Spring break looked a lot different this year at our house. Now that we have a college student, it is typical for our family to be going several different directions at the same time.
My husband and I took our two youngest children (also known as “the boys”) down to Cotter. We enjoyed the maiden voyage of a boat the boys had refurbished. Our oldest son has his boater’s education card but needs an adult in the boat with him. Guess who got to go? That is correct – me! It was a bumpy White River adventure indeed. We caught several trout. We enjoyed good company at our friends’ river home for several days of fun. The trout made a delicious fried fish meal later in the week at home.
Our youngest daughter worked at several Razorback baseball games over the break. She and her friends packed up her Jeep and set out on a camping and hiking adventure in Winslow, Ar. at Devil’s Den. They roughed it for a few days of tent camping and cooking outdoors. I think they were glad to be back home to all the modern amenities we enjoy.
Since she is a junior in high school, we have already started to visit several college campuses. During the spring break, we were able to make a quick trip to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. We had a great time checking out a new college town. The tour was informative and the students and advisors we met were very proud of their campus. It was another great experience.
The oldest child in our crew set off on her first mission trip to Vicente Guerrero, Mexico. She went with her church’s youth group to serve the people in this village with ministry and outreach. The biggest part of their mission was constructing two new homes for families living in the village. She thoroughly embraced the culture and people they encountered during the week spent on the mission.
This past week, our oldest created a newsletter to share about her mission adventure in Mexico. I had the opportunity to switch up my role from writer to editor. She wrote a descriptive recap of each day of the mission journey complete with photos capturing the essence of the trip’s purpose. I had the privilege of reading and editing the newsletter for her. After reading through it multiple times I had a good visual of what their time was like during their service.
We are thankful so many people supported the group’s mission trip financially and with prayers of encouragement. I am proud of the newsletter she constructed to share her personal experience. Of course, she wants to continue to serve the people she fell in love with in that small village. I am positive she will go back again.
I am surrounded by parents in different stages of child rearing. Many are anxious about these new phases of childhood – especially the part when children are growing up and venturing off into the world. This is what we are raising them to be – productive, contributing, kind adults. Parenting has been the greatest joy of my life. Enjoy the new adventures in your families, neighbor.
Jody Harris is a freelance communications specialist, gardener, ranch wife and mother of four. She and her family raise Angus beef cattle and other critters on their northwest Arkansas ranch. She is a graduate of Missouri State University. To contact Jody, go to ozarksfn.com and click on ‘Contact Us.’
