GRANDPA CAME

 Well, this past weekend my parents came back into town to help us finish the house. They were so sweet and spent hours taping, finishing and painting our house. Saturday we, meaning mostly my parents but some of me ran until every muscle hurt. When we were done the house was a beautiful ultra white. Sunday after church I took the kids over to the house to have a picnic Sierra said, "Our house was like Jesus had died all sad and pathetic, now it is LIKE RESURRECTION MORNING!" I loved her comparison and I am certain the ultra white wall helped with her analogy. I can't even tell you how happy I was. Dad dropped Mom off in Utah and came back on Monday, he was too good to us and spent the next two days fixing the electrical to the bathroom and putting new sub-flooring down for the carpet men that were coming on Tuesday.

Dad was supposed to have a small bit of dental work done. He met with the oral surgeon and got that taken care of. We repaid all of his kindness to us by allowing him to reenact the zombie apocalypse. Let me explain.....

I dropped Dad off at the oral surgeon and was suppose to come back in a few hours to get him. I went to Sam's Club and then headed home. I pulled in the driveway about the time Dad texted and said he needed to be picked up. Ashton was hungry, so I nursed him and then went to head out the door when I realized if I went to pick him up before I picked up my girls I would miss them. I misplaced my phone while nursing Ashton and couldn't find it anywhere. As I rushed out the door, James stole my wallet and launched it out of Ashton's car seat. (Aren't car seats the perfect purses?) As I pulled out of the driveway I realized the tank was on empty. I figured I had enough gas to grab the girls and go get my father I would be fine. I didn't turn back for the phone or the wallet. I got to the school got the girls in the car and headed for the oral surgeons office. I got there dad was gone he started walking. I thought maybe he had walked to Nate's office. He didn't. When I got there they looked at me like I was crazy. I went back to the oral surgeon searching along the road in between. No daddy. I went back to Nate's office and called Mom. She said he was at the overpass. I put the kids back in the car and headed to the second grand junction overpass. Madison was crying she was hungry. James needed to go potty. Ashton was fussy. I got there no Dad. I went all the way up one road, no dad. All the way down another, no dad. Finally I decided if I kept looking the car was going to run out of gas. I went home found my wallet and my phone. Figured out that dad was at the first grand junction overpass. I ran and put gas in the car and headed to the other overpass. Poor dad hadn't eaten much all day, my fault and he had no water. By the time I found him he had been walking the hot Colorado sun for two hours and twenty minutes. He was pale and had blood on his lips. When I saw him he looked like a zombie, literally. All the frustration I felt melted out of me and I just felt stupid. I love him so much and it hurt me to see him like that. He never even asked me, "Where were you?" He just climbed in the car. I was grateful he went and rested the rest of the night only asking for a bowl of cornflakes with a banana.

He came in the next morning, having left before I woke up, after working on my house for several hours with doughnut holes for the kids.He looked and acted like the whole zombie event never happened. My father has always been like that. No ill fated event holds him back, he easily and happily moves on to the next of lives events. He lifts us when we are down. I love him.

My house looks amazing because of him. He has worked miracles with that old run down shack turned mansion. The other day I was walking along one the paths that meanders around our property and James was running ahead of me with all the vigor of the two year old. It was morning and the light was perfect. I wished I had of had my camera. I thought, I love this moment. I love this land and its crooked old house. I love the weeds and the grass and the pond. I had to catch my breath as I thought of the scripture, "In my Father's house there are many mansions..." I thought this is my mansion. I would give up cold marbled halls with turrets any day for this cottage and my weeds and little feet running on crooked paths. I am so happy.