Thursday, March 20, 2008.  We woke up as usual on that morning.  We ate breakfast, as usual. Mark went to work, as usual.  From thereafter, it was unusual.  I started packing up our duffle bags and pulling hiking boots out and filling up our Camelbak water packs.

This is when Seth decided things were not going to be normal.  We don't tell him too far in advance when we are going somewhere because we don't want to stress him out.  "Where are we going?" Came the inevitable question.  "We are going to go hiking with our friends down in Arkansas for the weekend."  I told him. "Why?"  "For how long?" "Where will we sleep?" "How will we eat?"  Then as we travel. - "When will we be there?"

I can imagine that in his mind, unless I showed him everything on the map and gave him exact moments when we would arrive somewhere, it is just plain nebulus to him.  At home he has exact moments of time all laid out.  When to eat, when to sleep, when to brush teeth, when dad is coming home....

"Soon we will be there, Seth.  I know it seems like a long way."  It truly did seem far.  It ended up being 5 hours to our friends -friends home.  They lived way, way, way far out in the boonies!  And you thought I live far out!  Oh, Hoooooe.  Nope!  These people did, though!  We drove down, down down, then up, up, up over mountains that I did not know even existed in the state of AR!  It was beautiful!  Way, way, way back down the lanes, over the Buffalo River which was recently quite swelled by the incessant coming down of rain we recently had. We finally made it to their home after dark settled in. 

The M's were quite hospitable to us all!  Food was prepared and waiting for us at their generous table.  I think Seth was quite relieved when he saw that the place where we were actually had food for him to eat.  Now he could really settle in!  We were quite tired by now as the day had droned on for quite some time.  It was 10pm.  The M's brought us out to their guest apartment.  The V's slept downstairs and we climbed the ladder to the upstairs room.  It was all quite nice.  Seth conked out pronto once his teeth were brushed and his pj's were on and the bed made up.

The wind howled through the night.  "OooooooOOOooooo!" it sounded through the windows and across the screens and around the cracks and in the pines!  We slept well and awoke to the peace and serenity that surrounded the countryside.

What would happen today?  Find out next writing!

Until Then, Find a peaceful corner, stop, pray, and Thank Your Heavenly Father for the freedoms you have and for the people that are special to you!'

Nancy Lynne!