Another storm was set to dump a foot of snow on MN this past Saturday, and our youngest son, Myles is still in a full leg cast. I had made reservations for one night at the Stoney Ridge Treehouse in Burtrum, MN. Would we be able to get there? Would we be able to get out? Would Myles enjoy it at all? Should we cancel? The snow was supposed to start early, but it looked ok at home. The owner texted me saying we could arrive sooner because the people ahead of us were gone and they knew we’d want to arrive before travel became difficult.
We had an uneventful drive to the treehouse. The roads were actually pretty clear. Aside from some backseat driving, um, I mean navigating, we made it to the treehouse by noon. The snow was falling gently. The treehouse has a covered bridge up to it, so it was accessible for Myles. Once we got settled, Cameron & Dallas put on their boots to trek down to the lake. No fishing gear came along this time, but they wanted to check it out for future trip possibilities. The 850 square foot treehouse is beautiful. Hand crafted cabinets and furniture, big beams and lots of windows made this an impressive cabin.
There is a small kitchen, a main bedroom and a small bathroom. As much as Myles wanted to go up to the loft, that wasn’t an option. Up there was a table & chairs, futon, tv, bed and another bedroom. We’d make some modifications and have the TV on the main floor so he could enjoy them also. We had brought movies with us & popcorn too!
I’d be lying if I said it was a “technology free” stay, but it was relaxing. As the snow continued to fall, we turned the outside lights on to watch. One big circle window at the top was designed with a light above it, so it looks like a snow globe when it’s snowing. We didn’t try the hot tub because that would have been difficult for Myles, but they had one there & the people before us had clearly enjoyed it. I’m sure it would be fun in the snow too!
We watched movies, took a nap, read a book and looked through the pictures chronicling the story of the treehouse being built. We read the journal entries of the guests before us (sometimes with added info for dramatic effect). We played Sequence and taught the boys International Rummy. We made our own food and even had heart shaped pastries for breakfast. At one point, my husband said, “This makes your heart happy, doesn’t it?” Yes, yes it does. Because to these three guys, I am enough. I’m the one who plans our family trips, makes sure everyone packed their clothes (but sometimes forgets the toothbrush), plans the meals and packs the snacks. As we packed up, 24 hours after our arrival, Myles said, “thanks for a fun time.” And it was all worth it. The drive home was more challenging due to the foot of snow, but the roads were plowed and the sun was shining. We made it home safely.
My advice is… on your journey of enough, if there are challenges or obstacles, do it anyway. Take the trip, spend the time together & soak it up like a sponge. Don’t forget to take the picture, even if they have to get back out of the car (& you risk the embarrassment of someone seeing it.) Do it anyway.
I’m not talking about steak or my score on this game… it’s a song. I know I write a lot about songs, but it’s one of the ways I pay attention to messages. A Contemporary Christian group, “The Afters,” has a song on Sirius radio called “Well Done.” I hear it a lot. I feel like many of us long to be told “good job” or “well done.” Such simple words, but when they aren’t said, can leave us searching to be enough.
Are you familiar with the saying, “Be careful what you wish for?” Thoughts are powerful. What we focus on, we attract. Think the world is crappy? You will look for validation of that and either see, find or experience crappy things. Think things are great? You will also find validation of those thoughts… you will look for the good in people, find the bright spot in the day or make someone else smile.
We recently spent 3 days at Disneyland. We went mainly to see my niece perform with her high school choir. It was also a great reason to see my sister & both nieces and a nice escape from a chilly MN winter. On February 2nd, our Disneyland plans were in question. Would we still go, even with Myles’ broken leg? Would the 3 of us go and leave him at home? We decided to go, and with some modifications, we were determined to make it work. You can board the plane first, but storing crutches is a challenge. You can rent a wheelchair at Disneyland, but getting up to the gate takes a while. You can get in a separate line at most rides, but if you have a full leg cast, you’ll need someone to help you in. It’s not an ideal situation but you can do it. Which part of the sentence do you focus on?
I had a completely different post written for this week, but then Monday happened. Along with it being the birthday of one of my sisters, January 28th has another special meaning to me. It was the day (4 years ago) I heard, “Your cancer is gone.” All day Monday, my throat was tight and whenever I found myself thinking back 4 years to my cancer journey, I realized I was holding my breath.
There is a song by Matthew West called “All In.” This is the first part:
journeyofenough 