Thanks to Erica's great planning we saved a ton of money riding the city bus to and from the airport. The kiddos really liked this as well!
Hong Kong Disney was amazing for many reasons. Certainly it helped to go with some best friends and their kids. This just makes everything better. We don't see them much, but the Patricks' really do encourage us a ton....so it was great on every subway ride, waiting in the airport, wherever, to just pick up topics and discuss them. Back to that in a moment
But this trip was really about the kids and it did not disappoint. The park itself I consider to be a great intro to all things Disney. It is just not that big, which was a blessing. It had everything you needed. We could do it all in a day, but we did it very relaxed in two and did not miss a thing. We got to do what we loved more than once. We weren't pressured for time anywhere. The second Disney day was a Friday and it was substantially busier, but we still did not have to wait too long. The prices were completely reasonable (kids 3 and under FREE), we bought tickets with a slight discount online and it was so easy.
Our trip came off of a month of serious sickness for both David and me. Sicknesses that had us a bit grumpy, a bit wobbly in our faith, not thriving in marriage and family life. A post I never got around to posting was another big marriage growth talk for us back in August, but the fruit of it was waning by December. September was strong for us but emotional, October was also consistent and busy. November was sickness without taking any sick days. We were weary and it showed.
This is why I am so glad that it was the Patricks who were with us on this trip. They know and see our weaknesses and love us on. As soon as we got home from this trip I wrote them and told them as much, confessed to them how I did not show nearly as much love and respect to David or the kiddos as I would have liked, and thanked them for their understanding and friendship.
David and I were not in conflict but we had felt the stress, and acted out in it some. By the end we were able to sit down and very easily discuss the various successes and failures. There was laughter and tears in that discussion, but it was good and it was growth.
That is what I love about doing life with my David and my kiddos, and my dear friends: They all point me to hope in Jesus. And as one of our mentors always says it is a 'hope without hype', based in full reality, known in real time, and relying on forgiveness and grace.
