The older I get, the faster the year flies by.  It's already the 18th of July and that means July is past half-way over. Bummer.  Where does the time go?

We missed the Fourth of July this year, being in Greece.  That in itself was pretty weird.  No fireworks, no firecrackers, and no great show of flags, fun and patriotism.  I missed it.  Nothing greater than the 4th!

Ron and I have been babysitting Max this week---our granddoggie.  Megan and Sam's dog.  He's really been very good.  I wasn't sure I wanted to keep him but he's been a really good house guest except for one thing.  I put a sheet on one end of our couch for Max to sit on.  He has decided that sitting on the sheet isn't his style, and has decided to sit just off the sheet. Or he sits on a pile of pillows in the corner of the couch.  Anywhere but on the sheet.  ANYWHERE...   I think he does it just to bug me.

I'm SO thankful to all of you who have been praying for my sister and her family as well as all of us.  We feel your prayers.  And Melissa REALLY needs them.  Here's what else has been happening since the funeral on Sat. morning.

Saturday night- Sunday morning, we had bad storms here in this area.  My sister's toy store was damaged by water.  One corner of the store in the back near the door to the employee parking lot experienced the most damage.  The drop ceiling fell, and the inside wall crumbled in that corner.  It's been an on-going problem because the roof above that corner is a deck for the apartment upstairs, on a flat roof.  My sister does NOT own the building, only rents it.  She called the owner who basically told her to take care of it herself. 

So, Melissa's brother-in-law, and her son-in-law as well as a carpenter friend ripped into the decking and found a hole on the roof that was just flooding the store whenever there was much rain.  The carpenter was to fix it.  And tonight, they are putting new drywall in the store where the crumbling has been happening. 

Today, she opened up the closet under the stairsteps in her house, and found that the entire clothes bar had fallen, ripping the bar support board off the wall under the stairs.  She's beginning to think "when it rains, it pours." 

And there are critters (which will remain nameless) getting into the store---they fly and she's terrified of them.  Hopefully when the store wall is repaired and the hole in the ceiling, they will not be able to get in. 

THANK YOU for all your prayers. 

Many of you already know that my brother-in-law, Gary Cairns, passed away on Tuesday.  Gary was 54, and in terrific health---had just had his physical two weeks ago and was told he was in great shape.  He had a massive heart attack and was most likely dead when he collapsed at his mother's house. 

Thank you for all your prayers and please keep praying for his family---my sister, Melissa, his wife;  their son, Tom, and their daughter, Kristy and her husband, Donnie, as well as my entire family, including my mother, Alice.  Gary was more a brother to me than a brother-in-law, and had been in our family for 27 years.  He would always do anything to help, but best of all, shared his great love for his Savior with all those he met.  We know he is with the Lord. 

We are struggling with his death, although we know it is the Lord's plan for our family.  Gary leaves a huge hole in our family and we miss him terribly.  His funeral visitation is Fri, and the funeral is Saturday.  Thank you so much.