An Irish Blessing.
May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always on your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rains fall soft upon your fields
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
Yesterday, I said goodbye to my parents. We had a wonderful two week visit with them here in California. It was a special treat and a blessing from the Lord for Danny and I to have the opportunity to have our families together under one roof. We packed so much into the two weeks; a trip to Disneyland, a few days in Monterey/Carmel, coffee together in downtown Paso, breakfast at Joe’s and into many many shops along the way, much to the delight of my mother! However the moments we enjoyed the most together were centered around our little Isabela. Like, when we met them at the airport and she squealed with delight like she knew them. Riding on the, “A Small World” boat and watching Izzy look at all the lights in wonder. Listening to my dad make a strange bird noise while Izzy giggled and grabbed his mouth, she would do it over and over again. It was hard to say goodbye after such a lovely time, but it was precious, and made us all smile, when Izzy literally gave my mum a kiss goodbye before they went to their departure gate. A sweet little moment in the midst of a difficult farewell, God is so gracious, even in the small things.
Here are some photos of our wonderful two weeks together. A glimpse into our scrapbook.
 |
| The magic of Disneyland. |
 |
| One of my favourite photos taken after a lovely lunch at the Apple Farm. |
 |
| Isabela loved looking at the fish at the Monterey Aquarium. |
 |
| izzy caught on real soon that Granda Parker was always up for some “craic” as we say in N.Ireland. (translation to English, fun!). |
 |
| Since we will not be together on Izzy’s first birthday we celebrated her 6th month birthday instead. We had cake and of course and new cupcake bib! |
 |
| One for the album. I love the way Ryan says, “Cheeks” in reference to his little cousin’s face. |
This final photo is the most precious of all. As I look at it I just praise God for the family I grew up with in the little village of Moygashel, and I thank the Lord for the family I married into, here in California. Danny and I are so blessed to come from families (including sisters, aunts and uncles and futher family) that love the Lord. It makes leaving for the missionfield so much easier because they understand the reason why we go. We love our families, we would never want to live away for them, just for the sake of adventure or independence. The only reason we leave is because we know with all our hearts that this is the life that God has called us to; to share His wonderful message of salvation with people that live in darkness, and need a Saviour. Goodbyes are always difficult, but in light of eternity, every goodbye just leads us one step closer to Home, where we will be together forevermore.
 |
| All because two people fell in love. |
Teacups in the Jungle 