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| Okay. It's past midnight. I really should be in bed, but here there I was at the computer when I heard noises outside. I thought, "The new neighbors are really working late. They are making quite a racket taking their trash out." The noise continued (and we've had reports of coyotes getting into trash cans) so I went outside to check it out.
Low and behold, there was a black bear dumping over the neighbor's trash cans! He pulled the trash bags out, dragged them across the yard and began to tear into one. When I came out, he gave me a look then started to climb the neighbor's front yard tree. He decided I wasn't much of a threat so he went back to the trash bag.
It took me some time to locate the phone number for the military police; I should have run for the camera instead. It would have made a really good picture with Doug (yes, I woke him up) clapping his hands trying to scare off the bear. I guess the wildlife really likes the new houses too! | | |
| Though the medical circumstance which determined our daughter's and granddaughter's extended visit with us was not desired, we are praising God for the outcome. Becky's ovarian cyst did shrink 1 cm and her pain (on some days) subsided. Matthew, Becky, and Katherine were able to visit with Daniel as well as Zach and Hannah for a few days. Becky and Hannah got their fill of Mexican food (I'll let the girls fill you in on the details). Matthew was able to conduct some of his business in Denver. Becky got to rest and sew. Katherine and I got to spend three weeks together. The Miller family was able to return to Rhode Island on June 10th. We miss them.
My granddaughter now calls me "Tampa." Of course, she also calls her grandpa "Tampa." Not sure how she transitioned from "Gamma" and "Tampa" to strictly "Tampa." At some moments, Katherine would call me "Mommy." I loved it. She did ask to "nurse" and I had to explain that only her mommy could fulfill that need as her mommy and uncles drank me dry. She would still ask with a smile, knowing the answer.
It was wonderful to watch her physically mature, watch her language skills develop further, learn her limits, teach her songs, read stories, go to the playground, take her for walks, bake muffins together (in the tub and in the oven), develop little games just between the two of us (duck/flamingo), learn of her love of chocolate, and listen to her adding "peas" ("please") before her demands as well as beginning to respond with "yes, ma'am." How blessed I am.
Becoming "mommy" for Katherine 24/7 while Becky was on complete bed rest, reminded me of the energy it takes to be a parent of a young one. It was also a good reminder for me to understand the plight of so many of our young wives with deployed spouses and how God can still meet with each one of us in our few brief moments each day with Him. God is good.
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| After viewing the classic movie Ben Hur, Becky and Zach enacted their own chariot race.
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| The young Castle children all gathered together, snuggled under the covers, and listened attentively as we read together before bed. The Easter season quickly approached so among the stack of books to be read were several describing Christ's crucifixion and His glorious resurrection. We read them so often I could read them in my sleep!
Gently, a little hand was "slapping" my face and the soft voice said, "Mommy, did Peter really stand on his head at the tomb?" Wondering where that came from, I gave the child a blank look. (My memory fails me but I think it was Zach--appropriate as he has has been known to tell stories while standing asleep at Ranger training!) All three chimed in, "Yes, mommy, that is what you said." Being a tired mommy, I had fallen asleep yet continued to "read" the story and my children were wise enough not to believe everything mommy read to them!
The account of Easter morning always brings a smile to our faces as we once again remember the empty tomb and Peter standing on his head in the doorway observing the linen cloths. Following is the "correct" version:
"Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!' Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple out ran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side."
May each of you be filled with joy of the Risen Lord and experience God's resurrection power in your lives. | | |
| So, do you know how much food it takes to feed 23 long distance runners and 2 coaches from the Air Force Academy Track Team breakfast on a Saturday morning? I know because I fed that group this morning in our small apartment!
It takes: 3 boxes of pancake mix, almost 1 lb. of wild blueberries, 1 can of pumpkin, 14 eggs, oil, spices, 1 gallon of orange juice, 2 gallons of chocolate milk, 1 gallon of white milk, some apple juice, 1 bottle of blueberry syrup, 1 bottle of real maple syrup, 1 bottle of regular maple syrup, whipped butter, peanut butter, applesauce, 2 fresh pineapples, 2 cantaloupes, 2 big bunches of grapes, 2 boxes of strawberries, 3 kiwis, and 2 big bunches of grapes.
I started making the fruit salad at 9:00 am. The pancakes (buttermilk, blueberry, and pumpkin) went on the griddle at 10 am. By the time the first wave of the team arrived at almost 11:00 am, I had three platters full of pancakes warming in the oven and kept the pancakes rolling until about 12:15 pm. This was the first time one young man had ever eaten blueberry or pumpkin pancakes. He liked them! Doug left a little spinning top on the table which became the center of attention as people finished eating. One cadet got the top to spin for 1 minute and 27 seconds.
It was so nice to meet Daniel's teammates and see the runners' faces up close instead of the blur as they run by the stands at a meet. I had a blast. I appreciated the courtesy and appreciation shown to me. They even left their muddy shoes outside! I wish I had thought to take a picture of that. Go, Falcons! | | |
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