Vacation, Life, Etc.

My family and I went to Virginia for vacation for the first part of July. We stayed with various friends and had a very relaxing, refreshing time. The weather was a bit rainy, but it cleared away the smoke from the Dismal Swamp and made for an endurable beach day. No thunder or lightening, so sitting on the beach in the cold rain (for all of ten minutes) was kind of fun! The weather cleared a bit, but the clouds stayed on to keep it cool. We went again on a sunny day. The flags were red, but it did not deter us from tackling the waves.

We saw D.C. in one day. That was both amazing and exhausting. By the end of the day, Brian was hoisting Gabrielle up onto his back for the final trek into the art museum. (Our favorite event of the day, by the way - the museum, not the hoisting.) We enjoyed seeing all the sights with older eyes as our kids were too young to enjoy the nation's capital when we lived in Virginia. We'll never forget the Potbelly Deli.

Going to church in Chesapeake was a blessing as well. We saw many familiar faces, including ones either visiting from HERE or moving from THERE to HERE. We enjoyed the messages, the worship, and seeing a bigger picture of what God is doing in the hearts and lives of so many. Going back gives us a chance to reflect on what God has done and what He is currently doing. Ironically, it helps to keep us looking forward with anticipation.

Thank you to all who made time to get together to play Mexican Train dominoes once again! We must make it at least a semi-annual tradition. I so much enjoyed seeing all the grown up children and hearing what God is doing in your lives and hearts and prayers. What an amazing time of fellowship in the midst of cut-throat dominoes. Christel remains the reigning champion, but we will be back... You all have inspired me to pursue a more faithful prayer life, and to seek more of the Holy Spirit's work and power in my life - all of our lives.

Thank you to all who hosted us and so generously provided places for us to rest and relax. You will hear more from us in detail! (Good old-fashioned mail!) We are grateful for all of you and for our friendships that have lasted through many years any many address changes!

Thank you to those who invited us over to reminisce, share, laugh with us!

Thank you to all who invited our kids to various events and parties and functions! You are very kind and gracious!

The girls were faithful to document much of our trip with their trusty cameras. They ran out of batteries and charges near the end of our visit; some main events may be missing. Check out their blogs to see what was captured! "Elvis" the photographer won the picture contest. (You know who you are...) You can see his snapshot of Joel on the main page of this blog. (The haircut looked much better by Day Four. The cut was not Joel's fault...)

It is good to be home again. Good to be in our own beds, in the hot and humid heat of our current state, which we shall probably never become completely accustomed to! Good to see the faces of new-found friends again, and to hear the frogs at night, fight off persistent mosquitoes, and clean our own house, wash our own dishes, do our own laundry, and fall back in line with the daily routine of reality. Yes, it has taken a week to adjust, but I'm getting back on track.

What's With the Name?

Dear Anonymous Viewers: To understand where the reference to trees comes from, look up the Bible verses referenced under the blog name. :) Can you see the forest through the trees yet?

Er... that WAS bad. I will quit blogging now before I hurt myself.