This and that

We spent a glorious week plus in Nova Scotia recently. What a happy, relaxing time! Some of the highlights:

* lots and lots of time with Grandpa and Nana!

* playing on the beautiful quiet beach and swimming in the ocean that was as warm as bathwater

* two--count them, TWO!--date nights with Evan in which Grandpa and Nana took the kids back to their house and left us happily alone at our rental cabin (with Jack too of course). One of those nights we went out for dinner and tried a real lobster for the first time. It was really good. I did have a hard time getting past the googly eyes and long scary feelers, though. Dug out the meat and through the shell in the bowl as fast as I could.

* getting a great tan

* evenings with Evan when we could relax and watch movies and eat lots of snacks and just be together

* sleeping in, taking naps, reading a novel in the middle of the day--unheard of!

* not having to cook! Dad and Mom bought all the groceries for us, bless their hearts. Between Mom doing several meals and cooking up stuff ahead of time like chicken, Evan doing breakfast each morning and lots of barbecues, and eating out several times, I got a lovely break from preparing meals. I actually looked forward to cooking again when I got home.

* one thing that wasn't so much a highlight was Jackson getting hit with a double whammy of teething and flu. So pretty much he wanted to be held all the time the whole time. And all of us had the flu at one time or another--the kids first the day before we left for vacation, then me, then Evan, then poor Mom and Dad.

I know I'm forgetting many other happy things. These are just the highlights at the forefront of my mind, and I don't want to bore y'all with details. I included a few pictures from our time. In one you'll see that Mom and I have evened out in height to the way it's supposed to be, huh, Mom? :-)

Two years ago I wrote a post called Divine Appointments. I told about how I had run into a girl three different times. The first time was three years ago in line at Wal-Mart where she was really friendly and commented on my pregnant belly. She was so open that we talked for several minutes, which introvertish old me rarely does! A while later we met again at A Market (this time with Tucker in arms)--and remembered each other well. We struck up a conversation again and she was really open again about things she was going through and how she was needing the Lord's help. A year later we ran into each other again at Wal-Mart. She gave me her phone number and I almost called her at different times, but life crowded in and it never happened.

Can you see where this is leading? On Sunday night I had to run to the health food store and grocery store since something unexpected had come up on Monday, making it so I wouldn't be able to do my grocery shopping on my usual day. So I already wasn't supposed to be at the health food store, but as I pulled into a parking spot, I glanced over at the car next to me and who should I see? You guessed it! She (her name is Maria) saw me too and we both burst out laughing at the absurdity of it! She was on her cell phone so I went ahead and went in and she caught up with me a few minutes later. We ended up talking for probably 15 minutes. I've never met anyone so willing to open up to a stranger, but every now and then you meet someone that you really connect with and feel safe with. She's going through some very difficult things. Her Catholic faith offers some hope and encouragement, but in hearing her talk I want so much for her to experience the love of Jesus and how He longs to bear her burdens and pour out His grace on her. The Paraclete is what comes to mind--how the Holy Spirit is the Paraclete and longs to "come alongside."

This time I wasn't going to drop the ball. I left a message with her today inviting her for dinner. If the Lord is so serious about having her in my life that He'd have me run into her four times over the span of three years, I guess it's time for me to listen and seek Him to know how He'd have me reach out to this precious girl.

In other news, Tucker's speech, or lack thereof, has become a concern. So I met with a few teachers at New Boston Central School to see what they could do for him. Some tests revealed that his speech is indeed below average and they believe they can help him. So it looks like I'll be enrolling him in the preschool this fall, three mornings a week. I'm a little nervous and tentative about having him gone; he still seems too little to be away from Mommy! But I trust the teachers and was impressed with the environment, so I think it'll be a good program and he'll really benefit from it.

We start school again this coming Monday. I'm excited in some ways but sad to see the relatively carefree (can that word even be used in connection with a mother?!) days of summer. It's been nice to be free to actually dust or fold laundry before it takes over my room or go to the park without thinking of all the housecleaning that's not getting done. I'm super excited about the curriculum we're using. I just need to remember to ease into school slowly, for Jed's sake as well as mine.

This seems to be the week for divine appointments. Aside from seeing Maria on Sunday, today on the way home from the playground I decided to take a different way than I usually take. I'm so glad I did, because Evan pulled into the road right behind me! He was on his way to the store from a jobsite to get something to eat. It brightened my afternoon to see him and get a kiss. :-) And at the playground I ran into my friend Jenna whom I hadn't seen in a long time. It was good to see her and her kids again.