Our Weekend

It has been such a busy week that I haven’t found time to post pictures or a recap of our little weekend getaway.  On Friday last, all six of us drove to Austin where we dropped the four children with my parents for the weekend. Nana and Grandpa have been encouraging us for some time now to take a little break and let them handle the children for a night or two so Jay and I can just have some time off.  Which is really nice of them, considering all the work our four kids are!! and so we happily waved goodbye and headed off to nearby Hill Country to stay in a lovely little inn.

It was a great place and we picked it with relaxation and good food in mind. The inn

hf100_0575.JPG

is set on 100 acres, with trails aplenty for exploring, and beautiful views of the Texas country.

hf100_0552.JPG

They serve a big breakfast as well as supper on the premises, (here I am in the middle of the wonderful dining room):

hf100_0570.JPG

so if you just want to kick back and read, take a walk, enjoy a good meal, and be lazy for a day or two, it is a perfect place. The room are really nice as well, with cozy beds (here is where Jay slept),

hf100_0602.JPG

beautiful antiques, and exquisitely appointed bathrooms. Which, as it turned out, was truly a high point for me, as I spent much of our “getaway” weekend sadly, quite sick. And in the company of not my handsome husband whom I had dreamed of spending so much quality time with, but instead, that lovely bathroom, where I slept:

hf100_0563.JPG

Ok, that is a joke, but not too far from the truth!

I knew my tummy was not happy before we got to our inn, but had hoped and prayed it was a temporary state of affairs. Sadly, it was not. And given the menu for our meals was pre-done, we really couldn’t request the lighter, gentler fare I needed. And so at each meal I tried bravely to enjoy the glorious food set in front of me, and with each passing hour, my stomach got angrier and angrier at me for not listening to its cries of distress.  Oh the misery!

You must know, dear reader, how I struggled with frustration over the weekend.  And even felt a bit peeved with God, who of course had the ability to remove my ailment but who despite my pleas for a healthy stomach, appeared to answer “no”.  I kept reminding him (you know, just in case for a moment there He, um, forgot?) that Jay and I get very little “alone” time and couldn’t He maybe save this rotten virus for another day, and maybe allow us to get our money’s worth out of this wonderful weekend we had been planning for so long? Was that really so much to ask? Hmmm?

And on Saturday, I actually did have a few hours where I felt pretty good: we had a nice (and even educational) outing to a nearby ranch that produces olive oil and also houses a winery on its premises. We enjoyed a light lunch afterward

hf100_0612.JPG

at a charming little restaurant which you must visit if you are ever near Wimberly, called The Leaning Pear.  The young owners (who are Aggies!), as well as their staff are lovely people, and the food is delicious and very fresh. We saw several waitresses hoof it out to the herb garden just behind the restaurant to cut fresh basil, etc for the food as it was being prepared. Oh how I do digress…

The point of all of this is that throughout the weekend, as I over and over prayed for relief from my woes, the verse I kept remembering was in Corinthians where poor Paul is pleading for the Lord to remove a “thorn” that ails him and God doesn’t take it away. Nor does He really give him any huge bolt of lightening regarding why is he suffering, or what huge purpose it might serve. God just gently tells him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

And I was reminded, as horrible as I felt, that God’s grace is felt over and over, everyday in my life, the good days, and the bad days. That it was a blessing to even be able to go away and take a break, that if I had to be sick, I was in a restful, peaceful place with a man who loves me dearly, and most of all, in the care of a good and loving God.  And while my tummy still hurt, I was thankful for that reassurance.

On Sunday we called home to my doctor on our way back to pick up our children. Dr. F put me on a liquid diet to rest my insides, and after a few days of very little food, things are much, much better.

A big thank-you is in order to my folks, who took stunningly great care of our progeny all weekend, and really enjoyed it and even asked us to bring them back soon when I am feeling better for another go at this weekend getaway thing. Thanks, Mom and Dad — You guys did great. And yes, sure, we’ll bring them back.

hf100_0614.JPG

3 Replies to “Our Weekend”

  1. You look quite lovely for being so sick! Sounds like a few conversations I had with God while preggers! My throat is tightening up just thinking about it.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *