What is my Legacy!

Well, I keep thinking that I need to update my blog...and I just don't know what to say...there is so much I have to say but what do people want to hear...well let me see what I can come up with.

The family reunion was awesome!  I had a great time with my family.  It was a wonderful time although I think it was too short.  Our theme was LEGACY.  We went back to Ohio which is where my dad grew up and where his parents died.  We went to two of his childhood homes.  The first one, my dad's sister had contacted the owners and they said we could go inside.  They let all 30 of us trounce through their house and reminisce.  The owners had really done a fabulous job of renovating but preserving the house.  The original wood floors were in..some of the original windows and such.  It was lovely!  Then we went to another house.  This house we hadn't contacted the owners...now let me back up.  Many of us had red shirts on.  We had red shirts made for the reunion for all of us to wear the the Reds game we were going to later.  So as all of these red shirted people invaded this little community I decided I should go tell the owners (if they were home) why we were standing in front of their house taking pictures.  So I go up to the door and a gentleman answers and I said, "I just wanted to let you know why we are taking pictures of your house.  You see my family used to own this house"....the man at this point interrupts and says "You mean the Millers?"  I almost fainted.  It turns out that these owners are the people that bought it from my grandmother 40+ years ago.  How cool is that.  We chatted with the owner for quite awhile and had a lovely time.  Then we went to a Reds game.  It was the Reds versus the Indians and although the Reds lost, the last 3 innings were so fantastic, it was a great day!

We had many devotions about legacy.  We talked about family tree and genealogies.  I specifically poked and prodded my aunt and uncle and my mom about stories and such for me to write down.  What I have found as I research genealogies I realize that the mundane stories that are our day to day lives, get lost even 2 generations out so it needs to be recorded now for future generations.  I did alot of thinking over the time we were there and I feel that I have probably done at very poor job at passing on the legacy that was passed to me.  We sat one night and sang hymns and songs that we grew up with and my girls don't know most of them.  We talked one night about the fact that one legacy that was strong in our family was that there was always unconditional love.  I can attest to that...no matter what I did in my life, no matter what came up, although I knew mom and dad would be upset, I never questioned their love.  I can only hope that I have passed that on to my family. 

What was the most significant thing of the weekend???  Well there was so much but I was overwhelmed with the power of my grandparents story.   They were not raised Christian and both became Christians later in life and then before they had children they prayed for their children to go into some form of ministry.  They had 3 children: 1 girl-missionary, 1 boy-pastor and missionary, 1 boy- pastor.  And let me say...lifetime service also.  That is AMAZING to me!  God is AMAZING!  I felt very ineffective and a bit embarrassed by what I think may be the lack of legacy that I have passed down. 

Tiana then flew with my mom and her cousin to Colorado and is spending several weeks there.  So Tabitha and I drove home.  I had hoped that I would have some time to do some family tree research but my time was limited but I pushed hard to have a couple hours to check out some cemeteries and I found the grave of some long lost relatives.  It was such a rush (I am sure that that is weird to some of you).  I also got some great contacts for other cemeteries but didn't have time to do the looking while I was there.  I have since found that Tabitha and I were standing in one of the cemeteries where my grandparents graves are..but I didn't know it...bummer.  But that is ok..I know where they are now...so I may make another trip down there for some pics.  I was very proud of Tabitha for being gracious and helping me do all the searching of these graves.  I think she might have enjoyed it a little also.

We got back and the next day Tabitha flew to Edmonton to spend a month with her mom.  So I am alone for a couple weeks.  When I tell people that, most people say, oh you'll be lonely.  Um, no, not so much.  I am decompressing from a very stressful and emotional year.  Last Saturday was the first Saturday that I didn't HAVE to go anywhere for a very long time.  It was wonderful.  I rearranged the kitchen a bit and have started planning a couple projects.  I am only alone for about 2 1/2 weeks and I threw in a colonoscopy in there too so no, I am not lonely most of the time.  I am peacefully content.  Tiana comes back next week and Tabitha will be back in August.

Wil finally deployed on the 10th.  He is heading to Libya on the HMCS Vancouver.  They are going to replace the HMCS Charlottetown.  I don't know how long he will be over there...my guess is about 6 months.  It takes a month to get there so I can't see it being much less than that.  I don't hear much from him, so I don't have much more to say.  I pray for him regularly and I miss him terribly.  I know he is glad that they are finally at sea...it was very stressful to not have a plan and try to plan for every possibility.  Now he has a specific mission to plan for and that will be a bit easier.  I still have no idea when he will be back so he'll be back when he is back.  I know I am on my own for the next little bit at least.

What is on the horizon?  Not much.  The girls and I will have all of August to finish up summer and then school starts after Labor Day. (I can't believe I have two 10th graders).  Tiana will stay at St Johns and Tabitha will stay at SFDCI.  I am thinking about making a trip to Michigan this fall but I am not sure about that.  No other plans for 2011 at this point.  Well, I think it is time to paint something too...lol.

2 countries and 3 states in 1 day...

There is a lot to say but I will update you briefly on our trip.  The girls and I left on Tuesday and we headed to Niagara Falls.  As I began the drive I realized that this trip is possible because of the trip we made last year from Colorado.  I am not a driver, I do not like driving.  I don't know if it is all the trips we took in the car as a kid or what but I am a flyer.  Well we drove from Colorado last year to Ontario and I pulled our big trailer the whole way.  I was so proud of myself for doing it and not having to stop any extra except for gas and because of that drive I didn't panic when I found out Wil wasn't going to be here for this one and I would have to drive it alone!  So thanks be to God for preparing me for this...last year. I love seeing things like that in my life...now on to the trip.

I drove through Toronto for the first time since our trip last year where the Trailblazer broke down there and felt a great sense of relief when we were through it and were still driving.  Then on to the Falls.  Needless to say it was beautiful.  What a great little touristy, fun town.  We went on a Maid of the Mist boat tour and got so close to the falls that even with rain ponchos we got drenched.  But it was soooooo coool.  We had a lovely night and decided we will definately have to come back.

Wednesday we headed for Ohio and Cedar Point.  Again, no problems.  We crossed to border and had a not so pleasant border guard, no smiles.  I kept thinking "just the facts, ma'am".  It was my first time bringing Tabitha across without Wil but he only asked me how I knew Tiana.  Funny...but I think it is because her last name is different...even though our passports are blue (US) and Tabithas is green (Canadian).  So on to the States.  We got caught in a lot of construction in Pennsylvania so that slowed us a bit but we made it to Sanduskey.  We stayed at a hotel that has a water park inside so that is what we did for the afternoon and then just chilled for dinner.  Then Thursday it was all about Cedar Point.

Because of the hotel we stayed at, we got in to the park 1 hour early.  Very cool.  So we went on the newest ride first "WindSeeker".  A very high swing.  It was fun but we all agreed, we were all a bit let down after all the hype.  Then we went on to conquer "Top Thrill Dragster".  This ride Tiana and I chickened out on the last time we were here and I have regreted it ever since.  It is extremely high and a super fast ride but we were determined to just do it.  Well Tabitha is not the experience coaster rider that Tiana and I are but she was determined to do it to.  I was so proud of her.  So we all did it.  Tiana and Tabitha sat together and I sat behind them and WHOOSH!  It was over.  It was a blast so we turned around and did it again right away.  That was the highlight of the day for Tabitha and I.  Tiana's hightlight was her doing the Sky Swing.  She paid extra to be strapped in to one of those swings where they pull you up, up, up, up, up.....forever and then she pulled the cord and plummeted toward the earth (ok that is what it looked like for mom).  She has wanted to do that for so long and I was so proud and extremely freaked out watching it.  We did a bunch of other rides and had some good amusement park food including Panda Express (they don't have that in Canada), frozen bananas, funnel cake fries and dippin dots and we walked until our feet couldn't walk anymore.  Oh, we had fun. 

At the end of the day we went down on the beach.  Oh, how I love the beach.  I stood with my feet in the sand and once again just felt "right".  That is how I always feel when on a beach and I realized that I think one of the reasons that I enjoy Ontario is because I am so much closer to water.  I love Colorado but I love beaches and warm water so much more.  It is so much a part of me and who I am.  I stood in the lake and listened to the waves yesterday and it just brought me peace.  I love it...and could have stayed there longer.

As I did at Niagara, I stood there and was very sad that Wil couldn't share this fantastic trip with us.  It was announced yesterday that the HMCS Vancouver (his ship) will be sailing to relieve the HMCS Charlottetown in Libya this month.  So, I get to be one of those wives that says, my husband is going to a war zone.  Even though I knew this was  probably going to happen, now it is real and I am struggling with it.  That is all I will say for now.  I can't dwell on it.

So today is on to Louisville, Kentucky for a family reunion.  I am so excited to see everyone.  Our reunion is themed "Legacy".  We will be revisiting old haunts and homes of my father and his siblings, we will see a Cincinnati Reds game and we will have fun remembering.  I am excited to show all my geneology work too!

I don't know what my legacy will be but it sure has made me think!  Denver and the Mile High Orchestra has a song called Legacy that is appropriate but I can't find it online right now so if you get a chance to hear it....it really hits home.

Love you all!