daddyO and Honey: Cool weather, Relaxing, Games, Laughter,and Eating!!!

As soon as I got on the airplane to come home from DC, I began to journal -- I didn't want to forget my reflections of our trip to see Hannah and Jason. Since then I have tried to think of words that would describe the time. We totally enjoyed a hug and just being in Hannah and Jason's presence. Our love for them made them the main attraction and not the sites in DC. If the Lord wills, there will be other trips to DC, but we wanted to relax and enjoy our kids!!

We took two games -- Bocce Ball, I got a set for them at Target on sale for 15.00. It was a great set, the brand and weight of balls I was looking for. So, yes, we took it in our suitcase which made it very heavy. The second game, you know, our favorite right now -- Settlers of Catan. They liked it so much we played two different nights.

We also went to a great pizza place -- Vapiano, located in Chinatown. This was an upscale, somewhat eclectic place. No servers/waiters, just cooks behind a counter. Each client receives a plastic card that is scanned by the cooks as you order. The seating was a mixture of family style, long tables and another section more along the lines of a sports bar. It was really loud and colorful and full of energy. Of course we raised the median age by a few years! The food was good and we had a great time. Our picture kinda wraps up the night at Vapianos!

I made "Thanksgiving" dinner since we will not see them at Thanksgiving. Complete with dressing, turkey from the deli, green bean casserole, rolls, and pie for dessert -- apple, Hannah's favorite, and pumpkin, Jason's favorite. We actually all loved it!!

One of the fun things was that we were able to get our eyes on Hannah's school. She is a speech pathologist working with mostly 18-22 yr. olds. The architecture of the building is quite unique. Each section of the building has different ages and activities. They even had a really neat garden that the students work with. All of the students are disabled in some way.

We also were able to attend the church they are part of. Daniel and I are reading a book that their preacher, Mark Batterson, has written entitle In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day. It is challenging us to ask ourselves whether we are a people who run from our fears or are we a "lion chaser" -- people who face our fears, as hard as it may be. Are we praying bold prayers or do we just want life to be easy?

So, our trip felt wonderful as we were able to know where they are and what it looks like.

Thank you, Father for the time with our kids.