"Lousy" weekend (but not really)

We embarked on another exciting weekend last Friday.  As we were waiting for a much anticipated visit from friends, my sister-in-law called and said her girls had head lice and that Lydie needed to be checked since she had spent the night at their house.  With fear and dread, I looked...and sure enough.  So as I hopped in the car to go to town and get all the proper "equipment", I passed our friends on the long country road.

Because Lydie and our friend (who is like an adopted grandfather to her) had been so looking forward to seeing one another, and the rest of us were excited too, and they had traveled three hours from Atlanta, they stayed.  (I felt like such a terrible host...can you imagine?)  They spent the better part of Friday visiting with us while I picked lice and nits out of Lydie's hair.  The men grilled out a great dinner and Andy gave them a tour of our farm. 



Hardest working man I know, ready for the tour of the farm.



I was so thankful that God prepared me for this weekend of "nit-picking".  That previous week I had gotten news that someone close to my cousin was faced with a son's suicide attempt.  And I had spent an entire night almost 10:00-4:30 praying for someone else I love who was facing a frightening temptation.  So I found myself, although wishing I didn't have to deal with head lice, very thankful for being a Mom and that beautiful daughter who needed my help.  Gratefulness changes one's perspective, and I was thankful.



Tomatoes, almost ready!

Saturday morning Teresa took some beautiful pictures (all the pictures on this post are hers) of our farm while the men picked okra.  (Farm work doesn't stop when we have visitors, unfortunately!)  And I spent the following twelve hours picking more nits and sanitizing the house!  Everyone except for Lydie and I went on an all day canoe trip, which was really fun for them!  I was so thankful they had planned this trip (and could get out of the buggy house!).  They had dinner out.

Baby watermelon

Bees- a farmer's best friend

Sunday morning we discovered that everyone was still lice-free...except for me!  So everyone went to church except me.  I stayed and listened to a beautiful sermon on-line and some wonderful praise music.  Just wrapped my hair up in a towel and enjoyed the solitude.  And after lunch, they all returned home so we could say good-bye to our friends.  Then Andy spent the next 5 or 6 hours proving again that he truly meant it when he said, "I do!" to our wedding vows.  He sat and picked bugs and eggs out of my hair.  YUCK!  And our dear college friend who is working for us this summer made dinner for us.  The weekend really turned out to not be so lousy after all, but how could I resist the title?

Yesterday we were all lice-free.  Praise God.  Life goes on as usual.  And the blessings overflow.  Lydie is swimming with a friend.  The boys and I are going to lunch and a movie today-just us.  We also found out this morning that my parents rented a beach condo for us to enjoy next week and I am forcing my husband to leave the farm in the hands of our college and high school employees for a week.  This blessing has put me on cloud nine for the day.  A whole week off for the hardest working man I know- thank you, Jesus!  And the vacation that the kids begged for and I thought impossible has fallen into our laps.  What a gift from the Father (and my Dad)!  Plans for today: enjoy the sweetness of our first watermelons, cut sunflowers from the garden for the house, spend a great day with just my boys, and praise God all day long!