So, our vacation was coming to a close. Tuesday evening saw us at Eric and Kara's for a bbq and a splash in the bathtub. Not for all of us, mind you. Just the littles. Uncle Eric rescued a very large bathtub from the dump and until his plans for converting it into an outdoor oasis come to fruition, he kindly filled it with warm water for this foursome to play in on the back deck :)
We had dinner, dessert and then simply passed a bit of time until we had to say goodbye. We talked about being stoic and just plastering smiles on our faces, waving happily and driving off, but that's just not us. Though it was, and always is, painful, we had to do the whole round of hugs and tears and "I love you" and "I'll miss you" and "Keep in touch". Those words echoed through the night air as all the cousins and aunts and uncles and sisters and in-laws went through the same ritual, comforting in its sameness, poignant in its sweetness, painful in its finality.
Mom and Dad welcomed us back for the night and in the morning we repeated the scene. Dear Mom and Dad. No words here.
Into the truck, one last wave as their figures, side-by-side, slowly disappeared. Onto Mom and Dad Anjema's to visit with Aunt Cora. Short but sweet. Good to reconnect with an aunt that has always and forever been a friend. I made a strong connection with her the first time we met and I've loved her ever since. Her health is not always the best and she struggles with various health issues, so it was wonderful to see her looking well again. Good bye, Aunt Cora. Good bye, Mom and Dad Anjema! We love you all!
The ride home. Long, but good. Healing, in a sense. Gave us time to get over the sadness and look forward to being home. So good to call this place home. So good to realize that we were very excited to get back. That we cared very much about the people here. That we couldn't wait to be in church here again.
I could write here a long, long list of blessings that the Lord has given us. And if you're reading this, chances are you'd be on the list.
(Cher)
3 comments:
Great posts Cher - love them all!
We really enjoyed our time at Rock Lake Lodge - and its fun to read about it too.
Miss you all!
I enjoyed the posts Cher! What a great time we had at RLL, and it sounds like you had a wonderful vacation here with all the family. We do miss you already though...it was so wonderful to see all your kids again, and stay with you and Rich at the lodge. It was a very special vacation for us!
we miss you all, too! What a great time, eh? The best yet, I'm thinking!
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