Family Tradition

There is a lot to be said for family traditions. They give you a sense of belonging, continuity and a warm glow that radiates from the depths of you. Today is one such day of tradition for our family.

Every Labor Day weekend, my Honey takes our grandkids on a retreat in the hill country at the H.E.B. Lodges. It's a Christian retreat hosted by his supervisor's church. They've reserved the Lodges annually over Labor Day for many years and we consider it a blessing to be able to take our G-kids. They have a blast in clean fresh air and clean moral environment. What more could a G-parent ask for?

This year Papa John will take the oldest seven of our ten G-kids and two neighbor kids that always make the trip with them. They will sleep in cabins with our group filling a whole cabin by themselves. They will run, fish, hike, canoe, play basketball, play horsehoes, lay by the river, eat, attend services, make new friends, sleep in bunkbeds and then get up to do it all over again the next day. That is just a partial list of activities. They will also have a service job to perform. Papa John signed our group up for K.P. duty after the dinner meal on Saturday night. Everyone eats, everyone helps make that possible. I love it! A little touch of home.

With our large family spread out as it is, and no one with a vehicle large enough for all ten to ride together, the parents will be trekking to camp to deliver their respective sibling groups this evening. Papa John will be hitching a ride with the neighbors. I'll be waving good-bye as they drive out of sight before gleefully skipping back into the house. This, too, is a family tradition! Papa John does his thing with the G-kids and I get a long, quiet weekend at home. Ahhhh...

Don't worry about me though. I'll be content here. I plan on getting some painting done, maybe a little writing, I hear Barnes & Nobel calling my name, I plan to eat a lot of fish and dream about the kitchen being finished. Indeed, I will be more than fine.

So, please join me in saying a prayer of protection over our tribe; include travelling mercies for all concerned. I know they will see and feel God at work in the midst of His handiwork. It is beautiful there. Before the weekend is over, the G-kids will already be talking to Papa John about going again next year. By next April, they will start trying to confirm with Papa again. An interesting fact, they always say they have to go...it's a family tradition!