July started with a bang in the Dominican Republic. Our family was so blessed to be able to get away for the week of the 4th of July and to have my Mom and Clint’s Mom join us for this special time. We had so much fun enjoying sunshine, amazing food, fun adventures, and mostly…just unrushed time to be together. One of the highlights of our trip definitely was Emma completing her SCUBA diving certification. She has wanted to do this since Clint got his a few summers ago and she has been patiently waiting to turn 10 years old so that she could do it. Clint was certified in Punta Cana. Our trip was to La Romana. When we arrived in La Romana, Clint went to the SCUBA place to check in and make arrangements for he and Emma. When Clint walked in, he saw the SCUBA instructor that had worked with him for his certification…Al…and learned that Al had recently moved to La Romana. They had a great time catching up and Al did a wonderful job putting Emma at ease and helping her have a great time getting her certification. What an extra special blessing!
On the day of Emma’s final dive, my Mom, Eli, and I got to join she and Clint over on Catalina Island. Mom, Eli, and I spent the morning snorkeling while they were diving and then spent the day at the beach. It was probably our favorite day of the trip! We saw so many beautiful fish and it was a blast to see how excited Emma was about her incredible accomplishment! And Eli was the best snorkeling guide for Mom and I! I feel certain his SCUBA certification is coming just as soon as he turns 10!
The 4th of July is a special holiday as we celebrate the freedoms we have in America and the staff in the Dominican did a wonderful job making it a special time for their American guests! We spent the day kayaking, paddle boarding, hanging out by the pool, enjoying a cookout, and then a late night beach party full of American pop songs. It was a really fun day that ended with fireworks out over the ocean.
Our trip ended with a super scary moment. The last day of the trip, it rained a good bit. Finally the rain broke and we headed to the pool. The kids were playing and dancing and Emma took a really hard fall. I’ll never forget the look on her face as she screamed “Mom, I’m hurt badly!”. I got across the pool to where she was on the side of the pool in about a half second. The lifeguards immediately came over joined by resort security. They put Emma on a backboard and into a cart to take the to the resort doctor. They were concerned that she might have fractured her hip and elbow. Before we knew it, we were in an ambulance headed for Santa Domingo. That whole part was full of adventure! The people in the hospital were very nice, but they did think that they saw a fracture on the Xray. Praise the Lord for medical professional friends back home who were looking at the X-rays with us via Facebook Messenger. The Dominican hospital wanted to admit her and possibly do surgery the next morning. We asked to be discharged to go home and they reluctantly let us take her back to the resort. Delta was fantastic in upgrading our seats to make her comfortable on the flight home. When we returned, we rejoiced like crazy when we learned all was good…just a bad hip pointer. A great reminder of how much we have to be thankful for with our busy and active kiddos! We were so blessed by so many friends praying for us during this scary time.
Once we returned from the Dominican, I returned to work to kick off the new school year. We still had plenty of opportunities for evening walks, more summer camps at school, bowling, dinner with friends, and all the things that make summer time extra fun! Emma and I worked a triathlon with our Tri the Parks friends at Richard B. Russell State Park and we turned our attention to getting Emma ready for 5th grade (Middle School at NCCS) and Eli for 1st grade. Summer is such a great time to get to enjoy our kids and we definitely made the most of it!
The last day of July is extra special as Clint’s birthday is July 31!! This year we enjoyed getting to take him to his very favorite dinner spot…Henry’s in Acworth. Clint is so easy to celebrate. He is truly the glue that holds our family together and we are so grateful for the blessing of a husband and dad that treasure us and provide and protect us beyond our wildest dreams. Clint is a gift from God for sure!
Here are a few instagram posts from July..
July 7 + Our family had a great time this past week in the Dominican Republic. We took my mom and Clint’s mom with us and it was so fun to all be together and enjoy lots of new adventures! We had great food, met tons of nice people, and tried lots of things! Emma is an officially certified SCUBA diver now (#SCUBAStrange2). Eli enjoyed snorkeling with my mom and I over at Catalina Island. It was a great time away and we are glad to be home ready for the rest of the summer and the school year ahead. Grateful for these precious moments with my people! #7000days#StrangeAdventures2019
July 9 + My normal walking buddy had other plans tonight, so I was going to get in a quick walk after dinner by myself. This guy insisted on going with me and I’m so glad he did. We had the best time talking about his beyblades, NFL football, races on the playground, and then he dove deeper…”Mom, you are from Memphis and I’m from Ethiopia. Where is God from?” Love these precious moments with my boy!
Then we got home and enjoyed blackberry cobbler that Emma and I whipped up after dinner. Perfect summer evening! #7000days
July 16 + I wonder what 2049 Megan would say to 2019 Megan? #FaceApp #KeepColoringYourHair
July 21 + Our girl has definitely caught the SCUBA bug! She is counting down the days until she can dive again! #7000days
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Emma is celebrating PADI Woman’s Dive Day the right way! With new dive gear! A new PADI Open Water Diver, she now has some fabulous Oceanic dive gear and a new AquaLung computer! ?
#DiveGeorgia #KrakenSprings#DiveToy #PADI #padiwomensdiveday#padiwomensdiveday2019 #oceanic#oceanicgear #huish
July 24 + Awesome time of fellowship over lunch with our new teammates @NCCSEagles! Grateful for what the Lord has in store for this crew! #GoEagles #WeAreNCCS #NCCSFamily
July 28 + I’m so excited about what God has in store for this year @NCCSEagles! He has done incredible things in the past 36 years at our school, but we fix our eyes on Jesus knowing that the best truly is yet to come!
Will you join us in praying for our faculty and staff who will all be together for the first time this school year tomorrow morning? And for our students and their families that will be on campus for Parent Orientation, Meet the Teacher, and the first day of school over the course of the next week? God has brought us all together on purpose for His great purpose.
July 31 + Happy Birthday @clintstrange32! Incredible Husband. Wonderful Dad. Friend to all. Provider. Protector. Fixer of all things. Patient. Helpful. Funny. Generous. Godly. Wise. Helpful. Knower of all things. Brave. Thoughtful. Fun. Compassionate. Kind. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
