So, on Saturday morning, we packed up and headed to Hope. And you know what? I was pleasantly surprised by how well the day went. There was tonnes of food and laughter. Yes, there were a lot of noisy children; 12 of them. But it was actually really nice to see the kids playing and enjoying the outdoors. During the pandemic, my kids have had very little interaction with other kids and very little time outside. There was frisbee, badminton, biking, walking, catching tadpoles, tag and a bunch of other activities I can't remember.
When things started to get a little out of control, most of the adults and kids left for the beach. That left Ruth and I alone on the porch listening to music, reading and occasionally interrupting each other with idle chatter. I think we sat out there close to two hours. So good.
In the evening, I "timed" it so that I was in the sauna relaxing by myself for an hour. While I was in there, my brother left with his four boys, and my niece and nephew were put to bed. So, by the time I came from the sauna all relaxed and chill, there were only half the kids left. We roasted marshmallows and sat around the fire.
All in all it was a great day. I am so grateful for my family. Yes, they drive me crazy a lot, but they're also really great people. The biggest blessing is that they are all strong in their faith.
