Iowa Trip Part 1--Time with the Herman Family

As I peruse vacation pictures and think about our trip to Iowa this summer, I can't help but feel the grief and sadness that wound its way in and through the sweet "family time" memories.  Caleb's late-night phone call that woke me the night before we left to inform me through sobs that one of his best friends had died in a car accident with his twin brother.  Nicolas' teary phone call as we meandered through the mountains of Utah after he first heard the news.  The grief comes in waves.  Grief for my boys who are grieving a dear friend and teammate.    Grief for the Dordt University track team and coaches.   How do you fill not a national champion 800m leg, but the joyful, bigger than life personality that helped glue a team together?  Crushing grief for the Temte parents and siblings.  How do they even breathe?   Tears when singing "Well Done" at the Herman worship service.  More tears as Caleb shares his grief Sunday morning with Psalm 77.  David was to have driven up from Minneapolis to join us at Big Sand that day.  Distracting thoughts and heartache the day of the memorial service as we drive home through Yellowstone.  Overwhelming fears and doubts.  Is God truly good?  Is He indeed sovereign?  Will this strengthen or weaken faith?  If our foundation is in Christ then we may just have slippery feet today.  Our minds may know the right answers, but our emotions are faithless right now.   How do people grieve when they don't have hope?  These are the grief-filled emotions that accompany the also joy-filled memories these pictures evoke. What a strange mixture of sadness and joy--poignant pleasure?  

We drove to Sidney, NE the first day, Tuesday, so that on Wednesday we could spend more time with Grandpa and Grandma Herman before heading to Sioux Center.  The kids enjoyed picking and eating mulberries and sour cherries at the farm as an appetizer to Grandma's awesome chicken and biscuit supper.

Thursday was a "no travel" day in Sioux Center.  I baked some things for the lake, did some laundry, and just enjoyed being near my big boys again.  We left Friday after lunch for Camp Lebanon near Sauk Centre, MN for the Herman family reunion.  It had been almost ten years since we'd seen some of Russ' aunts and uncles.