Where did the time go?

Yesterday, I took a trip down memory lane.  It was great, beautiful, and eye-opening.

I decided rather than sit in the house and watch another hallmark movie, that I would grab my camera and go for a ride.  I ended up in east Texas.  I love this part of the country and it brings back lots of fun family memories.  We had a lake house outside of Jefferson on Lake of the Pines.  We enjoyed growing up on this lake, laughing, crying, and arguing like siblings do...and parents telling us to stop it right now.

As I rode along, so many things popped into my mind.  The family gatherings from my dad's side of the family with all my great uncles and aunts, papaw, and lots of noise and food!  Always, the food at the Sutton gatherings with lots of football...well really only Arkansas talk.  So many gone and so few of us left, but such happy thoughts. 

Looking across this lake it brought back a memory that was so scary.  We had a boat that we had dry docked near the lake.  We always stopped to get the boat on the way to the house.  We took it down to the boat launch and in it went.  Hal and daddy boarded it to bring it around to the house and we went on by car to the house.  In a little while, daddy came walking into the house drenched from head to toe ~ cowboy boots and all!  Hal was slowing walking behind him white as a ghost and scared. 

 On the way to the house, a freak accident happened.  Daddy put the boat where he always did to go to the back of the boat and check something.  When he did something had happened to the gears and it started going in circles and threw him out of the boat.  Daddy told us that right as the motor was right by his head it suddenly stopped.  Hal had thought quick enough (God told him to) turn the key off.  Anyway, our very close call had a very happy ending, but a scary one.  Hal was probably between 10 and 12 and on down the line for our ages.  The lake was never the same for all of us.  It wasn't long before we sold the boat and soon the house.

  Yet, I smiled looking across the lake at how good life has been for all of us.  We celebrate the good and bad knowing that God has been with us through each step.  We celebrate family that we laughed with and will one day again.  Yet, we still have so much to still laugh and share together as family.  My parents are still going strong along with my siblings and their crews...along with my smaller crew of Kenny and I and our doggies.  Yet, life is still throwing us out of boats...not really boats, but obstacles that we must learn how to handle.  All of us must figure out that God is handling it all and we must trust and believe it.  The treasured family members have been examples of learning to do just that...trust God and move forward!

Memories are good for the soul.  I thought wow over fifty years since we started coming here to this part of Texas.  It still is beautiful.  It still is fun.  So I celebrate the good times and look forward to more holding God's hand through all!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie