Chad and I celebrated our 10th anniversary last week on May 22nd. We were able to slip away from all four kids for a little less than 24 hours, but it was such a treat! We left late Thursday afternoon and drove to Sutton, WV to Cafe Cimino Country Inn. It is such a beautiful old house tucked away on the end of an old run-down street. The house was incredibly furnished and decorated. Since we were the only ones staying that night, they let us upgrade to a slightly nicer room with a terrace. We had dinner on the front porch, enjoying the warmth of the sun. When it cooled down, we moved to a table inside for dessert. We took 2 1/2 hours to eat dinner. Aaaaah. So relaxing! The food was delectable, prepared by a chef just when we ordered it! And even though it cost significantly more than our usual eating-out adventures, it was worth it to enjoy uninterrupted conversation and dinner. Would you believe that I didn't have to get up once to pour a drink or cut up someone else's food?! Chad let me enjoy my entire meal!! (:
The next morning, we went for a run down to the Sutton Dam. I say down, but there were a lot of small hills in getting there! After we got back, we showered and then were treated to a 3-course breakfast with fresh fruit and scones. It was just so nice, and the weather was beautiful!
We did a tiny bit of shopping at Flatwoods before heading back to Charleston. Not wanting to go home yet, we stopped at Danner Meadows for some time spent reading quietly in the shade, sharing thoughts occasionally but just enjoying being together.
The evening of our actual anniversary we ate pizza with the kids and played outside. Truly, it was a great way to wrap it all up together. I mean, Chad and I want to enjoy our marriage and we want to continue to enjoy each other long after our kids have moved on to their own adventures, but at the same time, we are a family, and we enjoy celebrating with our kids as much as with anyone.
Sad to say, we didn't take any pictures of us together on our anniversary, so I don't have any to include with this post. (My brother would shame me as he and his wife take so many together!)
I feel like we have packed a lot of life into our 10 years together. 4 kids is a lot of life in itself. Chad and I both agree, however, that we honestly believe we are doing exactly what God wants for us right now. What a wonderful man to be married to!
God, thanks for the blessings!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Missing
Last Sunday, my brother, Chad, was MIA for several hours. He and his wife were in Utah on a camping trip and he left her while I went for supplies and didn't return until the next day. At the bottom I'll attach his wife Rachel's story about the ordeal.
Looking back now it seems like that situation could be perceived by some as no big deal, just a few hours and he came back. However, when my mom called at 7 am on Sunday morning to say that Rachel hadn't seen him all night and had called the police, it was more than a minor incident. I truly feel that I was not overtaken with worry but with a desire to pray without ceasing. And I believe I did. Before I left my house that morning, Chad and I prayed together, I prayed as I played the keys in worship, I prayed during the sermon, and I prayed with several women afterwards who put their arms around me. Before we left the church to return home, I received the call that he was safe. At that time we didn't know what had happened, only that he had been found and safe.
So many of things I was praying for specifically during those hours, God was answering. Such as providing someone at the hotel to help and support Rachel while she was alone. Reflecting on God's touch through that ordeal grows my faith as I know it does theirs as well. As I spoke with Rachel on the phone today and she talked of some of the emotions of the night, she mentioned this verse: Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Love that.
Rachel's Story:
The Moab story.
Mon 12:10pm
We have had an adventure these past two days. On Saturday Chad and I, as well at the rest of the E.M.I. interns, were going to take a fasting weekend. We decided to go to Moab and camp and hike. I decided not to fast since I had been sick in Egypt and a little since we had returned and had lost some weight. (Not something I enjoy.) I had also expressed concern over not having reservations, but being a worry wart, I decided to just go along with things. We arrived on Saturday after 6 hours of driving. However, we ended up driving about 4 more, just looking for a camping spot. Being that is was the busy season, there was nothing to be found. At this point the team decided they wanted to do back country camping. And I do mean back country. The rest of the team was in a van that didn't have 4-wheel drive access. So they told Chad to take all of their stuff and they would do the 6.1 mile hike and Chad, Danny and I would go get some food and more water along with firewood and meet them where the 4WD road and the trail met. They started hiking at 5pm. Chad, Danny and I went back to Moab to get the stuff and then headed down the dirt road. We had been driving about an hour when Chad said, "Opps, I need gas." This is a phrase I am used to hearing and was pretty upset because by this time we had wasted the day driving around. We headed back to Moab to get gas and I started feeling ill. By the time we reached the gas station, it was bad enough for me to know that I would not be camping because I was needing regular bathroom access. Considering no one had brought toilet paper (besides the tiny amount Chad and I had brought) and we didn't have access to water or bathrooms, Chad and I decided to fork out the money for a hotel room. Chad dropped me off at the hotel with just what I was wearing, my pillow, a debit card and his phone. My phone was in the car and he would just keep mine although, where they were going had no signal within a 3 hour range. He left at about 7pm saying, "I'm going to drop this stuff off and I will be back around 10pm, maybe a little later." I kissed him goodbye, we said our "I love you's" and I tried to sleep. That didn't work. About an hour later I was laying on the bathroom floor with the worst sickness I have ever had. I was getting sick every 10-20 minutes. It was about 8 or 8:30 at this point. 9, 10, 11 and 12 passed and I was still as sick and there was no Chad. I had never been this sick before and was wondering if I should go to the hospital. I would pinch my skin and it would just stay together. I was very, very dehydrated and couldn't do anything about it. Plus, Chad wasn't back yet, which wasn't like him, especially if I am ill. Chad takes such great care of me and has gone to some pretty incredible lengths to make sure I am ok. I called my parents at 1a.m. (Happy Mothers's Day Mom!) and told them what was going on. They were concerned about me and thought I should maybe go to the hospital since in the past I have been dehyrdrated and the only way to get me to keep anything down was to get an I.V. I called the front desk and the guy working was nice enough to continually bring up water and Sprite and make sure he didn't need to call an ambulance. I didn't think I needed an ambulance, but if Chad were there, he could have brought me to an urgent treatment center. At 3a.m. it was more of the same and after talking to my parents again, I called the police and notified them that Chad still hadn't returned, nor had I heard from him or any of the other members of the party. I knew there wasn't service but figured if Chad and Danny hadn't made it the rest of the team would have hiked back and driven to Moab and contacted someone. My assumption was that Chad had made it to them, started to come back and then something happened. I figured the team assumed Chad had made it back to the hotel and Chad didn't have service should he have had a flat tire (best possible situation in my mind). This is when the thoughts started getting bad. I won't go into all of the terrible thoughts I had, but I am not one to remain calm, and definitely not rational. The police told me that if he hadn't returned by daylight, to call them and the National Park Service. By 6a.m. I was still sick and I still had not heard from Chad. I called the police again and the National Park Service and the surreal event began. They were sending out search and rescue. Then about 8a.m. the police man called and said he needed to stop by the hotel. I was really worried at t his point because I thought if Chad had car troubles, he would have time to get a ride or do what he needed to do to return. I "knew" he was coming to tell me bad knews. I opened my hotel room door and said, "Please don't tell me something bad," as I was sobbing. He said he was sorry to scare me but he just needed me to look at a map and tell me where I thought he had driven and where the rest of the team might be. I pointed it out, and I know he thought I was crazy. When he showed the manager of the hotel (who was graciously letting me stay as long as I wanted, and taking all calls since my phone had died) the map and what I said, her response was, "Wow, way out there?! Have they been there before? That's a bad road." My heart sank. While we were talking I heard the National Park Service corresponding over the radio and couldn't believe this was happening to me. It was about 9am and the cop was about to leave. I teared up again and he said, "Hey, I promise you he is ok. I promise. Deep breaths." I thought he was crazy but said ok. I went back to the room waiting for news, but hoping that no news meant good news. It was about 10a.m. and I was still sick, though not as bad and hadn't slept at all. The phone rang in my room and I answered it as quickly as I had been every time. "Mrs. Raynes," said the voice from the cop I had met with. Again I "knew" this was not going anywhere good. "We've made contact with your husband, he is on his way back, I'm sorry I don't know anymore." I was so excited I just started crying. I called my mom and had her call others to keep the phone line open in case Chad tried to call. I had now gone through 15 hours of the terrible sickness, no sleep and a great concern that I would never see my husband again (I realize that's extreme but I don't know how to not think worst case senario). An hour after the phone call Chad walked through the hotel door room. I got up and hugged him, sobbing and told him "I love you," with more gratefullness than I ever had. "Why did you do this to me?!!!" I kept saying. He responded that he had the worst sickness he had ever had. He said half way up to the camp site he started getting sick and had been getting sick every 10 minutes until 5a.m He said the drive took 4 hours instead of the estimated 2 hours and the drive was curvy on sheer cliff faces. He also said it took the team 6 hours to hike in rather than the 3 they had estimated. They didn't find each other until 11pm. We had left Colorado Springs at 6a.m. that morning. They were going to leave and head back to Moab. They flagged down a truck and asked to hitch a ride there. On the way, they finally passed Chad and Danny and they ended up camping right besides the "road" they were on. He had decided to stay at the camp site and be sick (a good decision). He said he knew I would be worried and was so sorry. I told him I was that sick too and we realized we probably both had food poisoning. (Maybe fasting would have been the way to go!) The rest of the team dropped by to check on Chad and I before they left to head back to Colorado Springs after the most discouraging trip any of us had every experienced. Chad and I were both too sick to drive so we stayed another night in the hotel. My mom was kind enough to pick up the bill on Mother's Day and to walk me through the whole process. Chad's mom had everyone on the whole East Coast praying. Now I am still at the hotel and Chad is still sick. However, I am glad to have my husband and am thankful for an experience that makes me want to value him and others as I should. So there is the story.
Looking back now it seems like that situation could be perceived by some as no big deal, just a few hours and he came back. However, when my mom called at 7 am on Sunday morning to say that Rachel hadn't seen him all night and had called the police, it was more than a minor incident. I truly feel that I was not overtaken with worry but with a desire to pray without ceasing. And I believe I did. Before I left my house that morning, Chad and I prayed together, I prayed as I played the keys in worship, I prayed during the sermon, and I prayed with several women afterwards who put their arms around me. Before we left the church to return home, I received the call that he was safe. At that time we didn't know what had happened, only that he had been found and safe.
So many of things I was praying for specifically during those hours, God was answering. Such as providing someone at the hotel to help and support Rachel while she was alone. Reflecting on God's touch through that ordeal grows my faith as I know it does theirs as well. As I spoke with Rachel on the phone today and she talked of some of the emotions of the night, she mentioned this verse: Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Love that.
Rachel's Story:
The Moab story.
Mon 12:10pm
We have had an adventure these past two days. On Saturday Chad and I, as well at the rest of the E.M.I. interns, were going to take a fasting weekend. We decided to go to Moab and camp and hike. I decided not to fast since I had been sick in Egypt and a little since we had returned and had lost some weight. (Not something I enjoy.) I had also expressed concern over not having reservations, but being a worry wart, I decided to just go along with things. We arrived on Saturday after 6 hours of driving. However, we ended up driving about 4 more, just looking for a camping spot. Being that is was the busy season, there was nothing to be found. At this point the team decided they wanted to do back country camping. And I do mean back country. The rest of the team was in a van that didn't have 4-wheel drive access. So they told Chad to take all of their stuff and they would do the 6.1 mile hike and Chad, Danny and I would go get some food and more water along with firewood and meet them where the 4WD road and the trail met. They started hiking at 5pm. Chad, Danny and I went back to Moab to get the stuff and then headed down the dirt road. We had been driving about an hour when Chad said, "Opps, I need gas." This is a phrase I am used to hearing and was pretty upset because by this time we had wasted the day driving around. We headed back to Moab to get gas and I started feeling ill. By the time we reached the gas station, it was bad enough for me to know that I would not be camping because I was needing regular bathroom access. Considering no one had brought toilet paper (besides the tiny amount Chad and I had brought) and we didn't have access to water or bathrooms, Chad and I decided to fork out the money for a hotel room. Chad dropped me off at the hotel with just what I was wearing, my pillow, a debit card and his phone. My phone was in the car and he would just keep mine although, where they were going had no signal within a 3 hour range. He left at about 7pm saying, "I'm going to drop this stuff off and I will be back around 10pm, maybe a little later." I kissed him goodbye, we said our "I love you's" and I tried to sleep. That didn't work. About an hour later I was laying on the bathroom floor with the worst sickness I have ever had. I was getting sick every 10-20 minutes. It was about 8 or 8:30 at this point. 9, 10, 11 and 12 passed and I was still as sick and there was no Chad. I had never been this sick before and was wondering if I should go to the hospital. I would pinch my skin and it would just stay together. I was very, very dehydrated and couldn't do anything about it. Plus, Chad wasn't back yet, which wasn't like him, especially if I am ill. Chad takes such great care of me and has gone to some pretty incredible lengths to make sure I am ok. I called my parents at 1a.m. (Happy Mothers's Day Mom!) and told them what was going on. They were concerned about me and thought I should maybe go to the hospital since in the past I have been dehyrdrated and the only way to get me to keep anything down was to get an I.V. I called the front desk and the guy working was nice enough to continually bring up water and Sprite and make sure he didn't need to call an ambulance. I didn't think I needed an ambulance, but if Chad were there, he could have brought me to an urgent treatment center. At 3a.m. it was more of the same and after talking to my parents again, I called the police and notified them that Chad still hadn't returned, nor had I heard from him or any of the other members of the party. I knew there wasn't service but figured if Chad and Danny hadn't made it the rest of the team would have hiked back and driven to Moab and contacted someone. My assumption was that Chad had made it to them, started to come back and then something happened. I figured the team assumed Chad had made it back to the hotel and Chad didn't have service should he have had a flat tire (best possible situation in my mind). This is when the thoughts started getting bad. I won't go into all of the terrible thoughts I had, but I am not one to remain calm, and definitely not rational. The police told me that if he hadn't returned by daylight, to call them and the National Park Service. By 6a.m. I was still sick and I still had not heard from Chad. I called the police again and the National Park Service and the surreal event began. They were sending out search and rescue. Then about 8a.m. the police man called and said he needed to stop by the hotel. I was really worried at t his point because I thought if Chad had car troubles, he would have time to get a ride or do what he needed to do to return. I "knew" he was coming to tell me bad knews. I opened my hotel room door and said, "Please don't tell me something bad," as I was sobbing. He said he was sorry to scare me but he just needed me to look at a map and tell me where I thought he had driven and where the rest of the team might be. I pointed it out, and I know he thought I was crazy. When he showed the manager of the hotel (who was graciously letting me stay as long as I wanted, and taking all calls since my phone had died) the map and what I said, her response was, "Wow, way out there?! Have they been there before? That's a bad road." My heart sank. While we were talking I heard the National Park Service corresponding over the radio and couldn't believe this was happening to me. It was about 9am and the cop was about to leave. I teared up again and he said, "Hey, I promise you he is ok. I promise. Deep breaths." I thought he was crazy but said ok. I went back to the room waiting for news, but hoping that no news meant good news. It was about 10a.m. and I was still sick, though not as bad and hadn't slept at all. The phone rang in my room and I answered it as quickly as I had been every time. "Mrs. Raynes," said the voice from the cop I had met with. Again I "knew" this was not going anywhere good. "We've made contact with your husband, he is on his way back, I'm sorry I don't know anymore." I was so excited I just started crying. I called my mom and had her call others to keep the phone line open in case Chad tried to call. I had now gone through 15 hours of the terrible sickness, no sleep and a great concern that I would never see my husband again (I realize that's extreme but I don't know how to not think worst case senario). An hour after the phone call Chad walked through the hotel door room. I got up and hugged him, sobbing and told him "I love you," with more gratefullness than I ever had. "Why did you do this to me?!!!" I kept saying. He responded that he had the worst sickness he had ever had. He said half way up to the camp site he started getting sick and had been getting sick every 10 minutes until 5a.m He said the drive took 4 hours instead of the estimated 2 hours and the drive was curvy on sheer cliff faces. He also said it took the team 6 hours to hike in rather than the 3 they had estimated. They didn't find each other until 11pm. We had left Colorado Springs at 6a.m. that morning. They were going to leave and head back to Moab. They flagged down a truck and asked to hitch a ride there. On the way, they finally passed Chad and Danny and they ended up camping right besides the "road" they were on. He had decided to stay at the camp site and be sick (a good decision). He said he knew I would be worried and was so sorry. I told him I was that sick too and we realized we probably both had food poisoning. (Maybe fasting would have been the way to go!) The rest of the team dropped by to check on Chad and I before they left to head back to Colorado Springs after the most discouraging trip any of us had every experienced. Chad and I were both too sick to drive so we stayed another night in the hotel. My mom was kind enough to pick up the bill on Mother's Day and to walk me through the whole process. Chad's mom had everyone on the whole East Coast praying. Now I am still at the hotel and Chad is still sick. However, I am glad to have my husband and am thankful for an experience that makes me want to value him and others as I should. So there is the story.
Happy Day!
My kids really like the songs Happy Day and We Shine, both of which I have on one CD in the car, so we switch back and forth between those frequently. Ben, in particular, loves these two songs. Yesterday, we were driving along when Happy Day started to play. He recognized the introduction and said, "Toin it down, mommy! Happy day!" (which actually means 'turn it up, mommy') So I turned it up and we sang along. Then he said, "Ree chine" (We Shine, of course). I showed him how to pump his fist in the air when he sings, "We are the Redeemed, we are the ones who are free!" I probably look pretty fun to all the passing cars as I pump my fist in the air, but I think Ben looks awesome when he does it!
Ben's bedtime ritual is for me to lay down beside him and ask him "Who loves you, Ben?" He begins to list names and I say who else and he adds to the list. He ends by saying, "Dod." (God) Yes, he does, Ben! Then he says, "Mommy pfay." (Mommy pray). Even though I started this whole routine and the prayer, I still didn't know what he wanted the first night he actually asked me to pray. I kept saying, "No, we can't play, we have to go to sleep now." Duh!? Okay, so I finally figured it out and now I know. And I pray!
Ben's bedtime ritual is for me to lay down beside him and ask him "Who loves you, Ben?" He begins to list names and I say who else and he adds to the list. He ends by saying, "Dod." (God) Yes, he does, Ben! Then he says, "Mommy pfay." (Mommy pray). Even though I started this whole routine and the prayer, I still didn't know what he wanted the first night he actually asked me to pray. I kept saying, "No, we can't play, we have to go to sleep now." Duh!? Okay, so I finally figured it out and now I know. And I pray!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
