Hello All,
I'm not sure about how to vacation. Obviously, the children and I have more free time than Steven does. So, should we make it a habit to indulge in vacationing without him? A couple weeks ago we did. My brother and his wife kindly gave Caleb a week at Horsemanship Camp and my parents graciously helped us get there and back. Caleb loved the camp, the horses, the friends, but not the driving. He is adamant that we will not own a horse because they are definitely too much work though.:) Sarah and I enjoyed time with mostly Laurie and Sam the happy baby. All in all, a fairly relaxing week, although I didn't finish any of the books I had brought along nor make any progress on the afghan supplies. My infamous crochet bag has seen many miles. No major projects have emerged from its depths. This fact disturbs my curious husband. I simply remind him that we also have never been in an accident with it in tow. He doesn't find that nearly as comforting as me. Back to the Iowa vacation. However, Steven we left behind and he tilled, raked, manured, and seeded our entire lawn. A daunting task for any family and a bit more for just one person working solo. But we missed each other so much that it dampens even the brightest of trips. Reunion is sweet. We arrived during the church service, at which point he made a beeline to welcome us home with a hug and a kiss. (say, "ahhh")

This being a full week, we opted to celebrate our anniversary a day early on Monday. I dressed up in a new fancy dress (purple velvet, v-neck and satin trim, ooolala) to which Steven promptly said, "I should change, shouldn't I?" at the sight of me (Score One!). We ate at a new restaurant for us and enjoyed the time together immensely. Afterwards, we picked up Shantell and Lane (they were the foster kids who stayed with us last summer) and brought them home to visit for the week for the purpose of attending VBS. Okay, I'm almost to my point. On Tuesday, our real anniversary, the kids sent us to our room to watch a movie. They said to dress nicely. When we were told to come out, the dining room had magically transformed into a white light and candles romantic restaurant. Caleb had been the chef/coordinator, Sarah the decorator/waitress and the two little kids were the entertainment with finger puppets, music and dancing. A marvelous evening! It more than rivaled the evening prior, albeit, not quite as much alone time. :) No doubt about it, we are soooo spoiled! But it's fun to live a blessed life!

Looking forward to baseball, softball, and sprinklers.

Blessings,
Marcia for the Swann's