Redeemed Relationships......

God is all about redemption.

 We have had a glorious time with Louis Dean's granddaughter and are once again rejoicing in redeemed relationships.

The message at church this morning was about answered prayer and how God answers but it's not always the way we think he will.
This weekend has been all about answered prayers......

The very fact that Piercyn has met his grandfather for the very first time has been amazing.

When we went to church together this morning,  he asked if he could 'ride with MY Granddad.'

Of course he could! 

Then after church, he rode back to the hotel with us and Louis Dean played a few songs for him before we went to pick up the pizzas for our picnic lunch at Big Spring State Park.

It is a beautiful place high atop the city of Big Spring with a magnificent view of the town below.

This is a picture of a very happy man!

Our visit here has exceeded all his hopes and dreams.

This was a perfect place to gather on a Sunday afternoon and play music after a pizza lunch.

Albeit was windy! But it was NOT hot!

I loved walking around.

Bella loves her baby doll and she and I walked together with Bella pushing 'Baby' in the stroller/shopping cart she got for her birthday.

Bella was very interested in her mama's music as were Piercyn and Kaitlyn.

I think she may have the hang of this!

Look at that sweet face!

I love it when she looks up at her mama!

Granddad told Kaitlyn he has another auto harp at home just for her!

Chandy is a great teacher and she will learn in no time.

It melts my heart to see how proud Piercyn is to have this brand new Granddad in his life.

We went back to their house and granddad and granddaughter played some more music together.

https://www.facebook.com/kaitlyn.schwab.94/videos/161429778260966/

Thanks to our great granddaughter Kaitlyn, for the video link!

Louis Dean was so happy!!

We came back to the hotel to rest while Chandy kicked it into high gear at the house cleaning up the birthday debris, started the laundry, emptied the dishwasher and sacked up the trash.

Then they all loaded up and came over to end our weekend with a pool party!

I brought a loaf of homemade banana bread and some marinated fresh mozzarella cheese with some crackers for snacks. As a grandma I was thrilled that they LOVED the bread! Piercyn especially!

I wrapped up the four slices that were left and gave them to Kaitlyn! Our next visit you KNOW I am bringing several loaves of banana bread.

After we snacked and visited, it was pool time!

That water was COLD!!!

Louis Dean and I never entertained one thought about going in the main pool!

Kids are more adventurous!

Especially Bella!!!

She is two and the last time she was in a swimming pool was when she was 10 months old.

She took to it like she was a fish!

Have I said the water was cold???

That Kaitlyn is a super special big sister!

She takes such good care of Bella as well as Piercyn and does it with such calm and grace far exceeding her years. Kaitlyn is an 'old soul.' Kind, calm, steady......

You may have noticed Piercyn's name is spelled a bit uniquely. 

Kaitlyn wanted her brother's name to rhyme with hers and added the 'yn' to Pierce.

It was a great pool party!!

Time to give kisses and say goodbye.......

until next time.

We assured Kaitlyn,  Piercyn and his Cousin Emma that we would be seeing them again soon.

A perfect ending to a truly great weekend! Never forget that God is all about redeeming relationships! We have been so blessed to spend some time with a truly inspiring family! Our Chandy is an amazing example of the power and grace of God and we are so proud of her and how hard she has worked to restore relationships! Never give up on the ones you love. God sure doesn’t! We love you, Chandy! 

Celebrating!

It's been a beautiful day to be in Big Spring, Texas!

Louis Dean and I spent a leisurely morning in the hotel and then ventured out to hit up a few thrift stores! This magnificent display of cacti is behind one of the thrift stores on Lamesa Highway.

It covers an entire block! 

It was beautiful!!!

This may be routine in West Texas but it was a special sight for me to see. 

Louis Dean wondered why I was wandering down an alley......and he was up by the door to the thrift store!

We did not buy much but a few odd and end things.

Like a cool pull down screen that we think is used to provide extra shelter when you open up a van's back door. I thought Summer could use this one. We bought two and they were each a little bit different.

Louis Dean wants to use one as a shade for when he works on his truck.

In the early afternoon we drove the short 2 miles from our hotel to Chandy's house.

We are envious of where her home is located - just a couple blocks from HEB!

This is the sign on their front door.......

and this is Chandy's granddad all happy and anticipating being a part of the birthday celebration today.

Meet Zeus! 

This is Chris's dog and he is beautiful and well mannered!

Louis Dean met his great grandson for the very first time.

This is Peirceyn and he is 6 years old and can charm the socks off of any and every one!

Kaitlyn is just about grown now and is such a classy young lady.

We spent the afternoon with the family as they prepared for the party.

It was a lot of fun blowing up the helium balloons.

Chandy ordered these and they came with circles of reflective colors already inside.

Granddad tuned up Chandy's auto harp while the family swirled around him - everyone busy and happy.

Peirceyn and his cousin Emma had built a cardboard Lemonade stand and I was their first and only customer. When I placed my order - they ran to the kitchen and found a lemon!

I helped them make lemonade - enough for all three of us - and then I put the cups and pitcher on a platter and carried it to the stand where we each poured our own cups. I poured mine first so the pitcher would be lighter and then they poured theirs.

Chandy and Chris have a huge family of his, hers, and ours and they have blended to perfection.

They have a two story home and a backyard full of awesome things......

Chris recently came by this huge smoker/grill and it is going to be a masterpiece when he gets finished with it!

They have a boat, ATV, trucks and trailers and lots of play equipment for the kids.

This was the grill Chris used today to cook enough food for a small army!

He is a grill master and takes his BBQ very seriously!

He is creative, too! 

 I wish I could show you how he jump started the wood he used!

My phone was charging when he did it, though!

Several had already been served before I got this photo.

The food was delicious!

Lots of funny stories were told and retold as we met the rest of the family.

I heard Louis Dean tell lots of people, "I'm Chandy's granddad!"

And I heard Chandy introduce him to just as many - "THIS is my GRANDDAD!"

Bella had a ton of birthday presents!

This was such a cute cake!

Chandy ordered it special and it is a pinata cake....the center is filled with colored sprinkles and they spill out with every slice that's cut.

The Birthday Baby!!!

She LOVED that cake!!!

It was a great party full of family and friends.

Couples and their children. Teenagers and young adults. And a couple of old people.

A huge gathering of people of all ages.

The happiness was not only something you could feel but you could see it as we looked around at all the faces - young and older.

This is a family that loves each other.

It was a beautiful thing to be a part of today.

We Are in West Texas!!

It was nearly noon by the time we were all ready and turned off the AC, water heater and water to the camper and were about to get in the truck when Dean and Sherry came down to tell us goodbye until next month! Louis Dean had been fretting about leaving all morning but fretting didn't make it happen any faster!

He didn't want to take time to stop for a photo but I over ruled him!

We drove out Highway 6 N through country all the way to I20 near Eastland.

It was such a pretty drive. 

We stopped for a late lunch in Abilene at Don Luis Cafe.

Louis Dean was acting silly!

The margarita was good!

He had fajitas......

and I ordered what I always order - Taco Salad!

We were hungry and wolfed down our food in no time!

While we were in Abilene, Louis Dean found a music store since he needed new guitar strings and a tuner for Chandy's auto harp. He bought the guitar strings at N-Tune but they didn't have the 'tuning hammer' there but he told us to go to Deatherage Music. I called the place and he said he had ONE! They are not easy to find. Louis Dean got to talking to him and discovered they have a mutual friend of long ago. Louis Dean grew up in Abilene and he and Willy Williams would meet at Mr. Longacre's Gun and Cycle Shop. Louis Dean was in his late teens and Willy was in his early 20's.  Willy would play Listen to the Mockingbird on his fiddle and Louis Dean can still remember how much he admired him. Mr. Longacre has been gone a long time but his sons continued to run it until recent years. Louis Dean told Mr. Deatherage that he remembers Willy having black curly hair. Mr. Deatherage said Willy had been in his shop just this morning and he still had curly hair - or at least some but it wasn't black anymore! And he still plays the fiddle.

We got back on the road and drove on another hour or two to Big Springs, Texas!

I had to prop my feet up to let my knee straighten out. 

That's the only way it doesn't hurt is if it's straight. 

I'm telling you driving west into the setting sun is fierce!!

It was just about to go down when we got to the hotel.

That hot tub sure felt good after all those hours of driving.

And this bed is going to feel even better!!

Tomorrow we go to Chandy's house and party all day!

Just look at that sweet girl!

Then they will come back to the hotel with us and the kids can swim while Granddad and Granddaughter play music. It's going to be wonderful!