family = home

Simon came home with fever yesterday so I had some time at home today.

Today was a good day for cleaning out.

I have been putting away winter and pulling out spring.

I was happy to find a flowing spring skirt to put on since the spring sunshine is warming us up.

Unearthing an old tub of memories in the process, I found this picture.

It is of Peter, Anna and I in the summer of 1984.  We spent the entire summer in Connecticut.

A couple of years ago at a Snowcamp not unlike the one from which we just returned, I heard my Daddy tell the story of that summer.

We were in need of some time together as a family.  Mother had been sick (read: depressed) and Daddy had been working a lot.

God provided the time off for Daddy.  A sabbatical.

He gave us a free place to stay.  An empty apartment across from a hotel and restaurant that my mom’s uncle owned in Mystic, Connecticut.

We had enough money to get there.

After the money ran out, my mom’s uncle came looking for a new head cook for his restaurant.  Daddy took over in the kitchen and even brought us food home from the restaurant.  A few times we lucked out and got lobster.

He played with us all day and worked nights cooking and serving up seafood.

I have so many precious memories from that summer.

Playing on the beach.

Riding bicycles everywhere.  Across the drawbridge and into the little town of Mystic.

Visiting New York City and Washington DC.

Listening to our first Amy Grant cassette tape over and over again on an old broken tape player that we had to knock the tape out of with a screwdriver.

Studying and memorizing verses from John and Proverbs.

Going to our first big fireworks show.

Dragging all our clothes to a laundromat.

That summer is the closest thing I have to a precious family heirloom.  Though it is intangible, I have always held it dearly.

I have been a little sad this week that spring break is over.

We had such an amazing week together in Colorado and I wasn’t sure I wanted it to end, but I missed my parents and my brother and sister so much because we’ve made so many amazing memories together at Frontier Ranch (the camp where we stayed last week) and at Monarch (where we skied).  When I pulled out this picture today, I was reminded just like last week of the gift God gave me in my family growing up.  We were able to experience so much together (even though we did not always have a lot).

Which I think is why I had so much joy in being able to take my own kids to Colorado last week (and all over the country two summers ago).

I wish them the same kind of joy in their hearts that I feel in seeing an old vacation photograph.

And just like my Daddy, now that I am home and back in the groove, I’m ready to plan the next adventure.