We decided to take a family trip to the beach last week for Spring Break and it was a lot of fun! Aaron had to work, but Holly came with us. Logan (and Morgan) and a group from their college church were in NYC on a missions trip, so they didn't get to come with us. We had a great time with the 5 of us, tho!
When the kids were little and we traveled, I would get them each a notebook and make them "journal" at the end of each day. Joshua is the only one who still does it (well, Holly has a BLOG now...so that's kinda the same as writing in a notebook!). I got tickled at Joshua's final entry on the first day..."We finally made it. My butt is sore!" Haha!
We got a condo at the same place we stayed at last year...only on a higher floor. We had a nice, big balcony and I LOVED sitting out there, seeing the ocean...hearing the waves. I remember my friend, Dinah, years ago telling me that the salt water and sea air "cures what ails ya." Or something along those lines.
Truer words never spoken.
(Actually, Dinah would never say it like that. She would say it's "good for your soul.")
I loved sitting on the beach and feeling the breeze and just relaxing. Gotta admit, every now and then, thoughts would creep into my head like, "gotta get those carpets cleaned when I get home," or "what about the mess in the garage?" or "wonder what Logan is doing right now?" I just used my Lamaze breathing to push the panicked thoughts out of my mind...and into the wind...and I focused my prayer life on Logan and his trip.
We really did NOTHING...unless you count getting ready for dinner as an aerobic activity. That's was about the extent of it. Oh, there were some walks on the beach, and Jim went on a couple of bike rides...but he's an over-achiever and tries to make all the rest of us look bad. JUST KIDDING! The back story on the bike story is that he did order a new bike for Clark, so they could both ride on our vacation, but it was not delivered in time. Actually, it WOULD'VE been here in time, but it was delivered to the wrong town. And even tho Jim asked to go pick it up there, they refused to let him...saying it had to be "re-routed." So, no bike for Clark on our trip...
But UPS did try THREE TIMES to deliver the bike to our home while we were gone. Argh.
One of the most notable things that happened was on Wednesday, which just so happened to be "World Down Syndrome Day." We were spending our last night eating at a restaurant that my husband ate at as a child. Towards the end of our meal, Joshua jumps up and heads toward the back of the restaurant. We assume he is going to the restroom and that it's a MUST GO NOW situation. I asked my family, "does he even know where the restrooms are?"
Ummm...no. No, he does not.
Back up to when we first came into the restaurant. We had a lady greet and seat us and she was SO friendly to us, and especially to Joshua. As I walked behind everyone to visit more with her, she told me that she has a brother-in-law with DS and he is 51 years old! Wow! And that she just felt drawn to Joshua because of him. She said what a blessing her b-i-l is to their family, and said that she could just tell that Joshua was a blessing to ours.
Anyway, back to the table...
Joshua makes it to the back of the restaurant and asks one of the waiters about the restroom and he points and Joshua heads off in that direction. And was gone for a while. We asked Clark to go check on him and he heads back there...and then comes back up to where we are, shrugging his shoulders and saying, "I don't know where he is." At this point, my heart shudders. I have always had a "thing" about my kids and public restrooms. I am convinced that bad people hang out in there, waiting to prey on young children...and older ones like Joshua, who would be more trusting. I really try not to project my fears about that onto my kids...and, in Joshua's case, I want to give him a measure of independence. About the time I thought I would have to breathe in a bag or something, here comes the sweet Greeter Lady...with Joshua...and Clark. She tells us that she found Joshua OUTSIDE the restaurant walking around.
OH MYLANTA.
He had gone in the direction the waiter showed him, but missed the turn to the restroom and walked out an EXIT door. He wasn't panicked at all and proceeded to walk around the restaurant to the front...and that's where the Greeter Lady saw him...and brought him in and walked him to the restroom. Like a good mommy would. Or should. Wow. Can't believer I lost my child on the "holiday of his people."
Did I mention it was World Down Syndrome Day?
I did? Well I lost mine. On WDSD.
Worst.parents.ever.
But turns out that he wasn't really lost after all.
AND he wasn't concerned at all, even tho I said, "Joshua, there's a pond out front that has ALLIGATORS in it." He just smiled and said, "I'm not too worried about that because I know how to fight, like Dad."
At this point, Holly leans over to Clark and goes, "Dad? Knows how to fight...alligators?"
And as we were leaving, I again lagged behind to talk to the nice lady and thank her once again. She went on and on about how seeing Joshua blessed her so much. She asked him for a hug, which he gladly gave and then he walked out the door with the rest of the gang. Then, she told me how much it meant to her, seeing Joshua and talking to him, because she had just lost her husband NOT EVEN A WEEK AGO. I looked at her and said, "WHY ARE YOU HERE?"
(Because, let's be honest, if I was in her shoes, you'd find me curled up in a corner somewhere)
She said, "I'm being healed...being here...seeing people like you, like your son...it's healing my heart."
"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Prov 16:24
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