Phew! The flurry of the weekend is over. After the kids left I took a two-hour nap!

The cooking, cleaning (a little), and all the preparation was worth it.

It’s a private time with just the kids here, so I don’t and won’t post a lot of pictures.

It’s pretty laid back. We let the kids set the agenda. They have things they want to do while they are home, hence, the quick thrift outing yesterday afternoon. I have as much food prepped ahead as I can, so I can be part of the fun and not stuck in the kitchen.

The best thing I can do when the kids are home is to not have expectations. Yes, I look forward to the kids being here. I love being with them. But the chemistry of our relationships is different every time. If I have expectations, I may be disappointed. How can I know how the interactions will go? We are all different people. We come each time with a different things going on in our lives.

The important thing about each time we get together is not how many fun pictures we take or crazy things we do (today after church we accidently got in someone else’s van!). The important thing is that we are together—making another memory. This weekend it was “the time we were together when Kelsey and Caleb moved and we missed Katie and Joe.” That’s how this weekend will be remembered.

And I look forward to the next time.

Brenda Garrison is an author and speaker who empowers women with the confidence to live their calling. Brenda is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Ministry Leadership with a Concentration in Women’s Ministry at Moody Bible Institute. She and her husband, Gene, are the parents of three young adult daughters and live near Metamora, IL.