Chincoteague, Virginia
Ah, a somewhat spontaneous trip to visit Paul on travel. We had it all arranged in less than a week. It was a semi surprise for the man cubs. We second guessed the decision to visit Independence Day weekend however, when a five hour drive turned into eight due to traffic. Never again. Nope.
It was a much needed family trip given the immense amount of work we’ve accomplished on our house. We added a bedroom to our home. Which, hind sight twenty-twenty, was NOT as straightforward as it should’ve been. The mess….was….awful. Never again. As a family, we’ve been through all the extra “its” imaginable this year. Some of y’all are aware of the “its,” whereas some of y’all have no idea. In either case, we were exhausted. We needed a serious reprieve. And we got one.
Paul’s hotel room was the perfect size for all of us to sleep in. We’re now to the point that we have to bring an air mattress with us in order for everyone to have a bed. We can’t fit four man cubs on a queen bed anymore.
The view was GORGEOUS! We were right on the water and could see for miles. The sunsets were lovely. The water didn’t smell gross like Mission Bay, CA or other parts of the ocean in CA either. The people were friendly. Since it was a work trip, we visited with Paul’s coworkers and their families. It ain’t often we get to see everyone like that. An entire weekend of meals I didn’t have to cook. children’s laughter, adult naps, and sight-seeing was what we needed,
We went up into the Chincoteague Lighthouse. That was MY pick. I wasn’t comin’ offa it either. My sons were not enthused about all the stairs. I think we hit three hundred somethin’ round trip. The mosquitos were awful too. My husband and sons always get ate up. I’m too mean even for ticks to bite. I had at least three mosquito bites this round, though. That’s a rare thing.
After visiting the lighthouse, we went to the local environmental center. Loved every bit of that. And we made it in time to do some extra activities at the NASA Wallops Visitor Center. That was a blast as well. We spent one morning at the beach. I don’t remember what day anymore. I’m the goofball who is attemptin’ to recall details about a trip we took three months ago. Toldja, it’s been a difficult year. The beach was great—parkin’ the suburban? Not so much.
This was the trip we came home with hermit crabs for David. He’s begged us for a kitten and a Chinchilla numerous times over the past two years. The answer is no to both. I’m not a cat person. Paul has a cat allergy. Good cats are cats that behave like dogs and live in a barn. Change my mind. Chinchillas are cute but….no. Hermit crabs to the rescue! He now has a huge tank in his room for them. And he’s happy.
I think the beauty of this entire trip is that it was needed and God provided. We accomplished so much up until the week before the trip. There has been an immense amount of emotional turmoil, including anxiety, despair, righteous anger, sadness, resentment, and fear bubbling at the surface for months. The stress of it all is indescribable. But we survived the worst of the physical aspect of it all. Sometimes, that’s what we’re called to do: Survive. That’s putting it mildly.
We had an entire weekend where we did what we wanted on our time. No emails. No phone calls. No “I need this from you now” drama. It was us and our sons doing what we enjoy; resting, bonding, semi-celebrating our accomplishments, and basking in the blessings of the season. We celebrated our American freedoms as well. That’s simply a perk though. The freedom we have in Christ far outweighs anything else.