The look on Mom’s face was worth it. Worth the long hours in the car and the swollen feet and ankles. She came out into the living room confused as to why the dogs were barking, and then she saw Stephen. She gasped and hugged him so tightly.

After the funeral in MD, we rode with my parents to central PA where my sister’s car was parked. Charis lives in Plymouth, IN, so we hitched a ride with her to surprise Stephen’s family in Daleville. We had told Amy we were coming to ensure that the family would be home and we’d have a place to sleep. In the course of getting the house ready for our arrival, everyone but Mom caught wind of the surprise. How fun to walk into the house late at night and see everyone again!

The next morning we attended Grace where I loved catching up with old friends. The best part was seeing the girls in my Sunday School class and getting lots of motherhood tips and encouragement. I have so missed the girls at Grace! For 3 years I listened to their stories of motherhood and child rearing, watched them grow during their pregnancies, and then met their adorable little babies. Now that it’s my turn to join the mommy club, I’m way out here in Phoenix! I’m so thankful we were able to go back for a surprise visit. The girls actually gave me a surprise when they said they wanted to host a mini impromptu baby shower for me the next day.

We managed to squeeze it in, and what fun! The chicken pecan salad, cranberry scones, and raspberry cupcakes were awesome, as were the lovey blankets, tiny outfits, and baby shoes they gave me. My favorite part though, was sitting around the table getting advice from them. God is so good to ‘shower’ unexpected kindnesses on me.

While in Anderson, we didn’t pass up the chance to eat at one of our favs–King Gyros. Our mouths salivate at the mention of the name. We also visited the Colt’s Training Camp at Anderson University where we got pictures of Peyton Manning in the flesh!

After lunch with Dad on Monday, we drove to Indy to surprise Grandma Moody.She was so surprised that she shut the door in our faces. We had a great little visit with her and then took off for the airport. What an exhausting trip, but family is worth it!