For ten years, John has ministered and preached to all of you...
So the elders all agreed a sabbatical was long overdue.
A time to rest, read and renew without the pressures of ministry,
As well as some much needed down-time to spend with his family.
So instead of boring you with details of how we spent our time,
We thought we’d entertain you with some highlights through a rhyme.
We decided to stay home and lay low throughout the month of July
Deep cleaning and organizing our house, otherwise known as, “pig sty.”
At the end of the month, we packed our things and kids of young ages
Driving north in our van until we reached our good friends, the Gages.
After spending several fun days with our dear friends who moved away,
We packed up again and made our drive eastward to PA.
For the next two months, we settled down in Mindy’s mother’s house.
Though I wouldn’t describe our stay there as being quiet as a mouse.
While you were all in Texas, suffering in the drought and unbearable heat,
We enjoyed lush green landscapes, cool weather, and soft grass under our feet.
There are many beautiful places in Pennsylvania, we’ll have you know.
For instance, Longwood Gardens is a place to which we like to go.
For all the beauty that is found, there’s one place that Mindy holds dear,
The mountains of Central Pennsylvania, where she spent her early years.
September came, we camped near Rickett's Glen State Park,
a favorite spot of John’s.
We stayed in a cottage with a lake...
...and some really aggressive swans.
Ricketts Glen has 26 beautiful waterfalls, however, we saw only two.
You try hiking down steep, slippery rocks with this inexperienced crew!
The next weekend we drove to New Jersey to visit our friends, the Yohannans.
Doubling the household from six to twelve requires some serious plannin’!
The next day we drove south to see friends from Mindy’s college days
We then went home to celebrate the 3rd birthday of Mary Grace.
The next weekend we toured the city of Washington, D.C.
The White House and the monuments, and those museums that all are free.
The next two weeks we decided to relax for all that it was worth
Since we would drive south to spend a week at the ‘happiest place on earth.’
At Epcot we went “Soarin’” among other rides, and visited countries with our brood,
One favorite was “The Seas” with Nemo...
...where fish are friends, not food.
At Hollywood Studios we loved the Toy story and virtual Star Wars ride,
Eating at a restaurant and meeting more Disney characters inside.
Magic Kingdom was the kids’ favorite, they’ll proclaim with lots of vigor
Mary Grace loved the Winnie the Pooh ride, “’Cause you get to bounce wiff Tigger!”
Don’t forget the Peter pan ride or Pirates of the Caribbean,
Or flying Dumbo, riding roller coasters, or all the characters we’d be seein’.
At Animal Kingdom we saw animals from Komodo Dragons to tall giraffes,
We even met King Louie and Pocohontas, and got their autographs.
To stick to a schedule at Disney with 4 kids, you have to run faster than a jog.
When really the kids were content to hang out at the cabin to catch the frogs.
By the time we got home from all our adventures, our own beds felt like heaven.
We also thought we’d better tell you that our family of six will be seven.
We discovered this news way back in June, and our heads began to whirl.
It wasn’t until we came back to Texas that we found out it’s another girl.
This Thanksgiving we are very thankful for the for the 4 months we had together
For returning to our beloved Trinity family and to Texas in cooler weather.
John is thankful for time to read and pray and get closer to the Lord,
So that he can return energized to preach and minister the Word.
