Oh yea, I could get used to this!
Well, honestly, no vacation with multiple children (who have multiple diagnoses) is really a vacation for the parents. And then again, no one said that parenting would be a vacation, so I really didn't expect it to be filled with much rest and relaxation for Nic and myself.
The vacation was absolutely amazing for all of us. The kids managed the 12+ hour car ride with ease and I never heard a single complaint about sitting or waiting to arrive at our destination. Seriously, the kids were dream kids while traveling. They read, they listened to stories on CD, they played games, they colored, they sang. It was beautiful family harmony!
The home we were blessed to stay in was beyond amazing - at the summit of a mountain on a quiet road in the Northern Black Hills. We were able to take our wonder dog along because there was a kennel in the garage. Wonder dog and I ran the quiet mountain roads for miles each evening. This was my respite each day.
The kids soaked up so much as we toured Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, the Badlands National Monument, Broken Boot Gold Mine, Crazy Horse Monument, Spearfish Canyon, the Mitchell Corn Palace and Deadwood, South Dakota. They learned about American history, geography, geology, botany, zoology and enjoyed incredible God-created and inspired vistas.
Of course, more importantly, they learned about being part of our family. They were taught Biblical truths about God's sovereignty and His love for them in creating our family in this special way. They heard again about our love for them and our commitment to them. They did not hear it in a new way, but in a new place, free from the distraction that home can be for traumatized children. And we all returned home together. Each child expressed an eagerness to return home toward the end of our trip and that made it worth every penny of gas money spent just to get away!
We are so thankful for the opportunity to parent these precious children who have come to us with a variety of needs. We rejoice in the opportunity to experience the normalcy of a family vacation where we could therapeutically meet the kids needs and work toward reaching their hearts.
Please pray as we settle back into our regular routine and the testing of limits is bound to happen now that they have experienced a widening of their horizons. Pray that we would be patient and filled with the compassion and grace of Christ as we parent. Pray that we would be wise and discerning to meet the needs of the children's heart issues as they strive to trust and test us.
4 comments:
Praying God's blessing as you settle back into your routine!
What marvelous photos! Thanks for sharing your adventure through your gifted words and pictures. Praying for you as you settle back into the home-front routine. And let us know if you want us to print any pics for you. God's Blessings on you all -- you're all so special to Him and to us. Love Tia Tia Deb & Tio Tio Jim
The photos are great! Thanks for sharing. I am glad you had a good trip.
It sounds like you had a wonderful time. I LOVE the Black Hills. I spent some significant time there during my summers of graduate school...and as a result I totally fell in love with that area. So glad you were able to go there and get some quality family time in. I am sure the Black Hills will have a special place in your heart from now on, too!
Chanda
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