Making Memories

The Coach and I are spending some time away by ourselves this week.  In 30 years, it's our first trip to Colorado without any kids.  It's been fun to talk about some of those past trips... over 20 of them...so many memories.

Our 3rd was 10 months the first year we made the long drive to "Cousin's Camp" with the Coach's family.  We froze in an unheated (and unplumbed) cabin with our 3, 3 and under.  Most nights they were so cold they ended up in bed with us before morning.  Two pack and plays and our oldest (still so little) in a bunk in a sleeping bag - that kept sliding off the mattress onto the floor when we'd hear a "thunk."  The bathrooms were a decent hike from the cabin and we'd carry the potty trained one down there - and bathe them all in the long trough style bathhouse sinks.  They got DIRTY running and climbing around all day.  And they were blissfully happy.

The year after our 5th was born, there were fires in the camp area, so we transitioned to a condo that we shared with family (they also had 5 kids).  The indoor plumbing and heat were a huge plus!  Once we experienced that, the camp began a distant memory.  For the moms, anyway!

The year our youngest was one, he got acute mountain sickness and spent the week crawling around with an oxygen tank.  Rough week.  With very little sleep for him and me. 

We had some years that many of the Coach's siblings and the kids' cousins joined us.  One year we celebrated my in-laws 50th anniversary and ALL of the family came.  Sweet memories for sure.  Our 2nd time with custom t-shirts to wear throughout the week.

Later on, we kept going with just our kids.  Then with some of their spouses.  But in the years since the babies have been coming, we haven't made it back.  It's gotten complicated with 5 married kids and 6 grand babies (and one on the way).

But we still talk about those early years when we drove the 12 passenger van full of car seats the 11 1/2 hours to Colorado to make memories (or at least do all of the work parenting our kids in a different location).  It was a lot of WORK.  But I'm thankful we did it.

Life is a lot different now.  For the first time, we came by ourselves, enjoying a little post-wedding, post-VERY-busy-May get away.  It's quiet.  And clean.  And we can cook for two and sleep all night.  It's sweet.  And also makes me a little sad that those days of climbing into the back of the van 100 times every trip are over.  But just a little.

Hopefully, in no time at all, we'll be driving back to the mountains with all of OUR married kids and their babies.  I'll let them take care of the car seats and nightly baths.  But I would so love to introduce them to summer vacation in the mountains.

Bad Theology and Good Plans

Does it ever seem like when you're already functioning at max capacity, super inconvenient things begin to happen, as well?  "When it rains, it pours," comes to mind.

Headed out of town for back to back trips?  How about the house floods right before you leave?

House flood isn't enough of a mess?  How about the kitchen drain backs up the night before your super early flight?

Wedding week with family and friends headed in?  How about a raging sinus infection?

College friends of the bride and groom staying in the farm house for the weekend?  How about the well pump goes out the night before the wedding?

Wedding morning (outdoor wedding and tent reception)?  How about epic rains (it's been a theme this Spring) and a flooded tent the morning of?

I will admit to asking the Coach on several occasions, "What are we doing WRONG?"

In his typical patient and calm response, he said, "I think you have a theology problem."

Of course, poor decisions often have consequences.  As the Coach often reminds our kids, "Life is hard enough, don't be stupid."  But many of the difficulties we face come because we live in a fallen world and things are just broken.  Houses flood, drains back up, we get sick when our bodies are tired, pumps fail, rain comes when you'd rather it not.  It's just part of life.  No one is out to get me or punish me for something I've done wrong.

It's taken me a lot of years to unravel my belief that God was out to strike me every time I made a mistake.  Or that if I just did the right things my life wouldn't experience difficulty.

However, Jesus promises trials for His followers.  He doesn't say "do everything right and bad things won't happen" (like we often see in the Old Testament), but instead, if you follow Me you WILL have hard things. It's a guarantee.  And along with the promise of hard things, He also promises the comfort of the Holy Spirit and purpose IN the hard things.  That's quite a promise.

Thankfully, when these things happen - even if it's more often than usual - I can choose how to respond.  I can lament my misfortune and ask WHY ME?  Or I can be like the Coach, take it in stride, do the next thing, and trust that God has good plans for my life.

Good plans.

So maybe the most amazing part of it all is that God works all things together FOR OUR GOOD and for His glory.  The inconveniences, the messes, the results of a fallen world... He uses it all.  Taking time to reflect on this makes me stand in awe of His power, His love for me, His sovereignty.  And a little more determined to respond with grace the next time. 

And I think it's OK after a particularly hard season to shout for all to hear, "We survived!!"