Russell and I ran away for two days of together time…time to catch our breath, to relax, reconnect and gain some perspective on our life…past, present and future. There’s no doubt that last year…2008…was a difficult year for us…not in the respect that we suffered any tragedies or huge losses, but difficult in that it was an exhausting, non-stop, grinding whirlwind of work (and more work), keeping up with Shanna and all her school, church and extracurricular activities…and not enough time spent on nurturing our marriage, our family, our bodies and souls. So I started this year almost 40 pounds heavier, discouraged, exhausted, and physically worn out, both of us with bodies aching from age, too much work and not enough exercise. With Shanna out of town at her Mexico Advance for church, we drove to Cannon Beach on Saturday, January 17.
We drove up Highway 30 and stopped at a rest area with breath-taking ice and snow-covered trees and a view of the Columbia River. We stopped for a quick lunch, shopping at Scrapbook Connection and then checked in at our hotel, Hallmark Resort. Our room had a spectacular view of Haystack Rock. We splurged and booked a spa afternoon…a massage and foot treatment for Russell and a facial and massage for me. After two hours of pure bliss, we wobbled our way back to the hotel…just in time to witness a gorgeous sunset. We had dinner at one of our favorite coast restaurants…Doogers and fell asleep by 9:30…unheard of for us.
Sunday, January 18 was one of those unexpected miracles of the Oregon coast…a warm (60 degrees) with no wind days…we did a bit of shopping but spent most of the day on the beach walking, talking, praying and just soaking in the miracle of the ocean. We found a card that totally expresses how we feel about the beach: I come to the sea to breathe…and so we did. The ocean is a balm to my soul…a place where I can let go of my stress and just let the spirit of our Creator calm me…where I can give my burdens to Him…where I can cry and sing and rejoice in this beautiful place and come back to my life with a sense of hope and renewal. Thanks to Jennifer, my sister-in-law, who picked Shanna up from church and brought her home so we could stay and watch an absolutely stunning sunset before heading home.
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