It is 3:40 a.m. and I am up while Brenda and the boys sleep here in Ruidoso, NM. We came up yesterday for a few days to retreat as a family. Taylor and Turner came up last summer but Tanner and Tucker had gone back to Paradise to visit friends. This is the first time we have been here as a complete family.
I chuckled watching Tucker and Turner tracking deer and finding sticks they pretended were guns from the deck yesterday afternoon. They have vivid imaginations and were perfectly content to explore around the house. They didn’t need toys. God’s creation is like their playground.
One of Tanner’s best friends from Paradise is here this week with his family. They have been scheming about how to spend time together. They went to a movie last night and plan on tubing today. Brayden will spend the night with us tonight so they can spend more time together. They have not seen each other for a year.
Taylor is the quiet one. I think he just enjoys us being together as a family. Family has always meant a great deal to him. He is content to stay at home most nights with us while most kids his age are on the go all the time. He has told me several times this year how tired he has been. It is hard to believe he is already fifteen and will be sixteen in four months. He is man now and no longer the little boy who used to sit in my lap and fall asleep on my chest. It excites me to watch him grow and take ownership of his faith and yet I know far sooner than I want he will be out of high school and off to college. My heart is pained to even think about that parting.
Brenda was the most reluctant to come on the trip. We are so busy all the time. For her taking the trip seemed like more effort than it was worth. It seemed like just another thing to do. I sat her down before leaving and told her we would eat out every meal and not concern ourselves with cooking and cleaning while we are here. She especially needs the time off. I want her to be able to relax as well. She is fighting a cold and has not felt good all week.
As for me, this is a much needed time to get away. I love the mountains. Being here inspires me and I already feel renewed. Though our time here will be very brief I also know how important it is for our family. I am excited that we are all together. I love my family and the time we get to spend together. I am looking forward to some precious memories being built over these days. I know back home it seems we are always on the run with football, basketball, and now track. There are things to attend to at church and I spend a great deal of time on the road to Lubbock to visit in the hospitals.
I cannot say I looked forward to more driving to get here but hearing Tanner and Tucker awe over the mountains was worth it. Turner started writing a “book” about our trip as we left Seminole. He keeps adding to it and talks about being author. I am not taking these days for granted. What a gift God has given me in my family.
While they sleep my motor is running. I want to soak up these opportunities to write and pray. I also know Sunday looms just around the corner which means studying for the message. I noticed recently how few blogs I have written over the past month. I have faced some writer’s block probably owing to the fact I have been so busy.
Sitting in this living room early this morning I can hear the tick of the clock in the kitchen. I can hear the heavy breathing from the boys upstairs deep in sleep and the steady clicking of the keys as I write. I am at peace. Though I know how much work awaits me back home, it is good to retreat. It is even better to retreat with my family. To retreat to this mountain lodge is icing on the cake.
When was the last time you really enjoyed your family? I am not talking about passing each other in the hallways. I am not referring to wolfing down fast food together in a rush to get to the next event. I am talking about sitting down together and really enjoying one another. I am referring to talking over a meal. I laughed last night at dinner at Tucker enjoying his meal. He sat back contented with the world.
Life is like a vapor James says. It is here today and gone tomorrow. While I still have time I do not want to endure family but enjoy family. These days are valuable to me. Taylor and Tanner no longer sit in my lap. They still hug me each morning but I wonder how much longer that will last. Tucker is now at the stage where he is becoming more independent. Turner still likes to nestle in my lap with his feet between my legs to keep warm.
I am getting older too. I cannot run anymore (bad knee.) My hair is thinning and joints ache. Things I used to take for granted require a little more effort these days. After riding my bike a couple of days ago I ached for the rest of the evening. Such is the price of growing older. I know far sooner than I want old age will take its toll. There could come a day when Brenda and I will be less active, the boys will be grown and out of the house with families of our own. The two of us will be left with all the memories of times like we are enjoying in Ruidoso this week.
You bet I will hug the boys a little tighter and laugh a little more often while we are here. I know time is ticking. We still have Taylor at home for three and half more years. Tanner will bring joy to our home with his jokes and humor for another five and a half. Tucker will be our “little general” for seven and a half more years. Turner will brighten our home with his charismatic personality for ten and a half. I am blessed. Lord, thank you for this early morning stroll through the corridors of my thoughts and the reminder not to take my family for granted. Thank you for this family retreat in Ruidoso.
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