Full of Joy

Today is one of those days.  It actually started last night.  Got some disturbing (to say the least) news over the phone about someone I really, really care about.  About someone I love.  As I tossed and turned in the night, my prayers for this person were my waking thoughts.  I'm glad God can make perfect sense out of those twisted, half-awake prayers.  But before I even went to sleep I received another disturbing text from a friend whose Granddad was dying.  He may or may not have a personal relationship with God.  News like that seems to sprinkle my heart like black dust that you wish you could just wipe away with an old rag. So today began with a heavy heart, which caused me to lay (or lie?  I never know.) under the covers longer then normal.  There's nothing like a sweet husband to crawl BACK in bed with me in those moments, though.  As the day has progressed, the weight of the world looms like a cloud over my head. ...

It had been a year and five months since the whole side of my immediate family had been together until last weekend.  Our previous gathering was Chuck and I's wedding, and since then another family member has been added.  Meet Rocky, or rather Rockford Glenn.  He is just the sweetest, chubbiest little guy you will ever meet.  Much bigger then his brother was at seven months.  Our destination was a house in Western VA that belongs to Chuck's side of the family.  It's pretty much the ideal vacating spot because it's warm the majority of the year, yet surrounded by beautiful farm land AND mountains.  Literally surrounded.  The view there is breathtaking.  I even contemplated getting married on "Granddad's" land. So there we landed, all 9 of us in one big happy house.  We were able to exchange Christmas gifts (for those who won't be together for Christmas), and celebrate November birthdays. Much of our time was spent sitting around...