Welcome To New York

On Friday the 13th came the day of reunification with Papa! The day was no relief, however, until its conclusion at about 9pm. I took the day to clean and pack, so that I was a in a fair way to leave early. But the endless scavenger hunt to find the necessary documents for our mortgage was still underway. I found myself dragging both kids into my office that afternoon to scan and fax documents which had arrived at our house mail instead of in email, as we'd expected. But once we were all settled, I did manage to successfully drive the kids to Annapolis, to reunite Jon with the sleeping children and my exhausted self.

It was so sweet to be back together. Single parents get double halos in heaven and endless refills at the bar, man.

We spent one night in Maryland. Jon's family is mourning the sudden death of Dave's sister, Jon's Aunt Pat. His parents left on an early flight to attend the funeral, so we headed to Rochester earlier than expected.

There was a morning romp in the yard, first, which encountered 3 deer and one scary possum.

This was my week to reconnect with my first home, feeling myself once again belonging to it before we begin to create yet another new home in yet another state. It was time well spent.

Taylor Swift's 1989 (Adele's choice) got a lot of play on the road, and "Welcome to New York" especially. 

We had some dramatic colors in the Southern Tier. I haven't been up to NYS in May in many years. 

All week, someone besides Mummy read the bedtime stories. 

Monday morning we hit up this classic Wegman's for some picnic makings and then took off in a northwesterly direction. 

To Thirty Mile Point, where our family's campgrounds still thrives. Camp was not in session, but we had some recreation at the playground and by the water, cold and muddy thought it was. 

These are sights so familiar I can see them with my eyes closed. 

I think Jon looks good next to large bodies of water:

Many of the rocks write, chalk-like, on other rocks. Leah, my dear other L, and I used to leave each other messages. I wrote a commemorative one that day.

Miles especially loved skipping rocks. 

She found the water thrilling. Especially the sea gulls. 

Here's my "tutorial" on rock skipping, an art I've been practicing as long as I can remember.

And then, out of sheer determination, I got in. It was a ritual I'd promised myself for months, but I was kinda hoping it'd be a little warmer than the 40-something degrees. Thing is, when conditions are right, the Great Lakes are excellent swimming- the best, really. Water moves but not too roughly, no undertow, no salt to burn your eyes, just a gentle rocking sea. But it has to be still and hot for at least two days before this can be achieved. and on the 16th of May it was neither still nor warm. 

But I needed another baptism!

....ended up being a sprinkle job. It was startlingly cold!

The kids got their feet wet, though. 

And I was able to bring away some souvenir rocks, a couple of which ended up here: 

The family gave me some time to sit by myself. I needed it. 

Nevertheless, I was still exhausted when we got home to Dad's. But then, my agitated spirits got an unexpected lift. I had really given up on hearing any news about our mortgage, but then Jon disappeared with his phone, emerging only to smile at me and give a high-five, and I began to think we might be safe. 

When he was finally off the phone, I had the pleasure of hearing our mortgage had been approved. We really were going to move into the house! I'm still to superstitious to post pictures of the house here yet. Watch for when we close next month, though!

That God saw fit to deliver us from this trouble, and for the prayers and support of our community (far and near), I am swellingly grateful. I have had a Psalm of Praise for every day of the week. The move is real now, and I can lean into it, embrace it, instead of placing it behind a sealed door of Agitating Thoughts in my mind. Thank God. 

Here, the kids wait for Miss Agnes' arrival. They love the way she reads to them!