Grace Poured Out

Home again.

It's been forever!  How are you?? 

We've been gone on vacation for the last week and it was in a word...glorious.

We spent a solid week in the hills of Wisconsin, in a small town, nestled in a retreat center that our Church has.  We were there with our little family, in addition to my whole immediate family.  It was quiet, it was refreshing, we were all unplugged, and most importantly, all together.  I'm kind of grieving that it's over today, but I honestly feel very filled up and ready to re-establish our little routine again.  I have a million pictures to pour through, well actually, almost 900!!!  Can you believe that??  My sister, brother in law and I are kind of like the papparazzi and we documented most of our week together!  So, it's kind of overwhelming to me right now to get through them, but pretty theraputic to have so many sweet memories captured. 

Also sweet to have their faces in front of me when I miss them already :)  

There is something so healthy about retreating away from the "world" and just being still for awhile.  I can't even tell you how nice it was to be unreachable for days!  Even though we love our technology and I love to update the blog and check up on friends and family via facebook, it was amazing how much I didn't miss it for that little season.  And more than that, it was WONDERFUL to have my husband freed up for the week.  No emails begging responses, no text msgs crowding in and no phone calls to answer.  Ahhhhh.....

Life is so good in our little bubble. 

Many times this week I looked at my kids, hugged my man or just laughed with my family and thought...This is bliss.  Blessing upon blessing.  Not perfect, not always tied up and wrapped with a bow, but real and genuine blessings from the Lord.  Graces bestowed from the great Grace-giver.

And I'm thankful.

We all parted ways yesterday and this morning.  It was sad.  Lots of tears held back and some let go.  But even in that it struck me how grateful I am that we love each other!  How grateful I am that my little family God chose for me...My Dad and Mom, my two sisters and I...have blossomed into husbands and grandkids who just "fit" together.  What a blessing!  I love my parents.  I love my sisters.  I love my brother in laws.  And to my great relief, they love my husband and my kids just as much as they love me.  And all of that is grace.  A blessing that I think the Lord has poured on our family, for reasons I don't know, but He chooses and He grants and I'm happy to trust Him in it. 

BUT, I will say that today is a special day, and one of the reasons I think He has been so faithful.

We vacationed together this week, in celebration of my parents 35th wedding anniversary. 

35 years ago today, June 12th, they said "I do."  They blazed a new trail for themselves.  They started a legacy that we will inherit and for 35 years they have given us the gifts of faithfulness, forgiveness, loyalty, trust, friendship, wisdom, love, laughter, and family.

And the thread that has been woven through it all is their faith in Jesus. 

They would tell you it's not always been picture perfect, nothing on this side of Heaven ever is. 

But I would tell you that from the outside looking in, it's been pretty darn good.   

They committed their lives to center on Christ 35 years ago and by His grace, they've stayed faithful to that vow. 

So, what a sweet week for us, but what a precious week for them. 

Laughter filled those hills early every morning and long into the night. 

We played, we talked, we read, we relaxed, we enjoyed. 

Just as vacation should be. 

So Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad, Grammy and Grampy!

We love you.

We are grateful for you. 

We are blessed because of you.

It's always fun to go, but so good to come home again too.