A Week of Blessings

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I love when God's blessings come in ways you just don't expect. A few months ago my daughter's boyfriend had invited us to come on vacation with his family. Each year they rent a house on a beach and the entire extended family goes. Apparently, one set of grandparents wouldn't be able to be there so they had an extra room.

I have to be honest and say relaxation is very difficult for me. I always have a hundred things that I can be doing and even when I do get a few days away, part of each day is spent in doing some sort of work. So having an entire 5 days away was going to seem a bit lazy to me.

Also, I truly was feeling a bit overwhelmed and awkward crashing another family's vacation. I'm fairly outgoing but when I'm in social situations where I'm the only outsider I feel extremely uncomfortable. But I also knew they were graciously accepting us and my daughter really wanted us to come. 

So we went ahead with the plans to go and I am so thankful I did. First of all, they are such a wonderful family and were so welcoming, kind and and generous. I was put at ease right from the beginning. I feel like I gained new friends and Ryan's mom and I connected well.

We were able to enjoy a vacation we never would have been able to afford on our own. The house was on a semi-private beach and it was the first time I had ever been to an empty beach without crowds. In fact, most days I was the only one in the water.

There were gorgeous views in the morning and at night. Before we left yesterday morning I was able to capture the sunrise as well as a pod of dolphins feeding and that was amazing!


I was very thankful they didn't show up while I was in the water!


But the highlight of the entire week was this moment!






We are gaining a new member of the family and couldn't be happier!


Dan and I realized that this was the first "real" vacation we had been on since the boys were little. It was also a wonderful time for he and I to connect both as we traveled there and back and had time in the water and on the beach together. 

God is good and I am thankful.



Comments

  1. JanAugust 12, 2023 at 10:44 AM

    What a blessing! A wonderful vacation and a special announcement! Congratulations to Emily and Ryan!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 12, 2023 at 11:02 AM

    How very exciting and kind of Ryan's family. I'm so happy for Emily to be LOVED by this wonderful family. And, my friend, you deserve this one of a kind vacation. Thanks for sharing your story and the beautiful pictures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TerriAugust 12, 2023 at 12:22 PM

      Thank you! They do love her and that blesses me tremendously!

      Delete
  3. ElizabethdAugust 12, 2023 at 12:12 PM

    What a wonderful place for you to be able to relax and enjoy a time away. Congratulations on the engagement, what a fun way to pose the question!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousAugust 13, 2023 at 9:22 AM

    Thank you for the wonderful photos. And what a lovely way to propose! Glad you had a super vacation and a chance to expand your friends and family. Hilogene in Az.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TerriAugust 13, 2023 at 9:30 AM

      We told him, "You did good!" lol It was wonderful to be a part of it.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousAugust 14, 2023 at 8:40 AM

    Blessings of joy and happiness!

    ReplyDelete

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