One Last Getaway

I'm not sure if I will be able (or willing) to blog for the next week or so. We are going home to Louisiana for several days to see the family. My brother, sister-in-law (Patrick and Ronna) and nephew are flying down from Virginia to visit, so we decided to take this opportunity for one last getaway before school and all the craziness associated with it begins.

I have not seen my nephew, Benjamin, since January. He is 20 months old and although Ronna sends me frequent pictures and updates, it's not the same as being right there with him. I can't wait to see him walk in person, and to hear his little voice say, "All done!" and "I do!" when I ask him "Who loves Xanzie?"

"Xanzie?" you ask. "What an unusual (weird) name. Why not Aunt Xandra?"

I chose Xanzie (pronounced "zan-zee") because that is what my cousins called me when I was little. Allison could not pronounce Xandra (pronounced Zandra), so she started calling me Xanzie. She called her sister Coco (Courtney) and we called her Yay-yay. So, 30 years later, we are still calling each other those childhood names, and Allison was the first to use hers instead of "aunt" and Courtney and I followed suit.

Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing The Boy, and also for some catch up time with Ronna. God could not have blessed me more when it came to giving me a sister-in-law. She is a godly, spirit-filled woman and she is an encouragement to me. She and I are able to speak plainly to one another and I love her just as though she were a flesh and blood sister. Did I mention that we share an obsession for scrapbooking?

I have to confess that I am often so looking forward to seeing her, that I forget about my own brother! It's always good to see him because he challenges me intellectually and theologically. He's one of those people that not only knows the answer to most biblical questions, but can give you the interesting historical details and background information about it. He's a lawyer and his ability to logically explain and break down theological arguments is a true asset. It's also the very attribute that often drives me nuts because sometimes logic doesn't matter...Ronna and I wholeheartedly agree on this one! He's the kind of brother who gives you John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion for your birthday. He rocks!

We'll be driving back to Texas Thursday which is also Nathan's "Meet the Teacher" night at school. It's hard to believe that it's that time of the year again. Let's hope that Hurricane Dean continues on his westbound track and that the low pressure system coming from the east doesn't push him north towards us.

So, we will enjoy this time with my family singing hymns around the piano, eating great food and telling the same old stories that we tell every time we get together. See ya in a week!