Are We There Yet? (How Jonathon's Journey Became a Family Trip): Is the Tide Gonna Reach My Chair?

We just returned from a wonderful, relaxing (or should I say wonderfully relaxing?), nine day vacation on Okaloosa Island in Ft. Walton Beach. As Jon reminded me, this was the first family vacation we've taken since 2004. Sadly, though, after trying to find a time when everyone would be able to be there, our daughter was still unable to join us as she had just started a new job and didn't feel comfortable taking vacation time so soon. But...our boys were all there! Jon was with us the entire time, Jeff and Sarah were there for the first half of the trip, and Taylor, Portia, and Carson joined us for the second half. We actually had one night that overlapped! It was such fun for David and me to have them all there.

For those who have never taken a fall trip to the Gulf coast, I highly recommend it! The weather was perfect--mid 80's every day with a fabulous breeze. The Gulf was a bit cool but not so much so that you couldn't go out a bit in it (David, I admit, is a little more adventurous than me in that area). We enjoyed sunny days both on the beach and poolside. I started and completed two books, "Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo and "Mount Vernon Love Story" by Mary Higgins Clark, and I enjoyed both very much. "Heaven is for Real" is the true story of a little boy's visit to heaven while undergoing life-saving surgery. The book is written by his father and tells of the experiences his son shares with him in the weeks and months following his heavenly visit. It's a quick read with a lasting impact. "Mount Vernon Love Story" is Mary Higgins Clark first novel and is based on information she gathered while doing research on our country's forefathers. It, too, is a quick read and highly enjoyable, providing a wonderful glimpse at the heart and character of the man who served as our nation's first president. I also resumed reading "Plan B" by Pete Wilson. I began reading this book last spring, but put it down and just never found the time to get back to it. It is written in a simple to understand manner and speaks directly to those situations which we cannot control. It is a reminder that there are sometimes situations and events in our lives for which there is no easy explanation and over which we have no control. It is a further reminder that just because WE aren't in control doesn't mean that HE isn't! The book is even sub-titled "What do you do when God doesn't show up the way you thought he would?" I am still working my way through this one but I can already say that is is making some strong statements to me about the Plan Bs I've been forced to face in my life (sometimes I think I've moved past the Plan Bs to the Cs, Ds, and beyond). Or maybe I'm just too bull-headed to embrace the Plan B God is trying to reveal to me?

I asked Jon what his favorite part of the vacation was, and without hesitation, he said "Getting to play golf with each of my brothers and my dad". Isn't that amazing? This young man whose prognosis was beyond bleak and who couldn't even walk for an entire year six years ago was on the golf course twice during our vacation! He played once with Jeff and David and once with Taylor and David. Even though his left peripheral vision is still really poor, he gave it his best shot (no pun intended) every time he stepped up to the tee. We are incredibly blessed and so very proud of his progress. (Of course, we don't have a single picture of either of the golf outings--I'll blame David for that oversight! Haha!)I guess it doesn't matter as long as they have snapshots in their memories.

One of my favorite parts of the trip (aside from the obvious--having most of our family around us) was getting to spend time with our sweet Carson, watching him explore his surroundings and experience so many new and exciting things! One of the most fun parts for him was the little spray park that the complex had. Check out the fun here! He clearly has no fear of the water which is both a blessing and a curse; we had to watch him like a hawk! He also loved playing with the hose and would readily wash the feet of anyone coming up from the beach, whether family or stranger! He is learning to talk, and daily asked to go to the "poo" (the pool) and to play with the "i, peas" (ice, please--in the cooler). We've only been home a couple of days and I already miss that sweet voice and the pitter patter of those not-so-little feet every morning! It is so true what they say, "Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old." (Although we're not THAT old! I have to admit, though, that after chasing him around for a couple of hours, I've also realized that we're not THAT young anymore either!) :)

All in all, I think we all agree that the vacation was everything we hoped it would be and more. We enjoyed the sunshine, each other, great food, and RELAXED! And even though our girl wasn't able to join us this year, we managed to Skype a couple of times to at least share a few moments with her. Everyone has agreed that next year, we'll make the "whole family" thing happen, whatever it takes! I can't wait!