Just like old times

My goodness how time flies. It's hard to believe we're already into July. It has been so long since I've blogged. I spent several days packing and getting the kids ready to go to camp. All three of the boys went to church camp for one week for the very first time and had so much fun. I was so into the mode of getting them ready that I hadn't really gotten to the emotional part of actually being away from them for one week. The list to get them ready was a mile long.

They each had to have trunks to hold their main clothing and a duffle bag for their linens. Three of every toiletry item, three of EVERYTHING on the list and three times the help getting them all ready. That part I could have done without but they each took such pleasure in getting their things organized. When we dropped them off, we went to each cabin and made their beds and met their counselors. Then it was time to head back home. I got into the truck and suddenly it dawned on me that they would be gone for one week! Like I said before, I was not prepared. Every day, while they were gone when they'd come to mind, which was very often, I'd say a little prayer for each of them. When I crawled into bed at night I'd say what MT asks me to say every night, "pray for good dreams and not bad thoughts."

Both Mark and I had bets on who would hug us when we went to pick them up. Definitely MT, he's the cuddler and maybe Max but he's getting so big now that sometimes it's just not cool, and we'd be lucky to get within 5 feet of Ben because any show of emotion in public is simply not permitted with him; but when we rounded the corner all three of them came running right up to us and each gave us big hugs. We were thrilled! Their counselors had the best things to say about them and all the way home they each told story after story of the fun things they had done. When we got home, Max was laying on my bed next to me and he cuddled right up to me and said, "that was the best week of my life, Mom."

Well, it was unpacking and then packing again very quickly for Max and me. The very same day we got home from camp, he and I headed to Houston to spend the night near the airport to head to New York the next day. One of my very best friends had asked me to fly home to help her prepare to decorate her husband's new office space. Wendy is an amazing person, always knew that but this week proved it even more. She has four kids also and was shuffling them around to make sure they got to each of their activities but while managing the household, is also overseeing a HUGE contracting project to revamp an old pizzeria into her husband's new dermatology office. Each day she'd awake and make the list of what we needed to do and we just plowed right through it. We had so much fun shopping for all the furniture, art work and accessories to dress the new office. But most of all, I had fun being with her almost every minute of the day for 4 days. I miss her terribly, but being with her again was almost like we'd never been apart. Great friends are like that and I feel so blessed to have her in my life. Ali girl, you too. I love your spirit and will be thinking so much about you in the months to come. You can do it!

Max and I also enjoyed being back in Central New York. It is undeniably one of the most beautiful places in the United States and we did not take a moment for granted. I ate breakfast and spent any time I could on Wendy's front porch looking out onto the lake. I savored our drives through the country side taking in each green field and little farm house tucked back into the corner. My mind kept playing tricks on me, looking out to the street downtown one day while we were having lunch, feeling like I had never left Wendy and we were just enjoying one of many lunches we've shared and yet looking out to see a construction truck with a familiar name and yet realizing it was not a name I see where we live now and then quickly remembering that we had moved and these were not sights I see all the time anymore.

We saw several other wonderful friends and leaving the Harding's house was so hard, knowing that it'd be months maybe even a year before we'd see them all again. Max was perfectly content to play in their beautiful, huge back yard and seeing him so happy with old friends was so special. This move has been hard on him and he told me several times, during our stay that he was not yet ready to head back south. I struggled to find the words to encourage him, knowing I wasn't ready to head home either. Trying to explain that it was alright to feel that way and yet we needed to find the good things about being down here too, and even though there are many good things here, it seems like a piece of our hearts is still up north.

God is faithful though, bringing us through every journey, every trial and preparing us all along the way to follow his call. Sometimes following that call isn't always easy and try as we may adjusting to new places can take longer than we'd like. This is a journey Max and I are still both on and I guess in some ways it's a comfort to see in him the same things I see in me. I enjoyed being with him this week. He's becoming such a wonderful young man and we don't always get much time to ourselves.