In His hands

 "In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind."                                                                                                           Job 12:10

We said our goodbyes to Staci and Eli.  Emeri was still asleep.  We knew she proably would be so had said our goodbyes the night before.  Staci and the children haven't started attending church since they reopened. 

We went to the early service of New Heights Church.  They were testing some new equipment.  Josh was working on it.

You give life, You are love

You bring light to the darkness

You give hope, You restore

Every heart that is broken

Great are You, Lord!

It's Your breath in our lungs 

so we pour out our praise, we pour out our praise

It's Your breath in our lungs 

so we pour out our praise to You only!

After the service, we gave our son hugs and headed back to Kansas.  We took another route - south!  The opposite direction from Kansas, but a friend of Staci's had told her how beautiful the trees were on 49.  

The trees had probably peaked a day or two earlier, but they were still pretty.  It is a nice drive!  Maybe too nice.  I looked at Al and he was beginning to nod.  I touched his shoulder "Are you sleepy?  I can drive."  He said he was ok.

As we continued on, all of a sudden in front of us was a large metal container of some kind right in the middle of the highway!  We couldn't get over since a semi was in the other lane.  Al swerved to miss it.  Oh my goodness!  It could have spelled tragedy!  Or eternity!

At 40 we went west to the Muskogee Turnpike where we headed north towards Tulsa.

We've been through Tulsa many times but never the way we went, taking the Broken Arrow Expressway to 75 and heading north.  

It was a new view for us of this city and up to 166 in Kansas.

We drove close to Sedan, Ks.  We need to stop sometime!  They have the world's longest yellow brick road that circles the entire downtown area.  

Liberal, Ks is the town that claims to be Dorothy's hometown (from Wizard of Oz) however.  

In actuality, Dorothy Gale is simply from Kansas, no town given.  It was filmed entirely in Los Angeles at MGM's Culver City studio.  The first time I ever heard of The Wizard of Oz was when I was 20 and they showed it at the University of Kansas.  I did not know about this story having grown up overseas.

I wonder what this building is? or was?

In the heat of the political battle.  

It was a dark, cloudy, rainy day.  It was beginning to lull Al back to sleep again!  But luckily a nudge woke him up.  I offered to drive again, but he said he was awake now.  God had His hand on us as He always does!

Guess they didn't want to make the road through this grove of trees for some reason.  We went through several small towns - Dexter, Burden, Floral.  Never been here before.

We passed several cotton groves.  More and more cotton is being grown in Kansas.

We got home in time to run to church for a dear friend's viewing.  Allen had to work the next day and would not be able to attend Willard's funeral.  Before Covid, we would help at the nursing home and help wheel him and others to chapel for Sunday night singing.  We never knew that last February was the last time we would be able to see him. 

God holds our lives in His hands.  Today, tomorrow, we never know when we will see Him face-to-face.  This morning in my personal devotions I was thinking of this.  Won't that be such a day when we can look into Jesus' face and He into ours?  

Cakes, tea shops, tree houses and hay rack rides!

We headed to Arkansas again, to see the kids for the 3rd weekend in a row.   This time it was to celebrate birthdays.  We stopped along 400 to get a picture I've wanted for a long time.  I wonder what stories are behind this house?

Arriving at Josh's 5 1/2 hours later, we found Josh and Elijah starting to work on the tree house that was Eli's birthday gift.

When Josh was about the same age, he and a neighbor friend built a rickety 3-story tree house themselves in our back yard.  It was probably not at all safe, but they had fun.  This one was going to be a lot sturdier and safer for sure.  Safe enough for Staci, Grammi and Beebop and us to climb!

In the evening we played Ticket to Ride with the family.

The next morning, Josh showed Al his plans for the treehouse and then they spent the day working on it.

Staci and I took Emeri over to her friend's home.  This house is one that was chosen for an HGTV segment on Flip or Flop and will be aired this coming month.

Emeri and her friends were going to do a cook-off.  Emeri is quite the cook, even making a groom's cake for a wedding!  Emeri is 13, y'all!  Here are some of the cakes she has made.

After dropping her off, Staci and I drove into town to a cute little tea shop.  Staci had a gift card to do a little shopping with.

You could sample various flavours.

This area was reserved for a little tea party for little girls.

We drove around looking at the fall trees and then into a unique neighborhood.

When we got back to the house, Josh, Al, a neighbor and Eli were still working on the tree house.

Later, Josh sent us this picture.  Almost completed.

Staci has the prettiest flowers on her deck.

Eli told his Papa that he wanted to make sure they did 3 things; sword fight, wrestle and have a nerf battle.  Check, check, check.

Time for a bonfire and roasting hotdogs!

Emeri made Eli a Lego birthday cake.  Emeri was going to have her cake and a sleepover with friends later, although we gave both kids their birthday gifts now.  Their birthdays are 2 days apart (and 2 years).

After cake we had a hayrack ride.

Eli's other grandpa (Beebop) drove and we rode in the trailer

while their neighbor "Uncle" Josh told spooky stories.

After the neighbors went back home and the kids were in bed, we sat around the fire with Josh and Staci and her parents.  We talked until late. 

For several years, our church put on Judgement House during this same weekend.  We were heavily involved in that so could not come to the kids' birthday celebrations.  We really enjoy this time with them now!