Thursday October 8, 2015  “THE UN-GROWN ONES”

So much is happening around the table that I can’t wrap my head around it.  I think this blog will be short tonight.  We have a lot of different opinions being spewed back and forth around the table regarding family portraits which will take place tomorrow.  I will not go any further tonight with that discussion, but if we are still together as a family tomorrow I will tell you how it turned out.

Today was a delightful, spur of the moment adventure.  Son, wife and kiddos went to an amusement park.  That left daughter, husband,  Dave, and me on our own for the day.  Neil has never been to Branson and wanted to see the area.  Rebecca and Neil had a destination in mind which I had never heard of.  So we went exploring to find “Top of the Rock” a bit south of Branson.  Its actual name is “Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail.”  It is a privately owned natural habitat, golf course, with lodging, restaurant, tours, museums, and amazing caves and waterfalls.  Its location is referred to as Top of the Rock.   It is located in Lost Canyon.   Neil and Rebecca treated Dave and I to a beautiful lunch at the restaurant, which is housed in a magnificent barn.  The barn was disassembled by the Amish from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and reassembled at the TOP OF THE ROCK resort area in 1987.  The barn was originally built in 1852.  It is an amazing hand hewn structure of great proportions.  Some of the barn’s interior timbers are over 46 feet long and over 250 years old.

After lunch we were also treated by Rebecca and Neil to a tour of the lost caves. .  It was a self-guided tour via a golf cart.  Everyone voted that I was not to be the driver.   Hmmm…for the life of me I can’t figure out why.  Actually is was quite nice because I didn’t need to concentrate on driving and could pay more attention to all I wanted to see.  So, we were all happy.

We returned home to have dinner and game time.

Now everyone is settling down for the night.  The first quiet we have experienced since arriving home this evening.  Whew!  My head is spinning.  I sometimes don’t know how Amy stays sane.  I think she really likes her job.

THE UNGROWN ONES

By Kathleen Martens

October 8, 2015

My head is spinning

From all the sound,

From all the commotions

Spinning around.

Laughter and clapping,

Bantering and song.

No sound that could be made

Could possibly be wrong.

My smile inside

Just grew bigger

As I listened intently

As laughter triggered.

Two little boys

The pride of our lives

And of those present

Who are husbands and wives.

Grandsons and nephews,

Sons and brothers

And out of all the world

I’d rather have no others.

Today was a happy day for a lady I’ve never met but only talked to on the phone.  Earlier this week my daughter-in-law found a beautiful piece of jewelry.  She and Courtland asked the neighbors if anyone had lost a piece of jewelry.  No owner could be found.  It’s a long story but to make it short I will just say that the owner was found.  Both Courtland and I were actually able to speak with the owner of the heirloom diamond ring on the phone.  She was ecstatic.  She had been crying off and on since she had lost it.  I am so happy that we were able to help her have a good ending to her story.  I hope she has a very peaceful sleep tonight. 

This has been a fast week, a long week, a too short week, an exciting week, and a fun filled week and even a few minutes of “spewing”.  Too soon it will be over.  The kids (the grown ones) may actually be happy when it over.  The two kids, (the un-grown ones) probably hope it lasts forever.  Who wouldn’t like six adults doting over them, no school, wonderful meals (which they don’t really appreciate), videos, board games, loud laughing parties, later bedtimes, amusement parks, birthday parties, treasure hunts, two dogs to play with, and book tapes to listen to?  It’s fun for them.  It’s fun for us!

Good night faithful reader.  May God bless your night.

Wednesday October 7 2015  Jonah and the Whale

SIGHT AND SOUND THEATRE in Branson Missouri is an awesome place.  Going there was our highlight of the day.  It sits atop a high hill like a beacon in the night.  SIGHT AND SOUND THEATRE offers presentations of fabulous musicals with the stories taken from the Bible.  As of today, Dave and I have attended three productions presented there.  We first saw Noah, and we thought no other production could ever top the scope and magnitude of that presentation.  Then we attended the musical, Joseph, and it was equally as spectacular as Noah. Today we attended the production of Jonah.  What a beautiful experience it was for our entire family to experience this together.  SIGHT AND SOUND THEATRES is the nation’s largest professional Christian theatrical company and one of the highest attended live theatres on the East Coast and in the Midwest.

The stories come to life as you watch and listen to the performers tell the stories from the Bible.  They are always bigger than life.  Today was no exception.  If you are ever in this area I recommend taking the time out to attend a performance.  The  Noah production will be performed through the end of 2015.  Next year the presentation will be MOSES.  What I find most interesting is that at the end of the show the M.C.  came out and told the audience that the performers would be up front to pray with anyone who would like to come up and be prayed for.

We had a family day of playing games together, talking, preparing and eating meals together.  It is late and I must not write too long tonight.  I know I have friends and family who read me daily so I continue to write a little something, even while on vacation, so that everyone will know I am alive and well. 

GOD’S GIFTS TO US FROM OTHERS

By Kathleen Martens

October 7, 2015

Oh, how fortunate we are

That we might give our talent away,

For God presented each a gift

That we bless another’s day.

Today I was the joyous receiver

While I sat watching the play

Of gifts bestowed by others.

Through actions and words they say.

Thank you God for sharing

What You give to others around

That they too can share their gift

And with their heart expound.

How so very fortunate am I

To be recipient of such great pleasure.

It is just another jewel You give,

Like a little nugget to treasure.

I have another little nugget to treasure also.  It is from a lady who I met in the lobby of the SIGHT AND SOUND THEATRE.  Her daughter took the family picture of my family standing in the lobby in front of the Jonah sign.  I do not remember her name.  Here are her words of wisdom.

“I love the Proverb in the Bible about the husband who sits on the edge of the roof because the wife nagged.  I lost a husband due to nagging.  So I would say DON’T NAG.  I would say it is about the worst possible thing you could do. God has given me another wonderful husband WHO I DO NOT NAG and I have a much better marriage because of it.”

So…ask yourself, wife and HUSBANDS, “am I a nagger”.  Step back and take a good self-look!  If so, choose to change.  Think it first, then put it into action.  You may be pleasantly surprised to see the outcome.

Good night and God bless you.