Hello from Grammy and Family!

Here are more pictures we took yesterday. Shea, Shannon's barely-three-year-old, kept saying, "I diss wanna pet her." He had lots of time to pet Charlie this morning because we got the boys up early to go visit, and they stayed quite awhile. They were saying goodbye because when we got home, their other grandparents came to get them. They're camping now, and then they'll be visiting their dad in California for 3 weeks, the way I understand it. They were certainly a handful, but it's almost too quiet around the house now.

This afternoon Joe and I got the baby's crib ready, I've been doing some cleaning and laundry, and Joe's been doing yard work. We're letting Shannon rest this afternoon (she didn't get much sleep last night--imagine that!), and we'll go to the hospital tonight. Joe has gone to a golf course now, and I'm reading a novel Ginger gave me, The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Thanks, Ginger--it's great!

Some of you have asked where they got the name Charles Joseph. Joe had a brother named Charles who was a police sergeant in Austin. "Uncle Charlie" was Jody's favorite uncle because he'd take Jody riding around in his police car when we visited. He died of a brain tumor a few years ago and didn't have any children, so little Charlie will carry on his first name. My dad's first name was also Charles.

Joe's name is really Joseph, his grandpa was named Joe, and Jody's name is actually Joseph, so now we have four generations of Joseph/Joes.

I'm glad I'm here, of course, but it's a little weird that I'll miss Mark's 5th church anniversary tomorrow, not that we have a policy of recognizing staff members' anniversaries anyway. Nobody else will even know it...hmm, well, now maybe they will. WHO KNEW that first Sunday?! I'm still blown away by the way our corporate worship has changed in the last five years!

It has been so heartwarming to have new emails from friends rejoicing with us every time I turn on my computer! I'm very blessed to have such a wonderful church and terrific friends!

Have a great Sunday, everybody, and give Mark a hug for me!