of us. 

We even went bowling! haha! 

It was such a precious gift. 

 It was so refreshing, for us, and for our marriage and our state of mind. 

My mom was right.  She insisted that Everyone needs a little time away. 

 It felt like our early years together. We had flashbacks of what it was like before our kids. I also realized that  if we always did these things…the eating out, the fun excursions, the shopping, it would all be so meaningless so quickly. Three days was just right amount of time to refuel our tanks. 

I came back so grateful, so happy and so ready to be with my family again.

Lee-man!

In other news, the time I did spend with my mom and dad was very special. The time with my dad was especially cherished because I really don’t see him that much anymore. We had lunch together one day and browsed a used book store, just like old times. 

James and Grandpa

Good byes were bitter sweet. I’m used to them now though. I’ve learned to grab on and enjoy every moment I have with that person when they are with me. 

But I know that when they leave, it is time. I knew my mom especially was worn out after a month. She missed her friends, her home, her life in Illinois. 

I have my life too here, and we both knew that we needed to once again resume our separate lives. 

Always a smile from my Caleb

And so after John drove them to the airport, it was us again. 

Lookin' good James!

And me, well, I feel recharged, ready to keep on going and I feel like I have a refreshed perspective. 

It was a reminder to me again that God truly loves and cares for my family and me. 

 He promised to give me the strength I need to make it through the task he has given me, that is, of raising 3 one year olds and 1 three year old, and being a nice wife too ;) 

I felt Him whisper that promise to me the day the doctor looked me in the eye and tried to convince me to put a needle in the beating heart of Caleb.  I knew that if I chose the harder road, HE would sustain me. He always supplies the people and circumstances at just the right time in my life to keep me afloat. 

He is faithful; and I am forever grateful.