Let me start with a quick look back at Nathan and Meagan’s visit to North Carolina. It was definitely a full weekend with Sarah’s graduation on Saturday, Mother’s Day on Sunday, and Steve’s 62nd birthday on Monday.
Doesn’t Nathan look like he is in such a celebratory mood?
He is actually striking a comic pose to better highlight the high fashion clothing he had thrown on in order to help Steve with a father/son project.
The (ongoing) project was the installation of a lamp post at the end of our driveway. Our neighborhood has no street lights and Steve has been wanting to install a lamp pole for a long time. He said he could think of few things he would love on his birthday any more than to do a project with his son.
Steve was especially excited to have us all write our names in the cement. (The “H” in Smith was added later; it was too wet at first and got erased.)
Since both Smith men need to have lots of protein in their diet, Nathan started his dad’s birthday off right by making him a delicious omelet.
And then after the two of them had worked all morning we had Steve’s requested birthday lunch of burgers on the grill. (We only eat red meat 2-3 times a month but the birthday person always gets whatever he asks for.)
Birthday hat. Birthday cake. Family in town. All good.
Throughout the day, the kitchen was overrun by various cooking projects. Plus, there were multitudinous miscellaneous items from Sarah’s apartment stacked everywhere that she was in the process of putting away.
Just when I would start to get overwhelmed with it all, Sarah would swoop in and clean up. I just love it when she swoops!
After lunch, I needed a couple of errands run. Meagan was only too happy to jump into Steve’s Miata and do them for me. She said it is SUCH a luxury to just go someplace and not worry about getting little ones ready and loaded into car seats.
I can’t begin to tell you what a joy it was to have her and Nathan with us, not just for the graduation but just for plain ol’ hanging out time.
On Sunday afternoon, we were all sitting in the living room and Sarah asked a few questions about decision-making, relationships and life in general. I said a few things over the course of the following hour, but mostly I just sat contentedly and listened as Nathan and Meagan shared wisdom and loving advice with their little sister. Few things make a mama’s heart any happier.
You may remember that whenever something big is going on in our lives (like having company, hosting Dare Challenge for Thanksgiving, etc.) we always seem to launch into some ridiculously large project, like painting the kitchen or redoing a bathroom.
Well, this is what our living room looked like last Tuesday morning as we were in the midst of preparing to go back to our sabbatical house.
“What in the world?” you might be asking.
We were asking ourselves the same question.
It’s sort of a long story but the gist of it is that a bird got into our house without our knowledge and ended up dying under the dining room table. We hadn’t realized we’d even had a bird visitor until it started to decompose in a rather odiferous way. The whole living room/dining room area was awash in one of the worst smells you can imagine and to further enhance the experience, our downstairs air conditioner conked out.
Southern heat. Nonfunctioning cooling unit. Deceased and stinky bird.
We really know how to put out the red carpet for our Floridian family.
It took Meagan’s pregnancy-heightened sense of smell to finally locate the source of the problem. Steve manfully dealt with the bird’s (highly yucky) remains and then he mopped the entire dining room which is why everything was moved to the living room. He definitely earned the Husband of the Year Award for handling that particular household crisis.
After dealing with the bird, getting the house cleaned up, unpacking and repacking, taking Nathan and Meagan to the airport (4 hours, round trip) we finally made it back to our borrowed sabbatical house last Tuesday evening.
This is the road leading to our house. I love that it is so secluded and peaceful.
And this is the house we are staying in which thankfully was provided by an organization that helps pastors/missionaries with vacations and sabbaticals. We are so grateful.
Steve and I have spent a lot of time reading and basking in the quietude.
The master bedroom overlooks the Chowan River so we wake up to a different custom-designed sunrise every morning.
Here is a short video that I took from the back porch.
When Steve knew the house was surrounded by wide open fields, he brought along a small R.C plane.
Happy, happy guy!
here is one last picture of Sarah’s graduation. (I just noticed that I actually got Nathan in the picture; he had gone up to capture a video of his sister walking across the stage. I am thankful to have such a priceless recording.)
It’s still hard for me to believe that Sarah’s big day has already come and gone; it’s hard to believe that college is behind her and the future is before her.
May 17 marked her seventeenth year since diagnosis.
We will never get tired of celebrating . . .
the joy of what almost never was.
What about you?
What do you remember about your high school or college graduation? Is there anything that especially stood out?
If you could go anywhere for a vacation, would you choose a busy place with lots of activities or would you choose a quieter, more laid back place?
I’m not sure when I stopped reading Smithellaneous regularly … guess got so busy at work (when I usually read it) and got out of the habit. Anyway, picking back up for a few readings — and late congratulations on Sarah’s graduation and Nathan and Meagan’s growing family! You and Steve came to mind yesterday. I have been driving my Mom’s old van while Emily is home (so she can drive my CRV), and the van does not have bluetooth, so I pulled out my c.d.’s. Well, first one I pulled out was “Like a Blanket.” Oh, what joy filled my heart hearing that c.d. And I do not apologize for listening to the 8th song, Mercy in Your Eyes, probably a dozen times! It’s my personal favorite!
Karen,
Welcome back after your hiatus!
And you have just won my Favorite Reader of the Week by saying that you listened to Mercy in your Eyes a dozen times. I also love that song but never knew if anyone listened to it anymore. Thanks for letting me know a special someone does.
I’m so glad you all had a great weekend together. Lots packed in, but memories made, I’m sure!
And, I agree with Meagan- getting away for errands with no kids is so freeing! I treasure my moments of bliss when I get to have a child free errand run. Even if it’s a few minutes. I forget that’s it’s so easy to just get in the car and go.
Your little get away house it perfect. Just so picturesque.
Krista,
Yes, moms of young children appreciate those rare, child-free forays like no one else on the planet! You can be four times zippier! 🙂
My ideal vacation would be sitting on the beach, breathing salt air and listening to waves. I miss that so very much. Lakes and rivers are pretty, too – I have many happy memories growing up with time spent at both – but nothing beats the beach. But what a beautiful view out the window of your sabbatical house bedroom!
What a good eye – I had to really look to find Nathan in that picture of Sarah’s graduation. And in your picture of Nathan “modeling” his work clothes, his pose looks just like his Dad.
One of the “perks” of my job now is I get to work graduation every year (and get paid for it!) and it’s such a joy to see all the students walk across the stage. (Especially those that we had to really work with to get to that point) I admit, there has been a tear or two, but mostly just huge smiles.
Sue Ellen,
I’m with you on vacations. Just to get to sit and not do anything or have to go anywhere or hurry someplace is a luxury beyond compare! And yes, getting to do that sitting beside water is absolute vacation perfection.
I can’t imagine working a graduation or having anything to do with putting it together or organizing it. Kudos to you for being one of the hard-working team that makes that day special for students and families!
Oooohhh……a stinky, dead bird. How in the world did it get into the house?!? I can imagine the smell. It is probably a lot like a dead mouse and since our offices used to be in a metal building next to a corn field, I am well aware of what a dead mouse smells like. Ewwwwwww.
My preferred vacation spot would be anywhere outdoors. Golf course, beach, mountains, etc. I LOVE to be outdoors and preferably not with a ton of other people close by. I like my space.
Your sabbatical home looks great and that view of the sunrise is spectacular! Lucky you! Continue to rest, relax and enjoy. 🙂
LeeAnne,
We had brought a metal wall hanging with dried flowers in from the porch because it was more of a fall/winter looks. Turns out that behind the flowers was a baby bird! Which we didn’t realize until much too late. As we were getting ready to leave for graduation we heard a faint noise but when we didn’t readily see anything we figured it was a cricket somewhere.
Yes, I agree about your vacation description. I run far and fast from any place that has a lot of people. Solitude is fabulous, isn’t it?
Did you change your post from this morning – I do not remember that it said basking? I didn’t have time to comment this morning.
Your comment about Meagan’s pregnancy heightened sense of smell reminded me of a comment my former step-niece (brother’s ex-wife’s daughter by her first marriage) said about picking up her 6th grade son. Let’s just say that his pre-teen boy “stinkiness” was effecting her sense of smell.
When we recently cleaned out my aunt’s house since she is now in skilled nursing due to dementia, I found 2 dead mice. Talk about stinking up the place! It further solidified the need for her to no longer live by herself as she would never had let that happen before this awful disease struck her.
I don’t remember a lot from either of my graduations, it’s been 46 and 42 years. I do know as salutatorian, I made a speech at my high school graduation but really don’t remember what I said. It must have been profound! 🙂
Phyllis,
I have to say that you are VERY observant. That word was indeed changed. Sometimes I go back into posts days (or even weeks) later and make little changes here and there.
We all know that high school salutatorians are nothing but profound! 🙂 Congratulations on earning that honor, though. That is a big deal!
The house you are staying in looks beautiful. When I had my sabbatical two years ago, we went on a long 80+ day road trip-the three of us (husband and then 27 year old daughter) and the dog as well. It was a wonderful trip as we all love road trips. I have decided that for my next one, I want to drive to Cape Cod (we live in Seattle area) and stay there almost the entire time, with some road trips from there. I loved it there.
Nicole,
What a great idea to drive from Seattle to Cape Cod and then do smaller trips from there. You would certainly see a huge swath of the country–what a fabulous adventure!
A big congrats to Sarah!
I remember my college graduation as one of the best days of my life. This is because I never planned to go to college. I went to a 2 year junior college and the started teaching preschool. I was in my 40’s when I went back to college to get my teaching credentials. I never worked so hard to get good grades and keep up with all the 20 year olds fresh out of high school. I felt as if I had achieved something that I thought was impossible-so graduation was the best!
For vacation-I would prefer a quiet location by the beach so I could walk the beach and beachcomb everyday…
Patti
Kudos to YOU for going back to college in your 40’s. I am so PROUD of you!!
Why are there trees in the lake on your video?? Flooding, new-man-made lake, natural decor…?? Ruth
Ruth,
That’s a good question. I asked Steve and he said they are cypress trees which are native to the area. In the downtown area, there is a river waterfront and there are even more large cypress trees poking out of the water. It’s really pretty!
Congratulations, Sarah! You are amazing, such an inspiration and blessing to so many. I am certain you are destined for greatness. So happy that Nathan and Meagan were able to be there to celebrate your special day with you.
Becky, so glad you were able to have everyone there together for such a wonderful weekend.
What a blessing to be able to make so many special memories together – graduation, Mother’s Day, Steve’s birthday (Happy birthday, Steve!) and just the simple pleasure of hanging out together sharing love, joy and blessings! Hope you and Steve enjoy the rest of your sabbatical, resting, relaxing and enjoying being together.
Hugs to all of you! Linda in Pittsburgh
Linda,
Your words “simple pleasure” summed up that weekend perfectly. We didn’t do anything elaborate or complicated; just went to the ceremony and then hung out together.
Those simple times are the best, which I can tell from your comment that you also love. 🙂
So happy all could be together for this special weekend. The pictures are great and I know you and Steve are enjoying your time of rest. I enjoy a quiet place where I can choose my activities and not be rushed with a schedule of things going on. I always enjoy the gospel concerts we have attended but do enjoy a break from the “rat race” with some free time. I enjoy our beach week when nothing is planned but just relaxing and rest. I can read and cross-stitch without feeling guilty that I need to be doing so many other things. Rest, relax and God bless. Prayers.
Ann,
I know . . . doing whatever you feel like without a to-do list hanging over your heard is such a great luxury. I’m glad you make sure you have some opportunities like that in your life!