Left Overs -- The Tip of the Teel-berg

THESE SHELVES ARE THE ANSWER TO DAVID'S QUESTION: Is there anything I can do for you, Mom? [I'm on the fast track to becoming the shelf lady, but aren't they lovely?] Leftovers that are meant to last...

There are always leftovers when the visit over the river and through the woods ends. Grandfather just left for the Post Office with a box of leftovers bound for Springport IN. We’ve been adding things since Tuesday evening, the box is full and I’m certain there will be yet a few trailers. That’s just the way it is. (We still had a bucket of toys, etc., from the summer camp of 2004). Some things to keep, some things to send back and some things to never-never-land (a.k.a. garbage or Goodwill).

Thanks to great planning (on the girls part, not mine) there is relatively little left over food. This can be either frozen or shared, including the mustard – we had lots of mustard. Breakfast for us this morning was cereal with blueberries and strawberries – glad they were left! The leftover bread would make a BIG pan of dressing, but it might just go to the birds.

The sweetest leftovers are memories:

• 26 “guests” singing with us in worship at Clendenin – nothing could be more rewarding than having all of your children and grandchildren under one roof serving the Lord. As Aunt Luanne would say, “my heart leaps up.”!
• Sermons by Doy (God’s Grace – which compels a sense of responsibility and gratitude) and David (The Power of the Mind – “a check up from the neck up” / “no stinkin’ thinkin’) and song leading by Luke, Joseph and Josiah
• After dinner devotions with Wayne, Bill, Doy and Craig in turn for the days everyone was here. Subjects: Above All - Please God, Be Gentle, Reverencing the Lord’s Name and Being Close to God, respectively
• Setting up the Moyer camper – Grandfather supervised (with level as well as the Teel “bubble in his head”) as the three Moyer men did most of the grunt work
• Nina’s three youngest napping on the floor
• All the children under 10 playing with large Lego set – a family tradition
• Small, medium and large mud puppies in the creek
• Grandchildren handing off firewood for stacking (after splitting and hauling it from the woods)
• Smiles - especially handsome grandsons and lovely granddaughters
• Timothy and Philip playing in the rain
• Tin can lights along a path to the tents and a string of canning jar lights on the balcony to light the way home (thank you Laurie)
• Midnight meadow madness, sponsored mainly by Uncles and nephews – feet covered with chiggers were tell-take signs of the culprits
• David at the barn door - appearing first in the morning, for coffee making and his Bible reading
• Ben’s bravery – with all those sticks and needles- and mending the ear on his diabetic bear
• Having the Moyers at the Miller Reunion
• Having Laurie to keep me on track – she did an admirable job at an impossible task
• Hugs, hugs and more hugs
• All those earnest prayers
• Banana ice cream – David and Craig made it happen
• Tea shelves - David and Craig made them happen, too
• Bill being Bill (Phil 1:3)
• Beautiful Children and Grandchildren – every single one of them

Let God be praised for safe passage, safe so-journey and precious memories! Our hearts are full to overflowing.