More Memories To Be Thankful For

Last month we celebrated the life of Randy’s Uncle Harry.  We drove to the Atlantic Coast and attended his military funeral service and then spent a couple of hours with Randy’s cousins.  We were also thankful for the opportunity to see our son Jared and his girlfriend Rachel, who came from Iowa for the service.

Funerals are such difficult events but if you look past the sadness, they also provide a special opportunity to gather with people you love and don’t see as often as you’d like. I think that is part of God’s design. The sadness of knowing we will miss the one who has gone on ahead of us is eased by the joy of the chance to hug the necks of loved ones we haven’t seen for too long.  The reunion is a reflection of the grand reunion we will all have one day in Heaven.  What a  time that will be as our mourning is turned to dancing!14063885_10153931112866909_8693240004585967550_n

Having Jared come down was a special blessing. It was so hard leaving him behind when we moved last December. To have him come and be with us even for just a weekend was wonderful.  We took Jared and Rachel to the beach and they saw dolphins in the open water for the first time. We crammed as much as we could into the 2 days they were here and were glad to learn that they plan to come back for Christmas. We already have a whole list of things we want to do with them when they come back.

So, that was Maxey Memory #5.

Memory #6 happened last weekend.  Saturday was National Museum Day. Randy and I got free tickets to the  Ringling Museums in Sarasota. resizedwp_20160924_11_55_23_proWe spent the day exploring the history of the circus and got a dose of “culture” as we wandered through the huge art museum. The Circus Museum was quite amazing. Randy tried his skills on the tightrope exhibit.resizedwp_20160924_13_37_00_pro

I really enjoyed the huge display of the circus in miniature. So much to look at!  It reminded me of memories of my childhood and the fun we had going to the circus. A time when life seemed less complicated.resizedwp_20160924_12_33_41_proI have a new appreciation of all the work that went on behind the scenes to provide that fun experience we enjoyed.

After a full day we had dinner at Der Dutchman, an Amish restaurant that has a location in Plain City, Ohio. A place with fond memories of our years living in central Ohio.resizedwp_20160813_19_19_48_pro-2

So, that’s what I’ve been up to.  Have you made any memories lately?