Home again Home again....

We got home from our trip yesterday just before supper time. Why is it you always feel like you need a vacation to recover from vacation?

Roadtrip Review Overview:
We had a wonderful time and I will be doing a little telling of our adventures each day over the next several days. We were busy, but in a good way. We had no set agenda, but kind of made our plans as we wanted, when we wanted. If we wanted to go and do something we did. If we didn't want to go and do anything, we didn't.

I just want to put in here a special thanks to our "hosts" while we were away. My stepmother in Maine put up with us, um, put us up for a week and spoiled us rotten. LOL. She rearranged her work so she could work from her laptop at home half days while we were busy with our plans. Generally, unless the weather was stormy, we would go to the beach in the mornings before lunch, and play on the playground, walk the beach, observe seagulls or hunt for shells and interesting rocks. In the afternoons we would put the littles down for naps, and sometimes Mama too, and the older ones would do some schoolwork, much to their chagrin.

In Massachusettes, my mom took off from work for the time we were there and put up with her wild grandchildren tearing around, sledding, and really waking up their quiet life. Great-grandmother seemed to handle the chaos pretty well, I have to say.

We had many outtings and adventures, and food experiences, that I will relate by category over the next several days. It is too much to do at once, and those reading this blog would think I was writing a novel.

Our days of travel were pretty good. The morning we left it was absolutely frigid out. In fact, dh had to jump start the SUV. Thankfully, we never had any more problems with it since then. The drive up to Maine was sunny, clear, and uneventful, which is a very good thing when travelling. Our trip from Maine to Massachusettes was on another very cold, clear, and sunny day. Our trip home was a little more interesting in that we were travelling in light snow and heavy slushy conditions. We saw several vehicles that had decided to try some involuntary offroading.

We pulled in our driveway, thankful for the Lord's protection over us. Then we went on to unloading the SUV, unpacking, starting some laundry, getting some supper on, etc. Everyone was glad to be in their own beds last night I think, because everyone seemed reluctant to get out of them this morning.

Today is what we call a "catch up" day. Catching up on email, on snailmail, on cleaning, finishing the unpacking, laundry, and doing some grocery shopping, and getting organized for church tomorrow.

On a personal note, I really think that getting away was excellent for our family. It took a lot of pressure off and gave us a chance to just take a step back and breath. Dale and I took tons of pictures. This whole adventure has given us a major event to look back on, and serves as a buffer from the memory of Christmas and Aaron's death.

I did have a MAJOR crying meltdown last night, which didn't surprise me, or dh, come to find out. He said he figured that it would be an adjustment for me to come back to where the reality and pressure of the situation is. He is so understanding of all this, and I am so grateful! Today is one of those days I am so fuzzy headed and unable to concentrate on much. Dh has ordered me not to overdo it, take it very slowly, and relax. Give my brain and body a chance to regroup a bit.

Not for a second am I sorry we left on vacation. I look forward to sharing our funtime and experiences and our doings with everyone. I hope I can relay the joy and humor and encouragement in our experiences. Thank you for those of you who have been praying for us, and continue to do so.

Please remember to pray for Amy (RaisingArrows) and her family as well. I was reading her blog last night, and I like what she said about the number of children she had. Forever she will be the mother of 5 children, not four,even though one is with the Lord.

That is how I feel about Aaron. He was, and is, and always will be number 7 for us in terms of full term births. I decided I don't really like saying we have "6", because it seems untrue to me. I carried him for 9 plus months. I went thru a hard labor and deliver with him. We had all the dreams and hopes and excitement for him.

I am a mother of 7.