Full Bellies and Flying Shows

Saturday, September 11th, we marked by daughter Lindsey's 22nd birthday.  

Lindsey enjoys her birthday candles.

Alene and I gathered the kids together along with the grandparents and had a wonderful time of fellowship and celebration for Lindsey.  

Grammie Dorothy and Grandpa Bob

Camie and Emily

Liz and Grammie Dorothy

The fellowship was close, the conversation sweet, and the love was warm.  Alene and I cooked and kinda over did it.  Pork chops, lasagna, corn on the cob, green beans and bacon, watermelon, and garlic bread. Throw on top of that coffee, tea, and birthday cake, and most all of us rolled away from the dinner table with full tummies. 

Can you really over-do a birthday dinner?

Sunday was equally wonderful in a different way.  I began by sleeping in (thank you baby), then coffee and my bible study.  Reading in Psalms 19 about how God has wonderfully revealed himself to us through nature and through life was uplifting and reassuring.  Church, as usual, refilled my heart with the faces of friends and my ears with the word of God.

Afterwards Alene, Liz and I had plans to go over to Kelli Stewart's house and have a picnic.  She and her husband live out near Mather, and since the 2010 California Capital Airshow was happening this weekend, she invited us out to see what we could see.  As God would have it, Kelli felt moved to invite Brian Bennet with us, and I'm glad she did.  He's a neat brother in the Lord and I really enjoyed getting to know him more. 

As sandwiches were being made in the kitchen, I kept hearing the sounds of jet engines outside.  I'd run out, and of course by the time you hear the jets they're usually already passed by, so it was hard to get a good look over the rooftops, but..... as were standing out front setting up some lawn chairs, I looked up and coming directly over the house was a screaming F-18 Hornet at about 500 feet! 

Ok, this isn't the actual plane that passed over us, but it looked just like it!

I yelled at Brian, "Dude, straight up!" pointing up, and the Hornet howled and shrieked as it passed over us at what seemed close enough for us to touch.  It was just amazing to feel the thrum of the engine actually shake my chest as the plane passed over. 

After eating we drove a few blocks to an open area on Excelsior Road where we could see the flight line.  The Patriots performance team were doing their show, which I'd seen before up and Beale AFB, and is a pretty good show for a private team.

The Patriots air performance team.

Later, the F-22 Raptor took off.  I was excited about seeing this futuristic fighter up close for the first time. 

F-22 Raptor

P38's and an F-22 Raptor in formation.

After the show we headed back to Kelli's place for some much needed water and fellowship before heading home.  

All in all, as I look back and think of all I've been through, I count myself highly blessed and very thankful.  The love of a good woman, the respect of children (at least I think so!), and the joy of a wonderful extended family of friends and relatives, combined with the love of the Great Healer and Creator,  make life not only good, but worth living, with purpose and joy.  

I know crappy-crappy-crap will come my way in the future.  It always does, and it always gets dealt with.  Having joy, though, makes it a lot easier.