Anecdotes from a month in Pennsylvania:
Without completely neglecting work for Crisis Response, Gail and I spent about five weeks in March and April helping our daughter Hannah greet the new baby, Timothy Matteo. Hannah and Darin already have three children ages 6, 4 and almost 2, so bringing a new baby into the home was not simple. We loved being there. Here are a few pictures and stories from that month.
We drove from spring in Texas to late winter in Pennsylvania, but we stayed long enough to thoroughly enjoy the emergence of Pennsylvania spring.
To entertain the grand-kids on our daily walks we began to give the blooming trees names. Gail chose names like Margarite and Cynthia, but I insisted on names like Fred, Clyde and Mort.
The highlight of the trip, of course, was the arrival of our newest grandson. We loved holding him, and normally this was very entertaining. But not always. Babies need lots of naps. Papas sometimes do too.
We did get away for a short weekend with our daughter Bethany in New York. There, in places at least, it was still winter.
Of course, there were minor crises, like the time we left Buc-ee at the park. He’s our granddaughter’s favorite stuffie and no naps were taken until he was found safe and sound.
What’s next? On May 1st we’re leaving on vacation to Utah. This will be the first actual vacation (rather than Crisis Response trip or family visits) that we’ve taken since retirement. We’re looking forward to it and we ask your prayers for safe and enjoyable travel.
We’ll be gone a little more than two weeks, then back home for a spell. We may go back to Ft Myers in June, and we also have a few days in Minnesota with Crisis Response. Over the Fourth of July weekend we’ve got a family reunion (in Coldspring, TX) that should include all of our kids and grandkids. Then in July we’ll be full time with Crisis Response for as long as needed, either in Ft Myers or possibly in a new response, depending on what the hurricanes do this season.