Summer Vacation Round 2

Quick note...I wrote this several days ago, but didn't publish it. We are now safely delivered to my parents home in Oklahoma - (2 of us) and church camp (3 of us).  We went to an outdoor devotional last night in a canyon to sing, be amazed by the beauty of nature, lightening bugs, enjoy the acoustics of singing in the canyon, and we were given a spectacular lightening show.  I love coming home and spending this precious time with friends and family.  Just wanted to edit for accuracy, since we arrived and got the kids safely to camp June 23. 
❤️💜💛

It feels like I just got home from Florida, but we are gearing up for part 2 of what is looking to be like a 5 part summer series 😳.  At this point I'm just taking deep breaths and reassuring myself that we will make it through the craziness of this summer...because we have a trip to Israel in November I have to make it to...and then a surgery I can hopefully get scheduled for as soon as we get home from Israel. I pretty much want to pick up my luggage and head straight to the O.R. lol!!! If I can make it to December I might make it 😂😅. It'll be by the skin of my teeth you guys!  But it's a neat year to have all this special travel, because I turn 40 in July, and Eli turns 16 in October! Norman will be turning 47, but even though it isn't your typical Hallmark card, monumental milestone year,  I am so lucky to have another year with him that we will treat it like it is.  Chase will be turning 13 in January, so we will just celebrate everyone and everything. Two teen boys in my house...Lord help me. Lol.  But seriously, I love that this special time in their lives (and selfishly mine too...bc...hello, I'm a woman. Turning 40. That can be depressing if I wasn't just flat out thankful I'm still alive.) The teeny beautiful cherry on top of all of that HUGE other stuff is that - and this is going to sound flat out ridiculous after JUST talking about a phenominal trip to Israel...but Norman just got me my first Dooney and Bourke bag!! 😍 I don't even know how I can talk about these two things in the same paragraph...It comes across wrong, but I love it and him and every single thing he does for our family.  So, thank you Sweets...for the upcoming trip to Israel...I love that we will get to see these incredible things together...the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, the Western Wall,  the Garden of Gethsemane, Mt. Zion.. Golgotha...I never, ever dreamed I would get to take this trip. It still doesn't seem real.  And to be thanking you for that...and in the next breath thanking you for the gift of my handbag - it just feels shallow and wrong to have even wanted the bag.  It makes me feel like the money should go to Rich for chickens on Saturday!!! 🧐🙄🤐. But there it is...thank you for everything you give to me babe.  It's kind of like our entire marriage really...we have had the most extraordinary 17 and a half years.  We have had the silly and the scary...the gift of life and the pain of knowing we have children who are already waiting for us in Heaven. So of course you would give me a totally selfish gift for me of a designer handbag as well as also take us to walk in the most holy places on Earth....the places that bring us as close to God as you can get while we are alive.  You have renewed your vows to me...stood beside me and held me up when I couldn't keep going - you're my greatest gift.  But as far as gift giving goes...you're definitely on a roll.  But before I change topics... the next time I blog I'll have to post a picture of the backpack he  got me from Pirates of the Caribbean while we were there too, but that was because my $8 Target backpack died on me DURING the trip!!! 😂 The closure ripped off and the lining fell apart.  The poor thing looked so sad, but it made it through several trips (it was my travel backpack) so I definitely got my $8 out of it!

So back to the "Round 2".  The boys and I are driving out to camp via Texas, where we will see our north Texas friends and then pick up one more camper and bring back a friend who is wanting a little farm time and city detox with me. 

Alright, I hope y'all have a wonderful Wednesday!! I need a nap before I start my day; thanks to insomnia, my day began around 2am.  I will be thrilled with any level of productivity over here 😁.