Family Fun

Hello friends! How has your week been? It has been a fun, eventful week at the McNeil household. We were excited to have our Maryland family and Nana down to visit for the week. The days before our family's arrival, the McNeil girls worked hard to create what we affectionately call "The Fake House." You know, the house that is mopped, vaccumed, dusted, windexed, and picked up to perfection only to be destroyed moments after company arrives. It was well worth it. We prefer the "lived in look" any day.
On Tuesday, the girls enjoyed dinner with Sarah L. and then went to band open house with me. Crystal, an orchestra director at two elementary schools in MD, was right at home in our band room and I was glad to have her there. Thursday, we went on an impromptu trip to Carowinds. Crystal, Cheryl, Jonathan, and I enjoyed riding roller coasters for six hours straight while Aunt Jami, Kayla, Mom, and Nana relaxed at the water park. Finally, on Friday the girls treated Jonathan to lunch at Tony's where he successfully stuffed himself full of the greasy pizza that he loves when he comes to NC. Jonathan has to be one of my favorite people ever, give the kid a pizza and the History Channel and he is a happy camper. The girls went home, dressed up, and headed to Charlotte for Mamma Mia. It was great and we had ABBA sing alongs on the way home.
Inevitably, the sad day came when everyone packs up their suitcases and embarks on the 9 hour journey back to Maryland. We are now wading through the sadness that always comes when we have to leave one another. We always joke that when Kayla and I are through with college, Mom will move back to Maryland where she was born and we will be forced to follow her. If it weren't for our lovely life here in Hickory, we would do it in a heartbreat. I am completely thankful for my family, and how lucky we are to live apart but still be so close. Most people are surprised to hear we make the long drive for every single high school and college graduation, and with six of us kids that makes a lot! But, we wouldn't miss it for the world.
So, until we meet again at Thanksgiving we will write letters, call, email, facebook, text, twitter, and hold eachother close in our hearts. Until next time.....
With Love,
Sarah

Night Time Clarity

Tonight, I walked outside and fell in love with the sky. The moon was big and bright, the stars that shown throgh the protective cover of the clouds were shining. The things that weren't illuminated by the moon lay against the dark background, looking two dimensional. It was as if I were a character in a pop up book. The mountain that I can see from my window looked smaller somehow, like a construction paper project against the night sky.
Maybe this world isn't as big as I thought. Becuase tonight when it was just me, the sky, and the chirping crickets, the atmosphere of this beautiful planet shrank down to a size I can understand. I think it knew I needed some help understanding. I didn't feel so small and lost. I didn't feel overwhelmed. I felt at home and at peace. The fuzzy confusion in my head floated away into the warm July night air, and a sort of clarity was left behind. And tonight, I am thankful for God's everlasting love for me and for this beautiful earth he created in seven days. I am still Lord, and I am yours.