Wrestled all night

In Genesis 32: 22-30 Jacob wrestled all night long.  I am not a theologian so, I am not going to say that I totally understand these verses, but I find it very interesting.

I love  traveling, I really do. I love the business that we created to justify and pay for our traveling. Yesterday was just one of those days.  We were told we had to be at the show by 5:30 A.M. Wrong.  We had trouble setting up tables and those that did show up late were not at all interested in what we had.  It was hot, the people were not friendly, the fruit people cussed way to much, loudly. We had very little to eat for breakfast and lunch.   I left there hot and tired and discouraged and ready to go home.  During our afternoon walk, I discussed it with Mark  but could tell that he was not ready yet, so I dropped it.

I went to bed early....The first time I woke up , it was 10:00 P.M.,then 12:00 and later I looked at the clock at 2:00 A.M. and never went back to sleep.  I was not sick, stressed, or worried.  I just could  not go to sleep.  So, I started praying, all night. I felt like I was wrestling with God.  He showed me things that I needed to ask forgiveness for and things that I needed to let go.  I "counted my blessings" quoted scripture and songs and surrounded myself to Him. I told him that I love Him and asked Him to use me to bless others.  I got up at 5:30, feeling rested and went to work at the next show.

The first person I saw gave me a pretty piece of glass  that I bought and  left in her booth Monday. Her name is Barbara,(my sister's name).  She was a good neighbor and we spent the day helping each other. I bought 17 good items from a lady for a great price..  She told me that she was selling out because of her husband's heart attack.  I talked to her for a long time about the depression that follows being so hard to deal with and asked if I could pray for her and her husband.  I shared with her, that Mark came out of it a better man,  grateful for every day.  We exchanged business cards and I plan to call her tomorrow.  Later, I met a lady who was sending money to her homeless  daughter up north to come home with her two small children.  Her daughter's name is Becca and we decided that we would pray for each other's Becca.  All day, we met people that we could do little things for.

There was a nice breeze all day that made the heat bearable.  The people were friendly.  Mark was in a great mood.  We worked hard and played hard and had a great lunch, a nap and bible study.  We went for a long walk at dusk in Potts Preserve that ended up at  a fish camp with men sitting around telling tall tales. We came
 back and  grilled  out and priced stuff.  What a difference a day.....or a night can make. Thank You LORD, for another day.

`Day 10 The parental units return

This morning, we walked the beach at day break.   Riley finished his work first so I took him down stairs for a shuffle board game.  He won.  Then Mark took  them for one last beach trip to feed the birds and to swim one last time in our pool. It was hard saying goodbye to our special beach hotel

 We had a picnic at Blue Spring state park  to see  the manatee that come into the spring in the winter.  They are  awesome creatures.



 Becca and Riley are such good  kids that they are a joy and delight. Today was our last day of the redhead adventure We discussed not giving them back to the parents....but in the end, we decided that we were old and mom and dad would miss them too much.  Carrie and Phillip met us a Mt Dora. So until next time, they are going home and we are continuing our trip here in Central Florida.

day 9 awesome museum

This morning, the kids got breakfast in bed.  Mark and I did a 5 mile walk on the beach while the kids did their school work.  When we got back, Mark took the kids to the beach while I tried out the hammock.  Then,  we all swam in our heated pool.

 We ate a early snack/lunch and headed to the museum of art and science.  We stayed there for 5 hours.  We saw art, pottery and glass from all over the world and all the way back to B. C.  We saw large skeletons and found a kids science section  that we visited often.  We walked through a botanical garden.  The grand finality was a  planetarium and a laser show. Mark and I even bought some glass from the 19th century.

 We got back from the museum and  ate a snack. The kids fed their new friends stale crackers, oranges and left over chicken. Becca asked if this was cannibalism. We played another round of putt-putt golf, this time before dark. We swam in the heated indoor pool for 2 hours and played Marco Polo.  Mark  bought  fish and pasta and we cooked and ate a good supper. Then  we went out on the beach tonight to see the stars and constellations that we saw in the planetarium. We just missed a rocket blast off on the beach by 5 minutes that we did not even know about.  After the kids named all of the constellations, we headed  to the hammocks.  Mark and I successful got in one hammock together without flipping and almost fell asleep..  Becca was quietly laying in her hammock and Riley was busy flippping his hammock.  Good day and good night.

day 8 working vacation with the grands

I am blogging from the balcony, beach side, Daytona Beach. This  is our working vacation.

 We started the day with hotel breakfast and then drove to Webster to get the R.V. out of  storage.  While the kids did their school work sitting under a shade tree, we set up the tents and decorated tables at  Mt. Dora.  At this antique show, you set up on Wednesday, cover it up and don't  sell until Friday afternoon.

We all finished our work and headed to Deland for our favorite buffet.. with the a huge variety of food.  Then, we went out to the airport to check out the sky diving, but it was too  raining. 

 We decided to head to Daytona  beach and ride on the beach in the rain.  Riley got out and gathered a large community of bird friends with a pack of ritz crackers and oranges.  Becca got out when it stopped raining. While we walked on the beach, and chased birds and watched  dolphins,  Mark checked out hotels.  He found one, very close, with an indoor pool  and a  kitchen  at off season rates  The rate changes next week because of the  Daytona 500 race. 

 While Mark bought a few grocery for our kitchen,  I went and bought the kids swim suits next door.  We loved the huge heated pool with jacuzzi shoots. We went back to the beach, but it was too cold with wet clothes. We went back to the heated pool,  after the kids checked out the hammocks. Then.  we came in and ate supper in the room.  We headed down stairs and played flashlight put-put golf.....don't asked . The we played shuffle board until the rain ran us back into the hotel.  I am sitting on the balcony with Mark  listening to the waves and chillin.  The kids are watching cartoons in bed.  This a work day, it is a tough job, but some one has to do it.

Day 7

Today, we got the kids up early to get their school work done.  Mark stayed home with them so that I could go to my bible study at FBC.  Mark took them up town for his errands and cooked lunch so that we could  we could leave ASAP.

 These kids are great travelers.  We stayed on the road for 4 hours and made it to our hotel with out any stops.  Riley got out and jumped in the pool.   It was cold.  He got out and took a warm shower and we drove to store to get snacks. Then, we  happened up on  a great walking trail at a wildlife preserve.  We found oranges, lemons, grapefruit and tangerines that we were allowed to pick off the trees.  We stopped by  and picked up Chinese supper and had a picnic around the hotel pool.

 Our wonderful house sitter, Drew, called from our house to ask about when he needed to take off the Viohl's  trash.  He  is now in charge of two houses.  Sure makes travel easier.  We are in Central Florida not too far from Orlando.

Tips from Joyce

Some mornings, I watch Joyce Meyers before or after my quiet time. Yesterday and to day, she had tips on how to start your day.

Get up early, it is all over the bible, especially on days that may be difficult. Such as Jesus, as was his habit and Abraham on the day he was to sacrifice his son.

Start you day by giving time to God, seek his face

1) Repent sins from yesterday
2) Put on your Spiritual clothes, so that you can make decisions about your  day, Start by filling your mind with  positive thought from the word. This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.
3)Thank God for everything that you can think of
4)Dedicate yourself  and your day to Him
5)Pray for His strength to resist your own temptations

Don't think you have time?  You can do this before you even get out of bed

day 6 macho man day/girls day out

Our macho guys took their backpacks with bottle waters and snacks and walked the river banks near our house for hours.  Mark had been wanting to do that for a while.  It was a perfect day with the river down, nice weather and hunting  season over.  I was thrilled that he had Drew and Riley to go with him.

So, I planned a girl day out with Becca, Anna and Olivia.  We went to Adel to visit Mom, (big granny), Aunt Dot and Uncle Virgil.  Olivia gave lots of  hugs and kisses, ate milk and cookies and did gymnastic tricks on the carpet for Aunt Dot.  Becca  patiently build castles for Olivia to knock down.

We left there and went into Adel and found a very nice store called Pickle Parrot.  We bought baby blankets and other items for the new baby and a fairy for Becca's fairy garden.  We gave Olivia the chose of D.Q. with ice cream or Burger King with a play ground.  The play ground won.  When we got there, I saw one of my favorite couples, Zack and Joyce Williams.  We talked for a quite a while and I introduced them to the girls.  We ate and played outside on the playground.

Mark called as we were leaving Adel, and asked me to pick up Steak for supper.  When we got to Moultrie, we went to Walmart and found a mattress for Olivia so that the new baby can have her mattress.  Then headed to Harveys and I found a good deal on ribeye steaks.  Mark will be proud of me.  Clint and Anna are coming for supper.  Drew will probably grill the steaks and we will sit out by the fire.  This after noon I need to wash and pack clothes.