A Weekend in Bloomington

I was a little unsure how the weekend would go.
We drove the 4 hours to get to our destination early Saturday morning.
We hadn't seen our son for almost a month. 
He moved to Bloomington, Indiana in February and seemed to be doing pretty well.
He has a new job and lives with a friend in an apartment.
It all seems too good, though.
Along with that, I'm not sure how I am feeling.
I've missed him so much! But I'm not really sure how much he's missed us. Not sure how this time will go, seeing him after this little time apart.  
But, when we arrive, he is so happy to see us!
We walk around town and find this beautiful botanical garden,
right in the middle of the city. 
We enjoy the walk and I take lots of pictures (I really am enjoying having a nice camera!).


It turns out to be a really good day.
The weather is a little cool and rainy, but we enjoy seeing the sights...
...and just spending quality time together.
Along with beautiful flowers and greenery, are displays of art, like the flower my son is standing next to(above) and the butterfly wall art (below), completely made of cork.
This is a college town (Indiana University) with lots of creative residents.
There are also lots of cultural restaurants to choose from also, like this Thai restaraunt.
We decide to try it, since none of us had eaten Thai food before.
Tyler had the curry and rice.
We tried the stir-fried vegetables and Pad Thai.
We stopped at a park and waterfall. (Called Cascades Park) There are so many flowers blooming, everywhere. So much color and new life!!
The waterfall in the park is amazing!!




We walked some trails, one which was quite overgrown with low-hanging trees and brush.
This creek runs through the park, with limestone walls on each side.
Some Canadian geese were enjoying the rainy weather.

All, in all, it turned out to be a very nice visit.
I miss my son very much, but am happy he is doing well, here in this college town. (He plans on attending college here, this coming fall.)
God is truly good!!
What did you do this past weekend?

Continuing to list all the blessings(gifts) Christ has shown me and rejoicing in Him alone!!!   at  "Multitude on Mondays"

1,322 - Quality time with my son.
1,323 - All the beautiful colors, as spring comes to life in flora.
1,324 - Trying new and unique foods from other countries/cultures.
1,325 - The calm and enjoyment we get out of observing nature.
1,326 - The sound of a waterfall.
1,327 - A sweet-tasting banana split for dessert, on a cold, dreary day.
1,328 - The opportunity to have some good conversation about some deeper issues with my son.
1,329 - Hugs from my son!!!
1,330 - Safe travels, to and from our weekend trip.
1,331 - God, giving me wisdom to not react to a negative situation that could have turned really bad.
1,332 - Last minute schedule opened up, to meet with my best friend, whom I haven't seen in a few weeks.
1,333 - In the midst of some(unspoken) hurt and heartache here at home, God still works in my heart.

Comments

  1. BARBIEApril 29, 2013 at 11:32 PM

    I am so thankful you got some quality time with your son, and time to enjoy God's beauty! Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. cairncottageApril 30, 2013 at 6:33 PM

      It was a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  2. JenApril 30, 2013 at 11:42 AM

    Great photos! So glad to see you were able to reUNITE with your son! :) It's hard when they are away, isn't it! Boy, how I can relate with you, friend. Prayers to you both! ~ Jen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. cairncottageApril 30, 2013 at 6:35 PM

      Thanks, Jen! I won't forget the time we spent together, that's for sure!

      Delete
  3. Mary ReedApril 30, 2013 at 7:42 PM

    Ann, I'm so happy that you had such a great visit with your son. It's hard when our children grow up and out. Our two sons live on the opposite side of the country from us! We treasure the times when we get together... trying to imprint every moment into our memories. Your pictures are beautiful!
    Blessings to you, my friend ~ Mary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. cairncottageMay 1, 2013 at 4:53 PM

      Thanks! Same to you, Mary. I know this is normal, to miss him and kind of be unsure about changes in the parent-child relationship. I will always cherish spending those few days with him!!

      Delete

Post a Comment

I would love to hear from you! Feel free to leave me a comment.

Popular posts from this blog

My word for 2016: Happiness

Image
Hello and welcome to my first post of 2016! I'm a bit shocked at writing this post, as I I haven't picked a word for the year for myself for a few years. I hadn't planned on choosing a word this year till recently.  But because last year had SO many challenges for me and I gave so much of myself and felt so drained of energy by the end of the year. it just seemed appropriate to decide on a specific word for 2016. Definition from Dictionary.com "The state of being happy." synonyms: pleasure ,  contentment ,  satisfaction , cheerfulness,  merriment ,  gaiety ,  joy , joyfulness, joviality,  jollity ,  glee ,  delight , good spirits, lightheartedness,well-being,  enjoyment ;   exuberance ,  exhilaration ,  elation ,  ecstasy , jubilation ,  rapture , bliss,  blissfulness I've been reading and praying about the word - happiness - in Scripture, in Christian theological writings and blogs. I'm learning that happiness is not something God
Read more

Burn The Ships

Image
The beginning of a New Year often has us looking back and seeing how God has walked with us in the past and contemplating the year ahead .  We tend to want to hold on to the familiar, the easier path, the old ways....but these often become unhealthy, and even dangerous for us to continue down some paths/have relationships with some people in our lives. When we become aware of these different paths/people in our lives that can hinder/harm us, we may need to "rise from the dust and walk away".  "Burning the Ships" can be SO difficult(maybe even excruciating.)  I don't know about you, but FEAR often has kept me from burning the ships and moving ahead. Fear of rejection, fear of what others will think, fear of being alone, fear of not knowing the future. But, God reminds us that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. He is our source of strength. And He holds the future and will take care of us!! “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageou
Read more

Spiritual Fervor

Image
  We go through our daily routines,  but something is missing. Maybe d uring a crisis or a major life change....            or simply spending less and less time on spiritual pursuits. ...these c an cause us to enter a time in life                          when there's just no enthusiasm or spark. Ha ve you ever been the re before? I have!! There are days when it is difficult to find the drive and zest, even when I know I have the greatest reason to be zealous . Lacking zeal or losing spiritual fervor is som ething that the believer needs to be aware of as he /she progresses in one's spiritual life.  As we grow in our knowledge of Biblical truths and the things of God it becomes quite familiar and the wonder of first discovery can diminish over the years. It is here that spiritual boredom can set in.  Zeal is a fruit of deeply abiding in the One Who is Life! It is different than mere excitement, which happens mostly outwardly and at the surfa
Read more