Georgia Peeps in Florida

My sweet friend, Becky, and her family moved from Georgia to Florida just before we moved.  We were both so sad to be leaving our homes.  When we decided to go to Georgia, I knew it wouldn't be that much farther to swing by Becky's.

Hannah stayed in Georgia in order to spend more time with Libby, but Aaron, Rachel and I went to visit Becky, Chris, Matthew and Daniel.  I was so worn out from all of the activity in Georgia, but it was nice to see them.

We had coffee on her porch each morning and the kids made smores in the backyard one night.  Becky and I had some good talks about shared feelings we have experienced since we have had to move.

We went to The Alligator Farm in St. Augustine.  It was a really hot day, but we enjoyed learning about the alligators and other animals at the facility.



 

Becky and I were just being silly.

 

On the way to The Alligator Farm, we decided to take the kids out for lunch.  We took a seat on the patio and the waiter raised the umbrella for us.  When he raised it, we noticed this frog.

 

 

 

We all thought it was cool and weren't really bothered by it.  Thought crossed my mind that it would decide to jump down as soon as our food came.  We were waiting for our food when I felt something on my head.  The frog had jumped.  I had on my sunglasses since we were outside and its leg was hanging down over my eye.  It all happened really quickly.  I remember standing up and saying, "It's on me."  Becky said she thought I saw something I was really excited about by the tone in my voice.  We all had a good laugh and the frog hopped away.



 

Another day we took the kids to Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum.  There were some interesting displays.

 

 

Matthew really is tall!

 

One night Chris suggested we all take a walk down by the river. 

 

The area where we went is a park run by the county.  It use to be an orchard and this was the house owned by the family.  It is now part of the park.  I think it is gorgeous.  Becky and I walked around and looked in every window we could reach.

 

Chris and Becky

 

We witnessed a beautiful sunset over the river. 

 

To our disappointment the visit was over before we knew it.  I would have loved to have sat and visited some more, but it was time to head back home.





The Rest of Florida

After visiting Merle and Marie, the kids and I checked into a hotel in Sarasota for the night. We had a nice dinner and then rested the remainder of the night for our long drive the next day. We got on the road about 8:00 the next morning and drove up to visit friends in the Florida Panhandle.

Leann is one of my dear friends from our days in 29 Palms. Her husband Darren is a Navy chaplain. I can remember the first day I met her. Another chaplain's wife picked her and her three kids up and brought her to CWF (Christian Women's Fellowship). Her middle daughter, Cate, and Aaron are just two days apart. Rachel was right in the middle of her two oldest children.

We had the best visit with them. Rachel and Leann's son, Clay, remember a little bit of our days in 29 Palms. Now all the kids will have great memories of our time together. Hannah was born just before Leann and her family left 29 Palms and she had another daughter about a year before Hannah was born. Those seven kids had a great time together and made us laugh.

Leann, Darren and the kids showed us a great time. They have a pool in their backyard which my kids thought was awesome. They have been able to get in a lot more swim time this summer than we thought they would.

Becca, Cate and Rachel shooting the water cannons.

Rachel, Aaron and Hannah learned a new game called Categories. The person who is "it" stands on the edge of the pool while everyone else remains in the pool and puts one hand on the side. "It" calls out a category such as colors. All the other participants think of a color in their heads. "It" then starts calling out colors. When "It" calls the color one of the other kids are thinking of that person has to try to swim to the other side before "It" can jump in and tag him or her. In this picture Rachel was thinking whatever Becca called out. Becca is jumping in after Rachel.

Aaron and Clay were both very happy to have another boy to play with. They spent a lot of time playing Legos. Clay is about 3 years older than Aaron, but they played so nicely.

We went to two different beaches. We all love the beach. I don't like to get in the water, but I'm happy to sit and watch the waves roll in.

Leann leading the way.

Hannah before she lost her second top tooth.

Rachel, Cate, Maddi and Hannah digging.

Aaron

Aaron, Hannah and Rachel stopped long enough to pose for one picture for me.

After the beach on the first day we went to dinner at a restaurant called Surf Burger. It was yummy. The kids were able to sit at this bar while they ate and watch the water.

The next day we went to an air and space museum. These are my three little astronauts.

Hannah

Aaron

Rachel

Darren is lifting Aaron up to see inside this plane. It was nice of him to play "Dad" and give each of my kids a turn.

There was a replica of a 1940-50's home. This is my favorite picture of the entire visit. All the kiddos. They all looks so sweet and well behaved and they really were!

After the museum we went back for day two at the beach. When we got back to the house Leann made some delicious chicken enchiladas.

We hated to leave and they tried to talk us into staying one more day. We declined because Hannah had her kindergarten screening early on Tuesday morning so I wanted to have all day Monday to get things back in order at home. Hopefully P.K. will be able to take some time at some point to go back for another visit.

You Never Know What the Lord Has Planned

We said good-bye to our friends on the east coast of Florida and promised each other we wouldn't wait five years before we had another visit

We drove through the interior of Florida to the Gulf side to visit some dear folks who have retired in Englewood. Merle and Marie came into my life when I was about 11. I know this because Merle told me I turned 12 after they came to our church. I'm not sure how he remembered.

One day they called my mom and asked if I could go to a church in Kentucky with them to hear a group sing. I was on crutches at the time and I have a vivid memory of standing in the kitchen hearing my mom say, "Yes, she can go, but she is on crutches." I think I had sprained my ankle. I managed to do that several times.

After the trip to that church, I spent countless Sunday afternoons with Merle and Marie. They would often take me to lunch at a local steak house and laugh because I would order a burger. At some point they started taking me on vacations to Florida with them. They have two children who were already grown when they "adopted" me. One day when I had my permit to drive before I could get my license, they picked me up at my house and drove out into the county. Merle was driving and pulled over at this old abandoned gas station. He got out of the car and Marie said, "Get out. You're going to drive." We must have spent two hours driving on those country roads. I don't look forward to teaching my own kids to drive and they took time and had the patience to help me.

My kids had never met Merle and Marie and I so wanted the kids to get to know them. I wished we lived closer so they could. The trip to south Florida was a last minute decision so once I was there I called them and asked if we could possibly meet for lunch. They suggested we just have pizza at their house so it wouldn't be as loud as a restaurant and the kids could play once they finished eating.

We arrived and the first thing Merle told the kids was, "You can pretty much do whatever you want. Your mom doesn't have any authority here." That cracked me up. The kids looked at me and I just grinned and nodded. I knew he wouldn't encourage too much mischief.

Marie made pizzas and gave the kids mini-oreos for dessert. She obviously was a hit. We spent some time reliving memories, catching up and talking about people back in Evansville. They told the kids a few stories about me. Merle told them about eating ice cream sandwiches on the beach. When they would take me to Florida we always had an apartment on the beach and Marie would stock the kitchen. Somebody had to eat all of those ice cream sandwiches before we could head back home. Marie told them I always liked pizza and one year we had pizza for breakfast at 5:00 in the morning before we could head home. That sounds about right. I have never been a big breakfast person, but would often eat dinner for breakfast. Rachel and I were talking about my lack of patience and Marie told her I never was very patient. I love that they had so many fun memories of our times together.

I've often wondered why they decided on that day so long ago to call and invite me to go to that singing with them. I grew up in a small church and we all knew each other, but I didn't spend more time with them than any of the other adults in the church. I was pretty sure I already knew the answer. It was a God thing.

Life got a little bumpy a few years after they came into the picture and they were a constant source of help, support and encouragement. I had always had a strong conviction to do the right thing and follow God, but I think the Lord put Merle and Marie in my life to be the extra example I needed to hang on. Merle's advice to me was often, "This too shall pass." I remembered to ask them why they did take an interest in me.. They looked at each other blankly for a minute. I said, "I think it was God." Merle looked at Marie and said, "I didn't tell her to say that." He explained to me that he and Marie were talking about why they had started attending our church and he had told her it was because God put them there for me. He had no other explanation. Wow! What a great example for me to always follow God's leading. Who knows how he may use any of us?

Before we new it our visit was over. We took pictures and said our good-byes. Once the kids were in the car, I turned to give Merle and Marie one more hug. I got in the car and Hannah said, "That's not fair." I asked her what wasn't fair. I was thinking one of the other kids did something. She said, "You got to give them a good-bye hug." Of course, I let her out of the car to deliver hugs.

Merle and Marie with the kids.

When I hear the song Thank You by Ray Boltz, I always think of Merle and Marie. So for them I must post the lyrics.

Thank You by Ray Boltz

I dreamed I went to heaven
And you were there with me;
We walked upon the streets of gold
Beside the crystal sea.
We heard the angels singing
Then someone called your name.
We turned and saw a young man running
And he was smiling as he came.

And he said , "Friend you may not know me now."
And then he said, "But wait,
You used to teach my Sunday School
When I was only eight.
And every week you would say a prayer
Before the class would start.
And one day when you said that prayer,
I asked Jesus in my heart."

Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.

Then another man stood before you
And said, "Remember the time
A missionary came t your church
And his pictures made you cry.
You didn't have much money,
But you gave it anyway.
Jesus took the gift you gave
And that's why I'm here today."

Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.

One by one they came
Far as the eye could see.
Each life somehow touched
By your generosity.
Little things that you had done,
Sacrifices made,
Unnoticed on the earth
In heaven, now proclaimed.

And I know up in heaven
You're not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure
There were tears in your eyes.
As Jesus took your hand
And you stood before the Lord.
He said, "My child, look around you.
Great is your reward."

Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.

Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.

They Grow 'Em Big In These Parts

The kids and I continued our summer adventures with a trip to Florida. We started on the southeast coast.

My friend took us to a nature preserve not too far from her house where she was sure we would see alligators in the wild.

I was expecting to see alligators about this size. This one was probably 4-5 feet long. It was really neat to see this one in its natural environment. However, it was less impressive because we saw this next guy first.

It is hard to tell how big he really is in the pictures. He was hanging right next to the dock where we were standing. He was probably no more than four feet below our feet. He remained partially submerged the entire time we were there, but from the tip of his snout to the back of his head was at last 2-3 feet. We could see down to just past his front legs.

Same gator.

This picture shows a bit more of his body. I wanted desperately to get something else in the photo to have something to compare his size to in the pictures. However, I was afraid to dangle anything over the side because he is often fed fish. I sure didn't want to be mistaken for lunch.

Still the same gator. It was so amazing to watch this part of God's creation up close.

After watching the alligators, as if anything could possibly compare, we went on a nature trail.

We saw dozens of these huge grasshoppers. The colors were gorgeous.

That is my foot for size comparison.

This one is sitting in the parking lot on one of the stripes that mark parking spaces.

There were also lots of dragonflies. I thought this picture turned out really well.

It was a great day exploring nature. With all of our travels the kids haven't read nearly as much as they did last summer. But with all the cool things they have been able to see and experience this summer, I'm not going to feel too guilty.