Vacation Time!

It has been an amazingly busy week full of preparations and celebrations. First, we surprised Devin with a “Welcome Home” party day. Some of his friends from the church he used to attend, surprised him at our church to join us for Sunday service, and then we all came back to our home for supper. It was so nice to have so many of his old and new friends together to join in support for Devin and his new life. He was so surprised by everything; I think he was a bit overwhelmed by the whole thing.

That evening, I told him that we had been invited by his friends to join them for one last service over at his old church. Little did he know, they had planned a small desert social for him after service also. I thought it was great having people who loved him all around him for a whole day.



Now we are on vacation in the mountains of Tennessee. I love it here. There is no cell phone reception, no internet, no texting…just peace and quiet and family time! We spent almost a full day on the road yesterday traveling. Devin is just beginning to learn the highs (and lows) of family vacations! I think he is overwhelmed at times with all of the estrogen around him coming from living with all males for the past many years.



I am so touched as I see Devin’s relationship with Jay beginning to bloom. Devin never had a good relationship with his bio dad and I’m not sure if he had any idea what a good dad he got in Jay. I sat in the back of the van yesterday and watched them talking in the front seat and my heart was warmed that Devin will have Jay around to teach him what it means to be a real man, how to treat women and how to be a father to his own kids some day. This is such an important relationship in a young man’s life and I hope Devin realizes some day the treasure he has in a dad like Jay.

Today being the first day of vacation, I tried to let the family sleep in and relax after their long day on the road. Of course, I was up at the crack of dawn and Devin was up shortly thereafter. We had some good time to talk and made some muffins. Devin was so anxious to get Jay up, it was cute! We went to the Hidden Caverns nearby for a tour. Me, a pretty serious claustrophobic, spent an hour 650 feet under the ground under solid rock! The things you do for the people you love!

Please pray for us as we continue to try to meld together as a family. Sometimes trying to bring our differences together is more difficult than other times, but we are committed to making this work. Devin is such a part of our family and my heart, that I couldn’t go back to the way things were!