A Grand Day!

It's 8 PM so I have only a few hours to get a fourth post online for June, 2015.

And if you know me well, you know that I really only have about an hour and a half until the "shades start going down!"

While we were in Spain, many of the services and small groups didn't meet until 8 or 9 in the evening.  Even in the cosmopolitan city of Barcelona, the culture runs much later into the night hours.

The retreat (our first teaching opportunity) began at 9:00 PM because so many of the ladies had to navigate train schedules.  That meant I didn't start teaching until 10:00 PM!!

Such a momentous occasion, that Kristin took a picture of me holding the microphone and a picture of the clock on her phone to verify it.  The caption reads, "Mom preaching at 10:15!  Miracles still happen!"

As I write, Gracie has her chin resting on my keyboard.  (And she's quite annoyed each time I  attempt to hit the delete button.)  Madison is sleeping contentedly in her bouncy seat on the dining room table; a fitting throne. The occasional coo escaping her perfect little lips.

Frank had a men's dinner meeting.  Nathan took Noah to the park.  Not sure which of those two will come home more tired!  And Meagan is grabbing a rare, quiet moment as a new mommie.

However, the real purpose of this post is rather grand!

You see, today is the day we get to celebrate, for the third time, the birth of one (drum roll please) Abigail Grace Schreck!  

Seems impossible that three years have passed since that ray of sunshine burst into our lives.  But they have.  And in about eight more days, Abby will become the big sister of (as she says it) "Zach-ah-why-ah Aave-wee!"  (Zachariah Avery, to the rest of us.)

June 30,......the birthday of my first grand daughter!  That's why this post is so "grand."  (Why yes!  As a matter of fact,  I did go for the obvious pun.  Try to remember that it's late as I write.)

We celebrated Abby last week because we knew her actual birthday would be very close to the baby's arrival.

As she prepared to open each gift, Abby would look around the room until she located the one who gave it.  Then she'd flash that trade-mark, million dollar smile and thank them sincerely.  There were a few teary eyes because of the genuine gratitude expressed by the precious three year old.

After all the gifts were duly squealed over, squeezed and squirreled away, Abby thrilled her adult guests by quoting the newest scripture Joy has taught Spencer and her.

She stepped to the middle of the room, drew a deep breath, gave another huge smile, swayed back and forth a couple times then recited perfectly the following:

" Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." 
I Timothy 4:12  

I could have written it in her precious vernacular, but it seemed that would undermine the wonder of her ability to quote such a lengthy passage.  A grand accomplishment, indeed!

And I don't mind telling you, this is one grateful grandmother. Um, Noni! 

Blessings to you all!