Day 169 - It's Fun Being Papa

I’m sitting in Lisa’s living room while the girls are being put to bed. It’s 9:10PM here, but I am probably not going to be up much later either. When I look back on my day, I shouldn’t be so tired, but in reality, I am worn out. I love being “Papa” and I really enjoyed being with Anna Roan and Julia Anne all day, but I don’t know how Lisa does it. I have so much respect for young mothers and dads. I have even more respect for Julia. She would have been doing all that I did today and more. She was a great Nana. She loved the kids. She loved to hold them, play with them, and make things for them. They were so much a part of her life. I was thinking of her today when I had Anna and Julia for a little over two hours while Lisa went to her base to say goodbyes and get her final orders. I was trying to do something with Anna while holding Julia. Then Julia would get fussy, and I would have to stop what I was doing with Anna. It was never ending. But tonight, just holding Julia and watching Anna it was so peaceful and loving. There is no way that I would want to miss any of this.

The movers come to start packing up at 9AM. Just looking around I would say that things don’t look ready, but how ready do they have to be. I cleared out a place in the storage closet out in the garage for us to take everything that we are taking in the car. The movers will be packing everything else. Shoot, we had better empty the trash; otherwise they might pack that too. So, tomorrow I will help move everything into the storage closet that we need to put in there and then help watch the kids and do anything else that is needed. Sounds easy? Probably not! Anyway we will sleep here tomorrow night. The mattresses should still be out.

I was chasing Anna while holding Julia tonight. Anna was laughing, Julia was laughing and I was not laughing out loud, but I was having so much fun because they were having fun. Do you think that is how Papa is with us. He loves to see us laugh and have fun. He would have to, because we are made in His image, so if we love to see our kids and grandkids having fun and laughing with us, he should love it so much more. Why is it that we see Father God as someone who is always angry and cold; someone who is always distant. For the most part, we have the wrong image of Him. I just want to rest in His arms and let Him carry me the way I was carrying Julia tonight. Sometimes she didn’t want me to carry her and would squirm and arch her back. If I wasn’t careful, I could have dropped her. But I was careful, and I just changed positions. Sometime we squirm when Father God is carrying us. We want to do something that we shouldn’t or we see something else we think we need. He will change positions so we can get more comfortable.

He enjoys holding us and cuddling with us as much as I enjoy holding and cuddling with my granddaughters. To bad we don’t let Him do it more often. Anna asked me three times today if I was going home tomorrow. I told her no. I said that I would be with her when she left Mobile for Virginia. I guess that last trip when I came for only 20 minutes is still I her mind. Papa wants us to know that He is with us, and will never leave us, no matter what we have seen in our life. Sometimes I wonder how much trauma is released to a three year old when someone they love dies. I know they don’t understand. But then, neither do I, so I guess in many ways we are even.

I’m really looking forward to having most of the family together next week. Adair and Meleah will come up Thursday and then Jennifer will come up on Saturday. We will have a big family get together on Saturday the 3rd. then Julia Anne will be dedicated at the 11AM service on Sunday at RiverStone. Sunday will be a busy day. I will run my 30th Peachtree Road Race. Julia will be dedicated and then Jennifer and I will drive down to Summer camp to take Adair. Well when you think about it, these next two weeks are going to be very busy. I am very tired tonight, but very happy. It is going to be a good time. Well, tomorrow, the adventure continues.