Our forearms are tan. We may never get all of the sand out of Brave's ears. The boys haven't eaten a vegetable in who knows how long. We live out of plastic sacks, dashing between our little place in Hamilton, my parents'
old folks home nice new condo in Zeeland, and the motorhome (which we affectionately call "Harvey the RV"). Our guts have adjusted to the astronomical amounts of red meat that we have been consuming, and our kids have adjusted to car seats (finally).
We are well past halfway through our furlough, and embarking on our 2nd week in Michigan. Every now and then we think about our home in the far east, and we dream of the days when each day leads seamlessly into the next. For now, however, we are trying to absorb every rich minute with the ones that we love, and the places that have shaped who we are.
My mom is a grandmother out of a story book. Wherever her grandkids are, whatever they are doing, she is right there with them, swimming in the lake, rolling in the grass, or making watercolor coffee filter hats.
My dad is the world's best grandpa. How do I figure? He will grab a stinky baby and wisk him off to the other room to change his poopy diaper, without notifying the nearest able-bodied woman to take care of it. Name one other grandpa who will do that! Not to mention the way he relates to even the youngest of his brood. Brave and Grandpa have a little thing going.
My little brother, Jack, who I had not seen in two years, has turned into one heck of a man. He is presently in one of life's proverbial valleys, but he still manages to crack a joke and flash his handsome smile whenever we get the privilege of his company. My big brother, Kody, has been a touch MIA due to the busyness of the farming industry this time of year, but we are hoping to catch an evening of fishing with him tomorrow and I can't wait!
Bright and his 6-year-old cousin, Jack Jr. (J.J.), are kindred spirits. Both are just the right combination of sweet, smart, and tough.
My niece, Sharlet, is the darling of my heart. I had not seen her since she was 4 weeks old, but the second she saw/met me, she reached for me with her tender little arms. I melted and haven't been able to stop kissing her since.
Though our first furlough experience has been a bit weighted in the family crisis department, we would not want to be anywhere else this summer. It don't get much better than this.
