We spent the first week getting ready for family to come into town. It has been a struggle just to keep up with things at home, so it took me all week to prepare for company.
My sister and brother, with their respective spouses, arrived on Saturday afternoon from Pennsylvania. My husband and I were not there to greet them because we were at my husband’s nephew’s wedding.
They are such a cute couple. They are in their mid-twenties, and are getting established in their careers. She is a registered nutritionist, and she was a beautiful bride. He is a coach for Camp Gladiator, and he is a dynamic and incredible man.
When he was a teenager, I believe 13, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After several unsuccessful cancer treatments, and surgery to remove tumors in his lungs, he received a bone marrow transplant. The procedure was a success, and he has worked very hard to be fit and healthy. He went to college to be able to help young people overcome difficulties and to thrive.
After 10 years of being cancer free, he has married the woman of his dreams. They seem to be a perfect fit for each other, and we are ecstatic for them. We are very blessed to have them live just a few miles from us.
My week with family was wonderful. I was able to take some time from work to spend with them. The weather was hot (especially for them), but we still got out to see some sights while Mom napped at home. At age 87, she decided she was not up to being out in the heat.
We did some sightseeing at the Vietnam War Museum in Mineral Wells, and the Fort Worth Water Gardens. It was my first time to see both, and I was very glad that I did. It’s really strange that most people don’t sightsee where they live. I guess we figure we will get around to it, but rarely do.
On Thursday, the guys and me went fishing on the pier at the state park in Mineral Wells. We all got bites, but most of what we caught were too small to keep. We were mostly fishing for crappie and catfish. We caught some of both, plus my husband caught a bass. My brother was the only one who didn’t catch and fish. He did catch a turtle, though (and so did I), but turtle wasn’t on the menu.
We broke all the diet rules with a meal of fried everything Thursday night. Along with the fish we were able to keep, we had some store bought cod. My husband fried the fish and hushpuppies, and baked some onion rings and French fries. It was a feast, and everyone left the table stuffed!
Every evening consisted of at least one game of Scrabble. If you are unfamiliar with the game, it is a board game in which players draw 7 letters that they have to form words with on the board. You replenish your letters until they are all drawn. Play continues until the first person uses all their letters. The player with the highest score wins. It’s like a giant crossword game without the questions.
Even at 87 my mother wins almost every game. She has strategy as well as a broad knowledge of words. She is also the only one who does not play with a dictionary for help!
The week went by quickly, and Saturday morning was here before we knew it. They left early that morning for the airport, and my husband and I spent the day resting.
I wish that we could visit more often, but everyone has a job and busy lives. A year seems a long time to wait, and I am already looking forward to it!
Romans 15:13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
