My Favorite Weekend in August

I didn't post this right away as it was almost too much to share,

 but as I look back I see it more as sentimentally precious ... 

to think that the family would plan a surprise trip to Seattle,

every one having made the effort to free their calendar for this one day and night.

Apparently it was planned for quite some time to make this possible.

It was my birthday weekend. 

He told me to pack for a night or two, but didn't tell me where we were going.

We crossed the border and stopped off at Wood's Coffee,

where, when I entered, there they were! What joy!

We filled up the place! 

We also celebrated Tehya's 21st Birthday. 

My thought was that if this is all we did, it would have been enough. 

My heart was full! 

From there we drove to Seattle and stopped off at the outdoor University Mall.

It was such a beautiful day to walk around.

The littles came with us. 

Jack must have been with Papa when I took this photo.

The ultimate destination was the baseball game ...

a fun family sporting event we've attended in the past. 

Watching, cheering, visiting, moving about, 

waiting in line for a hot dog and just enjoying the atmosphere. 

We had rooms side by side - like family camp.

An older girls' room, a boys room and several adult rooms.

These two stayed with us. 

The next morning we met for breakfast, included in our stay - 

another favorite memory of times gone by. 

It also happened to be Paeton's 19th birthday.

So many reasons to celebrate. 

I think of how our family with married kids began to grow,

a little girl and then a boy ..

and here they are all grown up now! 

Just looking at this room filled with the people I love

fills my heart with a gratefulness I can hardly express.

I think of Jacob meeting Esau after being separated for many years,

and when Esau saw Jacob coming with his clan, he asked him who these people were.

And Jacob responded with, 

"These are the children God has graciously given to me ..." 

Genesis 33:5 

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