I go to the States to visit with my mom and sister... and on this trip, God also worked it out so that I can 'housesit' for my sister while she and her husband, KR, can go to parents' weekend at West Point. (That's where their son, Will, is attending! The young man who didn't like rules at home went to a school where rules abound! They even have a rule about how the peanut butter packets have to be opened a certain way or the whole table gets punished!)
So, I arrived on October 13th and immediately started to get my mom's house organized. Yes, that's the usual. I refilled all the containers with the packaged drinks. Then I looked in the closets and drawers. I paired up clothing items, put items in the right drawer, refolded towels (after I checked that they are really clean), etc. I asked Annie to let the helpers have a break (which also allows us to save a little bit of money), so I had night duties as well. That meant getting up to do a diaper check at least once! I also kept an eye on my mom! One time I found that she had fallen asleep while going to the bathroom!
While I was there, Annie wanted me to establish good habits with them. So, I watched their food intake like a hawk. I served them all their meals and prohibited my mom from opening the fridge. Annie wants her weight to go down to 110 pounds. I also needed to make sure that she doesn't use her fingers to touch the food and that she scrubs her hands after going to the bathroom. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to establishing good habits with them. I won't bore you with all the details.
Annie and KR left on 10/20 and I had help for three hours of the day, three out of five days. One of the days, Annie had Adeli stay overnight with my mom and Daddy George so that I can spend the night at "Green Acres" and go to church.
What does it mean to housesit for my sister? She gave me a to-do list... here are a few of the items -- feed the dog, Gracie, twice a day, half a cup each meal with salmon oil; give her bone pill twice a day wrapped in cheese and salami; walk her for at least half an hour, twice a day; do daily poop check of the yard... feed indoor cats twice a day, check cat litter (which I did twice a day); also check for poop on the carpet (which I found several times as well as vomit. One cat is getting old and seems to be having 'health problems')... feed outdoor cats twice a day, make sure their bowls are in a pan of water so that ants don't get to their food (this was a tricky thing as when the cats eat from the bowls, the bowls will move and touch the edge of the pan underneath. When that happens, ants can cross the barrier and invade the food. Trust me... I know... and it's disgusting once that happens. I've never seen so many ants in my life! Thus, I had to check the bowls as often as possible in order to prevent this from happening)... feed the chickens; let chickens out at around 6:30-7am; lock chickens up at around 6:30-7pm; check for eggs... make sure all animals have fresh water... check the mail... get the morning paper... OK... you got the idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, while they were gone, I did a lot of running back and forth! The night that I stayed at their house, I couldn't sleep well. I was in Kurtis' room and I guess the Lord wanted me to stay up to pray... and He inspired me to rearrange the furniture in that room. That's another thing I wanted to do was to help organize a few areas of my sister's house.
On 10/25, I drove down to San Diego as I wanted to make sure I spent a couple of days with Alan's mom. I had only 48 hours with Mom Bea and Aunt Ethel. I took Mom Bea to her workout room to encourage her to walk on the treadmill and do a few muscle strengthening exercises. The sewing room was opened, so I went in there and sewed a bag for Abby. In the evening, we went out to eat. We had Mexican food one night and Panda Express the next evening. After Prime Time (a senior church activity) on Thursday, 10/27, I drove back up to Torrance as I needed to be at the airport by 9:20 that evening. (I had already packed and weighed my boxes before heading down to San Diego!)
The Lord did bless me with time to hang out with Suz and Pam, go and see Angel Go's new house, catch up with Heather and Andrea and see Andrea's kids, especially her sweet son, Levi (I think it was my first time to see him since he was born!). I also bought special snacks for HOP Children's Day service. But most importantly, it was special to be with my mom (and I know my sister enjoys having me around...)
Now you see why it was a fast and furious trip.
And honestly, it was the LORD who sustained me. He gave me strength and joy each day. And whenever I was really exhausted, He always provided time for a power nap! I even had time to exercise... walking Gracie and running back and forth between the two homes! How perfect was that!
Seek Him First!
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