Well, vacation is over as we made it home from the Bahamas yesterday afternoon. As I stepped off the plane in Moline I was hit with 99 degree heat (not to mention a heat index of 110 degrees) and I thought, "I'm going back!"This is incredible. It is far hotter here than it was in the Bahamas! Maybe I am an idiot, but I do not understand how we can have extreme cold in the winter as well as extreme heat in the summer living this far north, yet down there they have nearly the same temperature year round. I feel cheated!
Enough crying.
We had just an awesome time. If you know my family, we are not the type to shy away from meeting people, so rather than focus on all the tourist stuff, we ventured out to where the native Bahamian people hang out. We got to know some of them, and went to a "fish fry" one night with a wonderful woman named Wanda and some of her friends. This "fish fry" was a huge party where they had booths selling not only various types of fish, but conch fritters, and fried lobster and Guava Duff and a slew of other items.
We also went to the Summer Junkanoo Festival, which is a mini version of the huge party and parade they have the week of Christmas. I will write more about it later, but let me just say it was incredible. We had such an awesome time experiencing a taste of their culture. The Bahamian people were some of the friendliest, most gracious people I have ever met.
We also met the Lucas family from the Titusville, Florida area. (In case you are reading... and I hope you are... Hello Matt, Denise and kids!) We struck a quick friendship with this family and we went snorkeling together off Dead Man's Reef in Paradise Cove. We had an awesome time and believe we have met some folks who will be friends for life, as we plan to look them up when we return to Florida.
I'll share more about the trip later, but for now, it is time I get back in the swing of things, as I am back to the real world now, and I have a Bible study to lead tonight.
One area that I can say my family is so blessed about, is that my family actually looked forward to returning home to our home, our friends and our church. I am blessed to be able to pastor a church where I look forward to getting back to, and I can't wait to see everyone. Vacations are great, but the real blessings are who and what we encounter everyday!
11 comments:
Sounds like you had an awesome time , Glad you guys are back!!!!
Wish I could have hide in your suitcase and went.Welcome back.
Glad you had a good time and a good vacation- good to see you back blogging again- but vacations sure are nice aren't they?
God bless!
-henry
Glad to have you back in the blogosphere, Darrell. I hope to take my wife down to the Bahamas some day!
~Jeff
Welcome back!
Still can't figure out why you chose the Bahamas over Indianapolis? I mean, come on, a beach over General Assembly?
Glad you're back.. so when's the next vacation?
Thanks for taking me dad. Love ya.
,Ashley
glad you are all back!! Pastor Darrell, I missed your bloggin'-- see ya at church!!
Welcome back Pastor...
What happen to the goatee?
Actually I decided to shave it for a season to tan that part of my face for the first time in 10 years. I can't decide whether to grow it back or not. Most people tell me I look like a kid without it, and when you tell a 47 year old man that he looks like a kid... it kind of makes you want to keep it off. The flip side is the very reason I grew it in the first place. I hate shaving... especially around my chin. So, time will tell if I grow it back again or not.
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