Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love never fails. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

First off I have to report that the weekend’s epic puzzle project was completed successfully (and with none of the 1,000 pieces missing). It’s been sitting on a bookshelf waiting for just the right opportunity ever since Rebekah retired from Wake Forest Presbyterian Church four years ago!

The puzzle was part of a goodbye gift from WFPC’s “Women of the Word” Bible study. It’s a remarkably beautiful rendition of various wildflowers – as well as an inspiration for us to get a little more focused in our new garden.

Check out the dramatic video as Beks slots in the final two pieces!

Getting the house ready:

I may not have managed any weeding, but I was at least inspired to mow before temperatures got too hot outside. Regardless of how messy our garden is and how much work needs to be done, running the lawnmower is always satisfying.

We did a few more things to make our new home look amazing for our daughter Naomi’s first visit, I took Geoffrey for a walk around the neighborhood (he wanted to see the chickens where we get our eggs) and then I started the all-afternoon process of making Naomi’s favorite spaghetti meat-sauce.

Beks helped.

It turns out that our only granddaughter is a pretty darned good sous chef. Chopping and sautéing vegetables, crushing garlic, browning meat, adding herbs, tasting.

She is especially good, she pointed out to me more than once, at tasting!

The children did amazingly well for almost two weeks, and we are proud of them, but eleven days away from their parents is a long time and they were so glad to see their mom again.

The only drama was the “welcome to North Carolina” cockroach that decided to walk around the guest room walls just as everyone was settling down for the night! It turns out that it does not matter how old our daughter is and how many children she has, the knock on our bedroom door was inevitable. “Dad! There’s a humongous roach on the wall. Would you please come and get it?”

And then, not long after 7:30 this morning, they were off. Heading to the Jersey Shore for a week with the other grandparents.

I may unpack more of the highlights from this visit in the next few days, but for now all I can say is that we are deeply satisfied to be able to spend so much quality time with these beautiful grandchildren. And, bonus, for Geoffrey to have his first extended visit without his parents at just four years old.

We are blessed in every way – DEREK