The BEST Ewing vacation ever!!!!

I am UNABLE to count how many vacations have had to be cancelled due to medical issues in the past 16 years...trips to Florida, Big Cedar, North Little Rock...you name it and it has been postponed.  So this year, Brad and I were determined to surprise Spencer with a vacation that would not only celebrate his graduation from high school, but also make up for all his missed opportunities.  We made reservations in MARCH and I promise, anyone who knows me is really surprised I was able to keep a secret for that long!

The adventure began when Brad, Spencer and I left Saturday morning and all we told Spencer was to pack enough clothes for nine days and get in the car.  Spencer loves surprises as much as I do so it was important to keep him guessing.  After seven hours on the road, we stopped in Houston, TX at the airport and picked up Cole, who flew in from LA!  Surprise #1!!!!  I wish I had gotten a picture of Spencer's smile because it was PRECIOUS and PRICELESS!  What would a vacation be without your favorite sidekick?!  Another 45 minutes and we arrived in Galveston and I just couldn't stand it; I told Brad we HAD to tell Spencer or I was going to burst, so we did a drive-by of the dock and finally told him we were taking him on a cruise!  

Sunday morning, we boarded the Navigator of the Seas with Royal Caribbean and prepared ourselves for seven days of an amazing adventure.

Over the years, Brad has learned that I suffer from motion sickness in anything that moves; a cab in New York, a cab in Paris, the subway in Washington D.C., the Euro rail in Europe...you get the picture.  So, I was prepared with patches, pills and arm bands and I had nary a day of being sick and I was able to enjoy this view each and every day.

The view from the dining room was amazing.

Our first port of call was Cozumel, Mexico.  Brad and Cole went three reef snorkeling and Spencer and I "swam" with the Rays.  When I saw swam, I really mean Spencer held them, touched them and gave them kisses and I jumped around and screamed if one touched me.  Needless to say, I was super excited when the excursion was over!

Spencer just hangin with some sort of lizard that I am sure had fangs and a taste for human blood.

He was smiling but if you could read his mind, I am sure he was past ready to leave me behind and get back on the ship!

The next day, our port of call was Belize City, Belize.  We had no specific plans so we roamed around town and visited the shops.  However, our meandering was limited to a small section of the town where it was surrounded by a fence with soldiers guarding it armed with AK-47's.  Okey dokey, that cut our meandering short!

The last stop was our favorite...Roatan, Honduras with the most beautiful landscape and the nicest people.

Cole danced with the locals,

we explored the town, and

we ended up in the jungle where the boys decided to go zip lining!

We had to go find Mama a cocktail after that adventure.

The rest of the trip, we enjoyed all the amazing amenities on the ship...

movie night at the pool,

the wave rider,

 the ice rink,

the impeccable service we received from David, our stateroom attendant, and

seven days of togetherness with NO wifi!

  Now, it's back to reality and trying to acclimate to the fact that there will be no pool time and fruity umbrella drinks at 10:00am, but loving that we were able to spend the perfect vacation together.

"Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other."
~Romans 12:10

I thought I was ready for college, but I was wrong!

I was fine.  Honestly.  From the time that Spencer was accepted to Ouachita Baptist University, I knew that within a few short months he would be leaving for college and living ON.  HIS.  OWN.  I knew this.  I was fine.  And then, I wasn't.  I wasn't fine at all; in fact, I was a mess and just one tear away from "the ugly cry".

We arrived at OBU on Saturday for ER (early registration) and to get Spencer's class schedule.  The fact that it was a gray day that was threatening rain did not help my mood.  But, I was calm and happy to be involved in this right of passage that so many parents before me have traveled.  I was all smiles when we saw old friends and sat through the welcome announcements.  Then, the students were sent to visit with their academic advisor and Spencer was gone.  It was just Brad and I sitting alone in the auditorium.  And, at that moment it hit me that Spencer was actually going to be living on campus and going to school and that he would be the one figuring everything out on his own...the medical issues and the school/study/fun/laundry/study/stress issues.  And it was too much.  I could feel it building but I tried to keep it in check because my husband of 23+ years has no clue what to do when I cry.  But it was futile and once the tears appeared, they would not stop.

I know what you are going to say.  "Thousands of parents have sent their children off to college and they have lived."  Did the parents live or only the kids because from where I am standing, it's not looking good for me.  Did any those kiddos have the type of medical issues that Spencer has had and does have to this day?  Maybe, but I'm sure he is not the first person to go to college who has had "challenges".

We left campus all in one piece and made it home with nary a tear from anyone in our car!  I hope a year from now I will look back and see what an awesome job we did preparing Spencer for this next adventure.  And I hope my memories do not include a padded cell for me.  Just sayin.

Mr. Smiley is working at Dickey-Stephens park this summer when the Travs are in town.  Stop by and give him a hard time!

"For I can do everything, with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need."
~Philippians 4:13

Saying Goodbye to Golden Pond

Ten years ago, we were blessed to build our dream home on top of a mountain and live the "country" life for a while.  Honestly, Brad and I find it hard to believe that 10 years has passed so quickly and the next adventure in our lives is beginning.

Living in Ferndale was literally a dream come true and we will always remember the amazing sunsets, the wonderful (but few) neighbors, the varmints menagerie of God's creatures in all shapes and sizes, snow sledding days, shooting stars, the hilarious story of how the hill in front of the pond became known as "Carney Hill" (ask Craig about that one!), the boys camping out in the woods on New Year's Day and coming home frozen, the Super Bowl, World Series and March Madness parties too numerous to count, and every holiday with our family's laughter filling the rooms.  

We bought our property five years before we built our house and by the time we finally moved in, we were all giddy with anticipation of living in the woods.  When I sent out our change of address cards, I thought this picture expressed how we ALL felt!

Ten years later, they didn't seem quite as excited about the move.

But we know that God's adventure for our family is better than anything we could ever imagine, and so we have made the move to the big town of Little Rock.  Not only are we back in the neighborhood we lived in before we moved to Ferndale, we are actually on the same street as well!  We still have a lot of boxes to unpack and I did find out the hard way that I can't run to my car with a towel wrapped around me without running into neighbors (YIKES!), but other than that, it's all good.  

I do have the PERFECT place for my morning devotional!

Our plan is to stay in Little Rock for at least another year while Spencer completes his first year of college and Brad finishes up his current projects.  We have no idea what God's plan is but we will try to keep up and pay attention.  It's all about faith.

"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise."

~Hebrews 10:23

Another Successfull Ewing Trifecta Weekend

Twenty-three years ago when I had nary a wrinkle or cellulite or a care in the world, I fell madly in love with this cute guy who was transferred to our office from, of all places, California.  We had obstacles (no inter-office dating and we both were dating other people!) but love conquers all and six months later, we were walking down the aisle and honeymooning in Taos, New Mexico where I took ski lessons with "Sven" while Brad-the-professional skied the black diamond slopes.  Best decision I EVER made (the wedding and the ski lessons).

Eight years later, we had a precious two-year-old boy and another one on the way when my birthday (3/13) and our anniversary (3/14) rolled around.  Cole's due date was March 17th so to say that I was huge is an understatement.  Brad and I decided to celebrate at Shogun's Japanese Steakhouse and because I have the most loving husband, he invited "acquaintances" to go to dinner with us.  Not close friends.  Actually, we had only met the husband a couple of times and never the wife.  But I digress.  We all meet at Shogun's and let's just say that I was beyond ravenous.  I ate all of my dinner (and if you know their portions, you know they are HUGE), then I finished Brad's and then I proceeded to eat "Larry's" dinner.  Larry.  Our "friend".  Who looked at me as if I had two heads.  Two heads that were simultaneously finishing his dinner. 

After everyone's dinner had been consumed by moi, we decided to go to Cafe D'roma (I miss that place) where I may have eaten a piece of triple layer chocolate cake and had three glasses of milk.  Larry didn't have any cake.

At 2:00am, I woke Brad up and told him I was having contractions.  He said it was probably indigestion.  Then my water broke.  Ha, I knew I was in labor.  Eighteen hours later, my Ob Gyn informed me that the cord was wrapped around Cole's neck and I was wheeled in for an emergency C-section.  I may never have a flat stomach but I have the most precious boys in the world.

So this weekend, as we celebrated my 48th birthday, our 23rd wedding anniversary and Cole's 17th birthday, I am reminded how incredibly blessed, blessed and blessed my life is with these precious men in my life.  And I'm wondering if Larry and his wife have had time to recover from our encounter.

Love that my family and friends know me so well...flowers, chocolate and cards alluding to how much I love coffee and wine!

"Love is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  Love does not demand its own way.  Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged."

~1 Corinthians 13:4-5

We sold our house! Let the adventure begin!!!

Awestruck, terrified and frantic; the first three adjectives to race through my mind when Brad called and said that we had sold our house.  We were so sure that after seven months on the market, our voyage into the land of keeping-your-house-clean-just-in-case mode was sure to last much longer.  But, somehow in the midst of life's chaos, a couple fell in love with our dream house and decided they could not live without it, and now we are planning our next adventure of living in the city.

Of course, the timing on this whole situation was not MY timing; somehow God's schedule and my schedule rarely coincide.  Whereas, I thought that the best plan would have been to sell our house last summer when Brad was finished with all of his projects and we were all ready to move to LA, obviously, God's plan is different and better.  So, we will be renting a house in Little Rock while we get Spencer ready for college and Brad will finish his current projects.  Then, a move to the state of sun and sand is definitely on our agenda. 

Our last winter on the mountain was quite memorable and after a total of 11 days stranded due to snow and ice, we can honestly say that we had the BEST winter ever.

We used the sled and the toboggan...

We walked to Kanis so friends could pick us up to go in town...

and, we had marathon Monopoly games that Baby Kitty felt the need to supervise...

In the midst of Spencer's college prep, scholarship applications, selling our house and moving, Cole needed to be in Los Angeles so he flew out today and will be there for five weeks.  FIVE WEEKS.  Without me.  And when he does return home, it will be to a new house and a new room. 

So many changes but does he look worried?

After ten years in our dream home, we are so excited to see where this new adventure will take us.  Stay tuned for all the fun!

"Praise the Lord, I tell myself, with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.  Praise the Lord, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me."
~Psalm 103:1-2

Proud Parents

By now, if you are friends with me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter or even if you are a complete stranger who just happens to enter my personal space, you have undoubtedly been inundated with my ENDLESS talking and posts about Cole's upcoming episodes of Lab Rats on Disney XD (I'm a shameless promoter with no apology!).  Last night was the night for the first of seven episodes and I will admit that I was unusually nervous for Cole's debut on television but everyone else in the family acted like it was a normal day...

Cole folded laundry while checking Twitter ;)

and Mr. Smiley worked on school.  Around 6:00pm, eight teenagers descended upon our house and scarfed down pizza and cupcakes because, of course, nourishment was needed before they could watch the show!

Love that our boys have such awesome friends.

If you want to watch his episode but don't get the Disney XD channel, last night's episode "Rise of the Secret Soldiers" should be available to view on You Tube and eventually on Netflix.  Plans for Cole's next three episodes are currently scheduled to air February 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

Scary!!!!

More exciting news came our way when Spencer received a letter from Hope International University in Fullerton, CA notifying him that he was accepted into their Psychology program and that he had also received the Dean's Scholarship Award!  Being the very bright young man that he is, Spencer applied to a college in Arkansas as well as California so he would have a choice no matter where his parents may live.

If you had told me ten years ago where our lives would be today, there's no way I would have believed any of it.  Just goes to show that our God has bigger dreams for us than we can ever imagine.

"I will answer them before they even call to me.  While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!"

~Isaiah 65:24

Am I Ready for This?

I have to admit that up until this year, I am one of those people who is taking down the Christmas decorations as the kids are opening their presents.  By the time they're opening the second gift, I'm dragging the storage boxes out and asking them to put ornaments and stockings away before the gifts have even made it out of their original packaging.

Except for this year.  It's January 18th and the dead tree is still lit and decorated (although it is listing to the left and the top strand of lights are burned out), the stockings are still hanging around the fireplace and "kitchen Santa" still has the menu from Christmas Day.

I think I'm in denial that this will probably be our last Christmas for all of us to be living under the same roof.  Spencer keeps reminding me that at this time next year, he will have completed his first semester at college and be home for Christmas break.  Dear son, as if I don't think about that prospect every second I am awake, thank you for reminding me with that precious smile on your face.

Then, Brad and I were talking this weekend and he said he couldn't believe that in two years, both boys will be out of the house.  What?  BOTH boys?  No way.  We may let Spencer go to college but there's NO WAY I am letting Cole move out of the house!  What in the world?!  In answer to the distressed look on my face, Brad said, "Don't worry.  We'll make new memories."  Nope, I'm not ready.

To top it off, Spencer's 19th birthday is tomorrow.  NINETEEN!  How can the tiny baby we brought home already be old enough to go to college and make his own decisions.  Deep breath.

Spencer's friends, Jake and Seth, came over Saturday and after a riddle/scavenger hunt game, they all headed off to the movies and Brad and I got to sit and watch a movie and drink wine.  Ok, maybe this isn't so bad.

Love these faces.

Sunday afternoon found the Ewing family at the bowling alley and although I like to think of it as quality time and good family fun, I have a son who thinks it is all about the competition and who wins (one guess who that is!).  Needless to say, the most competitive person in the world didn't win and his face left no doubt to that fact.

Love that Brad photo bombed them!

I'm pretty sure that since the beginning of man, mother's have been trying to get used to their children growing up and going off to hunt dinosaurs, leaving to fight in a war or going off to college.  I'm confident I can do this...right after another cup of coffee and another glass of wine.  Not necessarily in that order.

"Go in peace..."

~1 Samuel 20:42