Accidental Tourist

Picture this. . . .

. . . A lone traveler with, what should be, a fairly direct passage from Sacramento to Dallas. Said traveler at ticket counter, finding out that reservations are for the following day instead of this one. Traveler being booked for a flight leaving at 11:30. Said traveler with 4 hours to waste getting a breakfast sandwich and playing sudoku, reading a book, walking up and down terminal. Traveler arriving in San Diego with a layover of 2 1/2 hours. Traveler successfully getting on her flight to Phoenix.

. . . After arriving in Phoenix, the traveler's stomach saying "I am very unhappy that you ate that breakfast muffin." Traveler running through airport to ladies room, running back to gate where flight to Dallas is delayed. Traveler's stomach screaming "That breakfast muffin is coming through NOW!" Said traveler being stuck in said ladies room for the duration. Traveler's stomach being somewhat pacified and traveler arriving at her gate just as her flight is moving away.

. . . Gate attendants putting traveler on standby list for Dallas. Traveler 'standing by' and watching all subsequent flights to Dallas leaving without her. Gate attendants putting traveler on last flight out of Phoenix to Albuquerque. Traveler being officially categorized by airline as a 'distressed traveler' and receiving a discount coupon for hotel and being booked on a flight to Dallas leaving at 6:50 a.m. the following morning.

. . . Traveler hardly sleeping a wink worrying that she will miss her flight to Dallas. (She stays in bed long enough to be a feast for bed bugs.) Said traveler arriving at airport veerrryyy early and getting on the airplane without incident. Traveler sitting back to enjoy her umpteenth package of peanuts only to hear the pilot come onto loudspeaker with the announcement "Love Field in Dallas is closed due to weather so we are diverting to Lovick. Sorry for the inconvenience." Traveler becoming supremely 'distressed'.

. . . Airplane landing in Lovick to wait for permission to fly to Dallas. Traveler walking up and down terminal, reading book, playing sudoku, but not eating food of any kind. Traveler, along with fellow travelers, waiting for 4 hours for an okay to take off for Dallas.

. . . Traveler landing in Dallas 32 hours after leaving home in Sacramento, being driven directly to a hospital, to meet her 3-hour old grandson. Traveler holding the beautiful baby and looking into the faces of the proud parents.

. . .Traveler knowing that each hour and every mile was well worth it.

Abundant life!

Let me glory in grandmotherhood for just a minute.

David and I just returned from Montana where little Samuel was blessed today. What a beautiful little guy! Before we left for the airport Megan, Caleb, and Benjamin covered us with kisses. I can still feel them in my cheeks.

Tomorrow, I plan on putting Diana's wedding invitations together with Julia. I will get to see Mr. M, Miss A, little C and Honey (see Smith Funny Farm).  Honey is just getting so he recognizes me. It's taken a little while for him to want to come to me but now I can make him giggle.

Wednesday, I will get to nibble on Janie when I get to Dallas. She is just so delicious! And sometime the next day, I will meet the brand new little Elliot.

In July, we will welcome a new son into our family. Dan and Diana will be married in July. Their marriage will complete the circle of our family. David and I, our children and their spouses really do form a circle. A protective circle around the new little ones that are coming to bless our family.

Am I loved? I could never question it. I feel loved by all of these. And even more, by the Heavenly Father who gives me this rich, abundant life.

In I Corinthians 2:9 it says ". . . Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Isn't it the truth!

Sisters

They came, they saw, they conquered! Laura and Karen, my sisters, flew in this weekend and snatched me out of the pit of despair.

The event calendar is jam packed for this Olsen family. Samuel Olsen will be blessed this Sunday in Montana. Little Elliot will be born about 5 days later in Dallas. So, this grandma flies out to Montana, flies home and after a 2 day layover flies to Dallas, stays a week and then flies home. After that, Julia, Steve, and their family come to stay while they pack up to move to Boise. Keep in mind that meanwhile we are putting together a wedding celebration for Diana and Dan on July 15th in Utah.

Our house has had many visitors and occupants in the last year. We have loved having each one of them but the house has been arranged and rearranged until more beds were down than up. The whole upstairs was topsy-turvy. The sewing room/guest room looked like a cyclone had hit it (even worse than when Donna Maygren saw it!)

I have been bumping around in the mess like I was a ball in a pinball machine, not knowing where to start. Then my sisters appeared like magic with their willing hands and loving hearts. We worked like maniacs for three days and then they flew away into the sunset.

Tonight I am sitting in a clean, orderly house that feels like angels have visited. Thank you Laura and Karen. I love you.