Joy! Unspeakable Joy!

[Shhhhh...don't tell the school system where we've been and why we all missed school on Friday.]

We have been on a mini-vacation.

A Shortie Sabbatical.

And it has been GLORIOUS!

We needed this time together.

Since graduation on June 7th we have not stopped!  At all. For anything.

We went to Disney World.  It was such a fun trip but no vacation [more like a military exercise] and since we returned it seems like we, as a family, have been stretched more and more thin.  Craig worked three summer camps, Molly and Cooper both went to camps, and all three of the went on separate mission trips.

I know some of you are rolling your eyes, mumbling things like, "Well you're a teacher.  You've got it made.  You have holidays and summers off.  How are you so busy?  Bless your heart."

[You can't see me sticking out my tongue so just imagine that part.]

Here is the thing...we've had some serious stuff that happened within a matter of a few weeks....

• Molly had the accident in the kitchen.  I still cannot allow myself to think about what could have happened.  The only reason her whole head was not engulfed in flames or Gabe and Emma were not burned is because God provided a hedge of protection around her.  There is no other explanation.  I don't believe in luck. She should have been burned and she wasn't except on her hand.  God. Is. Good.
• Craig, Molly, and Cooper were all out of the country at the same time which left Emma, Gabe, and me to deal with all the fire clean up.
• Craig and Molly returned from Honduras on Friday and the next Monday Craig had what turned out to be major surgery.  He went in for a routine appendectomy and ended up spending four days in the hospital. [I keep telling you people that nothing is easy with Craig!]  
• While Craig was recovering, football was starting for Cooper. [And Cooper gets super ill when he is tired.]
• All during this time I am trying to prepare Molly for college.  Craig wasn't able to help at all. And for the first time, as we packed her car, I was realizing how tough her moving out was going to be. I cried a lot of tears behind closed doors.  
• Gabe and Emma were just forced, during all of this, to just deal with it. They were stressed out too. 

No. None of us are facing life threatening illnesses.  We have good jobs and we don't need for a thing [well except some exercise but that's another day].  

But my family has had some extenuating circumstances that have created stress in our lives that has just built up and up and up.  

This little vacation has given us some much needed time to reconnect.  We've done just what we wanted to do [and a lot of eating] and a whole lot of nothing too. 

We rode through a Christmas light show at the Pelican's ballpark.  Craig and Cooper took selfies and Emma and Gabe stood in the sunroof.  [Molly and I acted like the normal ones in the family.]  We shopped at the outlets in the rain [and bought nothing]. 

Craig and I found this fabulous popcorn place. [We are simple people.  We love simple things. Popcorn is simple.]  We bought the Chicago mix and some Ho, Ho, Ho mix [it is Christmas].  We also spent some time talking to the owners. Of course, she left teaching to make popcorn.  He walked away from being an accountant. Hmmm....sounds like a plan....

We found an outdoor drama about the night Jesus was born at a local church so we visited.  It was awesome!  Gabe was so amazed.  I love his innocent spirit. He flinched at the Roman guards, he listened intently as the merchants in Bethlehem shared their skills, and he was in awe when he saw baby Jesus in the manger.  We also visited this same church for Sunday service.  As we sang Chris Tomlin's version of Joy to the World I just looked down the line of Shorties in awe.  

Unspeakable joy! 

This life, right now, is just where I want to be.  

I love my family. 

I love the time that God has given us to just be together. We've watched movies and eaten popcorn.  We played Heads Up and laughed at each other.  We've taken naps, stayed up late, and sat in our pajamas all day.  And yes, we found the best local Mexican dive for our one dinner out. [We love Mexican food.]

This is what Christmas is about...joy!

Unspeakable joy!