Adventures in Traveling

07 July 5 (3)

The sun is rising while I sit, looking out my hotel window, with a view of San Francisco Bay, watching as planes land and take-off.  It’s peaceful and I am relaxed and rested after a good night’s sleep. A far cry from the forbidden stress of a crazy travel day yesterday.

Ever heard that saying, “red in the morning, sailors take warning. Red at night, sailors delight.” For us yesterday it was fitting  except I would change ‘sailors’ to ‘travelers’.  When we left the house promptly at 6:00 am I commented on how intensely red the sky was and hoped it wasn’t a sign of the day to come.

It was.

Long story short – for the first leg of our travel we took two separate flights from Dallas to San Francisco.  Don’t ask – it’s just the way it was.  For me and my sixteen year old, Patrick, it was a breeze.  For my mom, aka Granny, and my fourteen year old, Ben, it wasn’t. While our flights were only 30 minutes apart for a variety of reasons we left right on time but they left 2 hours late.

Emma & PatrickIn the end, Patrick got to have a little adventure – taking an international flight all on his own while navigating security on this end and customs and immigration in China.  I can’t wait to hear the details when we finally catch up.

I stayed behind for Granny and Ben and the adrenaline flowed as we attempted to get them off quickly, claim their bags, run from the domestic terminal to the international and get bags rechecked for our next flight.

No such luck and we had to rebook to try again today.

While the day brought it’s fair share of stress we encountered a multitude of angels.  San Francisco peeps rock and we have met several wonderful people who did what they could to help us. It made the stress of the situation a little more bearable.

Ben and Teresa

Today is a new day and it will be a good one.  And, hopefully the next time I write it will be from our final destination in China!

安全旅行 和这一伟大的日子 safe travels and make it a great day in Mandarin (I think.) 🙂

Countless Bluebonnets

Summer is around the corner and the countless bluebonnets of 2016 are past their peak.  Always a beautiful sight to see here is one more look before barbecues, beach parties and bug catching ( that is, lightning bugs) sets in.

Ennis, Tx Bluebonnets

See you next year Spring.  Hello Summer!

Eighth Gradeitis

Senioritis: that time of year when seniors in high school or college are so close to finishing but aren’t there quite yet. When time slows to a crawl, and it seems like graduation day will never arrive.

Eighth Gradeitis: Senioritis for 8th graders.

The next generation of 9th-12th graders are finishing their middle school years and are on the cusp of that great big new exciting world called high school.

My own 8th grader, Ben, said to me a couple of weeks ago, “I am soooo ready to be in high school.”

“I know you are – but you still have to get through these next few weeks of school.”

Saying that also prompted me to remind him to slow down and live in the moment.  Don’t forget about today because you’re so focused on starting high school.

After all – as an 8th grader he is doing many things for the last time.  Like the sports in which he participates.  High school will be much more competitive, and chances are he won’t be able to play volleyball, basketball, soccer AND baseball.

Also, for now, he and his classmates are the BIG kids on campus.  Next year….it’s back to the bottom of the heap.

I told him, “Be excited about your future but don’t live just for tomorrow.  Enjoy today and relish all the things you have going on right now.”

Isn’t that a good lesson/reminder for all of us?

The 8th grade class of 2016 – blink and it will be 2020.  Just like that they’ll be graduating high school.

May 6 8th grade class
copyright and photo credit to Don Chamblee Photography

Reminder to self – enjoy this remarkable young man now.  The next four years will go by way faster than I think they will.

Joshua 29:11 For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.

 

Admiration for Pope Francis

This weeks photo challenge was depicting admiration for either a person or a place.  After giving it a little thought I knew my choice had to be Pope Francis.

When he was elected on March 14, 2013 I had no idea who Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina was.  But from the moment he stepped out onto that balcony in Vatican Square saying, “let’s always pray for ourselves, one for the other, let’s pray for the whole world, for a great brotherhood.” And, “please pray for me” I was enamored.

A beautiful spring day and, in the middle of a school break, my family and I had taken a daytrip to Downtown Dallas to see the brand new Klyde Warren Park when the announcement was made.  It just so happens that the park is right down the street from Cathedral Guadalupe.  As ‘pope watch’ notifications started jamming up my phone the bells at the cathedral began tolling. We left the park and went back to the church where news crews were arriving on the scene to talk to faithful Catholics in the area.  As the bells kept up their ringing the church staff hung drapes to celebrate our new leadership.  The excitement was palpable and intense.  It was so much fun to be downtown with the bells and people – I’ll always remember that afternoon!

Last year, when he visited the U.S. I was so excited I could barely contain myself.  PatrickSitting at the doctor with my hurt son (turns out he ruptured ligaments in his foot – ouch) I watched his arrival on my phone and was hard-pressed not to jump up and down and call out updates. I came close to mortifying my 16 year-old who was terrified I would not actually be able to contain my enthusiasm.

Pope Francis 3

 

 

 

 

Our church happened to be doing our annual fundraiser/carnival during the same time as his visit.  We had a large cut-out of the Pope for photo ops. I may have looked for several opportunities to get my picture with ‘The Pope’.

I am a dork and I am okay with this because Pope Francis is wonderful.

He continues to encourage each of us to love and humbly serve one another.  He is the living action – not just saying the words but setting the example everyday.

I admire him immensely.

Weekly Photo Challenge – Admiration

Weekly Photo Challenge – Landscapes

WPC:  Landscapes

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/landscape

One of my very favorite vacations ever was when we visited Moose Lake, Montana.  I was in the early stages of playing with photography, but the scenery was so magnificent that the pictures couldn’t help but come out good.

Moose Lake Poppy Moose Lake MT creek Moose Lake MT

 

all copyrights belong to @terezpics  2009 and mycrazygracedlife.com

 

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Small Roads

This challenge took me much longer than I had planned or anticipated.  It’s always fun, though, looking through my archives and taking that inevitable trip down memory lane.

My roads stretch from Texas and Tennessee to Europe, China and Japan.  I’m fond of saying, “Have passport – will travel” and I’m always ready for a new adventure!

St. Joe, TX 2001Visiting friends on their 100 acres in Texas.  So much land they had their own dirt roads.

Tennessee 2003Spending time in Tennessee when my baby was still a baby and my niece was still a little girl.(now she’s in college in Scotland!)

Small road and well-traveled alleyway off the beaten path in Beijing, China.

Great Wall, Beijing 2008

While the Great Wall may not qualify as a small street, alleyway, parking lot or driveway now, let’s face it – at one time or another it probably served each of those functions.

Co Cork 2008This small street in Co Cork, Ireland is similar to many streets found across the Atlantic pond. 

Brugge Belgium 2008The cobbled alleys in Bruge, Belgium took quaint to new heights.

Finally, Taiki-chō, Hokkaido, Japan.  Absolutely stunning country roads with the Hidaka Mountain Range in the background.

Thanks for joining me on my roads-less-traveled adventure today!

 

Weekly Photo Challenge – Dance

Happy. Smiling. Living the moment. Enjoying the life.

Dancing.

One of many favorite pictures I have of my boys.

photo copyright @terezpics 2004

They were 3 and 5 years-old in this picture and now they are 14 and 16.  They are still apt to be just as fun-loving and goofy.  Just not as keen on me getting pictures of it.

Ben and Patrick under the railroad trellis

No matter – I love my boys to bits.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/dance/

A Spring Sunday

Sunday morning brought blue skies, warm temperatures and a sprinkling of clouds.  It was a beautiful contrast to the week  just finished, which had been dreary, gray, cloudy and rainy.

Having enjoyed Mass followed by lunch with friends, the weather was too pretty to stay inside.  So, with hubby out of town and, looking to spend some time with my boys, I coaxed my teenagers into putting on their shoes – and putting down the game controllers – to go for a walk.

After loading dogs, baseball gloves and the camera into the car we headed off to explore a newly completed walking/biking trail in our town.

A relaxing, laid-back time was had by all as we wandered, played, explored and enjoyed each others company.  The mild temperatures and rain ‘greened’ everything up – seemingly overnight – and the natural beauty we experienced was fresh and new.  Flowers and trees in various stages of blooming along with green, green and more green everywhere we looked.

I managed to snap a few good pictures; capturing moments on this journey called The Teenage Years.  At 14 and 16, my boys, in the blink of an eye, will be heading off to begin the next chapters of their lives and  I’m grateful for these moments of togetherness.

all copyrights belong to @terezpics  2016 and mycrazygracedlife.com

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Indoor Seating

As soon as I read the prompt my mind jumped to an image of my husband and granddaughter.
Sitting on hard bleachers with no back support for extended periods is never thrilling or exciting.  So, why would someone stay in place any longer than necessary?  For the love of a sleeping child.
At 14 months-old the anticipation of her father receiving his doctorate was exhausting.  Or, maybe it was just way past her nap time.  Whatever the reason, she fell asleep in grandpa’s arms and him, not wanting to disturb her, sat in the seats for several minutes after graduation ended and the crowd had disbursed.
What a sweet baby.  And what a loving grandpa.

photo copyright @terezpics 2015

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Indoor Seating

WPC: One Love

In my world one love has a domino effect.

Matthew 22: 36-38 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”37 He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and the first commandment.

property of terezpics 10/20141 John 3:16a The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us.

 

Matthew 22: 39 The second is like it:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (represented by my beloved family)Photo cred to Kyon Photography

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins.

 

 

authors note:  Photo cred for the crucifix belongs to me @terezpics.  However, photo cred for the group photo of my family goes to KYon Photography.  Check out more of her pictures on Facebook.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/one-love/