Getting ready

Flowers are picked out, publications have been drafted, things have gone to print, pictures have been developed. Amy, our sisters, and ladies from our homegroup, as well as a friend of Adrianne (who I also grew up with) came yesterday to build memory boards with lots of pictures of the recent past. That was a lot of fun for them, and I think the beginning of the healing process for Amy especially. Those boards will be at all the services.

Amy and I got up early today, spent some time with the kids, and then went off to the flower shop to deliver some things they needed for arrangements. We got to see several of the arrangements, and they are just beautiful.

Then, after a quick trip to the chiropractor (ahhh....I feel much better...) we got breakfast together and were able to spend some quiet time with God after the meal. It was very refreshing.

It is true that in hindsight, you can see the hand of God so clearly. At breakfast Amy and I were just recounting some ways He had worked in just the 2 weeks. I'm sure we will write more later about this, but God blessed us so much with the timing of all that happened. Abby's condition didn't really start to deteriorate until Thanksgiving, but in spite of much trepidation on my part, we did not cancel our trip to my sister's place in California. We spent the whole week there (as I already wrote), it was such a special time, and we have great pictures from it. Then, the following weekend, almost all of Amy's family was here, and Abby got to spend time with each one of them (foot rubs, "Girls' Club" meetings, sitting with Uncle Clyde and Aunt Nora, playing cards with almost everyone). She was very sad when most of our guests went home on Sunday. Only Uncle Gary and Amy's Mom stayed. They left late Monday afternoon. Abby had been in bed all day Monday, saying her head hurt too much to get up. Monday night Amy and I stayed all night beside her bed, and Tuesday God allowed her to stay with us until the last person that was coming to visit her arrived. What a blessing. Nothing escapes His notice.