A Little Getaway

June was loooooong for us.  Seriously, I felt like there were something like fifty-two days in June.  By the time we flipped the calendar to July, I was worn out.  I was so unbelievably thankful that we had planned to take a little trip with my parents to our Happy Place. My kids had been counting sleeps for days, and I was right there with them -- I could not wait for a three day respite from cooking and cleaning, and it thrilled me to know that I was going to get to spend three days by the pool with the people I love the most.

The trip did not disappoint.  We heard our first, "When will we get there?" on this trip, and the trip up was particularly fussy for our little Roo, but from the moment we got into the car, I had this miraculous, unexplained peace.

My mind had been racing for weeks, and I had been struggling to find mental rest.  I was anxious over the littlest things.  Yet amazingly, the Lord provided a beautiful rest for my mind on this trip.  For literally the entire time I was away (well, with the exception of the fifteen minutes where my husband and dad took the girls to do fireworks on hotel property) I was totally at rest.  It was a precious, gracious gift from the Lord.

 

The whole trip was a treat.  We spent three days in our swimsuits.  The big girls went down the waterslide something like thirty times apiece.  I marveled at the simple play that my children love.  We ran through fountains and tossed water balloons.  I devoured a fluffy fiction on the balcony. We made friends at the playground. We shot off illicit fireworks and stayed up too late.  Ruthie got over the terror that struck her every time she got anywhere near a pool.  We really enjoyed one another.

 

 

Several days later, I'm still just struck by how wonderful this little trip was.  I've had fresh eyes for my home and my family this week, and I've enjoyed more moments of rest.  God is so good.