One Day You Will Not Be With the Band

There are days I take your pictures with my eyes. I want to blow up those moments, make enlargements of those frames, and wrap my arms around you. I want to squeeze those pictures behind picture frame glass to my chest and never let you go. Sometimes I tease you and tell you I never want you to grow up, and we giggle and laugh, because we know that is impossible and Crazy Talk. That day will come.

One day you will not be with the band.

One day you will not sit together in a circle, not with drumstick pencils, not making your music.

One day you will stand on your own, away from the safety of our family.

That very thought has shaken me to prayer for you. You will walk to your own beats. Some days the music will be loud and full of life. Some days it will be slow and hum drum.

And for all of those days, I pray that God brings you friends that will walk with you. I pray you find iron that will sharpen you. I pray for wounds from friends, those that you trust, and not kisses from enemies. I pray that when you fall, there will be someone to help you up. I pray you will find friends that will love you at all times.

Over ten years ago, we made the walking kind of friends. We have cried with these friends through birth, death, love, and loss. They are lifers.

This weekend I cried for three straight days for walking friends. I have cried tears with intensity of love. I care very deeply for them.

I stared at Dr. Romance, and I choked out, "I cannot imagine having to give a baby back."

And as he scrubbed the dirty dinner pots in the sink while I rocked the computer chair back and forth he said, "I think you can. That is why you are crying. Are you going to be okay?"

And I am okay. Because our friends shared their lives, because they shared their pain, and they shared God's triumph. And because their baby is one step closer to home!

They walk. They share.  

And I am in awe that the very God that has performed a Jim-dandy in their lives can perform Jim-dandies in our lives, too. Their God is my God, and WOW.

And for you, my three sons, I want those friendships for you. I want you to know the longstanding ones. I want you to walk with trustworthy friends when you are no longer with the band. I want you to walk with those your whole lives. So I am praying for those friendships, even now.

So today I continue the list and count the ways He loves:




#8 for boys that drum feverishly in a brother band

#9 My Dr. Romance that considers my work "our work"

#10 for boys that LOVE this home, our family, our jokes

#11 friends that are lifers, friends that are walkers

#12 the baby that is one step closer to home from Uganda to her forever Vitafamiliae

#13 that God uses the work of thieves for his good, to perform a modern day miracle


#14 that God uses even a Ugandan judge to show MERCY

 

San Diego Wild Animal Park

We visited the San Diego Wild Animal Park with the Harveys. It is double the size of the San Diego Zoo. They had been to the zoo, so we opted to visit the Wild Animal Park. Both the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park are owned and operated by the San Diego Zoo. The Park is located north of metro city of San Diego, but is still in the county of San Diego. It is a loooooong 46 mile drive from my house. The whole way there Son1 kept asking if we were still in San Diego, OVER and OVER. He was so sincere. The Harveys and I cracked up each time. The park is also a ways off the freeway, around and around through some desert areas of Escondido. Finally, we arrived, piled out of the car, and were through the entrance. Many of these pictures are courtesy of the Harveys. We were blessed the weather was in the 60s. Escondido can be one of the hottest spots in the whole county during the warmer months, into the triple digits. See all of the gorgeous landscaping at the park? You literally feel like you are walking through the jungle.
Many people come to the Wild Animal Park just to enjoy the beauty of the different gardens. The Wild Animal Park displays plants used with special permits from all over the world, including endangered plant species. Both the SD Zoo and the SD Wild Animal Park are also rescue centers for endangered plants. There are different elevations all around the park, so the plants are varied and truly their own eye candy. San Diego keeps a mild Mediterranean climate, so that is why almost anything grows here! The SD Zoo and SD Wild Animal Park have expert horticulturists. The healthy plants and gardens are vital to keeping the animals healthy. J and K kept commenting on the different plants and species all around the park. I told them that there are plenty of people that hold season passes to the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park (like my parents) that come and enjoy the landscaping as much as they enjoy the animals. The plant collection at the Wild Animal Park cannot be replicated hardly anywhere in one spot in the world.

One of my favorite spots in the Park was Lorikeet Landing. Lorikeets are colorful little parrots from rainforests in Australia and New Guinea. We walked into this spacious aviary, where over 80 birds live. The birds were super friendly. They landed right on different people's shoulders. My kids were somewhat timid, but little A was not. The birds sensed this and came right up to her. The birds were loud and chattery, and quite friendly. The excitement of the other guests caught on to my children soon enough. The bird noises were beautiful, their colors were vibrant, and their friendliness was mesmerizing. The Wild Animal Park is unique because the animals are kept in free range exhibits. In other words, the animals have free roam within large open spaces, but they are still somewhat confined. See this pelican?J and A watched the pelican from this extensive pathway that encircled the lengthy pond, that was bordered on one end by a large waterfall. We also watched the pelican take off and soar high above the pond. We felt like we watched the pelican in a natural habitat. That is what makes the Wild Animal Park special!We walked a two mile trail that wound us through distinct habitats. We spiraled through the rain forest, open savananna, and along shaded trails. The cool thing about the Wild Animal Park is that you can choose different ways to see the animals. At one point in our journey, we came to the viewing deck at The Great Rift Lift, and we had an inspiring view high in the air. The deck wraps around for many, many feet.
We rode the elevators down to the bottom, and boarded the open sided African Express cars at Simba Station. Our guide took us on another 2 mile excursion through the African desert, where we saw the animals up close, roaming in mass open spaces. The cheetahs were lazing in the sun, the giraffes were grazing on leaves, and the rhinos were enjoying family time.


We departed Journey into Africa and wandered up to Lion Camp. The big cats were asleep, but the kids loved watching them. See those rocks? They are heated in the winter for the lions.
At Lion Camp (and most exhibits throughout the park) the information surrounding the lions is available at different reading levels. It is a noticeable difference from exhibits at other zoos. The SD Zoo is uniquely committed to both conservation and education. Around the corner are more lengthy information boards mounted higher for adults. For children, there are interactive learning aids with shorter questions and answers about the lions.The Harveys generously treated our family to a ride on the Conservation Carousel. The animals on the carousel are purchased in memory of loved ones or as donations to conservation efforts by the Wild Animal Park. Many animals on the carousel are endangered animals. Son1 and A loved their animals, unlike Son2. He is usually my fearless super action kid, but he was too afraid he was going to fall from the carousel.
Instead Son2 and I chose a bird's nest that spun like a tea cup. Apparently speed doesn't frighten him, just heights!
The Harveys shopped a bit while we entertained ourselves like frogs at the entrance to Nairobi Village. The waterfall behind us was designed after the ceremonial chamber of a Ugandan king.
We packed a lot into four hours at the Wild Animal Park. We mounted a replica of a bronzed life sized white rhino for one last goodbye.

We finally got back to my house....and have I mentioned how great the Harveys are every time they come? After a long day at the Wild Animal Park they made our family dinner! They pulled spices from their suitcases, shopped for food, and made dinner! Hooray!

The First Stake Out Births the Marshmallow Roast Ten Years Later

Ten and a half years ago, we were very newlyweds. I was the first of my friends to marry and then I moved an hour and a half away to a quiet suburb in the next county. Our new town was small and a family oriented community, different than when we lived on the west side of Los Angeles, in YUPpyville (young, urban, professionals). In our new town, Hubs and I wanted married friends, but it didn't happen. He was traveling over 50% of the year, and it was hard to make couple friends as half a couple. One Sunday we visited a church, and right in the bulletin there was an announcement for a marriage study that Wednesday night.

We pulled in front of the house, just a few minutes late, and noticed three cars parked in front. All three were minivans. Uh oh. At this point in life, Hubs and I both drove sports cars. Two doors, that was our limit. I will cut the story short and tell you how it was a very painful evening for us. The three couples were old enough to be our parents. One couple had grown children our age, and let us know that. But at prayer time, they were so thankful that God finally brought another couple to their study. Their exuberance and thankfulness was enough to make us squirm. Maybe we were just unthankful. Still resolved to make married friends, the next week we attempted the study again. Well, not really. We parked on the cross street, and waited and watched for 15 minutes past the start time. The same three minivans were parked in front of the house. Yep, we drove away. Newly married, we did not want to hang out with people old enough to be our folks. We have often laughed about that night, and dubbed it "The Stake Out."

Two years later, Hubs landed a job inside the D.C. Beltway. I had never lived anywhere except three cities in Southern California. This was no small move for me. This was a coast to coast move for a California girl. And I did not want my life to change. I was used to Hubby traveling 50% of the year. I still wished for married friends, though I had none. I was used to life. I loved my workplace. I loved our rental house a few blocks from the beach. On the weekends we drove to see family in San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and San Luis Obispo areas. I traveled every now and then on business trips with Hubby. I had no desire for change. None. But it was inevitable. When the final news came that our move was definite, we had four months to prepare for our move. At night for nearly four months we prayed for our new life. And one consistent prayer request was to make married couple friends in our new place to call home, Northern Virginia.

Well, the story is a long one. I shared some of the story before. But the short story is that we found ourselves at a church with a class called Teammates, and first were greeted by LL and her husband. Yes, we knew them B.K., before kids. However, the majority of the class was moving out of the transient Northern Virginia area. New couples were moving in. The people that attended this class were other DINKs (double income, no kids) like ourselves. And these people were active! In February 2001, Hubs dreamed up the idea of a Hearts Tournament. We sponsored an event for the Teammates class, without really knowing anyone, except our friends, J and K. I was SO NERVOUS no one would show up. Ha ha, an answer to our four months of praying, our house was full of card players! We made so many great married couple friends from Teammates that continue to be our friends, no matter that almost none of us live in the Northern Virginia area anymore.

An hour before the tournament, Rebekah called for directions. We had never met. I told her there was no way I could give directions to our house "because I am from San Diego," which became my excuse for everything unfamiliar in Virginia. We lived not too far from the "Mixing Bowl" where the highways split into seven directions. Some go clockwise, and some go counter clockwise, and some are inner loops and outer loops. This was totally different than San Diego, where signs north point toward Los Angeles, south point toward Mexico, east point toward the mountains and dessert, and west point toward the ocean. Freeways did not make loops or circles, they were straight shots. She laughed. I couldn't tell if she was laughing at me or if she was laughing with me. Later I learned she too grew up in San Diego! So that was the start of the friendship between the Eekhoffs and the Farmers. A desire in our hearts from nearly eleven years ago to make married peers, that ended in "The Stake Out," remained with us two years later, when we moved. When we met the Eekhoffs back in 2001 we never dreamt we would live in San Diego in 2009, and our eldest children, just seven days apart, would pretend to roast marshmallows in our pool room. And if you know our mutual friend, Michelle, then you know that those marshmallow skewers are actually bamboo sticks she once gave me. And those marshmallows are actually cotton balls.

The Eekhoffs stopped by for just a few hours while in town. We had not seen them since they visited us in Hawaii a few years ago. But this time, they pulled up in a minivan alongside ours. Gone are the days of sports cars, and full are our days of loud little voices and unfinished adult sentences.

Misery Loves Company

Have you ever moved homes or moved jobs, and just when you are feeling sad about it, it just isn't so sad when you find out your friends are moving, too? I know! It's a warm fuzzy feeling, sharing the same "in between places" kind of space, and you are feeling just as icky about this whole move thing as me!

Hubs and I started leading the young married group at our church in 2005. Sarah and Kevin were the only couple that started the group and ended the group with us, and lots of folks came later and moved in between. Sarah and I grew to be good friends, and we love so much of the same about Hawaii. They are from the Baltimore area, about an hour from the northern VA area, where we moved from. And let's just say the shadow of the nation's capitol is a whole different culture from Hawaii. So we both had some adjusting to do. But like me, she fell in love with Hawaiian culture, and hoped time would slow down before we made the jump across the Big Pond back to the Big Rock.

Oh, and the other thing I love about Sarah? She HEARTS Christmas and HEARTS tea time. (And she hearts Jesus and my kids, what's not to love?) So when her husband was deployed, guess who helped me decorate my Christmas tree when I was pregnant in 2006?

Absolutely one thing Sarah and I wanted to see before we left was the Honolulu City Lights parade and the lighting of the Christmas tree at City Hall. I took a lot of not so great pictures. But I will remember how warm it was that night (see how much smarter Sarah was than me in her clothing choice) the excitement I son felt to watch the parade and spend time with Mr. Kevin, and all of the parade elements you only see in Hawaii. The Geico gecko (we have geckos everywhere in Hawaii) showered the crowd with green mardi gras beads, fire dancers twirled fire, and danced, and many floats played music on ukuleles.

This is the Honolulu Police Department float, and a few officers played and sung with their ukuleles and piped the music through their amp system.

This was by far our favorite float...the meter maid. The meter maid was souped up like a reindeer, pulling a sleigh on hydraulics.

It was sweet for our family to share the night with Sarah and Kevin, knowing we would all say aloha soon.

How about you? Have you ever shared a moment of lasts with friends?

Walking with Abe and Heather

Hiking Diamond Head is the one thing every one tells you to do on Oahu. Except no one tells you to hike it pregnant. But Heather didn't seem too worried. She was pregnant with her second baby, into her second trimester. We stood in the middle of the crater in the parking lot. The early morning sun was blazing hot already. Hubs was saddled with our chunky toddler in a back pack frame. We grabbed water and cameras and climbed to the mouth of the trail.

Climbing the steep trail, Hubs quickly found that the weight of the backpack on the incline was less burdensome if he kept moving. Our little guy wasn't quite a lightweight. So he and Abe kept a-climbing, while Heather and I hiked at our own pace. I could hear Heather's breath quickening as she continued to climb. I kept asking her if she wanted to stop. Most times she said no, but every now and then we would stop for some water. I was a little paranoid because we had already been to the hospital once since they arrived (oh it was necessary and eventful, but it turned out ok). I had no idea what it felt to be pregnant and making the steep climb, but I was right there with her, walking the trail. We were both going to make it to the top, one way or another.We climbed the switchbacks and finally caught the men before the 99 step staircase. Next was the spiral staircase, and a few more steps. Hubs stayed behind at the summit since the backpack wasn't going to fit. Pregnant Heather, Abe, and I made the low duck out of the the last tunnel and stood 761 feet above sea level. We had made it! We stood at the top of the crater that dominates all of Waikiki, looking 20 miles west to Barber's Point, and 9 miles to Koko Head Crater behind us. Heather was the only pregnant lady we saw. We took some pictures, admired the beauty, and began our descent. We started back down Diamond Head, down the spiral staircase, down the 99 steps, and the other tunnels. At one point, Abe offered to carry our little man. He didn't know exactly how Hubby felt making the ascent, but he had inkling because he had walked with him every step of the way. So he offered to carry little man down the trail.
We started walking with Abe and Heather in 2000. We met them in Northern VA, through an Adult Bible Fellowship. In 2003 some of our friends ran in the Marine Corps Half Marathon at Quantico. Hubs fell behind some of the faster guys in our group. Abe hung back with Hubs until they reached the finish line. He was with him every step of the way.You know how you just click with some couples? The husbands click, and the wives click, and it just works? That's how it is with Abe and Heather. I asked Hubs how that happened for him and Abe. He admired Abe's commitment to God, to his unconditional love for his wife, and who are we kidding...this is Hubs we are talking about...and his intelligence. Oooh when I met Heather I thought ohhhhh she is so like me, I want to be her friend. Well, she is like me...in a remote way I suppose. HA! But she is infamous for her, "Now, if I was a Farmer I would....but I am not a Farmer, so I will not..."

I remember our pastor in Virginia said more than once, "You pick two or three couples where you are committed to each other's marriages, and you walk with them your whole Christian life."

I looked up synonyms for walking, and here is what I found:

stride, stroll, trek, stagger, tiptoe, limp, hobble, hike, march, pace

See how many different ways there are to walk? They are all require action, though. We are committed to walking with Abe and Heather, like they have been committed to us.

Some of our walking has been carefree, and some has been emotional. We have walked with Abe and Heather. We have known births, we have known deaths, we have known stress, and we have known joy. But just as I didn't know what it felt like to hike Diamond Head pregnant, we have only an idea because we have chosen to walk with them.

Columbus Day weekend, Abe's parents were in a terrible car accident, miles from their hotel. We spent the last month praying for a miracle, praying for peace for their family, walking with them, even from 6,000 miles away. Veteran's Day, his mother was promoted to Glory, and is at Home with her Heavenly Father. Our hearts are heavy for their loss, but bittersweetly rejoice that she is no longer in pain and her soul is at peace.

I grew to know Carolyn as more than Abe's mom. She mentored me, and I grew in my marriage. She also helped me when I had trouble nursing. How we hurt for you, Abe and Heather. Know that we are walking with you.

Hugs to Heather!

Once upon another life ago my friend Heather was a graphic artist for a government contractor. Then she was promoted to Domestic Engineer. Well lucky me, I have friends in high places. Guess who redesigned my header? I LOVE it. So leave a comment and tell her you love it, too.

I last saw Heather in the flesh two years ago. She and her Hubs came six thousand miles just to visit us. They see Hubby more often, though. He sees them whenever he is back East.

Lucky him. Sad me.

Because the Celebration Is Worth It

So it was a cold week in November. Three of us got pregnant, and our kids were born within days of each other. My friends at T.E.A.M. Althouse found two pictures of me, Melody, and Mama Eekhoff at my baby shower and a picture of our three babies at our Farmers Are Desserting Us party (our going away dessert party). Go here to see.

Their daughter, Erin, was born three days after Son1, and four days before little A. over at the Eekhoff's Plain Life. So in honor of Erin's birthday here are the kids at Cox Farms at just 2 months old. Oh, and girls, get ready. Son1 wants to know when we get to visit you little cuties! He's been visiting your birthday posts with me!

An All Time Favorite Photo

My friend over at The Eekhoff's Plain Life posted an all time favorite photo of mine here, in honor of Son1's birthday. She doesn't even know how much Hubs and I love this photo! See how B.I.G. I got? I even got BIGGER than this! Son1 cooked for 16 more days, and I was induced. I had another ultra sound a little over week after this picture. Baby looked much bigger on the ultrasound than he actually was at birth, and the doctor called TIME!

The second we knew I was pregnant with Son2, Hubby pulled up tons of pictures of this very poker night at our old house. He was so proud I was going to be hugely pregnant again. I am only 5'1", and I carried both babies straight out. Impressive I could walk, I know.

Little A was born seven days after Son1. Which means little A's birthday is tomorrow! So I'll be by after the birthday post to say hi. But for now, here are two sleepy babies after their baby dedication at church. I think it was October 16, 2004.

Contrariety contrarie-TEA!

con·tra·ri·ety (From Webster's)
1 : The quality or state of being contrary.

con·tra·ri·eTEA (From Farmer's) 1: The quality or state of having a totally different experience at a tea house that you have been to a handful of times.

Our Bible study ladies spent girly time at the Wai'Oli Tea Room, located in Manoa Valley. Manoa valley is three miles east and inland of Honolulu, is lush and green, and has beautiful thick, mature vegetation. The Wai'Oli Tea Room, now privately owned, is located on property owned by the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army once ran an orphanage here, and the tea room facility was built to teach orphan girls how to cook, in the early part of last century. There is a beautiful chapel on the grounds, tiny, with stained glass, often used for weddings. A wishing well is at the bottom of the property that was used in Elvis's Blue Hawaii.

For a long time, the Wai'Oli Tea Room has been my favorite tea room on the island. I was first introduced to the tea room by the Queen Mum of the Royal Poinciana Princesses Red Hat chapter, from Virginia. You can read all about our tea adventures three years ago, here. Since then, I have brought many visitors to this tea room, and I have loved it, loved it, loved it. I still love it. This day, though, the tea room was particularly crowded, and we had a contrarie-TEA.

This was the first time I sat inside at the tea room. Sitting outside emits a completely different atmosphere. You sit outside, under a covered lanai, with a view of palms, tropical flowers, and feel you are part of a lush jungle, all the while feeling dainty and girly. The trade winds blow through the open lanais, and you are seated under open beams with old fashioned chandelier bulb lighting. But instead, our party of six sat inside, alongside a small metal tri-fold screen. On the other side of the screen, two thirds of the room (more like a hall) was occupied by several Red Hat chapters for a large gathering, in all of their redulation. I love the Red Hat society, I really do. I used to be a Pink Hatter in the Royal Poinciana Princess chapter, with a few other pink hatters. But this seating arrangement wasn't really fair to these Red Hatters, or to us. They were a large party, of nearly 100 women, I would guess. They were expectantly, extremely loud and having a ball. At one point, a Queen Mum stood on a chair to get the large party's attention. They were having so much fun they made it difficult for her to speak over them. Finally they quieted, and she announced to the large party that she also had competition with some Pink Hatters. Um, that would have been US. A pink hatter is anyone having tea under the age of 50. We were speaking at a normal volume, but Chair Stander did not like that. She kept speaking, still competing with her own ladies that would not quiet down, in a booming voice. We continued with our little tea party, but Chair Stander turned, glared down over the screen, paused dramatically with an evil eye that screamed, "YOU ARE TOO LOUD IN YOUR LITTLE VOICES!!" Yikes! We looked at one another and shrugged meekly. Our service wasn't the best. The hostess and waitress were helping us and this other large party, and one other little table. One of our tea pots was broken, and it took awhile to refill our pot. More than anything, I was sad my friends were not having the best tea experience I know the Wai'Oli Tea Room can put forth. We were snapped at when the bill came, too. I was so sad. Since I have been here so many times before, and have adored my time at the tea room, I will forgive the Wai'Oli Tea Room, and come again. I hope my friends will, too.

Our table was dressed with eclectic place settings. All were pretty and floral, but each different. Every place setting was set with a cinnamon favor ornament, too. The hostess and waitress brought a tea cart with over 20 loose leaf teas. We passed them to smell and make three selections. We chose Berried Treasure, Almond, and Green Tea. I was surprised how much I liked the almond.

Now this right here is why I love this place. We were served three tiers of sweets, savories, and scones. Along with the devonshire cream for the scones and cranberry bread came mango butter. The Wai'Oli Tea Room's pastry chef makes their own guava bread and lilikoi bread. This is the only tea room on the island that makes these special breads. The savories included a veggie wrap, chicken cranberry spread on guava bread (pink), a fish spread on lilikoi bread (yellow), and a little open faced cucumber and tomato spread.

We finished tea just as the Red Hat tea wrapped up. Our conversation was still rich, regardless of the tea experience. Every single one of us traveled this summer, and it was the first time we had caught up, all together, in months. I couldn't let us escape without a group photo on the outside lanai. This was also the last time we were all together. Kristen moved this past Friday to California.

Waimea Falls With the Harveys AND Falling Asleep Laughing

We spent some of the second day with the Harveys at Waimea Valley Audubon Center. It is a 3/4 mile trek, one way, to the waterfall where Kate and Sawyer swam, on LOST. Parts of the walk are steep, other parts are flat. Wild peacocks roam the grounds. We usually see male peacocks. This day, we saw a mama peacock hovering over her babies. It was quite a sight, and quite a treat. Later on the walk, we found a large cluster of bamboo. See in the middle picture how tall these sun shelters were?! The bamboo towered over the shelters. See how Son1 and I are walking straight toward the bamboo? The best treat was hearing the wind blow the shoots into one another and hear them knocking hard toward one another. We could hear the hollowness of the shoots.

Parts of the walk the trees rose several feet in the air and created welcome canopies of shade.

Everywhere we turned there were flowers. Some of these pictures on this post are ours, and some are the Harvey's. So eat them all up!! The red flowers are a type of heliconia. They kind of look like flamingos. They cascade down from green palms. The yellow flowers grow up in a rectangular prism shape, and then taper into a cone top, with white flowers. The purple ones were just starting to open.

This banana tree is flowering while producing fruit. I had never seen such a thing! Well, not as pastel as this flower! This banana tree is a totally different variety than the kind we have in our back yard. On the left is another type of heliconia. This type shoots up out of the palms. We have this in our back yard. The last flower is ginger. These are common in the Hawaiian islands, and I wish we would have planted these in our yard, too!!

The middle picture is a flowering hibiscus.

We followed the trail to the waterfall. Now I am not sure how we were absolutely shocked. As we walked along the paved road from the entrance to the waterfall, it was completely apparent there was no water flowing into through the creek beds thirty or more feet below. This was so different than when we were here in March for the tea and with our family. We arrived and found no waterfall. The pool below was nearly empty. Summer heat and less rainfall took their toll on the waterfall, swimming hole, and running creeks. It was a little anticlimactic.

There was still the walk back, though. We experienced more of God's beauty all the way back to the car.
We jumped back in the cars, and traveled farther north to Turtle Bay. Even though this smaller beach is part of the fancy shmancy resort, it is a public beach. The waters are calm because they are protected by a reef, and a perfect entry for our small keiki. Turtle Bay Resort also owns most of the land where LOST is filmed for beach scenes and for trail scenes.

Real dads float with their kids while real moms sit on rented lounge chairs that some nice person let us use for their last 30 minutes!!

It got to be "that time." That time, being the time that if we didn't leave, there were going to be some meltdowns. We drove home around sunset, put the kids to bed, and had some adult time.

During our adult time, we laughed, laughed and laughed. We howled. I made promises that I wouldn't blog about what was said to the three other adults. Now don't worry, we weren't talking about any of y'all. It was all about the people sitting in the room.

Finally, we knew we were fading, and gave into bedtime. We said good night, and Hubby and I headed for our room. He finished brushing his teeth, and found me flopped on my tummy across our bed. He asked if I was sleeping. I sprang up into a sitting position. NOPE! I was sitting there with a grin from ear to ear. I explained to Hubby that my heart just felt very, very full. We hadn't laughed like that in weeks. The Harvey visit was just what we needed, right in the middle of the stress of selling our house, and our crazy, no date in sight, move. Their visit was a welcome distraction. We went to bed, sad that the last Harvey day was coming.