The Monday After...

Thanksgiving ...

as all our house guests, a family of eight and our son Jonathan, have returned to Colorado to jump back into their routine.

It was a quick 4 1/2 days as we crammed in Thanksgiving, a trip to the Grand Canyon, a Filipino day complete with Filipino cuisine prepared on site by our Filipino friends, church with the Risma family singing and son, Chad preaching his last sermon as our assistant pastor, an "almost baptism" and a last meal together at a Chinese buffet.

The "almost" baptism! Madison was so excited to follow the Lord in believer's baptism...until she got to this very point! She refused to go under so at the risk of looking like child abuse, her dad, Chad chose to put it off for another time :)!! A few hours later with me, while taking a look into the baptistry once gain, she said in all seriousness, "yep, it's still there!" She explained to me as only a four year old can that she was scared. I told her that was ok she will be baptized someday.

In the middle of that whirlwind, Charlie, our marine son in law just returned from his two year deployment in Japan Saturday...to a very happy Jennifer, twin sister to Jonathan. Now we are getting ready for a new batch of guests and their 2 year's later wedding reception to be held on Saturday in our back yard!

Fast forward another week and Jenny, Charlie and half the stuff in our garage will be in North Carolina at Camp LeJeune. Since Jen has lived with us most of the last 2 years her departure is going to be the hard part even though the empty garage will be good!