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We got home last night and it is so nice to be back. The exploration was great and we had a blast. Now today is the day of much time in the laundry room. Some of these clothes have been marinating all week and may never really be rid of the effects of the beach. So far I have washed the first load 3 times and it still carries the aura (odor) of low tide.

When the exploring caravan pulled in to our final stop last night, it was so sweet to see our family there waiting to see us and running to greet us. We have been missing them all week and it was so delightful to be together again. Today, one of the older ones has gone on an exploration opportunity and we are missing him now. I know he will have a great time and be so, so busy. I am looking forward to meeting his return caravan and running (walking quickly) to greet him with a giant hug like he had for all of us last night.

While I was away from two of the kids this week, they grew up a little more and I know that by next week when we see our last explorer, he will have grown up even more. This will be his first exploring opportunity to participate rather than watch and I know that he will learn so much.

The day before!

Tomorrow is Departure Day. Today is the DayBeforeDeparture Day! We will make our last minute purchases and our last minute preparations. My real goal for the day is to get ready enough. The car is clean and the oil is changed. Thanks Mom! I slept enough last night and I am not exhausted before we start. Thanks Mom! We even managed to eat some veggies for supper last night and we will have more tonight so we are not trying to live on quick junk food. Thanks Mom! One of my errands is to buy a camera that one of my explorers has been wanting. Thanks Mom!

My mom was here yesterday. That was TheDayBeforeTheDayBeforeDeparture Day. She ran my carpool route and stopped and had the oil changed and the car washed and she took the kids out for lunch and she brought us turkey vegetable soup and she left money for a camera and some extra things the kids want to take on their exploration.

No, you cannot have her.

I did not think that 2 days before Departure Day was a good day for her to be here, but she planned on coming. We already had too much going on, but she planned on coming. It turns out that it was perfect for me. It turns out that I do not have to be the one to take the car to the carwash/oil change and I do not have to be the one who takes the kids to all their carpool stops and I do not have to arrange for all the good suppers we have and I do not have to make a sister loan her camera to a brother that may not be dependable with her camera.

Thanks, Mom! We will send you a postcard!

Warning! This is "Gross!"

There was a day when we had some great sledding snow. One adventurous young man hit a tree and ended up in the ER. Thanks to our God it was not a head injury or a spinal injury. But a gash in the leg can be pretty scary. It was about the size of a small egg and it was really open. Now he has an amazing scar. We still are doing wound care to get it completely closed. I see this scar/wound and it is such a permanent, angry mark. But I think I will always remember what it looked like when it was open. And I remember how gentle and merciful our God has been to us. He protected my adventurous one's head. Ever since the initial wound, He has been healing the skin to cover the injury. He has protected the wound from infection. Now, He has given all who see this wound a reminder of His mercy to us.

Psalm 116:5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes our God is merciful.

Sweet

This is sweet. Peaceful and resting. Today is date day for us and she loves the time we get to take for just the two of us every week. This date day will be busy with last minute errands and lots to accomplish, but she has already said that she is so excited about today because it will be "just us." Her sweetness takes my breath away.


Psalm 118:1 Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

There is no explanation of why the Lord is good to us, but His mercy.

I'm Thinking

So, we like the thinkier in Night at the Musuem 2 who says, "I"m thinking, I'm thinking...." He does not come up with a wrong answer because he is still in deep contemplation. I feel like so much of what we do should still be in the thinking stage, but we are already doing it anyway and I wish I could think some more. But life is messy and we do not get to keep thinking, we have to go and do the best that we can with the thoughts that we have been able to have -- not enough though they may be.

We have an opportunity to go exploring this week. Actually it is a committment to go exploring with a group and we have been planning it for months. Still two days before we go, I would like more time to plan and think about what we want to explore. What I remember is that if I could put it off until I was "ready," I would never go because I would never feel really "ready." Today the suitcases had to be loaded and sent ahead and as soon as they were out of sight, I wanted them back so I could re-think all the decisions that have gone into packing. Like I even had time to think about it in the first place!

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble.

What a comfort that our God is our refuge and help and our strength -- not my (feeble) ability to think.

I am not "ready," but I cannot wait to go!