Wow, it's been a while since I've been on. I think rather than "catch up," I'll just start from here. We've had a huge weather change over the weekend. Temperatures have dropped 20-30 degrees and its raining and windy. All of a sudden it feels like fall. I love fall. I love the cooler weather, the football, the color. I start coaching again, we have cross country, I have tennis. I like getting back to a schedule of sorts in our household. Sometimes the first few weeks are a little rough, but I keep reminding myself that things will settle into a routine here pretty quickly.

This past weekend MC and I went to Memphis for a cross country meet. It was a twilight meet in the evening. I enjoy (working hard not to overuse the word love) watching the kids run. They are so intent, and working so hard. Watching them race to try and pass just one more runner before the finish line, or to make it through before the clock turns over to another round number. This year I've been taking pictures of the team running. I've decided cross country must be one of the most painful sports out there, you would not believe the looks on the faces of the runners. A few of them have started trying to smile, just because they know I'm taking pictures. During the girls race we had a beautiful sky, and it was fun to watch everyone run under the lights and into the stadium at the end. It was just our second race of the season, and it looks like it should be a good one. Here's to fall and all the fun ahead.

Vacation

After eight days on vacation its good to be home. PM had a two week break before starting summer classes and an internship in College Station this summer. We decided to take advantage of being a homeschool family and go on vacation during his break. MC wanted to go somewhere we had never been, so we headed to Wyoming to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park. Spring is a little late in coming this year, and they have had record snowfalls this winter, all of this combined to create a rather unusual "summer" vacation. Our pictures of this area are a little unusual. There was snow everywhere. In some places DEEP snow. We have pictures of geysers steaming away next to a snowbank. All in all, very cool. MC and I even made a small snowman, just because we could.

We flew into Salt Lake City and drove up to Jackson, WY. We stayed at a nice hotel in Jackson called the Wyoming Inn. Breakfast was cooked to order each morning, and there were coffee and cookies out in the evenings. We drove up to Grand Tetons National Park the first day. We all loved it. What a beautiful area. There were elk and bison everywhere. We drove the park and everyone enjoyed taking pictures of all the beautiful scenery. We drove to Jenny Lake and trudged through 3 feet of snow for a look at the mostly frozen lake. There was a moose standing by the bridge, so we did get some great pictures for our efforts. The second day we drove through some other areas of the park and took more pictures. We walked out at another lake and noticed we were standing pretty close to the edge. Someone said "be careful you may be standing over the lake there" at about the same time that MC's foot went straight through the snow and ice and confirmed that she was in fact standing in the lake. We saw a few bison calves and enjoyed the town of Jackson. The Mile High Pizza Pie shop was great, and so were Billy's Big Burgers.

Next we drove over to Yellowstone and stayed at the Old Faithful lodge, the oldest log structure still in use (or so they say) in America. It is lovely and does give you a feeling of stepping back in time. Yellowstone was other worldly. To see the steam rising through the woods and scenery is like something out of a sci-fi movie. We watched several small geysers go off and then the next day dutifully watched Old Faithful. She did not disappoint. We had a front row seat and it was fairly amazing. There is beautiful scenery in Yellowstone too including a canyon, several waterfalls and wildlife. After one night at the Old Faithful lodge we moved out to West Yellowstone, MT. A very small town pretty much dependent on the tourists coming to Yellowstone. We drove all the roads that were open and enjoyed time together. One day we set out to spot wildlife and we were not disappointed. It was like being in one of those safari parks you drive through. We saw herds of elk and bison. We saw antelope, bears, big horn sheep, osprey, and black deer. We learned never to eat in a "Bistro" in a town of less than 300.

All in all, we had a great time. Yellowstone was cool and well worth seeing. We all want to go back to Jackson and the Grand Tetons. It was nice to get away and spend time together. Now its back to school, work, and regular routine, which can be nice too.

Rain

When I was younger I loved the rain. It was such a great excuse to just spend the day curled up with a book, or watching movies, or something like that. Lately, I can honestly say, I am very tired of rainy days. I have come to the conclusion that I would not do well in Seattle. We have had a series of rainy days interspersed with one or two sunny days, followed by more rain. It is beautiful and very green, but I miss the sun. I just seem to have a little harder time being positive when it is cold (its 48 degrees outside this morning), gray, and raining. I have to give it to the birds though, there is one outside the window this morning just singing away. I keep thinking "Don't you have a nest somewhere out of this rain?" It is supposed to clear off tomorrow and be more seasonable. The forecast shows a mix of sun and clouds for the next 5 days. Here's hoping they are right!

Life

I have come to a realization....no one's life if easy. How many times do we watch other people thinking "Wow, they seem so happy," or "Man, they really have it together," etc? You know what? No one has it all together. No one's life is easy all the time. Every family, every individual, everyone has issues. Your issues are probably not the same as mine, but they are there. I know friends and family right now who are going through illness, divorce, financial issues, problems with kids, you name it.

I remember distinctly when this hit home. I have a friend who is lovely, and thin. I remember thinking it must be nice to be so thin. I later found out that she is thin because of a cronic illness that incredibly limits what she can eat. It makes it very hard for her to go out to eat anywhere. She deals with it graciously and without complaint, but that is why she is thin. Hmmm, maybe a few extra pounds is not that big of a deal in that context.

No one's life is perfect. We are all just doing the best we can. Some days are easier than others, to be sure. I think we all have some of those wonderful days we would just live in, but that is not what is promised here on earth. Abundant life is promised, but not easy life, not simple life, not happy life. Some days do I think I would trade my issues for someone else's? Absolutely! But I doubt it would help. I think when we face issues here on earth it helps to remember that there is a home waiting for us that is so much better. When life is easy and good I don't really look forward to a heavenly home some day. When the tough times hit, heaven is a place that I can "hang my hat on," it helps me to remember that "this world is not my home, I'm just a passin' through." I still choose to make the most of what I face here, and enjoy life. I love to laugh, and smile, and find the humor in life, it helps me get through. But on the tough days, it is nice to know that this is not all there is, there is something so much better that I cannot even fully comprehend it. That brings a smile to my face, even in the face of my "issues."

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ," Philippians 3:20

Thoughts...

This has been a slow, thoughtful week. One of my tennis buddies shared with us that she will not be playing this season due to breast cancer. Her prognosis is great and they caught it very early, but still...She is fun and funny and we will miss her laughter on the courts, this season.

We also have a family friend who will be undergoing a bone marrow transplant today. I've been spending some quiet time in prayer for healing for many people this week. It is humbling and makes so many things seem small.

I have tried to write this post several times this week. I keep getting stuck. Right here. Maybe it is best to turn it over to God, and not say more than he has already said:

Psalm 46

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging...

⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day...

¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Spring Break

What a wonderful Spring Break we had. MC and I flew to San Antonio, then spent a week at my parents with PM and some of his friends from college. We had shopping excursions to San Antonio and Bandera, ate out some, had lunch with family in San Antonio, fished, hiked, and generally had a great break. We drove home Sat and Sunday (we had two cars in Texas and one driver, so we brought our truck back to TN). MC and I drove through Fredricksburg, stopped at Wildseed Farms, had lunch at Natty Flatts Smokehouse, and had a lovely visit with my aunts and grandmother before heading on back to TN.

It was really fun to spend time with PM and his friends. It was good to be face to face and have time to just hang out and talk. MC and I had a great day, just the two of us, shopping, meeting family for lunch, and in general just spending a day together. We drove by our old house is San Antonio, and enjoyed seeing it. It is amazing how a week away from the regular routine can be restful, and yet I was so ready to be home by the end of the trip. It was nice to wake up this morning and be back home, back into our regular Monday morning routine, back to the everyday normalcy of life.

When I was visiting with my grandmother and aunt we were talking about our kids in college, where they are heading, what they are looking at doing in the future, etc. My grandmother, who had ten kids, said "Launching kids into life is one of the hardest things in the world. It's much harder than raising them from babies, through school." It is not easy, but I have to say I am enjoying watching as they choose for themselves and grow into what God has waiting for them. It is fun to see them becoming adults. I like who I see both of them becoming.

Tennis

Yesterday I had a tennis clinic. I picked up a racket for the first time three years ago(I think that's right). I had friends who played in high school, but I had never really learned the game. Now I play at least one day a week, pretty much year round. I love it. I was somewhat athletic once upon a time and it is the first time in forever, where I actually get to play a game and compete with other people my age, my level, etc. I love the feel of hitting a really good overhead. I love it when you hit the ball in the "sweet spot;" the twang of the racket in your hand when the contact is just right. I'm not that good, but thankfully at my age there are other people who play about like I do. It is pretty good exercise and I play with a great group of ladies.

League play starts in April. We play in a city league that has matches once a week, for seven weeks beginning next month. It's fun, and really nice to do something that feels so much like hooky. I go out on Thursday morning and usually don't get back until after lunch. No house cleaning, no school, nothing but tennis for that one day. It is a physical respite for this wanna be athlete. The only exercise better than tennis is Zumba...but that's a whole other blog to write. ;-)