Back in the Spring, it was a very low time for me. In a matter of a few days, I had several "heartaches," which I am sure I have shared on this blog. I knew my dear friend would be leaving Turkey, and I was facing a goodbye that is, honestly, all the more difficult overseas when friends are like sisters. She'd been my sister for 10 years. That same week our sweet kitty was hit by a car. You know how God infused some joy into our family after that. A new kitty! Who was pregnant! During this same time, life began to speed up, and the reality of sending our first child to college was becoming all the more real. So, during that time, I planned a little 3-day trip to Orange Beach, Alabama, for Firstborn and me during our week before her college move-in day. Even the planning was a bright spot during a hard time.
We returned from Virginia, packed the car up, and headed out. We had a good time together as we rolled down the highway. At one point, we saw some roadkill. Firstborn wondered if it might be a monkey. The first of many adjustments to the USA!
We returned from Virginia, packed the car up, and headed out. We had a good time together as we rolled down the highway. At one point, we saw some roadkill. Firstborn wondered if it might be a monkey. The first of many adjustments to the USA!
We got there in time to catch a few rays on the beach. And we quickly realized that in all our "college packing," we weren't really beach-ready! That night we shared a plate of delicious fish, then went to a CVS across the street to buy some summer clearance beach chairs and towels! The weather had been showing thunderstorms for days. The Lord was so gracious, and we enjoyed sunny skies each day.
I really had fun taking Firstborn out for coastal food. She'd really never had crab, oysters, and boiled shrimp from the coast.
She loved it! After we went to Doc's Seafood Shack, we ended up there the next night as well!
We had no real agenda. For me, it was a wonderful buffer between summer and her college launch. We enjoyed the beach, spotted dolphins each morning, ate seafood each night, and began to talk about college! We even spotted a rainbow! I held myself together, though I was keenly aware that we were on the clock. One night, I saw a man walking with his 3 small girls, all dressed alike. I told him that I had 3 little girls and that I always dressed them alike when they were little. I could see them all in my mind on the beach of Malaysia. I then laughed and said, "But then I had one more girl, and a surprise boy!" He laughed and thanked me for the warning. The warning wasn't for the extra kids; it's how fast they are going to grow.
1 comment:
I may have to quit reading for a while. Jeepers! These posts bring the wet eyes. Being a parent is something we all share. Having our hearts ripped out as they go out into the world for the first time, is another. :)
These are beautiful pictures. My oldest is scheduled to come home in a couple of weeks for the first time in two years. We are beyond excited to see her. Everyone else has been to Virginia to visit her except me. She recently told me she is ready for some 'mom time.' :) That made this old heart jump for joy. I guess we never get over them, do we? Well, at least not until the grandchildren come along!! Ha.
Setting aside the sentimental aspects of this post . . . . I have one other comment. You can take the girl out of America but you can't take America out of the girl. So glad to see ME enjoying her American heritage. I carried on about Mississippi but I really do hope she enjoys it and finds the good there is in our state. It is a warm and friendly place. Life is slower paced than most places. The people are truly worth knowing.
God bless you, Sara.
Mel
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