Thankfulness Part II- Our Summer in the States

Dear friends and family,

Every single day that we have is a gift, and that statement is something that's been running through my head recently.  I was reminded of this truth this week (I'll share why in my next post) and then again when I thought back to the six weeks we spent in the States this summer.  During our stay we received the gift of time with our parents, who we had not seen in two years!  We also saw our siblings, extended family, good friends (some that we didn't think we would have the opportunity to see!), and we even hosted a Hong Kong friend in Chicago for a couple days.  We got to see firsthand the healing work that God and the team of doctors in Cincinnati had done when we visited the Legers.  We marveled at our friends' new babies and how much kids had grown.  In six weeks we spent time in seven states, slept in six different beds, and praise the Lord, we learned that the kids could handle long road trips even if they weren't used to being in a car. :) The kids marveled at lush green lawns they could run in, pointed excitedly at "foreign" wildlife like squirrels, rabbits, and deer, and became good at recognizing whether a field was full of corn or soybeans. If you need any evidence of how excited I was to see our family and friends and we're friends on facebook, just scroll through my summer posts there and see just how many pictures I posted.  Here are some out of the many that I took.

Cousins!

Josiah hiking with Grandma in the Rocky Mountains

Ava enjoying a ride on Grandpa's tractor

Ava with Harabuji (my dad)

Josiah with Halmoni (my mom)

Kid pic at a family get together

Stanley, our church friend from Hong Kong, visited while we were in Chicago for a couple days

All of these experiences and get togethers (and food!) made for a wonderful summer.  We were so appreciative of the time people took to see us and treat us to foods we had missed, but the best gift we received was during our first two days in States when we flew into Tennessee.  We got to have the precious gift of time with Grandma June, Shannon's grandmother.  Two years ago when we left for Hong Kong we knew we might not see Grandma June again.  And we knew two years later as we headed to the States that she wasn't doing very well.  But Grandma June held on and the night we landed and the following morning we got to stand by her side, hold her hands, and tell her how much we loved her.  She passed away quietly that afternoon and three months later, I still miss her and it's hard to believe that she's no longer on this earth.

Grandma June was funny, warm, loving, and made you feel at ease from the moment you met her.  You would never know from spending time with her that she lived a life full of difficult circumstances because she wasn't defined by them.  She was thankful for what she had and she even dealt with hardship by throwing in humor and laughter.  She loved listening to gospel music and stayed young at heart even as a great grandmother.  I loved that there was nothing stuffy about her. She was genuine and incredibly down to earth.  She loved to tell a good story and have someone play along.  She loved her family and Jesus very much, and that was very evident in the many times she opened up her home and kitchen to all that walked in.  To have had the gift of time with her this summer and to be there for her beautiful funeral service that celebrated her life and the way she joyfully lived it was incredibly special.  I truly thank God that I had the privilege to know her and call her my Grandma June and look forward to the day when I'll be able to see and dance and laugh with her again in heaven.

She lived out this verse. "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad." Psalm 118:24

Grandma June striking a movie star pose :)