A quick trip, anniversaries, Andy Griffith and perception

I think thankfulness has a lot to do with perception. Shawn and I were talking about the episode of Andy Griffith when Opie accidentally shoots a mamma bird and then raises the baby bird. One day it's time to let the bird out of the cage and once Opie does, he says "Pa, that cage sure is empty" and Andy says, "Yea, but aren't the trees nice and full" - Perception!!! You know, you can learn a lot of things from Andy Griffith. I've grown up watching that show, can quote it many times over and as a family we can visit and laugh about episodes, recalling with great detail like they are our real life friends. What a wise man. What a great show. The lessons are endless and as the Rascal Flats song says "I miss Mayberry, sitting on the porch drinking ice cold cherry coke, where everything was black and white, hummin on the 6 string and people walk by and they call you by your first name" -

This weekend we made a mad dash to Dallas for a wedding. It was quick but it was fun. Tiring, but refreshing still. We were gone 30 hours start to finish - It used to be that going on a trip was just time away, it was just living life somewhere else. Now that the kids are older and more independent we can enjoy the journey a bit more - it's not so exhausting.

The car ride was easy. We took our time, stopped for snacks, potty breaks and switching drivers and it was very relaxing. Thankfully our kids have always been good car riders. Aside from the usual stuff we have it easy - Preslie did ask atleast 50 times 'are we there yet' to which we'd all reply, not yet!! Kyleigh sat in the very back with her and she is so patient, so kind to her. They have a special little bond. Anyway, we'd start getting hungry and the question would be - what does everyone want....the answer, from Preslie, was always the same. "How bout McDonalds" - Hunter would humorously groan and the girls would say 'that's fine' and almost automatically the car would turn into a McDonalds. We had to laugh....we've now reached the point where we have to sign for our debit card at McDonalds because for our family to eat it is over $30, at MCDONALDS!! Good grief.

Anyway, we got to Van Alstyne around 2:30 and had a really nice talk with Rick's family. Craig, the groom, was calm, cool and collected. We spent a few hours just talking, laughing, advising and revisiting times past. The conversation turned to length of time married. There was a couple there who'd been married 2 years. Rick and I were next with almost 19 and Mae/Harold were about to celebrate 58 years. That is a long time. I thought how 2 yrs seemed so long ago and how thankful I am to be where we are and not where they are. I liked that stage but it was hard. Much harder than our life today. To Mae/Harold, 18 years seems like nothing when you compare it to 58 years. Perception. Rick and I began doing the mental math of how old we'll be when we celebrate 58 years - I'll be 81 and he'll be 82! EEK! Just another reason to just enjoy the season you're in today!

My dad is struggling with the way his life is right now. He keeps repeating something to the effect of just not sure why he has the short term memory problem. Shawn and I both talked to him last night about even though it's not fun things could be so much worse. I know it's hard to focus on that when you are constantly faced with not remembering or fearing you won't remember. It has to be scary not being sure of things. Wondering if today you'll remember your family. I hate it for him. I hate it for all of us. But, I am so thankful that he can get up every day and fix his own breakfast, walk across the floor without the help of a cane or wheelchair, he can take his own shower, walk around the block, visit at the kitchen table and for the most part he remembers what he needs to. I don't want him to focus on what he doesn't have but on what he does. Perception!!! Like we told him last night - don't let your thoughts destroy your peace of mind. I wonder if he hates that we used the same line on him that he drilled in our heads growing up. I think he might chuckle about it if he'd remembered he was the one who coined that phrase. Sadly, he didn't. He instead took out a pen and paper and wrote it down so he could remind himself of it later.

So, today I'm thankful for much - I'm thankful Rick has a great job that allows me to be home with the kids. I'm thankful he is happy and likes what he's doing. I'm thankful that Hunter is willingly out at Grandma's helping her move stuff from storage and I'm thankful he is selfless so often! I'm thankful that Preslie realized she was still tired at 8:00 and grabbed her blanket and fell back asleep on the couch! I'm thankful that summer nights for Kyleigh and Addison are like one big sleepover. They stay up, giggle, play and eventually fall asleep in Ky's bed most nights. I'm thankful they are friends by choice! I'm thankful that right now all the girls are sleeping and I'm thankful for the quiet of the day. I am thankful for the time I had to read God's word today, to pray and start the day off well. Later, I'll be thankful for the non-stop talking from the girls~ I'm thankful for good friends I can visit with and for family close by! I'm thankful for the health of me and my family!