Special Day . . . Special Blessings

Today was a great day, and long overdue.

I have an uncle (Kendall) that is 3 years younger than I am. Until 1976 we lived in the same town as my Grandad, Grandma Dorothy, and Kendall. Bryan (my brother) and I spent a lot of time with Kendall and we thought of him more as a cousin than an uncle. Of course we still kept in touch after we moved but didn't get to see each other as often as we had been able to before we moved. Many things changed over the years and Kendall went through some very hard times and lost both his parents (my grandparents) before he was 21. To make a long story short I will just say that through the years of difficulty Kendall received a lot of love and support from a family that took him in as their own and over the years it seemed that we all grew further apart and rarely saw each other. In fact, I had not seen Kendall since he got married and had never met his 12 year old son and 10(?) year old daughter until my sister got married this last May.

When we were planning Mom and Dad's anniversary celebration I invited Kendall. (We had recently gotten in contact through facebook)His wife was scheduled to work the day of the celebration so he suggested we all plan a day to get together while we are all on Christmas break so that we could have time to visit and catch up.

Well, today was that day. My brother and SIL offered their home and we all gathered there today for lunch. We had such a great time! Bryan smoked meat all night and we all brought side dishes and ate until we were stuffed. Then we just sat around the table visiting for hours.

Towards the end of our time together Kendall opened up some about what he went through during the times that Grandma was so sick, Grandad had to go to a nursing home, and how lost and confused he felt as a High School (and then college student) to have these things going on, and to have lost both of his parents before he was 20 years old.

I have had a lot of conflicted feelings through the years about that time and had always wondered how Kendall became so out of touch with our family and so much a member of another family. But now I thank God for the Barrett family. They showed Kendall the love of Christ when he needed it the most and when we were unaware of how difficult things really were for him.

Kendall has a wonderful family now and I feel blessed that we were all able to spend such a special day together. We all left promising to keep in touch with each other and get together again.

Good stuff!

Mom and Dad 50th Anniversary

December 8th, 1960 my parents were married in Meramac, OK in the church where their families both attended. Fifty years have passed and they are a great example of how love and dedication can overcome hard times and increase the joys of good times! My brother, sister, and I are lucky to have such a legacy passed on to us. (My grandparents had been married 72 years when Grandpa passed away).

It was an honor to stand back and see Mom and Dad have such a great time and be honored by so many friends and family.


It was also a huge blessing to realize that my siblings and I have made that transition from sibling rivals to now being adults who love each other very much. In hindsight I realize this transition happened years ago but it was brought to light more in the planning and implementing of the reception.

Good times of great blessings!