Dear Family and Friends,
Another crazy week for The Thomas Troops! The largest extra’s being Wyatt’s concussion and Caroline’s flash drive with all of her schoolwork getting a virus. Life, it happens. On the other hand Jefferson got to go swimming with his fourth cousins on Monday and Melanee Kate made an 86 on her last Math test. She has been working so hard and this was a major success.
I have a cousin named Michael Scott Jackson, he goes by Scott. He’s married to a darling love and has four amazing children. We did not grow up together, well, yes we did. We met in college, and we did of ton of growing during that time. My Nana told me I had a third cousin that went to Texas A&M and wanted me to meet him. I called that very week and to this day Scott loves to tease me about saying, “Hi, I’m Dinah Mowery. I think we’re related,” in a very high pitched Texas accent. His imitation is usually accompanied by his great laugh.
He came by that day and little did I know that first lunch we had, I’d just gained a brother.
We spent hour after hour together while we were at A&M. We often had lunch, studied at the library, and we danced together as much as possible. I had taken a ball room dance class with 29 other girls one semester. At the end of the course many of us decided we would take it again. I marched up to my teacher and asked if I brought my own boy, could he be mine? Would I have to share him with the other 29 girls? She agreed he could be mine, and Scott jumped right in. What a sweet young man, willing to dance with his cousin when there were so many other girls right under his nose.
Scott always treated me like a gentleman whether opening my door, grabbing me what I needed at the dining hall, or offering up his arm to walk across campus. What a beautiful time in my life to have a young man setting such a high standard. Scott cheerfully took care of me and loved me good, bad, and ugly. When you spend as much time together as we did for two years, you see it all. He always loved me anyway.
Scott and his family live in Kodiak, Alaska where he flies helicopters with the Coast Guard. This is the closest we’ve ever lived to one another since we both lived on the Quad at Texas A&M. Two weekends ago we had dinner together at our house on Friday. We spent a full Saturday that included skiing, Wyatt’s hockey game, and another evening at our table. I love to sit together at a table over a long meal, it’s one of my favorite things in life. Sunday evening was a double date with just the adults. Monday Jefferson was included in swimming festivities while the rest of the Troops accomplished school. The Jackson’s came by on Tuesday before they headed back to Kodiak.
What a treat to be together! God has been working in both of our lives and it’s so exciting to know we are still persevering in our walks with the Lord, thriving in our marriages, and working hard to raise our children in a way that honors God. After all of these years, we still have the most important things in our lives in common. I love Scott Jackson so much and praise God for bringing him into my life. We are so hopeful to catch a hop to Kodiak to spend a weekend together before they head out to a new assignment.
We have the same great great grandparents. I sure would love for Ed and I’s great great grandchildren to know and love each other...
Love in Christ,
Dinah for The Troops
