What a wonderful journey we have thus far had during our trip to from home in Montrose, Colorado to here in Hutchinson, Kansas. We have been blessed in so many ways and for that I will always be so very grateful. We arrived here at 12:12 a.m. this past Monday morning and have been busy doing things ever since then. Tomorrow we will head out after breakfast for Altus, Oklahoma where my sister Sherry and brother-in-law Wes live. The following day we will continue on in our journey as we cross over the Red River into Texas to visit Mike's Aunt Margaret. After spending one more night's sleep in Altus, it will be time to head back to the Western Slopes and life there. Mike will have to get back to his job and I will be spending the remaining week working for the home health agency that I was with this summer. It's been a couple of months or so since I was a CNA for them and surely I haven't forgotten what to do :) They have several people gone during the holidays and since I do enjoy doing it, I volunteered to take their places for the week. The need for care of the elderly and homebound folks of our world continues onward, even during the holidays. It's actually one of the funnest jobs that I've ever done as a CNA and who knows, perhaps this summer I will go back to it for a while.
Yesterday all of the Renfro Clan met up in the little town of Cheney, Kansas over at the Methodist Church there. Mike's sister, Nancy Zerger, and her family hosted us all there. There were by my count over 20 of us in attendance. As is generally the case at the holiday time of year, we had so much food that there were leftovers to feed yet another dozen families or so. It was all so very delicious. After the meal, we sat down to open presents up from one another. But before we got started, my sister-in-law took an ornament off of the tree and handed it to me. She said that it was from Mike and that it was supposed to represent the two different states that we are from. It brought tears to my eyes to see it and actually I thought Mike might cry as well. He knows how difficult the transition has been for me and if I had an ornament for each time that I've cried out in despair, "I miss home!" well then we could have decorated the entire town's Christmas trees. It was beautiful and a very sincerely loving gift to have thought of. I was very grateful and touched by his kindness.
the Colorado side
Today we will be heading out at noon time for my hometown of Haven, Kansas to have dinner with the Scott side of the family. We'll be missing those family members that cannot join us, especially thinking about my mom and how much this holiday always meant to her. The very house that I'm sitting in right now was the scene of many Scott family Christmas celebrations in the 25 years that she lived here. She's been gone to her Heavenly home now for 6 years but I still recall how much love she put into making sure that each of her children and grandchildren had the best Christmas that she could give them. What sacrifices over the years she must have surely made for each of us, for ALL of us.
You know, I always have this "wish list" of seeing as many people that I can each time I come back home to Kansas for a visit. The people that I have run into so far have been mostly accidentally. I saw my good friend and Hutch News reporter Kathy Hanks when I stopped in to pay my subscription to the paper. At Dillons on 5th Street here in town, I ran into my oldest son's grandmother and one of his aunts. I hadn't seen either of them for at least a couple of years. Just as I was leaving with my groceries I ran into Napolean Irving, a man that I taught with at Lincoln Elementary one year. Out at Lowes, I ran into my good friend Sue Hale Rettig and her daughter as they were shopping for supplies just like us. At Walmart I came across my dear friend Katherine Degarmo and her oldest daughter and had a very good visit. Sometimes it seems like some of the best visits are the surprise ones.
Later on today we will have to begin packing the car up with the things that need to go back with us to Colorado. There are a few things that are left here that have never been packed up with the move. Little by little, the rooms have been emptied and this trip we will take many of the things that remain. My old bedroom here is nearly empty now, save for the bed and dresser but in time even they will be removed. One of the last things to take from my room is an angel wind chime that belonged to my mom. It was given to her by a dear friend named Connie. When mom passed away, I brought it here to her old house and hung it up over my bed. For all of the times that the angels watched over me in my life, I have always believed in their presence. They have saved me from total despair more times than I can tell you. This trip back, they will return with me and it will be like taking a bit of my mom with me to the place that I now call home. God is good and He sends us angels to go with us in not only the bad times but the times of good as well. You will never convince me otherwise as I know this for a fact.
Grahame and Ursela are busy in the kitchen this morning making Mike and I our Christmas breakfast brunch. They have banned us from the kitchen and told us in no uncertain terms that they have things covered. Their grandmother would be proud of them and once again I say that their culinary skills were a gift from her. Later as we set the table, we will place her special table cloth atop it and remember her.
Time for me to get busy around here as we pick up our stuff and pack away a few more things. Soon it will be time for me to deal with my house here and the sooner I can empty things out the easier it will be. Come the summer time, I will probably ready the house to be leased out to someone for a year or so. I'm not really ready to sell it yet but keeping up two houses is not so easy or fun :) Grahame has done a good job of taking care of things here but he will be probably heading on to other things in the future and I don't want it to just set empty. God always provides and I know that if I just listen to Him, the way will be shown. Have a beautiful Christmas Day with your families all of you. So very glad that we were able to be here. Best wishes for a peaceful and prosperous New Year in 2014.
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