From Indianapolis to Pumpkin Land

I need another day off to rest from my weekend! It was a full and busy time. The good news is that all of it was enjoyable. I took a day off from work on Friday. My wife and I drove to Indianapolis to pick my son up at the seminary. It was a very enjoyable drive until I reached downtown Indy and realized I was in the wrong lane. It was one of those moments in time where you have a realization that you've made a mistake and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it. The next thing I know I am heading east on I-70 when I wanted to being going north on I-65. There was heavy construction going on so I had to drive about ten miles before I could turn around. It was one of those moments where the journey was not the destination. 20 miles later we pulled into Marian College and were happy to see Nick. The drive home was uneventful.

Saturday was a family trip to the pumpkin fields of southern Indiana. It was a glorious, Indian summer kind of day. The prolonged summer heat and extremely dry weather has delayed or possibly destroyed the autumn colors one would normally see at this time of year. Still, it was a beautiful day and it did have an autumn feel as we found ourselves surrounded by the farmland. Chloe had an absolute ball riding on the farm wagon and running through the pumpkin patch. She was all smiles and excitement. We left with a trunk full of pumpkins and other goodies and very empty wallets.Finally, the weekend ended with a family photo session that turned out pretty good. It's our first family photo of my extended personal family. I think we squeaked a smile out of Chloe but I was not caught in my best pose. Better luck next time. Chloe and I finished off the day visiting my mother and father. When I took Chloe home I had to visit her room and let her show me all her stuffed animals.

Now it is a new week and I have much to do. It's always a little daunting to start a new work week after such a weekend. May God be with all of us in our busyness and give us quiet moments of calm between all the demands. When I feel a little frantic, and I surely will, I will pause for a moment and think of a little girl sitting on a pumpkin in a big field, smiling in the sunlight, and enjoying life.