Summer Visits 2015

The Okie Visitors- Josh, Kira and Brayden

Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his grace continues forever;  Ps. 136:3 (CJB)

May summer graces set your paces today!

Summer is stepping out to the mailbox in the stillness of early morning and seeing a young buck staring me down from the side yard. I turn first to go back inside for my camera; he is gone.  There was majestic grace in the brief encounter.

Summer is having off from work for 5 weeks! I may not get paid high wages, but I do like the benefits of my academic library job. There is appreciative grace each morning I awake and say thank you for the new gifted day.

Summer is visits from kids who live far away.  The preparation is grace of anticipation, the time together priceless and the clean up, negligible. When are you coming again?

Summer is celebrating special days and outdoor fun.

Summer is garden goodness and hard sweaty work.

It was time for the visit from Josh and part of his family.  I bought a new vacuum cleaner for the occasion, well at least the purchase coincided with cleaning time for their arrival. To say my new nifty red upright made cleaning fun would be stretching the truth, but I did enjoy the huge improvement over the sucklessness of the old canister.

After sweeping carpet that only gets raked when rooms receive occupants and then scouring auxiliary baths, I was close to ready.   Grocery shopping and some baking thrown in finished the process.

The travelers numbered 5:  Josh, Kira, Brayden with Neo and Cozette, the dog members of the family. Our usually quiet quarters were filled with activity and movement.  The dining table became office space for Josh and Kira who both work from home. Brayden stretched his lanky body over sofas or insisted we play games with him whenever possible. His 14 year old energy source seldom took a break, so trips to the driving range, across the street to the basketball courts and out to eat helped keep him under control.

During evening games playing Rummikub, Euchre or Up and Down the River we trash talked our way to victories and mishandled defeats. Days included eating out in hometown restaurants, fixing sandwiches at home and keeping up with exercising. A fitbit competition among co-workers, kept Kira, counting every step she accrued during morning runs with Josh or walking the dogs, while Josh added workouts to his routine at the local gym. I stuck with my normal two mile walk, content with this 60s something body and it’s familiar limitations. Gone are any longings for fitbitting challenges or sore muscles from workouts!

Everyone played!!

 What else was in the family visit?  Good chats and discussions, a visit to cousins out of town,(thanks for hosting us, Chupps!) watching fireworks over the lake, an excursion to a Detroit Tiger’s game with an over- the -border visit to Windsor, Canada, and a grand cookout where I played sous chef to Josh who wowed us with his grilling skills. Austin and Ashley and Rowan joined us for a couple of days and Dan and family along with Kevin’s parents came over for the cookout. Later that night my sons and I had to honor the family tradition of a Scrabble skirmish.

Saganaki and Pasteries in Greektown.
                 OOMPA!

Everyone loves Baby Rowan!

Trying the new Goshen Brewery

Buddies!

Is that Kevin holding a dog??

Thanks for coming, Josh, Kira and Brayden!  We enjoyed our time together very much!

I’m gearing up for our next family visitors. Changing bedsheets, walking the floors behind the upright,  making plans to keep little people busy and anticipating good times with Jodi and her three preschool boys as they join us next week. I’ll need to pick up some more TP and take some naps and I should be good to go.

Thank you, Father, for family and kids who become friends and good company.  Thank you for grandchildren and for the fun of making memories. Your grace, indeed, continues forever.