May 4 – “Pokemon and pine cones”

Chris and I had an interesting morning.  we got up early and headed over to LaMarque to watch Josiah and Noa while Kel and Christina while their Mom and Dad ran some errands with the other two.  It was not at all difficult.  Chris rocked Noa to sleep for her morning nap and I slept through … er … watched an episode of Pokemon with Josiah.  I still haven’t figured out which little creature is Pokemon.  The whole thing just looks … weird to me. 

Before I dozed off, Josiah and I were talking.  Well, I was mainly listening to him talk.  For a three year old he has a lot to say.  He brought up Mom’s funeral, so I asked him what he remembered about it.  He didn’t hesitate at all in answering.  He said, “Pine cones.  There were pine cones everywhere.”  Not at all what I expected.  But to punctuate his choice, he ran to the shelf and returned with … a pine cone, of course.  And he was right.  The cemetery grounds were indeed covered with pine cones.  And this from the little guy who pitched in and helped the pall bearers “carry MeeMaw” like his big brother Micah had done at the funeral home.  That was a picture to cherish.

Aaaaaaand … just when I thought our stress level might decrease just a little bit … we got word that Chris’ Dad (the guy who adopted her when she was a baby.  More info than that on her family situation would take too long to tell about here) is not doing too well.  Her brother was with him at the emergency room in Victoria where he was being treated for mysterious pains in his abdomen and lingering pneumonia.  How’s that for being a little too close to home?  Chris is now embroiled in the struggle of the siblings to find an appropriate nursing facility for their Dad for after he is released from the hospital.  To their credit, though, the siblings seem to be doing a pretty good job of getting a handle on things.  I’m not so sure I can talk Chris into taking a trip any time soon, though.  At least not until he is settled in.  Sigh.  Here we go again.

On the home front, I checked with my brothers on what their thoughts were concerning going through Mom’s clothes and things, and how they want to deal with them.  I imagine we’ll have to get together and just wade through what we have here.  Not that it’s so much stuff.  Hurricane Ike took care of clearing out most of the peripherals.  They both agreed, so we’ll be facing that next step sometime in the near future. 

2 Peter 1:5-7 says, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.”

Father, I get the whole perseverance thing.  It’s just that it takes so long.  Thanks for walking through it with us.  Amen.