The air is fresh and cool, like lake water when you first dive in.
We’re home.
After 7 weeks in Alabama, we’re back in Upstate NY and it feels wonderful.
To spread out–our house feels like a mansion compared to the bus! {No wonder I struggle to keep it all clean!}
To cook in my own kitchen–with an oven big enough to bake bread! I can’t wait!
To see familiar faces–down the street and across the aisle at Church.
Oh, and you wanna know the best part of being home? Here the bugs are scared of me. Down south, the bugs do not have a healthy fear of humans. Cockroaches, ticks, spiders, and fire ants–I don’t miss any of them!
God really gave us abundant grace for our ‘deployment’ to Alabama–He kept us safe there and back, we made significant progress in fixing up the park, and enjoyed many hours of good family time living in the bus together. Now we’re home for a season and I’m just treasuring every day.
We enjoyed exploring Cheaha State Park which was not too far from where we were in Alabama–it’s worth the stop if you’re in the area! Amazing views…
In the next month our family will be quite busy…
–Turning our bumper crop of apples into Cider {We picked 18 bushels of drops the day we came home!}
–Hosting 3 different sets of house guests {a fellow blogger, a blog reader, and our first Candle in the Window guests!},
–Attending a business conference in Dallas with Jeremy
…so I’ll be keeping online time to a minimum. I will continue to post the “Path to Publishing” series every Tuesday {it’s already all written–yeah!}– but otherwise, it’s gonna be a little quiet here. I know you’ll understand.
I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU! to all of you who have prayed for us during this interesting summer. It’s taken a lot of flexibility to move our home base back and forth like this, but God’s grace has been so evident, and the community I find when I log in here has made me feel ‘at home’ no matter where we roam. Thank you so much for your prayers, comments, emails, and hellos on facebook and twitter. It’s been such a blessing.
For the Fellowship…
Where did your summer take you? Did you venture far from home, or did God lead you on a heart journey? I think it was being away from the familiar for two months that allowed me to see that, yes, I changed and grew over the summer, even in small ways. What about you?
Welcome home, Trina! It was wonderful getting to know you a bit this summer through email, and it was nice having you down south here with us! I see you met our some of our little “critters” while here. You are right…they don’t scare easily! So glad you had a productive time and are now enjoying the flavors of home once again.
You may remember that we’ve been caring for my mother since her recent illness, so our summer has been primarily concerned with that. It has been a time for change, and growth, and leaning into a new season of life. It’s been a year of surgeries and illness and healing; a time for discovering once again the many mercies of our God.
Looking forward to meeting you here often! Many blessings on you!
Glad you guys made it home safe and sound 🙂
Trina,
I can’t believe ya’ll were so close. I was raised in Birmingham, AL and live just north of there now.
Let me know when you are back, I would love to meet up with you.
Will do, Beth! It would be fun to connect!
Glad to hear your back safe and sound. I am sure it’s so nice to be back into your regular space. It is soooo true…there’s no place like home. 🙂
Welcome back! I cannot believe that the summer is basically over :(, it flew by! But I must say I’ve been enjoying the cooler mornings we’ve been experiencing this week….
I live in Dallas as well as MANY Christian mom bloggers whom I sure read you and vice verse. When will you be here? I’d love for all of us to try to get together for lunch or even coffee. Possible??
Oh, Stefanie, that would be delicious!!! Let’s talk…
Oh…the bugs! In WA there were regular old ants and bees. In our new house some little creepy bug or spider is crawling across the floor every time I turn around and my kids look like they have chicken pox from the mosquito bites 🙂
Welcome home!
So glad you’re safely back Trina!
Our summer found us home, learning many patiently-taught lessons from the Lord in this season of unemployment. We, too, are seeing growth and change in our lives, and enjoying the fresh perspectives He’s given us in so many areas.