Life in a Small Town

The last few days have been quite busy around here. Wednesday we decided to go exploring to find new hiking trails. We ended up at Roques Bluff, which was absolutely beautiful! Due to the terrain, Chris took the girls hiking while Boogie and I found a small playground. One of the sweet things about this place is the friendliness of its people. Everywhere we go people are super helpful and truly interested in getting to know us. The playground was no exception. I met this sweet college gal who was home for the summer and there playing with her little sisters. Danielle gave me more information on the history of the town and tips on how to enjoy the 4th of July. Apparently, they do Independence Day big around here 🙂 I am so enjoying getting to know this home away from home.

On Thursday, we celebrated Hannah’s 6th birthday. I can’t believe our girl has gotten so big! She’s turning into quite the young lady. She’s incredibly inquisitive, compassionate, hilarious, and fun to be around. She’s loved by her sister and brother and enjoys making friends wherever she goes. This day started off with a Daddy/daughter breakfast date, snuggling on the cough watching her favorite movie (is was cold and rainy), and ended up with swimming, burgers, and a small birthday party. Since we’re away from home, it was so special to have her cousins call and join in singing Happy Birthday. Hannah said: “This was my best birthday EVER!”

Chris has also given me some much needed “girl time.” We’ve gotten involved with a sweet church here, and I was able go with their ladies to Campobello Island for lunch. (Campobello Island is in New Brunswick Canada.) I’ll admit, it was super fun for me to grab my passport on the way out. I learned that Campobello Island is where the Roosevelts had their summer home. One of the ladies, who organized the luncheon, grew up on the island and her father was a ship builder who repaired/built boats for the Roosevelts. What fun to hear stories of lobster fishing, boat building, and summer homes! Life up here is so different from life in Louisiana.

The luncheon also gave me the opportunity to spend time with the pastor’s wife, Marcy, and discover that we truly are kindred spirits. Friday, they invited us over for lunch, and what a blessing it was to be with their family! Their girls played well with ours, and we enjoyed hearing more of their story. How thankful we are that God has given us this family! We look forward to many more lunches, suppers, and playdates.

This week we have been overcome by the blessing of our loving Father. We’ve only been here a week, but, at times, it feels much longer…and we are thankful for that! I’m enjoying every minute of downtime with my sweet family. I love how God has deepened our love for each other during this season of rest. It’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of everyday life, and our time here has forced us to slow down, really look at each other, and learn how to actually spend time together instead of just passing time.