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I love this picture, it is one of life’s peaceful moments, the sun rising on a blanket of fresh snow, every day is a new day to be enjoyed. Another day to rest in the Beauty and goodness of the Lord.

So this is my last day before I leave on this crazy trip to Texas, it will be me and my sweet Annikka (7 months old now). My Papa is not doing well, his health has declined over the past years, and it appears that his life in this world is coming to an end very soon. I am not sure of where he is with the Lord, so it will be hard, so those of you reading this who pray, please pray for his salvation.

MY Papa

From my memories he has always been a hard, strong quiet Texas man, yet in the presence of his grand daughters his hardness gave way to warm hugs and gentle play. He loves his girls (me and my sister Leslie), He would take us to work with him sometimes, he owned and operated a boot shop, where he hand made cowboy boots, I still remember the smell fresh leather.

He and my Grandma Betty (father’s parents) labored in love over my sister and I and our father, our whole life, more I am sure then we will ever know in this life. Our parents were divorced when I was only 4 and my sister Leslie 3, my father was at the time struggling with drug addiction and so gave up his parental  rights to my Mom, knowing he would be no good to us. So from that point on I never saw my father again, yet my grandparents remained in our life. They sent cards gifts and even money sometimes for every holiday and every birthday, even to this day. Every time we would visit them they were sure to call my Dad and have us visit with him on the phone, their heart was for us to know him and to one day be reunited to him.

January 2006, 2 weeks after my son Cadence was born, I met my Dad for the first time, and my new half sister Chelsea. To this day I have no memory of my father when I was a child, so for me this is the first time I had ever seen him. Since that first meeting my Dad and sister have continued to drive out here, all the way from NC (9 hours), at least every six months to visit, so I have gotten to know my Dad pretty well, and he is crazy :)

So this weekend, for the first time in 26 years, my Papa and Grandma Betty will have us all together in one house, My Dad, Me and Annikka, my sister Leslie and her son Brandon, my sister Chelsea, and my Dad’s brothers. So before my Papa will leave this life, he and my Grandma will get to taste the fruit that they have labored for my whole life, it will be sweet.

God is good and he is faithful, most of my family that i will be with this weekend do not know the Lord, and yet he is still good to them. This entire trip is testamony to the love and grace that he has for even the unlovely and especailly for his beloved.

I will as well be reunited with my closest sister Leslie, I have not really spent any time with her over the past 4 years, and i have missed her. So for the next 5 days she and i , and our kids, will all be sharing a hotel room, please pray for our time together.

Well this is my last day before I leave on this trip, as well as my last day with my other two children, Cayla and Cadence,  so need to go start my day with them. Please pray for Josh and the kids while i am on this trip, we as a family have never been apart for this long, Josh will have a big load. Thank you in advance to all who will be praying, your prayers are always needed!

~C