Little Getaway

It is nice getting away for a bit but I find it is always nice to come home.  Terry had a conference in Vancouver for a couple of days and I was fortunate enough to join him on.  I am grateful to my mom who was able to be here to take care of the kids in our absence.  But there is nothing like coming home to my two munchkins.  It was great to feel their arms around me at the airport, wonderful to give them tucks that evening, but even better to wake up to lots of snuggles and whispered words of, "I love you and I missed you, Mama!"

It rained for the most part in Vancouver which meant that I didn't get a lot of pictures and got soaked while out and about - but what would Vancouver be without rain?  We did get some beautiful weather without rain on the last day we were there so I did get some pictures.

Highlights:
-Meeting my friend Pam, and her littlest guy, Riley for a visit.  I really enjoyed catching up with her, it had been years, and I was thankful for the time she made to meet me in her busy day.  I am grateful for friendships that outlast time and distance.
-Gastown and supper at Tuc Craft Kitchen - nice evening out and I enjoyed the most delicious steak dinner.
-A run along the Seawall into Stanley Park on Saturday morning.  I was pleased that the weather cleared just enough for me to get outside for a run.
-Granville Island to tour the market and have a quick lunch before taking the train to the airport.

But I love the joy that comes by being home with my children.  I was thankful for the time away, it was a much needed break from how busy life has been lately, but also thankful for being home again.  I just finished a devotion on God's Love Language by Sharon Jaynes where she states, "Gratitude and thanksgiving is so important for your soul. It is not just what God wants from you; it is what God wants for you."  I truly believe this and felt that getting away for a short time was good for my soul, for the time it allowed me to rest but how it also brought gratitude and thanksgiving in coming home to those I love.  A thankful heart brings joy and allows us to see God in all His glory around us in even the most simplest of life's everyday moments.  When I get bogged down with how busy life can get, I find it easy to get lost in not praising God or being as grateful for the mundane routine of life.  This time away and then coming back, allowed me to see through new eyes and appreciate the blessings, even in the mundane.  A good exercise may be to find different ways I can capture this feeling and can feel so refreshed even when I can't physically escape!  A quote by William Arthur Ward comes to mind, "Gratitude can change common days into Thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings."  I am reminded to not take the regular and mundane tasks of my every day for granted but to appreciate the moments.  Sharon Jaynes discusses gratitude being the "memory of the heart" and that praise and gratitude bring up pictures in our mind for us to, "Remember."  Recently I am being nudged by God to, "Remember" and to thank God and praise him even when grief and sadness creeps into my days.  And it is in this that I cling even more to my relationship with God to get me through and when I cherish the moments with my loved ones that bring me joy and make me grateful!    

"O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together." (Psalm 34:3 NASB)
 

 Supper at Tuc

Harbour View On My Seawall Run

Olympic Torch

Canada Place