Mike Edmisten Follower of Jesus. Husband of Nicki. Father of Ryan & Brock. Communicator of the Word.

Vacation Reflections

My family had an awesome vacation last week! We went to Tennessee where we rented a cabin with some close friends. (You know you're "close friends" when you can spend the better part of a week together and still like each other afterward.)

Some various reflections on the trip…

Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg is off the hook! (Fishing pun definitely intended.) It's easily the best aquarium I've ever seen. And they also have a seafood buffet. We didn't go to that, so I'm not sure how it works. Maybe you point to something in one of the tanks and say, "I'll have that."

Speaking of food…we ate VERY well on our trip. Breakfast at The Old Mill…whoa! I think I would make the five hour drive just to have some more corn grits. Nicki, on the other hand, was partial to The Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg. AWESOME pancakes! And if you're in the area, I recommend that you go to Blue Moose Burgers & Wings. A little harder to find, but well worth it when you have their burgers. (Or a hot dog wrapped in bacon and then deep fried. Not kidding.) All in all, I've got a few vacation pounds to lose. Ok…more than a few.

The only downside of the trip was one particular trolley ride. It was 95 degrees outside, almost as hot in the trolley, and we weren't moving. We sat in a construction zone for over an hour. Ugh. At some point in that trolley ride, I made an executive decision. "If we can't afford to park somewhere, then we can't afford to go there. No matter what happens, we are not trolleying anymore!"

The highlight of the trip was taking Ryan to the Dixie Stampede. I watched him more than I watched the show. He was wide-eyed through the whole thing. He had a blast! It was one of those parenting moments that I'll never forget. I spent a couple of hours just loving being a dad.

This trip really reiterated one thing…I am, without question, the most blessed guy on this planet.

I am relationally blessed. I have an unbelievable family, wonderful friends, etc.

I am financially blessed. A lot of people can't afford a vacation. We were able to make it happen.

I am undeservedly blessed. I have not done anything to deserve what I have. I keep waiting to wake up from this wonderful dream. But it's not a dream. It's the undeserved, and yet seemingly endless, blessings of God. If it sounds like I'm gushing…I am. But God has been too good for me not to gush about it.