Family Hike

We've started what we hope will become a Chew Crew tradition.  Every Saturday morning we load up the van and head out for our weekly family hike.  Of course, Houston and the surrounding areas are flat.  We probably should call it family walk, but we don't and so we at least try to find trails that are gravel instead of paved.  That way we can at least pretend we're really hiking.

This past weekend we managed to make it around a 1 mile loop at a local park.  It was windy and a little chilly, but everyone made it with energy to spare.

It was one of those mornings when you forget how chaotic the days can be and you think to yourself, "Wow...this really couldn't get any better.  A small crew of kids and a happy little family.  And everyone is having fun at the same time.  We must be getting this large family thing down!"  Smile.  Pat on the back.

And then Abby fell into the creek.

And the older two kids screamed like the world was coming to an end.

And these two woke up with a start and a scream.

And we all loaded up the van - cold, grumpy, and one of us very wet.

Real life, folks.  That's real life right there.

We laugh.  We cry.  And sometimes we are wet, cold, and covered in algae.  But no matter how we fair, we make it through each day.

And then we wake up and do it all over again, being careful not to pat ourselves on the back.  Better to give credit where credit is due.  It is by God's grace alone that we make it through any day.  And by His grace that we can do it again and again.