February 14 – “You’re Going Places”

We made our yearly February trip to wherever Josh lives yesterday.  It’s just been a thing we have tried to do to be with his family somewhere near his birthday (It’s on the 16^th, I think).  It worked out well this time because we also got to see Zak and Caleb play in basketball games. 

On Caleb’s level they don’t keep score.  The games are more about teaching the boys the game.  (Long pause here).  Caleb’s team won 12 to 9.  Not sure who it could have been that kept up with that tally.  Caleb was a fly in the other team’s ointment on defense.  Zakary’s team faced one of the tougher teams in their league, and they did it without one of their key players.  His absence, unfortunately, showed.  The other team had a superstar outside shooter, a lumbering hot dog, and a decent point guard.  Final score?  48-18 Bad Guys.  Zak did a great job of setting some of the best screens I have ever seen, though. 

After the games we decided (well … Christi and Chris decided) to go by “The Grain Silos.”  Yep, the Chip and Joanna Gaines, Fixer Upper TV show, Magnolia home store.  It’s one of those “New Iconic” places that you go to just to be able to say you went.  Thing is, the line to get inside was wrapped around the building outside … and around the block.  We didn’t stop.  But we have “Seen the Silos.” 

Now the other reason we went to Waco this year was to be a part of a big reveal moment.  Josh presented the six of us – Christi, Chris, Zak, Caleb, and Luke – with one of those kids’ Valentines (mine was a Charlie Brown saying, “You’re going places”).  The cards were attached to clue gifts that we “might need.”  Chris got a sunglass case.  Christi got some hand sanitizer.  Mine was an energy drink.  He sure hit the nail on the head there.  Then  he told us, “All those things are clues to another Valentine’s gift that I got you.  Turn the cards over and you will notice a letter on the back of each one.  See if you can figure out what those letters spell.  And it starts with DadDad’s.”  (Hence the significance of Charlie Brown’s “You’re going places” prophecy).  My letter was a D.  It didn’t take Zakary long to rearrange the letters, though.  Before we knew it, he had it.  D-I-S-N-E-Y.  Yep … we’re going to DisneyWorld.  The boys all jumped up and down and did some screaming and lots of hugging.  Luke even squealed and sang, “Going to DisneyWorld.”  I slipped on my Mickey Mouse sweatshirt to get into the spirit of things, and they realized that we would be joining them on the little excursion.  They seemed genuinely happy to have us, especially when they found out we had never been before.  Now, we’re not going until May.  That should give us enough time to save up to pay for the whole thing.  Maybe we could start one of those FaceBook GoFundMe accounts?  Aw, I’m sure it’ll all work out.  I might even start getting a little excited … soon.

1 John 4:11 says, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Father, thank you for our chance to be a part of such an exciting moment in Zak and Caleb and Luke’s lives.  Amen.