I don't know where to begin . . .
Our Christmas vacation to Texas started out pretty normal, actually pretty boring. We decided to drive the longer part of our trip through Louisiana this time and we drove it all in one day. Fifteen hours makes for a long driving day, but it went pretty smoothly. I must admit that Misty drove the greater portion of our trip to Texas, mainly because I was reading that Twilight book. I am a little embarrassed, but over the course of our first week away, I read all four of those books. I think I may have become a teenage girl.
One of the highlights of our first week was a trip to the Dallas Museum of Art to see Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. I have never seen so many people at a museum. It was great to see the exhibit, but it was hard to really enjoy the pieces because there were so many people there. Misty and I took Emma alone to the museum and got to show her all the different styles of art. She is very artistic and enjoyed the modern art, especially Jackson Pollock. I think she just enjoyed having mom and dad all to herself for several hours.
We had a good Christmas with the entire family. We met the rest of my immediate family and Misty's family at my sister's home in Frisco. It was good to see everyone. I got a garden gnome. I was totally surprised (which I usually hate) and overjoyed. I love quirky things and it amazes me when people pay attention to the slightest thing I say. Christmas evening we went home to McKinney with my father-in-law and spent the next few days with him. Misty and her dad went all over town taking care of errands, paying bills, etc. He seemed very happy and talked about coming for a visit to Florida this summer. I had not seen him in a year and, though he seemed in good spirits, he seemed very frail. Misty assured me that this past summer he had looked the same. We had a good visit and after lunch on Sunday, December 28, we took some pictures together and left to go visit my family in Denton. We promised to return in a couple of days to have dinner together before we left for the return trip back to Florida.
I got to see my grandfather and my aunt Sunday night and we went shopping the next day and had a really good time. Tuesday we decided to go out for lunch and then some more shopping or whatever presented itself. After lunch, a few of us walked over to the music store a block away because I was looking for the music to a work I am supposed to sing with a community chorus here in Panama City this spring. As they were looking for the music, my sister called me and told me I needed to come back to the restaurant because Misty's dad had been found dead. I freaked out a little bit and was a little bit louder than is rational in the music store. I ran out the door and down the block. I must have looked pretty silly. But it was true, he was gone. Our little vacation ended right then.
We sent the three little girls to my sister's and went to Misty's dad's home to see the family already gathering. Thankfully, he had his funeral service planned and paid for, so all we had to do was verify the arrangements. His service was a week ago tomorrow. More than 350 people attended. He had really made an impact on his community. He was very generous and kind and would always drop anything to help someone out. I always thought people took advantage of him, but that was his ministry--helping people. He was not the most educated man, but I learned more from him than I would have in any class about what it means to shepherd people. If there were more people like him . . .
The rest of our stay in the Lone Star State was a flurry of cleaning his house and shredding a ridiculous amount of paperwork (he never got rid of anything) and taking care of all the business that proceeds someone's death. I knew this year would be interesting. I had a strange feeling several weeks ago that something big was on the horizon, that some big change lay just ahead. Truth is, I thought it would be something closer to home here in Florida.
It was freezing the day before we left, but by 5:00 Tuesday morning, it was 36 degrees so we could safely leave. We finally got home a little after 9:00 that night and it was about 76. It rained about 9 hours of our trip so it took 16 hours to get back home. Thankfully, our house was still standing and we made it back in one piece.
Now, please remember us in your prayers as we have several decisions to make concerning the estate over the next few months. And remember my sister as well. She got some discouraging news from the doctor and needs all of our prayers.
Peace, and happy new year.
Our Christmas vacation to Texas started out pretty normal, actually pretty boring. We decided to drive the longer part of our trip through Louisiana this time and we drove it all in one day. Fifteen hours makes for a long driving day, but it went pretty smoothly. I must admit that Misty drove the greater portion of our trip to Texas, mainly because I was reading that Twilight book. I am a little embarrassed, but over the course of our first week away, I read all four of those books. I think I may have become a teenage girl.
One of the highlights of our first week was a trip to the Dallas Museum of Art to see Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. I have never seen so many people at a museum. It was great to see the exhibit, but it was hard to really enjoy the pieces because there were so many people there. Misty and I took Emma alone to the museum and got to show her all the different styles of art. She is very artistic and enjoyed the modern art, especially Jackson Pollock. I think she just enjoyed having mom and dad all to herself for several hours.
We had a good Christmas with the entire family. We met the rest of my immediate family and Misty's family at my sister's home in Frisco. It was good to see everyone. I got a garden gnome. I was totally surprised (which I usually hate) and overjoyed. I love quirky things and it amazes me when people pay attention to the slightest thing I say. Christmas evening we went home to McKinney with my father-in-law and spent the next few days with him. Misty and her dad went all over town taking care of errands, paying bills, etc. He seemed very happy and talked about coming for a visit to Florida this summer. I had not seen him in a year and, though he seemed in good spirits, he seemed very frail. Misty assured me that this past summer he had looked the same. We had a good visit and after lunch on Sunday, December 28, we took some pictures together and left to go visit my family in Denton. We promised to return in a couple of days to have dinner together before we left for the return trip back to Florida.
I got to see my grandfather and my aunt Sunday night and we went shopping the next day and had a really good time. Tuesday we decided to go out for lunch and then some more shopping or whatever presented itself. After lunch, a few of us walked over to the music store a block away because I was looking for the music to a work I am supposed to sing with a community chorus here in Panama City this spring. As they were looking for the music, my sister called me and told me I needed to come back to the restaurant because Misty's dad had been found dead. I freaked out a little bit and was a little bit louder than is rational in the music store. I ran out the door and down the block. I must have looked pretty silly. But it was true, he was gone. Our little vacation ended right then.
We sent the three little girls to my sister's and went to Misty's dad's home to see the family already gathering. Thankfully, he had his funeral service planned and paid for, so all we had to do was verify the arrangements. His service was a week ago tomorrow. More than 350 people attended. He had really made an impact on his community. He was very generous and kind and would always drop anything to help someone out. I always thought people took advantage of him, but that was his ministry--helping people. He was not the most educated man, but I learned more from him than I would have in any class about what it means to shepherd people. If there were more people like him . . .
The rest of our stay in the Lone Star State was a flurry of cleaning his house and shredding a ridiculous amount of paperwork (he never got rid of anything) and taking care of all the business that proceeds someone's death. I knew this year would be interesting. I had a strange feeling several weeks ago that something big was on the horizon, that some big change lay just ahead. Truth is, I thought it would be something closer to home here in Florida.
It was freezing the day before we left, but by 5:00 Tuesday morning, it was 36 degrees so we could safely leave. We finally got home a little after 9:00 that night and it was about 76. It rained about 9 hours of our trip so it took 16 hours to get back home. Thankfully, our house was still standing and we made it back in one piece.
Now, please remember us in your prayers as we have several decisions to make concerning the estate over the next few months. And remember my sister as well. She got some discouraging news from the doctor and needs all of our prayers.
Peace, and happy new year.
1 comment:
A garden gnome, eh? Is that anything like a Chia Pet?
I remember when I took Christian to see the Dead Sea scrolls in San Diego. It was the final night of the exhibit and I had never seen so many people at a museum in my life. Frustrating. While there were quite a few who were genuinely interested for scholarly, religious or personal reasons, it truly seemed liked half of the crowd were just rubber-necking history. Don't know why, but I felt a little violated by the whole experience.
On a more personal note, we have been praying for your family. I'm so glad to read you had quality time with Misty's dad just before his home going. Both of her parents were exceptional and such wonderfully genuine people. We have never forgotten their kindness toward us. What a heritage.
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