The girls were fussy and tattly that day, but before long they were all out picking raspberries, then making Jell-o to put the berries in.
Though I was still doing fine, it was apparent that the kids were just DONE. Ha! Things never got out of hand, but you could just feel that everybody was coming to the END. It's only fun to live with other people for so long, you know!
That was the day that James FINALLY showed up. I don't know how he managed to stay away so long. There is no way I could be three hours away knowing that BTI is going on and I'm missing it--and that some of our very best friends ever are there... for two weeks!!! I would just die. But James insisted that he just couldn't pull away until then. I know he really was swamped working on church and house stuff. Still, I would have found a way! Ha! Anyway, when he finally did arrive I could SEE how happy he was to be there, especially with some of the friends that we hadn't seen in nearly a year. He just sort of beamed. :-) It's strange. I don't usually spend my time missing people... but when I DO get with them, I am just soooooo happy to see them! That must be how James feels too.
Let's see, what all happened those last few days...
James directed the BTI Choir one day since the first two directors had both left for funerals and such.
We had our Alabama Banquet at Golden Corral. I was thoroughly Golden Corraled OUT by the time we were finished.
On the last day of babysitting I looked outside and saw the boys running around in loin cloths. It's okay--they were still wearing their jeans, but they had tucked loin cloths into the front of them. Hahahaha! It looked hilarious.
Jamey and I knocked ourselves out cleaning and cleaning and cleaning some more, as well as trying to get packed up so we could all leave directly following the Commencement Service on Saturday to head to Alabama. In the end, there was no way we were going to be able to get it all done before the service. Oh well. We tried!
The service itself was very good. James preached the commencement address and did an excellent job, though he preached 15 minutes longer than his wife had advised him. ;-) We went back to the house afterward and it suddenly occurred to Brother Dustin that we would all get more rest and have way more time together if we just stayed at Mom & Dad's house for the next two nights instead of driving down to our house. So he then set about convincing James of the same. It wasn't especially easy, but we all know that if James is going to be talked into anything, Brother Dustin is the one who can do it. In the end, it required a phone call to our pastor, a little extra persuasion from my Dad, and a whole lot of nudging from Brother D.T., but James finally agreed. :-) We all went out to eat, along with the Ridlespurges who had come to pick up all of Kody's belongings, at an overpriced buffet. We were super tired but had a good time anyway.
So then we spent the night again (so much for the fresh sheets Jamey and I had put on the beds--ha!) and then went to church at Zion Hill the next day. Brother Risch preached that morning and Brother Oscar preached that night. Both services were great, but at the end of BTI you're just sooooo tired! (And at the end of babysitting for BTI, too, apparently!)
We stayed up way too late talking and laughing every night once James arrived. I love doing that, even if I pay for it the next day. The opportunities are too few and far between to miss a moment!
Monday morning we tried to get up at a decent hour and get packed up (again) and get the house all cleaned up (again). The goal was for all of us to pull out by about 10:00. Unfortunately there was more to be done than what we were able to manage in that amount of time. And then there's that thing about us just having a really hard time saying goodbye! I even cried when I hugged Mom (and we only live three hours away from each other now!) this time. We always hate saying goodbye to the Hays and feel rather glum once leaving. This time was no different. It's really pretty pitiful! Anyway, it was close to noon when we finally left, all sad and gloomy. Ha!
And thus ends the account of BTI 2012 from my perspective. :-) I did find just a couple of pictures to add. Lillie and Aleah were both pretty happy to see "Brother Horne" when he finally showed up. He was pretty happy to see them, too. I can't remember what he was telling Lillie when I took these pictures, but she and Sarah both seem to be enjoying it. :-)
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