Jason’s dad turned sixty this month. Neatie, my mother-n-law is now retired. Rylie 
graduates from Kindergarten this week. Hayden likes three days finishing a successful first year of High School. Hallie received an award for her DARE (drug awareness) essay this past week. We will very soon celebrate our first anniversary of being here in Nederland. We have many reasons to celebrate. So today, as we were able to spend some time together outdoors, we gave the kids a puzzle to put together that had a message on it with some exciting news.
Jason and I have been talking with his parents, secretly planning a fun summer vacation that would enable us to appropriately celebrate these great occasions. As Neatie and I have talked on the phone about our trip which will take place in July; my mind began to buzz. A bit of my mom in me sprang into action. I began to plan. I would buy a book to get as much information as possible about our destination. I have texted and talked with friends who have been there before. I want to know exactly what to expect.
I want to be prepared.
In addition to getting prepared for our destination, I’ll just tell you. I’m plain ol’ excited! I do like surprises, but there’s something to knowing what awaits you beforehand.
-It’s the anticipation!
I long to go this place I’ve never been. - The place I’ve read about and imagined in my mind. - The place where dreams come true. It’s the place where, in my mind, my family walks hand in hand with nothing to do but enjoy each other and our surroundings.
It kind of reminds me of our future destination-heaven. Hopefully all those we love have made preparations to be there. Since I know little about our vacation spot outside of what I’ve been told, I’m going to make sure I know about where I’m going. I have the airline tickets online; got to make sure we have those for each one of us. And I’ll tell you something else. I’m going to spend the time between now and our vacation, the waiting time, being expectant of the good times to come. I will anticipate the experience that will be with us for a lifetime.
It took us a while to put the pieces together, but we stuck with it. The message became clear quickly for Hayden as he saw a small section of the puzzle completed with the letters “sney”. Hallie thought she knew, but was unsure. And finally as Rylie slowly sounded out the word we all joined in merrymaking….
