Time

Who in the world has time for this? Building a church out of Legos??!! It is kind of cool, I have to admit, and "architecturally" speaking it's actually a pretty neat design for a church, but still ... !!! Clearly this person doesn't have any children. I'm lucky if I can put four Megablocks together without a) an interruption from a child, or b) destruction of my sorry little structure by a child (remember the launch pad dilemma?), and don't forget c) uuhhhh ... the time for this?! I guess we'll stick to sidewalk chalk.

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Speaking of time, I am very excited to report that we were given the gift of it -- time, that is -- free time, and ... wait for it! ... without kids!!! Let me tell you, this does not happen ... ever. Some families have friends or other family members with whom they can leave their children for a period of time so they can go off together on their own. I guess our family-unit isn't really set up that way. That's OK -- but when this gift comes, we are more than grateful!

One thing that has hurt in this transition from priest-to-average-joe-working-man is the cut (deep, cavernous, painful) in vacation, going from four paid weeks to one little week, a mere moment to catch your breath before you jump back into the the grind. Whatever -- it's what we have. Don decided to take his little week off next week, which is good timing for us as a family. We don't have the financial resources to really go anywhere, nor do we have the energy to pack, cart, haul, and deal with a very young child in a strange place. The first three days will be spent at home, with a few day trips thrown in the mix, such as visiting a local mini-zoo, Don taking Aidan to see a movie (if anything suitable is out), a trip to the shore for a day. On Thursday, we will be leaving for a three-day getaway to one of the many lakes in New York State, just outside of Albany. My sister-in-law's parents built a house up there in the mountains, on the lake, so they invited us to join them for a few days of swimming, boating, etc. I can't wait -- it's a gorgeous area, and I love the mountains. While I have never tried water skiing, I do thoroughly enjoy being dragged behind a boat while tubing or knee-boarding (or, at times, just being dragged). My one fear of the trip will be wondering how Grace will fare on a boat -- will she wear the necessary life vest (or can we somehow manipulate it into a life-saving strait jacket?)? Will she sit still on our laps? Will our little fearless daredevil flash her impish smile as she leans dangerously over the side? Will I flail on the bottom of the boat in paroxysms of fear? That's the glitch.

Anyway, back to this gift of time that we received ... A very dear friend of ours offered to come to our house this weekend so she can do for us whatever we need her to do. She is a woman with astounding gifts, and one of the most selfless, giving, compassionate people I have ever met in my life. Her primary purpose in wanting to come was to help out with my mom, taking care of whatever needs she might have now that chemotherapy has started, as well as taking care of us -- the caregivers. Pam has been a part of our family since our second church; she has held our hand and shown us such tremendous care and compassion as we traveled through our many trials and jaunts through the valley of shadows; she knows us in a way that only a handful of others do. She knows that we are emotionally and spiritually exhausted, and she knows we are entering this role of caregiver to my mom in this state. Her gift to us: she's going to watch the kids so we can go away and re-charge.

I almost cried when I heard this. I felt like the lame man who was told to pick up his little pallet and start walking. I felt like slimy mud had been smeared on my eyes and I could see again. I felt like I was given a glass of ice water after wandering, lost, in a desert. The gift of getting away, with my husband, without our children ... I want to weep with thanksgiving. So our little week of vacation is going to start this Saturday, bright and early, as my husband and I will jump into our car as carefree young'uns and head out to our destination: Ocean Grove, NJ. I love this area, a beach town that was founded by the Methodists in the 19th century, full of beautifully restored Victorian homes, kind of like a mini-Cape May. Unfortunately our idea was to stay in one of the many B&B's in the town didn't pan out, as every single place required a two-night minimum stay, and we only have one blissful night to spend. Instead, we are staying at a Marriot a few towns over, a short drive to the shore. We can handle that. We can handle anything.

Time's a-wastin'! It's Market Day for me, and I have just a few days to kick into Martha-Mode and make preparations for our weekend visitor, and make our own preparations for our getaway. No time to build a Lego church, that's for sure! Off to the races ...