Back where it belongs

Most of you probably know that Dan and I live in the house where he grew up.  My father in law built a china cabinet in the wall at the house decades ago.  Cindy and Ernie's wedding china sat in the cabinet until we got married in 2009.  At that same time, they let us buy the house and they moved off the farm and into town.  Their china sat at their house in town until last week when we moved it back where it belongs to the cabinet Ernie built at our house.

We didn't get any fancy china at our wedding, so Dan's sisters decided the china was for us to keep.  We don't have the biggest house and I can be pretty picky about what I keep, but I was really happy to get this china set.  I like family keepsakes that have memories and meaning.  This china was given to Cindy and Ernie at their wedding by Cindy's Aunt.  Cindy treasured it and brought it out for special occasions.  We usually ate on it for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Sometimes, she used it just because she wanted to!  I remember one night when I was visiting from Illinois (Dan and I had just started dating at this point), Cindy decided to bring it out for the evening meal.  I think Cindy was trying to impress me.  Ernie and Dan seemed somewhat perplexed as to why she would use it on an ordinary night, but I think she was doing all she could to get me to stay with Dan!

I definitely treasure this china set and look forward to using it for special occasions in years to come.

Thinking of my in-laws this Easter

Easter is tomorrow already.  It kind of snuck up on me.  Dan has been busy getting ready to plant in a few days and is out spraying now, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to gather my thoughts while the girls are watching Disney Channel.

I've been thinking about Ernie and Cindy a lot recently.  It's in the quiet moments when I'm getting the girls settled for bedtime and they talk about Grandpa and Grandma but also in the not so quiet moments when all the cousins are coloring Easter eggs and there's just someone missing from the table.  Like April has done, these moments just kind of sneak up on me and can be overwhelming if pushed under the rug.

I get to meet a lot of people through my line of work.  Some clients knew Cindy and Ernie and share fond memories of them with me.  I truly love those conversations.  I've heard stories of Ernie racing a classmate's car around the high school track when he was in high school, and even crazier stories of him being out late and stuck on a mud road and "having to borrow" the county's paving equipment to get his car unstuck.  I've had several people tell me that Ernie was probably the hardest working guy they ever met.  I've also learned that Cindy used to sell Bosch mixers and grinders to mill your own flour (that was news to me!).  Others have told me that Cindy was a friend to them when no one else was, and that she was a true woman of faith that helped them change their lives for the better.

It saddens me that the girls talk less about them as the days march on.  If we can instill one trait from each of their grandparents, I pray that we can instill in them Ernie's humbleness and Cindy's faithfulness.  Being humble isn't natural for a lot of people, but it was one of Ernie's strong points.  He didn't' care how much money he had in the bank as he knew his blessings were his family and ability to work each day on the farm he loved.  Cindy had several struggles in her life.  She faced her autoimmune disorder head-on and didn't let it hold her back from starting a business and being an awesome grandma.  Her faith in God helped her have a positive outlook on life, as she knew there were better days ahead for all of us in Heaven.

If you have in-laws, please treasure them this Easter Season.  I've come to realize that I had two of the best in-laws that I could have asked for in this life.  I'm thankful for God's promise that we will meet each other again someday.  Easter Blessings ~ Lydia

Easter 2015