I can't believe it has been over one week since my last post! The last week has been more eventful than I would have liked, but everything has worked out for the best. At the time of my last post, I was getting ready to head to Chicago for a seminar (read: lots of downtime and me-time for mommy, shopping, nice hotel, good restaurants, no stress). There were several storms in the Chicago area that repeatedly delayed my flight. While I was waiting in the airport, I received a call from my mom to let me know that my grandfather, Papa Green, had passed away after suffering a number of setbacks following a fall in April. So, the usually annoying flight delays turned out to be a blessing in disguise - I was able to cancel all my travel plans and Continental even sent someone to retrieve my bag from the plane so that I could take it home with me rather than having to wait for it to be delivered to my house the next day.
We went to Beaumont the next day (Wednesday) to be with my parents and to "help" with whatever we could. I don't know that we really helped that much, but it did give us an excuse to take Jack and Abby to see Nana and Grand Dad and give them a little break from their funeral and travel preparations. We were back in Kingwood Thursday - Michael went in to his office, and I spent the day getting ready for the 12 hour car ride to Kentucky. (I thought I would also be able to make some progress in the house - HA!) My sister, Rebecca, came over on Thursday night, and we all went to bed early to get ready for our 3AM departure in the Armada. Meemaw and Gramps were also a huge help to us - Abby and Jack spent Thursday night through Sunday with them. We were really worried about having to keep them in the car for 24 hours in a span of only three days!
We made it to Kentucky in record time - 11 hours! Rebecca and I had plenty of time to talk and catch up in the car. I had stocked the car with magazines and a picnic cooler - so we were entertained and we didn't have to stop for meals along the way. I am really getting tired of fast food, so it was nice to have our own food with us for the trip, and I think we saved at least 30 minutes my bot stopping for meals. The visitation time on Friday night was very nice - It was really amazing to see all the flowers that had been sent for Papa Green and all the family and friends who came to pay their respects. Papa Green and Mama Green were always working at something, and everyone seemed to have a story about something Papa Green had built or fixed, or the 100s of pounds of pecans he cracked and picked, or any one of the many wonderful vegetables he grew in his huge garden, or the fish fries hosted at the house following a good day fishing in his catfish ponds...the list could go on and on. The funeral the next day was also very nice, and Rev. McKinney offered several wonderful remembrances of his own from the time that he served as Mama Green and Papa Green's pastor.
Following the graveside burial service, the members of Shiloh United Methodist Church served a huge and delicious lunch, complete with bar-b-que, home grown and home made side dishes, and a limitless supply of desserts. It was probably the best meal I had eaten in weeks! We changed into our jeans and boots at the Church and went out to Mama Green and Papa Green's old farm to check on the land and see how the trees were doing. After they moved to Texas four years ago, Mama Green and Papa Green sold their Kentucky home but they kept a large portion of their land. To protect the land and provide some additional income for my grandparents, Dad has put the land into a wetlands reclamation and reforestation program, and it is really amazing to see how different the land looks now that trees are growing on it and the grass is tall. Here are a few pictures from our hike:
We went to Beaumont the next day (Wednesday) to be with my parents and to "help" with whatever we could. I don't know that we really helped that much, but it did give us an excuse to take Jack and Abby to see Nana and Grand Dad and give them a little break from their funeral and travel preparations. We were back in Kingwood Thursday - Michael went in to his office, and I spent the day getting ready for the 12 hour car ride to Kentucky. (I thought I would also be able to make some progress in the house - HA!) My sister, Rebecca, came over on Thursday night, and we all went to bed early to get ready for our 3AM departure in the Armada. Meemaw and Gramps were also a huge help to us - Abby and Jack spent Thursday night through Sunday with them. We were really worried about having to keep them in the car for 24 hours in a span of only three days!
We made it to Kentucky in record time - 11 hours! Rebecca and I had plenty of time to talk and catch up in the car. I had stocked the car with magazines and a picnic cooler - so we were entertained and we didn't have to stop for meals along the way. I am really getting tired of fast food, so it was nice to have our own food with us for the trip, and I think we saved at least 30 minutes my bot stopping for meals. The visitation time on Friday night was very nice - It was really amazing to see all the flowers that had been sent for Papa Green and all the family and friends who came to pay their respects. Papa Green and Mama Green were always working at something, and everyone seemed to have a story about something Papa Green had built or fixed, or the 100s of pounds of pecans he cracked and picked, or any one of the many wonderful vegetables he grew in his huge garden, or the fish fries hosted at the house following a good day fishing in his catfish ponds...the list could go on and on. The funeral the next day was also very nice, and Rev. McKinney offered several wonderful remembrances of his own from the time that he served as Mama Green and Papa Green's pastor.
Following the graveside burial service, the members of Shiloh United Methodist Church served a huge and delicious lunch, complete with bar-b-que, home grown and home made side dishes, and a limitless supply of desserts. It was probably the best meal I had eaten in weeks! We changed into our jeans and boots at the Church and went out to Mama Green and Papa Green's old farm to check on the land and see how the trees were doing. After they moved to Texas four years ago, Mama Green and Papa Green sold their Kentucky home but they kept a large portion of their land. To protect the land and provide some additional income for my grandparents, Dad has put the land into a wetlands reclamation and reforestation program, and it is really amazing to see how different the land looks now that trees are growing on it and the grass is tall. Here are a few pictures from our hike:
Thanks to all of you who have remembered us, and especially my parents and grandmother, in your prayers. Please continue your prayers for comfort for my dad, mom and Mama Green.
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