Two Weeks in Plano

Covenant McKinney were sending their pastors Joel and Jennifer on a Holy Land Trip.  Ken and I were the appointed baby sitters while they were on their Pilgrimage.   We drove to McKinney for the Sunday 1:00 pm service.   After service we drove to the house to find water running through the vents and light fixture from upstairs.    Not a happy moment. 

 So after a week of fans running, dehumidifiers buzzing, holes being punched in the walls, ceiling and floors and finally tearing up the wood floor in the dining room and living room, the house was pronounced dry and free of any mold. 

There were fun times of play. 

There were dozens of Mondo the Monkey stories....even with banana splits. 

And there were a lot of funny faces.

One night we went to Top That Pizza.

Each person makes their pizza, bread, sauce and toppins exactly like they want.

Sydney had peperoni cheese. 

Blakely choose cheese cheese.

So Fun and we ate the whole pizza.

On Saturday there was a Brownie International Bazar. 

Cousins Elijah, Lily and Rosie came to visit  for the week end. 

We decided to have an early birthday celebration for Papa.

We celebrated with pizza, cake and icecream.

There Is No Mountain Too High

Last Wednesday, Ken and I took our first little outing since his illness.   He was very ready to go somewhere.  And Our trip took us to Plano to baby-sit our granddaughters, 6 year old Sydney  and 15 month Blakely.  Blakely is not quiet walking -- just almost -- maybe I saw her take a couple steps without either of us realizing what she had done.     Now the girls rooms are upstairs in the new home which God has blessed upon Joel and Jennifer.  It is a beautiful California/Dallas style with 12-foot high doors (it looks like to me) and ceilings which reach to the sky.  Consequently, the stairway has maybe 26 steps and it looks to this old woman and to a crawling baby, like a very high mountain.   So Blakely and I would climb the stairs together.  She loves to craw up  but constantly turns around to make sure  someone bigger is right with her.  So in picture #2 below you can see here we go crawling up steps toward heaven.  I'm making sure she does not miss a step and at the same time clicking the camera.  Blakely constantly turned to make sure I was still with her.   In picture #7, we are on the top landing were the bedrooms are -- but Blakely never stops there.   She immediately switches into high gear as she moves around the corner and up into the girls play room. Who wants to take a rest time in a bedroom when a little further there are a thousand fun toys.

Sydney considers the play room her's yet, she reluctantly knows she must share it with her little sister.  So Blakely would make her fastest moves on those last stairs into the rumpus room to share the treasures.
(You may click on the collage to enlarge.)

Now I am back home doing my favorite fun thing, playing with the photos we took along the way.  Tonight I compare the 'stairway to heaven (the playroom)'  to my daily walking out of salvation and the journey toward the fullness of life in Christ.  Often my steps are like baby steps and when the climb is overwhelming or steep I feel like I am crawling, slipping, learning and re-learning the valuable lessons of life.   But then, when I hit that spot that speaks of goodness and treasurer,  (like the landing right before the playroom) faith and courage inspire and I move faster with confidence that I can do this.....   I can finish the journey.     For the last few days, I have been practicing that several times a day with baby Blakely -- climbing steps too high for me and knowing that the Christ within me is bigger and stronger, making me able for every task.  Thank you sweet little granddaughter for teaching me another valuable life lesson.  Not only do our children teach us, but our grandchildren do so as well.  I have a feeling that the learning never stops. 

Telling Baby Good-bye

Ken and I drove to Plano to watch Blakely and Sydney while Joel and Jennifer went on a Mission trip  in the Los Angeles area.   This is the longest Mommie will be away from 15-month old Blakely so there were many, many kisses before she left.

 

Ever Attended A Baby Dedication On Line?

Well, it does not work too great but it was better than nothing. Blakely O'Neal Scrivner, 7 months old, had her formal dedication this Morning. We were not there but thought we could view it on line streaming. We had the camera ready to shoot at the computer screen. How crazy are some grandparents! We saw her photo on the screen as they announced her name, heard the participants cheering for Blakely but we never saw her. Ken took a couple shots of a blonde thinking it was Mommie Jennifer. But it was not her and the baby was not Blakely.

Now I'm told they were directly in the center in front of Pastor Hayes. Maybe that is why we did not get a camera angle -- the camera's must have been shooting from the sides so that we could see other babies but find Blakely (not Waldo) in the fuzzy pictures when we shot at the Monitor.

Our hearts and spirits were there with you Blakely. And we do promise to be a vital part in your training for God. God bless Blakely!

Click on photo to blow up and try to find Blakely, Joel, Jennifer, Sydney and possible Diana and Charlie.