The Salad Days

It is never easy to close the book on a vacation. I think it is even more so this time.

We have had a busy week and a half. Steph's brother was married Sunday, and we had a wonderful time on the boat where he was married. As I consider our first trip home after our move to Minnesota, many things come to mind:

-For many reasons, it is harder to go back home this time. We love Minnesota, but you never can have quite enough time to relax.

-I saw Superman Returns on my own last week. Good, but nothing compared to Richard Donner's version (w/ Christopher Reeve), a masterpiece of cinema that, to me, has never been equaled by any other comic book film.

-My son has just taken his first steps, here on his grandparents living room floor. This continues a precedent. Corrie took her first steps on my parents living room floor, and Jack has now taken his first steps on Steph's parents' living room floor.

-It was too hot during our visit. Even my daughter asked to come inside-something we have never heard before.

-We were able to spend some precious time with our dear friends Eric and Josie Oldenburg, two missionary friends who are home from Ukraine to have their first child. It's been two years, but we picked up right where we left off. We have much in common at this stage in life, and it was great to spend time with them.

-I got to see the Dodgers wallop the Angels Friday, only to see the Angels return the favor the next two days. The Twins have won 11 straight, which (not to be too self centered) makes me feel like I should stay away for their sake.

-One neat thing at Matt's wedding was that the DJ did some things that really celebrated marriage. The way they decided to give away the bouquet was giving it to the couple who had been married the longest (turned out to be Bob and Elaine Elliot-he is my father in law's fishing buddy, she played the organ at our wedding, and they got their groove on out on that dance floor on Sunday)

-So we go back to Minnesota, our tanks full with our time away. We are not quite ready for what lies ahead. We go home to a one year old starting to walk, a home in escrow, a busy Twin Cities Trader Joe's, and so much more. It seems overwhelming. Can't we stay here a bit longer?

No, it turns out. We go back to our home on the prairie with the most important thing in tow-each other. My daughter's ever expanding vocabulary, my son's ever expanding world, my wife's strength and my desire to explore our new home more. All these traits come together to make us a family unlike any other. We look forward to starting our life in our new home, to spending our first summer on the prairie, and to finally having a home to call our own. As we begin more fully to build our lives in Minneapolis, we feel stronger now. God has been good and in the business of our vacation, God has been forgotten all too often. I thank Him for our families, our friends, and the opportunity he has given to build our home in the Twin Cities.