This week was Judah’s fall break from college so he brought our nephews, Owen and Oliver, to visit us for the weekend. We were so happy to have family in town!
The guys arrived Friday evening just in time for a dip in temperature, so after dinner we all pulled on hoodies and walked to the church parking lot next to our neighborhood for some basketball. Now that the weather’s nice, Gabe and Noah are hanging out there daily with neighbor friends, which is just the best.
Later on, we played Scattergories and ate Ami’s famous rocky road brownies with Tillamook ice cream. David and I were done by 10:30, but the kids stayed up late watching a movie.
It took some work to cram all eight of us — plus the dog — into our van Saturday morning, but we did it!
For fun I tried to find a road trip pic of these six kids when they were a lot smaller, so here they are circa 2015 … with nearly everyone asleep. I guess with three car seats it was a tight fit back then too.
We planned to hike about an hour from our house, and after a couple missed attempts, we found a trailhead that was open. Because we were hunting for a particular waterfall, we inadvertently hiked about 10 miles, which I haven’t done in years. Everyone was sore at the end, but it truly was a beautiful fall day to be in the woods.
Due to lack of rain lately, the waterfall we found was really more of a water trickle, but the kids and David made the most of it by taking a cold plunge. Some backpackers had just put out the fire at their campsite, so afterward we resurrected it and warmed up before the trek back. As Ams, would say, sitting around a campfire next to a creek was “whimsical.”
Back home, we all crashed with brownies, showers, Banagrams, and college football. Some of us watched a documentary in the evening and others a Marvel movie.
I was so happy to wake up both mornings with a houseful of teenagers. Rue was very happy too.
Here’s a quick college update on Judah: he’s doing great; I’m the one who’s struggling. I still can’t read the “college drop-off” post on this blog without crying.
For some reason, the more time goes on the harder it gets to have him five hours away. I didn’t expect that. I think reality is just settling in that this separation is the new normal for our family. We love seeing him on weekend visits, but it’s just never going to be the same, is it?
I remember a blogger I follow saying that your relationship with your children doesn’t end when they leave home — it changes, of course — but all those years you spent investing in a relationship with them bear fruit even when you don’t live close.
That’s another surprise from this fall, a good one. I don’t know what exactly I expected for when Judah went to college, maybe that he’d be too wrapped up with his new life to stay in touch with us, but it hasn’t happened. Sure he’s busy, and we can’t talk as often. But when we do text or chat on Facetime or see each other, we’re as close as ever. I love that, and I’m grateful for it.
We let everyone sleep in on Sunday morning, had a little family worship time, then headed downtown before the guys had to hit the road for South Carolina. At the Tennessee river, the Walnut Street walking bridge recently reopened and we wanted to check it out. We all strolled across to North Shore, and had ice cream for lunch at Clumpies. Yum!
I didn’t want the weekend to end.
It helps Tennessee to feel more like home to get to host people we love. Thank you, guys, for making the drive out to see us!
Love,
Julie
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