It's Good to Gather

 

"The fondest memories are made when gathered around the table." author unknown

"A sweet friendship refreshes the soul."  Proverbs 27:9

Easter Sunday: Rhett, Ethan, Roge, Helen, Terrie, Michael, Mom, Dad, Toni, Allison, James, David, Georgia and Nina (+ Lilah looking bashful) 😊

I am convinced that our heavenly Father delights in family celebrations and special occasions. It is especially delightful when we gather in gratitude for His greatness (like on Easter 😃) and to enjoy simply being together over good food and lively conversation. Reflecting back on our family's time together this Easter I am filled with thankfulness for another Easter with mom, as well as feeling blessed that our family genuinely enjoys hanging out together. No weird uncles in our family ~ LOL.

There was a lot of delicious food and laughter ~ with the majority of the family gathered in the kitchen area [of course] noshing & chatting. These are two activities that give my mom great joy and Ann loved having her family together in mom and dad's home. I noticed how attentive various family members were to mom; checking with her to make sure she had plenty of snacks and something to drink. Meanwhile, Ann multitasked watching The Masters golf tournament on television and chatting with family. It was a blessed day and another great memory for all of us.

In more recent news... this past Saturday was our second family "work day" and several of us tackled the sorting of boxes/items in mom and dad's garage. Once again we were both productive and treated to a 'time capsule' of sorts as we found my dad’s really worn cowboy boots from when he was maybe 3 years old, handmade Mother's Day cards from my sister and me, a Rams football helmet that belonged to my brother Joe and a host of other Rupp and Niblo family momentos.

Mom and dad had a pot roast in the slow cooker to feed those of us who could stay for dinner. Sadly, the slow cooker stopped cooking at some point so we had to go to Plan B: Costco pepperoni pizza. No one complained. 😋 James brought more chocolate chip cookies. Pizza and cookies ~ what could be better? It has been incredibly meaningful for me to gather for holidays and an average Saturday to support mom and dad, but also to have a lot of fun together as well. We can easily become preoccupied with the busyness of life and fail to make time to be with extended family. A silver lining of mom's illness is the opportunity to be intentional as a family. I am thankful to God for the ways He can bring good out of the most difficult situations.

Updates:

• Mom had her second Avastin infusion last Wednesday and she experienced no side effects. Her chemo oncologist, Dr. Fong commented on how well mom looked and seemed to him. Both mom and dad were quite encouraged with his comments.

Prayer Requests:

• One not so great thing occurred on Saturday as my dad tore his hamstring muscle trying to keep my dog, Molly from getting out of their backyard. It is a 6 - 8 week recovery. Sigh. Please pray for dad's muscle to heal.

• Dad has also been experiencing some concerning symptoms with increasing frequency that are quite possibly heart/stress related. Prayers that he can be seen by his cardiologist before his May 3rd appointment and for protection over his health. Thank you so much for your prayers.

• Prayers for mom's 24/7 caregiving situation. For financial provision to come somehow so that caregiving will continue beyond mid-May (especially with the issues my dad is experiencing). To be transparent: I trust in God's faithfulness and care over my parents and yet I am struggling with fear about this particular situation. Again, thank you for your prayers.

With deep affection & gratefulness,

Terrie

"I do believe (in Jesus's ability to heal, etc.), help me overcome my unbelief." Mark 9:24b