What horrible weather we're having for Benji and Karen to have to drive in back to Memphis. It's raining hard all the way up I-55. Protect them from danger and bring them to their destination safely, Lord. Give them plenty of rest tonight for the second leg of their trip tomorrow back to Illinois.

I'm missing them terribly already. I can hardly wait until they're living closer and can visit more often. We've agreed to keep Pip in May while Benji and Karen go on a vacation to Mexico, the gift he gave her for her birthday. Well, we're sharing the babysitting with Mamie and Billy, but I can hardly wait. I think he'll be ok. He and I played together a good bit while he was here and he was happy most of the time. It's usually when he's tired and sleepy that he cries for his Da-Da.

We visited with Jack this afternoon, who kept nodding off while we talked to her. She's usually that way after lunch, but it's the earliest we could get over there. Pip entertained himself by pushing Miss Bessie's walker up and down the hall and amusing all the old folks. They always cheer up when they see children, especially a child as cute and friendly as Pip. I saw more smiles on that floor than I've ever seen.


Mama seemed to faintly recognize Benji, after we got her photo album and reminded her who he was. She also told me who Daddy was in a couple of pictures. That Benji named his child Silas to honor his beloved grandfather never seemed to register with her.