“Hope you survived the travel and are enjoying Shirley and John’s warm and loving hospitality.”
That is the post script of my Mom’s email. It is wonderful in that it describes my current life well.
There has been equal amounts of joy and eagerness for this visit. I wanted to know how folks are. I wanted to know details about lives that can’t happen by phone. I wanted my girls to enjoy their grandparents. I wanted to slow down to the unstructured time of visiting. I wanted to see Tennessee. I wanted to explore Nashville.
A relaxing, comfortable day.
Asleep till 8.
Slow readiness. Unpacking. Pancakes. Pictures.
Girls need to get outside.
Walked around a field. This was the highlight of my day. John’s property. Girls just playing in God’s world. Stacking rocks. Drawing in frost. Chasing cats. Sticks in mud. Making a flag. Playing with a cat. A dog running in the frosty grass. Wayne standing with John talking, father and son oblivious to the world. I walk around it, moving to walk off good food and nod at exercise.
Sara looks hopefully at the tractors, but Grandpa is immersed in being with his oldest son. John gets out an old bike at my request. My knees hit my ears. Jon raises the seat and I smile as I bike and my ankles don’t hurt.
Shopping at Lewisburg Walmart with the girls. Grandma buys girls crowns! I buy girls books.
When we get home, guests have arrived. A party with Deb’s side of the family. 20 cousins, aunts, uncles altogether. Shirley knows how to throw a party. Pulled pork with Deb’s bbq sauce. Karen’s mac ‘n cheese. Coleslaw. Red beans and rice with sausage. Potato salad. Chocolate pound cake.
Matthew’s 18th! Lots of laughter around a donkey card Sara picked.
Girls played happily with cousins. Laura and Landon, the ones needing the most watching, kept disappearing into bedrooms to play with shadows and flashlights. Last year, Landon was the baby in Laura’s eyes; now he is a worthy playmate. Sara played with Hanna and Cameron. Angry birds was popular.
After folks left, it was quieter. iPhones and iPads were everywhere with games. I read the kids Mercer Mayers Grandma, Grandpa, and Me. The illustrations are great. The kids competed to find the spider first in each picture.
Laura feel asleep on the floor. We saw the finale of Survivor.