Laughing

I could act, dance and sing the entire score of The Phantom and still not entertain or capture Marty's attention as much as our daughter, Erin. I could attribute it to the whole mother-daughter thing (that I don't begin to undertand), but it could be that Erin is just that much more entertaining.

Marty is always on her game and more engaged when the kids are around. She talks more, she interacts more, she adds more to the conversation. She just simply tries really hard to be Mom when they are home. Being the Mom is much more compelling than the wife or the patient.

You can see from the picture that she is having a ball carving a pumpkin with Erin. Erin and significant other Lyle came to the lake this weekend with a pumpkin. They had been carving Jack-o-Lanterns in Dallas with new parents Matt and Sarah and decided they needed to bring this joy to us.

Marty always loved Halloween, it may have been her favorite holiday. She really liked the costumes, dressing up, taking the kids trick or treating and of course, carving pumpkins. I had never seen a pumpkin carving kit until Marty brought one home one Halloween. Marty got a kit so she could carve more elaborate pumpkins.

Marty really liked to experience the whole Halloween experience. I wish I had photos of Marty with her "Billy-Bob" teeth. These are the fake, large, buck teeth that are just good enough you would be afraid to ask if they were fake, in case they weren't and someone just had really bad teeth. She would wear them to her work, to my job, to church and to the kids school functions. I'm not sure Matt has recovered from the time she wore them to the football game and completely embarrassed him. I'm not sure Todd, our young associate pastor at the time, has gotten over Marty sitting at the front of the church smiling her "Billy-Bob" smile as he tried to read scriptures.

That was Marty, that is Marty. She now has this really cool hat with spikes and eyeballs hanging from strings. Renae and Nikkie will take her to the mall this year trick or treating with their kids. She will wear her hat. This is one of those events where Marty says, "Well, I'm going, I don't care what you do."

Anyway, the lake. Marty, Erin and Lyle had a blast carving the pumpkin. But, the best moments came later. Late in the afternoon as I watched THE game Marty and Erin piled up in her bed and watched THE game (yeah, a good win). Marty is never more content, satisfied, relaxed and right than these moments. When I went in to check on them there was Marty drinking her gator-aid lying in bed with her daughter and Lyle (Lyle, you are a man of great compassion and courage). I asked them what they were doing and Erin said just laughing. Marty looked at me, giggled as she does and she said, "just laughing".

How does it ever get better than, "just laughing"? Thank you Erin.