Returned and Rejuvenated

The Ranch was awesome and we all returned feeling so relaxed and rejuvenated. What I love about trips like this where you have lots of down time, is that you can sort of "retrieve" some of those feelings when you need them, during high stress times. I can just close my eyes and visualize that I'm laying on a float, feeling the spring-fed pond water lap over me while gazing up at the most beautiful blue sky framed by those beautiful Texas hills. We swam, snorkled, jumped off cliffs (well, some of us did, not moi), hiked, cooked, laughed, ate, and just generally had a wonderful time.

It was absolutely wonderful spending so much time with grandaughter, S. Five whole days!! I still feel wierd saying "my grandaughter" ~ I wonder when I'll get more used to it. I'm certainly used to the love that I feel for her. As with everything else in life, until you experience it, you just consider what other people say about it as so cliched. So, when I would hear other people talk about their grandchildren and how special the relationship was between them, my eyes would just kind of glaze over and I'd go "yeah, yeah, whatever". Well...now it's me doing the crowing and when I see a glaze come over someone else's eyes, I just think "Oh, just you wait and see!".

One of my all-time favorite things that I got to do on this trip? Well, I like to get up a little earlier than most everyone else, creep quietly out to the kitchen and pour myself a cup of coffee. Then I creep quietly back to bed, and nestling in the still-warm spot, open my current book and try to contain my giddyness as I begin this oh-so indulgent ritual, carefully taking my first sip of hot, delicious coffee. Aahhhhhhhhh. Bliss!

It was sad to leave because one more day would've been perfect but since Sunday was Father's Day and J's birthday, we really didn't want to be driving on that day. Monday seemed to be too long so Saturday it was. Hopefully, it won't be another two years before we get to go again!