7 Quick Takes (Volume 190)--The Family Vacation Edition

1) It's been a fun week for the Boesiger family as we spent a few days away at Lake Okoboji in Iowa. There are some definite differences to vacationing with older children. No one needs to be carried. There's no arguing about where to eat, no worrying about getting naps in. You start watching movies at midnight. You don't have to drag a stroller along. Everybody can play every game. You can ride rides together.

But some things never change. We still had to make a stop to buy beach toys. We're still hearing, "Dad, he won't share. Mom, she called me stupid." And we've had our fill of talk about farts and butts and wieners.

Sigh.

2) On our way to Okoboji, we stopped at the zoo in Omaha. Kevin wore his new koala shirt to commemorate the occasion and Drummer Boy surprised us by wearing his shark shirt. Apparently Ladies Man didn't get the memo.

3) Though we booked a family suite, our room was a little small for our brood. We had to improvise when we wanted to play cards. Yes, our "table" is an ironing board.


And speaking of our room, Drummer Boy was worried he broke a pedestal.

We quickly realized it was a previous problem. Closer inspection revealed electrical tape that had been painted.

4) One of my favorite things about this trip was watching Drummer Boy and Ladies Man play together. Being nearly six years apart, they didn't play together much as kids. They're making up for lost time now. These two spent tons of time giggling at each other.



5) You're never too old to play in the sand. Drummer Boy and Ladies Man spent a good deal of time building this sand fortress.



While they did that, Miss Innocent One and I left our mark on the beach.


6) Last September, Kevin and I had a blast parasailing. Our kids envied us, so when we found an outfit at Okoboji who do it, we had to give the kids a chance. I think they enjoyed it as much as we did.




7) We're on our way home today. Boo. But it's been good. With the age of our kids, you never know which trip will be the last family vacation with our original family unit. Our family is due to change greatly in the next few years. I try to enjoy the moments and not think about it too much. Good things come with change too, right?


And now, I must pack my little family up and come on home for the weekend. May you enjoy your time with kin and have a few laughs by reading more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

Van Jam

What happens when our family gets tired of riding in the car . . .

7 Quick Takes (Volume 150)--The Glorious 25th Anniversary Extravaganza Edition

As I'm sure you've gathered by now, Kevin and I had a WONDERFUL time on our anniversary cruise. SO AWESOME! We'll be "feeling the love" from this trip for a long time.

1) Neither of us have ever been on a cruise before and weren't sure what to expect. We were pleased with our room.










The best suggestion anyone gave us was to spring for the balcony room (Perfect call, Mark and Rachelle--THANKS!) and we loved it.










2) Our first port was Key West, where we enjoyed a bicycle tour of the island.



We saw Ernest Hemingway's house, Truman's Little White House and got a picture at the southernmost point of the United States.



We ended our time there with a slice of key lime pie, of course, and a little shopping.

3) Tuesday was our first full day at sea and we took advantage of having nothing to do by laying out on the deck, snoozing in the sun. We were only out there maybe an hour and a half tops, but as the day wore on, Kevin got redder and redder and redder. The poor guy got fried, as evidenced by this picture taken that night, our first formal dinner evening.



Come Saturday he started to peel and we're talking MAJOR peel. It started on his back, moved to his shoulders, his arms, his chest, his stomach. Think lizard shedding his skin and you've got a better idea. He's STILL at it and it's been over a week! Needless to say, he smothered himself in sunscreen and wore a shirt whenever we were out in the sun for the rest of the week!

4) Grand Cayman on Wednesday brought our parasailing adventure.



Grand Cayman is also known for its clear blue water and white sand at Seven Mile Beach.



The weather was picture perfect while we were there. Doesn't it make you want to sigh?



5) In Jamaica we climbed Dunn's River Falls which was a complete blast. Here's a clip of what it looks like. I don't know what happened to the sound on this clip, but this gives you an idea. If you look closely through the trees at the bottom of the falls, you'll see where people are entering.




We would stop along the way for photo opps. This was my favorite.




I couldn't end the clip where I wanted to. I love this shot. Too bad it's blurry.



After conquering the Falls, we boarded the Sky Explorer for a trek above and through the rain forest.






Talk about spectacular views!



Here's our ship--Carnival Freedom.



6) Friday was another at sea day. We slept in, watched movies, ordered room service and ate lunch on our balcony. After lunch we tried a disco dance class. Think John Travolta and Saturday night fever. I'm pretty sure Kevin did this just to humor me which made it so funny when the instructor called him to the front of the stage to help the rest of us when she decided we were ready to do the dance on our own. People were filing into the theater for the next event and there he was leading the pack. The next day when we got to the airport, a guy in front of us turned around and said, "Hey, it's Mr. Disco!"

It was amazing to us that on a ship of 3000 passengers and another thousand workers, we were still able to find private areas outside of our room. On our last night at sea we found a peaceful spot on the front deck of the ship and watched the sun go down.



7) It was a SUPERB getaway. One we will always treasure. But the best part? I come home and LIVE with this guy.



Love you babe! So much. Thanks for a fantastic time.



And there you have it, the Glorious 25th Anniversary Extravaganza in a nutshell. Hope you enjoyed it. See what happened in other people's lives by checking out more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

Living in the Moment

I've been looking over pictures from our cruise (Yes, I'm STILL thinking about it. Feel free to roll your eyes. I'm sorry. I just can't help it. What a trip!) and finding this weird phenomenon. I look so happy. I mean, glowing happy.

 Miss Innocent One says this is her favorite photo of us because we look excited to be together. And we were! But I'm thrilled to be with this man any day, anywhere. Even after 25 years, I tell him how much I love being his wife. Why doesn't it show like this every day? How does life sap the joy from my face? How can I stay here, in giddy, sweet delight?

Do you suppose it's a mindset? On vacation I gave myself permission not to think about the junk at home. I didn't stress about what needed to be done before the next day. I didn't dwell on bills or kids in college or how dirty my house was. I didn't fret over relationships. I lived in the moment, savoring each one, rejoicing in every little blessing.

Is it possible to live this way in "the real world?" Can I train myself to think only of the present? Can I learn to put aside worries and anxieties to drink in the beauty of each day?

It's certainly worth a try, don't you think? It will take practice though. Somehow I have to figure out how to see past the yucky stuff this world throws my way, find the good and rest there.

It says in Isaiah 26:3, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." That perfect peace will manifest itself in joy, don't you think? It will show on the outside. It may even make us glow. So I fix my eyes on Jesus. I set my mind on Almighty God and His Word. I fill my head with His truth. And I trust Him, sapping the most out of every moment.

How do you do it? What helps you live in the moment?

We're Baa-ack!!

We had a GREAT time on our big vacation and were happy to get home late last night. Thanks for all your prayers.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and since my brain is still a little fried (not to mention my body--we enjoyed the beach FAR TOO LONG on Saturday), here's a few of my favorite pics from our trip. I'll have more to say later, I promise. (As if you were worried--sheesh!)