Joe's Crab Shack

We had supper tonight at Joe's Crab Shack with Nicole, Joe, Addison, Jenni, Nora, and Justin. Yes, Justin is home from Afghanistan for a few (14) short days. Wow, we had a great time. (We have great kids who have great husbands, who all made great kids!!) It did my heart good to see everyone together and happy. I really missed not having Ryan there, he had to work. Something has been missing in my relationship with Ryan this year. It is that tough year, where he is trying to be his own self and I am TRYING to let him go, pull him back, and then let him go again. It gets ugly. But I think I am finally letting go easier and more often.

Anyway, it's scary, because life seems good, really good right now. In the past when I have felt like that, a bump in the road comes up and throws us for a loop. David still has not found work, but amazingly enough we seem OK about that. I think David might be getting a little restless and needs to find some purpose, it doesn't have to be a purpose with a great big income attached to it (but we wouldn't turn that down:) ), no just some meaningful purpose that he can accomplish on a daily basis. He has alot of purpose, but when a man doesn't have a job, it is hard for him to feel like he is doing something worthwhile. I have tried to give him several worthwhile projects, but he is not biting at that bait right now. I truly do understand how he feels, he is vegging for awhile and that is OK with me. It is so great that he has been able to babysit some of our grandkids during this time, and do that special grandpa bonding. I had a great idea today that he should go and visit his family in New York for awhile. He misses them and I want him to be able to spend time with them now when he has a chance.

We are hopefully planning a St Louis trip for his 51st birthday April 22. That will be just what we need. We love to go away together, OK, even if it is to a Cardinals game.

We are anxiously waiting for Natalie Lynnette Collins to enter into this world. When it gets this close, I feel like I can hardly wait to hold her and see what she looks like. Our fifth grand daughter. My Dad is having surgery again on April 13th. I am excited about that too, because God has answered my prayers in a way I never expected. That Dr Bonello would decide to takedown his colostomy that we hate and give him a new one, is WAY more than I would have ever asked for. Isn't it just like God to give such a wonderful answer to prayer, AND an answer that I never, ever expected. Wow.

Anyway, as you can see, my heart is singing praises to my Saviour....for blessing my life. Would I be singing praises if I didn't feel blessed? I hope I can say yes, because I have learned that with the good, some bad may occur, but it is always thru the bad that I learn, grow, and learn more about who God is and what He can do. So I am waiting AGAIN, because I know something really special from God is just around the corner.