Vacation

Vacation

Hello all! We are home from our fun vacation. We visited my best friend from college...and had a ball! I still can't believe we didn't take any pictures with Leslie or her family. It was really fun though. I had "bird envy" while I was there. Leslie and her husband, Terry, have the most wonderful bird feeders right up next to their house so I got to see tons of birds up close...lots of fun for me. While in Marietta, Georgia...God's country :), a friend and travel mate(ok, well, not exactly, but almost), Stephanie, and her precious daughter, AnnaLyn, also from China, came to visit. Ellie and AnnaLyn played in the room at the same time and were both jealous if their momma's held the other baby, but did not exactly play together. It was so sweet to be with them and share our girls with one another. A blessing for sure. After Georgia we headed to Alabama to visit my best friend from highschool and her children. She has 7 bio kids, but only 6 were home while we visited. At Kathy's house I had "butterfly envy". The tiger swallowtails were everywhere. The girls all loved the pool and having fun with folks their own age. Kathy and I never run out of things to talk about so in between trying to care for all the kids we had many conversations. I didn't realize until I got away from home how stressed I had been. Having older children brings its own form of stress and for this controlling mom it had been very stressful. I realize that I expect too much from my big kids and I expect them to be more "grown" than is really possible so as I try very hard to let them be it creates an inner tension in me that just wears me out. Loving our children means letting them make their own mistakes and for me that is like letting my toddler play in the road...I regularly submit my controlling self to my Lord and He gives me His peace, only to take up the stress and worry again. It has been such a hard summer in so many ways and so coming home made me hungry for school and schedule and order to reign in our home. How long do you think that will last? hahaha! Oh well, it is back to the grind and the joy found in fulfilling our calling and that I cannot question. I was definitely made to be a wife to David and a momma to Sarah, Matt, Catherine Jo, Davie Anne and Eliana Joy! Blessings to all!