Some days out on the road are filled with adventure, while others are ripe for rest and relaxation. Day 8 turned out to be one of those days. We did not plan anything, as it was our first full day in the Washington area, and that turned out to be a huge blessing. Since we had an issue with our campsite the night before, we knew we had to deal with moving the RV to another site once management arrived. Fortunately, the day manager came by and let Tammy know they had found us a much better permanent site for the rest of the trip. I had a 25 minute break between meetings, which turned out to be just enough time to move the RV, back it in, level it and put out the slideouts.
After relocating to a new campsite, I finished my work day while the girls rode their bikes around to explore the campground. In the middle of the main loop, there is a large field with a Gaga Ball court, play structure and a pavilion. Naomi can’t stop talking about playing Gaga Ball, so I’m sure we’ll be doing that soon. And there is a huge water park, which we somehow missed as we researched the facility, so a visit there may end up on our agenda at some point next week. Tammy did a little clean up and grocery shopping for the next few days, as RV life can only be sustained for 4-5 days at a time. Our refrigerator is smaller than a typical refrigerator in 1980, so it’s quite limited on how much food we can buy in advance.
On our way in yesterday, I noticed the park had a golf course, so it was imperative that I check it out. After I finished my work day, Hannah & I headed to the golf course for some practice. She isn’t too into golf yet, but she still enjoys hanging out with dad, and that’s good enough for me. She brought a book with her to read while I did a little short-game practice, and I hit a few balls on the range as well. She sat on some well-positioned picnic tables under a group of trees next to the chipping area to enjoy her book. For a public course, the facility had great practice areas, and hopefully I’ll be able to play the course before we leave.
Hannah has always been a strong reader. She started reading on her own at age 4, and she hasn’t stopped since. She’s read through several book series, including Little House on the Prairie & Harry Potter, and she is working through a series her friend let her borrow this summer. She’s also becoming a very strong writer, often journaling her thoughts in her diary at night. On the trip, Tammy has the girls writing in a journal every day to capture their thoughts from the day’s activities, and Hannah has had some really good entries, along with a few “because I have to” entries. We’re hoping these journals will always remind them of the experiences they’re having on this trip, and will be something they can share with their kids and grandkids some day.
(Photos courtesy of Hannah Griggs)
After a spaghetti dinner, we had our first campfire at this campsite, and the girls made their usual S’mores while we sat out under the stars and talked about our favorite parts of the trip so far. It was a fun, relaxing night and one of our favorites on the trip so far.
To end some of our nights, we’ve been reading through the books of Acts, and on this night, we read the second half of chapter 1. One area of our lives we’ve neglected to focus on with our kids is their spiritual development, and exposing them to the Bible and having conversations about what we’re reading is a critical component to that development.
We believe that Jesus came to the Earth as God in the flesh, lived a perfect life, was crucified at the hands of the Romans, rose on the third day, appeared to his disciples and many others (at least 500 at one time), and then ascended into Heaven to be with the Father. We believe this, not only because it’s written in the Bible, but also because it’s verified by non-Biblical, non-supportive sources of the time (i.e. Roman & Jewish historians).
We want to make sure our girls understand this critical event in history, of God’s redemption plan for humanity unfolding, as well as its significance for their lives personally as they grow up and one day make their decisions about their spiritual journey. Every person who follows Jesus has to make their own choice to do so, and we believe it is our job as their parents to expose them to the truth about Jesus, as well as discuss the competing claims in this world. This is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, aspects of parenting.
#bexcellentoday 