Weekend Getaway

Crisp cold air, scents of earth and moss and pine, quiet rustling leaves and the creaking of tree trunks as they gently sway...

 

  

...the warmth of sunlight as it crests the ridge and illuminates the colorful edges of the trees...

 

 

                            ...the sound of my children's happy voices as they explore and play.

 







 

It's a humble little place, with just enough "conveniences" to be easier than camping, but that's fine with me. The woods is one of my favorite places to unwind and recharge.
 

 

We had perfect weather to enjoy the cabin's woodstove and outdoor fire pit.  Brisk enough for layering up, but also plenty of sunshine to make you want to be outdoors all day.

 





 

Anything turns into a horse with this girl...LOL.  Adam is such a good sport.

 



I had brought along a book and so in between meal duties I sat out by the fire and kept it going.  That was all I had on my agenda for the day--mission accomplished. :)



 

The kids had fun "helping" Pete, Great Grandpa, and my Uncle Jim move some wood across the creek to the shed.

 

 

True to form, they made the work fun by giving the kiddos rides on the zipline.

 





And Uncle Jim gave them a demonstration on how he uses his tree stand to hunt.

 



 

Now we're back home and I'm working on the laundry, but I feel rejuvenated.  I personally need those doses of solice and quiet--away from my normal routine.  It fuels me to come back to my day-to-day, ready to dive in.

Wintry Weekend

What a snowy surprise we got this past weekend! Our family of four had already planned to spend some time at the cabin, and once I heard the weather forecast I threw our snowgear onto the pile to pack into the car. Just the drop in temperature was startling, but in my opinion it should be cold when at the cabin.

I love the smell of a woodstove, and though the cabin is definately a hunting cabin (or what I lovingly refer to as a "shabin"), not a vacation home in the mountains, it is perfectly suited for what we use it for. Time away. A place to enjoy our family and God's creation. An interruption and schedule-free zone. I haven't been to the cabin in probably a decade, but as a kid I spent at least one weekend there every year if not more. Pete and I went once after we were married, before we had the kids, and I was excited to finally share a piece of my childhood with them now that they're old enough to enjoy it. Till the storm was past we had received quite a bit of rain and 6 inches of snow. Losing power from noon until 6pm meant our inside activity was quite limited too, but we dug out the oil lamp, used the natural light from the windows, and cooked our supper in and on the woodstove. Beef stew and potatoes never tasted so good!

We took a walk on Saturday morning after we had received about 2 inches. The colorful autumn leaves were beautiful against the white snow.

We had no traveling issues due to the snow. My dad remarked that once we got to the cabin we'd be okay...everything is literally downhill from there. :-)

Natalia was the only one to see a deer. She was standing by the table looking out the window and saw one (she said she saw antlers) crossing the driveway. We were sure to wear some bright colors and make plenty of noise during our walk...it's archery season.

I was hoping to spend more time outside, letting the kids play in the woods, built a teepee, and collect some pretty leaves, but having snow was very memorable and the kids were so sad to leave.

I devoured a book, Pete caught up on his Reader's Digest reading from the last 20 years, and the kids had a great time being monkeys on the bunk beds and playing "house".

A wonderful family memory to file away.

Thoughts On Vacation

1. Once you have kids, vacation is hard and work...but an opportunity like no other to die to SELF, grow in grace, and practice contentment. A few days before vacation was to begin, I confessed to my mom that my attitude wasn't right. I was struggling--getting bogged down by all the preparation, anticipating a week that was more work than relaxation, and having a martyr mentality. I knew that Pete would be gone 2 nights and 2 days, and remembering the previous two beach vacations in which our children didn't sleep, suffice it to say my head wasn't in the game. THANKFULLY, this past week was nothing like the past 2 times! The big difference was that Natalia was older and Adam napped every day and slept through most nights. That meant I got a solid hour or more every afternoon to get cleaned up and relax. Thank you, Jesus, for answering that desire of my heart and providing time to rejuvenate.

2. Many hands make the work load lighter, even if it gets complicated. I love the planning part of vacation. I truly do. It's a sickness. :-) Even moreso, I love the way my family works together. Eager to serve one another. Easy to please. There may be alot of cooks in the kitchen, but no one person carries the load. The kids fight, it's noisy, our heads are rattling...but we love being together.

3. Vacations are a privilege. When I was growing up we didn't really go on vacations other than a weekend camping or going to the humble little hunting cabin my grandfather owned. My husband's family didn't go on costly trips either. It's only been since my teen years that my family has taken a bigger vacation occasionally. And even now, we plan a beach vacation every 2 years, and go before peak season starts. It's just too expensive otherwise.

I am grateful for the sober way in which my family weighs the monetary cost of such things. I believe there is wisdom in it. I think it is challenging for my generation and those younger NOT to assume that they should be able to enjoy the standard of living that many of our parents are only now being able to afford. Not all of our peers are in the same financial boat as Pete and I, but no matter what your household earns in a year, entitlement is the deeper issue. We have been talking about this a lot lately and asking God to show us how to teach our children along these lines.

4. Time away is good...but coming home is better. Everyone needs a break every now and then. Time to rejuvenate, to be refreshed. And how that happens for each person is different.

My husband tends to be reserved in public, but is energized by being around people and going places. I am generally friendly in public, but am energized by being alone and doing quiet things.

Needless to say, these characteristics tend to clash when we're vacationing. :-)

BUT, this past week they didn't, and I'm still trying to figure out how that happened! Even if that mystery is never solved, I'm just thankful we both came home rejuvenated. Another answer to prayer!

NOTES TO SELF:
1. FRACTURED PRUNE (hot, hand-dipped doughnuts originating in Lancaster) is now in OC, NJ! A comparison taste test between DOT's and F.P. is needed!
2. Dry-wicking capris and a running tank are very favorable beach attire--when you don't get in the water past your knees, who needs a bathing suit?!
3. Taking a book to read out on the beach is only frustrating. Instead, play with your kids in the sand and read when they're asleep.
4. Take dump trucks. They are the best sand toys!

Vacation--Part 2

DOT'S DOUGHNUTS--it's a tradition to get them to accompany breakfast once during our week.

Pete had to go home to finish 2 days of teacher inservice, so everyone helped color a sign for him.

Eli, taking a greatly needed snooze.
Bouncing a stripped tennis ball across the water.
All clean and ready for a nap.
Making kites (that we couldn't fly because it was too windy the last day).
Peaceful puzzling...until the fun part was finished and only solid black pieces remained. ;-)
Glued to the tube. (This picture seems to suggest serenity...if only. With a 6-1/2, 5-1/2, 4, 2-1/2, and 2 year old, do I really have to paint a picture of reality for ya?)
Morgan's cherry lips.

Practicing the alphabet.

Vacationing with 6 adults and 5 children looks like this:

Packed up and ready to go home...squinting into the sun for some family pictures.

What a great week with some of the people we love most. (Ryan and Sarah, we truly missed you!)

The Vacation That Almost Didn't Happen...

Saturday, a week ago, we packed the car to the gills, crammed in the kiddos, and headed east. We'd been waiting 2 years for this day. And 45 minutes later our car started bucking.

Last I checked, that is NOT a good sign.

Now, my husband is pretty handy when it comes to automobiles. He immediately went into diagnostic mode. But until we could find a shop open, we were in a tricky spot. (Don't forget the youngun's in the back seat who had been up since the crack of dawn , psyched and ready to be there already!)

We were 5 minutes from our rendevous point where we'd planned to meet up with my parents and caravan the remaining 2 1/2 hours together. Immediately, I began to pray; the lyrics of one of the kids worship songs that had been stuck in my head all morning suddenly seemed less random. :-)

Good and gracious

You're our Creator

Good and gracious

To all You've made You're

Good and gracious

You never change, there's goodness

in everything You do

~Good and Gracious, TO BE LIKE JESUS, (c) Sovereign Grace Kids

It was exactly what I needed to keep front and center in my mind! It positioned my heart to remain calm, to trust God, to be looking for His provision and goodness in the midst of circumstances where my natural inclination was to worry, complain, or throw a pity party.

Long story short, we were on the road again within 2 hours, thanks to Steven at the Shell station and a new spark plug. We were $40 poorer, but had food in our bellies, and immediately were able to see the many ways in which God had been kind to us.

We could have had to ditch the car and go home.

We could have been in the middle of nowhere when the car pooped out on us.

Instead, we were within a mile of numerous car mechanic shops (on the third try we found Steven), an auto parts store across the street, a sub shop where we could grab something to eat, it was a pleasantly warm (dry!) morning, there was a shaded area to eat and keep the kids occupied, and my parents were there to help us juggle the decisions and kids!

3 hours later...we arrived, everything was unloaded, and it was time to let the relaxation begin!

Here are a few shots from the first few days.

Avery, reinacting his initial reaction to seeing the beach, "Hey, there is no water at this beach!"

Early mornings = blank canvas.

The construction toys were in high demand in our little umbrella city.

The girls were much braver this year.

Natalia is our little water bug.

My brother Joe and sis-in-law Kim...and baby bump!

Grandma's still life w/bananas watercolor class.

Check in tomorrow for PART TWO...

Retreat

Time with other women. WONDERFUL.

Uninterrupted conversation, gales of laughter, delicious food, shared tears...family. PRICELESS.

It was a first.

The first that I've been part of anyway. With my mom's oldest sister and her adult children spread across the U.S., and many of my cousins and I being in the young family season of life, it is downright rare that we are together without children.

A few weren't able to make our getaway...and we sorely felt their absence. In the end there were 8 of us, ranging in age from early 20's to upper 50's. Sisters, in-laws, cousins, mothers, daughters.


It's been a year of joys, challenges, celebrations, and loss since my grandfather passed away last October. This retreat was oh, so timely for all of us. It surely did wonders for my heart and soul.

I hope we can make it an annual thing.

Lastly, I only took one picture! I can't believe it...ONE! Guess I was too busy flappin' my gums and gigglin'.

Stauffer Camping Weekend 2010

It was a hot and humid one, but this past weekend is one I look forward to each year.

It's an action-packed, laughter-filled weekend with my dad's side of the family.

We pack our sites full of tents, strong-arm 4 or 5 picnic tables together, raise the big blue tarp, and set up the fire pit. It has become a science over the last 3 1/2 decades.

(Double click on the slideshow box to see it enlarged.)

Stauffer Camping Weekend 2010

A few of my favorite things:

*worship and sharing time on Sunday morning
*the meals prepared over the campfire
*my family's ability to make even the most mundane task into a game or competition
*the endless supply of funny stories
*my grandpa and grandma, still toughing it out in their 80's!
*having my children experience a piece of MY childhood

It's certainly not easy--this camping with little ones thing--but I know it'll get easier. For now I'm thankful for lots of cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents around to help.

~~~~~~~~~
To see last year's slideshow, go here.