MEMORIES

It's funny, but most of my memories in life start when I was 5. I remember things from before that, but for the most part they are just blips in time, little memories here and there. Life however, for most of what I know started when I was 5.

 

Henry is quickly approaching this benchmark in his life, and I think about this often. These will be his memories, this is what he will think about when he's older reflecting on his childhood. I think about what he sees for the first time, who he is meeting, what we do. I think about the things I say to him, the time we spend together. I take these things to heart, the very idea of it gets me excited. It is easy to move through life and forget to take in all the beauty and wonder that God lays before us. We've been there done that, but for a child, there is so much to discover, there is reason to pause and take things in.

Here is what I like about memories, the joyful ones we look back on and they have the capability to bring up those same feelings, often times we try to forget the painful ones, but in them all we can look and see what God has done. We can see where God has delivered us from we can see moments in our lives where we may not have realized but God was moving, protecting, pouring his love over us.  

 

"When you take it all in and settle down, pleased and content, make sure you don’t forget how you got there—God brought you out of slavery in Egypt."(Deuteronomy 6:11,12)

 

I am grateful for the memories we get to create with our children, the moments in time he will get to look back on and hopefully with his own grateful heart, see that God was in those moments.

 

WE SURVIVED DISNEYLAND - DAY 1

So we took our first vacation as a family of 5! Before I overload you with pictures (that was your warning!), let me tell you...we are not fancy vacationing folk, we could not have pulled this amazing trip to SoCal and Disneyland, without being blessed by our family. I'm so grateful that we have family that opened their home to us, we are quickly growing as a family, but they let us crash in a spare room, fed us, let us use the showers first...you know...all the amazing stuff amazing host do! We also were blessed with tickets into the park by my cousin and as an extra bonus, my parents and my sister and her boys switched some plans around so they could join us too! Extra hands never hurt!

 

Now, I'd like to think that Steve and I could have handled the trip on our own, after all, we are two very responsible adults, raising the next generation of responsible peoples, but I'm grateful we didn't have to. If this could be a metaphor for life, Disneyland obviously being heaven, you can try to get their on your own, even after extensive planning, but every now and then you need a little help and a little good company on the way!  

 

So on with the show...and be warned, this is only our first day in Disneyland...it was pretty epic, because Henry is finally tall enough to ride most of the rides...for us it was the year of Star Wars, which meant riding star tours a gazillion times (only an estimate). We conquered the newly done Thunder Mountain, we survived the Jungle Cruise, tried our first Dole Whip and basically became like the Mayors of Toon Town when we avoided all the crowds there!

 

okay...now on with the show...

 

 

 

Oh...and no one got food poisoning!

 

VACATION THE CONCLUSION & FOOD POISONING

We should have known something was coming.  My Mom woke up that last morning in Disneyland with an upset stomach and decided to stay at the hotel while we went on.  We all thought she'd meet up with us later after it settled, no big deal.  Here we are ready to start day 2 in Disneyland, the "Happiest place on Earth."





We even met some of our most beloved characters!

Everything was going great, and then it started.  Steve had to sit and put his head down, said he was feeling sick.  Next thing I know we're quickly rushing back to the Hotel because he thinks he's going to throw-up.  We get back to find my Dad getting ready to take my Mom to the Hospital, she's gotten worst.  Steve runs to the bathroom to throw-up. Mom asks how Henry is feeling I say "He's been fine," at that exact moment I turn to look at him and he throws up all over himself (poor baby!). I clean up my now crying boy and suddenly I feel queasy.  I lay him down on the bed then run to the bathroom to throw-up.  I go back to my son to lay down with him and he throws-up all over the bed.  My Brother-in-law walks into the room, My sister now isn't feeling too good.  I say to him "You may not want to be in here." They leave, and in the elevator to their room my nephew tells them he doesn't feel good and then throws-up.  Yada, yada, yada, everyone but Lucia is up all night throwing-up, thus ending our "magical" Disneyland vacation.

This was the last picture I snapped on the trip, it feels somewhat telling, like he knows what's about to happen.

Today's Reflection:
That was one horrible night, but we were all in it together, attempting to take care of one another. I guess the beauty of the ugly situation is that I'm a part of a pretty good team.
 
Lord, I know we can learn from even the uncomfortable situations. Thank you. Lesson learned. Please, let's not do that again.

Thank you for my health, for my team and for another chance to learn. amen.