They're not "kids" anymore

Well, I'm back safely in our Strasbourg apartment.  Gone is the ocean and the sunshine, replaced instead by a canal of water and some rain.  I'm not complaining….it will be mid-40's here all week.  I frequently check the weather at "home" and I was horrified to note that by Monday the high will be -4 in Fishers.

Vacation laundry is going (and going and going), the dishwasher is running, I've finished my devotion for the day and thought this the perfect time to blog.

I LOVE technology.  That doesn't necessarily mean that I'm  especially "techno-savvy", but I love the gift (and I do mean GIFT) of being "connected" to my family and friends in a way that was impossible only a few years ago.  Gosh, that made me sound just like the 50 year old I will be this March.

In just one day David and I were able to FaceTime with his Mom and Dad, our friends Marcie and Dave, along with Lisa, Spencer, Sam and DJ.  I traded "snap chats" with Sarah all day, I kept up with friends and kids on Instagram and FaceBook and received an email photo of my niece and nephew ringing in the new year.  Those of you who are near my age will appreciate that as the gift I was referring to….we can remember when you were tied to a house phone (with a cord) to make a call or would have to write a letter to communicate with someone miles away from you.

Ok, let me get to the reason I titled this post "They're not 'kids' anymore".

Our kids have grown up at the beach.  The two youngest ones have never known a year without a beach.  David's family has spent summers at Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina since he was a teenager and every summer (two when I was 8 to 8 1/2 months pregnant) we would make the trek to that same beach.

We are the family that packs up for the entire day and doesn't leave until dinner time.  When the kids were small, that would mean long walks, tide pools, sandcastles, games of bocce ball, baseball and football, body surfing, boogie boarding and lots of sunscreen applications. (I learned all about the importance of sunscreen application the summer my fair haired, blue-eyed daughter was one year old)

We've learned, through bringing guests with us on vacations, that not all families are this way.  Who knew?  We thought everyone loved to be at the beach ALL day long.  We've already established some "spouse criteria" for our children that includes: loves God, good dental hygiene, can pass a background check, loves the beach and of course, loves sports.

Consequently, we were either at the beach or on the water nearly everyday while we were in Tenerife.  On Christmas morning, we took a long hike near our house.  The scenery was spectacular and the hike nearly killed me.

We decided to go along the water for the trip back.  DJ and Sarah took the lead.  We couldn't tell if there was a path that would go all the way back to our house and I didn't want to walk BACK up the killer hill if there wasn't.

They made it around the point and motioned us to follow.  Guess what I found when I rounded the bend?

I found a time warp.  It was like I was instantly transported back in time to the early 2000's.  My 3 and 5 year olds were trapping fish in a tide pool.  Oh, how I wish.  

How does it happen?? How do your babies, who depended on you for everything, suddenly become independent, mature and just plain AWESOME adults? It is a mystery.  I know that I still try to "mother" them and that it drives them crazy, but it just doesn't seem possible that they don't "need" me to do that anymore.

We had great conversations with our kids all week.  Life choice conversations.  Not just David and I touting our beliefs and lecturing, but them having a dialogue with us on what THEY want and why. There will still moments of them being "kids"…. but that was just because they are both so full of life, love to laugh and enjoy adventure.

Speaking of adventures, David taught DJ to drive a stick. Sarah wanted no part of this learning opportunity.

We went on a family fishing adventure and watched DJ reel in a 45lb stingray.  

My line was next and I could NOT reel the thing in.  Turned out to be another stingray and it managed to tangle up with David's line.  He "helped" me to reel it in.  Past the bait fish and the two stingrays we came up empty.  But it was an afternoon on a boat and I got to see dolphins and pilot whales…who could ask for more?

We attempted to trek to the volcanic rim of El Tiede, but there was a snow storm that blocked the path and we were unable to go the last 200 yards to the top.

alas, so close to my first volcanic rim

View of El Tiede from the valley floor

the "lunar" landscape in the El Tiede valley on our way out

Our last family adventure was Loro Parque.  It was on the north side of the island and the forecast called for rain.  Not a beach day, so we thought it was a perfect "sea world" kind of day.  The park was fantastic and we enjoyed seeing dolphin, sea lion, orca and parrot shows.  There was a great aquarium and the best penguin exhibit I've ever seen. We went home along the north shore of the island which was a BIG mistake.  Two lane curvy roads that didn't allow passing….the speed limit was 90km and we were behind a LONG line of cars going between 45-50km.  The hour trip took us almost 2 hours and to make it worse Sarah developed food poisoning from a sandwich eaten at the park.  Nothing like someone vomiting into a bag in the backseat with no where to pull over.

Our last day with the kids was spent at the beach.  Sarah was able to sleep most of the afternoon and even felt up to a couple of games of euchre.  The kids boarded their flight home Monday morning.  It was a long journey (nearly 20 hours) that included 3 flights.  Apparently, Sarah wasn't as over her symptoms as we would've liked….good thing DJ had purchased that smoothie cup on that layover in Dallas!!

Everyone is now back where they belong.  The kids will start school in two weeks.  Sarah will endure another round of RUSH and DJ will be initiated into SAE.  Joseph is looking for a new job in No. Ky and David is back to work. Another day, another year.  

I'm usually not one for New Year's resolutions….not because I don't see the value, but just because I've never really tried to keep one.  However, as I was doing my devotion today I actually set one.  In 2014 I want to be a "Mary".  I want to draw nearer to Jesus in an intentional way….unlike her sister "Martha" that I have typically been.  You know, the one who gets all of the chores/tasks on my list done and then gives my last 5 waking minutes to Him.  If you don't know who these two women are, I invite you to read about them in Luke 10, starting in verse 39.  

I wish you each a full and blessed 2014. I pray that if you have children that you can experience a "time warp" moment of them and then also have the opportunity to appreciate the "older" version that they have grown into.  If you are blessed enough to have parents on this side of Heaven, I pray that you will honor them in the coming year….many of us would love to have just one more moment to give ours a hug or to say one last "I love you". Take the time to be a friend, offer a smile, say a kind word. Those are the things that matter.