Movin' Along...

This past Sunday was my birthday. Eek! 58 years old. How did that happen? Most days I still feel like I am somewhere in my thirties. Pete gave me two cool gifts. One is this great digital picture frame. Pete spent all day yesterday going through all our digital pictures and loading over 600 of them on to a memory stick. When you power up the frame, a picture appears, fades and a new comes on. I have it on my credenza at work and it is the greatest thing to catch a picture out of the corner of my eye and then really focus on it and remember. What an awesome gift!

And the other gift was terrific as well but a little trauma was involved with this one. It had to do with my new nose piercing. Pete got me the little, itty-bitty gem that I really wanted when I first got pierced. I had no idea what the backing of my nosering (That is what it's called, isn't it? It's not an earring for your nose.) was like since it is inside my nostril. Suffice it to say that replacing the nose jewel involved a flashlight, a mirror, needle nose pliers and a Sharpie pen. And the best gift of all, Pete helped with the craziness. He rocks!

The whole day had many great elements to it. An early morning call from the Mayasian Bonciminos. The Michel kids at church and breakfast after with all of them, Tommy, Aunt Sarah with the yellow hair, Jake, his kids, Pete, Katie and the twins. It was delightful chaos. We watched a great Bears game at home. And later, pizza with more family and friends. I think the picture portrays the fun there too. And last a quick visit to our dear friend John at Good Shepherd Hospital where he had spent several days getting chemo treatment. (Big prayers on John's behalf, please.) And the only downside was the ambush as we left Good Shepherd, the same hospital where my sister Lin was pronounced dead 10 years ago, where my mom died in surgery almost three years ago and where my dad spent the last 10 days of his life. Out of nowhere as we walked to the car, I was nailed with missing all of them. And this was not quiet weeping, it was loud sobbing most of the ride home.

Contacts ruined, I shake my head even now knowing that the loss of loved ones still brings pain. I am grateful for the knowledge that our hope is in Him and our real heavenly home someday. I'm movin' along...