The Visit.

Last weekend, Steve’s parent’s spent a few days with us. We worked them so hard during their visit that they finally had to flee back to Charlotte in desperation, just to catch up on their rest.

Their first job was to change the message on the church sign.

I thought it was appropriate that two people who have been married for fifty-five years would be assigned to put up a sermon title like . . .

. . . this.

(Note: During the service, Steve had a couple brave souls come up front with him and sing a few bars of that song. It was most entertaining.)

After that job was complete, Ken went around the house and worked on the switch plates that we had removed for painting.

Vernie got right to work folding bulletins with Our Regular Folder of the Sunday Bulletins. Don’t they look so inspired?

Then Ken was “talked into” singing a special with Steve on Sunday morning. (That line is really a joke because there are few things Ken enjoys doing more than singing in front of people.)

Before he started the song Ken said, “I tried to get a good guitar player to get up here to accompany me but all I could find was Steve.” That got a good laugh.

Then Ken called “his favorite alto” to the front to do a duet with him.

And as if THAT weren’t enough work, Steve took Ken with him to sing at the local radio station.

Steve preaches on the radio 15 minutes every Monday morning but he usually just does it by phone. However, since he had a local singing celebrity with him this time, he decided to go on into the studio instead.

I must say that Steve and I have been both been so blessed through the years by the parents God has given us. My Mom and Dad always had the same attitude as Ken and Vernie do. Whenever they arrived for a visit it wasn’t, “Okay, entertain us.” Their attitude was, “What can we do to help you?”

My dad has been gone to heaven for almost a year now, but I’ll always remember the way he and Mom invested their lives into other people at every possible opportunity. Both sets of parents have provided such excellent examples for our kids.

Okay. Back to the visit . . .

Just in case you’re thinking that Ken and Vernie’s visit was all work and no play, I have to add that they took Sarah to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse where Ken and Sarah climbed 268 steps all the way to the top of the lighthouse. (Ken will be eighty years old in January so I’d say he’s in pretty good shape to be able to do that.)

One evening, we got out the bikes and took a spin up and down the street in front of our house.

One of the most endearing sights of the whole visit was this one. Vernie hadn’t ridden bike in a long time and was a little wobbly starting off. Steve ran along beside her, just like she and Ken had run alongside his bike when he first learned to ride. Sarah and I stood in the driveway watching them and both got teary-eyed over the sweetness of it.

Saturday night was video night. We watched Jungle Book which is one of the best movies ever. You can tell that Snowy was fascinated by it.

On Sunday night, they took us out to dinner for an early celebration of Sarah’s fifteenth birthday coming up on August 23rd. (View from the restaurant.)

This is at Stripers in Manteo which serves the best crab stuffed flounder I’ve ever had.

Leaving the restaurant to go get dessert at another restaurant.

When we got out of the car at the next place, Steve looked at Sarah and said (as he often does), “So! Do you want to skip?” Usually she says no but on Sunday night she surprised him by saying yes. It’s kind of a blurry picture but it still captures the whimsy of the moment.

Waiting on the deck of the restaurant to be seated.

Sarah and her grandpa--looking ahead to another year.