Homegroup Hurrah

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This past weekend, we went to the coast with our homegroup. We planned this months ago and it just so happened that it was our last weekend here. There were 6 families altogether staying at a beach house in Cambria.

The weather wasn't very warm, only about 18 degrees, which is cool when you're coming from 35 degree weather. And the wind blew and blew and blew, typical of the central coast. We arrived late on Friday night after Joel's graduation from preschool. Kezia had a hard time falling asleep because she was coming down with a cold. Finally we settled in around 1 a.m.

The next morning was very relaxing. We all got up at different times, some had breakfast earlier than others, some stayed in their pajamas until mid-morning. It was heavenly, especially for those of us who had had a very hectic week. After breakfast, some of the kids and adults went to the park and others of us walked along the walking path by the ocean. I really enjoyed the exercise and the adult conversation.

Once we got back, we packed up lunches and headed for the beach. Once we arrived we realized it was more than just a little bit windy, but we were all resilient and decided to stay. Most of us bundled up, hunkered down against the wind and ate our lunch really fast. I took some pictures to prove we actually went to the beach and then headed back towards our van. I think we stayed at the beach for 35 minutes.

The rest of the afternoon was spent napping for the kids back at the house and shopping for some of us ladies. I didn't buy anything, but I did plenty of browsing. There are some pretty neat shops in Cambria. We didn't get back until almost 6 p.m. and I was suppose to help with dinner. Thankfully they had only started the prepare the meal when I arrived and by 7 p.m. we were all eating. The kids were pretty tired and so they went to bed right away. Kezia and Asha had come down with a cold and were so thankful to be in bed.

On Sunday Carl led a bit of a devotional and then we split up into gender groups (children watched a movie) to pray for one another. It was a pretty emotional time because the other 4 ladies took the time to share how they were going to miss me and my family and they prayed for us.

After we cleaned up the house and then headed to the Grill for lunch. It's always a highlight when you come to Cambria. We had gone to the Grill when we came camping in October. The meal was great, but I was feeling a bit sad because I knew we would have to stay goodbye to some of the families at the restaurant.

Joel had so much fun playing with the older boys; he flew a kite with them, played D.S., and went to the park with them. Kezia had a great time playing with Grace and Emma, enjoyed tromping on the beach and collecting jewels, and Asha was given so much love and attention she was in her glory. This group has accomplished what most groups never get to experience; the adults, even the adults who are busy with their own children, bonded with each of the kids. No adult was too busy to play a game, or talk with a child. It's pretty heartwarming to see an adult take a special interest in your child for who they are.

I'm really going to miss our group. I'm going to miss meeting every Monday night (I'm such a creature of habit), sharing a meal with friends. I'm going to miss laughing and crying together. I'm going to miss seeing the kids play together. It's hard to walk away from a group that has impacted your life more than you expected. But who knows, our paths may cross again. It's kind of reassuring to think on that thought as you say, see you later, instead of goodbye.