For the first time ever, I left the boys home alone for one night. It was hard to drive away on Saturday afternoon...

The drive to Cultus was lovely. The trees on the mountainsides were spectacular and the new Chris Tomlin CD was sing-along-able.

After I arrived, had unloaded the food and turned the furnace on, I walked out to the beach, enjoying the balmy air. I prayed that I'd make it through the weekend without losing it. PMS has been brutal this month, and tears flow at less than a second's notice. Yes, it is embarassing.
Above all else I did not want to end up sobbing uncontrollably during some touchy feely sharing session.

When it got too dark to see the colours around me, I went back into the cabin and made it ready for the girls, lighting candles and melting chocolate.

I imagine I'll do things differently for the guys retreat. Less candles, more meat.


For the guys, there will be Nintendo and poker... the girls?

Nail polish, facial masks, foot baths, massagers and chick flicks -

Chocolate fondue.

Uh, yum?




This morning the weather turned ugly and by the time they were ready to leave we had 80 km winds and pelting rain/slush.

There were white caps on the lake.


I was in no hurry to pack up my truck. So I hung around the cabin for an hour, fighting off Alzheimer's by doing a Sudoku puzzle, wishing my kids were there with me. Finally, my missing them became a stronger emotion than my loving the solitude so I prepared to head home.

I stepped onto the deck and saw:

The storm had passed.

I drove around the lake under a canopy of brilliant yellow umbrellas:

Then stopped every five minutes to photograph leaves. It took me almost two hours to get home.

The house was not as clean as I had left it.

No. Not at all.

But it was still standing. No fires. No explosions. No rotting food odors.

Clint worked on Saturday night til 9:30, so Max stayed home with Drew and had a few friends over. Once Clint got home they all watched an old Kurt Russel movie, then played Nintendo til 1:30 am.

Max made sure Drew had his alarm clock reset then "acted like a dad" and turned out Drew's light.

Max is on set-up this month at church, so he walked over by 8:00 to put out the chairs and signs. Drew's alarm went off at 9:30, he got himself up and ready then ran to church by himself and sat with with Max.

Afterwards twelve of the youth went to A&W for lunch; Max took Drew along and paid for his meal.

By the time I got home, Drew was at my parent's place, Max was napping on the couch and Clint was getting ready to go back to his church's evening service.

No one missed me.

No one cleaned up after themselves.

But they got along.

Looked out for each other.

And went to church.

I coulda cried.

But I didn't.

October's PMS is over.

Three things I'm thankful for:

1. I have a wonderful place to go on weekends.

2. They went to church.

3. The awesome leaders our youth have.