Fall Break

Fall Break began in the airport Saturday afternoon when all six of us were finally reunited.  Goofy and sweet.  That's us!  Aaron had traveled more than 19,000 miles, and we were all just ready to get home, make a pot of coffee, and catch up.

And wash lots of clothes.  With two college students and an internationally traveling husband all returning at the same time, this mama was happy keeping the washer and dryer going while the crockpot made the house smell good.  My heart was overflowing:  my favorite people under my roof and I had the opportunity to serve them.

Sunday morning, I sat in church with Sarah and Benjamin on one side of me and Aaron and the girls on the other side.  Oh, how I love singing together with all six of us mixing and matching harmonies as we worship.  Sunday afternoon, we loaded up the van and headed up the road to a state park we had never visited before:  Crowley's Ridge State Park

With all of the rain and clouds and our late departure, we opted for a quick walk around the lake where our cabin was located.  The water's surface mirrored the gray sky, but occasionally a fish or a turtle or a beaver would break the surface of the water.

We even found honeysuckle blooming!  Of course, we had to try it.  We also found that as the sky grew darker, we could see less and less of where we were going.  And the trail disappeared.  So we trudged through the marshy area around the lake before Aaron was suddenly up to his knees in water.  Then we decided that maybe it was a good idea to turn around and go back.  And the guys rescued us by literally running back to the cabin and getting the van so we could warm our numb fingers and toes.

Tuesday morning, we watched some more of our old family videos recently converted to digital format.  What fun to watch Sarah and Benjamin as teeny tiny ones and to discover that their personalities were still very much the same!  One of the highlights of the trip for me was listening to my college students singing harmony in the bathroom as they prepared for the day.  They introduced me to Skillet's song "Stars":

If You can hold the stars in place
You can hold my heart the same
Whenever I fall away
Whenever I start to break
So here I am, lifting up my heart
To the one who holds the stars

The rain began picking up as we approached the "Dancing Rabbit Trail", but we REALLY wanted to tackle it, so a couple of the kids went without shoes, and we decided to go as far as the suspension bridge.  I'm so glad we did!

The warm, dry van welcomed us, and as we began the drive back home, I looked for a place that could give us just a little bit more of an afternoon fika.  We were delighted to find Kibo Midnight Oil located in a super cute old house in Searcy.

Then real life kicked in again with heading to the gym and dentist's appointments and piano lessons and before we knew it, these amazing college students were driving away again.  I am so proud of them and the choices they are making as they become more and more independent.  It is always a joy for the six of us to be together.