Grateful for Vacations

Just returned from a weekend with Ron as we finished up our Spring Vacation. After camping a week with the kids in Santa Barbara, we (just the two of us) went to what is now our favorite getaway: South Coast Winery Resort. We had an absolutely wonderful time enjoying beautiful wine country, wandering through gorgeous landscapes, deep breathing fresh, clean air, walking through vineyards, touring the winery, enjoying the wine tasting tutorials... We also spent an afternoon walking through Old Town browsing antique shops and book stores. No meetings, no phones, no appointments, no agenda (no kids)... just blissful peace and quiet. :)

Wedding Date: September 12th, 2009

Change of Plans

Turns out King's Canyon is too cold to camp. The nights are 19-20 degrees! We've decided to take that trip for our August vacation. Instead, we are going to return to El Capitan State Beach Campground just north of Santa Barbara - where we camped last year. We have a perfect spot - near the water, but in a little shaded, wooded area - the best of both worlds.

Our friends let us borrow their camper, so we've been packing it up, getting ready to leave on Sunday. We're taking the three younger girls; Zach and Courtney will join us on Tuesday. Tiffany will drive up for a day but isn't camping with us.

This morning, Ashley and I spent a couple of hours cooking all our meals (dinners). We made: chili, white chicken chili, chicken & dumplings, spaghetti, and a brown hamburger gravy that we put over baked potatoes. After the meals cooled, we bagged them in gallon sized freezer bags and put them in the freezer. Now, when we're at the campground, all I have to do is open the bag and heat it up!

Although it's not as secluded or scenic as Kings Canyon, we are looking forward to six days of being in nature, sitting by the ocean and relaxing.

Pastors Conference

We are leaving on Sunday for a three day Pastor's Conference in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

I'll start tomorrow with errands, laundry, packing, preparing the kids for our being away, getting school lesson plans ready for them, setting up meals and grocery lists, writing out household instructions, filling out medical release forms - etc. We're so grateful that Zach, Courtney and Tiffany are here to oversee the girls while we're gone. It's so much easier now than when the kids were little.

Although it's a struggle to prepare to go to these annual conferences (it's never convenient) it is always good once we're there. And it's usually a temptation for me to give into self focus and anxiety and not want to go. I need to remember that preparing for conferences like this involves heart preparation as well.

I need to remember that the Lord has regularly met us and refreshed us during these times away. It's worth the sacrifice and extra effort on my part to get us all ready logistically, but it's even more important for me to prepare my heart and mind.

Looking Forward to a Peaceful Getaway

Later this month, we are taking the family for a week of camping in our favorite place: King's Canyon in the Sierra Nevada's. Just looking at pictures, reminds me of the wonderful, peaceful times we've had together: hiking, swimming, exploring, sitting by camp-fires, reading and sketching by the river. It's always refreshing to be in nature - appreciating and reveling in what God has made. I'm feeling the need to go to the mountains and sit by a big boulder on the banks of the King's River. Three weeks and counting...

"The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands."