We woke up to find Aunt Jeannine bustling around the kitchen frying bacon and cooking pancakes. After breakfast she insisted I bring her my shirt from the day before so she could get the stain out. (Becky had dropped a fork and splattered me in an unmentionable place.) So Jeannine Sprayed and Washed, scrubbed vigorously, rinsed and hung it to dry after I declined her offer to bring the rest of my laundry out so she could do it for me.
The boys and I went shopping and lunching in Grand Island with cousins while Will took a solitary exploratory drive. Occasional solitude is necessary for him to maintain his customary good humor. The mall had a Best Buy so the boys were very happy. I unsuccessfully continued my quest for a store that a carries shoes for freaks. We went to a great book store that had new and used books and CDs. They were having a sale of used books 4/$10. Wow. Aunt Jeannine loves to read, and it seemed a little tacky to buy used books as a hostess gift, but I knew her thrifty soul would appreciate them more than new books. Eric was please to buy two CDs that cost a total of $5.
Then to a grocery store to buy a birthday cake for Nicholas. Happy 15th, Nick. If he wouldn’t have been right there, I could have bought a day-old, half price cake decorated with pink flowers. But no, he didn’t like it so we had to buy him a fresh appropriately decorated one for full price. I guess he’s worth it.
Upon our return to Cairo, we met up with my four brothers and went on a driving tour of some of the places we used to live. Will was a bit shocked when Galen drove into the driveway of the farm house east of Cairo and got out, greeting the homeowner who was in the midst of an outdoor party of many people. We didn’t know that our cousin knew the homeowner and had made arrangements for Galen to buy bratwurst from him. He showed us his meat shop and offered to take us inside the house, but we declined. The barn, chicken coop and other outbuildings were gone, as well as the grove of trees that I used to consider a “forest”.
As I looked at this house where I had lived from about age 5 to 9, I recalled a time that I had prayed on the front steps. My mother had received a card with the verse about God moving mountains if you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, and it included a tiny mustard seed. I had never seen a mountain, but I thought it would be great to have one in my back yard. So I sat on the front steps and asked God to please move a mountain into my back yard. I also asked him to make my older sister Linda be normal instead of mentally retarded. I went into the house to check on Linda – no change. I waited awhile and checked the back yard. Nothing. I still had faith, though! I kept watching for a mountain to show up in the back yard and I continued to pray for Linda.
My cousin Jon and his wife Bert hosted a barbecue for the extended family in the evening. Great food and company again. Nick had a blast driving their go cart (pictured with his cousin McKenna) and jumping off a shed on their tire swing.
My cousin Sharon told me that after my mom's cancer surgery, they used to come over and help us clean house on Saturdays. She used to get mad at me because I would come across a book and sit down and read when we were supposed to be cleaning my room. I appreciate her forgiving me for that!
Once again we had to say goodbyes. Time to head for the Troyer relatives. We left for Aunt Lela and Uncle Gary’s house in Milford after dinner, arriving around 10 PM. My brother Mark and his family are also staying there. We get to stay in Gary's large comfortable 5th wheel, which has a slide out and queen size bed. Will really wants a 5th wheel!
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