I'm still here...

Good morning! It's been well over one month since I last wrote. So much has happened in such a short amount of time!

My mother-in-law, Evelyn, came for a month visit. Travis and I flew to MN to pick her up and bring her back. It was interesting getting her into a small plane, as she's not very mobile now. I guess being 90 years old gives her some excuse! She requires constant care and my sister-in-law, Sandy, needed a much-needed break!

Jessica and her boys were also with us during most of that time and Evelyn thoroughly enjoyed all the hustle and bustle of having little children around. Corban (8) was quite fascinated with watching Travis give his mom insulin shots and often wondered why she didn't remember things that she had just said.

Joshua (7 months) was really crawling and pulling himself up on furniture, chortling and "talking" up a storm! She loved his soft little head and constantly commented on how cute he was.

We spent lots of time singing old songs, hymns, listening to CDs and reading out loud from James Herriot's book, "All Things Bright and Beautiful".

All in all, it was a very good visit and we all came to appreciate the care that is required to make her final days on earth pleasant!

Our house is quiet again. It's nice, but sad too! I miss all the liveliness of youth, but they have their own lives to live also. Just wish that they weren't so far, far away from us!

My mom gave us a sauna when I was in Alaska. It's a one-person unit that has a pad that you lie on, and a dome apparatus that fits over the top of you. So, Travis and I have been enjoying that in the evenings. We put on a good movie, then take turns in the "sweat-box". All I can say is that we sure sleep well!

Travis and one of his students, Shawn, were taxiing on the turf runway, getting ready to do a short-field takeoff, when all of a sudden, the front of the plane dropped to the ground. They jumped out and found that an old storm-drain had collapsed when the nose wheel rolled over it. Needless to say, it was fortunate that no one was hurt, but most unfortunate for the plane. There is some damage that needs to be addressed and our other plane that we use for training is still sitting in the mechanic's shop waiting for repairs, as well.

God provided another plane that we could lease for training and one of Travis's students who was ready to take his check ride, was able to finish up and get his pilot's license! In the meantime, the insurance company will cover the whole thing, but the plane will probably be out of service for over a month!

You never know what life will bring, do you? And yet, the Lord desires that we praise Him even when we don't understand why things happen! I'm so glad that I'm not in charge of running the universe!

Well, that's about it for now! Just to catch everyone up! And, I promise to take "pen" (keyboard) in hand and write more often!