Welcome, come on in for a time of reflection over a cuppa together. Today I thought I would share the outcome of my post from last week’s Managing Expectations, a personal story.

But before we settle down let’s grab a cuppa, a treat & get comfy. It’s beginning to cool here on the east coast of Australia so a large hot cup of Berry Delicious tea with a gf Lemon & White Choc cookie is my choice this morning. What’s yours?

Setting the Scene

They came from far & wide to gather Friday afternoon, with some arrivals stretching into the evening, for a very special Generational Celebration weekend. We met up midway between our states, with some coming from interstate, at a little spot on the east coast that holds very special childhood memories for me growing up.

A fitting location to honour the lives of my parents, whom both have passed into Eternity over the last few years & to celebrate the present generations of our family. A time to reflect, to share love, enjoy time with each other & reconnect. Eighteen of us in all gathered, my daughters & son in laws, our grandchildren & grandson in law with our great grandchildren.

I’d found a Holiday Park overlooking the Beach that could accommodate us with several cabins, with beautiful common areas where we could come together for meals, strolls & chats. There were facilities that gave opportunities to swim, do water sports & other fun activities if desired.

The Fun Began

Friday night there was much greeting with plenty of hugs as each carload arrived carrying precious family members. All finding our respective cabins, settling in & then started cabin hopping to reconnect with each other.

Saturday morning there was more cabin hopping & then a coming together for my second granddaughter’s offer to cook pikelets (mini pancakes) for brunch on the big BBQ hot plates within the Park’s grounds for everyone. So we gathered as pikelets galore were cooked & hungrily devoured (especially by our teens), some were plain pikelets, others Apple & Cinnamon all served with Strawberry Jam & Cream. With Coffee’s, hot Chocolates, Chai Teas & cuppas in hand.

There was much socialising & catching up, then the guys in our family all decided as it was such a lovely warm day & the sound of the waves were beckoning they would go for a swim in the Lagoon below, as the surf was a little too rough. So as they all went off to gear up, us gals in the family enjoyed time together with the babies on the lawn.

We watched the guys floating by with the tide in the Lagoon & all the shenanigans that guys often get up to, from our vantage point above. While the babies really kept our attention with their cuteness.

Then the guys decided the swimming pool may be fun too, so moved over to the pool on site & us girls retired to our respective cabins to have lunch while the babies had a little nap. After all the activity of the morning & the previous day’s travel us oldies (& mid lifers) needed a nap too! Although the teens had other activities in mind.

With an afternoon stroll along the beach & lagoon after our naps a coming back together for our evening Pot Luck Dinner & fun night was on. Dinner was delicious, as everyone had outdone themselves with their dishes with fun activities before & after dinner. It was time for the babies bedtime so board games & cabin hopping once again lasted quietly into the night.

After a good night’s sleep, the next morning, we all gathered to have a family photo shoot on the lawn with the ocean in the background before most needed to travel back for school & work the next day.

The Sanctuary of Thanks-living 

As you may have read last week, I had to manage my expectations that had been building for this very special weekend together.

And as mentioned in that post much prayer had taken place leading up to this time together. And I can shout from the roof tops the following answer to those prayers in;

“Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us…” Eph 3:20 AMP

Our time together as a family was such an amazing time & truly a blessed one for all. And that glory all goes to my Heavenly Father who through His Holy Spirit, sent by Jesus, His Son worked as I rested in the Sanctuary of;

“And now, Lord, for what do I expectantly wait? My hope [my confident expectation] is in You.” Psalm 39:7 AMP

And as hubby & I drove home the next day the following saying & song lyrics were echoing through my mind;

God is good, all the time!

Until next time,

Jennifer

You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook

or in Prayer

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© 2026 Jennifer M. Ross, All Rights Reserved. Photo by Marcourt Media at pexels.com

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