Remember When

Remember that day

(It seemed like yesterday),

when I hadn't seen your face

in seven months.

And we were both going to be

at the Elkhart County Fair.

And when I arrived

and texted you that I was there,

you texted back a picture

of the Ferris wheel 

and I walked to our meeting place

and looked around

and then I saw your face

and my sweet babies with you

and they ran

and I can't hardly remember

what happened.

I was engulfed with six arms

and tears almost escaped.

The heart has a hard time knowing

what to do with it's ache.

But arms and hugs and 

space occupied with 

three little ones clinging on

was all the salve it needed.

Remember when we walked around

and I got to hold the kids

on my hip, on my back

and hold hands with them.

Lots of hugs, 

just looking at each other,

smiling was nonstop,

laughter, reminiscing.

I'm not sure that the seven months

we were gone even fazed anyone.

It was like we'd been together

just the week before.

Except for certain teenagers

who'd grown a bit

and little ones having grown some too.

B lost a tooth and C had grown

an inch or four

and M was a bit taller too.

Can't believe she'll be in Kindergarten -

that little baby in your tummy

when we 1st met.

Remember when, hot and tired,

we found an air conditioned place

to sit and eat 

and the kids got hot dogs

and I, a salad.

B spilled her milk accidentally

and we all cleaned it up.

She mentioned how she doesn't 

like to spill milk.

I told her I don't either.

Remember when we both

got a deep fried Twinkie 

and yours came out freshly fried

and too hot to eat.

You clutched it like a running back 

who has the football and about

to hurl through a group of men.

I offered to "hold it for you",

and you politely refused. :)

I'm sure you were waiting 

for a quiet corner, to inhale it

in one big bite.

Remember when we rode 

the Ferris wheel together?

M so brave, making you nervous.

Little B so sweetly staying close to you

and C taking it all in.

Times on Ferris wheels together

are always a treat.

Remember when you were 

at the Grandstands and needed

some ice cream 

and I was only too happy to oblige.

As fast as I could,

I rushed through the heat

and heaped ice cream started to melt

and drip from the tray.

And as I walked through the crowd

to the place where you sat,

everyone saw the melt

and every heart seemed to gasp.

We somehow made it work.

With sticky goopy hands

and thankful for napkins and water

to wash away the stickiness.

Remember when you got to see

your very 1st demolition derby.

I'm not even sure

there is anything that can compare

to an atmosphere charged 

with excitement

to have cars crash into

one another.

This years derby was the best!

Cars flipped over,

some on their side.

One car rammed underneath another

and took the dang thing for a ride.

Middlebury firefighter with its

gleaming gold car

beckoned loud screams of support

from our clan

and almost beat everyone else's car

and everyone was proud.

Beat up truck in truck round

was a sight to make eyes sore.

We pointed and said,

"What the heck"

and it made it to the end

and won.

Little B was a dancing lady

as the night wore on.

She gets crazy when tired

and so fun.

Remember when the derby 

was close to being over?

We slipped out to avoid the crowd

and big C was starved?

And we entered the exit

for a bathroom break 

and came out the exit 

only to find big C waiting for us

at the entrance.

It was too funny to see.

But I'd only been in Indiana

less than one, 24 hour day

and my heart was so full

to be with those 

I'd missed so much.

And it wasn't even planned.

But both happened to be going 

to the fair at the same time.

I love when God sets up 

beautiful things like that.