Flights and Fishing

We arrived about 11 am yesterday and then had a few glitches with our rental car.  We then grabbed something to eat to enjoy at the park and made our way to beautiful Dubois Park.  The Paley Institute has a group of fisherman who volunteer their time regularly...about 3-4 times a week to take the patients fishing.  We knew ahead of time.  We arrived and said a quick hello as we ate lunch.  Jacob quickly got to fishing.  He knew a few of the kids and it was so sweet to hear them talking to one another as to why they were there.

One of our first glimpses of the manatees...they were everywhere swimming up and down the coast.

This was John and he was showing us the nurse shark that one of the kids caught.  I got to feel it.  It was a pretty cool experience.

Jacob showing off some of the fish that he caught.  They were small but he was happy!  All of the fish get thrown back into the ocean.  Isn't the water beautiful?

These are not my photos.  One of the moms had her camera ready when these guys popped up in front of us.  It is mating season and they were in groups all around us.

We finished up fishing around 4 and headed back to Molly's house in Stuart.  It was after hours so we quietly went up to our room to settle in.  It was a long but good day.  We are thankful for the folks who put their time and efforts into our kids and it was so good to connect with the families.

Ready for Take OFF!

 Early morning take off today!  We are headed back to West Pam Beach and Stuart for a quick trip to remove Jacob’s cast!  We are all excited for him!  Florida…here we come!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day....a few days late but still in our thoughts!  We attended church and then ventured out to our favorite restaurant, Gordo's!  Yum!  Darrell and I then hopped in the car and drove Kiara to Jess's place.  It was a long night on the road.  

But....look at the beautiful lilac!  These are from our yard....we hacked them up pretty well a few years ago and they are just starting to bloom again.  They are so tall but that is the only way we can manage blooms.  It is lovely to open the porch windows and have the smell waft through the house!  It smells amazing!

 And then there is this.....a bit of being silly and Michael had it printed on a 500 piece puzzle.  It is forever in print....oh boy!  Silly but I love the humor behind it and the sweet sentiment.

So, enjoy your day and celebrate being a mom--it certainly isn't an easy job but there are many blessings that come from it!  I thought this said it all well...

                                                             Some days she's a warrior.

                                                        Some days she's a broken mess.

                                                         Most days she is a bit of both.

                                                           But every day she is there.

                                                                        Standing.

                                                                        Fighting.

                                                                        Trying.

 Here's to all the mommas....may we love each other, support each other and keep on keeping on even in the really hard days!!

60!

                                                   This is what 60 years together looks like! 

    This fun photo of them was taken last December at Mitchell (grandson) and Emily's wedding in PA.

 My folks, Lewis and Carolyn, recently celebrated their 60th anniversary together! They stayed at home and ordered in to quietly celebrate a special night together. 

 

What a milestone of togetherness--travels, adventures, up and downs and lots of prayers are what held them together.  Two kids, 15 grand-kids, lots of critters over the years as well  travels to places like Canada, Germany, Austria, Ireland, England and of course, across the US.  Work, family, church activities and the like kept them busy throughout the years.  So many fun things to remember and treasure!

                                                                   Happy Anniversary!

Home Sweet Home❤️

We pulled out of Florida Tuesday morning around 3:30.  We headed to Allene’s home.  She offered us a place to connect her story to Jacob’s, yummy dinner, and a sweet place to rest.  We were so thankful for hospitality and a friendly face.

We also had fun meeting her furry friends in the field.

We stopped In Pennsylvania at my folks for the next night and got to visit with parents and sister and her husband.  We slept in a bit (thankfully, after 2 long days on the road!). We then headed home on Thursday for a warm welcome by those that were home.

The next evening we headed to Jess’s to see the grandkids and spend time with them in their birthday season.  We had a special treat when she had a hot dinner available to us.  We were grateful.

The weekend was filled with setting our feet on the ground, reconnecting with family, church, naps and rest.

We are back in the swing of appointments, home school, and all of the things.  So grateful for the ‘Jacob’ season and the opportunity we had to take care of his feet.  We are so thankful for those who really chipped in here at home and kept kids and animals rolling in the right directions…so thankful!  We are blessed.

 

It's a Wrap!

Lots of happening here….

Darrell’s Alert Cadet unit out on a hike on a Saturday mornings at Pawtuckaway State Park….

 Darrell, Joe and Devon at the summit.

Becca with her friend Rosie.

Well, this month has flown by for sure and for certain!!  Our last week was low keyed as we started preparing our hearts to return home.  This week has been filled with connections.  We had our 3rd fellowship time with the Savage family.  This time has been sweet and we are thankful for them. There has been a huge turn over at Molly’s house and there have been no kids from the Paley Institute but it has been filled with hurting people.  This has given us many times to pray with families who are hurting and are in the area for medical treatment, watching loved ones die or have mishaps while on vacation which set them on a different course.  One thing for sure is that God is working at Molly’s house.  We did our best to be a blessing just like we were being blessed.

Above is a photo I snapped for Jacob…we saw 2 small planes being transported on this flat bed…interesting for us with his dream to purchase a plane.

We walked nightly on the River Walk in Stuart.  It was beautiful—so many folks on the weekends but we have it kind of to ourselves during the week.  There are also lots of jumping fish, crabs and shore birds.  It is such a different way of life that we have been able to experience while here in Florida.  This bird kept showing up around Sara so we made sure to snap a photo of it as we dubbed it ‘Sara’s bird.’

Jacob is sporting a new cast.  His Monday appointment was difficult for him but he did comment it was so much better than the last one on his right foot!  After 2 1/2 hours of x-rays, casting, orthotic fittings, we were finished! —he picked Spider-Man just in case you needed to know!

A closer photo of Sara’s bird in the mangroves.

Florida sunsets are so beautiful.

 Things have gone well at home despite some bumps…we are so grateful for the Winslow's who stepped up to let Becca hang out with them while Darrell was at a Cadet hike with the boys.  Such a blessing...heard our family was stepping up too.  There was a rescue in the bathroom when Becca couldn't get the door unlocked.  One of the boys climbed through the window and took the door off.  All is well now and they have a good story to tell!

Tonight we are staying in South Carolina—more on that in the next post.  We are homeward bound!

The Week of Waiting

This is a week of waiting.  It was not expected but we were delayed when our specialist had to leave the country for the week.  He often travels internationally to see patients.  There was no was no choice but to stay.

Sara found a niche and has been doing nails for the staff at Molly's place.  One of them has a wedding this weekend and she was ecstatic to be pampered.

We visited the Shell Bazarre and saw beautiful shells and then some odd things....what would you do with a gator head? Yes, they were real and yes,their teeth were very sharp!

We have enjoyed a nightly walk on the Stuart River Walk.  It is good to get outside and see the river and the sunsets. 

Today, we visited the Oceanography Center in Stuart. It is a gift from the staff here at Molly's house. We touched sting rays and some other critters.  It as so cool!  We learned so many amazing facts (well, at least mom thought so!)....it was a beautiful day too!

 This week has slipped by quickly..and Michael and Eli were in a car accident on the way home from their Father-son cadet Camp.  They are okay but the car isn't.  We are thankful for their safety.

We covet your prayers in the next week....lots going on as we prepare and return home with our last appointment next Monday.