Back From the North

Jim retired a year ago. What a big change! We decided to travel, staying in Minnesota for the summer and home to Georgia for the winter. It was working quite well, until this current financial crisis. Now, we are in God's hands, as we wonder and pray if we should be returning to the workforce.

That aside, we had a great year. We stayed in our 5th wheel at Shell Lake in Osage, Minnesota, where we are not directly on the lake but in the 2nd row of a 14 campers in three rows at Wilds Resort and Campground. The lake is 3,140 acres and shallow, with deepest areas of 18 feet. There are several weed and wild rice beds, which are perfect places to catch pan fish.

We were blessed to have some company: Jim's sister, Joy, and her hubby Kenny from Kathleen, GA...my daughter Robin, hubby Ted, and children, Natalie, Will, and Lydia from Olympia, WA...my sister, Kat from Horace, ND...my sister, Gayle, and her secial friend Al, from East Hampton, CT...and my daughter, Tracy, hubby Jeremy, and little boy, Owen from Moorhead, MN.

Besides staying at the lake, we took the RV on the road to Washington for a 2-week stay at Millersylvania Park for Will's 3rd birthday. We had such fun and pulling the 5th wheel was quite an education. We loved sight-seeing along the way and staying in different campgrounds. Belle isan also an adventurer! On the way back to the lake, we went through the Black Hills and to Mt. Rushmore...but we were on a timetable so couldnt dawdle too much.

The weekend we got back was a reunion/birthday party at Mom's on Big Cormorant Lake. Gayle and Al came from CT and Mom's brothers and sisters, from Northern and Southern Minnesota also attended. It was great to be with family more than once or twice a year.

On the way up to Minnesota and on the way back down to Georgia, we were able to stop and see Jim's daughters, Rachel and Sarah Mae. Rachel is a senior at Liberty University in Lynchberg, VA. Sarah Mae and her hubby Bert Parham live in Lexington, KY where they work and she also attends Asbury Seminary.

Now, we are settling into Dr. appointments, church and small group studies, and reconnecting with friends. We possibly won't be traveling for awhile, until next summer, but are hoping to take a winter trip to WA. to see the kids and kiddo's. We continue to make plans, and then we follow the changes in our plans as we tweak them to be more in line with God's plans for our lives. Whatever the future holds for us, we know we are in God's hands and need to consult Him first. It's great to be home!