Fall in Indiana

We've been in Elkhart now since the end of August.  During this time we have enjoyed family and friends and made final plans for our daughter Sara's wedding.  The wedding was this last week-end, October 12th.  Such fun!  The ceremony was at Central Christian Church, which is one of the oldest in Elkhart.  They kept all parts of the ceremony uncomplicated.  I made Sara's dress, constructing it in the first four weeks we were home.  I was able to set up in the home office of my dear friend, Sueann.  The entire time I was sewing, I spent quality time with my friend and much alone time thinking about our daughter and son, their families, how happy they are, and how at peace we are with our traveling life style.  I'm proud of the dress, and she looked beautiful.  Her brother Chris, wife Marisa and nephews / grandsons Miles (9) and Donovan (6) were here.  Miles was an usher, Donovan the ring bearer.  Rowan, Patrick's (husband) daughter was the flower girl.  You never know when young ones are in a wedding how that might go, but all three took it very seriously.  Everything went off without a hitch.

Because both Sara and Patrick love Halloween, the reception was a giant Halloween party.  Everyone appeared to have a great time.  The afternoon after the wedding, after Chris and his family were headed back to CA, the newlyweds stopped by, and they couldn't stop talking about how much fun the wedding and reception were and how many people told them it was all such a fun time.  What is so important is not that others were happy, but that Sara and Patrick now have such great memories of their wedding and reception.  They will be talking about it for a long time.  These are the memories that we fall back on when the going gets tough.

Originally, our plan was to take a couple of days to recoup and regroup before taking off for southern IN and beyond.  We were scheduled to be in CA in December for a trip to Leggo Land with Miles and Donovan.  As has been true throughout this last year, plans change and we remain flexible...

In the brief time we have been home, I have been diagnosed with two different primary types of cancer - lung and lymphoma.  This is a very rare occasion - to have two different types at the same time.  Both are stage one, or at least at this point that is what the doctors believe.  I will have lung surgery next week, and three weeks after that chemo will start if I am healed enough.  We may stay here for chemo, or we may head to Houston to Anderson.  We are so fortunate to have the flexibility to choose.  All last year we managed to avoid really cold weather, and I'm concerned if we stay here about healing in the cold.  

So I've thought a lot about our travels last year and of all the places we still want to go.  We had many twists and turns while traveling - some by choice some not.  We lived the adage... "Trust your journey." That's exactly what we plan to do now in the next few months.  We will trust this journey... that we will only become stronger and certainly more resolved to continue our travels.  

Meantime, we are totally enjoying the slow turning of the trees here in IN.  Everyday, the colors get more varied and brilliant.  It's as if the color is slowly seeping south from Michigan to Indiana and points further south.  We've also had some brilliantly blue days - sunglasses required.  If you close your eyes, turn your face to the sun, and breath deep,  fall in IN on a sunny crisp blue day just smells so pure.  I'm sure this is true of other locations, but for us this is home, and it's good to be here right now.

I'll keep you posted.  Although our journey will not involve much movement right now, I'm sure it will be an experience.