Bookends.

Bookends come in all shapes and sizes. We have a set of long ago used tail hooks from two F-14's that my husband flew. They have been moved from house to house and moved throughout each house trying to find a nice resting place. They have been my most memorable bookends, holding up large books about F-14's, Naval Aviation, F-18's and any other book we have related to the military. Although they are my bookends which escort me down military memory lane, they were only my most memorable until this week. This week my sister in law visited with her three children. Peter was out of town so the children and I journeyed to the airport to bring them home. As we arrived home one of my children, obviously disregarding my instruction to bring everything from the car into the house, made a run for the door and threw up all over the front door mat. Oh! So, you weren't disobeying! I spent the next several minutes hosing down my porch to make it passable for my waiting extended family who had been patiently standing with their luggage near-the-of-the-driveway. Welcome to my home, I announced as they made their way to the now clean door. I was positive that this particular child had just had something bad to eat as they felt better almost immediately. My sister in law got settled as I made the other child ready for bed. Said child came down the stairs, laid on the couch and all of the sudden made a dash for the bathroom and threw up in virtually every direction while I yelled for paper towels, Windex and Clorox Wipes. I will spare you the rest of the details, but suffice it to say that I had to strip my bed and I was up every hour on the hour until 2 am. The next day all was well, must have been food poisoning. We had a great time with the cousins and were able to have my brother in laws kids over to play as well. We continued the next day with a big field trip and all was still well. I was even more convinced it was just food poisoning. For the next few days all-was-still-well. We did a big family field trip to our nations capitol and hit Five Guys for dinner. And then it happened. My sister in law was leaving the next day to fly home. We had enjoyed a wonderful week together. I was so happy it had just been food poisoning! No. That night found two of her children ill and the following day found one more of mine not well. The rest of mine had stomach aches, so I deprived them of their normal food intake, warning them that it was for their own good. We have, so far managed to have only two throw up. (And there was great rejoicing!) My sister in law, however, made it all the way home with two having gotten sick here and the rest of their family becoming ill at home. Bookends. My very memorable bookends. I am so grateful that God gave us gorgeous weather, healthy children and time to talk throughout the week. We miss you and hope you are feeling better today!