Today Was Good

Today was a much better day than yesterday. I've been trying to catch up on my sleep, and I also asked several friends to pray. Prayer always helps. I was also told today that when my emotions are running wild, it's a good idea to slow down and pull out the acronym HALT and ask myself a few questions. Am I Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired? Basic needs that aren't difficult to address if I stop to recognize what is throwing me off. It's about taking care of myself (again) so that I am in better shape to help others.

I continue to pour over vacation pictures. The camera was well worth the investment. I can't imagine going home without photographs. How disappointing would that be?

Here are a few favorites...

Number Nine (Idris) all smiles for the boat ride.

Number Eight (Jilly) giving her baby brother a little love.

Six (Austin) and Eight (Jilly) on the dock. (She's just a tad dramatic.)

My very own Numbers Four (Josiah) and One (Jim) out fishing in the paddle boat.

 Number 14 (Henry) snacks on Mom's arm. She's my very own Number Three (Bethany)

My beautiful favorite daughter in law (aren't they all?) Michele, and Number 11 (Parker)

Popsicles. The reward for sitting nice for pictures.

Michigan 2020

July 27-31, Gaylord, Michigan.

It was a beautiful vacation with half of my kids and grandchildren. We went to one of the few states our governor is not yet demanding we quarantine after visiting. There were family meals, campfires, boat rides, swimming, and even tubing on the Sturgeon River, for those not already hopelessly sunburned, and in possession of the right foot gear. (I had only sneakers and flip flops.)

On the first night my camera battery died and I learned my charger was not working. There was not a camera store within easy access, so I bought a whole new camera outfit at Walmart the following day. I'd thought it through the night before and had pretty much already made the decision before we ever went to the store. I have no regrets and lots of pictures.

Josiah rode with me and since I was doing all the driving, we left Sunday evening rather than wait until the wee hours of the morning. Of course we arrived too early to check in and decided to drive an hour north and do some exploring. We found the Mackinac Bridge to Michigan's upper peninsula, along with the meeting of Lakes Michigan and Huron. So beautiful! Next time I want more time to explore that area.

We spent most of our time at the house where the kids ran around and played in the water, and Adam rented pontoon boats two days in a row. I took pictures. Scads of them.