Dan, Kim, Erin, and Clayton visited with us this past week (7/20-25). We had a wonderful time hanging out, talking, working together on various projects, and playing with the kids.
Dan is the youngest of our four grown children. He lives in Albuquerque, NM and has worked for Intel Corp. for the past 13 years. He is taking on a new job with a church as part of their media team. Dan will be working with a group that maintains the church’s website. He is taking a major cut in pay, but both he and Kim feel that this change is of the Lord. Therefore, we may confidently say, “The Lord is my helper…” (Heb. 13:6)
Dan spent a great deal of time working on the website making some changes that I needed and helping me to get it ready for the changes the Lord is leading me to make. Some exciting things are forthcoming.
This blog you are reading is also a product of our work together. He goes through it so fast that I have no idea what it was that he did. Now that he is on his return home, I can spend some time trying to familiarize myself with this new format. (This is my first posting.)
Gracie took Kim and the kids to Branson to the outlet mall one evening to buy Erin and Clayton some outfits. You would have thought it was Christmas morning the way they came running into the house when they returned!! Excited is too mild a word for the joy in their little hearts! That was special; and Gracie said they had a rich and rewarding time together.
The grandkids love being out here with Gramma and Grandpa, because they get to do things that are not possible within their city life. They arrived asking if they could go pick vegetables from the garden. When I told them we had some new baby chickens, Erin wanted to hold one immediately. They went with me every morning to gather eggs and feed the hens.
Their uncle MIke (Dan’s brother) came for a visit Monday, and he brought water guns for them to play with. Poor chickens! Egg count went down for a couple days as the hens tried to regain their composure.
We picked blackberries and beans, ate lots of ice cream, played with Timber the dog, chased fireflies, read lots of books, played Sequence and Mexican Train Dominoes, got wet on the “Slip N Slide” and in the pool, and made the cats nervous with so much activity.
Erin wanted to read from her new Bible and she chose Psalms 1 and 2 (NIV). She breezed right through “inheritance” but stumbled over “pottery.” I was amazed at the skill she demontrated! She is only 6 1/2 years old. Kim and Dan have done a wonderful job.
We were sad to see them leave.
Practical Bible Teaching 
Great job on the post Dad!!
Indeed, it was a wonderful time and a blessing for all!!
I enjoyed getting to mow real grass again and eat real hamburgers too 🙂
Mike also blessed us (and especially Kim) with a big batch of pico de galo (sort of like salsa).
Dad even helped me think through some aspects and make great suggestions for a website idea I have been working on.
I was blessed to attend a Bible study Wed. night that Dad led on James 4:8-17 (although we only had enough time to dig through the first verse).
Gracie is such a gracious hostess (no pun intended). She even put 3 or 4 blankets down under the pool for the kids because the grass just wasn’t soft enough!
Clayton wore his camo clothes that Gracie bought him on the way home. He had a bit of an accident in them, and though normally would insist on new clothes if even a little peeps got on them, this time he was begging and pleading to still wear them and that he didn’t care (to no avail of course).
The kids got over their bugaphobia. When we got home, we started picking peaches from our tree. A few of them had some worms and Erin wanted to hold them. They also saw a praying mantis and wanted to hold it too. A far cry from being too scared of a dead fly on the floor to walk past it.
Kim enjoyed some time there to make 2 skirts for Erin and a break from cooking and cleaning was a treat.
We had brought a couple of movies, we were sure to be able to enjoy. However, there was just too much activity and interaction that was far better so that time did not allow.
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Sounds wonderful. Especially the chickens and gathering eggs bit! 2 of ours (grandkids, not eggs!!) just spent a week with us as well, so I really relate.
Hi, Gracie. Wish we could see you again.
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