Safe arrival, long weekend head, plenty of guests, a new arrival

Nate, Cori and the kids got in around 7:30. That was enough time to get the kids outside running around for an hour before we even thought about getting them settled down for the night. They had to see the baby goats before anything else could be done so we got that out of the way right away, The drive over to us had been uneventful. That is what we prayed for as they traveled. No matter how you try, it takes thirteen hours to make the drive and they did it in almost exactly that time frame. The luggage was unloaded and placed as needed very quickly. All the beds were inflated, and all the bedding was in place by 9 pm. Those beds were occupied shortly thereafter. Once still, everyone – including me and Mama – was quickly asleep. 

This morning started for all of us around 6 am. It generally does with our Mortenson grandchildren. I had to relocate my “office” to my desk in the bedroom. The living room, where I would normally be staged, is going to be very active during the days this weekend and all next week, so moving my work station was the only option to allow me to work and maintain harmony in the home. I can make that work for the days I will actually be working from home next week. With the holiday on Monday and my class on Wednesday, I only have a three days of “home” work. Since I was able to finish the paperwork project yesterday, ther will be little need for me to go to the office next week. I will have to spend a few hours with Crystal, my immediate supervisor, reviewing the files I completed the paperwork for to be done with the part of my task list. But that can wait a few days.

Joshua and Alicia will be on their way up this evening as will Becky, Mike, and Bridgette. Joshua’s boys were not able to make the trip this weekend. They will be with their biological father for the long weekend. Sad, but not unexpected. Mama wore herself out yesterday getting all the things we need for meals this weekend, so we are well stocked to feed this crew. And overwhelmingly happy to do so. To add to the mix and confusion of the day, Victoria left early this morning to get the children of one of her coworkers so she could watch her three young boys as the parents made the final move in packing and vacating the house they recently sold. They will be almost unnoticed in the mix of children in the house. Plus, we now have an extra mother (Cori) and three mommies in practice (Victoria, Mykenzie and Savanna) to meet all the expected needs of the youngest two boys. Thankfully, the Lord gave us a house that was laid out for entertaining large groups of people. 

Mama and I will be making the trip over to pick up our piglet this evening. The seller will be home all day, but we will wait until I get off work to make the pickup. I spent a few minutes last night making sure the pen was ready and setting up a feed barrel in the pig building. Having feed there will help Mama limit her steps to get all the feed out in the morning and evening feedings. All I have left to do is get the carrier into the back of the truck to make the transfer. Mama and I have even begun to set aside scraps for the pig. One of the benefits of having a pig is that noting will go to waste. The superpower of a pig is turning food scraps into bacon. Hard to beat that.

I discovered yesterday why our leadership has been so dramatic about the COVID guidelines they have set in place. One of our leaders has Stage 4 cancer. The melanoma has metastasized throughout his body. Several of his organs are affected – one severely. The doctors give him no more than six months to live. It will be a deeply saddening loss for our company – more so to his family. He is in his early fifties. One preteen son still at home. Because of his ongoing medical condition, our leadership is extremely scared of any potential exposure to any bug. Sadly, there is very little we can do to affect that. He is a Christian. Perhaps not as obvious as some, but he is the one that is always called upon to pray at all our gatherings. So, there is a recognized standard in his witness to those who know him but do not know the Lord. If the Lord knows him as His own, the ultimate healing is only weeks away – should he succumb to the cancer. The blessed hope of our faith is that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”

Regardless of what we have to deal with in this life, our future is wonderfully bright.