While my recent trip to the US was to renew my visa and attend the disbursing of ashes of a former co-worker, I manage to have a number of great visits with my children living in Omaha.
Going out to eat seems to be the go-to activity for the grandsons--who amaze me at how much they can pack away.
It's hard for me to believe that 15 year old Zach is in high school playing soccer on the Millard West J-V team.. I got to see a few of his games while I was home. His busy schedule makes it hard to catch him, but we did squeeze in a few quality visits.
While my daughter-in-love, Lindy, is finishing another year teaching at Lewis and Clark Middle School in Omaha, my son Jeremy has been busy coaching Nathan's soccer team. I have been so proud of Jeremy's work with these boys, and recently found out that both he and Zach are also serving as buddies for a special needs soccer club.
Though Nate and I couldn't go to his usually grandma place, McDonalds, because the dining rooms were still closed, that didn't stop us from having our regular restaurant date. Nate introduced me to a new (to me) restaurant, Jimmy's Egg, where ne managed to outdo his younger cousin, Eliy, in the quantity of pancakes he can consume.
Mikayla, Bryan and Owen surprised me a few months ago with the news that another child is soon to join their family. Owen was excited to begin sporting this new shirt with the news. This will bring the total number of my grandchildren to five, but will add a granddaughter to the mix! I have to admit that I am excited to begin buying little dresses and frilly things.
I will be coming to Omaha again in August to help Mikayla out during the last month of her pregnancy. I am so pleased she invited me to do this, and am looking forward to spending concentrated time with Bryan, Mik, and Owen.
Big brother, however, was not so excited by the news that he would have a baby sister, insisting that we only "have boys in our family."
A milk shake and the fact that Iron Man's baby was a little girl is helping him adjust to this news.
My son Jon, who lives in California, was the only child I didn't get to see this trip. He has had a hard time lately, but is valiantly dealing with the death of his long time fur baby and totaling his car, both within a few weeks of each other. I miss seeing him a lot. Maybe a "California dreaming" trip needs to be in my future.
While I am grateful for the time I get to spend with my family, it seems each time I return to Guatemala it gets a little harder to leave them. Each trip I realize how much I am missing as their lives go on without me. I have to admit, it's the most difficult part of serving in Guatemala. I trust God to care for them, and am so proud of how my children are living as adults and how my grandsons are developing. I realize, though, how little I am a part of their everyday lives, and that's painful.
The "family" I have found in Guatemala helps fill this void, but, honestly it's not the same. For those of you who are thinking, "I could never leave my children," please don't share that with me. It's not that I don't love my children as much as you do, but God has called me to surrender them to His greater plan and purpose. What type of selfish legacy would I be leaving them if I failed to do this because it hurt too much?
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