Family, Fun, Food, and a Funeral

Life never ceases to amaze me. Nor the human beings I am blessed to have in my life. Today was so non-typical I just had to share it with you. I should be sleeping. It's 4 am Thursday morning and I stayed up most of Tuesday night trying to do what I thought I'd have time for Wednesday. Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men. {By the way, my dad used to say that a lot.} So much has happened the last 48 hours my brain won't shut off. So, here I am and there you are. And here's how it played out.

Monday we got word there had been a death within our Mississippi family. Very sudden. Very sad. He was ready. No one else was. And it's just not natural for a mother to outlive a child. But Davis went peacefully in his sleep and is rejoicing today in a beautiful realm. Johnny & I wanted to go for the memorial service and to be with our two oldest daughters as they dealt with this loss. To do so meant we'd have to rearrange schedules and get the hurries on. He planned to take the day off from work and I did Tuesday what I'd planned to do Wednesday and Thursday. You know, take one day to do what it was going to take two days to do! That kind of day. {laugh, laugh}

I suggested we pack an overnight bag since I wasn't sure how the girls would be and we may need to stay and pamper them a bit. We managed to get about 4 hours of sleep before getting up Wednesday morning, leaving at 8, and driving to Crystal Springs, Mississippi. We missed a turn, but got there in time to see lots of family.

Let me stop here and tell you that this family knew Johnny long before I ever came on the scene. And it includes the mother of our two oldest daughters. Yes, we're a blended family. A happy one. But to get back to the story,

Everyone was ready to go to the church for the memorial service, so we loaded up and drove down this beautiful heavily wooded narrow road to a small piece of land that's had a church on it for the past 150+ years. A lot of history there. A lot of memories. I knew so few people, but they treated me like a cherished member. I was welcomed. The service was inspiring and included two songs that Davis had written and recorded. Touching and sweet. Stories were traded between friends and family members and I watched and listened as Johnny reconnected with these that were once his family, still his family, and will always be in his heart. Memory-making moments.

Afterwards~if you're from the South~you know that food comes into the house when a loved one passes on! There was plenty of it. Along with more talk, more laughter, and more hugs. I sat on the swing with Dian, his once wife, and thought how blessed Johnny is to have been loved twice. And how blessed I am to be a part of these lives.

Leaving, we followed Stacey and Brett to go see our Mississippi babies. Austin and Alaina needed some snuggling from Nan and Pa and they got it. Here's a couple of shots we took before we left coming home and they left to go trick or treating. They aren't in their costumes yet. Stacey will email us those in the next day or two and I'll share them soon with you.

Austin is four, very focused on handheld computer games, and giggling. Alaina is almost two, a tad bit shy at first, and always on the go. The only time she slowed down this afternoon was when she was eating. I am so in love with our four grandchildren and love to watch them grow, learn, and explore. You have to have a grandchild to know this feeling. It doesn't come any other way.

John made the decision not to spend the night. Both Stacey and Leslie were okay. A bit sad, a lot tired, but okay. Faith allows one to be okay. Johnny needed some long sleep, so at dusk we headed back to Alabama. The drive gave us four hours to hash over the visit, his long lost friends, my new found friends, the beauty of life and the power of God. What a day. What a really neat kind of day~

So now, I don't have to do what I'd planned to do Thursday because I got that list completed Tuesday! Looks like now we'll go to Lowe's and buy another front porch light to install before the Open House at 5 PM! The reason we need a new light is a whole 'nother story.

Suffice to say, the emotions of Wednesday, Halloween 2007 defied the simple definition of roller coaster. And I am so glad I was there to experience every moment of it.