Recently we visited my parents in the Denver area. We were on our way to Manitou Springs to drop Tessa, Joe and Lissie at Summit, a two-week worldview conference set in the mountains just west of Colorado Springs.
High on the agenda during our stay with Nana and Grandpa was a visit to the pool in their complex. Princess Bink was the first to be ready. She told me the towel over her toy was its sunscreen.
A short walk down the street took us to cool relief from the heat.
Tatiana served as "Inflater of the Inner Tubes"...
...and Tessa created her own "umbrella" to fight the glare of a perfectly clear Colorado morning.
There were those who wasted no time enjoying the water.
However, Lissie first worked on Scripture memorization for Bible Bee 2010.
But she soon joined the fun in the pool.
Before long an energetic game of Pig-in-the-Middle developed that included the kids' cousin, Amanda, whom we were also transporting to Summit.
While she was playing, Lissie aggravated an injury to her right hand that she'd incurred during the games played by the CollegePlus! students who had stayed at our home the weekend before ( Untohimwelive.blogspot.com/CollegePlus!). We had wondered all week whether she could possibly have broken a bone. Her hand's tenderness and swelling that morning convinced us she needed to be x-rayed before heading to Summit so Lissie's dad whisked her off to urgent care...
...where they learned that she had broken her fourth metacarpal the previous weekend. The urgent care physician said Lissie must see an orthopedist within five days.
We immediately began praying because it was already 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon. We knew that if she couldn't see the bone specialist she would have to skip going to Summit and return home with us so that she could see an orthopedist there. God was so very kind! An orthopedist nearby was willing to squeeze her in. Our dog-loving Lissie even got to be treated in their room decorated in canines, which she found much more inviting than the shark room.
While Lissie and her dad were at the orthopedist we all went to a nearby park for a picnic with my brother and sister-in-law and their son, "Turtle." Lissie's siblings and their cousin waited for news about whether Lissie would be able to attend the camp.
When Lissie arrived at the park, she was greeted by an eager group of fans.
After greeting Turtle...
...she explained what she'd learned from the orthopedist. We all celebrated that she had been cleared to attend Summit, although she wouldn't be able to participate in the many sporting events due to the splint she'd have to wear.
He eventually got the giggles as he thought of a way to liven up the photo shoot.
I loved watching my dad enjoy his grandson's antics. My parents have 14 grandchildren, but Turtle is the only one who lives the Denver area. He and his grandpa have developed a special relationship as a result.
The next morning we went to beautiful Chautauqua Park which sits at the base of the Flatiron Mountains in Boulder. There we had breakfast on the porch of a building that is 110 years old. This building and a neighboring amphitheater were used for a summer series of national lectures, called Chautauquas, around the turn of the century.
While we waited for our food, the kids busied themselves memorizing Scripture.
The morning was picture perfect in every respect.
We were grateful to the Lord for our time together. That sense of gratitude strengthened within just a few days. The following Friday my dad was hospitalized when he experienced a TIA (similar to a mild stroke). He was released on Saturday, and then on Sunday my mom broke her ankle simply walking across her bedroom. As scripture reminds us numerous times, we simply do not now what the next day will bring.
Thankfully, both my parents are recovering well.
~Mrs. Beaver
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