Friday, July 17, 2009

When Things Don't Go As Planned

I sat in Downtown Greenville last Sunday night laughing with my best friends at the couples we saw with no kids. We remembered the spontaneity of those days fondly, realizing that they were good days, but so are these.

Nothing spontaneous about taking four kids to the beach for four days!

I made a list of things to pack before we left that was three pages long!

Eric and I sat earlier this week planning what we'd do each day, when the kids would nap, what we'd eat, what nights we'd go out, etc.

"Nothing spontaneous" means nothing went unplanned.

When Annabelle woke up Wednesday morning with a fever, my statement went something like, "Why can't anything be easy?" Honestly, a vacation isn't a vacation when you've got a sick kid.

Not wanting to have her out in the heat of the day, we sunscreened, suited, and loaded everyone up last night for a few hours at the beach. We stopped for dinner in the quaint, Calabash, NC. During dinner a storm blew in--the works, thunder, lightening and big, summer raindrops. Instead of heading to the beach, we headed to a Redbox for a movie and popcorn night.

As we tucked our kiddos in bed last night, I was discouraged that nothing had gone as planned. Rain was in the forecast for today, so Eric and I scoured the internet for things to do in case we couldn't be outside.

Today is Friday and it's the first time we've seen the beach! We woke this morning to a big sunshine and it was a beautiful morning at the beach. The breeze blew off the ocean making it almost chilly in the shade--the kind of day you could get super sunburned and never know it because you never really feel the heat. One of my favorite things to do is watch my kids play on the beach, and they didn't disappoint. It was Little Man's first time to see the ocean and the giant sandbox we call the shore! He loved the waves and was, like the rest of us, covered in sand before leaving! The girls giggled remembering the awe of God's vast ocean and understanding in a new way what their Daddy and I mean when we say, "I love you more than the sand on the beach and bigger than the ocean!"

Ironically, after we got back to our condo, it began to rain. It was God's gentle reminder to me that he's in control no matter how much I try to plan!

Thank you, Creator, for a wonderful morning full of memories!

Pictures to follow...

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