Wonderful Weekend - Full Heart

We had a wonderful weekend full of activity! Friends who moved away from the area five years ago came for a wedding and stayed with us for almost 4 days. We had a house full of 17 people all-together and we LOVED it! George and their second-youngest son have been good friends for a long time and so they really enjoyed being together. They were so much fun and such a blessing to us.  Friday the guys spent time doing yard work even rota-tilling a spot for my garden (a hard job with our rocky soil) and helping out in any way they could. My kitchen cupboards were washed down and our high chair which had gunk in every nook and cranny is now shiny and clean again. We had good late night talks and were on the receiving end of much helpful advice from people who have "been there" and we can see the fruit in their children. The boys (they have six ages 4 - 18) all played frisbee, laser tag (with nerf guns) and stayed up longer than they ever have then camped out in our motorhome. A once in a lifetime few days for them.

Saturday our Pastor's oldest son got married and I cried my way through. John and I used to babysit for their children and so it is strange to see him now old enough to begin a family of his own. Oh my! George told John later on that when it comes time for him to get married maybe they should put me in some room in the back that has a window to watch. :)- But it was a beautiful God-honoring wedding and how wonderful to see young love and and how their faces light up at the sight of each other, helping us to put a little spark back in our own relationship. (Not that it was dead or anything but you know -- we all need a little something to remind us now and again).

Yesterday we celebrated my Grandpa's 90th birthday! He sees it as just another day but to us it is a milestone of years spent in service to our Lord. He is a gentle and quiet spoken man. A man of prayer. It was wonderful to honor him in that way. Someone told him maybe he'd have another 30 years and he said, "I don't want that many!" That was a comfort to me to know that if and when I reach that age that maybe I won't cling to the things of this world so tightly but will be ready to see my Savior just as my Grandpa is. What a special man!



Today we said goodbye to our dear friends and wondered what we will do with ourselves now that the house is "quiet". But we are making plans to visit them at the end of the summer. Thankfully we did have a family picnic here today and that helped to perk up the kids spirits (and ours as well for that matter). We enjoyed beautiful weather and a good time with family. Today we had our veterans, my two Grandpa's and my Uncle, sit around the table and discuss their memories of war while my sister recorded it. It was over an hour and was so interesting to hear. It is also so good for the children to hear and I am glad we will have it on a DVD to watch and remember.

[caption id="attachment_782302" align="aligncenter" width="214" caption="Tank shooting a water balloon with a sling shot"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_782303" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Trying to catch balloons"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_782289" align="aligncenter" width="212" caption="My Grandpas - WWII Veterens"][/caption]

My heart is full and overflowing that tears just flow as I reflect on our weekend. I am so thankful for many people in my life and how God has blessed us over and again more than we ever deserve.