Front Door Joy

I'm so very glad to be HOME!

No joke!  I walked in through my own front door yesterday and just beamed! 

Travel has been a big part of my life the past four weeks.  Couples retreat in Delaware.  Women's retreat in Ohio.  Minister's conference in Jacksonville.

I love traveling......meeting friends new and old; seeing the sights; experiencing God's presence in different venues.  But I also love coming home! 

In fact, being away usually helps us appreciate home even more.  Isn't that true for you as well?

Bella and Gracie (the four-legged children) danced as Frank and I came in yesterday.  They had been well cared for.  But nobody pets them like "Mom" and "Dad."  Such Joy!

We had already received texts and phone calls from the real children saying, "Time to come home now!"  They even went so far as to pull out the BIG guns - they put the grandbabies on the phone!

Frank and I had the bags packed and ready to load as soon as our meetings ended!  The rain poured and the winds blew (that's not poetic; it's real) but we drove on without slowing down.  Hugs and kisses were waiting!  Such Joy!

We made it back to Winter Haven around 2 PM.  But appointments and phone calls kept us from actually collecting on the baby kisses.

Of course, we were still pretty happy.  The final appointment was at the bridal salon and we got to see Kristin try on a beautiful wedding gown,

The tears in Dad's eyes were the ones that always appear when one of his little girls steps out of the dressing room in the gown of her dreams.  Even if that little girl is thirty-one years old.  Tears of such JOY!

I know that I still owe you all the story of Kristin's engagement.  I know I'm late wishing each of you a Happy Mother's Day. 

But the joy of walking in our front door yesterday and then watching the sunrise over our back yard this morning seemed like an important, albeit quick reminder -

The best view is the one out our own front door! Such Joy!

The engagement story is on the schedule for writing tomorrow!  You'll catch yourself smiling as you read it, I promise.  Please check back in then......thanks for your patience!