Wow, what have I been doing the last month?? I'm convinced that my trips to Lima, are truly a work out. My body isn't what it used to be and I want to take it all in with the grandchildren, well, with our girls and their guys too!! I think I wouldn't be lying if I said, I have been recouping on many levels.

A new year brings excitement that we actually can have every day, a new start on things, a new outlook, changes if we would like. One of the things I decided I wanted to experienc in 2010 is biographies. So I am on my second one, Flying Without Wings, Personal reflections on being disabled, Arnold R.Beisser.

Wedding planning is going great. Fairly low key, and enjoyable. Hopefully, I will get to drive to College Station tomorrow for the ladies, Red Dress Tea!! No ice, please Lord as I leave town.

We have run into several families moving to Abilene that we knew from College Station and there have been a few AFCers show up at Hope (our congregation) on Sunday nights. I realize people give me energy, I love to meet new people and enjoy relationships from the past. Thank you, God, for friendship and for the purpose you put together for community!!

Another thing I have enjoyed in this new year is my Thurs. noon Bible Study. I will leave you with some thoughts from this study, One in a Million.

Exodus 13:17-18, 21-22
When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.

By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

In this season God continuously reminds me, I love my people and I will do what is best for them. Trust Me!!

Rich Times!!

On the tails of our Nashville trip we drove home, washed clothes and both worked a few days. Then we headed to Dallas and spent the night with John and Charlene Wallace. They are long-time friends from Bryan/College Station and are parents of missionaries and understand all that our hearts are engaging in. We left our car there and they drove us to the airport. What a blessing. It was very cold and drizzling when we left Dallas.

We flew into DC and Hannah and Jason were ready to treat us to a metro ride. Jason's apt. is directly above a metro station and that was wonderful. We enjoyed an Amtrak trip over to Baltimore and saw lots of snow. At 4:20am Christmas morning we took a hotel shuttle to the airport and off we flew to Miami. During many hours of layover in Miami, we did all kinds of things to keep the cost down, flying from Baltimore was one of them. During our layover we slept, played cards, acted silly in the airport, and ate Chinese food for breakfast. Lots of fun and lots of tired moments. We arrived in Lima much later than expected because our Miami flight kept getting pushed back. (We did get 3,000 pts. from American Airlines for the delay) We got in bed around 3:00am, Dec. 26th. The next days were full of laughing, playing, cooking, eating, and just plain old family time. The six adults enjoyed a great conversation stemming from the two books, For Women Only and For Men Only, by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn. Great reads!!

Our only regret (other than more time with the kids and grandkids) is that we did not get to visit with the whole Lima Team. Time was just too short. We did enjoy an evening of talking with Mark Clancy. Daniel and Jason got to have a morning of prayer with the guys and Jason enjoyed some soccer on Monday night with the group. We tried to take it all in!! God is gracious to us always!!


Hannah, Jason, Daniel and I headed back to DC and enjoyed some time at the Smithsonian and the Korean, WWII, and Lincoln Memorial on New Year's Eve. We found a neat bakery and a used book store before the night was gone. Hannah and Jason had dinner out and celebrated the coming new year on the rooftop of Jason's apt. Daniel and I stayed in and watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ~~~ think we are getting really old. Jason was the perfect guide on the metro!!
All together we had 6 flights, 2 Amtrak rides, walked, rode the metro several times, drove in Lima taxis, and a hotel shuttle bus....we are learning to travel. And I guess with Hannah moving to DC in May after her marriage to Jason all of these skills will do us well both in Lima and DC!!




We have left our Lima kids in Lima and dropped off Jason in DC, Hannah has flown back to Tulsa for her last semester and we are settling back into Abilene!! Our hearts are full of memories!!