Busy Weekend in Store

I'm anticipating quite a busy weekend. I think I'm organized and ready to handle it. In the morning I will rise early and clean our downstairs. Redonia gets the upstairs! Kent has ReFuel, a men's prayer service. I will have to take him to the church since the youth borrowed one of our vehicles tonight. I have a quick errand to pick up a surprise. Then I'll come home and set up and decorate card tables in my living room and formal dining room. Around noon I have to leave for a luncheon honoring the soon arrival of my new little neice. After returning home I will begin preparing Sunday lunch. Tomorrow night CUPC is giving Kristi and Mickey a baby shower. I'm excited about one of the b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l gifts I bought Mallory or Monkey or Minnie or whomever she will be.

Sunday of course means get up early and pray for patience before going on the van route. Before leaving the house I'll have to set the ovens on time back and finish preparing for lunch. The menu will be ham, hashbrown casserole, green beans, corn, rolls, and dessert. Normally we eat out but this year I offered to cook for our family clan of 30 plus people in honor of Grandparent's Day. My parents normally cook for holidays or throw fits if we say we are making reservations for lunch on Mother's Day, Father's Day or Grandparent's Day. This year I thought I'd be nice since 7 of the 9 siblings will be here. (We have a blended family. My Dad passed away and the Patrick bunch lost their Mom to the same dreaded disease of cancer.)

Our church has a few special things for Grandparent's Day. The music department has planned some special songs. I'm thinking oldies! lol The Kidz Silent Praise Team will sign a remix of Amazing Grace. Popsie, my stepdad, Redonia and Gentry, my nephew are singing "I said I wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody". Gentry is really excited about singing with Popsie and Redonia. Our Grandparents were asked to write a "Treasure to Be Handed Down" to their grandchildren. They were asked to write about intangible things to leave the children. One of our ladies who has much charisma will read the "treasures". One of our decorators, Debra, is decorating the foyer with a treasure chest theme. She is collecting old things for the chest. Each Grandparent is receiving Treasures Chocolates nicely packaged by Debra. Kent will preach to the Grandparents. Additionally, we will have a $30 giftcard drawing for a blessed grandparent.

I plan to find time the next 24 hrs to write a tribute to my Mamaw & Papaw Ingram for the Treasures they left me. It will be a very easy task. They' left me the ability to serve others, give of my resources to the church, enjoy my home, love my family, be faithful to church even when I may have legitimate reasons to miss, love minister's and wives, and be true to my convictions. I scare myself at times for being so much like Mamaw. I LOVE sweets...gotta have them, chicken and rice, bread and jelly, and ham. I can't stand for my shoulders to get cold. My eyes tear in the sunlight, in fact I have macular degeneration like she did. I'm getting age spots on my skin, my hair is greying. I like to feel different textures of fabric. She liked to rub our 'ready made' dresses to check the quality of the fabric. I do that and I'm not even a seamstress. I find myself whistling and humming more and more. My Mamaw and Papaw where VERY special to me. When Mamaw's health began to fail I went to Alabama and brought her to Texas for a few months. I would not trade the world for the time we shared. From the time I was 18 and moved to Texas until the time MaMaw was in the nursing home only a few years ago I called her at least once each week. I have cards and letters she mailed me after I moved to Texas. I have a red FTD bowl style vase that was hers. From the time I was a little girl Mamaw kept a wall calendar and would write important dates on it. I have her last calendar. I have a few pictures of Mamaw and Papaw. More than these few simple inheritances, I have many values instilled in my heart.

I'm thankful for Redonia and Trent's Grandparents, too. My children have such a Godly heritage. Both sets of their grandparents are ministers. Both sets have sacrificed much in their lives for churches to be built. Now both sets are greatly blessed. My children never knew their Papaw Thomas. I can cry even now over this loss. Daddy would have been a great grandparent. However, I am MOST thankful that while Popsie, my stepdad, has never over stepped his bounds to replace my Dad in my life; he is a WONDERFUL grandparent to my children. My children love Popsie just as much as they love their Grammy, Mamaw and Papaw Smith. Thank you Popsie! To each of you Grandparents of Trent and Redonia, I honor you on this Grandparent's Day!

Though I maybe really busy the next couple of days, I want to say Happy Grandparent's Day to all of you Grandparents. Keep striving to leave a wealth of intangible gifts for your grandchildren. These are gifts that will last for a lifetime!