Vegas

A short personal update before returning to my usual postings.

We returned today from a mini-reunion, that turned out to be not-so-mini. My Beloved Husband and his next younger brother were adopted and raised together after being separated from their mother when they were four and five. Their next younger brother remained with their mother in her new marriage and was raised with another brother and two sisters.

The six were reunited in 1987 and have seldom had more than any four together, except for a couple of funerals.

Five were together in Las Vegas on Saturday. Just for a few hours, but with a few more members -- the third brother's son and family, and a step-father's granddaughter and husband. A melded American family, consisting of multiple generations, from a variety of marriages. And, it works.

For more than twenty years we've built shared memories that do not leave out the old, but bring them forward into new relationships. We have fun doing so!!

We arrived from various places -- Texas, Oklahoma, California -- converging on Las Vegas. Their airport is vast and modern, filled with conveniences, except for the convenience of getting from the arrival gate to the front door -- or vice versa as we learned today. I earned a rather large, raw blister. The check-in agent suggested a wheelchair. Slap my face if I ever turn down such a suggestion again!! The wheelchair ladies breezed down corridors and through security.

Our flights were as designed. Next younger brother's didn't turn out so well. Outgoing was good -- returning was impacted by storms over Oklahoma, shutting down Tulsa's airport for hours. Instead of arriving home around noon, they arrived about 3:00 the next morning, after circling most of Oklahoma and returning to DFW. Ours was much, much better. First Class with an awesome breakfast, good movie and arrival a bit earlier than scheduled.

I'll have some photos up -- probably on Facebook where all of the relatives visit. They are all people shots, only a couple of my odd shots. That's just from Saturday -- the Sunday and Monday shots are even better -- our youngest great-granddaughter.

Her dad is the Youth Minister in Pahrump. That means water from rock -- we'll visit that subject in a later blog. We and next younger brother reached Pahrump in time to hear him preach Sunday morning. Sunday night their minister returned from Israel and we go to hear of his trip and a sermon on Acts 26, Paul before Agrippa. How sad is it to hear someone you love be only almost persuaded?

A family week. An awesome family filled with generations of history, and future generations of hope. We ranged from 68 to six months. A family of fun and pleasures, of people who love and support each other through many, many illnesses. We request prayer for a couple facing heart problems -- a valve not working here, a pacemaker being replaced there; failing bone structures -- backs, knees, ankles, oh my!!

Thus life moves forward and we look forward to the portion we shall continue to share. We praise God for allowing us to be part of it while we're here and pray we shall all meet again with our Lord. We pray especially for those who do not yet accept God's gift of grace and mercy. May they do so, and join us in a greater reunion later. Amen.